Christmas Decorations

We decided to get all our decorations out and decorate for Christmas. The kids loved going through all the decorations. It was so fun to see Sammy and Mary's reactions to the excitement of Thomas and Spring. Sammy kept running around saying, "It's Christmastime...it's Christmastime!" Mary was in awe of everything, especially the lights on the tree. Decorating really seemed to go quickly this year. Joel and I realized it was because the kids are getting to an age that they are much more independent and are a huge help in getting things set up. Thomas and Spring set up a nativity on the piano and Sammy and Mary set up one down lower that they could play with. Later in the day we found Sammy lining up all the people from the nativity in front of Jesus. As we listened to him play he was telling all the people to come and see the new baby Jesus. It was cute to listen to him and watch him.

That evening we continued our tradition of watching the Polar Express as a family the evening we set up the tree. We had all the lights out except for the tree lights and we had a pizza picnic on the floor. Sammy was enthralled with the movie. It took him the entire movie to eat one piece of pizza and I think Mary actually ate 1/2 of it. Mary loved the part in the train when the kids are being served cocoa with all the dancing and singing. She was standing up waving her arms around and singing along. It was such a wonderful day and evening. I love this time of year as we are more prone to reflect on the life of our Savior Jesus Christ. I love the Spirit of Christmas and the excitement and joy that fills the air.

Making Memories

Mom and I found some card making kits for the kids so Friday afternoon Thomas, Spring,and Sammy made the cards. They all made one and sent it to Great-Grandma Skipper (Spring). We enjoyed helping them and being with them while they made their cards.

Then Grandma and Grandpa gave Thomas his birthday present early since they were here. Thomas was so excited to open it and even more excited when he discovered it was a LEGO set. He immediately set up making it. It was cute to watch him want Grandma to sit with him and help him because he always makes them on his own but he just wanted that special time with Grandma. He has made and remade the set many times already.

While Thomas was working on his LEGOS Spring convinced Grandpa to play twister with her. Grandpa was a great sport with it and provided us all some wonderful entertainment. Spring was giggling so hard and we were all laughing. Grandma even came in and took her turn playing. We got some great video footage that will serve us well for blackmail purposes!

Mary enjoyed all the cuddle time she could get with Grandma and Grandpa. She was so cute with Grandpa especially. She would walk over to him and get his attention so he would pick her up and cuddle with her. She would also flirt with him and do all she could to get his attention. She definitely loves cuddling with her grandpa. Grandma was also successful at potty training Sammy!!!! He is doing really well and we are so grateful for that. It was a great week that ended so quickly yet we are so grateful for the time was all shared together and the many memories we were able to make that will last forever in our hearts.

Friday Activities

Mom and I got up early to go shopping on Friday morning. We were at Walmart by 4:40 am for their 5:00 opening. We got all we needed there including a family gift we are giving our children for Christmas. It was packed and after we go the "big" item mom stayed with the basket and slowly tried to manuever through the crowd to the checkout while I went and picked up the other items we both needed. We waited in line for about an hour to check out but it was fun to be together. We called Alanna a couple times because she was out shopping too. Then we headed to a couple more stores but by then the crowds were much less and we still were able to get everything on our list. We were home by about 9:30 but it felt like it should have been much later in the morning! A few hours later we wanted to go a couple more stores so we took Mary and Joshua with us. Joel and Grandpa took the older 3 kids bowling during this time. They had a great time bowling and mom and I loved spending the time together shopping. I am now almost all done with our Christmas shopping which is always a big relief. We forgot to take the camera on any of our shopping trips so we were going to take a picture of all our purchases and then decided that wouldn't be a good idea because then everyone would see them! It was fun to go shopping and not have to hurry in and out really fast with all the kids. I am so glad Mom and I had this time together.

Pranks, Baths, and Cuddle Time

Thanksgiving evening Joel took Dad for a tour of the plant and Grandma decided to show some jokes to the kids. She did the trick with Spring where she sits on the ground with her legs spread apart. You pour some water on the floor between her legs, give her 2 forks and grandma had a towel in her hand. Grandma said, "OK, I bet I can wipe up the water before you poke me with the forks." Spring was so excited. Grandma said, "1,2,3, go!" Then she grabbed Spring's legs and pulled her forward so the water was wiped up with her bottom. We all got such a good laugh out of it. Spring was laughing and said, "Grandma, you cheated!" Then she had Thomas put a funnel in his pants and a quarter on his forehead and lean his head back. He was supposed to drop the quarter in the funnel. As he leaned his head back Grandma poured water into the funnel. Thomas got kinda embarrassed by it but it was so funny. Then they played the quarter basketball game that gets pencil marks on their faces. It was a fun evening. I am sure they will want to try out the pranks on others when they get the chance. Joshua enjoyed a bath in the sink and then some cuddle time with Grandpa. The kids loved having grandma read them stories while she was here. Our children are so blessed to have such wonderful grandparents.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. It was so wonderful to have my mom and dad here with us. They surprised the kids when they drove up to our house as we got home from church last Sunday. It was such a wonderful week with them and it went way too fast. I loved having the time with them and I know the kids did too. I just wish we all lived closer so these visits could be more frequent but we were sure thankful for their willingness to make the long drive.

On Wednesday Thomas woke up with a sore throat again so he stayed home from school and we took him to the doctor. He has strep AGAIN! This is the third time in 24 days that he has had strep. He finishes his medicine and a few days later he gets it again. So, he got a prescription and by the next day was feeling better. That afternoon mom and I made pies and the kids made their turkeys that we make each year. They also made placemats for everyone. We had a good time together.

I started to get really fevered and sick Wednesday night and it got worse through the night. The next morning Joel took me into the ER because that was the only place open until Saturday. I had a fever of 103 and I couldn't talk and my throat was so swollen I could barely swallow. I ended up having strep again as well as a viral laryngitis. Once I got some medicine in me I felt a lot better. We had invited some friends over for our "Pie for Breakfast" tradition. Thankfully, my parents filled in for us and took care of entertaining and carrying on that tradition for our children. Mom ended up doing most of the cooking that day because I was so tired. I am so grateful for her help. During the day the kids enjoyed having Grandpa throw them into piles of pillows and blankets! We had a member from our ward spend Thanksgiving dinner with us. He was just transferred to the NAS here but his family is still in Washington. Joel and Dad enjoyed watching football and we just had a great time sharing time with each other. I am always reminded of how the wonderful blessing that family is to me.

Potty Training Duo

Grandma decided to try to get Sammy to potty train while she is here. He has done it for a day here and there before but then just decides he wants his diaper again. So, this morning he put on underwear. He went outside to play and came back in with his jeans and his underwear in his hands and said to me, "Mom...you help me pee in the dirt?" I told him that he doesn't pee in the dirt but he needs to pee in the toilet. He said, "No, me have to pee in the dirt." We went back and forth a couple times and then Sammy said, "Thomas do it." I told him Thomas does not pee in the dirt and he wasn't going to either. Reluctantly he headed into the bathroom to go potty. When he sat on the toilet then Mary decided she was going to also. So, all day whenever Sammy tries to go potty Mary follows behind, takes off her diaper, and has to try also. I wouldn't mind at all if Grandma is successful at potty training Sammy and even Mary. We could go down to only 2 or maybe even 1 child in diapers!

In-n-Out

It has become tradition for us to go to In-n-Out when my parents come to visit. When they got here and realized we don't have one in our small town Dad had to look up on the internet to find the nearest In-n-Out. The closest one was about 40 minutes away. Well, for FHE tonight we made the trek to In-n-Out for dinner. We had a great time together.

Li'l Bro

This evening we were all together in the front room when Joshua woke up from his nap. The kids were excited to have him awake and join in our fun chaos. As I watched the kids with Joshua I took the time to reflect and appreciate the different relationship each of our children have their newest little brother.

Thomas is so loving with Joshua. He loves to hold him and cuddle him close. We often find him kissing Joshua's cheeks even if someone else is holding him. He has a talent to soothe Joshua and calm him down when he is fussy. Thomas loves to help Joshua clap his hands because it makes Joshua smile really big.

Spring is a little mother with Joshua. She loves to burp him, get him dressed, and help change his diapers. She always wants to get him out of bed when he wakes up. She can hear the slightest cry and will go running to get him up. She also loves to have him lay by her or sit on her lap if she is watching cartoons or reading a book. She is very protective of her little brother.

Sammy LOVES to hold Joshua. He will say, "Me hold Joshie" all the time! If I tell him that Joshua needs to eat first then Sammy will respond, "Me feed him" as he lifts his shirt up to his neck. Sammy also likes to lay on the floor next to Joshua and play with him. We have to be really careful because he thinks he can pick Joshua up and walk with him. This has resulted in a few falls but nothing major...yet! I can see in Sammy's eyes that he just can't wait to be able to really play with Joshua.

Mary loves to sit by me when I am nursing Joshua. She will rub his head or his tummy with one hand as she sucks her other thumb! She puts her arms out for us so she can hold him too but the holding is often shortlived. Mary gets very concerned when she hears him cry and if I don't respond quick enough she will come running to me and pull me towards Joshua. Her love and concern for him is so sweet. She is young but she is a great big sister for Joshua.

I love our children so much and I love to see them interact with each other and share their love for each other. I love it when I am in the store with all of them and I get people say things like, "Are these ALL your children?" It makes me so happy to tell them that "yes they are." Children are indeed a blessing from our loving Father in Heaven.

Everday Blessings

My sister recently posted 5 things she is grateful for each day. I thought it was such a good idea that I would do the same. There really are so many blessings in my life but I will just list 5 for now.

1. ETERNAL FAMILIES: This includes my dear husband, our children, my parents, siblings, and all our extended family. I don't think a day goes by that I don't think of how blessed I am to know of the joy that comes from eternal families.

2. MEMORIES: I find such comfort in the wonderful memories I have from all different stages in my life. As I am still working at finding my place since we have moved here, I especially find comfort in remembering all the fun times and all the great friends and family that are part of my great memories. It helps to remind me that with time I will find that same joy in memories that I make here.

3. DISPOSABLE DIAPERS: 3 kids in diapers...need I say more! :)

4. JOEL'S JOB: It allows me to be a stay at home mom which brings such joy to me everyday as I am able to watch our children learn and grow. I also love being able to be here as soon as Thomas and Spring get home from school and hearing all the wonderful things and not so great things that happened during their day.

5. BEDTIME FOR OUR KIDS: I love spending time with our children and I also love the time after they have gone to bed. It gives Joel and I some alone time. It also gives me the opportunity to reflect on the day. As I go in to check on our kids they look like angels as they sleep and it reminds me that any struggles and frustrations of the day really aren't that big in the eternal scheme. This time rejuvenates me as I set goals to be a better mom the next day.

Dancing Fun

Last night the kids were having fun dancing and goofing around. Sammy ended up taking Mary's pink skirt from her so he could wear it while he danced. Mary really enjoys dancing lately and she is so funny as she dances. She will dance, fall down, giggle, get up and start all over again. It was crazy and loud but they were all having a great time.

Bathtime and Rolling Over

We were all outside this afternoon/evening for quite a while. Thomas was down at the dirt ramp and Joel, the other kids, and I were in the front yard. They were playing and we were talking with our neighbor. It was later by the time we came in for dinner. All the kids then really needed to shower or bath because they were so dirty from being outside. Joel needed to shower as well because he had to hurry off for Bishopric meetings. So, we did the fast shower/bath ritual. The plan was for Mary and Sammy to get in the bath together but Sammy decided he wanted to shower with Joel. So Joel and Sammy were in the shower while Mary was in the other bath. Spring was our big helper and bathed Mary for us. While this was going on I handed Joshua in to Joel as well and then got all the diapers and PJ's ready. As soon as Mary was ready to get out so was Joshua so that took some juggling. Mary and Joshua were in their towels on our bed and Mary wanted to hold Joshua. It looked so cute I had to get a picture. As soon as Mary was out of the bath Thomas got in the bath and Spring showered as soon as Dad and Sammy were out. Not bad...6 people showered/bathed in about 20 minutes! That may be a record!

After the older 4 kids were in bed I was going to watch Dr. Phil while nursing Joshua since Joel was gone to the church. Only, I could not find the remote control. Now, it may seem weird but I just can't seem to watch TV if I don't have the remote control. I remember one evening a couple years ago when Mom was visiting. We couldn't find the remote control and so instead of just turning on the TV I spent almost an hour looking for the remote. I know...lazy but that's just me. Now, back to my point. I layed Joshua on the floor so I could look inside the couch and behind things for the remote. Three different times I looked back over at him and he had rolled onto his back but I never saw him do it. So, I took a break from my search to get out the camera. Sure enough, I had barely put him back on his tummy and turned on the camera when he rolled over again. He has been rolling over for a couple weeks but tonight he really was doing it. Even being tired and hungry he kept rolling himself over but he doesn't like to be on his back so he will cry. It is fun to see him do these things but I get sad too because I realize how quickly he is growing up already. I treasure this time when they are so little and all the work is so worth it. They get so big and independent too quickly.

Hodge Podge Pictures

Here are a couple more pictures from Joshua's blessing.

We were able to travel to Ontario, CA this weekend so we could listen to Allison's farewell talk. Allison is Joel's cousin. She leaves to serve her mission in New Jersey next week. Our kids love her and her family and we all had such a wonderful time this weekend. She is going to make a wonderful missionary.

I love Joshua's smile. He is quick to smile yet sometimes it is difficult to get on camera. The other morning Spring was holding him before school and he was smiling so much. She wanted me to be sure to get a picture of her with him! Then she told me I needed to be sure to put it on the blog.

Joshua's 1 Month Check Up

Yesterday Joshua had his one month check up. It was nice because he didn't need any shots even though Sammy told me "Me hold Joshie when Doctor gives him shots." Sammy was disappointed that Joshua didn't need shots! We are so blessed to have such a healthy little boy. He now weighs 11 pounds 7 ounces and is 21 inches long. He has gained almost 3 1/2 pounds in the first month. It didn't surprise us because he sure loves to eat! We are enjoying his smiles and coos. He is really beginning to enjoy his tummy time...especially if someone is on the floor talking to him. I am always amazed at how they can change so quickly. I just wish I could freeze time.

Prop 8 Victory!!!

What a marvelous day it is! Proposition 8 has passed in California. This will restore traditional marriage and add an amendment to the California Constitution that "only marriage between a man and a woman is legal and recognized in the state of California." We are so grateful to the many good people of California who supported this proposition at the polls yesterday. We have had the wonderful opportunity to donate our time and money to this effort and what a blessed feeling it is to have heard that it passed! After countless hours knocking on doors, making phone calls, distributing information, passing out yard signs, waving signs on street corners, and praying it is all worth it. Our efforts have been rewarded and our Father in Heaven made up the difference for what we couldn't do on our own! Monday afternoon/evening our family (including all 5 of our children) were on a busy intersection in town with signs raised high to passerbys encouraging them to vote "yes" on proposition 8. It was a sight to join with others this evening. We were met with some positive support as well as some very negative. I am so grateful we have been able to help in this effort and to see it pass is overwhelming. I have found myself on my knees expressing my gratitude to our Father in Heaven for His help.

I am so grateful our children have had this experience as well. Thomas and Spring could probably tell you just about anything you wanted to know about Proposition 8. We have had many FHE's about marriage and family and what it all means. This morning the first thing Thomas asked me was, "Mom, did Proposition 8 pass?" It was too early to know yet. I can't wait to tell him when he gets home from school. When I picked up Spring from school I told her that it passed. Her eyes lit up and she had a HUGE smile on her face as she said, "YES! Now we don't have to stand on street corners or knock on more doors! Everyone knows marriage is only between a man and a woman." What a great opportunity for them to gain that testimony.

Joshua's Baby Blessing

Joel had the opportunity to bless our little Joshua at church today. Our dear friends, the Herrins, from our ward in Manteca came this morning to attend the blessing and visit with us after church. We had over 40 people visiting with us. People joked with us that our group made up half the congregation in Sacrament Meeting. It was wonderful and we are so grateful for them to be able to come and share that time with us. It was especially wonderful to visit with our wonderful friends again. The kids loved having their kids with them in primary again!

The following men stood in the circle for the blessing offered by Joel:

Grandpa Biggs, Great-Grandpa Miller, Uncle Carl, Uncle Ty, Steve Herrin, Bishop Ball, Brother Millet, and President Evans. Joel offered a beautiful blessing for our son. I am so grateful for the power of the Priesthood in our lives.

This is Lisa Herrin...my dear friend. I miss her so much. Today was the best day I have had at church since we moved here because of having our wonderful friends and family with us. It was so great to feel like I had a close friend with me at church again.

We did not get a picture of the whole group on our camera, somehow. I am anxiously awaiting this picture to be emailed to me so I can add it to this post. I have put off posting about this hoping the picture would come but decided I didn't want to wait any longer. So, stay tuned for that picture!

Weekend with Family and Friends

This weekend we had the opportunity to bless Joshua. A lot of Joel's family were able to come for the blessing which was so wonderful to see everyone and spend time together. Uncle Carl, Aunt Kathy and 4 of their children: Allison, Bryce, Caitlin, and Courtney all came. Grandma and Grandpa Miller, Uncle David, Grandma and Grandpa Biggs, Tammy, and Ty came as well. We had 20 people here Saturday night. It was so fun to have everyone together. Our kids loved all the attention and love showered upon them! Saturday evening we all knelt to have family prayer before putting the kids to bed. The Spirit was so strong as Joel offered the prayer. I know with a surety that the temple ordinances allow us to be eternal families. As I was touched by this I thought of my family and how I wished they could have been here as well. Then I realized they are here with us always in our hearts and we will one day all be together for the eternities. I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and for eternal families.

Thomas enjoyed playing Upwords with Aunt Kathy. He was so excited to find out that she had brought him her old version of upwords for him to keep. I think we are all in for many hours of game playing with him!

Sammy loved playing and wrestling with his cousins and uncles. He especially loved the horse rides from Bryce and Uncle David. Spring enjoyed spending time with Allison, Caitlin, and Courtney as they helped her primp...like she needs any help with that! I think she just enjoys having other girls help her that have much more experience than I do!

Mary just puttered around between everyone and enjoyed any attention she got. She was often found on someone's lap...she really liked to sit with Uncle Carl. And, of course, Joshua was held by all his wonderful family. How grateful I am that Joel and I both have wonderful families that are such examples of righteousness for our children.

Joshua's New Trick

Joshua seems like he is growing so quickly and doing so many things already. He is only 5 weeks old but he is changing so much. His neck is getting really strong and he enjoys laying on his stomach and looking around. He is getting better about not being in someone's arms all the time. We love to lay on the floor next to him and listen to him coo and smile at us. He also started to roll over already! I know it is way too early. He did it twice today within about 5 minutes time! I don't think I am ready for him to be doing this already!

Sammy's 3!!!

Our little Sammy is three years old already! He is such a cutie and brings laughter, smiles, and happiness into our family and our home. Since our weekend was going to be busy we had planned to wait and celebrate his birthday next week sometime but when he woke up this morning and we told him "Happy Birthday" he immediately got a big smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye as he said, "Have fire on my birthday!" He wanted candles to blow out! So we asked if he wanted a cake or brownies for his birthday and he said, "Brownies. They're my favorite!" So that evening we sang him happy birthday and he got to blow out his candles.

Then he opened his present...a race car that you shake up, put it down, and it goes about 20 feet. He loves it. He also got to open presents later from Grandma/Grandpa Biggs, Aunt Tammy, and Uncle David. He had a great day. We love you, Sammy!