James is getting older

December came and went, and James... My baby turned 11!! Can you believe that??!!!

He has a few more inches and then he is taller than me. He is an incredible young man. Very smart, and always willing to try something new.

He is loosing his baby look, and growing into a very handsome young man. It's crazy... another year gone by. Seven more years and he will be out on his own. He wants to serve a mission, and go to college. He life is opening up and it's a bright one for him.

I feel so honored to be his mom, I have learned so much from him.

Lacross

James and Tommy played Lacross this summer. I knew what Lacross was but I didn't realize what it all entailed.

When the boys went to pick up their gear I thought for sure they were missing stuff. I mean have you seen all the gear that football players have?? Lacross is so different!

They had shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves and a helmet. That's it! That's all. And then we sent them out to a field with a stick and they were told to go hit people.

It's a pretty brutal sport.... we all loved it!!

Tommy was about half the size of most of the players out on the field. He took some hard hits, but he is a scrappy player and he's fast s he was able to keep up and knock people over.

{sorry for the picture of the head that is in the way!}

Lacross is a fast paced game! They play for 12 minutes straight, have an 5 minute break... another 12 minutes and an 8 minute break for the half... and then again for another 2 more quarters! And then they are done. {as a mom I do have to say that is one thing that I like about this game.... in about an hour we are done!}

James really found his niche as defense. He is really strong and coming at most of the players on the opposite side, he would just plow them over. He would like to continue playing Lacross, but any sport that has a defense that hits people he will be great at!

And what team would be complete with out a cheering section!! 

It was fun for the boys to play and Tim wants to try it next season.

.... They even have a woman's league....!

Happy Half Dozen

Three weeks after Charlotte was born we went up to a friends house to have her take our pictures. Brianna has been a friend for many years and happens to be a fantastic photographer {she also has an indoor pool so it was great bribery to get the boys to behave and take good pictures}

 I love this picture of our family. It makes me so happy to know that these people are in my life. I love that our family feels complete.  {and look too.... everyone's face is in the general direction of the camera!!}

Swim was fun... what was even funnier was watching Brianna working so hard to make him laugh. I need to get her a funny hat to wear. And it was work to keep him from falling into the little creek in the park.

This boy is CRAZY!! He is non stop when he is awake and into everything. You can see where he has been as he likes to empty my drawers. Also for some reason he loves my wallet. He will search for my purse and only get out my wallet, and pull everything out, or rearrange it. He babbles all day long and we totally have conversations, only I have no idea what about.

I love Benji's eyes! They are a really pretty blue, but they turn grey when he is mad. I love his dimple!

He loves to give hugs and will ask me to hold him. He is independent which would seem nice... but it's not. He likes to pour his own juice {onto the floor} help get the markers {for Swim} will make sure everyone has their shoes {but not give them to anyone} and will put his own seatbelt on {only he doesn't and I don't realize it until we are on the free way and he is dancing between the seats!}

Of course there is our newest addition, our sweet little girl. I didn't realize that I wanted a girl until I held her in my arms. I would have been perfectly happy to have 6 boys running around, but she has completed me in so many ways. And the joy she brings to me is amazing.

I do have to mention the hand.... I have short stubby fingers. So I hired a hand model {Jen, and paid her with dessert} She has long beautiful piano playing fingers that look much better in pictures.

She was born with lots of hair and long curled eyelashes. Seriously... she is a doll!!

After 14 years I still really like this guy!! He is definitely my better half. We have been through so much together and are still going strong. He makes me happy, he wipes my tears when I cry, he makes me laugh, and he holds me together when I feel broken.

{And we make some pretty cute kids!}

Tim is 7 now and on that boarder of wanting to be a little kid, and wanting to grow up a little more.

He still likes to be held and cuddled and will curl up in a blanket with me and look at books.

Those dang teeth show no signs of coming in, so he has a jack-o-lantern smile that makes me laugh.

Tommy is our resident smarty pants. Don't know how to spell something??? Ask Tommy, he'll tell you.

He's a jokester as well.. He is also a schemer and always has something going on in his mind. He will be our first kid to hit the $1,000,000 mark.

He does have a soft spot for his siblings. Most of the time they drive him crazy, but at night when they are suppose to be asleep I'll hear him and Tim giggling over something, or reading Benji a book. He is always willing to hold Charlotte, or help Swim. And he is more than happy to sit by James and help him with homework.... or Mind Craft.

I can't believe that I have a 10 year old!! {He'll be 11 in December!!} The time has gone so fast and it keeps going. James is a good kid. He is at that boardering age too... between kid and young man. Watching him grow has been harder on me than I thought. I want him to stay little but he reaches my eyes now... another 2 years and he will be taller than me.

Every now and then he'll turn his head and I can see where his jaw will form, or he'll take off his shirt to play in the sprinkler and his muscles are starting to be defined, and when I see him pick up his sister I get a small glimpse of the man he is becoming.

These boys have been my life for so long. Everything has been for them. I am so happy to be their mom and to raise them. They are going to be extraordinary.

And now with her in the mix just adds a new element of fun and wonder to our family. She has soften us all.

These people make me happy!!

A Whole Decade!

I can't believe it!!!

Look at this boy. He is 10!

10 years old!!

Where did the time go?? It really doesn't seem that long ago that he was placed in my arms and was looking up at me with his big eyes. At that moment I became a mom. I had no idea what I was doing.

I know heaven has a special place for first born children.... the parents never know what they are doing and are often times wrong. Only the strongest of spirits can be first children.

James you are amazing! And we love you. You bring such a spark to our family and such a different perspective as well.

Your love of all things random keep up on our toes.

Your love and knowledge of the gospel teaches me daily.

You have a gift of forgiveness that I love. Thank you for forgiving me.

I love that you love music so much. And I love that it is all music. I hear you tapping out or humming a tune and it makes me happy to know that you are choosing good things to listen to.

I am so happy and yet sad to watch you grow into a man. I love that you are learning about life, but sad that it is moving so fast.

James I love you. I have loved you from the moment you were put into my arms, and I will love you for the rest of eternity. Thank you for being a great kid.

Happy Birthday James! I hope the next 10 years are just as great!

Poor Baby Jesus...

Years ago I bought this little glass nativity from the Dollar Store. It wasn't much but I like the simplicity of it. Last year we lost poor Joseph in the move.

This year things did not go well for the baby Jesus.

Let me say that James has good intentions... he tries really hard to be careful, but you know how some people are accident prone.... that's James. Poor guy.

So.... we were hanging out as a family one night. The TV was on, I was doing dishes and Steve was wiping the table.

All of a sudden there was a shriek from the family room... "OH MY GOSH!!! I JUST BROKE BABY JESUS!"

 and James was on the floor trying to salvage what was left of the poor Christ child.

He was so distraught.

And I.... I tried hard not to laugh.

He tried to gather all the pieces to fix it for me but it was glass and there was no way to fix it.

It was an accident, and it was fine. He felt bad enough for breaking  baby Jesus, but I will never forget the way it came out!

Nine whole years

Nine years ago a baby boy was placed into my arms. He had big blue eyes and really chubby cheeks, and just looked around at the world that was before him. And then, he looked at me, and I fell in love

James has grown from a baby then toddler into a really great kid, nine years have seem to fly by so fast. We have had so many changes in his short life time. 

When he was born I could smell the Pacific Ocean out my front door. Here we are now, all the way on the east coast, so far away and so long ago from the place and time he was born.

And those blue eyes that peered up at me the moments after he was born, have now turned the most amazing colors. A hazel on the inside and a striking blue on the outside, what a lucky boy to have eyes unlike any others.

In many ways he is still a child, the way he laughs, the way he plays, the way he enjoys the little things in life. In other ways I am seeing the young man he will become, in the way he takes care of his brothers, in the way he is learning to follow through on the things asked of him, and in the way that he walks when he is sure of something that he knows to be true.

It won't be long now until that boy that I see every day and hug every day will grow into a young man. 

It will be his will and determination that will carry him through in life. It will be his thirst for knowledge that will lead him to the truth that is around him. And it will be his strength that will help him back up when he faulters as he is finding his own path to follow

He came into this world so eager to be loved and to love in return. He is quick with a hug, and although his is growing so big he is still wanting to cuddle and to feel the compassion that is around him. He is so quick to forgive, and to trust.

The day will come when I will see him walk out my door to set his own course. I hope that at that time I have given him all I can to succeed and to rise. The world is hard and can be somewhat cruel to those that are sensitive by nature, but I know that his strength will pull him through. One day he will leave my arms to put his around someone else. I will be happy for him, but sad that my baby is gone.

He is now half way to 18, half way to a life of his own.

But for now I will hold my nine year old, remembering him as the baby, the toddler and the little boy that he once was. I will laugh with him as we tell jokes and hold hands. I will take this in lock it in my heart.

I love you my James, Happy Ninth Birthday! Thank you for being the best big brother and a great first child!