Catching up.

So, in case you haven't noticed, I've been a little behind. Busy Busy around here.
Let me fill you in:
Colds for the kids
Deer Hunting
Scrapbooking weekend for me! (YAY!)
Cold for Mom
Nolan turned 11 months (pictures below)
Date weekend (Friday: Kody, Saturday: Bryan, Sunday: Jake)
Thanksgiving
Kody's B-day

Whew!

Collection of pictures below. I also got a new camera, (finally)...so hopefully now I can get back on track!

Nolan: 11 months
This past month Nolan has mastered his skills at SCREAMING. As loud as he can. This is most common during breakfast/lunch/dinner when he wants more food. I am trying to teach him to say "more" or "ma-ma" instead of screaming. (our ears hurt)
He is also learning to walk. He started with just a few steps here and there, but this past weekend I find him trying to walk almost as much as he crawls. He can get about 5-6 steps in before falling down onto his knees. He is also trying to stand back up in the middle of the room when he falls down. Fully walking by his b-day??....Guess we will see!

Gabby and Nolan LOVE playing with the computer. What is so facisnating about a computer keyboard? Nolan is super excited that he is now tall enough to reach all the keys!






Gabby:....Potty training. We are working on it. I'm not pushing it, we just let her go whenever she feels like it. But she has been doing great. I think if we pushed it a little more, she would probably be fairly easy to train. We'll see. However...she is still crazy as ever and such a riot! Coming up with the funniest things to say!

Jake: Has been busy playing Legos and the Wii. Busy playing with Gabby and Nolan and making them laugh! He is good at that!

Kody: Just turned 13 and is enjoying his new Ipod Touch. However....we do not have WiFi at our house, so he cannot use the internet functions on it at this point. Hmmm...trying to figure that out. He also has Snowmobile Safety training this weekend and is looking forward to that. (and wanting more snow)







Me and Bryan:....well, same old stuff for us. Work and busy with the 4 kids. Getting ready for X-mas.





Yes, that is toilet paper. Nolan is obsessed with it.



This was supposed to be one of Gabby's Christmas presents. It went something like this:

G: ooohhhh, mommy! I have this?! (she found it in my closet)
M: Oh, no Gab. Lets just put that back ok.
G: {whimper} Mommy, I have this, please??
M: (total sucker)...sigh...ok.
Needless to say, her and Nolan LOVE it! :)

A Teenager in the house!

Wow! I can't believe it! Kody, you are 13 years old today! You might think you are still young....but to me, you are getting to old! You are offically a "teenager" today. I have to admit, that is a little scary. However, I am glad that my first teenager is a boy, and not a girl :)

It seems only a short while ago you were my little buddy, going with me everywhere, asking me to play toys with you. Boy does the time go fast! In some ways you still are my "buddy"....you still offer to come with me to the store or run errands with me. But, you no longer ask me to play toys! (haa)

You have been such a big help to me since Gabby and Nolan have been born. You are always willing to help me when I ask (but not always when Dad asks) and even offer to help with the little kids even without me asking. You don't know how much of a help this is for me! I am so greatful for having a sweet, loving son like you!

You have grown into such a wonderful kid. (sorry, teenager) I am so proud of you! I know you sometimes struggle with your school work, but I am proud to see you trying your best and putting your effort into it. It WILL pay off in the end. I promise. When you are an adult...you will see :)

Happy Birthday Kody! I love you very much!
xoxo Mom

P.S. I hope you like your present, it was a lot of work for me to get it!

Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!

What a fun weekend. Friday night we went to the Halloween Party at the highschool with Katie, Jaden, Colten and Danielle. (Thanks Danielle for your help!) We had fun playing games, eating pizza, getting candy and going through the "Haunted Hallway!"

Sunday night we went to Papa and Grandmas for supper and then went Trick or Treating.
Nolan stayed back with Dad, but Gabby and Jake went (Kody went with a friend).

So fun! Gabby did say "trick or treat" and "thank you" at the houses and when we walked away from each door she said "Next house!". So cute!

Now...to hide that candy.......hhhmmmmm....


Oh Wow! Its a Cow!


Guess what?

Chicken butt!

Naughty Nap Time

This morning I cleaned Gabby and Nolans room. Picked up all the toys, put all the books back on the shelf. Changed the bedding. The usual.

At naptime, I planned on cleaning the rest of the house. Gabby and Nolan had something else in mind. We put them down for naps as usual. I could hear them up there talking, yelling and playing. Gabby usually wanders around the room for awhile before she goes to sleep. Its common for her to take a few things out and "read" Nolan a story before they both settle in and go to sleep. Well today....not so much. There was no settling in.

She opened up the shades and was watching the activity outside. Bryan and the boys were out there, so I could hear her: "Hi Daddy!!" "Hi Kody!!" (Bryan said she was standing in the window watching them and drinking her cup). Goof ball!

I figured eventually they would give in, and since there was no crying, I just went about my planned cleaning. Well......2 hours later, they were still up. They had been quiet off and on, so I thought at one point they might have gone to sleep.

Nope.

So I went up. Opened the door.

OH. MY. GOSH.

"HI!" .......I hear from my left. Gabby was sitting up on top of the changing table smiling away. Nolan was jumping in his crib and starting to cry.

You want to know why we call Gabby the "tornado".......... look below.








You can understand why Nolan couldn't sleep either. Hard to sleep with the sun shining in every window, the overhead light on, and 2 lamps on. Also hard to sleep when your sister throws toys into your bed and runs around naked. Oh.....yeah, thats not in the picture. She took her socks, pants and diaper off. Then......proceeded to PEE on the bed. Nice. There goes the clean sheets. She also managed to rearrange all Nolans pictures on the wall and knock down one of his wooden letters. (that are 5 feet off the ground!)


Oh, and one more picture.

Notice half the curtains are missing the the rod is bent.
"I brake that." Says Gabby.
"Yeah. Mommy can see that. Were you naughty?"
"Yes. Me naughty."

At least she admits it.


Hoping for a real NAP time tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Bug!

To my sweet Jakey bug.
Happy 9th b-day! Hard to believe you are 9 years old already. I can still remember the days when you would cuddle up on mommy and daddys bed to watch movies each night. You insisted on doing this before going to sleep. And then, I usually had to lay with you until you fell asleep. You were always my cuddle bug! Still are  Coming up to lay in dad’s spot on weekend mornings, and sleeping in his spot while he is gone to Canada each fall. I enjoy your company! I love having my kiddos cuddle with me! You are never [NEVER] too old to cuddle with your momma!

Sometimes its fun to look back on our scrapbooks and your past school pictures and see how you have grown. You have changed a lot over the years, but will always be my little bug!

You are in the 3rd grade this year, and doing awesome! You are turning into our little math wiz! I hope it continues to be something you excel at for years!

You are a very sweet, funny and caring boy. I’m so proud to see how you have grown
into such a great young “man”. You continue to be a favorite with all your teachers and
are quick to make new friends.

You are a great brother! Always willing to help me with Gabby and Nolan. This is a great help to me, and they love when you play with them too! Gabby loves when her Jakey plays Legos with her! And its so sweet and nice of you to allow her to do this. She will remember that always!—and you will too!

You are quite the funny boy…always quick with a smile and a laugh. Always ready for a joke or story. You are also very caring, and quick to forgive. You have a wonderful heart and are full of love. I’m proud to have you as my middle boy!

Hope you have a perfect birthday!

Love you so much,
xoxo
Mom

Apples, Pumpkins and Goats..Oh My!

Kody, Nolan, Colten, Gabby, Jaden & Jakob

Bryan left for his week long hunting trip to Canada on Saturday, so the kiddos and I headed to McDougall's Apple Junction with the Litschke's. We had perfect weather and had a fun day! The kids all had fun running around playing on the wooden trucks, trains and tractors. Nolan even got to drive!

Gabby had to swing on the big swingset, cuz it's her favorite thing to do. We all went through the small corn maze and took a wagon ride around the orchard. Kody, Jake and Gabby even got to milk a cow! ;)

We had a great time! Can't wait to go again next year!

(And Bryans trip to Canada: well, lets just say they had a bumpy start, but did finally arrive at their destination around 11 pm on Sunday night!)



This is Gabby's mini pumpkin and gourds. She thinks they are pretty neat!

Nolan: 10 months

Wow! How time flys! Someone asked me at work today: "How is your little baby doing? How old now?"....."He is good," I replied..."But already 10 months, not really so 'little' anymore!" I can't believe it! In only 2 months you will be 1 year old!

It's mommy's b-day tomorrow and I was just thinking that last year on my b-day I was pregnant, anticipating your arrival in a few months! My friends at work made me a 'healthy' b-day treat of homemade carmel dip with apples and popcorn. To remember the day...they made them again for me this year! (Thanks Jodi!) :)

Oh my little No-boy! You contine to be such a happy, easy-going boy! You are so patient and loving. Always quick to smile at a loved one, and starting to be shy to those you don't know. You hide your face on mommy's shoulder. So cute :)

You have the funniest faces! I can't even explain your funny face, and have yet to catch it on camera! You really have to see it to truly enjoy it!

Your biggest accomplishment at 10 months: You now know how to go to sleep on your own. This is great....but a little sad for mommy at the same time. It's nice to be able to lay you and Gabby down and leave the room, let you both fall asleep on your own (after some jumping, talking, reading and playing). But I do miss our cuddle time, our quiet. When sissy would be in bed already and the boys downstairs with Daddy, you and I used to cuddle and enjoy the alone time. Bittersweet I guess! I just have to take every chance I can to cuddle you during the day now.

The thing you love most about being 10 months is: Table Food!! YUM! You have been starting to eat more and more table food and less baby food. This makes for a messy Nolie at times, but boy it sure is fun! And tasty too!

You still love to play outside, play kitchen, and push around the walking toys. (when Gabby will allow you to have one) You also just discovered you can reach the computer keyboard and push buttons (why is that so fun?!)

Thank you for being my cute funny No-boy! Love you!
xoxo
mommy


Smile!


Big Boy!


Silly!


Push!


Mom, get that paper outta here. I know I'm 10 months already.


Gabby, can I drive?


Sissy taking me for a four wheeler ride!


Hold on Nolie!


Go Fast!!


Messy Face!