Alone Time

I don't know if everyone has a child that needs "his" time, but we do. Time to just be him by himself with no one to bother or annoy. Sometimes finding a quiet place in our home is hard. There is usually baby sleeping here and kids playing there. So when Viv got off the bus today and saw that no one was outside he decided that that was where he needed to be.





Everyone needs their time and I am so glad Vivin was able to find his today.

Oh, That Blasted Binki

It is such a love hate relationship

Van loves it
Van hates sleep without it

I love that Van loves it
I hate that Van won't find it in his sleep

Van loves to use it as a toy
I hate that it is in EVERY picture

I love that Van calmes down with it
I hate that it takes "it" to sometimes make him happy

But overall I love it as much as Van loves it, so I guess it gets to stay.

I have NEVER had a binki baby. Tallon despised them, the twins tolerated them for a few months, but Van LOVES his.
I didn't know what I would think about having a baby that was attached to a binki, but I have decided it isn't as bad as I thought it would be.
It really does make Van the easiest baby ever and I love that.
I love that he chews on it more than sucks on it and that I am never searching for a toy to entertain him.
After all, it could be worse, right?!

My Peacemaker

Each of our children bring something special into the dynamics of our family.
We have a spiritual giant in an 8 year old,
an adventurer that teaches us life is be lived with a smile through the good and the bad,
one that finds safety and security in family and reminds me that our home needs to be a place where they can land and feel safe,
and one that brings peace into our home.
It is amazing that such a small child can bring peace

One day the boys had been fighting and fighting and I was DONE. I had tried everything and failed with every attempt.
I took Van in their room, put him on the floor, and asked the boys to help me by playing with him.
In minutes our home was filled with laughter.

Van has a way of calming even our hardest child.
He and this brother can be found reading, cuddling, and playing "ugly baby" all the time.

He has brought love to another brothers heart. He loves being a big brother to a little brother that loves him and needs him.
I know their brotherhood will be a treasure to each of them.

He is another brothers biggest fan. He loves to have this brother make him laugh and laugh. When we no longer find him funny, Van pulls through and gives him the smiles he needs.

I truly love each of my children.
I am thankful for each of their strengths and weaknesses.
I am thankful for the place that each of them fill in my heart.
I love how all of them are alike but different and different but alike.
And I love how they each need each other.

Time

Today I stopped.
Some days I feel like I just run.
Especially the days like today when I have umpteen kids at my house.
But today I stopped.
I sat down in the boys room with them and just watched.
I finally got to see Van's "out the corner of his eyes" look that everyone has been telling me was so cute, and it is!!

I watched as Orrin practiced making his "O"

I watched how excited Vivin was as he told me the coolest stories about his special pirate ship

I watched Van interact with his brothers and loved how he just lit up

and I listened as Tallon told Van all about his day at school.

I realized that I need to do this A LOT more with my boys,
for this was the most important thing I did today.

Homework Buddies

Every baby brother needs to have a Tallon for a big brother

someone to read to them

someone to love them

someone to be their best friend.

Your Who?

The imagination of a 3 year old is an absolute delight to me.
The things that they associate are down right hilarious.
Take this for instance...

Vivn dresses like this and tells me he is the Mustache Cowboy and he wants to watch the Mustache Cowboy movie with a blue shirt.
Hummmm, any guesses?

Of course he wants to watch Quigley Down Under.

Mustache Cowboy with a red shirt?

What else... Last Stand at Saber River

The funny John Wayne cowboy movie with mud?

McLintock

John Wayne falling off his horse?

El Dorado

The list is endless
You wouldn't believe my mad association skills!

Borrin and Bivin

At our house most "Vivin" screams are caused by this sweet individual...

don't let the "blowing his mommy a sweet kiss" fool you. He is full of it! And I do mean full of it!
He teases most everyone in our house, but for the most part, he focuses on this one...

no he is not as innocent as he looks either:)

Orrin's latest "best scream effect" on Vivin is to call him Bivin.
Oh how that infuriates Vivin, which only makes Orrin smile and do it more.

My days usually go like this...
Orrin: Hey Bivin.
Viv: I'm not Bivin! I'm Vivin!!!!!
Orrin: No, your Bivin.
Viv: I'M NOT BIVIN!!
Viv: Mom, Orrin is calling me Bivin!
Mom: Orrin, stop calling him Bivin and say sorry.
Orrin: OK, sorry Bivin!
Viv: MOM!!
Mom: Viv, just call him Borrin.
Viv: laughter. Hey Borrin.
Orrin: I'm not Borrin, I'm Orrin
Viv: Nope your Borrin!
Orrin: MOM!!
and it goes on and on.

So, imagine my excitement when they came up to me all smiles and full of love for each other.
I had to document the occasion with a cute picture of them and this is what I got.

How perfect is that!!
They laughed and I laughed.
It was wonderful.
Viv then looks at Orrin and says lets try this (and pulls and face). Orrin laughs and this is what I got

Now try this and this and this!

What a wonderful change!
How I love these two, even if they do drive me a bit crazy!!

Finally

Jace has been trying to spend the night at our house for the past few weeks. Last night he finally got it done. He and the twins had themselves a little campout in the front room and stayed up all night watching movies.

Today was sooo WARM and sunny so we strapped on the snowshoes and went for a walk. This was the twins first time on shoes and they did AWESOME. They really seemed to enjoy themselves. Orrin and Jace took off and spent most of their time off exploring and breaking their own trail.

Vivin took his own sweet time and ended up stealing my poles before he found his groove.

Orrin and Jace making snow angels

Vivin

Jace

My Love

Orrin

We left Van with Great Grandma Mel, so we were in a bit of a hurry to get home. Vivin somehow ended up in the lead,... so it took a little longer to get out than we planned.

I will admit that my favorite part of the day was the 3 hour naps that followed

Where was Tallon, you ask...

spoiled little boy got to go snowboarding for the the first time with Brixton and his family. He had a blast and has decided it is his new found purpose in life.

4 babies in 7 months

Sadly, Jason, Jessie and Walter are leaving early in the morning to head back across the state.
Before they left we wanted to get pictures of the 4 grandbabies born in 2010.
Oldest to youngest: Van, Kristi, Branson, Walter.
Jennie and Kristi, Jullie with Branson, Jessie with Walter, Jaymie with Van

Great Grandma Thelma and Grandpa and Grandma Dana with 2010 babies

Great Grandma Thelma with Kristi, Walter, Branson, and Van

Grandma Terrie, Walter, Kristi, Branson, Grandpa Chad, and Van

And here is the whole crew!! 12 grandkids in 8 years.
Vivin, Grandma Terrie, Walter,Orrin, Kristi, Branson, Grandpa Chad, Van, Jace (baby brother), Anna, Evie, Holt. Bottom Tallon, Camilla, and Clancy

Kinda fun isn't it!

Such a Sweet Smile

We welcomed in the year 2011 down with the Dana bunch.
We took down the little snowmachine and Tallon spent hours riding out in the freezing cold,
the twins kept busy terrorizing Jerrie Lynn's friends,
Tyler and I visited and enjoyed the warm fire,
and Van kept everyone happy with his contagious smile

Welcome 2011