Bring on the Breakfast!

After the excitement of opening gifts, we all dashed around to get ready for our first stop of the day: Mimi and Gongi's! We always have such a special time at their house, catching up with each other and eating a delicious hot breakfast. Mimi and Gongi work so hard to prepare a wonderful meal for our huge, hungry family.

Discussing what Santa brought.

Man talk.

It's always wonderful to see the Kidd Family!

This year, the kids over-took the adult table!

Mimi and Gongi have collected so many beautiful Christmas figurines over the years. The Boys are fascinated by all the tiny, detailed figures. Mimi is so sweet to explain special stories about each one.

Every year, Mimi and Gongi are so generous towards us. They ask for a detailed Christmas Wish List for each child and then shop so hard to fulfill their every wish. O was thrilled with his new panda pillow pet!

Nosy got quite comfortable on his dolphin pillow pet (chosen because it is blue).

Tickles from Papa.

Mimi and Gongi, thank you for making our Christmas morning so wonderful. We make such precious memories at your house every year. We love you!

Rise & Shine! It's Christmas!

Christmas morning...such a special time! We started off singing Happy Birthday to Jesus, and then the Boys (rather tentatively) dug into their stockings. Set out with their stockings, they each got a Leapster Explorer and a plastic sled, in hopes of a snow storm later in the winter.

A hug? Or a wrestling move? Sometimes it's hard to tell around here. These Guys really do love each other. This pic was taken right after they exchanged their gifts to each other, which is a post of its own.

Things I especially want to remember about this Christmas:

Sweet Nosy. His very favorite gift was a box full of very low carb gumballs. He put them, along with his sugar free mints, in a big ziplock bag that he carries around the house. The joy of it all is that he can chew his gum or suck on a mint pretty much any time he wants, since they are such low carb. So much freedom for a little boy who is used to counting and reporting every single bite that goes in his mouth. The most precious part? He is completely generous with his special stash, passing out gum and mints freely all day long. Pictured, he is eating his favorite blue gumball while sharing my favorite red one with me.

What a joy it was to give gifts to O this year! Every tiny thing he opened was rejoiced over, examined from all angles, and loudly declared to be the BEST GIFT EVER! His excitement and appreciation were genuine and followed up with huge bear hugs. His very favorite gift? His red plastic sled that cost a whopping five dollars. It's so funny to me to see what little guys value the most. This Guy is really praying for a snowy winter!

One more story about Nose:

Every. single. time a box was opened, he would hover over the gift recipient, saying over and over again, "It's not just a box. There is something inside. It's not just a box. Is it just a box, Mommy? It's not just a box." So funny, that one!

Jonesy woke up about 15 minutes before we were to make our first Christmas appearance, so he didn't even get to open his gifts Christmas morning. He wasn't too sad, though. Love those baby blue eyes of his!

Christmas Eve 2010

Christmas Eve is my favorite night of the whole year. I love everything about it: the anticipation, the wonder, the awe that comes over me as I contemplate God sending His Son to Earth as a baby. I love attending church with my family, reading the account of Jesus' birth before opening the very first gifts, the vast amounts of sugar I consume, the pure joy on the Boys' faces. If I had to pinpoint one especially favorite moment of the evening, it would definitely be singing Silent Night with candles lit, smooshed between my husband and my boys and my parents. I try to memorize each of their faces as they are right in that moment, lit only by the tiny flames, filled with wonder and awe, as we all sing a little off key. It is absolutely beautiful.

Quick family pics before diving into our delicious pizza dinner.

We were so excited that Kyle and LouLou were with us this year! It's just not the same when they are off galavanting somewhere exotic.

Reading the Bible with Gramps.

Yaya got Nosy some authentic juggling balls. Jeremy showed off a few of his skills. I am sure there are some new juggling tricks in our future!

Tiny O is growing up, sniffle, sniffle. A few months ago, he mentioned that he thought his Sesame Street bike helmet was not grown up enough for him. It was for a little boy, not a half grown boy that is almost six. When I passed this tidbit onto Yaya, she was more than happy to shop for an appropriately grown up helmet for our Big O. He was super excited when he opened a manly green and silver helmet. It was declared to be "cool" and he sported it for a good part of the evening. Thanks, Mom, for scouring Toys R Us for the perfect big boy helmet for our little guy.

Reading the yearly photo book. Check out Mom's "bling": hand painted rocks and seashells strung on purple curling ribbon. The Boys could not wait to give it to her and she wore it with such pride.

I love our Christmas Eve, full of family and tradition. What precious, priceless memories we are making!

Getting a Little Shaggy

Darling Jones. You always get comments about your hair: the pretty color, the waves, the sheer volume of it all. I do love your sweet baby blond hair. But kiddo, it has gotten a bit out of control.

And so I am afraid the day has come for your first real haircut. (I trimmed the back a few weeks ago after discovering a few pieces of hair that reached way past your shoulders.) I am a little sad, knowing just how grown up you will look afterwards, but it must be done before people mistake you for a little blond girl.

You laugh in the face of haircuts!

Uh oh. You look a little more concerned now that Daddy's scissors are clip, clipping away at you. (photography by Owen)

Just look at how handsome you are! All three of you boys got spiffy haircuts just in time for Christmas. Your new do is so precious! I wish we'd cut your hair weeks ago. And many kudos to Daddy, the self-taught hair genius. I should seriously hire him out!

Four.

Noah Cole.

4 years old.

Cheerful and brave and bashful and silly.

43 pounds and 43 inches of wonderful.

We continue to have a booger of a time managing your diabetes, but you handle it all so well.  Even with the crazy sugar swings you experience almost daily, you are so upbeat and positive and happy.  I can't imagine how awful you must feel some days as your blood sugars may range from in the 500's down to the 50's in a given day.  You are so courageous and patient as Daddy and I struggle to keep those crazy sugars in line.

When you love someone or something, Nosy, you are All In.  You love with loyalty and complete trust.  Take your love for ketchup, for example.  You could drink ketchup by the gallon.  You can not get enough of it.  You would climb tall mountains, swim wide oceans, to consume some of your beloved ketchup.  You would do almost anything for ketchup.  Or, for an even better example, take your sweet love for me.  My neck has never been squeezed tighter, my face slathered with more wet kisses, my lap been more full than of you.  You shower me with millions of dandelions because once I said they were pretty.  Or for the most precious of all examples, take your incomparable love for Tiny Jones.  You guard him to keep him safe and out of trouble.  You still ask almost daily if you can hold your baby.  You play with him with patience, pat him with affection whenever he is near, and (much to Jonah's chagrin) hold his hand with such tenderness every chance you get.  Your love is pure and unselfish.

Pictured is another of your great loves:

SPORTS.

Any kind of sport, even if it is made up, like one of our faves: hit the pokey ball with a crooked stick.

You are super competitive, play with endless energy and intensity, and are very hard on yourself when you don't perform to your own high standards.  You practice so hard to keep up with O and his friends in both soccer and baseball.  You can hold your own.  You would love nothing more than to play some sort of ball all day long.

You are one bright, happy kiddo, Nosy.  You laugh and joke and tease your way through your days.  Your smile is contagious, your laugh infectious.  We love you so much, Sweet Potato, and are continuously blessed by you.  God created you to be amazing!

Isn't She Lovely?

Meet our newest addition! I am so excited!!

My old camera was having so many issues, so Jeremy brought up the remote possibility of getting a new one for Christmas. He had been shopping around, doing some research. They are just so expensive, though. And then our front door cracked...and our potty had to be replaced...It seemed an impossibility. But look at what arrived on our front porch just in time for Christmas!!! I love it!

We are still getting acquainted. This camera is far smarter than I am, and I am realizing just how very little I actually know about photography. Mostly, I have reverted back to taking all my photos on Auto for now, which frustrates me. But I am reading little by little, and one day, I hope to have this all figured out. I am excited to get better at photography in 2011!

To Argyle or Not to Argyle

I have been laughing so hard all day. At Jeremy. In his crazy, fancy socks. We have a running joke about what socks go with what shoes go with what pants. This joke has recently extended to include our growth group from church. And let me tell you, the debate can get pretty heated concerning the socks/shoes/pants/sometimes even belt hot topic. (I know we should be discussing much holier things at Bible study. :-) ) So today, "Santa Josh" showed up with a sweet little surprise for Jeremy. Some bold, colorful, argyle socks. They are awesome! And the joke continues...

Thanks, Josh!

The Hugest Bike Hill EVER!

Man, I miss blogging. The pictures just keep stacking up, stressing me out.

Anyhow, here are a few pics from our day. One street over from us is a cul de sac that has a pretty steep hill. You'd think it was Mt. Everest to hear the boys rave about it. They love to race their bikes down the hill and vroom around the curves, practically on two wheels. It gives me a heart attack every time, but they love the thrill.

Quiet Time

I was thinking the other day...It is always my goal to get up a little bit before my kids to start my day off right, with a little time reading my Bible and praying. I know if I don't do it first thing, it will never get done because I get too busy or tired later on in the day. However, my kids never see me reading my Bible when I always do it before they wake up. It is never modeled for them. So I have been making a conscious effort to read my Bible when they are around. Sometimes, if they wake up before I've finished, I'll snuggle them up next to me and read aloud. And you know what? A funny thing has happened. Sometimes, when O and Nosy have some free time, I'll find them reading their Bibles (or Bible story book). I took these pics after I came out from taking my shower. They were both cuddled up with a quilt studying their Bibles.

Camera Shy: 6 Months

Six months, Jonah? Really?? Where did the time go? Slow down, Tiny Boy!

Stats:

15 pounds, 13 ounces (25%)

27 1/2 inches (75%)

You are long and lean like your Daddy.

Jones, how do I even begin to describe you? You are a ray of sunshine, so content, smiley and chatty and wonderful. You rarely ever cry. Instead, you bounce and squeal and jibber-jabber. You are happy to just be plopped somewhere to hang out, as long as we stop by every once in awhile to chat with you. I honestly think God placed you in our lives to be such a bright spot in the midst of some trying times. It is impossible to remain sad or stressed while holding you. You are our joy.

These pictures do not do you justice. As soon as you see the big black camera in front of my face, you clam right up. Normally, you grin from ear to ear and have the sweetest dimple in your right cheek. Your eyes sparkle with excitement.

You are so laid back and Mommy holds you so much of the day that you aren't sitting yet, nor can you roll from back to tummy. It'll come all in good time though. We practice sitting some every day.

Unlike your brothers who were very wary of people at your age, you have never met a stranger. You coo and smile at everyone you meet. You love to interact with people!


One of my very favorite things is to pop you in Aunt Erica's sling while I shop. Your little head peeks out over the top. You look around with your huge blue eyes, grinning at everyone that passes by. So many little old ladies stop to comment on your extreme cuteness. I have to agree with them. You are the cutest thing I have ever seen!


Your brothers can not get enough of you! They each spend time talking to you and explaining things to you. You just light up when they come into your line of sight. O loves to sing you little songs he makes up. You absolutely beam at him the whole time. You are a tad bit more wary of Nosy, just because he loves in a much more physical way and is not always as gentle as he should be. Noah performs funny little dances for you to make you laugh.

Jonesy, I know you've been around for awhile now, but I still can not believe that you are mine. I honestly lay awake in bed sometimes and get excited all over again when I hear you on the monitor. You are really ours. I truly have the most amazing boy, the boy I prayed so diligently for, right down the hall in his crib. You bring us such immeasurable joy. You are loved more than you can ever begin to imagine. We are so richly blessed.

Sad Little Sickie

This is how Jones spent the day before his Happy Half Birthday. So sad and feeling puny. Hoping for a happier guy tomorrow!

Getting Our Holiday Craft On

We'll have finished products to show off soon!

Rattling Around in my Brain

Sometimes I get so frustrated, doing the same cleaning, disciplining, diabetes-managing, attitude-shaping every day just to go to bed (but not sleep because little guys have many nighttime needs!) and start all over the next day. I love my life and I would not trade spending all day every day with my boys for anything, but it can get wearisome at times, especially when I am just so tired. But then God gives me one moment, just a fleeting moment, that reminds me why I am doing it all. For today's "moment," I just happened to have my camera handy.

They are so beautiful, it almost brings tears to my eyes. My three.

I read this quote the other day and it has burdened me with such a responsibility:

"...the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like...

Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, 'What comes to mind when you think about God?' we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man."

A.W. Tozer

Right now, day in and day out, my Boys are deciding what they believe to be true about the awesome God we serve, and those decisions will be what ultimately shape their lives. And I know that they are making these decisions based not on what they learn in Bible class as much as by what they see lived out in front of them. I have been entrusted with three little hearts and I am so convicted about being a good steward of them. My actions and reactions are the example they see modeled for them the most often. Am I reflecting Christ to them? His love, His compassion, His mercy? Am I daily walking by faith, trusting God's sovereignty? Am I living out what I teach them in our daily Bible lessons and devotionals? Or am I full of empty words? And am I thankful for those teachable moments when I can direct my kids back to God and His word (even though it takes so much more energy and effort) or do I squander those times and let them slip away? These are all things I have been tossing around in my brain lately. These years when the kids are tiny are so important and fly by all too fast. I pray I am doing an honorable job. I just have to look at those three precious faces to be convicted and strengthened in my mission to raise godly boys who faithfully walk with Christ.

Tree Trimming

Christmas music, pancake supper, reminiscing over favorite ornaments. Lots of laughter, hot chocolate, twinkly lights. Love Tree Trimming Day!

Sampling

Sweet Jonesy,

So many are your wonderful qualities. Too many to list. Nighttime sleeping, however, is not one of your strong suits. You love to wake up every 3-4 hours as if you were still 6 weeks old, to nurse and snuggle with Mommy in the still of the night. I cherish that precious time with you, Son, but Mommy is ex.haust.ed! I need you to sleep. So we have resorted to introducing rice cereal a little earlier than our usual 6 months old.

Here's how it played out:

After the first bite or two, I was shoved out of the way by two very eager big brothers. One fed while the other filmed, and then they switched.

Pictured are your true feelings about solids. You spit so much and whined so sadly that we quickly abandoned our efforts to force feed you. Maybe we should wait awhile.

Who needs me when these two are around!