Hello there!

Sigh...I have a lot of catching up to do! I just got a computer after 8 months of doing without. We have an iPad but you can't add pictures to the blog from an iPad. It makes me so very annoyed. lexie had a fever for 11 days! It was very stressful and scary! It's finally gone but she missed 8 days of school! It was so hard for some reason sending her back to school. I really enjoyed having her home with me. If I thought I would actually get anything done I may actually try to homeschool. That probably won't ever happen though! She had a great day back at school! Her teacher is so very sweet, and she had the kids write her notes and then delivered them to our house the first week! She also tried to FaceTime us! So sweet! I'm hoping we don't see this virus ever again! Today our yard is getting decorated for Christmas! We have many blowups and the kids are so excited! It's a cold day and our fireplace has been on all day long! Love it! Today I wish I had a fireplace in every room! Brooks turned 2 last week and he's the biggest pain, but also the biggest joy in all of our lives. We all love our little boo boo so much. I'm so sad anticipating the day that he seems like one of the other kids and they don't think of him as a baby anymore. Right now they love to kiss him, hold him, Read to him, tickle him, giggle at him when he talks, etc. He brings us all closer together. Even when Randall and I are irritated with each other he can do something that makes us chuckle and you can't help but look at each other and smile. Oh how the thought of having more kids enters my mind every day! However, the reality is that they are also very stressful!! Lexie being sick was very stressful for Randall and I. We worry so much about our kids I don't know if we can mentally handle another person to worry about!! Since there are no more children in our future I'm relishing in watching the interaction in these three little people and guiding them to be the best of friends. I'm looking forward to the holidays! I'll be in touch and hopefully will at least be adding the kids' birthday parties from this past year to catch up!

Pure joy!

There is so much joy in my heart watching my little Brooks grow and learn and watching the dynamic of my family change as each child gets older.  Watching Brooks makes me so very sad that he's my last, but maybe that's why I'm enjoying every little thing with him.  There's nothing better in the world....

He's grown so much this past week!  He started REALLY walking just shy of 14 months.  Each day he's more confident and walks further and further.  I love the waddle he does and the smile on his face.  

He's also been interacting and talking more and getting into trouble more!  His favorite places to play are in the fireplace and in the refrigerator.  He's showing more interest in puzzles, loves books, and likes to play ball.  He will kiss you, blow kisses, wave, and do the sign for more.  He will say quack, quack, hi, mama, dada, night night, bath,talk like cookie monster, and roar like a lion. He's a pain in the behind to change his diaper.  He twists and turns and tries to get away.  He loves his blankies and his daddy.  He seems to be whiney and cry around me, but not around daddy. He's kind of spoiled in that he still won't hold his own bottle.  He wants to snuggle up with you and you hold it for him.  He's a big boy and has lots of hair!  He is so handsome especially with his blue eyes.  Gosh, he is my little angel and I am so very thankful for this gift I've been given.   

A Country New Year's!

It was a nice cold weekend! It seems it's a new tradition to celebrate New Year's (a couple of days early) with Jen, Greg, and their boys at the country!  Kathy, Lillie, and Hallie came up for the day on Saturday but I didn't get a picture with them in it!  :(  

Boo Boo and mommy had a rough weekend.  Brooks was pretty fussy! He had a lot of rashes/eczema all weekend and was itchy.  :(  We survived, and I have never looked forward to nap time and bed time so much in my life!  

 Braden shot a dove.

 Celebrating the new year.  

 Decorated for Christmas by Papa Collum and Tonya

 Camo kids!

 Star Wars night!

 Braden was such a good helper.  He would go get firewood for us with the mule and here he's trying to prepare the fire.

 He didn't like the bath in the sink! He pretty much didn't like the whole weekend....except riding around in the mule!  He did like that!

 Sophie was such a good doggie

 New Year's toast.  This was fun...We made the kids all go around and say what they look forward to in the new year.

Braden: Lots of deer hunting

Trippy: Star wars!

Colin:  Legos

Lexie:  more nutcrackers

Chase:deer hunting

We also had an awesome firework show!  The kids were all lined up in their chairs with blankets watching the fireworks go off!  It was a great time! 

Nutcrackers!

We collected 15 nutcrackers this Christmas!  Lexie was obsessed!  I admit, I love them too! 

A Country Christmas!

We celebrated with Papa Collum, Tonya, and Jeff out at the country!  We had his sister, Olivia, and her husband, Robert, and his sister in law, Lisa, join us as well.  We all spent the night!  We had a great meal of grilled chicken and delicious sides and desserts prepared by everyone.  They had the house decorated beautifully with garland and wreaths everywhere for us.  It was a great night!

Tripp's new gun and blow up deer

 Lexie's favorite thing this season: nutcrackers

 They gave Lexie this doll house.  You have to put every piece together and paint it.  They worked on this ALL DAY...no joke.  I was impressed with the patience of Tonya and Jeff because they actually finished it! I gave up as soon as I saw how many tiny pieces it had!  Lexie really loved it!

CHristmas at Grannie Annie's and at Grandma's

Christmas day we went over to Grannie Annie's house and celebrated some more.  She cooked a delicious turkey and the kids received more presents.  Tripp got a cool work bench and Lexie a bunch of great art stuff, some binoculars, and they all got some money from Aunt Linda!

That night we went to Randall's mom's house to celebrate some more with her, Frankie, and Bridey.  Tripp received 4 new light sabers among other star wars toys, Lexie got some of her special dinosaurs and petshop toys.  Spoiled kiddos!  

Christmas morning

 Star Wars!  Our kids are really into all that this year!

 Tripp's new work with a sink as he calls it.  It's pretty cute!

 Lexie's new art desk!  She said, " I love my new art desk...it's not really the color I wanted, but I love it!"  Ha! (That's because it's the color I wanted)