QOTD--Mason

Mason was upset with Stephen during a recent game of Killer Bunnies...

Mason: I'm going to make my life as hard as possible for you!

Stephen: ???

With his great big tooth gap

Aunts & Uncles and Cousins, oh my!

Jeff & Missy came to visit for Christmas, and Scott, Marni & Callahan joined us for New Years. A fun time was had by all. :) For example...

Aunt Lisa got Jeff a puzzle for Christmas. Everyone (who did it) loved it!

Jeff taught the kids a new  (but old, from the 90's) computer game.

Uncles are AWESOME

Lincoln & Callahan--what a doll!

I remember when it took more than one parent to bathe a baby...aren't they cute parents?!?!

Baby snuggle time!

"But what does he do, Mom?"

"He's just cute, Trev."

My baby brother is all growed up and a Daddy!

The next picture had Lincoln making a scary face, too, but this one was more hilarious :)

videos I failed at posting previously...

The cutest pickpocket:

The Song of the Temperance Union (for a couple of the verses, watch it on YouTube--they are in the description)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

(From a couple of months ago...)

Blinking contest & fire ants

Trevor, age 4, is one darling kiddo. He has these deep brown eyes and a sincere look that just kills me. The other day the kids were having staring contests after dinner, and he decided it would be so cool to have a blinking contest...

Trevor loves hearing and telling stories. This afternoon we were resting together and, while trying to get him to go to sleep, I told him his birth story--how it was so calm and peaceful with quiet music playing (that I had on at that moment), how he was born in the water and we got to snuggle. Then he told me a story about when I was born. In the water and we got to snuggle and that he kissed me and hugged me and loved me. Aww...

Also this afternoon (still trying to get him to go to sleep...) while snuggling, I smoothed his hair from his forehead and noticed an awful-looking yellow bruise. I asked him what happened and he calmly responded, "Oh, yeah. The fire ants just came and gave me that."

Ruthie is 1!

p.s. to Ruth's story

Somehow or another I forgot a very special and important part of Ruth's birth story--the singing. As I said before, I was pretty out of it for awhile after her birth, but sometime between me getting stitched up (bad tearing) and falling asleep, I had some good time to snuggle with tiny Ruthie. I had a clear impression that I should sing to her. I was kind of self-conscious at first, but then remembered that this was my time, and by jingo, I was going to do what I wanted! :) I had my soft music turned off and just hummed and sang to her.

I don't know how many songs I sang, but it was a lot. She fussed and I sang. She calmed down and I sang. She nursed and I sang. The midwives noticed a calm feeling in the room and encouraged me to keep singing. Other things are fuzzy, but Ruth's face is clear in my memory as I sang to her. I still sing to her at nap time and bed time. In fact, I still sing to Lincoln and Trevor, too, and sometimes even the older kids ask me to sing to them. I love it.