Remembering Christ Each Christmas

Tonight was our family Christmas party. It is one of the few times throughout the year that my mom's entire extended family gets together. There are a lot of people at the party and it just gets bigger and bigger every year. We have dinner and then have a short program. So many family members get tired of the traditional program we have each year, but I love it!! Luckily, the older members of the family that are in charge haven't listened to all the whining and complaining and have continued the traditions set up by my Great-Grandma Fern. We have the children act out the nativity as the Bible Christmas story is read, we read "Turkey Trott", we sing carols including the "12 Days of Christmas" sung according to the month you were born, and of course we have Chief's "Fanny" song. It wouldn't be Christmas without each of these parts of the party for me.

As we left tonight, I asked Dalin what his favorite part of the night was, fully expecting it to be a time when he got to be silly with all of his cousins. I was so excited when he said his favorite part was acting out the nativity. He said he looks forward to that every year because it tells everyone what Christmas is all about.

"This year was extra special, Mom, because the twins got to be in it and learn about Jesus!"

It was one of those "Mommy Moments" when all the hustle and bustle and rushing around become worth it. Here are our two shepards and our wise man. (Sorry, but the shepards refused to take off their reindeer hats for their big debut!)

Once There Was A Snowman

Every night after baths, our twins listen to a CD of their favorite songs. This is their favorite song and we end up singing it over and over again.

Dalin's Christmas Party

Today the twins got a chance to be 2nd graders. They went with me to Dalin's Christmas party and made themselves right at home amongst all the older kids. We walked in after the class had already started to sing Christmas carols. They ran over to join in and sat with all the kids. Of course they wore their reindeer hats we had made at playgroup and were so cute trying to sing the songs.

Even cuter was Dalin showing off his twin brothers. He loves all the attention he gets when they come to visit. He is suddenly everyone's best friend and everyone wants to sit with him. He gets so proud and protective of his baby brothers. As much as he complains about them at home, he really does love them.

How Many Kids Can One Rhino Hold??

Tonight was our Enrichment Christmas Party at the church. Bryan agreed to watch the kids so that I could go all by myself. In order to be certain things went well, I decided to get the kids out of the house for a while, so Bryan could have some time alone before the chaos began. We went door to door in the Rhino collecting kids to go to the park. When all was said and done, we had 10 kids in our Rhino. They sang Christmas carols as we went, and all had a lot of fun!
Thanks for the pictures, Amy!!

Temple Lights

I love to go to the Temple lights each year, but there have been many years when we didn't make it. My boys tend to be sick all winter and it never fails that the weekend we plan to go see the lights, they get sick. So, we decided not to wait for Christmas this year, and went early. Everyone was healthy and the weather was perfect. There weren't many people at the Temple with us, so we could stop and take our time. We let the kids run around a little and take it all in. It was so fun!! I'm so glad we made it this year and for now the boys are healthy.

This was our favorite. You can't appreciate it without watching the video.

Decorating the Tree

I was told by a few other moms who have older twins that this year, I shouldn't even bother putting up a Christmas tree. Two almost two-year-olds and Christmas trees apparently are sworm enemies. But for me, it just isn't Christmas if there is no tree.

So, we put up the tree and gated it off with our outdoor play yard. For now it is working, most of the time, and the tree is surviving our "twinadoes"! For family night tonight, we decorated the tree and even let Matthew and Micah help. It was a little chaotic, but they had so much fun!! Dalin was busy teaching his brothers how this all worked.

Micah was pulling ornaments off fater than we could put them on. But look at how happy he is!

Matthew was certain that if he looked hard enough he would find more ornaments to hook on the tree. He loves to take you by the had and walk you over to the tree. He then says "pretty" and points to his eye. (Grnadma Marshall always says, "Just look with your eyes!", so Matthew thinks as you look you have to touch your eyes.) He is so funny!!

Fall Leaves

Every year, Dalin and his cousins have so much fun playing in my parent's fall leaves. They have several trees in their backyard that all lose their leaves each year. All of the grandkids love to rake them into a pile and jump in them. Dalin was bound and determined to rake up every leaf in the yard.

This year, Matthew and Micah loved the leaves, too. They laughed and laughed as I ran around the yard with them in the wheel barrow.

Micah ended up with leaves all over in his hair, but didn't care one bit. He was having way too much fun!

OK, OK, I'll Admit that I am a Twilight Fan

Well, after years of saying there was no way I was reading a book about vampires and werewolves, I finally gave in. My sister-in-law, Jessica, was the first to try to convince me to read it. The problem was that she said it was better than "Harry Potter"! I knew there was no way it could be better, so therefore boycotted the book. And the vampire and werewolf characters didn't help her cause at all.

Shortly after the second book came out, I got pregnant with the twins and my life has spun out of control ever since. I didn't read much of anything! So, it wasn't until reading my friend, Brianna's blog, months ago, when she mentioned a "girls night out" to see the movie that I decided that I better read the books. "Girls night out" sounded pretty good, but I couldn't watch the movie until I'd read the book.

So I skeptically read "Twilight". And although it hasn't bumped "Harry Potter" from the #1 spot, I'd have to say it is #2. I quickly jumped into "New Moon" and am in the middle of "Eclipse" right now. Well, I was until my husband stole it from me. (Apparently he liked the movie!)

All the talk of "girls night out" went by the wayside because my boys were all sick opening weekend. I was pretty bummed!! But the very next weekend we were there. My mom, sister-in-laws and yes, even Bryan went with me to see the movie.

I was so grateful to my mother-in-law for watching my boys! This was the first movie I've seen, kidless, since the twins were born. We did see the 5th Harry Potter movie, but took them with us. It was fun to get away with some many people that I love. (Including Edward, of course, but don't tell Bryan!!)

Watching Daddy Fly

Bryan found a spot close to home where he could fly his paraglider. This morning, we all drove out to watch him. A few neighbors came with us to see just what Bryan had gotten himself into this time. We had a fun morning! The kids played around in the desert while Bryan set up.

Dalin loved watching his daddy fly and was so proud of him as he soared around over our heads. I love this video of Bryan flying and Dalin running underneath him.

As I watched Bryan take off, my heart jumped out of my chest. I was certain he would fall out of the sky. What a scary hobby for me to watch!! He says it is perfectly safe, but it sure didn't seem that way to me. The kids watched him take off and land several times and even the twins seemed to understand that they were seeing their daddy over head.

Now that Dalin has seen the paraglider in action. He is anxious to fly in it, too, and Bryan is dying to take him up. I'm not so sure I like that idea, but probably won't have much say in the matter.

Kamber's Garden

Kamber's favorite color was purple. So, in her honor we all planted purple flowers this year. My flower garden has new meaning now. I know her little spirit was with me as I planted, it was a time that won't ever be forgotten!!

Thanksgiving Thorns

Five years ago now, just after Bryan was diagnosed with MS, my dad gave me a Thanksgiving story that I will never forget. I will never forget the moment when he told me that I needed to read this story and then kissed me on the cheek and told me that he loved me!

(You can read it at http://www.mayimhayim.org/Poetry/Thorns%20Bouquet.htmquet.htm)

That year, I wasn't so grateful. I was back to work full time, Bryan was struggling to work, and Dalin's perfect, little word was turned upside down!! There was not a day that went by that I didn't struggle to keep it together and wonder if things would ever be "normal" again. Dalin had RSV three times that winter and had pnemonia twice. It was impossible for me to work with a sick husband and sick child that needed me home. Although, I quit teaching after that school year and returned to my life as a stay-home-mom, a new "normal" was created and our lives were forever changed. Now, five years later, I am more grateful for the challenges in my life. I have seen my family grow and be strengthed as we work through our struggles.

This year, I watch as my extended family tries to create their new "normal" after losing Kamber. I watch them struggle to find things to be thankful for because they so desperately miss their little girl. I send my love and prayers to all of them today and every day!! Please take the time to read this story. I promise that you will not be disappointed!!

Dalin's Friendship Feast

Dalin had a "Friendship Feast" with his class at school. He was so excited that his brothers were going to be there. He loves to show them off! I let them get out of the stroller and run around thinking I was going to regret that decision but they actually did pretty good. They wore their little turkey hats the entire time and loved sitting with Dalin and all of his friends.

Daddy!! What have you done?

Hmmm!! "Honey, I changed the time of the sprinklers, just so you know. Don't let the twins outside after 11:30." (Would have been nice.)

Wait until you see the pictures of the screaming twins!! They were outside playing when the water came on and the screaming began.

After I saved them from the big, bad sprinklers, I put them on the swing while I took off their soaking, wet clothes. They were still mad at Daddy!

But after watching the sprinklers for a while, they decided they weren't so bad from a distance!!

And once they were dry, they even smiled as they watched them switch from zone to zone.

What a day!!

How Old Are We??

I keep trying to tell Bryan that his is not 18 anymore, but he just doesn't listen. From jumping on his dirt bike (and breaking his back) and learning to paraglide (which almost got him killed after just two flights), he just doesn't seem to learn! This weekend, he took Dalin outside to ride rip sticks and skateboards. He usually rides the skateboard and leaves the rip stick to Dalin. Dalin is quite good at it, but the rest of us can't seem to figure that thing out.

Well, today Bryan was feeling adventurous, so he conned Dalin into riding the rip stick. An old man should not be zooming around on a rip stick!! It just isn't right!


Well, it didn't last long! Sure enough, at one point the rip stick slipped out from under Bryan and he went down, hard!! I took quite some time to bandage up his elbow and wrist. We also gave him ice to put on his ankle and other wrist. The biggest worry has been his hip, but it seems to be healing OK on its own, it just really, really hurts!! So now he is hobbling around here with all of his injuries. Maybe he will be a little more careful next time, or better yet, maybe he'll watch Dalin from the side lines.

Stink -- You must be kidding

My little book worm (aka Dalin) found a book he loved in his classroom at school. His teacher let him barrow it so that he could finish it at home. It is the first book that I've seen him read and read just to get to the end, as opposed to reading until I tell him he can be done. It is about a boy named Stink, I believe that he is Junie B. Jone's little brother. Dalin loves books about Stink, but this one really caught his eye because Stink enters a "Smelly Feet Contest".

I won't tell you how it goes and ruin the ending for you, but it really caught Dalin's attention. He learned many ways to make your feet really stinky and decided that if you can make your shoes really stinky, your feet will stink, too. So he is on a mission now!!! He want to win a "stinky feet contest". He doesn't wash his feel anymore, he hangs them outside the tub. What have I gotten myself into now?? I wanted him to love books, but this is ridiculous!!

Fashion Statement

Thursday, Dalin threw up at school. (I guess he felt bad being the only one of our boys that wasn't puking.) I picked him up and he spent the rest of the day on the couch, with a puke bowl on the ground next to him in case he didn't think he could make it to the bathroom.

At one point, I was down in my bedroom folding laundry and realized that the twin were being awfully quiet which is usually not a good thing. So I went looking for the boys and the mess that always accompanies them being quiet. Instead I found them playing with their train set while taking turns wearing Dalin's puke bowl on their head. It was great!! I needed a good laugh this week! They didn't understand what was so funny as you can see from their expressions.

Luckily Dalin hadn't used the bowl yet.

From Crying to Communicating -- I love it!

I love it when my babies finally learn to communicate with me. Not just the obvious, I want my drink request or daddy's home, but really communicate something I don't already know. Well, today we had that break through with Matthew.
He has obviously not been himself because he is sick. Today, when he woke up from his nap, he was quite upset. I held him for awhile and finally convinced him to sit on his blanket with his monkey and watch Lilo and Stitch. He wanted me to stay with him, so I began talking to him and asked him if he was feeling yucky. He then pointed to his tummy and nodded yes. I asked him if his tummy hurt and again he nodded yes with a big smile on his face.

Finally, some of the quess work will go away, as he learns to tell me what is wrong instead of just crying. I love my babies and will miss them as they grow up, but wow, I love a toddler that can tell me what is wrong.

Will this day ever end??

Both babies were up at about 5:30 AM throwing up. We spent all morning comforting sick babies and cleaning up puke, so getting Dalin to school was a last minute rush. As we were getting ready to load into the car, Dalin smashed his finger in the door and immediately became hysterical!! There was no way I could take him to school until he calmed down, which meant he would be late.

At 9:00, I took Dalin and his two sick brothers to school and talked with the nurse about what happened. Then we raced to my mom's house where the twins were going to be babysat while I went to the doctor. An hour later, I was relieved to hear that nobody threw up on Grandma's carpet and both boys were asleep. (My mom is a miracle worker!)

At 2:30 we raced back home to get Dalin from school and then headed to another doctor appointment, for Matthew this time. About 5 minutes from the school, Matthew starts to throw up. I pulled off the freeway, not sure what to do, and decided to cover him up, puke and all, with a blanket and clean him up when we get to the appointment.

We arrive and I take Matthew to the bathroom and give him a little bath in the sink. He was soooo gross!! The doctor agrees to see us even though Matthew is obviously sick. While we are talking to the doctor, Micah throws up. I was so emberassed!!

We finally head home with our two sick babies and a very grumpy, bored, and hungry Dalin. I inform Bryan that he is on his own for dinner and I try to keep the kids happy. The twins continue to throw up throughout the evening until we finally get everyone asleep!!

What will tomorrow bring?? It can only get better, right?

The Newest Member of the Family

Here she is. Bryan always wanted a little girl.

Dalin put on Mareena's wig from Halloween. It was so funny!!

Is someone having a birthday?

In the past, Bryan has not wanted to celebrate his birthday with anyone. In fact, he would just assume nobody knew it was his birthday. With his parents far away, he was always allowed to boycott his own party and refuse to celebrate with the rest of us. Not this year!!

With his mom just 15 minutes away now, he couldn't hide from his birthday this year. His big day started early. Dalin could hardly wait to give him is present, so it was opened first thing in the morning. Dalin gave him to have a new tool kit that he can use with his new paraglider. Then, we went to breakfast without our kids. It was WONDERFUL!! It was so quiet without all of our boys with us. Bryan always says how much he misses me. He loves the kids but misses being alone with me, so I knew time alone would be the best gift I could give.

Then, in the evening, we went to Bryan's parent's for dinner, cake, and more presents. My parents met us over there and it was nice to have both families together for the first time in a very long time. Bryan was a good sport and let us sing to him and everything.

The babies had a nice, little table all to themselves that they refused to sit at. So, they ended up stealing seats at the big table where they could be buckled in to their booster seats. Unfortunately, that meant some of the girl got stuck sitting at the babies table. They said they didn't mind, but looked a little cramped.

Matthew loved the cake and ice cream!! When he finished off his bowl, he went to Grandpa and begged for more. Of course, Grandpa knew just what he wanted.

Bryan says it was great to turn 24. It took a while for his sister to realize he wasn't really 24. It wasn't they asked how long we'd been married that they realized he was lying to them. If we've been married for 14 years, that means he was 10 when we were married. We were young, but not quite that young!!

The other funny thing that was said tonight was a comment from Bryan's youngest sister, Mareena. She asked how come Bryan called her mom, "Mom." He explained that she was also his mom. She said, "No, Alishia is your mom." Bryan tried to explain that I was his wife, but I'm not sure that she really understood, but it was so cute!!

4 Adults + 14 Kids + the Zoo = Mass Chaos

I know, I know, are we crazy, or what?? We had a cousin's play day at the Zoo. I knew it was going to be a mad house, but really, for as many kids as we had, I think things went great. We didn't lose anybody, we found a nice little place to eat lunch, and only had two minor injuries that were easily fixed with a little love and a Batman Band-aid!

His best buddy, James was with us, they are pretty inseperable these days.

Dalin was excited to pet the sting rays. We ran out of time when we went with Daddy last week. He got pretty wet, but loved every minute of it.

The twins had more fun playing in the waterfall than watching the fish.

We had a great time, my boys love the zoo, but I think I've had enough zoo for a few weeks.