President Monson's Birthday

President Monson, the president of our church had a birthday, and we decided it would be fun to learn a bit more about him and, of course, eat some chocolate cake.  :)  So we played pin the tie on Thomas S Monson, played Bingo based on events of his life, and read some stories about him.

Reading Together

Emily and Ashley love to read together.  Emily is a little teacher and so she tells Ashley, "I'll read one page and you read the next."  Ashley is a really good reader but she'll still get a word wrong here and there and Emily will patiently correct her in what I call her "little Mommy voice".  It's so cute.

Vacation to Kirtland and the Beach

We took a little family vacation to the beach at Lake Erie and to Kirtland Ohio.  The weather was supposed to be perfect in the mid 70's. However, it dropped to the mid 60's and windy, which made the beach a bit chilly.  We didn't mind, though, and the girls had a blast.  Each day that passed was also less windy and the temperatures got warmer.  We spent most of our time on the beach.  The girls collected sea glass, made sand castles, swam in the water, played frisbee, and dug holes.  Adam, however was not a fan.  The sound of the waves and the wind was a bit overwhelming for him.  So he spent most of the time snuggled down inside his blanket in Mommy's arms and slept a good deal.  He did love the pool at the hotel that we swam in every day.  We also went to Kirtland and toured all of the church history sites in the area.  After we left one house that Joseph Smith lived in, Emily said, "Do you know what I was thinking when they said Joseph Smith walked on these floors?"  I asked her what she was thinking.  She said, "I was worrying that we might fall through any minute since they are so old."  :)  While touring the temple and singing, "The Spirit of God", Don had tears in his eyes from feeling the spirit.  While we were in the temple Adam pooped....A LOT.  It leaked on my shirt and I had to spend the rest of the day in a poop covered shirt.  He was was very happy, however.  The man giving the tour said he's seen a lot of babies go through making noises, but he's never seen a more cheerful baby making such joyful noises on one of his tours.  The evenings were spent relaxing in our hotel room, watching TV, snuggling, and eating snacks.  It was a fun trip and we made some great memories.

This Week Avocado....Next Week Table Manners :)

Family Slumber Party

We decided one evening to have a family slumber party. So we pulled some mattresses, pillows, and blankets downstairs.  Then I popped a bunch of popcorn and put on "Bedknobs and Broomsticks".  After that movie we watched "I Love Lucy" for a little while until most of us fell asleep.  I brought Adam downstairs and snuggled with him on a mattress during "I Love Lucy."    Before we fell asleep Alexis and I talked for a few minutes - the other two and Don were already asleep.  Adam and I  slept there until about 4:00 am when he just slept so fitfully I took him upstairs to my bed and we both slept there much better.  :)  It was a lot of fun and the girls are already asking if we could do this every month.

Six Months Old!

Our little one is 6 months old! He is such a precious little joy. He's content most of the time - as long as he's close to someone. He prefers being held or at least playing close to someone. But there's always plenty of people around to oblige. :) He's sitting up, but still a bit wobbly so we put a u shaped pillow around him or sit behind him.  He seems to have a very sweet, gentle personality and he just radiates with love for his family. He gives hugs and kisses. His kisses are little gentle opened mouth kisses on your cheek and it's just the best thing ever. He says "Mama, Hi, Hey, and Na (which we think is 'nursie'). He lights up a room with his smiles - especially for Daddy. He LOVES music and is instantly calmed whenever we sing to him. He still loves his swing, although not so much to sleep in anymore but he loves swinging and listening to music. Especially "Take My Hand: Songs From the Hundred Acre Woods." "Winnie the Pooh" is his favorite song. Actually in these pictures I took of him, some of these great big smiles were made from listening to "Winnie the Pooh". :)  He's still up a few times a night nursing, but all my kids were up until they were two, so I'm not a bit concerned.  For now I just enjoy snuggling up with him in bed and nursing.  He hates loud noises/chaos.  He loves calmness and peacefulness.  We try to keep our home calm and peaceful, so I think it's just what he's used to.  He has the cutest laugh and his sisters love finding ways to make him laugh.  Everyone still calls him "the cookie baby" - a nickname Ashley gave him when he got home from the hospital.  We love this sweet little baby so
much!