It seems I have quite a bit to catch up with and I am sick so I am going to make it a speedy update. I was looking back at posts last year and it seems about this time we had to replace the transmission in our jeep....fun times! Well this year we had our computer totally fry up on us and we had to get a new one......"thank you Lord for tax returns". I realized while being out of the technology world that my priorities were a little messed up though. My kids have had to share me with the computer and I was not a very happy Mom most of the time. It has only been two weeks but I really think that God does these things to sort of get us in check and remind us what is important. I have been spending so much time with the kids, and doing some fun things. My house is clean for the most part because I have stayed on top of it. It's like a sweet tooth (which I know all about) and as long as I have access to it I can't say "no". With this new computer comes a new list of rules and as a family I hope we can all stick to it. Moving on.........

We headed down to Oregon to visit the family for a big birthday celebration for Haylee, Justin, Paul, Whitney, and Jackson. We had a very fun time seeing everybody. My family got their first taste of Rock Band and we had to practically pry Grace away from it she was having so much fun. She just keeps asking for a Wii and saying that she will help pay for it.....with her penny collection I suppose. Surprisingly she was really good and was kicking butt on the drums, Haylee however we learned has a very strong golf stroke and Daddy is already wanting to take her out on the course. ;)

Not the best picture taking but we at least have everyone IN the picture which has not happened since Paul and Whitneys wedding and we have added some more since then.

The birthday crew, I will leave ages out of it. ;) And the ninja turtle cake was actually not Jacksons but Pauls.......cow a bunga dude!

He gives such good kisses.

This little munchkin and her sister were not feeling well this day and she was so sweet all curled up and quiet......a rarity for this one. ;)

The two oldest.

Look at this sweet face.

Hopefully someday we will see this. ;)

Paul I love this picture!

A little dance off with Aunt Whitney, they have such a great house with all this room inside and out to let the kids run around.

The sickies. :(

Gavin was very fascinated with Peyton but she was not sure about him.

It will be fun to have two more cousins so close in age, and being boy and girl maybe they will get along better. ;)

Little birthday girl.

When we got home Grace had a game competition for Awanas. She had to move teams at last minute but she was a very good sport (Justin and I not so much, we were the parents yelling obscenities on the side lines at all the other players....jk) and the team she should have been on won first place, her new team came in last. :( They got medals and had a very fun time doing it, I unfortunately was having trouble figuring out my camera settings and it was either dark or blurry so here is some that kind of turned out.

Since I have shaved Gavins hair we have been wondering what it will grow in like and boy were we surprised to see it so dark. Is long hair for boys not "in" anymore????

Not a good look??? ;) He freaked out when Justin and I put it on.

Also my new favorite thing these days is I will leave Gavin to play in the living room and a while later I hear little hands on the hardwood floor to the kitchen....he came looking for me, cheesy grin and all. :)
We have had our fill of sickness this year and mine seems never ending. Gavin had his first ear infection and and nasty cold and was just not a happy camper. He is now 10 months though and had his appointment at 9 months weighing in at 18 lbs 13 oz so already weighing more than Haylee at age 3 pretty much. ;) I am sure we are well past the 20 lb mark at this point. He army crawls all over the place still not figuring out the knees quite yet but he's really stinkin' fast! It's crazy how the dynamic changes when they are finally able to go and do......not liking it nearly as much. No he really is fun and they all three just love to laugh and play together, the girls even put him in his first dress the other day just to get a laugh......he has no clue what he's in for.

Grace is doing better at her math and loves counting money.....of course. She loves to read and has been bringing home chapter books from the library, it's kind of crazy that at night she is already wanting extra time with her lamp on to read because she doesn't want to put her book down. I think she will be a reader for life. Haylee has been doing her workbooks like crazy and practicing all her upper and lower case letters, she still struggles with m and n. She is sort of the opposite of Grace and loves numbers and counting, maybe that will be nice someday and they can help each other out. We did get her registered for kindergarten and she can hardly wait.

I think this is all I have for right now, we're still here. ;)