My Sweet Jay

We just had a wonderful Christmas. I can't wait to update all about it. But for now I just want to write down a few things about Jaymeson that happened the week leading up to Christmas.

His prayer one night made me laugh. It was so sincere though, and it was neat to see what he has been learning. He thinks heavenly father for many things, he asked for his blessings for others.  Then he randomly said, "and I just wanted to ask a quick question. How do you repent?"  Then he closed the prayer.  Not even two seconds later, he said, "oh, I know the answer now!"  I love that he is learning that he can receive an answer to prayer!

At dinner on night, Benson wasn't eating food. I was trying to remind him that Santa was watching (because he had found a Marshmallow Gun that he would do anything for). So I said, 

"Benson, who's watching?"

"Mom & Dad?"

"Well, yes, who else?"

Then Jay jumped in.  "God is watching".

I stopped then and there. True. And that's all that matters.

In primary, the kids were answering questions in a game of Christmas  Pictionary. Jaymeson got two of the answers correct, so instead of getting the reward twice he got to choose one other person to put a piece of the nativity up instead. He had a lot of the kids wanting it to be their turn, hands were up everywhere and people calling him to pick them.  He overlooked all of them and went straight for a little girl who has Rett Syndrome.  She can't talk and needs assistance for almost everything.  He had been sitting by her earlier and was trying to be her friend.  I was incredibly touched by his actions - especially for a six year old boy.

For about two weeks, Jaymeson has been constantly reminding me that he needs to serve the neighbours.  "Those neighbours" he would say, pointing to a very specific house (our only

next-door neighbour's).  I'm guessing he was told to serve his neighbours in Primary that week.  Regardless, he had been begging me and it was never the right time (right at dinner or bedtime or as we were running off to a lesson etc.).  Finally we had about 15 minutes on a Friday after his last day of school for this year.  I took him over and he knocked on the door.

"Can I do any service for you?"

"Oh my goodness, thank you.  Um, let me see.  What can you do?"

"I can clean a room or carry things because I'm strong, or..."

"Well, my daughter Jessica is moving out right now.  She has a few things that need to be carried to her car.  Could you help her do that?"

"Yes."

He proceeded to carry a bunch of games etc. to Jessica's car for her while I visited with our neighbour.  After about 5 minutes he just came up to me and said, "okay, we can go home now, I'm done".  No need for any thanks or anything, just had to serve them and now he's good.  What a sweet, sweet boy.

Not sure where this all came from, but I've been very grateful to be his mom and watch him learn and piece things together.  It has, in turn, helped me learn so much.

Late Night on a Special Night

I am currently holding my little baby at 1:40 on Christmas morning.  All of the other kids are having a sleepover in the boys room. Lanaya has been up with a tummyache. It has given me time to think about Christmas and been able to bond with my littlest sweetheart.  I love Christmas Eve.  I love the nativity pageant that we act out, the songs that we sing around the piano, the games, the togetherness.  There is no other day in a year that I feel the same way.  It's just perfect!

Today, Jarett and I were talking about how lucky we are to have the kids we have, the families we have, the friends we have and the membership in the ward and stake we have.  We truly had that "wonderful life" moment where we realized that we have been given so much and we have been so blessed by our Father in Heaven.

I'm really excited about tomorrow as I have a couple presents that I'm so excited to give.  I got my mom a special picture that I commissioned her friend to do for me.  I hope she likes it and understands the full amount of thought put into it.

I also have put together a book of the first two years of my blog to give my kids.  I'm so excited to read through it with them and remember all the little things they did as smaller kids.  They are such special kids!!

Well, Lanaya just fell asleep.  Here's hoping I can too...  Nothing says Merry Christmas like a sick baby at 2am.  She's such a beautiful little baby and so sweet.  I'm so glad she's in my life.  What would I have ever done without her (or any of my kids)?  Life is good.  God is good!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Lanaya is six months old!

I really can't believe it.  Time flies so fast and these little babies just grow constantly right before your eyes.  Lanaya has just worked her way into our lives so quickly.  I can't imagine life without this little ray of sunshine.  She is SUCH a happy girl, sleeps well, eats well, smiles and laughs constantly and has just been a dream baby.  She's getting steadier with her sitting, she is rolling over both ways now (although it took her a while to learn that because she is held so much and gets so much attention).  We are so SO blessed to have her in our lives! 

Day 1

1 Month old

2 Months Old

3 Months Old

4 Months Old

5 Months Old

6 Months Old

The most wonderful time of the year!

Over the last few years, I've had a hard time feeling the Christmas spirit until Christmas Eve. I guess it's just that reality hasn't really set in that it's Christmas time again, but for some reason I just haven't felt the Christmas spirit as strong as I would like.

This year, however, it has been so much more vivid to me. Today I was listening to Handel's Messiah, and it was just such an inspiring experience. It really has taken me back over the past month and helped me remember some things that I wanted to write down on my blog.

We set up for Christmas about a month ago, right after Remembrance Day. I have thoroughly enjoyed having the tree up, the garland on the stairs, the stockings, the advent calendar, the nativity sets and everything else Christmas.  Right on the first day, I felt the Christmas spirit taking over our house. The kids were snuggling with Jarett, they were getting along, and all was right.

Even while decorating cookies (on crazy hair day at school), everyone got along! Jarett put on some music and the kids started dancing with each other and had a line going where they were doing kicks and jumping and dancing. 

I find that I have been listening to Christmas music more this year.  Might have something to do with it.  I just got Handel's Messiah today.  But before today, I have been listening to Brad Paisley's Christmas album, Celine Dion's Christmas album, Josh Groban's, and the Piano Guys.  Another favorite song, is Christmas in Sarajevo.  Music just seems to bring such a spirit with it!

I think that the other main reason I have been able to feel the Christmas spirit more is because I'm trying not to spend as much money this Christmas so much as find meaningful gifts to give. I haven't been as obsess with the money and budgeting behind it but more on the spirit of giving.  It has made me more excited than I have been for a long time!  I just hope that my kids appreciate it, and don't ask where all the other presents are.

I've been doing some reading of A Christmas Carol by Dickens.  That is such an inspiring book!!

Of course, reading about the life of the Savior leading up to Christmas has probably been the biggest reason of all.  He truly is the reason we celebrate everything in life!!  What a beautiful, perfect gift we have been given!

Merry Christmas everyone!

If all else fails...

Benson just needed a little help.  I turned around and he was stuck in the straps of Lanaya's car seat.  So naturally, I just loosened the straps a little and let him continue.  Might keep him out of trouble for at least 30 seconds, right?  ;)

Of course, this doesn't look exactly how Lanaya does, so we need to add the cover.

He actually stayed still for a good two minutes!  Really hard to believe he has croup...  Poor guy.

Just different

It is mornings like this that I realize that having six kids isn't necessarily harder than having one. But I t's also not necessarily easier.

This morning, I got up, got the kids up, got her hair done, and had them going on their lunches, when Jarett came down and told me that the baby was awake and it smelled like she might have a dirty diaper.  He, of course, was heading off to work right then, or he would of helped (because I got one of those super helpful husbands - yay!)

So, leaving the kids to breakfast and their lunches, I went upstairs and Lanaya had completely blown out all over her crib. She needed a bath, her diaper needed changing, as did her entire crib, and I still had to get the other kids ready for school and out the door in 15 minutes.  

Experience with other babies makes the baby part a whole lot easier.  I stripped the baby, (using the new method I learned to remove onesies), bathed her, put her diaper and clothes on, washed down the change pad, stripped the crib, disinfected the mattress and went downstairs to feed her while encouraging the older kids to stay focused while getting out the door.  Some, of course, were a little more focused than others.

With a little bit of guidance, and a few little additions to their lunches, they were ready to go at five minutes before the bell rang. I packed up the kids quickly, and got them to school as the bell rang and watch them run across the field.

As I drove home, I realized that I was very much on top of the baby situation (had the whole thing done in just a few minutes), and I was very much on top of the kids getting ready for school, but not necessarily both at the same time. I guess that I have learned how to optimize my time through the experiences I've had with my children, but now I need to combine all the experiences together to get it a little bit more perfect.  

Who says that kids don't teach us anything?  Time management, patience and a whole skill set you'd never dream possible were evident this morning. :)

Being Benson

I let Benson play on the computer this morning when he asked, giving me a chance to clean up.  As I walked away after setting him up I hear, "Yes!  She's letting me do things today!"

Clearly I'm not always the same.