Gavin - Not Feeling so Good

Yesterday Gavin said,

"I have a fever."

I felt his head and it was not hot. I told him he didn't have a fever. He then said,

"No, my tummy has a fever."

He was fine the rest of the day but then this morning he came down and while eating breakfast he said,

"My tummy hurts."

I asked how it hurt and he thought about it and then said,

"My tummy is tired."

He then went and laid down on the couch (seen in pictures). Poor little guy! I think he really doesn't feel well today. I think he actually fell asleep (and it is only 8:30 in the morning).

School Christmas Sing Along

Every year our elementary school does a "Sing Along" where each grade learns 2 Christmas songs and sings them for the parents on one of the last days of school. Luckily, Cortney was able to come and watch the youngest 3 kids so I didn't have to take them out in the freezing cold and snow. Gavin wanted to watch his brothers sing so he came with me. It is so much fun to watch all the kids sing - especially the first graders. Their songs are so much fun and they are all so full of energy. And Dallin is a whole head taller than all the other third graders. He is fun to watch - he waves to everyone he knows!

6-month Cuties

Here are some cute pictures of my babies from a few weeks ago when they turned 6-months old. I LOVE Kesley's black and white outfit and Cameron's hoodie/sweater. They are changing so quickly - I need to have another photo shoot to show how much they are changing. I just can't get enough of these little guys. Hopefully soon I will actually scrapbook Christmas stuff.

Christmas Treats (part 4)

Here are 2 more recipes for you. The chocolate cake is yummy and looks pretty - I still like my deep dark chocolate cake the best, but this one is good. And the popcorn is super yummy and super easy! Enjoy!

6-month Check-up

These pages aren't Christmasie - but I had them done and wanted to post them (especially since I haven't had time to make Christmas pages). I can't believe how big the twins are. You think that Kesley is big when you pick her up and look at her (she is 18 pounds 2 ounces) - that is until you pick up Cameron! Cameron weighs 4 pounds more (22 pounds 2 ounces)! Most importantly, they are both healthy and doing GREAT!

Christmas Treats (part 3)

Here are 2 more Christmas treats. I made these to take up to my husband's family Christmas party last Sunday but left them at home in the frig (luckily I had 2 other things that I did remember to take) - sorry. The fudge recipe is the recipe my mom always made growing up. I guess you can make it any time but it just seems like a Christmas treat to me. And the fudge-mint cookie bars (really brownies) I got out of the Betty Crocker Christmas Cookie magazine (small and at the check stand). They are really yummy (and not too minty). I am definitely going to make these again! Hope you enjoy them!

Fabulous Party with SANTA!!!!! (part 2)

This party was FABULOUS!  I think the kids (all 60 of them) and the parents ALL had a GREAT time!  I know I did!  I couldn't stop smiling as I watched all the kids sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they want for Christmas!  And it was such an easy party to do (and it was all worth it).  I made invitations, "arranged" for Santa to come, made a treat and had everyone bring a treat to share, set up a hot chocolate bar (which was so much fun but in all the excitement, I forgot to take a picture of it), and I made cute paper for the kids to write letters to Santa on.  After the party, I made a 4x6 print of everyone that sat on Santa's lap and gave them to them - they look a lot like the pages above of my kids on Santa's lap (but just one picture).  Thanks again to Amanda for taking all the pictures!  And thanks to my 2 cute neighbor girls (Heather & Nicole) who held the twins during the whole party!  And thanks to the best Santa ever!  I can't wait to have him back next year!  This is my new Christmas Tradition!

Christmas Treats (part 2)

This year, I made 4 different treats and layered them in glass vases (big round ones from Wal-Mart and smaller square ones from Roberts Crafts) and tied ribbon around them for Ed to give to people at work.  I made caramels with walnuts, Rolo pretzels (see earlier post for recipe), chocolate bark with crushed candy canes on top, and Easy Caramel Turtles (recipe above - don't know if that is really the name but that is what I call them) - all pretty easy treats to make.  I really liked how they turned out - hopefully everyone that got them enjoyed them.  

"When I grow up I want to be an Elf!"

This morning, while the boys were getting ready for school, Matthew told all of us:

"When I grow up I want to be an Elf!  I won't tell my kids that I work at the North Pole but when I get home from work I will teach them how to make toys.  I wonder how Elves make toys.  I will ask an elf when we go on the Polar Express."

What a silly little boy!  He is really into Elves these days.  He keeps asking for an Elf costume.

The picture is my future Elf eating pumpkin pie tonight.

Christmas Card 2009

This year I got our Christmas card out later than usual - but I was just happy to get one done this year.  Lots of you got one - but for those who didn't, I wanted to share it with you and wish you a very Merry Christmas!  And I wanted to thank my adorable cousin Amanda for taking our family pictures (click on her name to check out her website)!  It is NOT easy to take a good family picture in the COLD and with SIX kids 8 years old and younger - but she did it!  Thanks Amanda!

What a wonderful, exhausting, and exciting year 2009 was!

The year began with my tummy getting bigger and bigger while I tried to not get put on bed rest.  The boys stayed active & busy playing basketball, going to school, and going on adventures with Ed.  By spring, I was barely able to move, the big three boys were all playing soccer, and Brecken was trying to be a big boy.  Ed was staying extremely busy doing all the shopping for me, entertaining the boys, and working in his new role as Vice President at Xactware.

Summer brought our season of birthdays with Gavin turning 4, Matthew turning 6, Cameron & Kesley being born, and Dallin turning 8. The twins came at 38 weeks (via c-section).  Their combined birth weight was almost 16 pounds!  They were so healthy and able to come right home from the hospital.  We were so lucky to have my mom come and help us for the summer.  What a blessing!   The summer also brought baseball & t-ball, swimming lessons, cooking classes, sitting at home & not sleeping, and enjoying the twins.  The summer ended with Dallin being baptized, the twins being blessed, and Ed racing in the Leadville 100 (a 100-mile race in the Colorado mountains) – he beat his goal by an hour and a half! 

Fall brought more soccer, school (Dallin started 3^rd grade, Matthew 1^st grade, & Gavin his second year of pre-school), more sleep, Brecken turning 2, and more adventures for Ed & the big 3 boys (airplane museum, motorcycle rides, riding Trax, baseball games, football games, & so much more).  Fall left us with the boys all loving school & doing great, Brecken getting his tonsils out with an overnight stay at the hospital (his tonsils were so big he was choking on them), Cameron & Kesley smiling, cooing, reacting to all of us, and starting to roll-over, Ed still traveling for work & loving his job, & me trying to keep up with 6 kids & a very busy house. 

The year is ending with happy, healthy kids who are all enjoying each other – they love playing with each other.  The big 3 boys are such wonderful helpers with the twins but Brecken still doesn’t acknowledge they exist. 

We feel so blessed, especially this time of year, to have such great kids, wonderful families, and amazing friends.   We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and that 2010 brings you nothing but joy and happiness!

Check out our blog at http://6and2.blogspot.com to see more pictures and what we are up to throughout the year.

Christmas Treats (part 1)

Here are 2 of my favorite (and easy) recipes for fun Christmas treats.  I will post some more of my favorite recipes for Christmas treats (hopefully) in the next week.  I would love to know what you make!

Gavin's Pre-school Christmas Program

Gavin's pre-school Christmas program was yesterday.  It was so much fun to see him sing songs and say his part (which he said perfectly all by himself).  He wasn't very animated during the program - which is not normal for Gavin - I guess he was nervous, who knows, he is 4.  It was also nice because I got to go all by myself and just enjoy watching Gavin!  Ed comes to everything that he can - but he was in London (yes, England) for work most of the week so he obviously couldn't come.  And Michelle T. offered to come to my house to watch the twins and Brecken during the program - which was SO NICE!  I was happy I didn't have to take the twins out in the cold and wrestle Brecken at the program - THANK YOU MICHELLE!

I always sign-up to take treats to the Christmas program.  This year I did Christmas tree brownies (made using the Wilton Petite Tree Silicon Mold) - and the green on the trees is chocolate - and Pretzel/Rolo treats.  I have posted the recipe for those in the past but I will try to post them again in the next day or two - they are really easy and really yummy!