Christmas 2011

Maybe someday I will get around to posting about Disneyland, but I don't have it in me!  So on to Christmas!  We had a low key Christmas and it was so nice.  The kids didn't wake up until 8 and then got Jayden, myself and James up around 8:20.  The looked at their stockings but didn't touch anything until everyone was awake and ready!  We always started with stockings and have the kids go through those to see what Santa brought them.  Jayden thought it was funny that Santa brought him coal, but I was hoping he would be a little more sad about it.  After stockings were opened we had them gather all the presents and help put them in piles of who they belonged to.  Then the went to town opening gifts.  They actually took their time and made sure every piece of wrapping paper was off the toy or box and threw the paper away before opening a new one.  They each got puzzles, books, a movie, Wii games and pj's along with toys. I think I may have got the BEST present of all though.  I have such a wonderful husband who had to work 14+ hours a day for 2 weeks prior to Christmas to try to meet a deadline.  So with the help of his awesome boss I got a Canon Rebel T3 camera!!  I'm in love, I can't wait to use it more.  After we opened presents and got everything cleaned up it was time to get ready for church.  It was so nice to have Christmas on a Sunday.  The program in sacrament meeting was so nice and I got to see my Jayden get up and sing about Christ, he knew all the words!  Then we came home to nap, relax, and play.  Jayden said this was the best Christmas ever, so it must of been a success.  Hopefully everyone had a great Christmas too.

The tree on Christmas Eve

Our family, James, Payton, Madyson, Jayden, Katie and Decklan

Stockings and Santa's cookie

The kids and their loots 

The cookies for themselves and Santa

The Crazies!!

Jayden (almost 6)

 Madyson (5)

Payton (3 1/2)

Happy 5th Birthday Madyson

We celebrated Madyson's birthday a couple days early and she got to have all her friends come to Classic Skate to play in the bounce area.  They have so many fun bouncy things for the kids to play on, they all had a blast.  I made her a rainbow Lalaloopsy cake with sprinkles and she loved it.  It was a lot of work but worth it in the end.

Lalaloopsy cake

The inside of the cake

Madyson having a great time

She is excited to see the inside

Blowing out the candles!!

Ready for presents

Madyson has such great friends and we are so glad that they are in her life and came to celebrate her day.

Left side: Gracie, Madyson, Lydia, Allie, Ethan (he is hiding) and Karsen

Right Side: Ashley, Gwen, Chloe, Mjrna, Payton and Jayden

Halloween!

We had such a great Halloween, the kids were great and looked adorable, we got to see and go around with all our friends, and the weather was fantastic!  Madyson originally wanted to be sleeping beauty but the costumes were ugly, so we thought she would be such a cute Minnie Mouse (shout out to my mom, who made both Minnie and Mickey!  Aren't they GREAT!!) since Payton was going to be Mickey Mouse.  All along Jayden said he wanted to be a vampire and I didn't argue since it was so simple to put the costume together.  We walked and trick or treated for almost 2 hours!  I was beat.  The kids just wanted to keep going and we didn't have a stroller this year so they all walked the whole time!  They made out with a ton of candy (good stuff too), so we will be eating candy for months.

Group shot (this was as good as could get!)

Jayden the vampire 

This was his scary face!

Minnie Mouse

She was so adorable and she played the part of Minnie well

Mickey Mouse

He was so cute, he would say Thank you first then trick or treat, funny kid!

We had such a good time on Halloween, now to think about DISNEYLAND!!!

Half way there!

I am 20 weeks today!  I felt the baby move at 18 weeks exactly and now can feel him from the outside, which is so exciting.  I haven't been able to have the kids feel him yet or James, they are never around or they are always sleeping when he is most active (which is around 9:30-10:00 at night). 

FALL!!!!

I LOVE fall and the kids love it too.  Caramel apples, leaves changing colors, that fact that we get to go to Disneyland and grandmas house, and jumping in the leaves.  Jayden has been trying to rake up the leaves for a couple of weeks but we haven't had a ton fall yet, so today after church I went out and gathered as many leaves as I could in 5 minutes (which wasn't very much) and let them each have a turn jumping in them.  They thought it was so great but I wish the pile could have been bigger.  Maybe in a couple weeks.  They they all jumped in together and spent like 15 minutes out there having a good time together.

Jayden took the high jump approach

Payton dove straight in

Madyson tried to land on her feet

They were all supposed to jump together!

And just for fun I took pictures of the 2 little ones before church

Payton and his sister

I needed to take pictures of Payton in his new tie I made him! Jayden was wearing a matching one but he wasn't ready when we started taking pictures

These two are CRAZY together!

But sometimes they love each other, sometimes!!

They love to swing in the hammock

Jayden stopped after jumping in and stayed there, so I figured that meant he wanted his picture taken!

We are really enjoying this nice weather and hope it stays fall for a long time!

Black Island Farms Pumpkin Patch

We went this year to the pumpkin patch with the VanNess', Smiths and Bates.  The kids had such a good time, we started off with a hayride out to the farm to look at the carrots that they grow.  We then headed over to the pumpkin patch where we all got to pick our own very special pumpkin.  I got the one Payton thought he wanted until he realized he wanted a little tiny one.  After the pumpkin patch we got to go play.  We did the corn maze, pumpkin bounce house, corn box, hay slides, cow train, and tire swings.  It was a good time!

 Payton waiting for the Hay ride to start (that is his fake smile, but that's all I could get)

Jayden found his pumpkin!

Madyson waiting so paitently for her pumpkin to be cut form the vine

 Payton's second "perfect" pumpkin!

My attempt at a picture with their pumpkins

Carter, Bryant, and Ethan on the hay ride

Cow train and Hay ride pictures

Hay slides and the pumpkin bounce house (the kids could hardly stand in that pumpkin, they kept getting sucked into it)!

It's a BOY!!!!!!

Yep inside that belly of mine is our 3rd baby boy!  Madyson was a little disappointed cause she wanted a girl but she has come around to the idea of another baby brother!  And of course the boys were happy cause that is what they wanted.  I was shocked I must say because I was almost positive it was a girl.  I have been right every time too, but not this time.  This baby boy is keeping me guessing!  We couldn't be happier and can't wait to see thins handsome guy in February or March.  I did have a dream about a brown curly haired, green eyed baby boy, so we will see, I'm sure he will be blue eyed like the others.  I have included the picture of me and the ultrasound, which is difficult to see since it wasn't like the sitting on a glass table view like usual.

15 weeks!!

Shannon Baby #4!