PEAK Performance at OSU Gymnastics

 All three of my kids got to perform before the OSU gymnastics meet in March with PEAK Elite. They live and breath gymnastics...always flipping, doing cartwheels and handstands and plopping down in to their splits right in our family room.   The gym is literally two minutes from our home which makes it so convenient for classes and dropping them off on Saturdays for "Parents Night Out."  We LOVE that! It's always so fun to watch them perform!

 Macy's cute ponytail!

Macy's handstand

 Nick's Cartwheel

Karlee's Cartwheel

 The gymnasts themselves! So adorable!

Five, Five, Five

Nicholas & Karlee turned 5 in January! How sad that I'm just blogging about it.  We celebrated with the traditional balloons and streamers in their rooms.  Nicholas & Karlee would NOT let me forget about them.  They couldn't go to sleep the night before, they were so excited!  I brought cupcakes to school as part of their snack and then we celebrated that night at Chuck E Cheeses with some close family friends who drove all the way to Eugene to be with us.  We love you, Jacksons! The kids had so much fun playing games, winning tickets and deliberating over prizes!  It was a great birthday!  I love these little munchkins! The are the best of friends and take care of each other.  It's been a pure blessing having them in our family and YES!!! it is getting so much easier.  They are their own person. Most Definitely!

 Macy always in on the fun!

 This year, Cuddle Uppets from Aunt Lezlee.  Last year, it was the Happy Nappers. Love you, Lezlee!

Bikes! Shiney & New!

Chuck E Cheeses

 Barbie & Spiderman Birthday Cakes! 

Our friends that are our family!

The Best Time of the Year!

I love the month of December! Besides how stressed out I get, it really is the BEST time of the year! I love the lights, the music, the goodies that sit on my counter that I get to eat and most of all, the message that we celebrate of HOPE and PEACE because of a little baby that was born in a manager that grew up to be the Savior of the world.  This year I had a greater love for my Savior as I got to hold my own little baby close and think of Mary and her baby that FIRST Christmas all those years ago.  It made for a very special Christmas for our family.

Our month was busy with a piano recital for Macy, the kids Christmas programs and sugar cookie decorating parties, nightly drives out to see the Pepsi lights and to get chocolate peppermint shakes at Dairy Queen. There was baking and shopping and daily deliveries from the UPS man since I don't live anywhere close to shopping. Thank you Amazon for helping out Santa this year! He couldn't have done it without you!

Nicholas and Karlee's school put on the sweetest Christmas pageant.  

They were little angels (literally)!

Macy had a snowflake party at school and Nicholas & Karlee got to decorate gingerbread houses. 

Below is Nicholas' house. It's a beauty!

The girls were treated to the Nutcracker ballet in Eugene by my dear friend. They came home and danced the night away. Thank you, Toni! Now, all Karlee talks about is being a ballerina when she grows up.

Then there was Christmas morning...

Oh, the MAGIC!

The kids in their Christmas jammies.  Thanks Grandma & Grandpa Swensen.

Stompie slippers!

Macy wanted a desk "MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD."  Her reaction brought her and me to tears.  She was beyond excited!!!  

Karlee got an American Girl doll that looked like her and matching clothes.  Now she can play with big sister and her friends.  I can hardly get this dress or these pajamas off of her.

Here is Logan trying to figure out WHAT in the world is going on!

Logan's "First Christmas" outfit and Santa hat from my Mom.  So cute!

My parents faced the storms and drove all the way up here to spend Christmas with us!  They made our whole Christmas!  This was my dad's first time meeting Logan and it was sweet seeing them together. We had so much fun cooking and shopping and playing games.  Mark even took us on an adventure to find a house with lights set to music that we had heard about.  We eventually found the house (2 hours later and after we were all carsick) but it WAS WORTH IT! The memories are already better.

My mom made her famous scones on Christmas and magically turned them into donuts for the kids! They were so delicious and the kids LOVED them! Thank you, Mom! 

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! It was so fun hearing from so many of you! 

Yogurt Extreme "Tee" Kid

Macy was picked to be the Yogurt Extreme "Tee" kid at Oregon State's last football game in November.  She got to run out at halftime and pick-up the football tee after Oregon State kicked off. She was totally stressed out about it at first but once we got down on the field and everyone was making a big deal over her, she got super excited and we couldn't wipe the smile off her face.  They hooked her up with club tickets for our whole family, a Yogurt Extreme T-shirt and gift card.  They announced her name and showed her on the huge Jumbo screen.  Such a cool experience for a little girl! Yes, we're Beaver fans!

Love!

Logan will be 3 months old on Tuesday! I can't believe it!  We are having so much fun with him. He gives us great big smiles and just in the last week, we've been getting him to giggle.  He is so alert, my most alert kid yet. There is plenty going on around him, that is for sure.  He does best when there is noise and music playing and can sleep through almost anything. Well, almost anything. Not so much when his big brother is in his face, trying to play with him.  Nicholas can't wait until Logan grows up.  I'm still trying to "Baby-Wise" him (putting him down awake and letting him fall asleep on his own).  It's not going so good. Ok! So I'm spoiling him just a little and holding him a lot! He takes a good nap in the morning but is spotty the rest of the day.  Luckily, I've been able to put him down around 8pm and then he'll sleep until 4:30 or 5:00am.  A dream. He hates his carseat and riding in the car, which raises everybody's blood pressure since there are places we have to go.  And somehow he knows the minute I take him in to any store & starts fussing.  This boy does not like to shop.  Ugh! 

But...what he DOES love is his Mamma (she provides the goods), his big sister, Macy (the "Baby Whisperer") his Dad, who makes him giggle, his swing (worth it's weight in gold), baths, and his binkie (thank goodness for that).  No one told me life was going to feel this crazy with four kids! Most of the time, I am completely overwhelmed with kids, laundry, nursing, dinners, & carpools...but Logan's little smiles seem to bring me back to reality and remind me what is really important. So what if my laundry sits in my hall for a few days. Eventually, it will get folded and put away but this baby will only be a baby for a little while.

Love him!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving day was perfect and we were fortunate enough to have family here to share it with us.  This was my first time hosting and gratefully, my mother-in-law was here to help me pull it all together.   All the dishes turned out so delicious.  We ate until we were stuffed and had more pies than we could possible eat.  I think we each put in our own order.  We are still enjoying the leftovers.  YuM!  Thanks to my in-laws and Heather and Jason and Kennedy for coming!  You made our whole Thanksgiving!

My cute niece, Kennedy, loved baby, Logan.  She was always so concerned whenever he cried and was always right there to take care of him.  She is going to be the best little "Mother's Helper" to her new baby sister due to arrive in February.

Logan's Blessing

We blessed Logan today in our home while Mark's parents and sister, Heather, and her husband, Jason were here visiting us for Thanksgiving.  I couldn't help but get a little sad as I dressed this little boy in his blessing outfit, realizing how much he had grown in the short 10 weeks we've had him and knowing that my heart never knew it could love something or somebody so much! Logan has been the best baby! He is so happy and sweet.  He's just what I wished for after having twins and now I am taking all the time in the world to kiss and snuggle and enjoy him since he is probably my last. That alone, makes me SO SAD.  I wish I could keep him little forever or just freeze time.  Today, I am grateful, more than ever, for the blessing I have of being a mother and to have this little guy in my life.

I was so proud of Mark, too.  He gave Logan such a beautiful blessing and I am grateful for him and the priesthood he holds.  We were both so happy his dad could be here to be a part of everything since Logan carries his name.  That made it so very special.  It was sweet seeing the two of them together.

Grandpa Phil and Logan Philip

 

On a lighter note, Mark told Nicholas to go and get dressed because we were going to give Logan a name and a blessing, which we do in our church.   Nicholas replied, "But Dad, he already has a name.  It's Logan."   It made us both laugh.  That's one for the quote books!