Let the Games Begin!!!

So a few months ago while I was editing a senior photo shoot that I did, I accidentally left my photo card in my computer. This is usually something that I never do, but one time is all that it took and two or three year old hands discovered it along with another bigger slot in the same computer. They decided that jamming it into the DVD drive was a brilliant thing to do. Along with that they put in a target card and who knows what else. When I took it into the apple store they told me that I needed to back it up…something that I had been meaning to do for forever. I have been working on this backing up process now ever since. 26,000 pictures. That is what I have from the last 4 years. I have been cleaning them up and I am finally done!!! I have really enjoyed blogging this last week and I get all giddy inside thinking that I am going to have the things that I know that I am not going to remember documented! Anyway, Monday the computer goes into the shop and hopefully in won't take too long! Now that all of the pictures are organized, I am ready to make photo books of the last few years…like 9 years!

Anyway…onto the games! Trey and Livia participated in Upward basketball last year and they have been looking forward to starting again all year! Because Trey and Liv are so close in age, Livia gets to cheer for Treys team! They love it and we love that we don't have to go to another game at another time, especially because Aurianna has her games on Saturday too! They both did great today! It is so fun to see them learn and grow. My favorite part though happens behind the scenes. Aurianna loves to teach, and really it is one of her gifts. She is amazing at it. She taught Livia how to multiply before Livia was even in kindergarten. She loves taking her sister and brother out onto the field or the court and teaching them the things that she knows. She works with Trey all the time on the court. She makes up these fun games and the kids all love it! Tad has been working a lot with Aurianna over at the church (when I say a lot, I mean everyday), every once in awhile Trey and Liv will go to and it is amazing to see how much they have all grown! Aurianna glows when she sees Trey do something out on the court that they have been working on. Or Livia out on the soccer field! And Trey is always excited to learn something new! They love their new uniforms this year too! It is going to be a great season! Ok, now for the pics!

Two kids

The other day I was driving in the car and I asked all the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up and how many kids they wanted. I ask these questions every so often just to see if their answers have changed.  This is how the conversation went…

Me: Trey, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Trey: A Fireman.
Me: awesome! Livia, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Livia: A cheerleader, like a professional one. Then I want to be a doctor, oh and a fashion designer. And of course a mom. Yep…thats what I want to be!
Trey: Wait, I want to be a fireman and a pilot. And I want to be a Dad, I really, really want to be a Dad!
Me: Aurianna, what do you want to be?
Aurianna: A professional soccer or basketball player!
ME: Livia how many kids do you want?
Livia: Six, except I don't want six if after I have the first one I decide that it hurts too bad. Then that number is going to change for sure!
Me: Trey how about you?
Trey: Four kids, two girls and two boys (spoken like an only boy who wants a brother but absolutely adores his sisters!).
Me: Ainslee how many kids do you want?
Ainslee: LOTS!
Me: how many is lots?
Ainslee: (holding up her five fingers) Five!!!
Me: Audrey, how many kids do you want:
Audrey: 3
Me: Aurianna, how many kids do you want?
Aurianna: Two, one girl and one boy and that is all.
Me: Two, you only want two?
Aurianna: (in very hushed tones) I used to want lots. Then you told me how the babies get in there, and now I only want two. And two is pushing it.

Well at this point, lets just say that I was laughing, hard! I was trying not to laugh, really I was, but I just didn't expect her to say that at all and it caught me off guard. Can you tell we had the talk recently? One day when Aurianna has three or four kiddos running circles around her I will bring this story up and tell her what she said! I am so thankful for my five blessings that put a smile on my face every day and look forward to what they say tomorrow !!!

Milana

The Sound of Silence

I have an odd sound in my house and as I was finishing loading the dishwasher, I found myself doing something, something that doesn't happen, at least not in the middle of the day. What was it you ask? Finishing an entire thought in my head. That's right folks…this little lady was able to start a thought and finish thinking the entire thought through to the end. Why, do you ask, can you not do this on a regular basis? Interuptions…don't get me wrong, they are lovely little interruptions. Tugs on my pant leg to ask for a glass of milk or an apple. A hug around the leg asking me if she is the prettiest pink princess in all the land. Maybe someone is missing a shoe, or wants to know what time bball practice starts, or where her book is or if she can play with so and so. But none less, sometimes, the wonderful conversation that I was having with myself inside my head gets interrupted and usually is unable to finish or come to a conclusion. So why is today different? Aurianna is at a friends house planning the (quotations here-remember keyboard is busted) BEST SLEEPOVER EVER! Trey and Livia are at another friends house and the two little ones each fell asleep on either side of me during a very exciting cowgirl bubble guppies episode (well at least I thought it was exciting…probably because it is one of the only bubble guppies episodes that I haven't seen yet…them not so much since they did fall asleep after all!).  Pure silence…WOW! That silence led me to a thought about my last blog post. All of the sudden I remembered something that I had written about Tad being home all week and that in parenthesis I put AHHHH! All of the sudden I realized that when I typed that AHHHHH it was meant to sound like loud hallelujah cheering from the roof top that my husband was home all week and part of this week with no interruptions…completely 100% mine (and my kiddos!)! And I began to wonder if someone out there may have read my AHHHH as YIKERS, I have to spend a whole week with my husband home. So I thought I would post now about that Ahhhh (and a little about wonderful interruptions I guess)! There are many things that changed when we moved to Ohio. Although, we have lived here long enough now that I can't remember all of them. But one of the  changes that I still every once in a while miss is the fact that my cute hubby has to go to work every day. He has always been a very hard worker, we wouldn't be in Ohio if he wasn't, but when we were in Utah he worked from home. Yes, he did travel, and those weeks were very hard and we missed him  like crazy, but when he was home he was just upstairs! I never had to call to ask a question or see how his day was. His lunch break was spent with us and his commute time was AWESOME!!! So, as much as I love the fact that he doesn't have to travel anymore, sometimes I miss seeing his cute mug around the house in the middle of the day!
That brings me to this marvelous week and a half! Oh how sweet it has been. All of my family home everyday at the same time. No practices or games or activities, no work or meetings or early morning appointments! The girls came down with ear infections and pink eye, but we just stayed home and snuggled like crazy! We have played games, built forts, played dress up, watched movies, taken naps, colored, finished projects, read books, tickled, called family, made cakes, watched the ball drop, stayed up late, gotten totally off schedule and loved every single second of it! I tend to get a little anxious thinking that I need to plan a ton of activities/outings/projects when everyone is home, and I will admit that it took me a good day to come to terms with the idea of all of just staying at home during the holiday, but as I look back at our time together it really has been a glorious week filled with memories that will last forever! My kids (and Tad) keep laughing at me as I randomly walk up to them and hug them, but I know that in just a few days they are all going to be back to running a million miles an hour.      I am sensing just a few more minutes of silence, so I better wrap it up!   I hope everyone had a wonderful New Years Eve!

Milana

Christmas 2013

This  blog has been on my mind a lot the last few months. I have always loved family history but until recently, I have just felt too overwhelmed with raising little ones to add one more big thing on my plate. Life hasn't slowed down any, in fact it has probably gotten busier, but as I was sitting in the Temple last week during an amazing sealing session, I had this incredible feeling that now was the time. As I have thought more about that experience, this little blog has come into my mind and made me realize (again) how important it is that I am documenting my own family history! So here I am, trying to get a head start on my resolutions this year…that and the fact that my computer goes into the Apple store tomorrow (Ainslee discovered the disc drive and I am pretty sure that my missing camera card is jammed into the depths of the computer) and who knows how long it is going to be taking a little vacation there…hopefully not long! Oh…I should mention that my keyboard is also being replaced this week…so if there is a comma or an apostrophe missing…I don't need to go back to school and I am not just being lazy…it is broken!  So onto our Christmas this year!

Livi and her teacher Mrs. Allen

Livs Rudolph hair!

Trey had to have a pic with all of his buddies!

Christmas the last two years has definatley been a new experience for our little family.  We are so used to being surrounded by everyone and it has taken some getting used to being way out here in Ohio. But we have created new traditions and of course kept our favorite old traditions! The kids had a blast last week with their school class parties! Livia is absolutely in love with her teachers this year and I am pretty sure that the feeling is mutual! And Trey, he is doing amazing at school and loves his teacher also! As soon as I get my computer back, the next post will be ones about each of the kiddos…a little about what is going on with each of them! Anyway, Trey and Livia had a Christmas singing program! Livia wanted to wear her new Christmas dress! The little girls saw sister getting all dressed up and they wanted to wear their new dresses too! The program was adorable! Trey and Liv have had a blast working on their songs and they loved being able to perform them! The little girls…lets just say that they were a hit! They got stopped about 7 times so that people could look at their dresses! They acted shy, but I think that they felt like little princesses! Their parties were pretty laid back and just a fun time to wish everyone Merry Christmas and eat LOTS of food! We gave their teachers this year a really cute reusable mason jar cup with a red and white straw filled with yummy cookies and hot cocoa mix. And then I rolled up socks from Tads work (they are heaven and will heat you through to the core in like five minutes!) and hooked them on top! It wasn't a lot but they turned out really cute and I think that they liked them!

at the Christmas program!

The couple of weeks leading up to Christmas have been filled with parties! Tads company has a huge Christmas party down in Athens at the University. There is a great dinner, dancing and awards! This was the first night that we left Aurianna for a real babysitting job! She did great! We had a fun night visiting with all of our work friends! Then came the Ward Christmas party! The ladies in charge did an AMAZING job! They completely transformed the gym and it was really a beautiful night! Tads work also has a children's Christmas Party! The kids had a blast last year so they were really excited this year! They got a bag full of fun goodies (a new sled, books and coloring stuff!). Then there was a balloon animal person and a full magic act! It was a fun morning!

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The three older kids were included in the magic show!

Tad has the entire week off (ahhhhh!). I will have to explain the ahhhh in a later post…I will call it the good and the bad from moving to Ohio post!  Do you all know how much I love Christmas? Well I LOVE Christmas! I love everything about it. But mostly I love the little things about Christmas. I love the traditions from Christmas past. I love it when my kids want to do things just like we did them that one time! I love the lights on the tree and how my nativity set looks up on the fire place mantel. I love that I was able to find a place for my poinsettia this year ( in the old house they went on top of the cupboards in the kitchen but this kitchen has them going all the way up to the ceiling). I love snuggling and watching Christmas movies. I love listening to Christmas music (preferably the Frank Sinatra Holiday Pandora station!). This list would go on and on so I will stop! Tad doesn't know it yet, but we started a new tradition this year. I told Tad that I have always wanted to watch A White Christmas, but I never get around to it every year. So this year, the night before Christmas Eve while I was wrapping presents, Tad came in and turned it on and wrapped with me! He usually is not a big fan of musicals (yikes, I know right!), but he really liked the movie! I of course loved it! (I know…you are seeing a lot of LIKE and LOVE words in this post…I should have made that a warning too!) In some ways I love Christmas Eve more than Christmas day! We delivered pineapples to our neighbors this year and the mail lady ( I love our mail lady!!!)…I love pineapples!  When we got home, we made gingerbread houses! Audreys was just more of a pile up of all the candy on top of a single graham cracker that had frosting on it! After,   Tad and the kids watched a movie while I put out the food! This is a tradition that Tads mom does every Christmas Eve! I laid out sandwich stuff, chips, dip, veggies, fruit, crackers and cheese balls. Then it was time for Jammies!!!  After we ate, we skyped with the cousins and uncles and aunts and grandparents in Utah! The kids had so much fun talking with their cousins! While they talked, I got fondue  ready! Chocolate, bananas, pretzels, mandarin oranges, marshmallows and pineapple….yum! Everyone dove right in, even the little girls! It was so yummy! At about six Trey and Livia started asking if it was time for bed! They were counting down! So when I said that it was 8 and it was time, they literally ran to their beds! I was tucking Trey in and singing to him and he said to me …Mom, this isn't going to work. Santa is never going to come to our house. I asked him Why and he said, because Livia is as high as a kite and the little girls aren't going to ever go to bed.  After reassuring him that they would eventually go to sleep, he was out within 10 minutes!

Christmas Day was truly  magical! Santa usually puts together all of the toys that need to be put together and then each child has an area where all of their other goodies are laid out. It is fun, but everyone is freaking out at their stuff and Tad and I are trying to whip our heads around in five different directions to see their expressions…it is a little chaotic and is over in a flash. So this year Santa wrapped EVERYTHING! We went in order and watched everyone unwrap each of their gifts! It was awesome! It took forever which was also awesome! I loved it! When we first sat down in front of the tree, the first thing that the older kids asked was if they could open up the gifts that they got for each other. It was really cute. Aurianna also made  gifts for each one of us. She made homemade envelopes with coupons inside! They were adorable!   Oh, I forgot…Liv and Trey were up at 4:45.  I sent them back to bed until 6…I think that they recruited Ainslee at about 5:30…and they never did go back to bed. They just went in their rooms and talked about Christmas and how excited they were!  Oh, to be a kid again! Aurianna got a rip board (so did Trey and Liv), Disney Infinity for the Xbox, a ton of art stuff and a ton of Under Armour stuff. Trey got Skylanders swap force, this gigantic Trio castle, art stuff and a karaoke machine. Livia got a washi  tape fashion design kit, a karaoke machine, a cake pop maker, art stuff and new kinect games. The little girls got a lot of the same things…in fact everything was bought in double . The klick clack princess castle, new scooters, doctor kits, baby strollers, beds and swings and new babies and art and play doh stuff! I think that Santa pretty much rocked it this year! The kids played while I made crepes and bacon and eggs (another tradition!). Breakfast was scarfed down so that they could Skype with Grandma and Grandpa Ashby!  They opened up their presents from them (such a blessing to be able to do 1700 miles away!!!) and loved talking to them and sharing all their fun things! Tad and I were so excited for the next part of our day! We got to work transforming Treys room into a quiet Skype  room for the missionaries to be able to talk to their families! One of the blessing from living here is that we have had a huge opportunity to work with the missionaries a lot! Since we have lived here, we have watched our area grow so much that it has gone from having just two sister Missionaries to now having two Sister Missionaries and four Elders! We love having them in our home and we were so excited when two of the Elders asked if they could talk to their families from our home on Christmas! They were so excited when they got here because it is the first time that they have been allowed to Skype! They were up there for a little over an hour, but they were all business when  they came downstairs…straight back to work having to go to the church to fill up the baptismal font for a baptism later that day!!! The kids spent the rest of the day playing and then sky ping! We skyped with their twin cousins and uncle and aunts from my side! They had a blast (or I should say I had a blast!!!) trying to make them smile! I just want to reach through the screen and squeeze them! Then they opened up their presents with Grandma and Grandpa Tatum on Skype! Then they talked to Granpa Thornton! Wow What a day!!!! We had so much fun talking to everyone and playing! When we finally got everyone to bed, the house looked like a bomb had gone off…but I was too numb too care!

We had a great day after Christmas clean up day today! The kids cleaned their rooms spot less and then we cleaned up from yesterday! It all happened right in time because Audreys cold turned into both eyes turning bright red  and her crying that her ear hurt. As I was getting her  ready   to head to urgent care, Ainslee said that she wanted to come with us so that she could take care of her little sissy. They really are so close it is crazy sometimes! The urgent care was crazy busy, Audrey fell asleep in my arms, and Ainslee colored while we waited.  The kind  nurse moved us up to the front of the line so we didn't have to wait too terribly long. She has a middle ear infection and pink eye. He also told me that it would go through all of my kids and that of course I had to bring them each back in.   We are all washing our hands like mad and I am bleaching everything. It will probably happen any way…but it is worth a try.

What an amazing few days! Such wonderful memories made and just some wonderful family time! I am so blessed to be surrounded by such incredible people! Thank you for making our holidays so

Fondue

Auriannas homemade letters!

Sunday before Christmas

Christmas Eve!

Tads gift from Aaron!

Breakfast Yum!

Skyping with Grandma and Grandpa!

Skyping with cousins and everyone!

Rock stars!

The missionaries!!!

Cutest Nephew ever!!! And she is just a doll baby! Ohh how I can't wait for July!!!

Yucky ear infection…not a good day after christmas feeling.

lovely! I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas!

sorry that all the pictures were at the end. It is way too late (early) and I am struggling getting them in the right spot…besides this post is forever long, so if you made it this far…bravo!!!!

Love ,
Milana