Santa Claus

We had a big day of Santas on Tuesday! We started the morning off with "Breakfast with Santa" at the local library and ended the day helping Grandaddy (Chad's dad) hand out presents to the patients at the nursing home!

We do not do "Santa" at our house, I mean he comes and he leaves gifts, but there is no question about who "Santa" is. As soon as Piper was old enough to understand, I told her the truth and have not regretted it one bit. Cohen has always known the truth. I have to do some coaching with my kids when we go to events with Santas so they will not ruin it for the rest of the kids but I just couldn't bring myself to lie to them. It is so much easier this way and there will never be that revelation that their parents lied to them about Santa or anything else!

Santa, greeting the kids at the library:


My kids with Santa, aka Grandaddy:


Grandaddy volunteers at the nursing home where his mother spent her last few years, once she was in a condition that family could not longer take care of her. He has made a practice of taking the grandchildren with him to love on the patients as often as possible. Cohen is awesome and just hugs and kisses the older people; Piper is getting there too, but she has made it more of a job whereas Cohen actually enjoys it. This year Chad dressed as Santa and took his little elf Cohen around one hall to hand out gifts and Grandaddy took Piper around a different hall to do the same. I am hoping serving at the nursing home will be an outreach our family can continue for many years!

Nice Do!

Piper "fixed" my hair for me in a very interesting fashion! She was so impressed with her creation she took a couple photos:

Christmas decorating

As a tradition, Chad takes the kids into the woods at their grandparents house to pick a Christmas tree. Family members and friends laugh and make jokes about our trees but my kids are so proud of them! As long as they are happy, I am happy with the trees and I can spend that money on Christmas gifts instead. We enjoyed decorating and singing together and our tree turned out pretty cute this year, you would agree if you had seen some in years past!



And Piper wanted her own personal tree in her room which she decorated herself. She waters it and takes care of it.

Happy Birthday C-Bear!

Cohen celebrated his 4th birthday on Monday! He is thrilled not to be "fleee" anymore; birthdays are so exciting when you are a child. The fire department is burning a barn on our property Saturday so we are planning to have his cousins over for pizza and cake to watch the event. However, we still celebrated as a family on Monday.

Cohen at 3 days old. He was a beautiful, sweet, good-natured baby.


Cohen at 4 years old!


Decorating his own cake. I took the time to write "HAPPY BIRTHDAY COHEN" on the cake and he covered it all up with a ton of sprinkles!


Opening a gift from Aunt Ashley. I let him open a gift at breakfast, lunch and dinner so he was not overwhelmed and could enjoy each gift after opening.


Asleep amidst the toys!

Happy Birthday sweet boy!

My Baby is growing up

Over the last week Abe has started sitting pretty well. As if that were not enough, he has also started getting up on all fours and rocking. I am so not ready for the crawling stage! I wish I could freeze time and keep my cuddly lap baby right where he is! My mom once told me that my job as Mom is to teach my children how to live without me. That is so true, but this job is bittersweet when phrased in such a way.

What's going on here?

The older kids were on the porch playing when this picture was taken. What exactly in going on here??

Another of Piper's photoshoots

Piper was watching Abe for me to do dishes a few nights ago and in true Piper fashion, she set up a "photoshoot" with him. She started with Abe alone in the little recliner then added some props. She seems to have lost her subject in the props though!

Adding in the other little brother!

These pictures were so funny to me for some reason!