Jacob

Jacob, our youngest, is almost four years old now and we absolutely love to have him around. He has a wonderful sense of humor and knows how to make us all smile. He spends much of the time smiling and we just love the joy he brings to our home.

Like all of our kids, Jacob is very intelligent and shows signs of being a very wise person. He asks the most thought provoking questions and really wants to understand things. He's trusting of the answers we give him, but will always follow up with more questions until it makes sense in his mind. He's great at figuring things out and just gets things.

Jacob is very determined. He will make up his mind about something and stick with it no matter what (good or bad). If he decides he's going to take a stand about something, he will take that stand and not waver. When he's decided to disobey, and we attempt to correct him, he'll simply close his eyes and pretend we're not there until we tire of trying to talk to him. Fortunately for us, most of the time he decides to take a stand on the good side of things.

One of Jake's quirks is that he believes (or at least likes to pretend enough to convince me that he believes) that he was once a grownup. He constantly tells us stories about "when I was a grownup". Like me, he used to work at John Deere when he was a grown up, his last mom was also named Tammy, but it was a different Tammy. He had several children and he'll tell you lots about each one. If you ask him (and sometimes even if you don't), he'll describe in great detail and with a straight face many aspects of his life as a grown up (such as the time one of his kids died on the way to seminary - he tripped on a rock). The funniest part of this is that he brings it up all the time. The other day we were going to visit the Living History Farms here in Des Moines and out of the blue he says, "Oh, I went to the Living History Farms once when I was a grownup." Then he starts describing all about his visit there (which turned out to be surprisingly accurate). This has been going on for several months now. I finally decided he must be reincarnated, so I asked him about it. "No, I never died, after my son died, I just shrunk back down to a baby and moved in with you guys."

His latest thing is that everything happens as a result of rules. Everytime I take him to the bathroom, he describes to me the rules of going potty. Somewhere along the line he's gotten mixed up about needing to wash his hands after going and has told me very firmly that the rules of going potty say that you should NOT wash your hands when you're done. "But it says in the potty rules that you should NOT wash your hands!" He's very determined and I've not yet talked him around on that one. There are rules for going to bed, rules for eating dinner, rules for playing, and even rules for reading a book.

Here's Jacob moonlighting as a vampire.

SMILE!

SMILE AGAIN!

And eat some spaghetti (this is a very rare sight ... Jacob is actually VERY clean and organized and does a great job of keeping himself clean - unlike our other boys)!

And smile some more!

Easter egg hunt!

Jake and Anna!

Super Jake with his big muscles and cape!

Jake and Lizzy have a special bond.

Ben

Our wonderful Ben continues to bring joy and smiles to our family. He thouroughly enjoyed kindergarten this year. His teacher Miss Manning was absolutely amazing. It made Ben's first year at school very memorable and fun. Ben is already looking forward first grade.

He continues to really enjoy cooking and music. For mother's day he made me pancakes and eggs all by himself (Greg supervised don't worry). He is my most eager helper in the kitchen. He also loves music. I have been working with him on the piano for about a year. He loves just messing around on the piano and is always trying to figure out songs he knows or his siblings songs by ear. He loves to sing too. Sometimes at night instead of me singing to Ben he wants to sing to me. I love it!

One of the best things about Ben is he is so sweet and obedient. He always tries to follow the rules. He almost never gets angry. He is thoughtful and kind. He tries to help others choose the right also. He already has such an amazing sense of what is right and what is wrong. He has a quiet strength that we love and wonder at. We are thankful for the place Ben has in our home.

Here is Ben cooking away on mother's day (and enjoying every minute of it!).

Here is Ben dancing with Lizzy and Jacob on Anna's birthday. They have a lot of fun together.

Here is Ben with his "twin" Lizzy having fun at Monkey Joe's last Thanksgiving.

Ben and Lizzy at Monkey Joe's.

Here is Ben at Christmas in his chef gear.

Here is all of the kids at a cemetery in Kansas. These are the graves are some of Greg's ancestors.

Here is Ben's backside. He and the rest of the kids are in this bubble at the Omaha zoo looking at the penguins swimming underwater.

Adam

It's Adam's turn for a post. My oldest child turned 12 in February! I can hardly believe it. He is really growing up. Adam enjoys sports as much as ever. He played basketball with a league this spring. His short height is beginning to be a little bit of a problem for him but it doesn't stop him from loving it. He also loves watching sports. This is really to my advantage because he will often ask me to do extra chores so I will let him spend some time watching a game. He also doesn't mind just listening to a game. He was in cougar heaven having Jimmer Fredette do so well this year. It was the first time that most of his friends knew about BYU. Adam talked about it so much many of them chose BYU to win the championship this year when filling out their brackets (oops!). It was a great year to be a BYU fan.

He has thoroughly enjoyed middle school this year. He especially loved his science teacher, Ms. Borzo. He also enjoyed chorus much more than he thought he would and he continues to excel in just about everything, math being his favorite. He applied and was accepted to be a student ambassador next year. The best thing for us as parents is attending his conferences and having every single teacher tell us that not only is he a fantastic student, but that he is an excellent leader and person. They say he is polite and helpful, but also has a sense of humor. At the end of the year they have had to vote for "Most humorous", "Most beautiful", etc. He said a lot of people were voting for him for "Most Trustworthy". (the results are still not in). We are so proud of him. He is also very reliable at home. It has been so helpful to know I can ask him to do something and know he will get it done.

I think there have been some hard things for him as well. More and more kids are doing things that Adam doesn't feel comfortable with. I think he is starting to feel more and more different. It has definitely been harder for him to find good friends. This is the first year he has talked to us about a cell phone. He is one of only a small few who does not have one. I have been sending him to school with my Ipod Touch and that seems to help him on the bus and waiting before school. For now I think that is enough of a solution. He also wanted a certain pair of shoes that most of his friends had. (He got them for his birthday). He is trying to find the balance of fitting in and having some friends, but still choosing to make good choices.

One of the best choices he has made was to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. He was ordained a Deacon the Sunday after his birthday. My brother Todd and his family, as well as Adam's great grandparents were here to support him. He was very well prepared. He completed his Faith in God award from primary. Also, he has always been blessed to understand things easily and has sought that out by reading the scriptures and other books. When Greg was released as the adult Sunday school teacher, the bishop joked that he should call Adam in his place. Sometimes it is easy for Greg and I to forget that Adam is only 12. We feel so grateful to be this boy's parents. I think he has increased our desires to do and be better people. Thanks Adam. We love you.

One of Adam's favorite things to do is steal the camera and take pictures. I often find many shots like these self-portraits of Adam.

Here is Adam on his birthday with some of his presents, a new suit and a coupon for a new pair of shoes (I wanted him to try them on before buying them).

A picture of Adam we have on our wall. Half of his wardrobe is branded BYU.

Here he is on his birthday. He is all about comfort. You rock Adam!

Anna

Well, since it has been so very long since I posted I thought I could do a post about each of the kids individually instead of trying to go through all of the activities we have done over the last several months. First up is Anna. A lot of wonderful things have happened for Anna this year. She turned 10 in January! She is such a wonderful surprising mix of characteristics she is just a delight to be around. She is very quiet and observant and often notices things others don't. That means she is often aware of how you are feeling. She often knows just what to do even without asking you about it. I appreciate this so much about her. She has brightened my day several times just by taking the time to sit and talk to me. I have seen her do it with her brothers and sisters as well.

Anna also can be a worrier. Sometimes this is to her benefit because she works so hard to make sure something has a good outcome. She is the most careful with homework an practicing. She worries a lot but then she always ends up doing very well. Her piano recital a few weeks ago is a prime example. She worried and cried and practiced and practiced, but when it came down to it. She got up there and performed beautifully.

Anna is also a good friend. She is kind to those that are difficult to be kind to. She isn't interested in being popular (at least not yet). She justs needs one or two good friends. Even her birthday party she only wanted to invite 2 girls even though numerous times I said she could invite more. She knew what she wanted and so we stuck with that.

Anna can be surprising as well. Normally quiet and reading a book or making up some creative game, she will sometimes be quite crazy. Fun crazy, not annoying crazy. She makes me laugh and can really get all the kids going.

Anna started go glasses in January. Instead of a very plain, conservative pair, she chose this fun, colorful pair. She was very concerned about letting people see her in them at first, but now she faithfully wears them almost all of the time. I think she looks darling, and she is happy she can see better.

One of the most exciting things for Anna so far this year is that she has started taking flute lessons. She begged and begged for one for Christmas and she got it. She knew band was starting next year in 5th grade and wanted to feel comfortable before it began (otherwise she likely would not do it). I got her a flute teacher and she has been taking lessons the last few months. It has been wonderful for her. Her confidence has grown and it is something that none of the other kids do and makes her unique. She is really feeling a lot more comfortable in her own skin. We are so proud of her and the beautiful young woman she is becoming.

Here is Anna with the two girls she invited over for her birthday party.

This girl is Anna's best friend and they love that they both have brown hair and glasses. I really hope she is in Anna's class again next year.

Anna is 10 years old.

Here is Anna on her actual birthday. This purple chair for her room was her favorite present. I am not sure why but that day was just one of those days where you feel soo happy and realize how blessed you are and you can hardly believe it. It is one of those days where your heart just swells with gratitude. We enjoyed eating dinner together, dancing around the living room together and eating ice cream and talking. It was wonderful! Everyone was just on that day.

Here are Ben, Jacob and Lizzy dancing around on Anna's birthday.

Anna enjoying her favorite, spaghetti and meatballs with the birthday plate and cup.

We love you Anna.

The blur that was December

Our December was packed with lots of fun things including a John Deere Christmas party, piano recitals at the mall, a ward Christmas party, Jacob's Christmas presentation at preschool, Christmas Eve with friends, a wonderful Christmas day with just our family, a quick trip to Kansas and then Omaha, and New Year's Eve at home.

The work party was OK, but a little crazy. I think it was just fun to meet a few of the people Greg works with and fun for Greg to introduce his family to his co-workers. We did discover at this party that Ben has a fear of Santa (while Jake has none). We also proved that it is possible to squish 5 kids into a photo booth all at once!

Notice the absence of Ben in the picture. He absolutely refused to go near Santa.

The kids take piano at a big studio this year. There are a ton of students but they make the holiday recital nearly painless. Instead of listening to a hundred other kids, the kids sign up for a time to go and play at one of the local malls. We only had to wait for our kids to be done then we could leave. It was quick and easy. That was a nice surprise. Although I really missed our annual duet recital with Ms. Oles (our teacher in Bettendorf) at the beautiful Butterworth Center.

Lizzy at the piano. You can see me in the background.

Anna who is terrified of such things does a great job. I kept telling her no one was really going to pay attention anyway. Some people might be offended by that, but that is just what Anna wants to hear.

Adam is getting to be a pro. I had to do some serious persuading to convince him it wasn't a good idea to wear basketball shorts for a recital.

Our ward Christmas party was great. It was a breakfast. The kids could wear PJs if they wanted. During the breakfast any kids could play holiday songs on the piano. There was a santa and then a short program about the birth of the Savior. I liked having it in the morning. We are still getting to know the people in our ward so it is good to have an opportunity to mingle.

Here is Lizzy taking her turn at the piano during breakfast.

Here is Jake with his buddy Santa. He would always say he wanted a Surprise whenever Santa asked him what he wanted.

This is Jacob's first year at preschool and our first Christmas at a religious preschool. It was great to have them sing songs about Jesus and really focus on that as the meaning of Christmas. Jake was as cute as ever and I really appreciate his teachers.

Jake is the on the bottom row, second from the left. The older class is behind on the stage dressed in costume.

On Christmas Eve our new friends the Wadsworth family invited us for dinner and a program. We really enjoyed the yummy soup and the carefully planned program with songs and scriptures. This was the evening where we really remembered what Christmas was all about. What a gift the Savior is to all of us. The Wadsworths have been so kind to us. It was fun to have someone to celebrate with. After we left their house we came home and opened up our traditional Christmas Eve pajamas. Then it was off to bed for the kids. Greg and I enjoyed preparations for the next day. This is one of the great joys of being a parent.

Christmas was great. The kids obediently obeyed our rule of not getting us out of bed until 6 AM. I think all the kids were happy with their presents and we spent the rest of the day playing games and trying out our new toys. I love that everyone loves to play games. Each of the kids got a game this year and they have been the presents we have played with over and over. I think Clue was the favorite (it's hard to believe it's still around). Games are great family time. It was awesome just having time together as a family. OK, OK, I did get a nap in that day too. And because we didn't do it on Christmas Eve we HAD to act out the nativity that evening. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without that!

Our tree before presents.

Ben and Greg in their new aprons. Notice Anna in the background. Somehow she escaped the eye of the camera and that may be the only picture we have of her this Christmas.

The only picture of Adam as well. I guess you have to be under the age of nine to get a lot of pictures taken of you.

Here is Jacob. Oh how sad it will be when there is no more little ones to enjoy Christmas with.

Lizzy sitting on her balance beam all smiles.

Ben loved his apron and chef's hat.

A few days after Christmas we took the short drive down to Kansas to see Greg's grandma, his brother and his sister and their families. Greg's grandma will turn 90 this year so he is happy any time we get to see her. She does amazing for someone of her age. The kids entertained her with their piano prowess and we even convinced some of them to sing for her. We enjoyed playing games with her, eating Subway sandwiches with her and enjoyed watching her teach Anna some basic crochet. She is a great lady. We love grandma great. We also really enjoy visiting with Greg's siblings. We don't see them very often, but the kids always seem to jump right back into things and play beautifully together. Sandee and Ryan are always willing to let us eat their food and fill their house with 5 more kids for the evening.

Adam playing for his great grandma in the commons room of her apartment building.

Anna and Ben singing while Adam plays.

Greg also enjoyed going to the cemetery where his father and grandfather is buried. He also loves showing the kids where he grew up and where all of his stories really happened. We were also able to visit another cemetery where some of his ancestors are buried. It was a really great trip for him. I sometimes forget that his roots run deep and strong in Kansas soil.

The kids in front of the headstone of two of their ancestors, their great, great, great grandparents to be exact.

After a few days in Kansas we headed up to Omaha to the temple and the zoo. We love the Omaha zoo and it seems we find ourselves there almost every time we go to Omaha. We especially have come to love the Desert Dome that houses a great nocturnal animals exhibit. We are grateful there is something so fun to do for the kids while we attend the temple.

OK, I admit some of these Omaha pics were taken in November like the one below. There was snow on the ground in December.

We made it home on New Year's Eve and ordered pizza and stayed in. We let all the kids stay up until midnight. Even Jake made it. We played games, ate yummy food, and watched a movie. What a great way to say good-bye to one year and hello to the next.

Well, this post has turned into a travelogue, a very long travelogue, and I am just as thrilled it is over as you are. December was an awesome month!

Thanks Adam; Lizzy's lip

A big thanks to Adam for posting some. I don't know why it seems so difficult to post sometimes. As Adam said we did love Thanksgiving with our dear friends the Jensens. The BYU game was awesome too. Greg and my blood runs blue so it is fun to share that with the kids. It has been fun for Adam that BYU's basketball team has done so well this year because now some of the boys at school actually know who they are!

Anyway, I am still (always) playing catch up. There was one event between Thanksgiving and the BYU game that Adam didn't mention. Lizzy had to have a small surgery on her lip. She had broken a salivary gland or something on her bottom lip, probably from hitting it against something. Well it filled this sack type thing that was bigger than a pencil eraser. She had to live with it for a few months before we were able to get her in to see our dentist. We have been so grateful for the kids' dentist here. We have never had so many mouth problems for the kids. He uses lasers to fill cavities and do other things. Our old dentist would have had to send Liz to an oral surgeon. I imagined him just slicing this thing off straight, but there ending up being a little crater in her lip at least the size of a pencil eraser. She was a trooper, but it was pretty uncomfortable for about a week after the surgery and she hated when I would clean it every day with hydrogen peroxide. Now she is good as new and you would never know she had a big hole in her lip 2 months ago. Thanks to Dr. Wade for making the experience as good as possible.

I am not usually grossed out by things, but I thought her lip looked just awful after the surgery. I wasn't expecting it to look that bad. I wish I would have taken a before picture as well. Hopefully this after picture won't gross you out too much. Good job Lizzy!