Loving My Babies

The babies are taking over

 

 

So many of these pictures are blurry because the kids are in constant motion. :)

This is right before the Martin Luther King Day assembly at the boys' school.

Cousin Caiden sent Flat Stanley for a visit!

The Museum of Flight with Friends

Oregon Trip

I forgot to post that Max and Ryan went to Oregon with Great Grandma and Grandma and Grandpa.

10th Year Anniversary!

It was a great time celebrating our marriage!  We did dinner and a movie for date night since we are planning a family trip to Florida soon.  More celebrating to come!  We went to a Japanese Steak House because part of our love story began at a steak house.  When Tony and I were just getting to know each other, a group of our friends wanted to go out to a Japanese Steak House in Federal Way.  My roommates and I invited Tony to come along since he was new to the area.  He and I ended up sitting across from each other at the big table.  Since there's a huge grill in the middle, and there were a lot of us crowded around the table, it wasn't like we were able to chat easily, but, it turned out to be a really fun night.  He and I joked around with each other, even from across the way.  We pretended to be spies, sending messages to each other.  It sounds kind of dorky now, but we had a blast and we just got along and got each other so easily.  We exchanged numbers that night and starting talking and texting more, etc.  That night I really started to like Tony.  I still kind of like him ; )

We also went and saw the movie, "Unbroken" which we loved.  It was really inspiring.  We exchanged gifts and enjoyed celebrating a great marriage.  It's not perfect, because marriage never is, but we love each other and are loyal to each other.  I would do anything for him.

These are the flowers he had delivered during the day.  Made my day!

Kids, you have to know how silly your dad is because even though he sent me these flowers with the sweet note, when I thanked him in person and we toasted our marriage, instead of saying, "and here's to many, many more", he said, "and we'll re-evaluate things on a yearly basis".  haha.  He can always make me laugh.  

Happy 2015!

We spent a fun evening at home, ringing in the East Coast New Year's for the kids.  The babies were still feeling crummy so we stayed in.  We still had party poppers and banged pots though!  Happy 2015!

We wanted to enjoy the day outside and the boys always want to be on their bikes so that's what we did.

Here's Ev waking up Jase to go outside.

Dear Anthony Jens

Has it really been 10 years?  Ten years since we first held hands on San Juan Island?  Ten years since you flew me to Alaska to propose?  Ten years since we promised forever to each other in the Portland temple?  We've always gotten along, our personalities just clicked.  You were first my friend and then my love.  We've learned and grown together.  We've had ups and downs together.  Talking about our wedding and showing our pictures to the kids tonight was so fun.  I love our little family.  I look forward to many, many, many more years together!

A Love Letter to My Kids

I just feel the need to write a love letters to my babies.  I have a few love letters to write today.  It's a very important day because it's the day our family began.  So even though there are still some December events to write about for our family history, I'm jumping around a little bit.  Today I feel an extraordinary amount of gratitude for you, my babies.  

I can never get enough of your hugs and kisses.  Today, Ryan saw my list of 2015 goals and told me he was going to have the goal of giving me a hug and kiss everyday and he would start right now.  :)  Max, you are such a good kid.  Good isn't even the right word.  You are an amazing kid.  You love to learn and do what is right.  You are so important to this family.  Your brothers and sisters look up to you and you love to be around them.

Ryan, you have such a sweet, sensitive spirit.  While I hope to teach you how to channel those emotions sometimes, I know that your heart is pure.  You care about people. I love that you still love to snuggle and you are so quick to tell us that you love us.  You really make people feel special with how you like to spend quality time with them.  You really love people and want to be with them. 

Jase, you have the funnest, happiest personality.  You like to fist bump people and give them, "power".  I must get a video of this.  You came up with completely on your own and it is the funnest little thing to see.  You also like to tell everybody,"Happy Tuesday", with such exuberence, even when it's not Tuesday.  You crack me up.  Even at such a young age, you are really teachable.  You actually listen when mommy asks you not to do something.  You say, "okay mommy."  I am amazed at what an obedient 2 year old you are most of the time.  You are also fun, love to jump and laugh.   

Evelyn, your smile and laugh make me so happy.  You have this small little body and you just zoom around the house to keep up with your brothers.  when I watch you and Jase together, I am the happiest mom.  You guys have so much fun together.  You give hugs to each other and kiss each other.  A memory that I don't want to ever forget is diaper changing time.  If I'm changing Jase, you like to come and sit on my lap.  It makes it hard to change Jason's diaper, but it's so funny.  And usually, once the diaper and clothes are on, we have a snuggle, hug, tickle fest.,  I get to have the two cutest babies on my lap, clambering to give me hugs and kisses.  This morning I just hugged the two of you to my chest and said a silent prayer to my Heavenly Father because I feel so blessed to be a mom to you two babies.  I am so happy to have you.  I am so happy to have all four of my babies and I hope you always know how much I love you.

Here are a few videos from this week.  Jase and Ev love playing musical instruments.  

This next video was right after Jase and Ev had woken up early from a nap.  They had to have their diapers changed but they were still kind of groggy because they hadn't slept long enough.  Jase loves his little leap frog.  I didn't catch it on video but when it asked for a hug, he gave it one.  :)

Baby Cuteness

The day after Christmas Max and Ryan went with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Doug and Great Grandma to Oregon for an overnight visit.  We kept the babies home and Tony wanted to finish recuperating and Stacey got the bug.  As much as I love Christmas and it went up as soon as we moved in, I was ready to take advantage of the boys being gone to clean up from Christmas and put everything away.  This way, I could start putting wall decorations up and finish "moving in".  It's quite a process with all of the nativities, etc.  Jason woke up from a nap and was sad that the Christmas tree was going away. 

So sad!  And for anyone familiar with the Forgotten Carols..."I cried the day that I Took the Tree Down"  :D

I really wish I had gotten a video of this.  Jason had taken an apple from the fruit basket and was eating it and sharing it with Evelyn.  She would eat some and they passed it back and forth.  It was really cute.  Little baby shenanigans.

Christmas 2014

We had such a fun/crazy Christmas.  Jase, daddy and Uncle Doug were all sick in the middle of the night.  I had to take two showers with Jase to clean us up.  I was a little more tired on Christmas morning than I usually am (pretty much I am still a kid on Christmas day), but it was awesome to see Max get up first and get excited about his bike.  Uncle Doug had moved to the couch and so he was up too.

Then the others woke up. :)

We had the traditional breakfast of waffles with ice cream and strawberries.

Then we enjoyed the gift giving and trying to instill in the kids that giving is just as wonderful as getting.  It's an ongoing lesson of course. :)  Evelyn took a nap after breakfast so she missed the morning festivities.

The quilts were a lovely gift from Grandma Kate that the boys love every single night.  I think I'm as excited as the boys.  They are darling.

Our little artist has an easel. :)

This is the face of a boy who truly believes in Santa.  He was super excited that Santa brought this lego set.

 "Best Christmas ever!!!" The last present took the boys outside to see what dad and Grandpa had built on Christmas Eve day.  They are pretty excited to have a trampoline.

The boys really wanted to ride their bikes when we delivered goodies to the neighbors.

And they enjoyed jumping.

Evelyn finally woke up and enjoyed all of the attention that was given and the help as she opened her gifts.  

There was a lot of building that happened.

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We really enjoyed seeing the wonder and excitement in the kids eyes.  :)