Christmas

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  We were able to spend Christmas with Stephen's family this year.

Vance's Fifth Birthday

It is Vance's fifth birthday!  He is growing up so quickly.  This year he has gotten to be tall and skinny.  All of his baby chub is gone and he is a boy.  Vance has been a big helper to me especially with being a big brother to Porter.  He is almost always willing to play with Porter and bring me things that I need to take care of him.  When I asked Vance who his best friend was the other day he told me that it is Tanner.  They are great friends, but still brothers and don't always getting along. :)  Vance continues to improve with his speech and we love to listen to all of the things he has to tell us.  He loves puzzles, maps, blocks, and things of that nature.  He has really enjoyed having preschool this fall and winter at home with me and Tanner.  We love having Vance as part of our family.

Vance's Birthday party and early Christmas

We celebrated Vance's birthday yesterday with my parents and sister even though his birthday isn't until tomorrow.  We also did a little opening of Christmas gifts as well. 

I made Vance a "boy castle cake".  This was my attempt. He seemed happy with it.

 Vance let us sing to him and he blew out his candles.  At which point Tanner started to cry because he wanted to blow out some candles as well so we lit a candle for him. 

 My parents gave Vance a globe and a little quilt with a map of the world.  He loves to look at maps and globes!

 Porter wanted in on the unwrapping fun too!

 Vance got these magnetic tangrams for Christmas from my parents. 

 Tanner got this Leapfrog Laptop.  He loves anything with letters!

 Porter got this super cute Jack-In-The-Box  (that was a monkey in a box).

Once there was a Snowman

Last week it felt like Spring was around the corner (I wasn't fooled).  Today, however we woke up to more snow.  Not as much as last time, but enough that the boys wanted to play in it. 

The last snow we had was very powdery and not good for snowman building.  This time it was nice and wet so Stephen was kind enough to go out and help the boys make a snowman.  In other words, Stephen made a snowman.

 

 Porter was having a good time watching through the window.  He had an even better time licking the window.  It must have tasted good because he kept doing it.  (I posted a video on facebook for some reason I have an easier time posted videos on facebook over blogger).

Porter is 9 months old

Porter turned 9 months old on Saturday!  He is growing up so quickly.  All of a sudden I have an older baby who is into anything and everything.

This past month has been full of lots of things for Porter.  He got two new teeth, mastered crawling, learned to pull himself to standing, and he's started moving along furniture.  He LOVES to play with his older brothers.  He wants to be in on all of the action.  He also enjoys having us hold his hands and let him walk around.  I pulled out this little lion that was Tanner's yesterday so that he can start practicing on his own.  He wants to be like his older brothers.

He had a check up this morning.  He is doing well.  He weighs 27 pounds 13 oz. which is off the charts.  In fact the dr told us that Porter weighs more than any other nine month old he's ever seen.  He is 29 1/4 inches tall which puts him around the 86% for his height.  His head is 19 3/4 around which is also off the charts.  Chunky boy.  Vance and Tanner both thinned out by a year so we'll see if Porter does as well.  He is a lot of fun to have around.  He has lots of energy and loves to get into everything so I am constantly having to remind the other boys not to leave things out if they don't want Porter to get a hold of it.

I just can't believe how fast babies grow and change.

Christmas Time is Here

First off, I just wanted to mention that Mommy's Little Helper is being featured on ABC and 123 today if you are interested in checking that out here is the link.

Last night we went to our ward's Christmas party.  I forgot to take my camera, but I snapped a picture of the boys before we left since I made them get in festive looking clothes.  They all sat on Santa's lap at the same time and Porter bawled.  Poor kid.  :)  The was a rough minute for him.  It was the first time for them all to sit on Santa's lap and they did a great job.  They were both a little tentative about the whole thing so I suggested that they do it together.  That seemed like a good idea to them. 

On a side note, I wore two completely different socks to the event, got home walked around without shoes on for about an hour before I noticed they weren't mates.   Good thing I was wearing boots that covered my socks up!

Merry Christmas Uncle Glen!

My brother, Glen is on a mission for our church and so I thought I would take a picture of the boys with signs that say "Merry Christmas Uncle Glen".  I was not naive enough to believe that it would be an easy task, but I guess I like to give myself a challenge.  Let's just say that I sent Glen more than one picture so since I could not master getting a picture where you could read all three signs, see all three faces, and have those faces looking somewhat pleasant.  Here are some (not all, believe it or not) of my attempts.

 Vance is looking down.  Where's Tanner?  Porter looks super cute, but is covering his sign a little.

 Vance has part of his face covered.  Tanner looks like he's in pain.  Porter is waving to Glen.

 Vance still has his face partially covered.  Tanner looks half asleep.  Porter is waving and squishing his sign.

 Vance is smiling, but looks bored.  Tanner is wearing a plastered smile. Porter is looking down at his squished sign contemplating an early lunch...

I thought this one turned out the best.  Vance only has his chin covered and although Porter is squishing his sign a little I think you can tell what it is suppose to say.  Anyway, I sent Glen the first and last picture along with some other pictures that we've taken since he's been on his mission. 

P.S.  Anyone notice how Porter is the most willing to pose for a picture?

Advent Calendar

We have three advent calendars going on.  :)  One of them was made by Grandma Jeppson last year.  Each day has a little gift for each of the boys to open.  I thought it'd be a great idea to take a picture everyday with the boys and what they got since their grandma lives so far away.  Well, I've actually only taken a picture for the first day so far but, hey we are only on day 3 and today isn't over yet!  The first day Vance and Tanner got these adorable penguin pillowcases and Porter got a cute tag penguin.  I wish you could see if a little better because it is a VERY cute penguin.  I believe that Aunt Kimberly made the template for it (correct me if I am wrong)  Anyway, they are having a lot of fun opening each gift.

Gratitude

Starting November 1st until Thanksgiving I had the boys say something they were grateful for and they either helped me write it on a leaf or drew a picture and we put it up around our house.  I took them down today so we can start getting our Christmas decor up, but I wanted to share what the boys said they were grateful for each day.  Sometimes they repeated themselves and once or twice Tanner just copied Vance.  It was a fun activity for them. 

Vance's Gratitude List:

1. popcorn (yum)
2. jellybeans (this is when I realized he was just naming the foods they eat in Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving)
3. friends (even if he can't remember their names)
4. grandmas and grandpas (of course)
5. brothers (love/hate relationship)
6. Mom and Dad (I didn't even have to prompt him to say that)
7. Porter (Porter LOVES Vance)
8. Mario (his dad has corrupted him)
9. smoothies (I have corrupted him)
10.  cars (I imagine he meant toy cars)
11. pencils (random)
12. jerky (extra random)
13. new toys (was his birthday on his brain?)
14. Porter (repeat, it's sweet)
15. Tanner (love/hate thing again)
16. computers (he will spend as much time on the computer as I let him)
17. blankets (it got cold here)
18. boxes (I don't know...random)
19. flowers (missing the flowers perhaps)
20. cars (another repeat)
21. Mom (oh, my favorite child...)
22. Grandma Porter (I have no doubt he is grateful for Grandma Jeppson too)
23. snow (not me)
24. meat (?)
25. bathtubs (he loves to play in the bathtub)

Tanner's Gratitude List
1. grandparents (I am grateful for them too)
2. Mom and Dad (sweet boy)
3. brothers (I am pretty sure I prompted this response...)
4. legs to run around with (he was running around when I asked him too)
5. Donkey Kong (corrupted by his dad)
6. the letter "T" (T is for Tanner!)
7. dinosaurs (the kid loves dinosaurs)
8. nursery (he loves nursery too)
9. Dad (what? Not Mom?)
10. cars (copying Vance)
11. Aladdin (I believe we'd just watched that movie)
12. nursery teachers (bless them)
13. Vance (he looks up to Vance)
14. Porter (he enjoys playing with Porter)
15. computers (he will spend as much time as I let him on the computer just like Vance)
16. trains (I think he meant the toy trains we have)
17. balls (he is a boy, what can I say?)
18. boxes (copying Vance)
19.  Roary (he is a family member)
20. Dad (wait a minutes, I'm sure seeing an awful lot of Dad...)
21. Mom (that's better)
22. turkey (funny, he wanted nothing to do with it on Thanksgiving day)
23. snow (can you guess what day it snowed at our house?)
24. the letter "Y" (he loves the alphabet)
25. Grandma's House (we went to Grandma's house, it's so fun.  He always cries when we have to go home)

Snow Day

It started snowing last night and we were surprised to see how much snow we actually had when we got up this morning.  It snowed all afternoon too.  We've gotten more snow today than we did the entire season last year.  (I admit, it was a nice change from South Eastern Idaho).  When Vance got up and looked out the window he declared, "It's Christmas!"  I guess Christmas and snow go hand in hand.  Both Vance and Tanner were hyper until I took them out to play.  They played and played until I made them come in.  Tanner was freezing and pretty much ready, plus I bribed them with hot cocoa.  Although, the marshmallows I told them I'd put in their hot cocoa was what did the trick.

Porter napped through most of our playing outside, but Stephen brought him down when he woke up to watch out the window.

Pictures from this week

I just thought I'd share some pictures that I have taken this past week.  Life is going on as usual, but pictures are more exciting than long rambling posts anyway.

 Three cute boys in a basket!

 Some huge leaves blew into our yard and the boys had fun playing with them.

 Vance was insisted that we get all the leaves out of our garden.  I don't know why he cared...

 I had to take a picture of Tanner trying this apple because it's never happened before and I don't think it's likely to happen again, at least not in the near future.

 Here's the proof.  Once he got it in his mouth he tried to spit it out, but  the mean mom I am, I made him swallow it.

 I was playing with my camera.  Porter is my best model.  He doesn't move fast and all I have to do is smile and talk to him to get him to smile at me. 

 Having said that about Porter, recently Vance will randomly ask me ot take his picture and he will even smile nicely like he is in this picture.  My, he is growing up.

 Tanner on other hand pretty much refuses to have his picture taken.  When he sees the camera in my hand he runs or hides or both.

 I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take some pictures of my studly boys ready for church.

 Cheese Ball!

 Not wanting a picture taken.... Lately I will ask him to do "Baby Tanner" eyes for me and he'll make his eyes go big kind of like this because he always had his eyes wide open when he was a baby.

 Sunday nap.  Comfy?

Zonked out!

I guess I did end up rambling a little...  If you are ever interested in what we are doing with our days I record our Preschool Adventures on Mommy's Little Helper.

Rose's Play

Yesterday we spent the day at my parents.  We celebrated Rose's 18th (gasp!) birthday.  The boys had a blas helping Rose blow out her candles and eating cake and ice cream.  (By the way, she has stage make-up on)

Then Stephen and I went to see Rose in her 7th play.  They did A Midsummer Night's Dream.  (I did that as a sophomore.)  Rose played the part of Puck.  She is the cutest Puck I've ever seen.  She did a wonderful job.  She has two more performances this weekend.

 Rose likes to call me her "little" sister because although she is 9 1/2 years younger than me she is a couple of inches taller and even more so with this rocking head piece.  :)

And because this humors me... if you donate your prom dresses to the school drama department they show up in random places on random people.

 Hermia was sporting my old dress at the end of the play.  Rose had told me she wore it ahead of time and I'm glad she did otherwise I may have made a spectacle of myself laughing or pointing out to Stephen that she was wearing my dress!  My first thought when I saw her was, "Was I really that skinny once?"

We had a great time!  The boys had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa Porter while Stephen and I went to the play.  Good times.

What's Down Here?

Porter was making us laugh.  He is so funny and cute!

Hats

Porter is a good sport.  Hehad fun letting Vance, Tanner and I put different hats on him.

 And here's a picture of my pirate.

 And one of my Cowboy/Hook.