Our new VAN!!!!

Well, we will be growing out of our Suburban when baby number 8 comes in June, so we have been keeping our eye open for a large van. We found one! 14 passenger, only has 29000 miles, V10 engine, THREE T.V. screens that can play 2 different movies at the same time! (kids love that one). There are headphones for all so Bri and I wont even have to hear the noise of the movie if we didnt want to. We love it!!!! Trips are going to be SO nice now!

We LOVE our little vinyl decal family on the back windows too! (click it to enlarge--the new baby and Jameson are sooooooo cute!)

Mother Daughter Activity

Young Womens held an activity where the mothers were supposed to dress like their daughters and the daughters were supposed to dress like their mothers.

So this is what we did! (Click on the picture to enlarge it.)When we walked in, everyone was CRACKING up!!! It was so funny! We played a Newlywed-type game, modified for mothers and daughters, and we got ALL but one of our questions right! Yes! We know each other well!

KIDS...!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, Brian and I had a nice evening out for Valentines Day. We went to eat at Red Lobster and went to an AWESOME movie--"Taken". When we got home, the kids were acting really strange. They were all sitting on the couch reading scriptures out loud. The house was SPOTLESS: dishes done, floors mopped and swept, nothing out of place. I knew something was fishy. I looked at them and said, "WHAT is going on???"

Brooke pointed over to the wall at the bottom landing. I saw it was decorated with pictures, notes, and a bunch of money. I still didnt get it....until I went a little closer. There was a HUGE hole in the wall!!! Jared had jumped down the stairs and landed into the wall, bashing it in.

Jared had taped up all his money to let us know he would pay for it. There were all these scriptures, and "What would Jesus do?" notes, and pages of "I'm sorry". If you click on it, it will enlarge so you can read the papers.

I was half mad, but it was half funny. :) I decided years ago, that when these types of things happen, I ask myself; "Will it be funny in 10 years?" and if it will be, then I am not going to get mad. For instance, if you found out your child tried drugs--that would NEVER be funny, no matter how much time passed. But bashing a huge hole in the wall--that will be a funny memory down the road. So its not worth getting too mad at and creating a sad memory.

We are going to make him responsible to pay for it though. And even though part of me feels sad to even do this to him, I know it is the right thing. We all HAVE to be responsible for what we do. We HAVE to face the consequences of our actions. So he needs to pay for it, so that next time he will think twice before trying to jump the whole flight of stairs.

Kids sure make it hard to have a nice house!!! :)

Jameson fell asleep on the chair watching Blues Clues. It was so cute!

January & February

I used to hate January. It was long, cold and boring with no holidays. But I actually like it now: after hectic Decembers, its nice to have a boring month!

We have been busy with Jr. Jazz. Four of the kids are playing. All those practices and games keep us busy. The girls also play basketball with the Young Women.

Brian celebrated his 42nd birthday on Feb 3. I made him his favorite--Rice and Gravy, and then strawberry cake with white frosting that he loves.

Jameson is getting older and bigger too fast! He is so awesome. He INSISTS on eating with a utinsil BY HIMSELF--no matter how messy it is and how much food ends up on his stomach. If you try to feed him, he keeps his mouth shut and shakes his head. He wants to do it himself! He also LOVES to go outside, and there have been a few days where it hasnt been bitterly cold and we can take him out. He LOVES it. He literally RUNS eveywhere he goes. He knows that wearing a hat is for when we go outside--and so he thinks if he puts a hat on, he gets to go out. He can be in a diaper only---and think that if he gets a hat, he gets to go outside! He also has a huge love for basketball. When he hears and sees a game on T.V. he stands close and points at it and yells "BALL-BALL!! BALL-BALL!!!" We got him a little hoop and he LOVES it so much.

He is so happy when he sees the kids getting home from school. He runs to them and hugs them. They all have their little things they each do with him. Its so sweet. And last night, Bailey slept down in the basement with him and let Brian and I get a full nights sleep! It was NICE!!!!! (I always have babies that insist on sleeping with Mom and Dad and dont sleep thru the night til theyre like 2) LOL