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

New Years Eve

We had a fun New Years. I'm a little late posting about it. Lol But anyway Grandma and pa Barnett and Bretts family came down. We had good food and played fun games. Near midnight we did our "toasts" with our sparkling cider and then watched the ball drop and started freaking out with horns, whistles, pan lids, and fireworks. Jameson looked like he wondered what in the world was going on. But he liked it. He loved blowing a horn.

CHRISTMAS

We had a GREAT Christmas! Its always so fun to see how happy and excited the kids are at their gifts. I was telling Brian that as I get older, my appreciation for my Mom grows and grows. As I spent all of December shopping for SEVEN children, plus all the extended family, while ill with morning sickness, then had to WRAP it all and make sure everything was fair, and pull off yet another fun, magical Christmas morning...all while pregnant and not feeling great, I thought of how my Mom did this too. For NINE kids, with NO help from my Dad! (not Dad's thing in the least)lol. My mom is AMAZING. Its so true that you never realize just HOW amazing until you are a parent yourself.

Anyway, we had a great morning, with a little break in between presents while Jessie went to get to talk to her missionary Chris on the phone at his families house! Then we went to Grandma Barnetts and had a good time. The little ones did a Nativity play, and Jameson was THE CUTEST. I had told Renee (my sis-in-law) that there was NO WAY Jameson was going to leave a towel on his head to be a shepherd. But he did! I think he KNEW he was adorable and that everyone was freaking out over how cute he was, so he left it.

It was so sweet when he went up to "baby Jesus" (newborn cousin Dawson) and gently patted him and leaned in to get a closer look.

Then we went to Grandma Margos. Had a great time here too. Although, the Suburban couldn't make it up the long dirt drive even in four wheel drive! So we all had to park lower down and trudge thru the snow. Wind was blowing HARD, and snow was whipping us in the face horizontally! We were DYING by the time we got to the house! But it was kinda funny after--my brother Tom was SOAKED and his whole head was bright red! My sister-in-law Jamie looked like she was ready to kill someone when she came in! She had even fallen down while carrying her baby! But we decided to let it be a good lesson on appreciating what the pioneers went through!

We had a good time opening presents and visiting. Our drive home took two and a half hours in a blizzard! (normally takes 1) We could only drive 35 miles an hour.

I love Christmas. Its such a fun time of year. It was fun to get to buy "little kid" stuff again....like Elmo. I have missed that!

Making Christmas cookies

Last night we made cookies together. It was fun. Jameson had a blast as you will see in the pictures. :) Even though he was making a HUGE mess, I couldn't bring myself to stop him cuz he was having so much fun! It was so cute to watch him try to roll with the pin. Then he'd poke the cutters down on the dough. Then he would get the spatula and smack everything a little. His favorite was the flour shaker though---I refilled it twice just so he could shake it all over! He just loved that part and it was too cute to make him stop.

My sugar cookie recipe is the BEST. It is my Mom's, and it is different than most sugar cookie recipes because it has brown sugar in the dough. It gives the cookies the BEST flavor. I have so many memories of me and my siblings making these holiday cookies with my Mom. She was always so patient and let us do what we wanted too. Even when we made huge messes. So Jameson has Grandma Margo to thank that he got to do this! It's neat to see the things you get from your mom that you do with your kids, cuz mom would do the same thing; just let us be KIDS. Huge mess and all. She praised us for our greasy, flat, ugly cookies and didn't worry about the mess. :) That little rolling pin Jameson has was mine when I was little.

Baby #8!!

So by now, most family members know. The only people who dont know are my ward. I wanted to hold off as long as I could with them, because the less time you have to listen to all the dozens of comments and inquiries of "how are you feeling" every week at church, the better.

I know that sounds mean, but anyone who has had a few children should know where I am coming from. :)

But, when you are expecting your EIGHTH, your uterus is pretty much shot. :) Those ligaments say, "Oh we are doing THIS again?" and just pop out sooner. So I already have the round pooch and I am sure many have already suspected it. I will be 15 weeks this Sunday and the baby is due June 21. We are so excited!

I have had a couple people ask me if its as special and neat expecting your eighth: YES it is. I LOVE being pregnant. It is extremely special to me every single time. The moment I know, I am filled with love for this tiny being that is "us". If anything, it gets MORE special, because the older you get, the more you "get" life. How precious it is; how quickly time flies. As a 38 year old mother, I feel much more in awe of the privelege it is to carry a child of God and give it life, than I did as a 19 year old pregnant with my first. So, yes. It is no less special to give birth to my eighth. :) This ultrasound picture is when baby was 12 weeks.

Christmas Decorations

My cousin Rachelle posted her favorite Christmas decorations and I liked it so here is mine. I love my Nativity Scene. I wanted a white one and looked for years. I found one at Penneys, and haven't seen one before or since. So I love my set.
I also LOVE my village. It is the cutest one I have ever seen. I had wanted one for so long and got it probably 5 years ago.The kids love it and Jared used to say he wanted to get in it and be a part of it--one of the little people.
I love my mantle full of stockings. No more will fit. :) Can you see the little tiny one at the end?:)
I love my tree each year--decorated with all the things my kids have made me thru the years. And ornaments from their first Christmases with their baby pictures on them. Every Christmas I cry a little when I see those little ornaments with their pictures on them from elementary school. This year you will notice the bottom of the tree has no decorations--baby Jameson won't leave them alone, so everything got put up higher. :)
If you click on the pictures they will show full size so you can see better.
These are my favorite things, the things we get out each year that mean its Christmas.The things my children will remember from their childhood.