January Picnic

We enjoyed a beautiful picnic on Saturday with our family and neighbors.  The weather was perfect at 70 degrees.  We praise God for D & S and how they have been adopted grandparents to our children.

Tidbits of Cole's Life

This was going to be a post about things being said around our house these days but ended up being almost entirely about Cole so I decided to add some pictures of our Little Man among the quotes.

Kaylee calls Cason "KC."  (Have no idea why!)



Kaylee or Cole pray for Cason before each nap.  They ask to pray for him as I carry Cason to his room.  This is something that they started on their own.



"No You Stop It" Game - Cole invented this game and will randomly say "Hey guys, you want to be the No-You-Stop-It Game?"  We have tried to make sure that everyone understands that they are to ignore this request.  But sometimes the older ones fall into temptation.  This game consist of saying back and forth "no, you stop it". 

"I need go work in a few minutes."  - Randomly said by Cole throughout the day.



"For you give me." - Also said by Cole, typically to try and get out of trouble or to gain the privilege to return to playing.

When Cole hurts himself, there rarely is any crying.  Typically just a calm, "Oh I hurt myself." 

"Oh, man!" - Also said by Cole frequently.



"I have a mustache."  Cole is in love with mustaches.  He tells everyone that he has a mustache and asks Papa and Grandpa frequently about theirs.  One day he either grew another one or his moved, "I have a mustache on my back."

Snow Day

We got about 4-5" of snow today.  It came early enough that school was called off about 5:45 this morning. The kids played in the snow this moring and then again when Daddy got home. The roads are pretty slick so they have already called off school tomorrow. We are enjoying having Chad home but know come summer we will hate making up these three snow days (so far).  

Cason's 2 Month Stats

Just like we like them - long and lean :)

Length - 25" -  95th percentile
Weight - 12 lbs 2 oz - 60th percentile
Head - 15 3/4" - 50th percentile

Just because I am into numbers. Each child at 2 months:

Chad - 11 lbs 2 oz
Kaylee - 12 lbs 12 oz
Cole - 13 lbs 4 oz
Cason - 12 lbs 2 oz

Kaylee - 24"
Cole - 25 1/2"
Cason - 25"

Kaylee - 15 1/2"
Cole - 15 1/2"
Cason - 15 3/4"

Cason 2 Months

Today is my 2 Month Birthday! No matter what Mommy does to try and stop time, it keeps flying by. I continues to sleep through the night.  I get up around 5:30 - 6:00 so that Mommy can feed me before getting the rest of the kiddos up for school at 6:30.  But sometimes Mommy has to wake me.  The 5:30 wake up time is great except on the weekends but Mommy can't complain. 

I am sharing a lot of smiles now. They are happening more on demand as well. I continue to be a wonderful baby. The doctor has helped reduce my spitting up from 20+ (that Mommy saw) times a day to two or three. I am no longer in pain and crying. Everyone is very thankful for that. Strongly resembling Cole, I am not quite as chubby. My doctor's appointment is on Tuesday so we will see what the stats truly are.

 

Mommy & the Biggins

Michael has really gotten into photography.  He is constantly playing with the camera.  Love the pictures that he gets although I hate weeding through 1,000's of "play pictures" to get to them.  Guess it is all worth it though when I find picts like these.

Kids

Here are some pictures that we got of the kids over the holidays and Cason a week ago.

Cason has started sharing a lot of smiles.  Not on demand yet but smiles just the same.  He is also sleeping through the night - about nine hours a night.  This has been a huge blessing for Mommy!

Family Pictures

For the first time since Heath and Jen's wedding - 5 1/2 years ago - we took family pictures.  Other than my wedding we haven't had family pictures since I went to college.  Basically, we haven't done family pictures for about 15 years.  Since then we have added five grandchildren and two in-laws.  But we have lost a daughter, sister, an aunt.   It is another one of those firsts that is hard.  It is another reminder that our whole family isn't here.  A reminder that Tara is missing from our pictures...our current life.   Should we have done it sooner?  Maybe.  But for the first time, we were all in agreement that it was time. 

Teacher Kaylee

I have now added "teacher" to my credentials.  I sit on the little chair with my Bible and teach whomever will listen to my Bible stories.  Sometimes there are children who don't obey.  So, I have to get up off my chair and go talk to them about their behavior.  I hold up my Bible and make sure that everyone can see the pictures.  Sometimes we sing a song.  I ask everyone to stand up and join me.  My story times can last 30-60 minutes if my parents don't end them sooner.  The little kids that I teach sit on the carpet and listen to me.  I ask a few of them to come of the stage as helpers - if they are good!  Sometimes my brothers participate.  Right now, my favorite story is Baby Jesus and we sing Away in the Manger.

Family Pictures

We are up to 26 adults and 16 greats (seven years and younger) in the family.  The fact that we still get together for Christmas is amazing.  The fact that everyone makes it a priority to be home is a testimony to a family who wants to be together.  Love it!  With this many people at the farm, it makes it for a crazy time but the greats love to be together.  Everyone else picks up right where we left off!  We are making plans now for the first family weekend/reunion this summer.  Already excited!  By then we will have added two more babies!

This is the first full family pictures in nine years (I believe).  Sadly, it isn't complete without Grandpa Dick, Grandma Honey, and Tara.

NetworkedBlogs App for Facebook

NEVER MIND - DELETED IT.


I added the Network Blog App from Facebook to this blog.  Now you can be updated in Facebook every time that we make a post.  Don't miss any of our little life!

The column on the right contains a white box labeled "NetworkedBlogs."  Simply click on the "Follow this Blog" button.  This will open up a new page in Facebook.  Click on the blue box "Follow."

Train Station

Aunt Karla set up a visit to the local train "museum."  Actually it is a personal collection of a local electrician.  But it really is better than most museums!  Almost all of the family - aunts, uncles, grands, and greats - were able to enjoy the tour.  Since we traveled to see a collection in the city a years ago, the kids were excited.  They were even more excited when they found out that we only had to travel a few miles to get there!

All of us after the tour in front of the caboose

Daddy and Cole in the real, live caboose!

The largest set up was 16' x 32'. All the trains were Lionel trains. Mr. V and his brother started collecting and building around 1952. They had trains running around the ceilings as well as 6 different set ups including a Christmas village, a circus show, farm, and a set up on a trailer that they take on the road!  (I stole this from Erin's blog as I wasn't paying attention!)
 

Aunt Connie - Once a teacher, always a teacher!

Chad noticed that Mr. V had trains that looked like his Grandpa's trains in his room.

Grams and Kaylee

Family pict on the caboose

Happy New Year

We arrived home on Thursday afternoon with plans to unpack the van, get ready for a New Years Eve party we were hosting, and enjoy some quality family time before Michael returned to work.  About two hours after we got home, I realized the house really wasn't that cold and my back and shoulders weren't hurting from the five hour road trip.  Took my temperature which confirmed, I had a reason for these symptoms.  After running fever for 48 hours, I am on the mends.  Self-diagnosis of strep throat has left me unable to talk well (yes, my family is enjoying this!) and pretty weak.  This has given me extra time to review a book, go through Christmas pictures, and sleep...sleep...sleep.  Michael on the other hand has spent his days off chasing three children and toting Cason around between feedings, play time, and sleeping.  Hopefully I can get some blogs written!  Over the next couple of weeks, I will share pictures of Christmas.  Here are two:

Uncle Heath and Cason

Great, Great Aunt Mary came and ate lunch with us.  Here is a picture of her holding Kenzie.