More for your viewing pleasure

Reid got this little workbench for his birthday complete with tools and all. He has really taken to his drill. Only thing is, he likes to put it in his mouth and turn it on. I know it cant feel good. I dont know if you can see it in this video real well. (its taken from my phone)

My sweet girls

They LOVE making pictures and cutting things. I have a whole pile of things they made for me when I had my surgery. Last night, I went to bed and found this...

If he had his way, he would be naked 24 hours a day.

Port d'Hiver

After a stay at Port d'Hiver (a fabulous bed and breakfast on the beach in Melbourne) a couple years ago, Bryan and I keep talking about going back, but the timing has never been right. With 4 kids and a husband who works non-stop, getting away is always easier said than done. We usually try to get away during the summer for my birthday and this year, we decided to go back to Port d'Hiver. Made some plans. And then, they had this fabulous contest on Facebook, that I am sure all of my readers contributed to. Basically, I had to post a picture from my stay, and if my picture got the most "likes" I won a free night in June. Perfect! And, thanks to all of my wonderful friends, and people I didn't even know, we won! (side note, the girl who came in 2nd also received a night!)

So, off we went. We left the kids with my mom, (I always know they are in safe hands with her) and we were both ready for some time alone. Its been a while since it has been just us two and we forget how much we enjoy each others company. I'm glad its not the other way around. We shopped, went to the beach, had meals that were uninterrupted...I got to eat without feeding 4 others first! The breakfast was amazing. The room was perfect. (They even had my favorite music playing in our room every time we came in!) The company was even better. Both of us looked at each other Sunday and said we didn't want to leave. So, plans are to go back next month for my birthday...fingers crossed!

We didn't take many pictures...mostly just the room. Thank you Bryan for a wonderful weekend. Any time with you is always amazing. I loved that the ceiling was painted blue...very relaxing.The bathroom had to be the same size as the room...complete with "sitting area" with chair and tv...Bryan's favorite of course!

What else can he get in to?

I often find myself looking forReid, after only a matter of seconds from he leaving the room, and will walk in on him doing various things....dont let this sweet face fool you...

Reider-man is 1!

We were blessed to have my father come into town for Reid's 1st birthday. It was wonderful. We were super busy with the end of the year programs for the girls, but when it was over, we took a day and went to Sea W0rld's water park, Aquatica! What fun! (pictures to come soon) It was great at first, we got there right when it opened. The girls had a blast...until it started getting a little too crowded in the afternoon, and that was our signal to leave. If I had to do it over again, I would have gotten a sitter for Reid, but oh well.

We did have a little party for him. I made a cake, which surprisingly, he didnt destroy and make a mess! He opened his gifts, and crashed and went to bed! The best thing about being 1? He started walking the day before! And now, he has completely taken off and in to even more...which I never thought was possible!His first pair of cowboy boots (they are rubber rain boots!)He just kept sticking his fingers in and licking them......and ate a lot of frosting!

Maddison

I went through my pictures and realized I have a lot of catching up to do, so my apologies if the blog posts are out of order.

Maddison turned 7 and planned a little birthday party with her friends...without my knowledge. I had a mom call me and say they were so excited for the party. When exactly was it? So, I had a talk with Maddison. Luckily, she only invited 4 girls, so I let her go ahead with it. It turned out to be real low key. I didnt do a big thing with games and all..just let a bunch of little girls play and eat pizza and ice cream.

Chloe Marie

I can't believe my baby girl is 5 today! She has been my "challenging" child, but with challenges, brings more love every day. She makes me stop and take many deep breaths and teaches me to be, or try to be, more patient. She is NOTHING like the other girls. She has a mind and personality all her own. She is very hard-headed, very demanding, and being the youngest for so long, she always seems like she has to prove herself and show she is not so little. But, when alone and away from her sisters, she is the sweetest and most loving little girl. My favorite thing is that she is always coming and telling me she loves me. Even in the middle of the night. I have frequently woken up to a little girl whispering in my ear "Love you, mommy" at 2am.

So, in honor of little Rie Rie today, here are a few of my fave pictures of her!

The fastest year of my life

Where has the time gone? It truely seems like just yesterday I was waiting to meet my little man. Going to a regularly scheduled appt only to find out I was in labor...(labor that lasted 26 hours longer than I ever wanted. Labor that if I chose to do over again, I would never have opted for that epidural...)

This year has truely been one of the happiest years ever. Having the girls was great. I love them. But this year, they are older, I can carry on conversations with them, and they have enjoyed watching Reid grow. They get excited when he rolls over, crawls, and now taking his first steps. It is amazing to watch them be little momma's to him.

But he has been such a joy as well. I could not have asked for a better baby. So good. Such a great sleeper. So fun. He makes us laugh all the time and he has made us a happier family. He has even stopped sucking his fingers all on his own. How amazing is that?

This past year has made me stop and savor the little quiet moments in our life (yes, even a family of 6 has quiet moments). It has made me slow down, given me patience, and taught me how blessed I am to have been trusted with these sweet spirits.

Reid truely is all "boy" even being surrounded by girls. Anything within reach gets thrown. Dont even think about trying to kiss him unless you want to get a head-butt or smacked in the face. He will on occasion give a hug or lay his head in your lap to show his love. Dirt is his best friend. He picks daddy over mommy any day. When he sees Bryan, his eyes light up and shouts "Daddy!"

I LOVE this kid!

And we're walking

I can not believe this is our 4th child but the first I caught walking for the first time on video. He has been taking steps for a while now, but too scared to do it on his own. We have been walking around holding his hand and then let go and he sits down. So this video is of him taking his first unprovoked steps. I cant believe he is 1 tomorrow!