Tuesday, January 10, 2012

So grateful

As hard as life is right now, with all the craziness and chaos at times, I am so grateful. I love having four children. This morning, I may or may not have said that. I was trying to make lunch, while holding the baby. Justus pooped in his pants, so I laid the baby down. I took Justus to the potty, heard the baby cry. Told Justus to stay on the potty, ran to the baby. Kaylee had fallen on the baby with a huge hard plastic toy. So, I consoled the baby, took the chicken out of the oven before it burned. Then went back to Justus, who WAS still on the potty, but had scooted all around the potty and smeared poop everywhere. So, yeah, I may not have said that this morning, ha ha. BUT, I am grateful that God must have seen way more in me than I see to trust me with each of these little ones. I love them all so much. I love to watch them run around playing with each other. 

Here are a few pictures from the last month.


The kids with their cards from my Grandma. They were so happy to have them. Justus carried his around for two days and called it his "book".

 Malika decorating her gingerbread house. It has been our tradition since Malika was a baby to invite our friends over to make gingerbread houses with us. 
 Our family with our gingerbread houses. They had so much fun making them, but mostly eating all the candy.

All the kids that made gingerbread houses.
 Kaylee LOVES the bird. When she hears the him she goes crazy, and recently has started requesting to hold the him. She looks so happy to hold him here, although, I'm not sure she really likes it. Yet, she always holds her arm out for us to put him on it.
 So excited! Kaylee actually loves any animal and when she sees one, she starts screaming.
 It was so nice to have Kaylee here this Christmas. I went back and read what I wrote last Christmas and it seems like a lifetime ago. It's hard to believe that was just a year ago. So much has happened in just a year.

This was Christmas Eve, the kids got to open their stockings. I found this little container to put snacks in for Kaylee while we are in the car. It was too funny at first, she knew there was food in it, but couldn't figure out how to get it out.
 But, then Big Sister showed her.
 Our other little one celebrating his first Christmas. Oh how blessed we are to have two new little people this year.
 Justus got some new soap in his stocking. I took this picture for daddy, because he thinks it is so funny when Justus smells something. Yes, he is smelling it and no, he doesn't think it smells bad.
 The kids got new pencils and paper. They went right to work coloring on all the papers. They loved it. Oh the simplicity of life with children. This was Christmas Eve though, so, after the next day, no more simplicity. Two days after Christmas, Justus said he wanted to open more presents. We didn't go crazy getting gifts for them either, but after grandparents, they had quite a bit.
 Kaylee at the counter getting ready to help make the birthday cake for Jesus.
 Our birthday cake for Jesus. Malika asked again this year if Jesus was going to be there and eat the cake. 
 I thought I took a lot of pictures on Christmas day, but this was the only one of the kids opening presents, oops!
 Kaylee's first Christmas pictures. Well, at least her first Christmas with a family. The orphanage gave us some pictures of her in front of a Christmas tree, so they must have celebrated Christmas with the kids.


I came out one night to this...




 Justus and Kaylee. Justus has been potty training for a week now. It was so rough at first, but going so much better now. So glad I didn't give up.


 Justus and Seth. This is how they were this morning when I walked back into the bedroom. Justus decided he needed to wake Seth up, then he somehow propped him up on this pillow.

Malika loves Seth so much, she is always asking to hold him, she would prefer it if I let her hold him standing up, but he is just getting so big now.