A favorite gift...

We love all our cowboy heritage and grandma Heaton helps us learn the cowboy ways. She starts young... Sam was very excited to get his first rocking horse from her for his birthday. He can get on and off by himself and LOVES it. So cute! Grandpa Heaton would be proud!

Sam is ONE - already!

My little Sambo is growing up.  He is still very baby-ish, but this year has seemed to FLY by.  Here are a few picts of the Exciting day.

We started the morning with a "SMART" pancake (Grandma Heaton named these).  An "S" just for Sam.  He loves breakfast -- it may have to due with the fact he has to maintain that figure and sleeping 11 hours without food make breakfast a GREAT meal for him. :)

Then time for Cake and Ice Cream...

Sam was pretty stoked about his cake...

And the brother's loved helping unwrap the presents -- they probably enjoyed them more than Sam too!!

Thanks to Taylor's brother and family (that live around the corner), Sam had a fun little party.  No frills -- poor 3rd child.  Not even a home made cake.  

Some of Sam's 1 year acheivements are to name a few: walking, waving, throwing a ball, patty cake, a couple baby signs, blowing kisses, and saying "yeah, and no."

We sure love having Sam in our family.  He is such a cute little bug.  One year olds are a lot of work -- but so fun to watch and be around.  We cherish every time he slows down long enough to cuddle and give hugs -- not often.  We sure love you Sam!! happy birthday.

Sam Loves Grandma Great.

My Grandma is 97 years old.  She is such a neat person and I have been so blessed to have her in my life this long.  I am almost the youngest granddaughter she has (she has many great and great great grandchildren now).  One of my funnest memories of Grandma was sleeping at her house every Christmas Eve with my cousin Tammy.  My grandpa died when I was 12 and from then until my mission we would stay with Grandma and give her company on Christmas Eve.  She always spoiled us. :)

While I was down visiting my sister and the new baby -- I got to take Sam to visit with Grandma Hafen.  He loved her.  He would giggle every time I would hold him down to give her a kiss.  then I'd lift him up again and he would lean down to do it again.  grandma's are the best!

 

New Baby Lily Ann

I love this little girl!!!  I think it helps that she has my name and is the sweetest thing I ever saw. :)  It makes me wish I was having a girl.  I hadn't REALLY cared too much until I got to spend a week with her.  So cute.

Being an Aunt is the best!  My sister has flown all over the country to help me when my boys were all born -- and it was so fun to FINALLY be able to go and spend some time with her.  I don't know how much I helped, but it was fun to get visit and hold the baby -- I wish I had more time!!!  We'll be back soon for sure.  The big boys are dying to meet Lily (and play with their cousins).

I was happy to spend time with my nieces and nephews.  It made me realize how busy it gets when you have teenagers that have to be to all sorts of practices and games.  I did get to play with the little ones and they helped me entertain Sam (I left Taylor with the big boys for 5+ days!!  What a champ - eh?) Here is a shot with Laura while we were out running errands and trying to pass the time by taking pictures. :)

My sister is a champ.. after 12 hours in the hospital, she came home to take care of the other 5 kids she has.  She was up and running straight away -- I don't know how she does it.  I never saw her in her PJ's once and for me that is a REAL step when I finally decide it's time to get dressed after a new baby. :)

Lily was pretty healthy for being 2 weeks early.  But when she was 5 days old she had to go into the lights for a couple days -- that was sad.  It's a little suitcase they bring and they have to be in there 24/7 (except for feedings).  Look at her tiny little body.

Yay -- for babies!  I love you Lily Ann.

Sam can Patty Cake

He has been clapping for a few months -- but it took until about 11 months until he could do ALL the patty cake actions.  I love the toss it in the air part -- so emphatic! 

Once there was a SNOW MAN..

The snow never seems to melt here.  We've been loving the fresh snow, but this old snow lasting all month long is a bit much!!

Fortunately, the boys haven't made any snowmen this year, and so today -- they bided their time creating.

Luke built his in about half the time of Jacob...  That oldest of mine is quite particular~

They both turned out quite cute!  if only we had a magician's hat around -- then we'd have some real fun with "Frosty!"

Christmas part II

It's great to have large families!  We get to celebrate the holidays twice as long.  The week after Christmas we spent in Bountiful with all of Taylor's family.  One tradition is the family program.. It's required for each grandchild to perform a talent so they can get a present.  The older kids show videos of wrestling and drum playing while the little ones, sing, dance, play the piano, etc.  

I love this picture with Steve and Margaret at the head of all the chaos.  What  a legacy they have created with their posterity. 41 of us all together and 1 more boy on the way.  At least I have Margaret to lean on when I'm feeling picked on with 4 boys!  I still don't know how she did 7 boys under one roof!!

My boys did another scripture mastery song..  We are hoping to be a little better in the talent part next year!!  

Being up North requires lots of time in the snow.  My boys love playing in the snow! 

And luckily, Daddy loves it too so I can either stay home, or just be the picture taker.  I've got a pretty good life! :)

Sledding without Sleds!!!!  

This is our sweet cousin Matthew.  Luke and he are just 2 months apart and I hope they will be best of buddies growing up.

What a relaxing day!

Christmas was so much fun, and we all enjoyed spending time relaxing and playing with new toys.  The boys got some new leapster games to play while the 4-wheeler batteries were charging..

We all took some Christmas snoozes.  Ate lots of good food and lots of unhealthy yummy stuff too!  Couldn't ask for more

The day after Christmas my whole family was together for a family dinner and of course when the family gets together, all the cousins want to have sleep overs.. here is a picture of some of the cousins getting ready for bed.  4 peas in a pod!

It's A .....

Little Boys are so much fun we think we'll have another one!!

It was fun to open up our ultrasound on Christmas Day.. We weren't too shocked to see that it was another boy.  My kids were thrilled... they are begging me to have 5 boys so they can have a full basketball team..  We'll see about that. :)

If any of you know of support groups for mothers of all boys -- let me in! :)

Actually, I am not too disappointed, Sam will be happy to have a little buddy to wrestle and build forts with... I'm just getting a little out numbered here~

I guess this means we'll have to have a number 5.

Christmas Morning!

Christmas Morning was perfect.  The kids slept in -- which was VERY unusual, but I guess the whole holiday season was catching up.  My mom and I had to work really loud in the kitchen to get them up! I just can't sleep in on Christmas!!

We started with the family picture on the stairs....

Then the boys got to go check out their loot!  They got 2 main presents.. 1st was all the cowboy gear they could imagine including trick-ropes and a real roping steer head.

Sam of course was just happy to be alive and eating a candy cane all morning.

The next big gift were these ride on toys from Santa -- the boys were in HEAVEN!!  It was fun to be in St. George so they could enjoy the warm weather and drive the 4-wheelers to their hearts' content!

What a great morning we had!!

Christmas Eve

The Christmas Eve program has been a tradition for my family and I was so happy to have my kids be apart of it this year.  All the kids learn songs and get to be on stage to sing them.  If you participate in the program, Santa comes and gives you one present to "get you ready" for Christmas morning.  The kids all had a great time...

Brindee, Jacob, and Gavin

Their age group sang Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer

Hannah, Luke, and Laura

Their age group sang Santa's Coming To Town

The kids did such a great job, and were excited for their presents from Santa

Below is the ONLY picture I have of my Sister and me pregnant together.  She is due the middle of January, and I better get down to St. George before she has the baby so I can get a real prego picture of the two of us.  Our last sets of kids are all the same age and TOTAL buddies.  They could play for hours and never get sick of each other.  I was hoping for a girl just so that these last two could be as good of friends as the older ones.  But, not that lucky I guess..

PJs are a family tradition on Christmas Eve... The boys were happy about their Cowboy robes.. Thanks Heather for finding those!

A shot of the grandkids in their new Christmas Jammies.  Can't wait for tomorrow!