"Hey! How's your weekend?"

This is the line that comes out of the girl's mouth every time they get on their play phones or play "company is here". I guess I must ask this a lot, or something. Oftentimes, I don't care to see my reflection, but this ones is pretty cute. Here is a little of our weekend, in a few pictures.
This last one has me thinking he's already practicing his "smolder".

Laughter is the best medicine

Payge loves to make Myles laugh. Whatever she can do to get a reaction from him, she will do. It's so cool to witness a relationship form and I hope to remind them often in future years how they did adore one another. Sorry these videos aren't the best, but you get the idea.

SMyles at 4 months

Isn't he just the cutest thing ever! Hmmm, I love me some chunky boy baby. I really am pathetic with him, maybe because its my last or because he is a boy and he tugs on my heart in a different way.
He is fascinated with his hands and started to enjoy playing with his feet while on his back since he turned 3 months. He smiles, coo's and drools.... a lot. I never understood why they made bibs for little babies, and now I know why. During this stage for him, he did not sleep well, at least not as well as the first couple months. He was teething and had a couple or a really long running cold, but still is a happy baby and is not colicky like Haydee nor cries for hours when I put him to bed like Payge would. He has been trying to sit up when I recline him and at this point we realized we'd better start looking for a bumbo on craigslist. He is as precious as ever and even though I hate to see this time go by so quickly, he does get more and more fun!

Three months or somewhere in there

So, I just realized that I am even more behind than I thought on keeping monthly postings on Myles, so I will try to catch up. I was just walking down memory lane on this blog and I am so grateful for each and everyone of my postings. I forget so easily and time happens so quickly, it is amazing how the girls have grown and how we have changed in just a couple of years. I know that my effort here is worth it, hopefully, this all will never get lost in cyberspace. I easily get discouraged when I see others do such a great job on their blogs, but I just have to remind myself that anything is better than nothing.
Anyway, I think this is a short video of him somewhere near 3 months. Regardless, he is in one of my favorite outfits that he really no longer fits in, sigh.

Payge's 4th Birthday

Understandably, I am a little behind on my blogging, but there is no time like the present to do a little updating!
To make sure I get a very important event posted, I am starting with Payge's birthday. Her birthday is during the week before Christmas; the same week as her daddy's birthday, one of her aunt's birthdays, less than a week before my birthday, always a few days before a lot of travel if not the day of travel and usually when I get the stomach flu! Phew! We know how to time things well in my family. Anyway, it was one of those years, but this time, Payge knew what to expect, to look forward to, and to anticipate with all her energy. The month of December was full of extra disciplinary action!
In spite of her daddy's and mommy's weakened status (mine from the stomach flu), we made a day full of good times and precious moments. She had woken during the night and came into the room to tell me her stomach was "turning". Oh dear. Please Lord, not on her birthday? Well, we prayed; a couple of times together, and she sung sweet songs to Jesus at 3 in the morning. I felt as if she grew up in a special way that night. Thankfully, the throw up bowl was never employed and she when she came into our room bright and early she was rejoicing that Jesus had healed her tummy! I cried. Really.
We went to a local Children's museum and the girls had a great time. It was the first time we had tried it out, but I had bought tickets through Groupon a month or so before, so it was a great deal and worth it! After much needed naps we headed out to a early dinner to use all three of our birthday burger coupons at Red Robin. Yum! After that, Spencer's Aunt had a tea fit for a queen and much to Payge's delight we had a little tea party. I lost track of all the treats she had that day, but that's what birthday's are for, right?
Well, my "little helper","full of grace", is now fully into her preschool years. She is full of life, laughter, curiosity, and love. We are so proud of her and I only look forward to the excitement that she will continue to bring us.

Christmas Letter 2010

One new baby, a stomach flu bug, two birthdays, Christmas, and packing for a 9 hour car ride are just some of the reason your Christmas card is so late in reaching you! Thanks to the latest technology I am writing this letter as we drive to Tennessee to spend the week after Christmas with the Higgins side of the family.
2010 has been a year of blessing and much less travel than last year! Instead, We had lots of visits from different family members, which was a nice change of pace.
Our first full winter in Missouri was cold and since I was struggling with pregnancy sickness, we laid low, but did receive a wonderful visit from dear friends in February. I still taught swim lessons at the Y, but stopped guarding since I was pregnant. The girls started developing great imaginations and enjoyed playing more and more with each other, as well as, our mornings playing at the Y child-watch. In May, the girls and i took a trip to see my parents and youngest sister before she left for a DTS in Scotland. We actually were there during the Great Flood, but thankfully my parents home didn't have any damage. The summer was in a word, hot. Hot in normal standards, but for a pregnant woman...brutal. We did some traveling to Columbia and then a trip to Colorado to surprise my sister and dad for Fathers Day, as he was visiting there that weekend. Fourth of July was spent with Family in Iowa to continue our two year tradition. For the most part we stayed put as we waited for the due date to come closer. Payge and Haydee enjoyed lots of time at the pools throughout the city, as well as their first official group swim lessons, which they loved. We joined up with a mom's group at our church and met for lots of Tuesday play groups. Since preschool was also out for some of their friends we were able to have a lot more play-dates. Spencer worked really hard through all the humidity and heat, but still likes his job and we are grateful to have one during these times! After keeping a busy pace, our third baby was born on August 20th. Myles Alan, a boy, much to our surprise and joy. We had lots of visitors and spent the next few months settling into life with three!
These days Payge, who just turned 4, is full of questions and lots of 'why's?'. She is insightful, goofy, loving, and full of life. Haydee, 2 going on 20, is just as curious, if not more so, and I call here my 'button pusher', always testing, touching things around her. She still loves to cuddle, climb, laugh, play with her baby dolls and dress up. Both girls enjoy any kind of puzzle, reading books, dancing, shows, and cooking with mommy. Mostly, they love their brother who, for the most part, puts up with it. Myles, now 4 months, is growing so quickly and has two teeth all the way in- ouch! He is very strong and I am now trying to keep up with his curiosity and beginning movements. He doesn't sleep as well after sickness & a Thanksgiving trip, but sleep is highly overrated, right?
Like I mentioned Spencer is still working hard and is looking forward to the slower, winter schedule. He is an incredible daddy and the girls adore his willingness to come home and play outside or get down on the floor to work on puzzles. We have joined a small, weekly Bible Study and are making some great couple relationships. Our church is still a far drive, but we really love it and look forward to going every week. I am still doing insurance billing from home and this July added Spencer's brother, who is a Chiropractor, as one of my 'clients'. This keeps me really busy in my 'down time'. Mostly these days, I spend my days doing something that involves feeding someone or cleaning up after feeding someone. At least I enjoy cooking! We've already started pre-K work with the girls, but this next year we are going to start exploring schooling options, in effort to keep up with their desire for learning.
Well, if you made it to the end you either are bored or really love us. Thanks for reading! Hope that 2011 brings each of you more joy than this last year and hope for the years to come.
All our love,
Spencer, Amy, Payge, Haydee, and Myles

The making of a good Christmas Card

Regardless of modern technology to keep us up-to-the-minute on each others lives, I still feel compelled to send out a Christmas card to everyone we have an address. Well, not everyone, I did cut down the list this year due to ever increasing prices of everything. Anyway, none of these pictures made it on the card this year, but I thought this was a great representation of the process of trying to get a good picture of two tired parents,a 3 year old,a 2 year old,and a 3 month old. I had grand ideas of what it should look like and so did Spencer, of course they were just a bit different. After the typical frustration of such a venture we were happy with the result and no marriage or child was harmed in the making of this picture.



By the way, I didn't post anything about Thanksgiving because I don't think we took many pictures. Well, I didn't. We all got sick, sick, sick. No puking this year, praise the Lord, (seriously I think I win the award for person who dreads and hates puking the most) just ear infections and general, long lasting flu symptoms. I even lost a pound- now that is a miracle, especially during Thanksgiving.
We went to Iowa and drove in two separate vehicles in order to pick up the dinning room table my father-in-law made. It is truly a work of art and will highlight it on the blog soon. After two days there and one morning of Wicks family photos we drove to Des Moines for the annual Carlson family reunion (my m-i-l's fam). One night in a hotel room with all five of us and 4 of us sick was enough to have us check out early and head back home. It wasn't the popular choice, but after no sleep the night before I was so grateful we did. We have sense recovered and I did attempt to make another Thanksgiving meal for us,just so I could enjoy it this time and the leftovers; of course!