More Christmas celebration

During the week following Christmas, we got to spend more time celebrating with Patrick's family.  We missed getting together with Papa's family while we were away for my Grandma's funeral, so they all came to our house one day.  We had a fun time, and I think they all enjoyed getting to meet Finn.

We also got to have our Christmas celebration at Bobbi & Papa's house on Friday.  It was crazy and fun, as usual!  Finn was awake for the gifts this time, and enjoyed getting to open his own.

First Chrstmas present

mmmm, blocks.  yummy.

Baby's First Christmas

One of Molly's special requests this year - a pink "hoop-a-loop"

So excited!!

Elijah admiring the giant pile o' presents

Evan was excited about his gift from Elijah - Cars 2 movie!

The big girls are always so good with Finn!

Two crazy boys in their new shirts - This is what great looks like!

Bobbi knit all the kids a stocking with their name on it - Finn got his this year!

Yay stockings!

Finn in his santa outfit

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

We have enjoyed celebrating Christmas this year, and we aren't quite done yet!  On Christmas Eve we made some special hot chocolate with fun peppermint stir sticks, (so rich and yummy) ate some cookies, and read the Christmas story in the kid bibles.  The kids each got to open one book, one fun gift (they got pillow pets from Nana & Grandpa) and their stockings.  It was such a fun time!  The kids were very excited about everything.  Afterward we went to the Christmas Eve service at church and then got the kids to bed! 

The kids were up at their normal early bird time on Christmas morning.  We went in to get them a little earlier than normal so that we could open presents without rushing around.  Molly totally forgot what day it was!  But they were both so excited when they got downstairs and saw the presents. =)

We read Luke 2 and then had a fun morning opening gifts, and the kids got some special Cars 2 cereal for breakfast, and then we headed out to church.  Finn slept through the presents, but the big kids very nicely opened his gifts for him.  The kids had a great time playing with their new stuff all afternoon.  It was a pretty quiet day - so nice! 

Opening gifts in their Christmas jammies.

Cute baby - almost too big for his jammies. =)

Playing with gifts - Elijah's cowboy cap guns and holster, and Miss Molly showing off the hat to her southern belle dress up outfit.

We have also enjoyed spending this week celebrating and being together and eating some yummy special treats.   We made cinnamon roll pancakes (totally over the top, and crazy good) one morning and had fun snowmen milks another day.   Merry Christmas, everyone!

So funny

Finn and Daddy playing around last night.  Love those baby laughs!

Christmas movie night

Patrick:  We're going to have a movie night!

Kids:  Yay!  Yay!

Elijah:  So, what are our choices?

Patrick:  A Clockwork Orange or Schindler's List.

Elijah:  Um, how about Mickey's Christmas Carol?

Pictures from Pittsburgh

Here are a few pictures of our time in Pittsburgh for my Grandma's funeral.  Most of these are from my cousin Jackie - I think I took 2 pictures total.  I think I just had my hands full holding the baby most of the time!

Molly and Luke "sneaking"

Gotcha!

Linde with Finn

Mom, Tammy, and Melissa

Madeline and Ana

Loey and Finn

John & Madeline

Patrick & Finn

Gone home

My Grandma Jennie passed away last Wednesday morning.  She was 97 years old, and had lived an extraordinary life, in a quiet and unassuming way.  She was a teacher, a missionary, an encourager, and a wonderful grandma.  She loved God with all her heart and loved people in real and practical ways.  She was funny, smart, humble, never complained, prayed without ceasing, and made awesome gravy.   Since Grandpa died in 2005, her health had been declining, and in the last few years she lived increasingly with anxiety and confusion.  She had been ready and waiting to go home to Heaven for a while, so now we are rejoicing with her.

On Monday we got the news that she was not doing well - blood pressure, heart rate, various signs that the end was coming soon.  Patrick and I took Finn and drove to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.  (The big kids got to stay with Bobbi and they had a great time.)  We got to spend the afternoon with Grandma.  She was on morphine, but still obviously uncomfortable.  She was more awake  than I had expected, but mostly just gave one-word responses to our questions, and seemed to tire quickly if we tried to talk to her much.  But we sat and held her hand, and let her listen to Finn laugh, and sang some psalms for her.   My mom also flew out from Colorado and arrived while we were there.  Before we all left, she suddenly asked about Elijah, which was the most she'd said all day.  We were all so surprised!  We had dinner and spent the night at Uncle Bruce & Aunt Margie's house.  It was really nice to get to spend some time with them, too.

We got up really early and drove back Wednesday morning so that we wouldn't miss Molly singing in the little Christmas program at our Bible study.  Mom called while we were driving back to let us know that Grandma died.  She died before Mom and Bruce & Margie could get there, but my great-aunt Jean and great-uncle Clark were there with her.  I am so glad that Grandma did not have to linger long, and that we got to say good bye, and to know that the last thing I said to her was, "I love you."

We took all the kids and went back out to the funeral, which was Saturday.  It was great to be with all my cousins (we were only missing two of my brothers - Stuart and Cameron - all the other grandkids got to be there) and celebrate Grandma's life together.  We also celebrated my birthday - how great to be able to be with my family that day!  I was so glad that we got to spend a lot of time with Mom & Dad and with my brother John and Linde and baby Madeline.  I thought it was going to be a long time until we got to see them again.  It was such a blessing to have that time together.

Mom, me and Grandma 2002

Grandma & Grandpa 2002

Four generations (with Elijah) 2007

Finn pics

All bundled up to go looking at Christmas lights.

This is the hat, sweater, and blanket set that Bobbi made for him.

Four (and a half) months

Finn wearing his Bobbi sweater and hat

Finn is four months old!  OK, four and a half.  Life all just got away from me lately. =)  He is a big, smiley, drooly snuggle bug.  We went to the doctor this week and he was proclaimed a big, healthy boy - 99th percentile in both height and weight.  Yup, he's a bruiser.  He was amazingly calm and happy, and didn't even cry when he got his shot.  He was not so happy later, but I was thankful for a calm appointment. 

Baby in the mirror

Finn loves to talk to Elijah and Daddy and Mama, is usually pretty happy to be held by anyone he knows and even smiles for strangers sometimes.  He is not a big fan of tummy time, and sometimes resents being put in his toy arch because he knows that means I'm leaving him.  He loves mirrors and and standing up and watching Elijah and Molly play.  He starts to laugh as soon as Daddy makes the "bum-bum" jaws-theme sound that means that he is going to get tickled!   Molly loves to bring me diapers when it is time to change him, and he loves to smile and talk to us while I change him.  Finn is getting a little better about riding in the car, which makes me happy, and sometimes talks to himself in the baby-view mirror. =)  He has been rolling from belly to back occasionally since birth, but doesn't do it all the time.  His legs and neck are both pretty strong for how young and big he is.

Right in the middle of the action - perfect.

Finn is still eating every three hours during the day, and usually getting up once during the night.  We are working on consolidating his daytime naps into three longer ones, and it seems to be going pretty well for him so far.  I'm hoping that he'll be ready to give up that nighttime feeding soon!  The doctor said it's not surprising that he still needs it because he continues to grow so quickly.  We are all just enjoying his cute baby laughs and noises and smiles - we love having him in our family!

Christmas decorations

The kids chose and put on almost all the ornaments this year.  They did a great job!

The best part is looking at all of them.

This year Molly got to put on the star!