Nine is Fine

Nine reasons I love my Justin

9. He is a talker just like me. He can go on and on about things he loves. Even if he doesn't love a subject, he can keep up a steady conversation about it!

8. He works hard to get things right. Let me tell you that he might complain the ENTIRE time, but he eventually figures everything out. Talk about persistence!

7. He LOVES sports. It has been really fun lately because he is understanding the rules to sports. We are a family that loves baseball. We were very interested in the baseball playoffs and then the World Series (better luck next year, Rockies). He was our little commentator the whole time. Almost as much as Ethan!

6. He is becoming a great reader and in turn, a great student. Sure, he still hates homework, but he is always complimented by his teachers for his hard work and understanding of subjects. I love that he is enjoying reading more because it is one of my favorite things to do as well.

5. He is a very caring boy. He might fight with his siblings frequently, but he is always the first to stick up for them.

4. He gives amazing back rubs/scratches. While I was pregnant he would always stop to rub and scratch my back. Even if it was for a few seconds, he was always willing and I never had to ask for it first!

3. He can laugh! This kid can get himself into hysterics with not much effort! Most of the time he gets us into laughing fits as well.

2. He is innocent and trusting. I love this because the world is still rose colored for him. He does question a lot of things, but he always expects the best from every situation. He gets frustrated when things go sour because he doesn't feel anything should go wrong in life.

1. He is mine to enjoy here on Earth. We are a lot alike so we rub each other wrong sometimes, but once he gets what I am saying, it sticks forever. I love that I am worthy enough to see this boy grow into a man. I love that we get eternity to try to figure each other out!

These are a few of the reasons it's impossible not to love this kid!!

Happy birthday, Justin - you know we love you!!

Birds

The snowy weather brought some fine feathered visitors to our neighborhood yesterday. There were hundreds all over the houses! The birds were in our backyard and front yard at the same time. I love it when the birds take over the yards - it is so cool and creepy....like they are picking out just the right moment to take over the world!!

Pickin' Pumpkins

I took the kids to a local pumpkin patch for FHE this Monday. We went a little late in the season and there wasn't a lot of great pumpkins left, but the kids were THRILLED that they got to pick their own pumpkins. I was thrilled they could carry their own pumpkins back to the car...except Carter, we had to help him! Now comes the challenge of finding time to carve them before Halloween!

In love

It has happened. I have fallen in love with another man. He came into my life on September 18th and I know it is going to be a forever lasting relationship. Don't worry, Randy is just fine with this situation. To be honest, I think he has fallen in love too!

This little guy is named Carter Jackson Garn. He weighed 8lbs even and was 19". He was born at 3:50pm after almost 7 hours of labor. His heart rate kept the nurses on their toes because it kept dropping after every contraction. After many, many prayers, we were able to avoid a c-section and he was born without complication.

He has me wrapped completely around his little finger. I soak him in every second of the day. I don't want to miss anything about him. I have to admit that I have been sad thinking that he is the caboose. I love my family and I am grateful for all my experiences with them, but this is my favorite time of motherhood. Yes...the pregnancy and bleary-eyed newbORn STAGE IS MY FAVORITE. I never feel more confident in my abilities as a woman and mother than when I am caring for a new life in me and out.

So, please understand if my eyes look a little red the next time you see me. I've been spending all my time staring at my "sun".

Red

This is very late but no less important. Our Ethan turned 6 on September 8th. He is such a character! He can be so kind and loving one minute and teasing you to death the next. His spirit glows as red as his hair. One day he asked Randy what his nickname was and Randy told him "Red". Not original, but it definitely fits all aspects of this little boy.

Ethan has more energy than he knows what to do with. He loves soccer and baseball as well as tackle football with the family! He keeps talking about how he is going to play pro soccer and make a lot of money. Hopefully he'll remember how his mom and dad supported him through the years and he will want to "support" us back!

Ethan is tender-hearted most of the time. If I am sad he always asks why and offers to help in any way he can. He may fight with his siblings a lot, but he is always the first to defend them.

Ethan loves to learn about everything. He loves anything to do with numbers. He is really motivated by money and understands the value of it. With this love comes a lot of trading up for bigger bills and he always has exact change counted out to give you. His goal right now is to count to one million in as short of time as possible. At the bus stop this morning he was at 184. Hopefully he can concentrate on other things at school!

I love this little guy more than I can comprehend. It is often a battle of wills between us, but somehow I know it is just making him stronger for the future.

Kaylee

Okay, so it's a few days late, but I wanted to share with everybody one of the loves of my life. This girl is a whorlwind (sp?) of emotions. She can be on the highest high one minute and the next she is pretty sure the world is coming to an end. She is drama to a T. Kaylee is one of the most caring people I know. She wants to make sure new people in her life feel welcomed - like she has known them forever. Her goal in life is to make enough money so she can help all the poor people in the world. And the giant pandas, can't forget them! She loves children (have you heard, she turned 11 on Aug. 31st and she can babysit. Call her. Really!) Kaylee is a definite "tween" - she loves playing make believe and trying on make-up and a million different outfits.

What I love about her is how confident she is. She knows who she is and loves it. She loves to excel in all that she does in school and the Church. She was baptized 3 years ago today and is still proud of her decision. Kaylee loves to learn about everything around her and is an awesome student.

I love this little girl with all my heart and I am excited to see who she grows up to be (not rushing anything)!

Holding our breath

So many people around us have had problems with their computers crashing. We knew it was only a matter of time - we all take a turn, right? Well, it is now our turn and it seems as though our hard drive has died a VERY painful death. Hopefully we can get some help fixing it soon so I can see how much stuff we have lost on our computer (I'm using the "business" laptop). So for now, we are just holding our breath that all will return back to normal. Very, very soon!