January

January was a long, cold, and sickly month! It was SO cold all month long. Mackayla didn't have a single outside recess at school this month. It has to be above 20 degrees to go outside, and that never happened in January. We also had a flu bug go through the family and poor little Caitlin had it the worst. She was sick for a couple weeks. She didn't sleep well at nights while sic,k so Jared and I were exhausted also.

14 months after being part of starting a brand new ward, Jordan Willows 6th ward, they split things up again, and this month we got to be part of starting the Jordan Willows 8th ward. So, we only had Sacrament Meeting for most of January while they got the new ward set up.

Jared had a work trip to Las Vegas and was gone for an entire week in the middle of the month. I had been dreading that week for a long time, but was ready to get through it. Jared had left Friday morning. That night Caitlin was so sick and didn't sleep much at all. She already hadn't been sleeping much the whole week before, so by then I was exhausted! Mackayla was very sad that she didn't get to go to Gymnastics Saturday morning, but Caitlin was too sick for me to be able to take her out anywhere. We were eating breakfast, I was a mess and my house was a mess, and then the doorbell rang. I didn't want to even answer the door, but the kids had already all ran over to it. I opened up the door to the shock of my life; there was my mom standing there with her suitcase. I was completely and totally shocked. I never even imagined she would be coming! I think Mackayla summed it up well when she was telling Jared about it after he got home. She said, "I thought it was going to be one of the worst Saturdays of my life (because her dad was gone and she was missing gymnastics), and then all of the sudden it was one of the best Saturdays of my life!"  It was going to be such a long, hard week, and then - poof - my mom was there and everything was better. It's amazing how moms can do that! She had been planning on coming I guess, but wanted to make it a surprise, and boy was it! This is a really bad quality picture, but it is the one I took with my little phone and sent to Jared right after she got there. She stayed until Wednesday afternoon, then Jared got home on Thursday.

Mackayla had a reading contest going on at school, and had to spend a lot of time that week reading and being read too. Grandma helped out a lot with that task!

She also helped a lot with holding my sick little Caitlin so I could have my hands free for a bit.

The kids with Grandma, right before she left.

A picture with the kids and me just because I don't have many pictures of all of them with me.

 The rest of this post is just a bunch of random photos.

Caitlin enjoying some pizza.

 I love always getting to watch the kids play together. Caitlin loves to be down playing right with them. They all adore this little girl!

 Bradley always wears his food on his face. I just wanted to remember this common view.

 I don't know why I took this picture, other than he just looks so cute: up on his knees, in his Daddy's t-shirt, eating his cereal.

 Caitlin is already training to be a Jedi.

Bradley chose, when he was in charge of the activity for Family Home Evening, to have a family pillow fight. Of course, by the end, they all ganged up on Jared and took him down.

This is Jacob after church on his first day as a Sunbeam. He loved primary! He only got to go two weeks before the ward split, and then he had three weeks off. He's loving it in the new ward now too.

Matching boys

They had to dress as their favorite character from a book that day at school. She was Pinkalicious.

Helping me make deviled eggs on New Year's Day.

Pretty girl, looking out the window.

Mommy with her little girl

Mackayla's poster of a butterfly made out of 100 butterflies for the 100th day of school.

Having fun in the snow

These last pictures are from Jared's phone and my iTouch.

Caitlin smiling at her mom while feeling so sick.

Looking so big.

Mackayla at gymnastics

One of the only pictures Jared took on his trip to Las Vegas. He sent this picture for the boys, and they LOVED it. The Transformer, Bumblebee.

Caitlin is getting into a lot of trouble these days, but looking oh, so adorable as she does it.

Jacob said to me, "look, I can sit on the couch like Daddy now." Meaning he can reach his feet over to the coffee table while on the couch.

Looking so pretty

When Bradley is upset and crying, he always wants a hug from Caitlin to calm him down.

The kids in their robes after baths. So cute!

Mackayla is 7!

Mackayla had her 7th Birthday!  Her birthday was also the first day back to school after the Christmas break. We sang to her that morning with a candle in her pop-tart. I hated to send her away to school all day on her birthday, but she has a lot of fun at school, too. Her teacher does a lot of special things throughout the day for birthdays and she loved it.

That evening we had a little family party. Here is the big birthday girl and her Mom.

Her and her Dad

She wanted pancakes with homemade syrup and sausage for her birthday dinner.

Trying on a new hat.

Caitlin checking out her sister's presents.

Presents

Cinderella cupcakes

Two days later, on Saturday, she had a birthday party with a few friends and cousins. She wanted a cake with Cinderella and the coach. Jared and I worked together to put this cake together.

A wonderful Cinderella party all ready to go!

I made tea cups out of ice cream cones and cookies. We just served the ice cream in them.

Mackayla wanted to play musical chairs.

The guests got to dress Mackayla up for the ball with tissue paper and ribbons.

Here are the the party guests (except for Michelle and Brooke Henry, that showed up right after the picture). Jacob, Sophie, Lexie, Mackayla, Bradley, Rachel, and Addie.

Opening up gifts

Cake time!

Caitlin enjoying the party

Mackayla at Seven~

We can't believe how old our little girl is getting! She is becoming such a wonderful little lady. She has enjoyed the first grade so far and is doing great in school. She likes to have me drop her off at school, but loves to ride the bus home in the afternoon.  She loves to read and is getting better at it all the time. Jared and I are always amazed at how well she does with reading, spelling, and math. She is such a great big sister and such a blessing to her Mother when she is home. I love it when she is home because she helps out so much with the other kids. She's especially good at taking care of Caitlin. I can always depend on her to keep an eye on her sister, and to keep her happy and safe. She does not like going to bed, getting in the shower, or having to take the time to use the bathroom. She longs for a life where those things don't exist! Once in the shower though, she doesn't want to get out, and loves to sing and dance in there. Getting her to bed without complaining has become more common this year as we finally figured out to give her some reading time while we put the others to bed, and then she gets to have "talking time" with Jared or I. She loves to have that time to herself, and then usually goes to bed with minimal complaining. It still takes her a long time to fall asleep at night though. Usually 40 minutes to an hour before she is asleep. She loves her dance and gymnastics classes and isn't afraid to try new things, which is a wonderful trait that she didn't inherit from her mother. She is so excited to turn 8 next year and is spending this year preparing for her baptism.