Happy New Year!

Although we are back in Ontonagon now, these pictures wrap up our final week in Rapid River. When the boys and I first went home it seemed like we were going to be there forever and I think everybody else did too, but looking back the time went by extremely fast. I'm so thankful that we live close enough to our family and were were able to get the help that we did! If not I think I would have lost my mind! Also, thanks to Daddy for letting us go to Rapid River for so long :)!

My mom and I took Brody and Brayden to church for the 1st time. We weren't brave enough to take all 3 of them so we dropped Landen off at Auntie JuJu's and Uncle Robert's house. Amazingly we were ready ahead of schedule, and decided to get the kids ready and into my van anyway. Thankfully we did that because when my mom went to put Landen in my van all the doors were locked. I have an automatic starter in my van so I started it from the house and when my dad put my keys in the ignition he didn't turn it off and restart it again so when he shut the doors all the doors locked. Thankfully I was able to get ahold of Scott Lindbert via Brooke so he came down and had my doors unlocked in a couple minutes.

After church we went to Auntie JuJu's for a little bit before heading back to Grandma's and Papa's house. Brody & Brayden went to church and to Auntie JuJu's house for the 1st time all on the same day. I dressed them in these outfits that they got from Steve's Uncle Gary and Aunt Mary.

Brody all tired out from a busy day

Brayden

Samantha came over the Sunday before we left to do Brody's & Brayden's hand and foot prints in their baby books. Once she was done with them it was Landen's turn for some Samantha time. I think she read him 7 books that night. He loves "Mantha"!

On an exciting note Brody rolled from his stomach to his back on Monday, January 4. I saw him do it, but of course didn't get a picture or video of it. Hopefully I'll get one next time.

On the Monday before we left Jacki (Gullickson) Adams, Renae (Wicklund) Dawson, and Toni (Winling) Schram and Toni's son Brady came over to visit. Jacki, Renae, and I graduated together and can't remember the last time we were all together....probably at our class reunion in 2004! It was great visiting with them and am so glad they were able to meet my boys!

Brayden, Jacki, Landen, Renae, & Brody

Jealous Landen, Grandma Alice, and Brady
Renae & Brayden

Jacki, Mary Fay, & Renae

The 3 B's...Brody, Brady, & Brayden

This one is my favorite!

Landen had to get in a picture, too.

I think this is a cute picture of Brody!

My Aunt Lillian and her girls bought the twins a Bounceroo. They bought one for Landen and he loved it so I'm sure B & B will love it too! My mom and I put them in it before we left Rapid River for a little bit and they did enjoy it. They are a little too small to really enjoy it, but they loved watching Landen run around!

Brody

Brayden

Speaking of Landen he is definitely in his terrible 2 stage. He can be really nice or really mean. Everything is a constant battle with him. We are currently working or should I say still working on potty training. He goes when he gets up in the morning, before and after his nap, before we go somewhere, before he goes to bed, and whenever else I can fit it in. Nine times out of ten he's willing to do this, but then there are other days where it is a constant fight. Even getting dressed in the morning can turn into a battle. He's also into hitting. When I make him do something he doesn't want to do he'll hit me and say, "Bad Mama". I try to ignore it, but sometimes I can't and end up putting him in time-out. Hopefully this is just a stage he's going through and hopefully he'll outgrow it sooner than later. On a positive note he's been counting 1-10 since before Thanksgiving and also likes to sing his ABC's. His counting is really clear, but his ABC's need some work. We were surprised to hear him count since he must have learned that watching Barney, reading books, or watching another one of his DVD's. He's not much for normal TV or cartoons, but he loves Barney, The Wiggles, and KidsSongs DVD's. He still loves books and can often tell you the last word in a sentence. My mom read him a farm book she had at her house this summer while she was taking care of him many times throughout each day. My mom would pause so Landen could tell her the last word in each sentence. I now have that book at my house and she read it to Landen tonight and he remembered the last word in each sentence. We are always surprised at what he knows and remembers. I hope it continues when he starts school.

On a cute note I put him on the toilet to go potty and he wasn't going and wasn't going. He passed gas a couple times and finally I told him to hurry up. He looked at me and said, "It's not working." I said, "It's not?" He said, "No it needs batteries." PRICELESS is all I have to say!

Brody & Brayden are already 3 1/2 months old. It is so hard to believe. For the most part they are sleeping through the night but sometimes one or both may get up between 3-4. Hopefully when I start back to work on the 25th they sleep until at least 5. I know I'm going to be exhausted that first week, but I guess that's why God invented weekends!