Snow Day @ the Harmons

One day during Christmas break we hosted a snow day at our house so the kids could get out and play in the snow and release some wiggles.

 

They made a slide down our stairs... short, but sweet.

 Their snowman:

Christmas 2012.

We were so fortunate to spend Christmas with all of my siblings and their beautiful children this year. Everyone was able to be here for the whole week of Christmas and we made sure it was full of fun things. We hosted a waffle bar and snow day at my house, spent a morning playing and picnicking at the church gym, Polar Express night, movie nights on the projector, girls' night out, boys night in (the men stayed at my house playing video games sans children), lots of yummy food, Calvin and Nic's birthday celebrations, oh yeah, and Christmas!

I wish we had a picture of everyone in their Sunday best. All the kids in their Christmas dress was pretty cute.

 

Christmas Eve day was so fun. My parents rented the movie theater and invited a bunch of friends to come and enjoy Monsters Inc and popcorn and drinks to help pass the long day. All the good daddy's took the kids on another "train ride."

 Finally time for some present opening. Cousin gift exchange:

After our delicious ham and prime rib dinner was the nativity with Grandpa Paul as narrator:

Christmas Jammies:

Finally the day wound down and it was time for the kiddies to hit the hay. After the kids went to sleep the adults enjoyed dessert, our gift exchange, and just hanging out. When the kids woke up, Santa did not disappoint.

 

 And one last surprise on Christmas morn was reindeer for each of the kids from my parents, waiting at their breakfast plate.

We were all spoiled and kind of sad when the day was over. We all just lounged around and let the kids play with their new toys while we munched on left overs. It was a delightful Christmas and so fun to be all together.

Reader

It is so much fun to have a reader in our household! (almost two readers: Andi is good at sounding out words, but not great at reading long sentences). It has opened up the door for more communication, and more fun communication. Carter and I like to play hangman; this is especially fun at church. It's easy for me to point at letters while still listening to a speaker. I can leave Carter notes in his room, especially encouraging ones. Just the other day I left a sticky note on his dresser telling him thanks for folding his clothes so nicely (we've been working on that). He in turn left me a note in the kitchen. He can also read a book to a younger sibling while I am fixing dinner. He is amazing at reading scriptures at night and sounding out those hard biblical terms. It seriously brings a tear to my eye to listen to him. I also like to leave an occasional note or joke in his lunchbox. I found cute jokes you can print out here. I love my little reader!

Crazy sick

We are the most sick that we have ever been in our house. It started on Sunday with Taytum. She seemed perfectly fine when we got to church, but by the time we got half way through primary, she looked terrible. Her eyes were red and puffy and she was shivering and complaining about being cold. I took the kids home after our first block of church and opted to skip the Spanish branch. Luckily on Monday morning I already had a Drs appointment for Beckett. He had been sounding a little cruddy and coughing quite a bit so I had them check for RSV and take a look at Tay while we were there. Taytum had a temp of 105, an ear infection, and pink eye in both eyes. And Beckett tested positive for RSV. Awesome. Taytum looked so terrible Monday night that it had me in tears and we had Jefferson give her a priesthood blessing. So grateful to have the priesthood in my home! We have been at home since then, just trying to avoid spreading our sickos and trying to get everyone better. Every time I think we're turning a corner somebody seems to nose dive again. Bentley has had a runny nose and fever all week, and yesterday her eyes were getting the pink eye look, goopy and pink. Tay is on an antibiotic, we got natural over the counter eye drops for Bentley and we've been doing saline with the bulb syringe on Beckett around the clock. I have been doing laundry like crazy, spraying sanitizer on pillows and couches, boiling toothbrushes and binkies daily, making Tay sleep in her own room, cloroxing every surface at least twice a day, vacuuming, hand washing like crazy, taking temperatures, handing out ibuprofen every four hours, and wiping noses every five minutes. I feel like I am going crazy! Luckily Jefferson and my mom have been taking good care of me. Jefferson has brought me lunch, flowers, and multiple diet cokes. My mom has been taking Carter and Andi to and from school so I didn't have to take the sick ward out. She's brought over snacks for the kids, diet cokes, and magazines. On the up side, I've got a lot of things done around the house, lots of cleaning, caught up on laundry, and cut out and laminated a bunch of FHE lessons and flannel board stories. I am praying that we can avoid Carter and Andi catching all our yuckies. I know that the chances of that are slim to none, but a girl can hope! Send healthy vibes our way!

4 months

Beckett is four months old! Still smitten. Still divine. Still can't believe how fast he's growing. He is such a happy, alert, social baby. He talks quite a bit in his low growly voice, but remains hard to get giggling. It's super cute when he does though! He is, however, the easiest baby to get to smile. He does what we call "channeling" where he will just watch and stare at someone, channel them, until they look at him and then he'll break out into a huge, full body smile. He doesn't mind tummy time for short amounts of time. He loves sitting in the bumbo. He tolerates baths. He is starting to grab onto toys. He loves watching his siblings play around him and likes to be around everyone; he's social, remember? He is still waking up to eat once a night, which is not bad, but we're going to start working on all night sleeping soon. He likes to be swaddled when he sleeps and we put another fuzzy blanket up by his face that he nuzzles into and just knocks himself out. He is so good at going to sleep by himself! I kind of really like this round little man.

Polar Express

 We kicked off our Christmas festivities with our first annual Polar Express night. My parents went all out for it and the kids loved it! It started out a few weeks before with an invitation sent in the mail to each of the grandkids with instructions on how the kids could earn tickets for the Polar Express store and an explanation of how the evening would run. When we arrived at their house that evening all the kids got into their stockings to find their ticket to ride the Polar Express as well as their tickets they earned to spend at the "store." Then the conductor (Grandpa Paul) came in, blew his train whistle and punched their tickets before loading the "train" (a flatbed trailer decorated and hitched to a four wheeler). The kids then proceeded on the train ride around my parents property. They pulled up to the back door of my parents garage with trees lit up in Christmas lights and then entered to find benches and blankets set up, as well as a projector for the movie, and the store. Each of the kids received a bell on a necklace and watched the Polar Express on the projector. Hot chocolate and sugar cookies were served at the appropriate time during the movie. The kids all got to "buy" a bag full of goodies from the store, and at the end of the movie the kids received the first gift of Christmas; tablets. Yes, my not even two year old has a tablet and I don't even have one! The night was a huge success. The kids had an amazing time and I hope it becomes a tradition!

 

 

 (Bentley didn't think the train ride sounded all that great so I got to accompany her on the ride. It was adorable listening to all of the excited chatter on the "train." "This is so fun!" "This is the best Christmas ever!" "Look, caribou!")

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If we had a Christmas letter, this is what it would say...

We rang in 2012 in Meridian, Idaho, and are ringing it out in Klamath Falls, Oregon. That is just one of the many changes that we've encountered this year. We found out at the first of the year that we were pregnant with our fifth child. We were beyond excited and ready to add our fifth and final baby to our clan.
In April Jefferson and I decided that our chiropractic business ventures needed a change of scenery. After much thought, prayer, a contemplative visit to the Twin Falls temple, research, faith, and tears, we decided to purchase a chiropractic practice in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
At the end of May, Carter graduated from kindergarten and received an academic award that includes his name hanging on a plaque in the school entry. Andi also graduated from Busy Bee preschool, and on the first of June we moved our family to Klamath Falls, Oregon.
We enjoyed the summer at my parents' home swimming, playing, and prepping for baby boy. Jefferson worked in the practice he was going to purchase while studying for, taking, and passing the Oregon boards.
 At the beginning of September we became the official owners of Cascade Chiropractic. That same week Carter began first grade and Andi began all day kindergarten at Roosevelt Elementary. On the second day of school I gave birth to Beckett Riggs Harmon. It was a busy week in our household!
Carter is enjoying first grade and is an incredible reader. He reads at an advanced second grade level and his teacher cannot say enough good things about him every time I see her. He is such a kind and caring boy and is everyone's friend at school. Carter enjoyed soccer in the fall and is so fast.
Andi LOVES kindergarten. I was so sad about her being gone all day, but she went in and never looked back. Andi is our social bug and has a lot of friends and is often the ring leader at recess. She is doing really well at figuring out the beginnings of math and reading. Her teacher also adores her. Andi gave soccer a try this fall and did well considering she was the only girl on a team of 12. We'll see if we made a believer out of her.
Taytum remains our bubble of joy. She is heads taller than everyone we know her age and so I often forget that she's only 3 1/2. She is an independent spirit and finds joy in everything around her. Tay is our best little helper with baby Beckett and has such a special love for him.
Bentley is our fiery tiny mite. She is so petite and little and cute and sassy and flirty. She finally started walking in November at over 21 months old! It has made my life so much easier. Though it took her a while to get the walking going, she is smart as a whip! She speaks really well and sometimes surprises me when she walks up and says a complete sentence.
Beckett is a divine baby. He is so happy and smiley and chubby and we love him. He has been a good sleeper from the get go and is very good at going with the flow. He doesn't have much of a choice being the fifth child. We feel absolutely blessed that he is a part of our family.
Jefferson's practice is going better than we could have hoped. Each day is an affirmation that we made the right decision in moving here. His patient base is growing each week and we have been blessed with an amazing office staff. A new Spanish branch in our church was formed at the beginning of December and Jefferson was asked (and accepted) a calling as second counselor in the branch presidency. We have been attending two sacrament meetings every Sunday for just over a month, one in English and one in Spanish, and though it makes for long Sundays, we love the people of the Cascade branch and are already seeing the blessings of serving.
I am currently serving as our primary chorister, a calling I have had twice before, and love it. Being a stay at home mom is the best gig in the world and it keeps me more than busy. I volunteer in both Carter and Andi's classes, am a part of the PTO, and try to keep my other three kids at home busy.
We are feeling settled into our new home here in Klamath. We have met some wonderful people and are enjoying this small community and the blessing that it offers.
After all the changes of this year we feel so incredibly blessed to have the guidance of our Heavenly Father in our life. We would certainly not be here if it weren't for Him. It has also been reassuring and comforting to know that our Savior has experienced all that we have and can understand perfectly every trial that we go through. We are grateful to be able to remember and celebrate His birth at this beautiful time of year. We hope you all are enjoying this holiday season and that you pause to remember our Savior, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas and may you have a wonderful new year!

Thanksgiving 2012

 I was a little nervous about Thanksgiving this year. It was going to be quiet with just Jefferson's brother Josh here and I was in charge of all the cooking. I wanted to make it a big, traditional, home style feast for my hubby and brother in law. It actually ended up being such a wonderful weekend. We are so grateful that Josh made the drive over from Idaho. My kids adore him and he is so great at playing with the kids all. day. long. They never let their poor uncle rest.

 I must admit that the food was delicious, not stressful, and everything was cooked at exactly the right time and all hot and ready at the same time. Move on over Martha Stewart! It was seriously yummy. 

 

 The day after Thanksgiving is our traditional tree hunting day. We loaded up Friday morning and headed up the mountain. This was the view once we got above the fog.

 

 

 

 

 

When we got home we put up the tree and decorations. The rest of the weekend was full of football, food, playing outside in the lovely weather, a nice long walk, and lots of plants vs zombies. It was a great Thanksgiving weekend.

I have a lot to be thankful for and occasionally have found myself being less than thankful and focusing on the things that aren't going exactly how I want them to. However, when I stop and count my blessings it always reminds me how much my Heavenly Father is aware of me and my needs and He always shows me how truly amazing my life is. I am thankful for my beautiful children who teach me how to love and learn and be humble. They bring so much life and joy to our home. I am continually growing and stretching and rediscovering as I try to be the mom they deserve. I am thankful for my husband who does so many little things for me that I don't always recognize. He works hard on a lot of thankless days and never complains. He is also an eternal optimist, which is refreshing to the eternal realist. I am thankful for our extended family who has supported us in so many ways through so many hard times. I am thankful for the gospel that continues to direct me on the path that I should be on. I am thankful for my Savior and Heavenly Father who forgive all my short comings time and time again and redirect me and love me unconditionally, even when I feel less than deserving. I am truly blessed.

 And just for your viewing pleasure...