January and February 2011 – Six weeks after we arrived, Adam’s brother and his family arrived. Three of the brothers received job offers in their home town the same week! Two of our families shacked up at Grandma and Grandpa’s while we look for houses. It’s not so easy to buy a house in the winter. There just isn’t a lot on the market. So after we kind of got settled, we all reshuffled when the second family arrived just before Christmas, as well as another sister and her family who were in town for the holidays. Then we reshuffled one more time as the holiday visitors departed. Our kids had only met these cousins once, so it has been a crash course in getting to know them.
7 of the 9 cousins who are living here. The two babies are missing. Seven kids four and younger in the same house plus two more to add to the bedlam. Doesn’t that sound fun?
Daddy dancing with his girls
Poor tired kid
We went to Thanksgiving Point farm area, and the kids get to ride the horses, which they love.
Notice Kimball’s shoes. The day before he had left his tennis shoes in the car. I had suggested he take them in so he could find them when he needed them. He declined. So when it was time to go to the farm, he couldn’t find his shoes (surprise!). I headed for the car, and he got resourceful. He found two mismatched, too big, dress up princess shoes that both go on the right foot, and off we went to the farm. When he climbed up on the horse, one fell off. The nice man in charge of the ride picked it up, gave it a funny look, realized it was on the wrong foot, and went to put it on the right foot. When he got back to the other foot, the shoe was still for the wrong foot, so he went back around and finally figured out that this princess had two right feet. Grandma and I were doubled over laughing too hard to talk and try to help. As we went around looking at the animals and feeding them, Kimball had trouble with getting some snow in his sandals and keeping up, but he took it all in stride. It’s not easy being beautiful, and the right accessories can really slow you down.
Brinlee with that, “I’m going to have a horse someday,” grin. Sawyer skipped the horse ride this time.
Sitting on the cow bench.
A smiling Daisy! Don’t be fooled. She hates baby food, and I confess, I didn’t make her eat much of it. Daisy broke the tradition of getting first teeth on the first birthday. She popped out her bottom two when she was 9.5 months old! I was completely shocked!
Daisy loves bath time. She loves to smack the water. She has always been a very happy, easygoing child. She loves attention, especially from her siblings.
This is more like the face she usually makes when that red-eye light on my camera comes on. That’s part of the reason it’s so hard to get a smile out of her for the camera.
It has snowed so much this winter, the kids barely get to ride their bikes, but we had a freak nice weather day, so we went out front and rode.
It took some adjusting to get used to the difference between a big kid bike and a trike.
Sawyer is a very cautious child, and he doesn’t like how bikes with training wheels wobble.
Brinlee is a very easy-going child, but has recently started showing a flair for the dramatic. She picks up catchphrases and repeats them, even though she has no idea what they mean. One day she came running up and hugged my leg so tight and said, “Oh mommy! I missed you so much! I thought I’d lost you!” What? I’ve been here the whole time. Then I realized it was a line from the movie Bolt. Oh that girl.