Gingerbread houses

We got a gingerbread town with five little gingerbread houses and buildings. There were two little cottages, one toy shop, one miniature house, and one store building.  Each kid got to put one building together with frosting and decorate it with candies. It was a lot of fun.

Christmas 2014

Christmas was a lot of fun this year. It is so magical when the kids are believers. It was also so much fun planning presents for everyone.  For the kids, for Nate, for cousins and extended family. I really enjoy that part. 

This Christmas, like all other Christmases, we spent Christmas eve ease down in Lafayette with Nate's family. We spent the night and then spent all of Christmas eveenjoying each other's company. On the 23rd we went bowling together at Purdue University. It was a first for Kaylee and Dawson. It had been a very long time since we have gone bowling with Jaxton and Cooper. Everybody had a very good time. I think Cooper won his game! 

Christmas eve we had our annual family testimony meeting followed by massive present opening. That cousins exchange presents starting with the youngest and on at. The teenagers and adults did our annual favorite things exchange. I brought jewelry for my favorite thing and I got it back in the end! Nate is so good to me and we work together to get the presents we want. We said goodbye and headed home for our own family Christmas eve. We watched the nativity with the kids and read this story in link of the first Christmas and baby Jesus. The kids were sent off to bed and they could not get to sleep quick enough for fear that Santa would not leave presents if they were still awake.

Christmas morning was just magical. Santa did come. He Brett the presents everyone had been asking for and their stockings were full of breakfast goodies. Jaxton got a giant Lego set. Cooper got his long awaited remote control monster truck. Kaylee got her doll that looks like her. Dustin got a new year toy set. And that's all night and got some spoons and bibs so he can eat more solid food. The rest of the presents under the tree where fun to open and enjoy. All the kids got books to read and power toothbrushes. Jaxton got more Legos, Cooper got a camera, Kaylee got lots of kitchen supplies, and Dawson got Duplo legos.  Nate got me a cricket! I am very very excited. I got him a weight set and stand to start his home gym. The kids exchanged gifts to each other, we opened more gifts from Utah family, and it seemed as ifthat presence would not stop. It was just magical. Dustin was a little bit overwhelmed by the craziness and excitement.

After a while we went caroling like we have been going every Christmas day for the past two years. We went caroling at a retirement home where many individuals are lonely from their families on Christmas Day. I hope that we were able to sing for then and Bring them a bit of joy on this Christmas day while they are probably missing their loved ones. The kids know more and more Christmas songs and it is very fun to have them get involved in the singing. 

What a joyful Christmas day.

5 months old

Nathan five months old!!!  Here are some fun things about our little guy at 5 months old:

Eats oatmeal and loves it

Rolls across the room

Pounces fist one on top of the other

Loves to talk

Always always smiling

Always reaching out to touch you or to touch anything in his reach

Jumps up and down in his exerciser bouncer

His eyelashes are getting longer and thicker 

He sleeps almost all night long and wakes up maybe once or twice 

He takes his first nap almost every day at 10 o'clock

He wiggled and arched his back so far that he Flipped in his swing

Smiles at his siblings

Absolutely adores kaylee, and she equally adores him

Jaxtons Birthday Party

Jaxton had a birthday party this year. He wanted and everything Lego party. He invited three friends from his Oak Farm classroom, read, David, and Erickson. All of these are a lot alike. They're curious about everything and they love love love Legos! We played Lego minute to win it, hit a giant Lego Piñata, eight Lego rice crispy treats and Lego candies. The boys even spent time together building with Legos. It was a fun time!

Blessings & Baptism

Saturday Morning was a service that included Baby Nathan's Baby Blessing and Jaxton's Baptism.  I can hardly believe this day has come.  I can't believe Little  Nathan is already Four months old and that my big boy Jaxton is eight!  Where has time gone and why does it never slow down!!

We were blessed to still have all the Routsong family still in town from Thanksgiving and also Grandma and Grandpa from Utah here too.  Jaxton was so excited to share his day with his little sweet brother.  Grandma in Utah had someone make a darling white suit, complete with coat tails and a bow tie for Little Nathan.  It fit great and he looked so darn handsome in it.  

All of the Routsong cousins stood up to sing "I am a child of God" preceding the baby blessing, reminding us that Little Nathan came straight from heaven not long ago.  

All of the Routsong dads and Nathan's 2 Grandpas were in the circle.  Nate blessed his namesake, which was extra special.  He told Little Nathan that we had known that he was meant to come to our family for a long time. We knew he would come, with the name of Nathan, to bless our family with his sweet spirit.  He blessed Nathan to be able to recognize the hand of the Lord in his life, to know that he has a purpose here and that the Lord has a plan for him.  There will be a reason that both good and challenging times will come into his life, and That Heavenly Father is there to carry him through these times.  He blessed him to be a faithful and prayerful child and to recognize with ease the spirit of the Lord. Nathan was blessed with a healthy happy body and personality that he would maintain good health. He blessed him to have a desire to serve the Lord, make good choices and become a righteous priesthood holder. He blessed him to serve faithfully so that Heavenly Father knows where he stands, that he will stand among those He calls the "righteous."  He blessed him to have knowledge on eternal families, and to understand how crucial it is to make right choices in order to partake of the blessings of eternal families.  Nate then let Baby Nathan know how proud he is to share a name with him and how it brings him such great joy.  It was a beautiful blessing.  

Jaxton looked so grown up and mature when I arrived at the church and he was all dressed in his baptism white jumper.  He just looked old enough and ready for this day.  He was so proud.  And proud to share his day with his little baby brother.  We had been going over the promises he will make on this day.  He came up with an acronym all by himself that goes like this:  "He Will Remember Covenants"

He: the letter H is for help others

Will: the letter W is for witness

Remember: the letter R is to Remember him always

Covenants: the letter C is to keep the Commandments.

He gave a talk in primary last week and shared this acronym with the primary in preparation for his baptism.  

Jaxton chose Grandpa Routsong to give a talk on Baptism.  He loves his Grandpa Routsong so very much.  And he called up Jordan, his oldest cousin, and asked him to give a talk on the Holy Ghost.  Both talks were memorable.  Down in the water, Jaxton just looked so strong and confident and grateful.  Down in the water he went and back up again.  I just can hardly believe it was happening.  What an amazing father he has.  I am so grateful for Nate, and his strength and love for the Lord and for his family.

While Nate and Jaxton were getting dressed the older Routsong cousins sang another beautiful song, accompanied by Madison on the guitar.  Cooper really wanted to join, so he went up there too and read the words and sang along.  He also looked so mature and grown up.  It will a bit more than a year before its his big day.  Madison Owen is so talented and also so confident in her talent.  I am so grateful for her willingness to share her music with everyone there.  She helped to bring the spirit into the room.  

Following the music, Jaxton returned looking purely happy.  He just looked so joyful and grown up.  His cousin Jordan then gave a talk on the Holy Ghost, which was wonderful.  Jaxton looks up to his oldest cousin Jordan so much.  He resembles him in looks and personality.  It is sweet to see the love they share for one another.  

Jaxton was then confirmed a member of the church and given the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Nate told him that he is such a special son of our Heavenly Father, and in our family.  He shared that Jaxton brings such joy and happiness and laughter into our home.  

Following the baptism, we enjoyed a deli lunch back at our home with all the family, to celebrate the blessings and baptisms of Little Nathan and Jaxton.  It was a day we will never forget:)

Jaxton looked so grown up and mature when I arrived at the church and he was all dressed in his baptism white jumper.  He just looked old enough and ready for this day.  He was so proud.  And proud to share his day with his little baby brother.  We had been going over the promises he will make on this day.  He came up with an acronym all by himself that goes like this:  "He Will Remember Covenants"

He: the letter H is for help others

Will: the letter W is for witness

Remember: the letter R is to Remember him always

Covenants: the letter C is to keep the Commandments.

He gave a talk in primary last week and shared this acronym with the primary in preparation for his baptism.  

Jaxton chose Grandpa Routsong to give a talk on Baptism.  He loves his Grandpa Routsong so very much.  And he called up Jordan, his oldest cousin, and asked him to give a talk on the Holy Ghost.  Both talks were memorable.  Down in the water, Jaxton just looked so strong and confident and grateful.  Down in the water he went and back up again.  I just can hardly believe it was happening.  What an amazing father he has.  I am so grateful for Nate, and his strength and love for the Lord and for his family.

While Nate and Jaxton were getting dressed the older Routsong cousins sang another beautiful song, accompanied by Madison on the guitar.  Cooper really wanted to join, so he went up there too and read the words and sang along.  He also looked so mature and grown up.  It will a bit more than a year before its his big day.  Madison Owen is so talented and also so confident in her talent.  I am so grateful for her willingness to share her music with everyone there.  She helped to bring the spirit into the room.  

Following the music, Jaxton returned looking purely happy.  He just looked so joyful and grown up.  His cousin Jordan then gave a talk on the Holy Ghost, which was wonderful.  Jaxton looks up to his oldest cousin Jordan so much.  He resembles him in looks and personality.  It is sweet to see the love they share for one another.  

Jaxton was then confirmed a member of the church and given the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Nate reminded Jaxton that he is a special son of our Heavenly Father, that he brings such joy and laughter into our home.  We are grateful for his personality and the light that the Lord has placed in his eyes.  Nate encouraged him to recognize the feelings more fully of the Holy Ghost and to recognize the promptings he would be given throughout his life. He blessed him to remember to pray and seek the guidance of Heavenly Father when needing to make a decision or need help or anytime that he is feeling sad.  Heavenly Father will bless him, and the gift of the Holy Ghost is there for him to use each day.  Nate blessed him to recognize the feelings that come into his heart, and recognize when those feelings are not there, to recognize the feelings of when the Holy ghost is present and when he is not, and to know that Heavenly Father wants him to be in the places where the Holy Ghost will be.  He blessed him to remember this baptism day and the promises that he made today, and to remember the promises Heavenly Father has made with him, to bless him, and to always be with him.  He encouraged him to always remember his role in our family as the oldest son.  His siblings look up to him and want to be just like him.  He encouraged him to be faithful to his mom and his siblings.  Nate reminded Jaxton that his family is always here for him, just like his Savior is always there for him.  It was a beautiful blessing and Jaxton just glowed that day.    

Following the baptism, we enjoyed a deli lunch back at our home with all the family, to celebrate the blessings and baptisms of Little Nathan and Jaxton.  It was a day we will never forget:)

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  Thanksgiving was held at our house again this year as tradition.  We enjoyed having 30 people in our home!  A lot of people = a lot of fun!  We had the entire Routsong family minus Nick and Carissa who are in Arizona, and Jared, who is serving a mission in Russia.  We had a wonderful meal contributed by all the families.  The kids begged for questions in their bread rolls again, so we spent some time talking about our favorites, our memories, and family thoughts.  We had at least one person actually eat the paper inside the roll, not knowing it was inside!  But as far as I know, paper will digest😄.  

After the feast, we took part in our Annual Pie Contest!  Everyone baked a pie to be in the contest, however we had a couple cheaters with a Sam Walton recipe and a Marie Calendar recipe lol.  I made a yummy sugar free peanut butter frozen pie.  We had a sugar cream pie and a pumpkin caramel pie as well.  No sugar in our pie = no win, but at least I didn't feel guilty eating as much as I wanted!  The winner of the pie contest was an appropriate win, The mother of the whole bunch!  She was determined, too!  Great job, Linda!!

The families each planned a Disney themed skit of some kind to perform.  We had some acts from Frozen, Tarzan, Snow White and even Disney trivia.  Mom and Dad Routsong created a Snow White skit using 7 grandkids dwarfs.  Then out appeared the Prince to save Snow White from her deep sleep from eating a wysap apple, Grandpa dressed in his Superman suit!  It was great!!

Following the skits we played a few family games and then everyone broke up and mingled and the kids played together. Some went to the movies, others just enjoyed each other's company all evening.  What a fun day!

Family Ice Skating

On Friday after Thanksgiving we were able to arrange the outdoor ice skating rink at Fort Wayne Downtown Headwaters Park to open up one hour early for our family to skate.  They had ramps for wheelchairs and wanted to make this happen so that our niece, Christin, could skate in her chair. Christin had never done anything like that before and it was nice that the public would not be skating with us, just our relatives.

We left the little ones at home, Dawson and Sophie and Little Nathan as a coupel of other cousins, but otherwise everyone was able to come.  The Gregorys invited some of the Gregory extended family and it became a very memorable experience!!  Christin had asked me the day before if she would brake the ice since her chair was heavy.  She seemed a little nervous but I reassured her that the ice was ver hard and very strong, and that she would be safe on it.  And she really did have a fun time!!  We may try to arrange another trip to the ice rink next year!  It was so kind of the workers at the rink to open an hour early to allow our family to skate and to accommodate Christins chair.  What a fun memory!

Jaxton and Cooper both really picked it up too!  They had a difficult time at first, but by trying, the figures out how to move around, glide along, and stay on their feet!  Kaylee needed a hand or two the whole time, but she was loving every bit of it.  She was so proud to be wearing skates like the people she's seen in books.  She didn't wantvto take them off to skate around in her boots, which would be easier. She did at the end, and enjoyed slipping and sliding around.  She really had fun! Everyone was smiling, we had a few falls, but no broken bones throughout the family!  

Towards the end of our skating session while kids were sipping their hot cocoa, who shows up, but Grandma and Grandpa from Utah!  The kids were thrilled to see them!  

4 Months Old

Little Nathan is 4 months old.  He just doesn't stop growing!  On December 1st, he laughed a real gut laugh.  That same day was a big one for him because he rolled over for the first time.  After he figured out how, he has been rolling and rolling all around.  He even will roll around in the crib and I go to get him and find him in a different direction than when I put him down to sleep.

On December 5th he at his first bowl of oatmeal cereal.  I've learned a lot over the years, and now I just grind up my rolled oatmeal till its fine, and I make him real oatmeal.  No more of that Gerber junk.  He loved it.  We will see if the solids will chunk him up like his big brother Dawson!  

Happy 4 Months Little Guy!

Happy Birthday Jaxton

My big boy is eight. I can hardly believe it. Where has the time gone? Here are some fun things about Jaxton at eight years old:

1. Jaxton's favorite breakfast or anytime food is cereal. He would eat cereal for breakfast lunch and dinner if he could. 

2. Jaxton is our Lego man. Is favorite thing of all time is Legos.  We recently moved Dawson to sleep on the bottom bunk and Jaxton's room. Dawson's old room is gated off and it has become the official Lego room. It holds Jaxtons prized creations. He is very talented when it comes to building Legos.

3. Jaxton is taking piano lessons. He is very very musically talented. He has an ear for music that is amazing. He is brilliant at memorizing sequences of notes. He prefers memorizing over sight reading. But he is really good at site reading too. He has learned cords and is able to play both hands. He can tell which cords sound nice and which cords sound "mysterious."  With this talent he has made up several songs of his own using cords and Melody. If he keeps it up he will be a beautiful piano player. 

4. Jaxton dislikes haircuts the most out of anything in the world. He wanted his hair long this year and it grew longer than it ever has been.  He finally consented to cut it when Grandpa Routsong bribed him $10 if he would cut his hair.  

5. Jaxton Is a leader.  He is really good at organizing a group of kids and creating a project where everyone has a responsibility.  Someday this quality will serve him so well in his future job and in life.  

6. Jaxton is doing STEAM club after school (Science Technology Engineering Art & Mathmatics).  It is everything he loves.  They learn about science and during the 6 week program they build a robot as a group.  It's right up his ally.

7. Jaxton is a wonderful big brother.  He loves his younger siblings.  He is very good to Dawson who now sleeps on the bottom bunk underneath Jaxton.  Dawson has had a rough go and bedtime for a while, but knowing that his big brother is up there on top, that he's not alone, brings him comfort.  Once in a while I will come in to finish up bedtime with these two and find the big brother all copied up with the little brother and reading a book about Thomas the Train.  I'm so grateful for Jaxton and his love for his family.

8. Jaxtons closest friends these days include kids from his school classroom, Reid, Erickson, and David.  He's had play dates with these friends and they all are such good kids!  I'm so glad that Jaxton has a group of good friends that hopefully he will have throughout his school years.

9.  Jaxton has a confidence about him.  He is not worried what others will say or think.  He just is him.  If he wants to do something, he will, without needing followers or someone to copy.  He has no fear at new things.  He has courage in almost every situation.  Change is not scary for him, rather he finds it exciting.  He is always anxious for new beginnings, and he doesn't look back.  If we all could have the confidence and courage of this boy!!

10. Jaxton loves his baby:). He is capable and responsible enough to pick him up or carry him from one place to another.  I trust him.  I think it's wonderful for Jaxton to have the opportunity to love a baby and to care for him.  Little Nathan resembles Jaxton with his reddish hair.  I know that makes Jaxton proud:).  Little Nathan is a lucky baby brother.

Happy Birthday Nate

Happy Birthday Daddy!!  Nate is 34 years old.  Here are some fun things about Nate:

1.  He loves to watch the news.  Nothing new, but he is the one to keep the rest of us up to date on politics and world affairs.  He drives the boys to school most mornings and teaches them about current events, such as ISIS and the war in the Middle East.  He teaches them about Obama and the government and he has taught them all about the Ebola scare.  So our kids are pretty informed for their age!  They beg him sometimes to stay up late to watch Bill O'Reilly with him before bed.

2.  I just transformed our entry room into a library and put all the books we have there on the bookshelves.  Nate found a book he liked and began to read.  He made a discovery about himself:  he always thought he hated to read, but decided that he actually enjoys reading!  So he's been reading :)

3. Nate is very influential.  There are so many people that he has befriended, through work or church.  He has customers that call him up for marital advice and other customers that call him to ask if he could drive their kids to school.  He mourns when certain of his customers have passed away and he even has attended their funerals.  With Simplx, he has created a network of friends of people who trust him and look up to him in many different ways.  I feel honored to have married to the man so many people look up to.

4. Nate is trying to go without sugar. Even on his birthday he succeeded in this goal.  He is always determined to succeed at the goals he sets for himself.  And his reward will be good health.

5. Nate has little time for hobbies, but he really enjoys basketball.  He would love to open a real basketball league at church and has begun organizing it.  He wants to call it Legacy Basketball because many of those that will play, played with Nate on the church league as kids.  The league fizzled out over the years to much of nothing and Nate. Is determined to bring it back. He wants 4 levels:  6-8 year olds, 9-11 year olds, the youth team, and an adult level.  Each Ward in our stake will create a team for each age level, and tiebreaks would practice on their own during the week. All games then would be played at the stake center on Saturdays.  It will be a big project, but will be a whole lot of fun!

6. Nate never fails to show his love and loyalty to me his wife.  I married an amazing man.  His random acts of kindness and compliments toward me just make me love him and realize how blessed I am.  I married the most wonderful man who loves me, and shows it often.  

7. Nate is an amazing Father.  The kids adore him.  In our home we enact the song about "When daddy comes home" so perfectly like the song.  All the kiddos are running to the door climbing up him from every direction, yelling "Daddy!!!"  Its pretty funny.  As overwhelming as it might be for him to come home from a long day of work to a house full of chaos, he takes it.  

8. Nate is starting a second business, sort of off of Simplx, it is called Security Express.  It will begin as a wholesale distribution company of security equipment whose main customer will be Simplx.  However it has the potential to grow to sell equipment and other services to other companies across the country.  He is also working with his brother to develop a software solely for alarm / security companies that would integrate billing, monitoring, cellular, and finances all in one database and eliminate multiple data entries.  If it works well for Simplx's use, he may try to sell it to other alarm dealers.  

9.  Nate is coaching Cooper's Upward Basketball team this year.  So far it has been really fun for both him and Cooper.  They have a great team, and Nate has a lot of skills.  He is learning how to teach those skills to the kids in an effective way.  He enjoys it very much.  It is fun to see him "in his element" on the court, and Cooper is thrilled to have his dad be his coach.

10. Nate is a member of the bishopric in our ward.  Though it is a struggle for our family since he is very unavailable to help with kids, he is a strength to the ward.  He has a desire to help and serve and lead, and a lot of people look up to him and his leadership.  I'm so grateful for his willingness to serve the Lord, even when it is not easy and sometimes unpleasant.  I'm also grateful for the funny jokes he shares, and the testimony he shares that always includes his love for his family.  I'm so lucky to have him in my life.  I love him forever and always.

Happy Birthday Nate!!

Halloween

Halloween was a lot of fun this year.  Jaxton was a vampire.  We painted is his face white and black with face paint and he had fake vampire teeth.  Cooper was a ninja. Kaylee was Queen Elsa from frozen.  Dawson was a football player. We went trick-or-treating in the Pioneer Village neighborhood in Leo. Trick-or-treating began at 6 o'clock and right at 6 o'clock it began to snow. It was very ironic. The kids were troopers though  and stuck it out in the freezing weather.  Jaxton ran from house to house to reach as many houses as he possibly could.  He was with his friend Joel from his old school.  Cooper was taking his time and made sure to hit every house without skipping any.  When the other kids were getting pretty far ahead, we asked if he'd like to skip any houses.  Of course he declined that, until Joels mom offered to give him 4 pieces of candy from her bucket at home to make up for the 4 skipped houses ahead.  So he held her to that promise :).  Kaylee and Dawson went slower with Dad and plugged along through the treacherous conditions.  The wind and snow and sleet coming down didn't phase Dawson one bit.  He went to each door and got in amongst the bigger kids and would start talking a bunch of gibberish to the homeowner just like all the other kids were talking.  He wanted to make sure he was heard.  Kaylee afterward exclaimed how her feet were wet, her tights were wet, her hair and face were wet and water was in her eyes.  But at the time she didn't complain, but trudged along.  Nate said she reminded him of a faithful pioneer walking and walking across the plains.  What a sweet bunch of kiddos.  Little Nathan had his pumpkin shirt on, but he missed the entire adventure as he snoozed all wrapped up around me all warm and cozy.  Nate and I are trying to do without sugar since we know it is not good for us.  We did well.  We didn't touch the candy.  The longer we go without sugar it almost gets a bit easier to do.  

After we escaped the snow, we returned home and snuggled up to watch Casper.  What a fun Halloween!