James is riding without training wheels!

He has been working so hard and practicing almost everyday. The only thing we have left to work on is teaching him to get started on his own. We still have to help him keep balanced while taking off. It is so exciting to see him grow so much in so many areas but it is challenging to keep up with him!

After a night of intense practice riding we rewarded him by going to Braum's. He is getting double dip kid cones now...he is really proud of himself.

At Braum's we let Mallory try some ice cream and needless to say she loved it and was opening her mouth to ask for more.

When I took the ice cream away to take a bite myself she threw a fit. She is so pathetic. She has been perfecting her fit throwing the past few weeks. She had her first ear infection and it was a double so maybe once her ears are healed she'll be a little kinder??

See her two little teeth!

We did yard work a couple of weeks ago and let the kids play in the back while we worked in the front and Kinley came running to the front yard like this. She is so funny. One day she told my mom "our dad has a sugar problem...he eats all the jelly beans" (it's actually me who has the sugar problem but I'll let her think it's Josh) Then a couple of days ago she said "uh...I have a poop problem...I poop in my pull up"

We enrolled James for kindergarten at Hoover Elementary last week. I am in denial but I have a peace about our decisions and I think he is going to do great. I just wish I could slow the clock down a little bit. We are in for a lot of change next year. I'm afraid Kinley isn't going to know what to do with herself except terrorize her sister and talk my ear off.

I forgot to tell a great story about James in the last post. Josh and I have decided to start taking him to big church with us. His first time was a few weeks ago. Our pastor taught about being an overcomer and used Romans 8:31-37 (good stuff by the way). James sat still and listened the whole time, he even laughed when the pastor was funny. When we were on our way home we asked him what he thought of big church and if we wanted to keep going. He said "yeah, I want to keep going. How can I be a conquerer when a friend punches me?" He proceeded to tell us about a specific incident that happened with a friend and asked how God can help him. We were so amazed. No only did he behave well but he heard what was said and applied it to his life! We are really excited to experience church together.

We are going to the British Virgin Islands!

Josh earned a trip through Edward Jones so they gave us a book of amazing trips to choose from and we picked Peter Island. It is a private island and all that is on it is a 5 star resort. We get to go in July, without kids, all expenses paid because Josh works really hard for the greatest company. God is so kind and generous to bless us in this way. We are sinful, degenerate humans yet in His great love He saves us and grows us and lavishes His grace on us. This is such a huge success in our life and God gets all the glory. The last almost 7 years have been an intense battle but God has been faithful and Josh has become a strong warrior. We can't wait to see what the next 7 years hold!

Mallory has two teeth! She got the bottom center teeth last week. Finally we have something to show for that insane amount of drool! It really wasn't too bad. She was a little fussy the two days it took for them to break through but that is it. Now she has the cutest little toothy smile. I don't have a cute pic of that yet but I will get one up next time.

We have given her a couple of sink baths since she's been sitting up and she really likes it.

Last week we went to visit my college friend Kari. She lives in Bentonville, AR. Just the three kids and I went. We had a great time playing with Kari's daughter Sarah (10 months), visiting with Kari, and learning all about hunting and guns from her husband Daniel. The kids made me really proud for how flexible and considerate they were at someone else's house. Although, my proudest moment had to be when James pooped in the back yard and came up to the door with his pants around his ankles telling me there what a big blob of poop stuck to his bottom.

As we all know James has a great imagination. I find him playing the funniest things sometimes. Today he was pretending our dead mum was a trap for his Star Wars guys. There were bodies everywhere.

The other night I was tucking him in and he asked if I would pray for his hand (he had just burned it on the stove) so I did. Two nights later he said "can we do this new thing where every night you pray with us when you put us to bed?" Awww, so sweet! I was thinking aren't I supposed to be the one to suggest that? We say prayers together during the day but wise parents once told me to capitalize on bedtime because that is when kids start talking freely. I have always resisted that because I am such a sleep freak but now that James is getting older I might have to make room for some pillow talk.

This is what playtime often looks like at our house. James and Kinley pretend play and Mallory watches while playing with something that would usually be deemed as unsafe for babies (like the walmart sack she is playing with below)

Yea for tax refunds! With part of ours we decided to get bikes. We have wanted them for a couple of years and with James getting better and better at riding his own we decided it was time. We have really enjoyed it so far. If anyone has tips on teaching kids to ride without training wheels please share! James still has them but they are tipped up so that he isn't on both of them constantly.

This is the Morris Biking Fleet

The girls love their trailer! Mallory had to adjust to feeling a little cramped but she got over it. Kinley always says "go supa supa fast mommy".

The last rainy day we had I let the kids go out to play and Kinley insisted that she not wear pants...it was a battle I chose not to fight. She looked hilarious. With three kids my appearance standards have gone way down. I took the kids to the park a couple of weeks ago in their pajamas. It gets worse. We went at about 5pm and they wore the pajamas they had worn (and still had on) the night before.

One night at bedtime Kinley asked me to sing her a song and I asked what song because she is usually very opinionated about this and she said "sing me a Jesus song". The thing she has been saying more often that isn't so cute is "you are such a meanie!" She says it to everyone.

The past two weeks have been fun and have felt very normal. We have been busy but not too busy and no one has been sick. Josh worked the Sports and Entertainment Expo one weekend so the kids and I went to the zoo. Mallory is such a great baby. This is her cat napping in the stroller.

One day last week I changed her diaper and went to get more wipes. When I came back she had fallen asleep and it was still and hour and a half until nap time!

One of the last snow days we had, Josh had taken my car to work and we were caught up on chores so we played and made messes all day. One of the kids favorite things to do is platy with goop. It is a mixture of cornstarch, water, and food coloring. I let them go crazy with it and this is what I ended up with.

Thankfully it cleans up really easily!

Kinley's has two new sayings "trust me on this" and "you are such a meanie".

We also counted every hat in the house. We have 33 hats! Then we tried them all on. James is so handsome!

He managed to wear 12 hats at once!

One afternoon we had to go to the doctor so Mallory didn't get a nap. I rocked her and we took a little cat nap together. I never get to hold her sleeping because the other two keep me so busy. It is a rare and fleeting treat!

We went to an infectious disease specialist for Kinley's fever. My doctor was afraid she had Rheumatic Fever because her hand had swollen up twice for no apparent reason, she'd had a long term low grade fever, and we had found a heart murmur. The specialist looked her over really well and listened to our story. He felt that she was just dealing with little everyday viruses back to back and the three issues were just a coincidence and not a sign of a bigger infection. He told me to quit taking her temperature and move on. That is what I needed to hear. I was getting a little crazy over it all.

Mallory has been experimenting with biter biscuts, puffs, and sippy cups. She seems to like them all and is getting better at the motor control it takes to enjoy them.

Granddad, Nana, and Aunt Jennifer came to visit this weekend. We took them to the zoo. Every time I am there with the kids they beg to ride the carousel or train and I always say "not today, maybe when we have a grand parent with us you'll get to". So we walk by the carousel and James says "hey mom, granddad is here, so he can pay for us to ride the carousel!" He definitely has the system figured out! We are so spoiled by our parents. It is a huge blessing to get to do fun things and have luxuries to enjoy with our kids.

James has been asking a lot of questions about salvation. He has even begged to have Jesus in his heart on three different occasions. I always tell him that Jesus will knock on his heart and we will all know when it's the right time. I'm not so sure that is the right thing to do anymore. We have a lot of conversations about sin and what Jesus did for us so I think it is all starting to come together in his mind and heart. I used to think it was one specific moment that a person is saved but I'm not so sure that is true. I think it might be a season of learning and believing then there comes a moment when you claim it out loud and another moment where hopefully you are baptized and share your salvation with the world. Then I think there are many seasons and moments where you have the choice to choose God's path or your own (nothing to do with salvation) I think James' moment of speaking his belief and choosing God's path for this part of his journey is coming soon. Say a prayer for him and us during this very important season.

We have the best backyard for little boys. They were bringing dirt back from the Chili Bowl and an array of dirt moving machinery made the tallest dirt hill we've ever had. This particular day we were babysitting Ezra and Levi. All 4 of them stayed out there in the cold north wind for and hour watching with jaws on the ground.

Kinley has continued to have a low grade fever so we went back to the doctor. They ordered a lot of blood work, a urine culture and, due to a heart murmur, an ultrasound of her heart. We did the blood work last week. They had to draw 4 viles of blood from her arm just like they do an adult. I was scared to death of how badly she would thrash and scream. My dear friend Alicia met me at the lab and helped me hold Kinley down so the tech could get the blood. Much to our surprise, she did not wiggle a bit! Right when the needle went in she closed her eyes and cried a really pathetic cry then after a second she started watching the blood fill the viles and she was calm. I was so proud of how brave she was. The hardest thing we had to do was get her to pee on command. She had four suckers in one hour because I was bribing and rewarding her for everything. We should know results next week. Due to the cost of a pediatric cardiologist we have decided to go back to our pediatrician for a recheck on her heart. If they are still concerned about the murmur then we will probably go for the echo next week.

Mallory is officially sitting up. She still topples occasionally but is doing really well balancing and grabbing toys. She needs to start sitting and rolling more because she is starting to get bored and telling me about it!

Last weekend Josh and I got to get away to a cabin at Big Cedar, thanks to Nana and Grandad! We were scheduled to stay Saturday through Tuesday. Once we heard there was going to be a winter storm we decided that we would stay because the weathermen often hype things up and we just didn't want to cut our vacation short. My parents had the kids and they said to go ahead and stay and see what happens. Well, it was snowpocalypse 2011, so we got to double our vacation! We ended up having to stay 6 nights! We loved every minute. We stayed in a cabin for three nights, a suite on the top floor of a lodge for two nights, then an end room on the top floor that had beautiful corner windows for the last night. We didn't mind all the moving, it kept us from going stir crazy and we got a clean room every couple of days! We played games, watched movies, read books, played Wii, and reveled in having cable TV. We did nothing of worth and it was bliss! The 9 hours of white knuckle driving to get home took a toll on the relaxation but we are home and unpacked and still refreshed from our break.

Bop and Gigi kept the kids for our long vacation. They loved being snowed in together. Above they are zoning out to a movie - I love the TV zone face! They did all kinds of fun things...the kids are going to think real life is so boring.

The pictures don't do it justice but these are pictures of the views at Big Cedar in the snow.

James, Kinley and I went to the dentist this week. They were AMAZING! Kinley went first and she was so brave. James hadn't been too sure that he was going to let the dentist do her job on him until he saw how well Kinley did. His first experience at the dentist last year isn't his favorite memory. The hygienist showed them all the tools and let them use them all. She also had several drawers of toys hidden around her station for them to play in while I had my teeth cleaned. Other than having to leave my left leg for payment and making a second appointment in which they will require my right leg and one arm to help my jaw problem it was a great experience.

Kinley is slowly getting into girly things. She hasn't had a lot of experience with them because James has schooled her more in the art of a good sword fight, and the kind of bullets you need for a shotgun. Her natural bent for the finer things in life is finding its way out though. She got a new pretty pink dress and danced and twirled in it. She kept saying she was a princess, then out of the blue she asked "do princesses poop?" I guess she had to make sure she still qualified because she definitely poops. I should have told her princesses don't poop in their diapers!

January has held it's share of sickness. We got home from Christmas on the 28th and the 29th James and Kinley had fevers. James' got high quickly and we got an antibiotic before the long weekend but he still had a fever of 104 for eight days before he got better. Kinley has now had a 99-101 fever for 19 days. We went back to the doctor last week and her strep test was positive so they gave her an antibiotic too but she has been on it 7 days and still has the fever. I guess we will be back at the doctor on Monday for better antibiotics.

Mallory is quiet the drool machine. She looks like a sweaty man that just left the gym. There are still no teeth to show for all that drool. She is just beginning to sit up on her own for a few seconds at a time. She is very hard to make giggle especially for the camera but she'll flash a good smile anytime.

We went to her 6 month appointment and she weighed 18 lbs and was 27 in.

In the last month we have had to buy a new kitchen sink faucet and dishwasher. It has provided Josh and James with a lot of male bonding time. Josh installed it all himself and replaced some old piping while he was at it. It is so fun to watch James hang on to every word Josh says and move he makes. My mom asked if he wanted to go stay at her house this weekend without his sisters and he said "yeah!... but it's Saturday and that is Daddy stay home day" we encouraged him to go and that they could hang out next weekend. He ended up going but it was so cute how concerned he was about missing out on Daddy's home time.

Mallory is growing like crazy and I would give anything to push the pause button! Since she is the last baby I have started to get rid of things like swaddle blankets and 0-6 month clothes and it is breaking my heart. I never thought I would cry over making space in my home but getting rid of those sweet little blankets made me cry and I didn't care about the space they were taking. She will be six months on the 9th. She is sleeping and eating like a pro. She is content doing whatever we need her too. She smiles constantly and her eyes sparkle like diamonds. Below is her first meal in her high chair.

Her first ride in a swing. She giggled as she was swinging.

We took the kids to see Santa at Bass Pro Shop. We considered it successful because no one cried and the big two actually voiced their Christmas present wishes. James asked for a medium sized stuffed panda bear (medium meaning the same size as stuffed polar bear so they can play together) and Kinley asked for a pink puppy dog.

We did Advent boxes this year. It was interesting. The kids loved opening the boxes but acted totally uninterested in the spiritual component each evening. As the month went on I tried to get more creative on how to apply the Bible truths and stories to their life. Some of our favorites were building a ginger bread house (of course), hiding God's word in our hearts (we played hide and seek with our paper hearts), and serving each other as Jesus did when He washed the disciples feet. I had Kinley wash and lotion James' feet then he washed and lotioned her feet. When Kinley finished she said "James, I love you" and when James finished he said "Kinley, I love you". It was one of those rare and amazingly sweet moments. I think we might have to repeat this activity every few months!

She is lovin' the camera these days...she actually requests that pictures be taken of her when she feels she is particularly cute.

Wednesday before Christmas we went to OKC to see my family. We stayed until late Christmas Eve. We had a great time relaxing and playing. While we were there we managed to break two bowls, a large ornament, and a bottle of Patron tequila. I think they were ready to see us leave!

We made Jesus birthday whoopie pies, went to church, played with cousins, opened presents and ate pizza.

Christmas morning we woke up at Grandad and Nanna's. Santa had been there and he brought what they wanted.

We enjoyed Duncan and our Morris family. We played games, enjoyed the horses, dogs, fire pit, and pond. James put the hard sell on me AGAIN to have a dog. He told me I had two choices either live in a box or take Charlie (the farm dog) home. I chose live in a box until he told me I had to come out to help him with the things he couldn't do on his own. The kid is going to have to have a dog someday.

We got home from Duncan Tuesday night and Wednesday James and Kinley got fevers. James got to 104 and stayed there for five days. Kinley's fever was between 99 and 100 and still hasn't gone away. I have no idea what they got but I sure got a lot done around the house being stuck there for five days. We enjoyed a lot of cuddle time, movies, and naps. It has been really nice to just be slow and lazy after the holidays. I am kind of dreading getting back into a productive routine.