My oldest and youngest

I got lucky I don't have a lot of sibling jealousy in my house. Don't get me wrong they fight like all kids do but they all just adore each other. If you haven't noticed I really like to take pictures and these were so cute I couldn't resist getting out the camera

Welch Christmas

Since Ryan & I got married we have alternated Christmas' between our families. Last year my family had Christmas so this year was a Owens Christmas. But my family likes to celebrate Christmas together no matter what day we do it on it doesn't matter to us as long as we can be together. Unfortunately since my brother and sister moved away we don't get to celebrate with them. My family has always opened there presents on Christmas Eve. My mom & Dad both opened presents on Christmas Eve when they were kids. So no matter what day we celebrate on we have our traditional Christmas Eve potluck we have Clam chowder, wings, Cheese balls, white hot dip, and meat & cheese tray. I love it. I told my mom one time I don't care which day it's on as long as I get my Christmas eve feast.

Once we've eaten it's time for presents. Every Kids favorite. I love to watch other people unwrap what I've given them and what other people have given them the excitement on there faces. I'm usually the last one to open my presents because I'm so busy watching everyone else. So we exchanged presents with my parents and my cousin and his family.

It's funny how the different age of kids makes it different how they open presents. Hailey slowly opened hers, announced loudly what she had gotten and would be so excited with every item.

Jacob ripped open his presents as fast as he could and then ripped open the next one. He was sitting next to my mom and he even tried opening some of hers because he was so excited. If I turned my back on him when I turned back around he would have 2 more things opened and I would say who's that from he'd say I don't know and rip open the next one.

Ben didn't even know what was going on, I couldn't get him to open his presents, so Jacob asked if he could help open Benners (that's what Jacob calls him) presents so I told him he could help me if he did it slowly so Mommy could see what Ben got and from who.

Logan loved our present. I had something else picked out for him and as I was walking out of the store I saw a remote control Caterpillar tractor and I just had to get it for him. They tried to get him to open some other stuff but he just wanted his tractor out of it's box. He's so cute.

Me and My cousin Evan. We grew up more like siblings than cousins, I love him and his little family. Poor Dano she was so ready to be done being pregnant.

Aren't we cute!!!

Jacob loves his boots he thinks they go with any outfit. He wears his cowboy boots or his rain boots almost every day. He would even wear them to church if we would let him, in fact he's asked. After he got his Pj's on so we could head home he started putting on his boots, and we tried to convince him that his pj's were footed he didn't need them but he wouldn't have any part of it he worked until he got the boots forced over his footed feet. He's so funny

Always read the fine print

polar fest

We got an add for the Polar fest that SRP was putting on in a neighborhood close by, it was free to get in and lunch was free. So Renee(my next door neighbor) and I decided to take the big kids. We left the babies home with the husbands. Renee and I had been discussing as we walked up from the parking lot that it was a good thing that it was free because neither of us had much cash. we get there and there is a sign listing all the fun events and it also says that to do these events you have to purchase a $8 wristband. So crap between us we have 3 kids and $3 so it's not going to get us even half of a wrist band. We walk through the gates and see the line to get the free lunch it's forever long, and the free lunch is only going on for another hour. So Renee and the kids stand in line for food I head out to get cash, I get back to the car and realize I left my debit card at home. I dump my wallet out and find a $20. So I think oh great I have enough to get the wrist bands. For those of you who can't add I'm still short $4, but I haven't realized that yet. I go back Poor Renee is still in line to get our free lunch, I get in line to by the wrist bands and I'm next in line and I suddenly realize oh crap I don't have enough money, so I get out of line go to Renee and she gives me the $3 dollars she has, so I have to go back out to my car to try to find $1 worth of change. Luckily I ran into I guy we use to play t-ball with and he loaned me a $1. So after all that drama I got the kids there wrist bands. While Renee stood in the line for food I took the kids to the "Snow" which was kinda ghetto. But they enjoyed it so I guess that's all that matters.

We took the kids to the petting zoo. and they loved it. I can't blame them I always loved the animals too.

Hailey was so excited when she caught this chicken she carried it around with her until it wiggled it's way to freedom.

Next the kids wanted to ride some rides SO we went to wait in line. But since everyone else in the world had come out for the "FREE" snow day the lines were really long. I hate carnival rides I don't ride them if I don't have to, so Renee and the kids waited to ride the slide ride I went and got in line to for the teacups. Poor Renee she climbed up to the top and went down with Lucas and Hailey went down, they got down to the bottom and realized Jacob hadn't fallowed. So she had to go back up the stairs and rescue him, because he was refusing to come down. It was too scary for him. There were suppose to be some carnival games so while Renee waited in line I took the kids to try to find them, I don't know if they weren't there or if I was looking in the right place but I never found them, We stand in line forever to ride the stupid tea cups.

While they were riding the teacups I got in line for the swing ride. Luke and Hailey decided they didn't want to ride the swing but Jacob gets all upset because he still does. Renee took them to get in line for the pony rides and Jacob got to ride the swings. He really enjoyed it.

We catch up to the pony ride group. Jacob refused to ride the ponies so no cute picture of him

So the moral of my story is always read the fine print, when I got home and looked at the add in small writing down at the bottom it said it cost. So the free fun day with the kids turned into a costly line waiting in exhausting day.

Ben's First Birthday Party

Ben's first Birthday party was simple. We had just the family over and had dinner after church, and then my neighbor came over and we did presents and cake. The big kids weren't impressed they kept asking when we were going to play games. I explained to them that babies don't care about party games.

He loved these two presents, The big kids gave him the Penguin he can push over and it sings and makes noises. The other is a Zoo that the animals spin around while it sings this annoying songs. He loved it, but so did the 3 big boys that were there so finally I had to shew them away I told them they could play with any of his other new toys but they had to leave him alone and let him play with his new toy.

Ben's a weird kid. He really liked the candle part, and us singing to him. But he wouldn't have any part of eating his cake. I tried letting him feed himself by sticking his hand in it and he just got mad and yelled at me, and then I tried getting a fork out and feeding him and he kept turning his head. I thought he might just be having an off night but we tried the next night after dinner and he still wouldn't eat any. What kind of weird kid doesn't like cake??

pregnant Dano

I don't have a big family My mom's only brother died as a child, and my dad has one sister. So I have 1 Aunt and her husband is my 1 uncle. So there kids are my only cousins. 2 cousins and 2 step cousins. So were a pretty close family especially as kids growing up. With that little explanation, This is my cousin Evans wife Danielle. She is pregnant with their 2nd baby. She's 37 weeks along, and so ready to be done. At this point they were still calling him Happy, and this is there 2 1/2 year old Logan.

Our Picture with Santa

I usually take the kids to the mall to have their picture taken with Santa and every year since he was a baby Jacob has cried. It's just not his thing. Hailey and Ben just kind of look at him. We didn't make it this year with Birthdays, Christmas, primary, kids and work, we just didn't have time. But We did see the Santa at the Ward Christmas Party. Hailey told Ryan one year that she didn't think the Santa at the mall was the real Santa so he told her the mall Santa's were Santa's helpers. Because Santa can't be at every mall, he is busy getting ready for Christmas. That answer was OK with her. As we were walking to get in line she whispered to me that we weren't going to see the real Santa but she wasn't going to tell Jacob. Jacob slept through most of the program so when he woke up he was pretty grouchy. So when we went to get in line to see Santa he was not to happy he later told us "I didn't want to See Santa because he has a beard and beards freak me out"

my Big Ben is 1 year old

I want to cry. My baby is now 1 year old. It seems like yesterday that he was born. I keep telling him to stop growing up but he doesn't listen any better then the other 2. I took him to the Dr. a while back and he weighed just shy of 16 pounds. He's already walking, he is walking earlier then the other two. I think he's trying to keep up with them. He is so skinny and little he looks so cute toddling around.



This isn't a good picture, but I think it's such a funny face, I just had to share it. This one is better he has such a sweet face. We are hoping he gets hair one of these days, but he looks cute right now with his little bald head.

He just adores his Hailey and Jacob. They have taught him to play rough, so now he wants to play rough with them. If one of them is on the floor he'll go over and pounce on them. I think it's kind of funny but they don't think it's very funny. But I told them over and over again not to be so rough with him. Hailey kept telling me "But he likes it"

Poor baby though since I quite nursing him he's had horrible diaper rash. We can't get it to completely clear up, it gets about cleared up and then it will flare up again. I'm so frustrated. Stupid Formula.
He doesn't have a ton of words but he does say "Mama" "Dada" and "gaga" we haven't figured out yet if that's his version of Grandma, because when anyone tells him say Grandma that's what he says, but he really likes the word so he says it a lot. That was actually his first word. He'd just say it over and over again. The other day he was in the play pen saying over and over again "mama mama mama" so Jacob said to him "say Dada" and Ben would say "mama" so they went back and forth for a few minutes and Jacob got bored and went back to watching cartoons. So Ben looks at me and say "Dada" Little stubborn boy.
He is definitely a mama's boy. The big 2 kept me around because I was handy to have, but they both were all about their daddy. Don't get me wrong Ben likes his daddy, but if I even walk by him he grabs my legs of tries to jump out of other peoples arms to get to me. It's nice to be loved and the favorite for once but. Having something hanging on you 24/7 or yelling "mama" at you is a little tiring.
He's such a sweet boy. He has started my least favorite age. Don't get me wrong I adore him and wouldn't trade him for all the money in the world but, this into everything, can't reason with them, trouble making stage is not my favorite. Oh well he will grow out of this stage just like the others did.