We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Well Christmas has come and gone by. I can hardly believe this year is over. It almost doesn't seem real. We had an excellent Christmas. The kids received so many nice things. We hung out at Mike and Lisa's house almost all day and just relaxed. It was a great day. Simeon and Sophia loved their new swing set and surprisingly it's been warm enough a few days that they could get bundled up and play on it.

I feel like there is so much to update, but maybe it is only because I just emptied off my camera and feel like I have a ton of pictures to share. I don't really have a ton, but here are some from Christmas.

Alice got her ears pierced for her "big" Christmas present. We went on Friday and had them done. She cried for seriously maybe a minute. She looks so cute.

Alice had her first attack on a sibling today. Sophia was playing with her trying to get her quiet for me while I packed and Alice hit her in the mouth with a toy phone. Sophia's lip was bleeding, but it didn't get too swollen. We had to have a talk about how Alice is a baby and didn't do it on purpose before Sophia would sit next to her again. The best part was Simeon. I went downstairs right after it happened to get Simeon and told Jake about the "attack." When we got back upstairs this is what I hear:

Simeon: Sophie what wrong? Alice hurt you Soph?
Sophia: (silence)
Sim: Sophie, you ok? Alice hurt you chin?
Sophia: (more slience)
Me: Sophia your brother is talking to you, he is worried. He wants to make sure you are ok, please answer him.
Sim: You ok Soph?
Sophia: (nods) Alice hurt my lip
Sim: I kiss it Soph

If you know Simeon's little voice it makes it twenty times cuter too. It was too precious.

We are going to Gatlinburgh, Tennessee tomorrow morning. We are leaving really early, and I am not done packing. Jacob and I went there on our honeymoon and loved it. Except for the drive, I am really looking forward to going back. Our whole family is going and staying in one big furnished cabin. It ought to be exciting. There really is never a dull moment when all 11 grandchildren are together. We will be back on Friday afternoon sometime.

Jacob is doing really well. He is not in pain much anymore, unless he sneezes or one of the kids tries to give him a "big splash." He has appointments with both the oncologist and the surgeon on next Monday so we are praying that this worked, his platelets will be doing well and he can get closer to being completely off of the steroids. We'd really just like to move past this and think about this brand new year. A year where we won't visit the ER every other month. A year where I won't be either pregnant or nursing a baby the whole time. A year where we can get back into shape and on a healthier lifestyle track in many ways. We are doing the Bowling family "Biggest Loser" this year. I feel just about as sappy as those people on the show, but I really want to win. I want to change myself and how I live and teach my children to be healthier. I want to use the YMCA membership I pay for every month. I want to carry laundry up the stairs and put it away and not feel like I am going to die the second I am done. I have never been one for New Year's Resolutions, I think it's silly people spend a day thinking about what they want to change during the year and a week later they are doing the same things without a blink of the eye. I guess one could consider these things my resolutions though. And who knows maybe I can prove myself wrong.