pretend

12/26-  Believe it or not... I took down the Christmas tree today!  I was itching to get all our toys organized and new stuff put away, so decided to take down the tree to get that job started.  The other Christmas decor can stay for a little while... just a little while.  I think I'm nesting already.   This cowboy and football player helped me with the job. 

Then Boaz turned into a farmer...

And Myka cheered us on from her favorite spot.  She has started to love this exersaucer.  She loves to stand up and bounce!!

12/27-  This morning Boaz was in the mood to be a pastor.  He gave quite a good sermon! 

I finally figured out that crazy noise on some of my videos... I think i've been covering the mic hole on the camera with my finger some and then I get that darn background noise.  This video has it for a bit and I apologize... so annoying.  Holding Myka I often have to switch hands with the camera because she's grabbing it- and I've ruined some videos doing so!  Hopefully the sound will be better from here on out!  Enough apologies-  enjoy Boaz's teaching. 

Playdough time!!  Our cousins gave us this new playdough set for Christmas.  The boys were so excited to make pizzas just like daddy!!

Cainan is talking more and more each day.  I thought this day would never come!!  He's still a man of few words, but what he says he says loudly.  This boy means what he says.  He currently finished most words with a 't.'   It's so funny!

A perfect crust...

Add some cheese...

Bake it...

More cheese...   and you get a super yummy pizza!  (that Cainan actually tried to eat on several occasions!)

Just had to take a few pictures of Myka tonight.  She looked so stinking cute in her sweater and jeggings! 

I seriously want to smooch this little girl every second of the day. 

telling

Thanksgiving Day 2011-  I've been feeling a bit weird for a couple of weeks.  I have this nagging snotty cough exactly like I did when I was pregnant with Myka, feeling a bit queasy, etc.  So this morning I woke up and decided to take a pregnancy test.  Surprise!!  We're expecting #4!!   Luke was still sleeping, so I decided to surprise him and write something on the mirror.  We stumbled on a crazy AFLAC policy right before we had Boaz that pretty much pays you to have kids.  (obviously we pay some into the policy, but if you have your kids at a decent rate, you make money!!)   It's sort-of a joke with Luke and I that AFLAC dislikes us because we're having kids quickly.  So I thought it'd be funny to tell him our big news like this....

I was in the shower when he came in to get ready for the day.  I saw him looking at the mirror, looking down, looking at the mirror, looking down...  then I peeked out and smiled at him.  He said, "Are you serious?!?!"  After I nodded yes, he cracked up and said, "I was NOT expecting that!!"   Well... neither was I!!   We'd planned to have four, but not necessarily this quickly.  (Myka and #4 will be a whopping 13 1/2 months apart!)    But- it will be great.  We'll be out of the baby stage a year sooner, I'll get some sleep a year sooner, etc!!   We're pretty excited!!   As I write this today, I'm 13 weeks along and feeling okay.  I'm mostly sick in the late afternoons/night.  Looking forward to that stage being over.  I'm super super tired, but I think I would be even if I wasn't pregnant!

We typically don't tell anyone we're expecting until right at 12 weeks.  But we just couldn't miss out on a couple fun opportunities at Christmas time.  My sisters and I got Grandma Glace a beautiful necklace with all the grandkids' names on it.  I had them put one blank charm on the necklace and Luke printed out a clear sticker with our due date on it... 8/4/12.  I told my sisters ahead of time so they could play along... 

I should have held out longer and made her guess who it was.  I'm certain her guess wouldn't have been me... as I was sitting there with a 6 month old baby on my lap!!  :)


The ultrasound tech and I have become friends over the years.  (actually all the people in the office are wonderful- I really will miss them when I stop having babies!)    She goes to Ron & Carol's church and was so excited to help me tell them the news.  She printed out an extra ultrasound picture and typed on it... "Merry Christmas!  Love, #4"   We told them we got them just a little something... 

It was hard to keep this news a secret from the boys!!  Luke & I found ourselves talking in code around the house the last few weeks.  We could have started telling the world last week, but really wanted to tell our small group in person.  They all recently had babies, too... so we knew they'd be shocked.  Their reaction was so great and funny to watch!   After we told them, we could finally tell the boys!  This morning  (1/25/12)  we revealed the surprise to them!!   

Boaz has been excited to share his big news with people.  We're going to have a fun year here in the Bartlett house!!!

Christmas 2011- part 4... the finale

12/25-  After our Christmas Day naps, we packed up and headed to Grandma and Grandpa Bartlett's house for the evening.  (feeling super blessed that we only have to drive 10-15 minutes to our Christmas celebrations this weekend!!)   Boaz thought it would be funny to arrive at Grandpa's house dressed as Pastor Bartlett. 

Cainan needed a mustache, too!

I turned around to tell them something in the van and just cracked up.... they looked so funny back there in their mustaches.  We called them Mario & Luigi. 

Pastor Bartlett ready to preach. 

One of my favorite pictures of Cainan- ever.   :)

We sat around and played for a bit. 

The boys entertained Grandpa. 

Then Grandma & Grandpa entertained the boys with a scavenger hunt to find their presents!!  Down the stairs...

Where is that next clue??

Cainan and Boaz had so much fun trying to figure out what the pictures meant. 

Cainan actually did a pretty good job deciphering the clues!

Cainan found his gift and was super excited...

He got right to work on his new lego set!!

Then it was Boaz's turn to hunt for his gift. 

He got a new lego set, too!!  These boys love to play legos.  Now they have a cars set and a fire station set... they'll have hours of fun! 

We had one more hunt to find a gift for them to share....  Luke and I laughed really hard at this clue drawn by Grandpa. 

Boaz figured it out though!

Great Grandma Bartlett got in on some of the fun. 

They got a set of plastic food!  Now we can have tons of fun playing grocery store and restaurant!

Myka enjoyed all the attention from Great Grandma. 

And she had fun laughing with Great Grandpa. 

Boaz thought Justin would look good in the mustache.  I was surprised that the boys kept them on as long as they did- about 2 hours!

Uncle Justin got the boys several neat things this year... giant coloring/sticker books!

Footballs!!!!  (Or as Cainan calls them... Hawkeyes!!)

Justin also got them these cute Herky outfits. 

Then it was time to give Grandma and Grandpa their gifts. 

Grandma thought her piggy bank was beautiful. 

And Grandpa thought his golden hawk was just what he needed...   :)

After dinner, we got the cake we made out and celebrated Jesus' birthday! 

Mmmmm... that cake looks so delicious!

Miss Myka... just looking cute. 

After dessert, the boys got to look in their stockings for some more little surprises. 

They found flashlights!

And cool whistles.

Dad enjoyed playing songs for all of us...

Choo-choo!!!

Then we capped off the night by playing some more legos! 

It was another wonderful Christmas celebration.  What a fun busy weekend!!  So blessed by all our family!!