Tessa's Birthday!

It was just a year ago that we were anxiously awaiting our little girl. We always knew she was a princess, but she has quickly graduated to the queen of the house. We all seem to be at her beck and call, and we all love it. Of course mom and dad are wrapped around her little fingers, but Emma and Lincoln are a close second. One whimper and they come running. Sam has managed to tune her out a bit more, but is still the protective big brother. She and Sam both love going to the gym with mom, and everyone that watches them comments on how protective Sam is of Tessa. They never have to worry about her being picked on because Sammy is there to save her!

Tessa enjoyed some pink cake and the wrapping paper on the presents. The toys she enjoys now and again, but the paper is always a hit! Her newest discovery -- getting into things: baskets, cabinets, underneath chairs. Her biggest frustration -- not being able to get out of things.

The weather outside is frightful...

It may be frightful outside, but it has been a complete delight to this mom! The kids have been sledding every day, sometimes multiple times a day, and I love it! The kids go sledding in the common area just one house away. We can see them from our kitchen window, and it is just a big enough hill for everyone to have fun, but not too big as to become worrisome. It has been great. There has been far more snow than is typical for Boise, so the kids have had a great time and are often out there until dark. Usually this time of year we can't get the kids to go outside - this year we can't keep them in!

Baptism Day

It was a wonderful crazy weekend! Ted's parents came home from completing their mission in Santiago, Chile, and the next morning Lincoln was baptized and then confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Lincoln had decided that he wanted to wait and have all of his grandparents at his baptism, so we waited a few weeks to make sure that Grandma and Grandpa Wagner were there. We were so fortunate to have so much family there, and it was a great day. Lincoln was beaming from ear to ear - I've said it before and I'll say it again - that toothless grin always melts my heart!

I'm FIVE!!!!

I absolutely am in denial about Sam being five years old. He is growing up WAY too fast! He had a great day, and his only demand was that we have spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. He does his best keeping up with the big boys, but instead of a waveboard he got a skateboard that is just his size (Ted and I are wondering how many broken bones we are going to see from these waveboards/skateboards??) He already has a great time going off of jumps with his bike, and I am sure the skateboard is sure to follow. He also got a Whack-a-mole Tower game - Lots of music, lights, noise, and hitting stuff with a hammer - what isn't fun about that?

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year......

My favorite Christmas pictures are the early morning, puffy-eyed, bed-head pictures of the kids just before we open presents. The anticipation is almost tangible, and for that brief moment everyone is happy, no sugar has been ingested yet, and no one is disappointed in what they didn't get! I love Christmas morning!

Sam got a dinosaur that moves and sounds real, and he loved it, even though it scared him at first. Lincoln loves his remote control helicopter, and Emma loved her MP3 player. Tessa ate wrapping paper and tossed aside her toys.

The real surprise came, though, when they opened controllers to a Wii. We told them we would never get one. They were all surprised, and we have all had a great time with it! The favorites right now are Lego Star Wars and Wii tennis - Ted still creams us in tennis, but it is still fun anyway.

The hardest person to shop for, however, is Ted. It's not very much fun to give the same thing year after year - more bike shop gift cards. I know they always get used, but I always try to surprise him with something. As he has become more and more serious about biking I have become more and more worried (for no real reason) about his safety. I always worry about some driver not paying attention and....well, you get my point. For this reason I decided that this year I would buy him something to help him see traffic. I bought him one of those small mirrors that you attach to your helmet to help you see what is coming up behind you. As Ted opened the gift he tried to tell me as politely as possible that he appreciated my gesture, but he would rather take his chances than put the mirror on his helmet. So, I guess it is back to gift certificates.

It's Great to be Eight!!

I can't believe Lincoln is eight years old. Each year he grows up so much, and this year was no exception. This last year he has loved mountain biking, hiking on the bluff behind our house, playing baseball (a new favorite!), and he is becoming quite the swimmer. The big excitement this year was that he wanted a wave board - not the kind for a ski boat, but the kind that is a two-wheeled skateboard. He kept telling us how he was sure that he wouldn't get it. We did nothing to discourage the idea. Instead we kept telling him that he would probably get a metronome since they needed one for piano. He didn't think this was very funny.

He had a great day, and we hid his favorite present so that he wouldn't suspect anything. He is looking forward to being baptized when Grandma and Grandpa Wagner get home. His toothless grin always brings a smile to my face.

Happy Holidays!

The holiday season is always one of the craziest for sure, but it is SO MUCH FUN! I love the parties, the programs, the goodies, and the spirit of the season. This year we have really loved watching Emma perform in Showtime. She has been so excited to be a part of this group and has gone from not wanting to have any attention on her to wanting a solo. She has also made a really good friend in the group, and they had a great time performing together.

This year we also started a new tradition of beginning 12 days before Christmas and reading a Christmas story together. Some are more meaningful stories than others, but it has quickly become my favorite tradition. With each passing year the season seems to fly by more quickly. It seems that by the time Christmas came both Ted and I were exhausted and felt like we hadn't really enjoyed the season. This year has been different. Every night we have been forced to slow down enough to sit quietly and read a story. The kids love it, I love the time together as a family, and it has been a way to solidify to our kids what this season is all about.

However, the season wouldn't be complete without the Christmas picture. In years past this has at times been most unpleasant. By the end of the picture everyone was upset, and the spirit of Christmas was the furthest thing from our home. This year we decided to make it much less structured, and we all were laughing. No, the photos aren't the best, but the experience was far better than usual. I'll take an imperfect photo anytime so long as we are all laughing at the end and still enjoying being together.

We hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas. We love you all and want you to know how grateful we are for each of you in our lives.