National Champions!!

We were excited to watch Florida State march their way to the national title this year!!

The kids were all ready on game day!

Everyone was very excited:

Until we informed Brody that he was not going to be able to stay up for the whole game.  Then we got this face:

Lincoln was able to make it through, though!  He was very serious about the game.  Or confused.  Ha!

It was a thrilling victory and I'm so excited to be a Nole!

Lincoln Month 2

Lincoln is 2 months old!  These months have flown, and as par for the course with each subsequent child, it's flying by faster than I remember!  

At 2 months old, Lincoln:

You are 14lbs 9 oz, so you've doubled your birth weight in two months.

You have good head control.

You have started to smile.

You love your brother and sister and always look for them.

You are sleeping mostly through the night.  You wake once at 10:30-11 to eat and then sleep until 4:30 most mornings.

You are still nursing like a champ.  

 

You moved up to 3-6 month clothing this month.  

You wear a size 2 diaper when you aren't in cloth, but you are still in your small cloth diapers.

Your eyes are a solid blue.

You have a very special bond with your big sister.  She was the first person you smiled at and she can almost always get one out of you.  

What blessings you've brought since you entered our lives.  Teaching us to love more, smile more and slow down.  We are so thankful for you!

Month 1:

Month 2:

Christmas 2013

Christmas came very quickly this year.  After having Lincoln, thanksgiving, and graduation (with family visits in between), Christmas kind of snuck up on us!  But we were excited to celebrate with the newest member of our clan.

Christmas eve started out with our traditional Danish Aebelskievers, which Logan was able to help make this year!

Our church wasn't offering a Christmas Eve service, so we took the opportunity to visit one of it's church plants.  It was fun coordinating three different outfits!

Logan was so smiley and so helpful the whole night.  She's a wonderful big sister.

When we got home they each got to open their Christmas PJ's, which I found and stashed away this summer!  

Brothers:

Christmas morning surprisingly didn't come early this year.  The kids slept until almost 8:15 and allowed us to get up and make coffee before starting gifts.  We enjoyed it knowing that our years doing this are either over or very limited.  Logan's "big gift" this year was a bitty baby.  Mike and I were blessed by a local church in the area who buy new toys and allow seminary students to shop there at a significant discount.  They also run raffles with bigger ticket items and this was the first year we've won, and we happened to win a bitty baby.  She loves her new little Zoe!

She now pretends like she's got twins (she got her first bitty baby, Lucy, about 3 years ago).

Brody's big item this year was a bike!  His tricycle probably had another year left in it (and he still is riding it around until the big bike fits better), but we were able to get it at a great price through the church and since it was going to be our last year shopping there, we went ahead and picked it up.

Brody also got a guitar, which he has been asking for daily for months.  He is smitten with it!!

And Logan, of course, couldn't go a holiday without getting some kind of matching American Girl outfit.  This year she got some new PJ's to match Caroline!!

It was a very blessed Christmas, being able to see family, worship with friends and remind our children about the joy that is our Savior.  

Christmas Family Pictures

Fir the first time in about 6 years, we had all of the families in one area for a Churchill Christmas celebration.  We all gathered on the 27th, opened presents, ate, and celebrated being one big family!  We were extra thrilled that Aunt JoAnne and Great Grandpa were able to join us.  Thankfully, I was able to find a photographer in the area who was in town the day we were all together and she came and documented the event for us!

This picture speaks 1,000 words, I am so thankful we have it and will treasure it forever.

Logan was a little bit of a camera diva the whole time, but the photographer didn't seem to mind and pulled her aside several times to just snap some of her.

We each got a set of family pictures taken, too!

Brody was a little uncooperative and since we were outside felt as though he should have been able to play football, ride on his scooter, or do anything but take pictures, really.  That's why he's absent in a few!

Also why he didn't want to look up for the big family picture.  Pouting seemed more appropriate given the situation.

Logan and Lincoln hammed it up for the camera, more!

And we were able to get one good sibling shot with the promise of marshmallows:

Also some cute cousin shots (with more marshmallows):

It was nice to be together with all of my siblings and their spouses, we know this won't happen often.

We rounded off with a little Logan photo shoot :)

And Mimi with her only granddaughter: 

We were so thankful that Maria (of Maria Estes Photography for Raleigh residents) was able to come out and put our special time on film!!

3 Months!

Link is 3 months old!!  Here's what he's up to:

Weight: 15lbs

Height: 22in.

Clothing size: 3-6 month

Diaper size: 3 disposable, smallest setting in the one size cloth diapers.

Hair color: blond

Things he's doing:  blowing bubbles, holding his head up, some smiling (random), snuggles a lot.

Eating: Every 3-4 hours during the day, about 6-7 at night.

This month, we got to spend a little more time with cousin Caleb!  We love having them around.

He's smiling a little more.

He's started to use his bumbo!

He is so loved!!

I could watch him for hours and hours, but with two older children and a house to manage, I don't get to do that often.  He's such a blessing to our family and we are so thankful that God placed him into our family.