Fowler Family Christmas

Here is the whole gang! I actually liked the pic better in color, but it was too big to upload in color, so here it is in b&w. Click on it to make it bigger.

Me, Casey, Mom, Dad, Josh, Jordan

Disclaimer: I know I look like a country/western singer with the huge hair, but it was really a gust of wind that blew it forward. I do have big hair, but not that big!!

MiMi and PawPaw with all 10 of their grandkids!

Our little Angels! Love this picture!!

My sweet Momma and Daddy... how cute are they?

Twas the night before Christmas....

.... and they could hardly go to sleep for all the excitement! This year was so much fun becasue they are all so into it all. We sprinkled reindeer food out on the lawn, left them some carrots on the porch, made the cookies with green sprinkles, set out the milk, left the note, hung the special key..... Micah was sure that we did not miss a thing... I LOVE playing Santa... it may just be my favorite part of Christmas.... the excitement and the anticipation in their innocent little eyes.... priceless!

Christmas Eve with Daddy

Here are the warm goodies the boys picked out for mommy.... because "pink is a girl color, and mommy is the only girl!"

Decorating cookies for Santa... hope he doesnt mind that the all licked their knives and double dipped! :-)

Carrots for the reindeer... and Cason's new Mater slippers from Mimi. He has not taken them off since he opened them up!

The special key to let Santa in since we do not have a chimney.

And for now... this "santa" is off to bed!

Christmas in the ER....

We spent the morning at the ER with little Bryson. Clint was loading the car in the pouring rain last night and he was carrying both Cason and Bryson. He got Cason into the car safely and about that time, Bryson rared back and the rain hit him in the face. It startled him and he kind jumped out of Clint's arms. And yes, he hit smack onto the wet asphalt. Ouch. He landed mostly on his shoulder so we werent really worried about a concussion, but we checked his head and his pupils, etc, and he seemed ok. He was kinda fussy that evening and didnt want to be messed with, but he went to bed early and slept fine and so we thought everything was good.... until this morning when he would not bear any weight on his left side to crawl or lift his arm up. Sure enough, it was a broken collar bone! Poor Baby! He is so pitiful looking in his little sling, but he is still trying to "limp-crawl" around because he cannot stand not to be a part of all the fun. He managed to open a few gifts at mimi and pawpaw's house as well as at home. He is still managing to get around and chase his new basketball! Besides the ER trip, we did have a wonderful Christmas eve... I will blog more about that soon, but for now, I had to past a picture of my pitiful little guy!

Merry Christmas!

May God Bless you all this Christmas and always.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

~Clint, Summer, Micah, Coby, Cason, and Bryson

Christmas Chaos

I try really hard to get everything done for the big holiday ahead of time, but it seems like you always forget something.... we had only one last minute thing to pick up as far as gifts go, so I thought it would be just fine. So we made quick little jaunt by the mall to pick up some fresh milk chocolate longhorns for my daddy. (They are his favorite and he always gets them from me at christmas!) Bryson was asleep and it was pouring down rain and there were NO parking spaces to be found anywhere, and Cason had to go potty (of course!), so Clint pulled up to the mall entrance closest to Lambs Candy and Cason and I hop out and run. We visited the nearest restroom where Cason refused to go into the girls bathroom because he is a boy, but that is a story all in its own. We picked up the candy for my daddy, and Cason got a free candy cane. We are on our way. The mall is packed with people, so I was trying to get Cason to walk a little faster and a little closer to me, but he was just looking into all the store windows, noticing all the pretty lights and the candy canes, the decorations, the Christmas trees, etc. His eyes would light up with each new discovery, "WOW, mommy... look at those lights.... those are beautiful" He loves that word... so sweet! So we were walking along and I had been pushed and shoved a few times, but this woman came plowing around a corner out of a store with like 15 huge bags (she had obviously waited until the last minute for everyone on her list, and she was evidently quite stressed about it!) She rounded that corner so fast and she and she just mowed Cason right over. She knocked him down and looks at me and says, "Get your KID out of my WAY!" Did she just say that?? Seriously?? I picked Cason up off the ground, pick up his candy cane that is now broken, hand this lady 7 of her 15 bags that she had just used to single handedly take down my 3-year old, and in the meantime, we were still being trampled by the people who are in such a hurry. My blood was just boiling. I was literally counting to myself thinking "be nice........ be nice........" When it comes to someone mistreating my kids, it is so hard to be nice, but I remember my mom always telling me to kill em with kindness, so I layed it on thick. I looked up at her and just smiled and said "Merry Christmas! Sorry about that!" She rolled her eyes and stormed off. Cason looked at me and "mommy, she pushed me down and she didnt say she was sorry!" Isnt it awful that we get so caught up in all the hustle and bustle of Christmas that we forget what it is all about? It made me really sad! Cason is fine and he enjoyed his broken candy cane. We made it back to our car and headed home, but it just made me look at things so differently and think about what I am teaching my kids about Christmas. I have so many vivid memories of Christmas from my childhood. It is awesome to think that those are the memories I am creating for my children... what an amazing gift it is to have them in our hands... their precious minds completely open and soaking up every little thing that we teach them. I do hope and pray that God will give us the wisdom to mold their minds and create memories that will bring him glory!

One of those moments...

It is our first official day of Christmas break... I just got Bryson down for a nap, and the other three are in the kitchen working on a nativity scene puzzle that I found at the dollar store. While they are working, Micah is singing in his sweet high boy-soprano voice,

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed

The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head

The stars in the sky look down where he lay

The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay

Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care

And take us to heaven to live with Thee there

How can it get much better than this?!

Didnt make the cut...

We chose a family picture for our Christmas card this year, so I had to share this one of the boys...

Have a holly, jolly Christmas!

Breakfast with Santa

We finally got to speak to Santa in person this morning! We have written him a letter and talked to him on the phone, but the boys finally spoke to him face to face this morning. Coby was at my bedside at 7am pulling me out of bed. "Mommy, time to get ready to go eat pancakes with Santa!" They had such a great time! We made reindeer crafts & nativity scenes, had some yummy pancakes, and sat on Santa's lap for a picture and to give our requests. I remember doing the breakfast as a senior.... it was strange (but fun) to be doing it on this side! Micah was onto us... he recognized 'Santa' as Mr. Dan, his Sunday school teacher. Mr Dan made a quick recovery and told him that he was really one of Santa's many helpers that visits kiddos to be sure they are being well-behaved. He told him that he reports back to Santa and tells him how the children are behaving and what they want for Christmas. It worked... at least for now. It wont be long before he figures it out. He is just too analytical!
I must say that I was pretty impressed with their picture. Not many folks can get all 4 of my kids to look at the camera at one time.... much less to be looking with at least a pleasant look on their faces! :-) Glad Santa has a big lap!

Out of the mouths of babes....

This morning we were driving to school in the fog. It was so thick that I was going about 30 mph on I-35. The boys were asking about what fog was and how it was made, etc. I told them it was kinda like we were driving in a cloud.
Coby thought about this for a minute and asked, "We're driving in the clouds, mommy?"
"Well, kinda."
His eyes widened. "Cason, you watch that way, and I will look this way. We might see Jesus!"
......precious.....

Our first felony

Totally forgot a funny story...
In the mall today, Coby found a "Cars" figurine set that he just wanted SOOO badly. he carried it around in the Disney store for a long time. He asked me if he could get it and I told him he could ask for it from Santa. "Great idea, mommy!" So he carried it around some more. Bryson was having a hayday sticking his hands out the side of the incredibly hard to push double stroller (which was so heavy bc my 35 pound 3 year old was on the front). I was trying to maueuver in and out of the displays, and Bryson sticks his arm out at just the right time, knocks down several life-size Cinderella dolls and makes a huge crashing noise. Nice. We have made a scene. As I am picking them up, I hear an employee say, "That little boy... he is taking that out!" I look up and Coby is just headed out into the mall with the toy he wanted so bladly. "I just need to take it right down there. You see that guy in those shiny red clothes? That is Santa. I need to show him this is what I want for Christmas!" Needless to say, we had a talk.... about leaving a store without mommy and about shoplifting! :-)

Blogger Slacker!!

I know, I know... I have been a bad, bad blogger lately! It is kinda like this downward spiral. We are so, so busy that I dont have time to blog... but we are doing so much and so much is happening that I have so much to blog about... but all of those things that I should blog about are the things that are keeping me so busy that I dont have the time to blog... you know? I also finally posted the letter I wrote to Micah on his birthday. I had been waiting to post it until I scanned in a pic of him as a baby, but that never happened. I will go back and do it later just for my own records.
So it has been a few weeks and here are some highlights - and of course so pictures, too!!
~Bryson had successful ear surgery on Nov 30!!!!! Hooray!!!!! He is an all new baby. He was always so happy nad easy going, but he was constantly running fever and had begun to have a hard time sleeping, so this has made life so much easier for us! Unfortunately, he came down with walking-pnemonia the following week, but I panicked thinking it might be some kind of reaction to the tubes or the ear drum repair, so I took him straight to the dr. They caught it really early and they were able to treat him with antibiotics at home rather than admitting him into the hospital!
~Coby has learned to ride his bike with out training wheels!! Go Coby!
~Micah is soaring with this reading thing.... he loves to read! It is amazing how fast they learn! Our "code" no longer works when we are trying to spell things we dont want them to know. The other day, I spelled "s-a-n-t-a" to clint and he said, "why are you talking about Santa, mommy?" Caught, red-handed!!

~Cason is doing this funny thing where he role plays as a puppy. He speaks to me in "puppy" He walks like a puppy, and he gives "puppy-kisses." He will only respond to his puppy name, "Caster" And he has decided that Coby can play the role of his mommy. It is so funny to watch them pretend together!

~We went to the train of lights as a family... it was great fun, and the kids were really into it this year. (See pic below)

That is about it here in the best family household for now.... I am sooo ready for this holiday to be here!! I LOVE Christmas!!

And now for your viewing pleasure:

Look at this happy guy now... showing off his pearly whites.

And hangin out with PawPaw

Eskimo Bry keeping warm at the Trail of Lights!

Here is the family at the lights. I know, not a great picture bc hte lighting is bad, and Bry was trying to lean around to see the lights ahead and Cason is being grouchy about something... but hey, at least it proves that we were all there!!

Bryson and his buddy Brinton all tuckered out froma day of shopping!! I love to watch them sleep!

a successful six-year old sleepover!

Here are some fun pictures of Micah's party. We met up at the bowling alley and had cake and pizza there. Then we brought all the boys back to our house for a movie and a sleepover. The boys did great. They all just lined up like sardines in our tiny little living room floor. We had the lights out at about 11:30 and we heard their giggles again around 6:45 the next morning... not too bad for our first sleepover!! :-)

Micah loves to bowl... and his game is really not too shabby!

Happy Birthday to you!

This one is totally just for me... I made the cake, and to me the pictures never do them justice, but I had to post a good pic of the cake I spent so much time on!

Daddy and Micah. They are sooo father and son, huh?

Mommy loves Micah!

Micah and his cousin, Sam. She was the only girl-invitee to the party. A special honor that she took very seriously!

The sleepover gang wearing their lightning mcqueen pj pants that we made as party favors. They loved them!

Making hot coacoa for breakfast the next morning. Really, I needed an activity to keep them busy while I made blueberry pancakes in bulk!! And we had Krispy Kreme hats leftover from the donuts we brought to school for his celebration there. Oh, What FUN!!

6 years and counting

6 years old..... my precious baby is 6 years old.... that happened too fast. From almost 9 pounds to 53 pounds... my, how you have grown!
Sweet Micah Samuel- You are 6 years old today! You are so big! It seems like only yesterday we were spending the long night in the hospital with my sky-high blood pressure, praying that the doctors would tell us we could just go ahead and have this baby a few weeks early. I remember the moment that you were born. After several long hours of labor, I heard your cry for the very first time. They placed you on my chest and we snuggled. Your eyes met mine, and it was like we had met before. You were so sweet, and "fuzzy" as Mimi called it. You were a perfect baby. I thanked God for you that day, as I do today... you are still my precious first born, and you will always have that special place in my heart. Here are just a few of the things that I love about you: I love your smile... the way that you laugh at your brothers when they are being silly.... and the way you try to muster up the courage to be silly along with them. The way that your face brightens when you see a baby, especially little Bryson. He loves his big brother. You are such a fabulous big brother, and such a wonderful helper to me. I have realized that even more with you gone to kindergarten this year. I have missed ahving you here as my "big helper." I love your strong will... it gets you in trouble sometimes, but it is something to be cherished and taken care of. You know what you want and you do what you need to do to get it done! I love your compliance.... your aiming to please... the way that you like to make others happy and proud. You do make me so proud! I love your hugs and your 'schnuggles' and good nite kisses. Hope you never run out of those I love that you always want to hold my hand... and I hope you never get too old for that! I love your love for learning... you are so eager to read everything that you see and you are just constantly asking questions to learn how things work or why things are the way they are. You are so bright and so curious! Mostly, I just love that you are you. I love how sweet and precious you are. I thank God for giving you to me. I promised him that day that I would take good care of you and teach you to be one of his followers. It will continue to be my prayer for you.... my first-born son.
Happy Birthday, Micah!