Gatlinburg Trip

Finally...the post I have been promising...

This year, Gary's family all decided to take a trip to Gatlinburg for Christmas, instead of gifts for the adults. The time together was the gift. Part of Gary's family is in Alabama, part in Georgia, and we're in Tennessee. So...when we get together for Christmas, we are so busy trying to cram everything in, we don't really get to visit a whole lot...so this worked out great!

Mitch, Molly, and Wyatt were all born within a year of each other, with Mitch right in the middle of the two, so they all had a blast together. At 3 and 4 years old, this was the first time that really PLAYED together, and they were too cute!

Okay...I know you all really just want to see pictures, so here they are...

Grandma Judy got all of the 3-4 year old "Cars" chairs for Christmas. Then she decided right before our trip that Jake was big enough that he might like one, too. Jake sat in his as soon as she got them out, and was very happy just sitting in it...forever! He LOVES little chairs his size!

He also loves to wrestle, and isn't above "pinning" Grandma Judy!

I let Mitch pick one toy from Christmas to take with him, and he chose his GeoTrax Airport. I forgot to take batteries, though. So, Mitch, Molly and Wyatt had a blast with it the whole trip...just pushing the airplane around the track. Of course, Jake's favorite thing to do with it was to try to tear the tracks apart. Good luck with that, Jake! We had to bring it back partly assembled because we never could the whole thing taken back apart!

One day we up through the National Forest to a couple of "lookouts". Here are some pics from that:

Some of our boys!

Most of the family...Alex didn't come on the trip

The three Gary Jack Roberts!

A rare photo of me and Jake

From left to right... Gary, Lauri, Tara, and Matt (also in chronological order) Yes, those are bunny ears over Tara's head. You would think that after 42 years Gary would outgrow that, huh? :)

But...I did manage to convince him to take a "good" picture, too!

Our "fifth son", Matt (Gary's little brother) and Jack

And...The whole crew!
Pics from Downtown Gatlinburg:

Mitch "loving" on Jake...I'm sure Jake was really enjoying the "love"

Wyatt, Molly, and Mitch taking time out to pose for pictures. Mitch looks pretty happy to have his arm around a cute girl...even if it is his cousin!

Daddy and Mitch...I love that mischevious grin on Mitch's face!

Do you think Jake is done with being in the stoller?
Had to have a picture of Mitch sitting in "Time-Out" in the middle of Dowtown Gatlinburg!

Hanging out at the cabin:

A VERY rare photo of Papa Jack and Grandma Judy sitting together
A not-so-rare photo of Jake trying to get in his high chair...Always wanting food! :) Wyatt, Mitch, and Molly have fun in the chair...getting ready to watch a movie.
Molly didn't last long in the chair...
Wyatt, Mitch, and Molly putting together one of the puzzles that Grandma Judy got them.

Mitch, Molly, and Wyatt playing in the big jacuzzi tub in the cabin. They had a blast and played until the water ran cold! They thought it was their own personal swimming pool. Believe it or not, none of them even got mad about being doused with water!

Long Overdue Post

There were just so many things to write about all of our many wonderful Christmas celebrations with family, that I was too overwhelmed to even know where to start...so, since it's February, I thought I should at least share some of the pictures!

We always spend Christmas Eve night at my mom's. Mitch was dying to open a present, and, of course, Mimi had to let him. We finally convinced him to pick one other than the biggest box, and this is what he chose....

Mimi was certain that he would be sorely dissapointed when he opened up a pair of shoes instead of a toy. I think she was wrong... He loved his new "furry Crocs like Jack's" so much that even when he put his pj's on, he put his shoes back on!

Both boys got new hats from Mimi, too...

I think Mitch's favorite present, though, was his Bat Cave from Uncle Josh! I have to admit, it is pretty cool. Any of you with young boys...you need to check it out. Fisher Price makes it and Mitch will play with it for hours!

Jakes's favorite toy was a little wooden alligator walk-behind toy. I must admit, that is Mommy's LEAST favorite. Wow! That thing is LOUD!

Mimi also got them a really cool rocker/bench. It is a molded plastic bench for the boys to sit at and color/play/whatever. Then it flips over, and is a rocker that they can rock in with their friends. They both really like it, too....So do I...it doesn't make noise! :)

I was slacking on the pictures when had Christmas with Dad, but the boys love their thing from him, too. Mitch got an "I-Pod". It's a mp3 player for preschoolers, but he calls it an I-Pod. He was asking for one since his big brothers have them. Jake got a "bike" that "grows with him". It starts off as a rocker, then a tricycle with a handle, then you can the handle off when he can pedal. He loves to rock on it right now. I'm sure this Spring, I will pull the handle up and push him in it at the park.

We went to Gatlinburg with Gary's family this year, but that is a whole other post! I'll work on that soon, I promise!

Blah...Blah...Blog!

Okay...so I haven't really been up to "blogging" lately...Can you tell? But, if I don't get these updates done soon, I never will. Things have been a little crazy around the Roberts household lately. I know...I know, that's a real shocker...I mean, things are usually soooo calm here! (Did you catch the sarcasm?)

Jake is now 14 1/2 months old, and he is FINALLY walking all over the place. He's been walking for a while now, but he has just in the last week started to prefer it to crawling. I have also decided that he is a little exhibitionist...he hates clothes! He somehow manages to get his shirts off on a regular basis. And, you have never seen a grin as big as the one he gets when I take his diaper off. I have a feeling I am going to have a naked red-head running around the yard this summer!

Oh...and that child...he can get anywhere he wants to get...by himself (Mr.Independent)! A week or so ago, I was putting clothes away in Mitch's room. I left Mitch and Jake downstairs since I wasn't planning on being long. Next thing I know, here comes Jake crawling up the stairs into Mitch's room. Then I heard him in the bathroom playing with the bath toys, so I went to check on him. I found him IN THE TUB playing with his toys. So, I decided that was actually a good place for him to play...makeshift playpen, right? I mean, it's not like it had water in it or anything. While I was in Jack's room, changing his sheets, here comes Jake! He got back OUT of the tub! Later that afternoon, I found him trying to GET IN the kitchen drawer! That child is a monkey! This is a new thing for me...Mitch was over 2 before he could even climb up onto the sofa by himself.

Speaking of Mitch...oh how he is growing up! He is turning into such a little dude, right before my eyes! He now gets into the car and straps himself into his carseat without any help (and I am not even allowed to watch him do it). He gets himself dressed (when he wants to). He loves to help cook. And he is doing great at keeping all of his toys put away when he isn't playing with them. He even helps me clean up the messes that Jake makes. I couldn't ask for a better kid. And my favorite...is when he says, "I love you, Mommy...You are my best Mommy!"

As for Jack, call me crazy, but aren't teenagers supposed to be real pains? Thank goodness, Jack didn't get that memo! He is the best kid and has chosen such wonderful friends! He is such a big help to me with Mitch and Jake, and is just a true joy to be around. We couldn't be more blessed! I just can't believe he is going to be driving in a year and a half (permit only, thankfully)! How did that happen? How did he get to be so grown? I mean, he'll be going to college in just over 4 years! Yikes!

We got to spend some good time with Alex over Christmas, too. Talk about some "hero worship"...Mitch follows him around like a puppy dog every time he is here. His birthday is coming up next month, and he'll be 11! I guess we'd better be getting his birthday wish list! It's crazy how time flies, isn't it?

As for me and Gary these days...we are both dieting...Yuck! Gary is on Nutrisystem, and has lost about 10 pounds in the first week! I am so proud of him for really sticking to it, but it is so unfair how fast men can drop weight! My friend, Lindsay, told me about a website, www.sparkpeople.com, and I have been doing that (mainly counting calories). I lost about 5 pounds in a week and half, but gained 2 of them back last weekend...oops! The goal is for us to both be comfortable in the way we look this summer on the boat and at the beach! So, if anyone knows of any wonderful workouts for people who hate to work out, I'm open for suggestions!

Okay...I have posts to do on our trip to Gatlinburg and Gary's grandmother's 90th birthday, but that will have to wait...It's time to take care of my little guy! Mimi (my mom) has Mitch so Jake and I are going to get a little play time in before dinner!

Christmas Morning - Roberts Family Style

The night before Santa came to visit, we had a really hard time getting Mitch to go to bed (I know, big shocker!). Jack bribed him by telling him that he could come in and wake him up as soon as he woke up, and they would go downstairs together to see what Santa brought....it worked! When I heard little voices upstairs, I went up to check on them, and this is what I saw...

I love this picture of all my boys!

The boys all came downstairs to see what Santa brought...

I got a few surprises, too! When I got home from our trip to Dallas, I had an early Christmas surprise waiting for me....Gary got me a new Super Large Front-Load Washer & Dryer that I had been wanting. Gary says it isn't very excited, but I was VERY excited! He also surprised me Christmas morning with a TV for the living room! It was a great Christmas at the Roberts House! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, too!

Christmas Photo Shoot

Just like last year, it was quite a feat to get all four boys to cooperate at the same time for a picture to use on our Christmas cards. As a matter of fact, I ended up having to do a little "editing" to get the picture that I wanted....Can you tell whose head I had to take from another shot and put it in this one?
Here are some of the funnier "out-takes"...
And one of my favorites...Here is one of the "boys" setting up the Christmas Tree (which is 12' tall, by the way...quite an ordeal). I'm not real sure why they are all under the tree, but I thought it was definitely photo-worthy!

He Walks...Sort of!

Just a few days after he turned 13 months old, Jake finally started walking...sort of! He will take about 4-5 steps and then he plops down on that precious, padded, diapered bottom! I just love it! :) He can't stand up on his own, so he crawls over and pulls up to a table (or anything he can pull up on) and just walks away from it for as long he can keep his balance. Mr. Independent won't have any part of walking while holding my hands, though. He literally shakes his hands away from mine...he wants to do it all by himself! This is such a change from Mitch who still wants me to help him do everything. Then again, there aren't too many things about these two that aren't different!

Goose Egg

Well, Jake made it just over a year before he got his first big goose egg! He was standing up holding on the ottoman of the glider in my room, and I think it just glided right out from under him, and he hit his on the chair. This picture cracks me up! He looks so proud of his war wound!

New 'Do's

I went a little crazy with haircuts last week! I went in for a trim, and came out with about 5" less hair! I like it, but it is taking some getting used to...What do you think of the new 'do?

Mitch also needed a hair cut, and I was getting tired of his long hair, too.

So....this is what we got! Mitch loves his "crazy hair" and was more than happy to model it!

Needless to say, I was out of control. I don't think Jack would have let me take him any where near scissors last week! :)

Birthday Pics....FINALLY!

Okay...Okay...No need to remind me...I am incredibly behind on this blog. It's almost time for Christmas, and I am just now posting pictures from Jake's birthday party!

Jake's party was great! He had a good time, but I don't think he really knew what to think about all of the attention. He is so lucky to have so many great friends and wonderful family to help him celebrate!

He had a Sesame Street cake...Nice job with the green and yellow icing, huh? Maybe next time I should stick with white! :)

The "big kids" waiting patiently to "help" Jake blow out his candles!

The way Jake is about his food, I thought he would tear into his cake...and love it! He tore into it pretty well, but he wasn't too crazy about it. He didn't make it long before he wanted to be cleaned up and let loose!

Tabitha, Mitch, Tristan, Cooper, and Luke playing

Jake testing out his new "big boy" carseat! Check him out with his little legs crossed! He's just too cool!

"I could get used this Birthday thing....I love trucks!"

Happy Birthday, Jake!

Late, of course... Jake turned 1 last Wednesay (November 5)! Can you believe it? I can't!

He is so full of personality these days, and into everything! We have to make sure that we shut all of the bathroom doors. I helped a friend out to her car the other day, and when I came back in, Jake was nowhere to be found...I finally found him in my bathroom where he had thrown a Hot Wheels car in the toilet! Uh oh!

Speaking of Uh-Oh...He loves to test gravity! He throws his sippy cup off his high chair tray every time....and he will keep throwing it as long you keep giving it to him. Oh, and don't think it is simply that he doesn't want it...as soon as you leave it where he threw it, he cries and cries! What a mess! :) One thing he doesn't often throw, though...FOOD! You have never seen anything like this child eating! I have been trying to get him on video, but it's like he knows it is going to haunt him one day, and he immediately slows down and eats like a normal person, grinning at me the whole time. He eats easily twice as much as Mitch does.

He finally found his way up the stairs, and he is gone! The first time he tried to go up more that the first step, he went all of the way up them! No half-way doing things for this kid! You know, I am always saying that he is just like Gary...and if you know Gary, you know he doesn't half-way do anything either!

He's not walking yet, but he is "cruising" more. He got a walk behind toy from Uncle Josh for his birthday, and he took off right away walking behind it. He is starting to stand some without holding onto anything. He will pull up on something and let go, but as soon as he realizes that he free-standing, he sits down!

Jake had a wonderful birthday party, and Lindsay took pictures for me. As soon as I get them, I'll post about his party, pictures as all!

Jake had his 1 year check-up last Friday, and he got a great report! He is 23 pounds, and 31 inches long. That puts him in 55th percentile for weight, and 75th percentile for height. Even Dr.Moss asked where he's getting that height from! :)

I am planning on taking Jake for his 1-year pictures this week, so I will post those later this week. The only thing left to say about him, is that he is such a joy! I am treasuring every moment with him and trying to enjoy every little thing he does, because I know how fast the time goes. It seems like just yesterday that Mitch was turning 1!

I'm Batman!

Halloween was great fun for the Roberts' household! We had Jack for the first time ever, so he got to help Mitch with Trick or Treating, and he racked up a bag full of candy, too. I bought Mitch his costume Thursday (nothing like a little procrastination), and he put it on as soon as he got home from school, and didn't take it off until bedtime. As soon as he woke up on Halloween, he wanted to put it back on. He wore his costume all day on Friday...he even wore it when we went to pick Jack up from school!

After much debate, Jake was a bat....to go with Batman, of course! He was the cutest little bat I have ever seen! (I tried Mitch's old Elephant costume on him, but he wouldn't leave the hat on.) He was a real trooper while I strolled him all over the neighborhood while Mitch and Jack Trick or Treated.

My friend, Amy, had a little pre-Trick or Treating Halloween party, so we went to that before we hit the streets. The boys had a good time checking out all of their friends' costumes, but they were really just ready to get candy! Go figure...

Here's Jake before he pulled the elephant head off...had to snap fast to get this shot!

I tried to get a cute picture of Batman and the Bat, but I can't get them both to cooperate for a picture anymore. I guess I can expect that for a few more years, huh?

Here's my little bat in the stroller while Mitch and Jack were Trick or Treating
This is what every picture we tried to get of Jack looked like. He wanted the candy, but no proof that he was Trick or Treating!

Mitch and Tre...Hmm...What do you they are plotting?

I'm Batman!