Can you believe it?

This little adorable baby being cuddled by his proud big sister in this photo will be FIVE years old tomorrow!  It just doesn't seem real.  I always thought people were a little crazy or just silly for being so weepy when their children turned certain ages but now I am understanding it. Now don't get me wrong, I totally thought Jaedyn grew upWAY too fast and still do.  But she was always my older one and I knew there was another coming along.  Well now I get it - there isn't another after Peyton and next year I will have no "babies" in the technical sense of the word since they will both be in "big" school (even though they are both FULLY aware that they will ALWAYS  be my babies!).  But this one has hit me harder.  Not sure why other than he is the last one but I am wondering if it is a mother/boy thing?  I LOVE my little girl and she is pretty much me made over and  she will always be my first but there is something about this rotten, stinker of a boy too that just makes me so protective of him.  Who knows?!  Just throwing out random thoughts but boy am I a little weepy this weekend thinking of him getting "big"!  Family party is today and then on to the "just us"  family party tomorrow, his actual birthday.  Pictures to come, I am sure you knew that!  But for now, just this sweet one of his sister and him, my favorite one of them together! 
Have a blessed weekend...

Sweet Little Leilani

Jaedyn's GymTricks Gymnastics Performance

Last night Jaedyn's gymnastics studio had a performance night for parents to show what they have been learning and what their goals are for this semester.  They sent them home with a chart to keep track of everything they accomplish between now and May when they will compete in an in-house meet for medals.  Jaedyn is both nervous and pumped about that. Here are a few pictures from last night.  Not great, photography-wise, so don't judge my photography skills on these please!  :)

So proud of her.  She certainly doesn't get any athleticism from her momma!  :)
Have a blessed evening!

Happy Valentine's Day

May you all have a blessed and loving day with those you love and take a minute to tell each of them how much love they have brought into your life!  God bless you all! 

xxxooo, The Gauer Family

Snow Day Pictures (as promised!)

Dakota LOVES this kind of weather!  He's fully insulated.

Peyton's idea of a snowball!  He pounded Jaedyn with it right after I took this picture!

Still snowing, you can see the flakes!

Poor girl, I didn't  bother her with too many pictures. Her lips are so swollen and dry from not being able to close them well.  Her mouth is healing but still looks nasty on the inside.  The outside just has those 2 little slits but they were small so they will heal quickly.  The inside, well I can't talk about it or it will make ME start hurting!  I will say that she has been so brave!  Doctoring herself and going about her day without complaining (well unless she wants something and then she pulls the "but my lip is hurting"  - smart girl!)

Snow Day #2

Well we went to bed with snow starting to come down and we woke up to a few inches already on the ground and still a fine mist coming down all morning.  The kids have been in and out and suprisingly out for long (or longer than I could stand) periods of time.  I have gotten my share of snow photos - never enough though as that is one of my favorite things to take pictures of.  I will post later.  For now, I have to look busy because Russell  is painting and working on the house and I don't want to be a slacker and him get annoyed with me.  About to go scrape wallpaper - anyone want to help??!! 
Hope you all have a great Friday - and those of you with school closures which is almost ALL of central and north texas - HAVE FUN!
God bless!

Happy February!!

Bad ending to our bad weather day...sorry, long post...
so we got to stay home today since it was sleeting most of the early morning and the roads were treacherous.  SO cold and so blessed to have our back door fixed so there was no draft like usual.  Thanks to Mr. Terry and my wonderful husband!  Just in time for the coldest weather we have had since 1996 according to Channel 5.  So the kids played most of the day and we got most of our Valentine cards addressed and ready.  Nothing like being organized and getting things done before they are due - so unlike us lately!  Normal day just hanging out, not even too much fighting (Thank you, Jesus!).  Until... bathtime.  We were getting the kids in the bath early so we could play a game when I heard a crash in the shower and a blood-curdling scream!  Since it was Jaedyn I wasn't TOO alarmed as she tends to be our drama queen - but she came out of the bathroom SQUIRTING blood from her mouth and screaming incoherently!  I was speechless and frozen!  So once I got the blood all washed out of her mouth and semi-stopped I saw two HOLES in the inner bottom lip.  I assumed she just bit the bottom lip awfully hard when she fell with her front teeth.  It wasn't until Russell came to me about 15 minutes later, while I was holding her to calm her, to tell me that she had bitten THROUGH her bottom lip all the way!  When I lifted up her bottom lip on the outside there was a slit where it had been bitten through.  Okay - I am NOT cut out for that kind of stuff.  I prayed over her and she and I tried to feel better.  But when your baby hurts, my goodness, you just ache too.  I feel so bad for her and to top it off - TOMORROW IS PICTURE DAY!! UGH!  So I am sure by tomorrow her lip will be about 4x its actual size.  Poor babygirl!  I am hurting again just typing this.  So please say a prayer for Jaedyn.  She is just miserable and as she says "even though I know God will heal this, I am still worried."  So much for a quiet snow day at our house. 
Hope yours was much better!  I took a picture and would post it if it would not mortify her.  She is even saying " I am NOT getting my picture taken tomorrow!"  (But it is class pictures and she knows her mama is a picture fanatic!)
God bless you all!
P.S. in place of the scary-fat-lip-babygirl's picture I am posting some valentine pictures I have been working on of the kid's for their cards.  (Grandparents please do not look!)

Loving my babies right about now...I am so blessed! 
Thank you, Lord!

Joy of Love in February

This month I am participating in the "Joy of  Love" photography challenge.  For more information click on the above link. This is all about the people that you love and the little things that surround the word "love".  I am hoping it will help me on my one little word for this year... "focus".  To "focus" on some of the small things that I take for granted in my life and especially in my house :) 
Hope you are all staying warm and having a great week!
God bless you all!  Thank you God for the day off! :)