Mom and Dad Vehar's Christmas gift

For all of Ryan's siblings, I wanted to post this video so that you can all feel like you were here as they received their gift. As far as I am convinced, they loved it. Well done everyone, and we hope you are having a very merry Christmas morning and have a terrific remainder of your day!

We miss you all and wish we were all together. Here's to a summer reunion...just not in Phoenix!!!!

Christmas greetings

Am I the only one that puts off pictures for that PERFECT CHRISTMAS CARD PHOTO until about November...just so that the kids don't change too much between picture take and delivery time? Maybe I started this bad, horrible, procrastinating, NEVER. GOING. TO. HAPPEN. habit as my kids came closer together. It seems we've had babies for a long time in this family and everyone knows that 2 minutes later, a baby looks much different. They never stop growing and living farther from family and friends, I always think I am going to get them their most up-to-date look.





Well, since Halloween, we have had nothing but fat lips, goose egged foreheads and black eyes! I know my Mom always just took the picture because with seven kids, there is never NOTHING wrong. Problem being, it was always me that had something wrong in all the pictures. With my VonWillabrands, I always had a bruises or a black eye (Luckily, I think I avoided having two at the same time!)

Some pictures I had chapped lips down to my chin or a bad haircut (self-inflicted, oh wait...that was Amy! Just kidding.) Regardless...you get my point! So looking at all the pictures I HATE. SO. MUCH(!!!), how am I supposed to do the same thing to my children of VonWillabrands heritage? I can't...or wait! Maybe I can because of PHOTOSHOP! I have located someone good enough to work my troubled family, but not till Christmas Eve morning...therefore, our card could be really late this year, or REEEEEAAALLLY early for next year.

For now, here's one of the kids and we hope that all of you are enjoying your Christmas season thus far. We are grateful for all our loved ones and terrific friends who love and support us. Here is Kaeleigh's elementary school chorus wishing YOU a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The incredible, EDIBLE (by DEEGAN) egg:

Dear Eggnog, and scrambled eggs-with salt and pepper. Deegan REEEAAALLY likes you!

After nearly 4 hours at the allergist Monday morning, Deegan is free and clear of his egg allergy. He is still allergic to peanuts, but the Dr. is really hopeful that we are seeing good progress. We started by scrambling an egg in the microwave at the Dr.'s office and the nurse brought in maybe the amount of a teaspoon. She rubbed around the "pricker" in the egg to be poked on his forearm, and he had the scrambled egg rubbed on the outside and inside of his lips. Then he was supposed to chew it and spit it out. He got a little excited and ate some...immediately requesting more, with salt and pepper, PLEASE!

He got his wish (thankfully Mommy brought s&p from home since remembering this test last year). He started slow and worked his way to a larger portion every 15 minutes. He was just as amazing a little boy as I could have asked him to be. It's a good thing he's been desiring eggs for the last couple months. He just kept begging for more. When we were done, Deegan said, "I need more eggs."

What better way to celebrate than with a yummy cup of eggnog? Deegan's response..."MMMM! THAT. IS. GOOOOOD!" Our family has decided that Deegan must next try Cream Puffs, Angel Food cake, French Toast, omlettes, fried eggs, fried egg sandwiches, deviled eggs, and who knows what else! This is such a relief to our little man. He has not been able to eat ranch dressing, most salad dressings, mayo, miracle whip and on and on the list went! Not anymore. This makes our family so excited for Deegan. Even if he never outgrows peanuts, I feel like his world just got so much bigger! Looking at this list of food makes me realized that all those tears every time we told him "No" were really because he was honestly being tortured. Welcome to our world little guy-You're going to LOVE it!

Ancestors

Our family was talking about Family History tonight. We were trying to help our children understand what an ancestor is. Kaeleigh was sure it was only those who came before us, but they had to have passed away to be considered an "ancestor".

Kaeleigh and Carson have to debate on just about everything now days and we busted up when Carson fought back with this comment:

"No, Kaeleigh! Ancestors means....AND WE HAD ANOTHER SISTER (and sisters)!" Guess that means that Ashlyn is our first ancestor in Carson's book. Thank goodness she made it to our family. Better late, than never.

When it's reunion time

My kids heard this song from the primary children's song collection and they said we should make sure that we sing that song at our reunion because it would be a good song for a reunion---Really? They are very bright! (:

We head out tomorrow for this exciting adventure. I can't really remember how old I was last time we did this, but it seems like I must have been no older than middle school. Crazy! Back then, there were only 8 adults and 14 kids...TIMES HAVE CHANGED!!! This year, we will be packing in (literally) 25 1/2 (that's for you Trev!) adults and 19 kids right inside my parents house! This year, instead of no responsibility and just playing with the cousins, swimming in the pool and playing tennis all day we will have to work a little harder to feed kids, life guard pools and make sure everyone else is having fun. Don't worry...there's fun to be had by the adults too. Maybe our family doesn't want to know what crazies we have turned into. Won't they be lucky to see the grown ups we've become! Thankfully, the more boring one of us planned the activities so we won't have blue dart competitions and who knows what else?

Luckily we don't all have to sleep at Mom and Dad's, but none the less, it could be interesting!

I can't wait to see everyone. I will have to remember to take pictures for sure. Wish us luck...mostly my Mom and Dad though-what troopers!

TO potty train, or NOT to potty train?

I have exactly 6 days until I leave for CA with the kids for a reunion. My carpet cleaner is scheduled during our vacation and he'll have my carpets sparkling for me upon my arrival home...man, I love that guy.

Ashlyn will potty in the toilet if I put her there, but won't tell me when she needs to go. She will poo in the toilet, but same as above! She stays dry at night about 90% of the time. She is thrilled for anyone who she sees use the potty, so what do I do? She does tell me she needs to potty when she wants to get out of something like church and naps(...smart girl!) but if I take her, it's nothing. It's more like I am the one being trained to take her at the right time, so how do I make the switch to her being the one trained?

She's been in underwear and she's been allowed to run naked for 10 minute intervals...but today she had 3 accidents. I wasn't completely on top of it. I haven't done this in a while and got distracted and totally forgot she was in underwear. So, if I keep a close eye on her, is it worth it? My mother would tell me to wait until after we go to CA because she won't want accidents on her carpet, plus there is the 5 hour drive. Would 6 days of underwear (with princesses) confuse her if we suddenly switched to pull-ups (with princesses) a week later?

Help! Remind me what works for this age. She is very bright. She communicates well and can undress and re-dress with the best of them. Consider her Houdini! The only thing she can't really do is get on the potty by herself without scaring me to death. I got her a stool and that kind of helps but she hasn't mastered the turning around after crawling on.

Happy Birthday Ashlyn!

I cannot believe that 2 years ago I was snoozing through labor. I had just experienced my one and only Epidural and it worked just textbook! Literally, I slept right up until they HAD to wake me up as to not let her just fall off the table. Such nice nurses looking out for my babe.

Well, I haven't snoozed much in the last two years...that may have been the best sleep I've had to date in the time since Ashlyn's arrival. Would I change it? No.

My (our) sweet little Ashlyn has been the most fun of all four of our "babies", only because everyone in our little family enjoys her and she loves to ham it up for anyone giving her the time of day. She brings our family closer together as everyone wants a piece of this girl! She is a talkative, determined and hilarious little girl. Quite the firecracker when it comes to her will. If she wants something, look out, because if you don't help her, she will do it on her own. She loves to snuggle...the only problem is that she doesn't like to snuggle Mom and have to share her snuggles with anyone that is named Deegan. It's one of those sports things like "on the court/off the court" When Mom isn't involved, these two have quite the relationship. Definitely, everyone is under Ashlyn's spell around this place.

This little girl is just that... a girly, girl. It's all about the necklaces, shoes, chapstick, and dresses for her. Though lately, she would prefer to just run around in her swimsuit all day. Pair that with someone's shoes that are WAY too big and she's a happy camper!

Ashlyn likes to eat bananas, applesauce (which she always calls "ass". I don't know how she came up with that!) She really doesn't have a favorite when it comes to food. She's basically a Hoover. Anything in sight is for the taking. Her favorite is gum, by far...any flavor. Okay, that or maybe Bunny milk (chocolate milk).

Ashlyn likes to swim...in the pool or bathtub. She is a water baby. She likes the slip and slide, hose, fountain and has even discovered the bathroom sink. Now, instead of washing her hands all the time, she sticks her head under the water and "does her hair". Imagine what a beautiful princess she looks like.

She loves princesses, dancing, jumping on the trampoline and singing any song...especially if it is from a princess classic. Favorites are "So this is love" (Cinderella), "I know you" (Sleeping Beauty), Sunbeam, Twinkle Twinkle little star, and really anything you throw at her. Right now she sings "gotta get that Boom, Boom, Boom..." and "move over, move over"...from a library book with all the ducks on the tub and the blue one says...know what song I am talking about?

Favorite game? Ring around the rosies..."Ashlyn, Ashlyn, we all fall down." (Our family may never play it the right way ever again.)

Ashlyn is a smarty-pants. She can already count to 10 and every once in a while she will throw in an 11. She is desiring to wear panties and asked to poo in the toilet yesterday and was successful. I don't know that I am ready to visit every public restroom yet with her, yet I like the idea of no more nasty diapers. I am thinking I will let her continue to make requests at her own pace. A lot of times she will just say she needs to potty and we make unnecessary trips to the restroom. It's all practice I guess.

We hope she will have a happy birthday this Saturday. Sadly, we will be so busy that it is good she doesn't know any better. But either way, she's totally worth celebrating. We love you Ashlyn!