Merry Christmas Everyone!

My junk food junkie.

Well, he likes apples too.

Levi got a "big boy" bike from Santa.

Poor Eden has been sick but she liked her gifts too.

A very Merry Christmas!

Well, another Christmas has past. We have the pictures to last a lifetime though. This Christmas has been an especially good one for me. We spent as little money as we could and I have to say, Jeff and I enjoyed this Christmas even more than years past. Last night we went to my dad's house where we each received a small gift that suited each one of us. Well, Levi and Ben got the biggest gift, a 3 foot interactive dinosaur that you can sit on and feed, etc.... needless to say they were in hog heaven! I was touched to be given a gift from my step-sister, Stefani, that was originally meant for our little Ava Kaye but would be passed on to Eden. The quote at the bottom of a beautiful pink plaque reads "Twinkle, twinkle in your eyes, are you an angel in disguise?" It will hang on the wall in Edens room and will always remind me of the pleasing day we have yet to enjoy, when we will be able to know the little girl that has left such a big impact already in our lives. We ate and shared laughs and had a good time.

Christmas day came and the kids loved their gifts from family and of course, Santa. As a matter of fact, Levi seemed to have so much fun with what we were afraid would be a mete ocher year for him. We played the games together and hung out outside almost all day. FYI for you people that had snow outside your homes today.....we had our doors and windows open to enjoy our mid 70's weather! Even turned on the A/C for a little while. But I digress. Benjamin plays with almost anything but was most interested in what candy he had in his stocking. He showed little interest in opening his presents but had no trouble figuring out how to unwrap anything "candy". Eden liked the doll and taggie that Santa left for her. It's funny to see how she naturally seems to like girlie things already. She slept a lot today but when she was awake she wasn't satisfied unless she was in the middle of all the action. She wants to be on the floor with the boys and the toys. Today was really a GREAT day at the Blanton home. The meaning of Christmas really hit home for me. It's not what you give but how you give it. We spent all day together as a family and we loved every minute of it. Our happy family is the most precious gift we will ever have. Each of our children is different in their own way but bring equal joy into our existence. I have been blessed to share an eternity with a man that wants one thing..... a happy family. And that, we are. I am so thankful for the knowledge of our Lord and Savior and for all he has set forth so that I can be with my family for Time and all Eternity. May we be reminded of our purpose here on earth, not only during this Christmas season but every day for the rest of our life here on earth. This life on earth is but a stepping stone to an eternity of love and happiness. And what a great time it is!

Eden getting ready to crawl!

Eden is getting herself ready to crawl. She has been rocking back and forth like this for about two weeks now. She will be 6 months old on the 13th of this month! I can't believe how fast it has gone. For the most part, I am enjoying a full nights rest now. Between one of the three kids, someone wakes up on occasion. Benjamin is the best sleeper of them all. He sleeps 12 hours at night and takes a 2-3 hour nap every afternoon. He is eating much better lately. We had to get hard core with him. He is pittiful, walking around sometimes after his nap pouting "cookie, cookie". We only allow him to eat meals at the table. Well, I do give in at times when my will isn't strong enough to watch him pout. Levi has been such a good boy. The 1-2-3 Magic has really changed our lives. We react differently to him and he has responded well to the simple changes we have made. Jeff and I wonder why it took us so long to seek professional advice. I would have never guessed two visits to a Play Therapist would accomplish so much for our family. However, we have been discussing which two kids should share a room and Levi wants to share a room with Ben until he's 33......we do hope to have them all out of the house by then. When we told him that he's better have his own house by the time he's 33, he made it clear that Ben and Eden could live with him so he can have some children to raise. We'll see how he feels about that in ummmmm.....27 years. Until then, we will enjoy them at their present ages. I hear it goes by fast.

Next up, Green Belt!

Levi received his Gold Belt on November 25,2008. We are all so proud of his accomlishments. In this video, he is doing the Kata he had to learn in order to earn his gold belt. He is now ranked high enough to help teach the less experienced karate students, which he really enjoys doing. He catches on pretty fast with learning the steps for the kata because he is such an analytical thinker. If I even do something that is out of his normal routine he is quick to let me know and I WILL suffer the consequences! I wanted to show off my little Karate Kid. Enjoy the video.

Blog Worthy!

I included the picture of Eden just for you, Cynthia! Love you guys and miss you very much.

So, anyone who knows my little Benjamin knows why this photo is "Blog Worthy"! Yes, Ben is actually eating AND he is feeding himself! At 19 months old, this is the first time he has taken an interest in sitting down to eat with a spoon going into his mouth. Now, I know him much to well to think that this is going to last but I am enjoying this moment, none the less. Ben not only ate oatmeal, he fed it to himself! This is a milestone, for sure. Enjoy knowing that this night he went to bed with more than liquid in his stomach.

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween! We had a good time trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. Levi went as a Warewolf, which was a big hit with all the little boys. Benjamin was supposed to be a Lion, although he kept saying "Meow, meow". He was so cute and was talking to everyone as we passed by. Eden went as herself with a cute hat to keep her warm. We got lots of candy. Levi got some "Warheads" candy, which is super sour! It is so funny to watch him eat them. My computer wouldn't let me turn Ede's picture the right way, for some odd reason. Don't hurt your neck looking at her picture! She is growing so fast. Ben is still up to his old tricks, getting into everything! Levi is doing good in school and just loves learning. We will try to keep you up to date as life is SUPER busy these days!

Pathetic, or What?

No pictures this time. Sorry, grandparents. I just wanted to post some new information. Since Jeff and I moved to Surfside Beach we barely get to go out on dates anymore. We have been out only about five times in three years. Thanks to my mom and Manfred when they come to visit. Thanks also to Greg and Brenda, we were able to go out about a month ago. We went to Outback and as we talked over dinner we realized that it had been three years since we had even eaten at Outback. Last night we decided to get a babysitter and go out for dinner and a movie. For all who may worry about who is watching our kids.... her name is Emilee. Emilee is a member of our church. She is 17 years old and did a wonderful job with all three of our precious little darlings. Now, back to my story. So we went to eat at Red Lobster and while we were talking over dinner we realize that it has been over six years since we have eaten at Red Lobster! As a matter of fact, it was the night before I delivered Levi, so that makes it August 5th, 2002. Now considering that there are thousands of restaurants out there, this is not so outrageous but take into consideration how many times we frequent places like McDonalds and Papa Johns. We have had McDonalds probably twice in the last month and pizza twice as well. We have officially fallen into the Parent Trap!
The moral of the story....get a babysitter and go have adult conversation over an adult meal! The food and the company is GREAT!

Guess Who's Rolling Over!

Guess who is on the move? I got her on video this time. It was the third time just this morning, but for some reason it scared her this time. No pretty smiles on this video and it's kind of short but you get the idea. Benjamin is constantly trying to comfort Ede in some way when she is on the palate in the floor. He is either getting a blanket to cover her up or putting her passy back in her mouth, when he's the one that took it out. Levi likes to talk to her because she is always smiling at her brothers. She is so alert and I'm pretty sure we won't have to wait until she's 17 months old before she starts walking!

Levi is doing so good in karate! His next promotion will be to his Gold Belt! Sensei Mike was even impressed with how quickly he learned his last kata and his execution of it on promotion day. He loves school and his teacher says he is such a good and smart boy. He is reading in level 4 already. The goal for most Kindergartners is level 5 by the end of the school year. He really loves learning and it seems to be happening so fast.

Benjamin is 18 months old. What else can I say. He and Levi got into their first little tussle and believe it or not, Ben came out on the winning side. Levi's face looked like he got into a fight with a cat! Ben is sooo laid back ...until you cross him. He is into everything!!!! I'm already doing a version of 1-2-3 Magic with him. He's pretty smart himself and even though you're not supposed to start this until they are 2 years old, he seems to be catching on already. I just now counted him a 2 and he closed the drawer and walked away! :) I love this stuff!!!

Life is pretty normal here, for a family with 3 kids anyway. They all get fed, read to, and bathed. The rest gets done inbetween. If I feel like it. :) Jeff and I are glued to FOX news. I am even dreaming about some of the strategists changing their minds and coming over to the Republican side! I really can't wait until this is over. Well, that's all for now. Hope you enjoy the picture and video. Love to all!