cousin stay

I wish I had known my cousins better than I did while I was growing up.

Now it's fun to stay connected through facebook and blogs-- 

I get to see a glimpse of the amazing people that they are.

But I'm glad that my kids have their cousins as their best friends.  

It was so fun having them stay! 

I want to say it was all fun and games... but it was hard work sometimes.

Everyone thought they could boss the kid just younger than them... so we had some fights. 

But they all love each other so much.

 Addie just wants to play and play and play!

And she cleaned up my family room perfectly (above and beyond) when I asked her to 

pick up the toys she'd been playing with. 

I loved hearing her sing non-stop- so sweet.

I couldn't ever do her hair tight enough so I kept re-doing it throughout the day... 

she was so patient with that.

She loved telling Lincoln what they were going to play and how. :)

 Benny is so smart!

He knows facts about everything... and as I'm reading Harry Potter to them at night- 

he's acting it out or making the sounds and faces that the book describes.

Yet he still knows how to play so well (imagination!)

My boys look up to him so much.

 Mister Will is the most low-key baby ever.

His laugh needs to be recorded and used in the movies- it's just perfect and so contagious.

He is a little smiley baby too and loved going to bed.

He never got used to Adam though- he gave him crusties the whole time...

He had funny little baby tantrums- you know the kind when they're still cute.

(I would have those too if 6 bigger kids were telling me what to do all day.)

 We had an FHE lesson about being thankful and made glitter turkeys.

 Miss Elli is growing into this gorgeous, smart girl.

She loved telling me stories about her friends and school.

And she tried her best to keep Addie and Will happy.

She seemed to get along so good with her brother Benny.

And when we couldn't find her, she was reading her books or on her ipod.

Of course we had pajama dance parties!!

 With our clocks switching back to standard time- this little 

guy liked to wake up at six when it was still dark....

 Another 6:00 AM picture...

Our last dinner together! 

I have a new respect for parents of many children! 

I'm already planning my strategies for next time they come to stay...

something to combat the bickering issue maybe? 

I put the VanB's to bed in their own house last night.

Linds and Brian got home at one in the morning.

Before Elli and Benny went to sleep they were giddy about seeing their mom and dad again.

"I haven't been this excited since Christmas!" Elli said. 

I love these cute kids.