Tradition in Question

      Meet the sole survivor of our Christmas gingerbread trio. This is Mac's confectionery creation. I was sad I didn't get a picture of the other two before they bit the dust.  Four batches of dough and a good five hours went into the making of these bad boys but I ran into all sorts of problems from lack of experience and a poor design. It seems like a wonderful tradition but I'm questioning weather it was worth all the time and effort for 20 minutes of decorating by the kids. I suggested to Zach that we use a kit or graham crackers next year but he was appalled. Homemade gingerbread or don't bother. Hmmm... we shall see. I think if I do it again they will definitely be smaller and the front piece will extend up to the roof for more support. Perhaps I am wise enough now to make a successful go at it. Hopefully those lessons will be as sticky in my brain as the royal icing on the house. Oh the things we do for our kids!

Christmas Nativity

This is the cast and crew of our first annual Hutchins Christmas eve nativity. Meet the adorable shepherd Kenny and his sheep dog Ruthie, the angel Gabriel and our wise man David, and of course Mary and baby Jesus played by yours truly and Lincoln. Being the versatile actor that he is Zach filled in for all the other parts- Joseph, King Herod and the scripture reader/narrator. Besides getting a little rowdy the kids did a good job following along. Getting to wear costumes from the costume box didn't hurt either. It's fun to have a family big enough to put on our own nativity. 

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

I like it here. It's growing on me. It feels more like a town than a city, especially if you drive 5 minutes south from our home. Two weeks ago it was COLD, as in highs of 8 degrees. Outside was also beautiful though so I grabbed the camera and took a drive. I felt kind of bad for the horses, but they seem to be hearty Fort Collins stock. Come visit us and see for yourself. 

All I want for Christmas

I already got what I wanted for Christmas, everything else is just extra.  

 Mac sneaking a peak at the family gift. Wish you were here to hold this little guy. He's so cuddly and lovable. Mac's pretty cuddly himself come to think of it. 

Poetry

As I gazed out the window at the night snow falling last week I commented to Zach that it looked like poetry outside. To which my loving husband replied, "Why don't you go take a picture then?" Good idea. It may or may not have been in the negatives when I took these though, so while most of me was warm in my winter coat, my trigger finger was not so lucky. My fingers were very grateful when I decided to go back inside. 

Mirror mirror on the wall

     Before Zach hung up our large mirror in the dinning room it was propped in the corner of our bedroom. The perfect height if you are not quite two years old. Recently I have caught Ruthie staring at herself in this mirror. It is not just for a passing glance either. She would spend 15-20 minutes just hanging out with herself. I don't think it was so much vanity as having found a friend just her size to play with. Then again, if I were that cute, I might spend 20 minutes in front of the mirror too. I wonder if she misses her friend Ruthie-in-the-mirror.

New Born Photos

This is what me and baby Lincoln did this Sunday when we stayed home from church. I know there is a lot but it was hard to be selective. New babies are so cuddly and tiny and then you blink and the new born phase is gone. He already has our heart. 

Thanksgiving Lighting

I think you would agree that candle light at a meal some how makes it a little more special. A little out of the ordinary from the electric brightness we are used to. Perhaps a little romantic or reverent. If you are celebrating Thanksgiving, a little more authentic. We enjoyed our holiday meal lit by these two small candles that the boys brought home from school. For children candles give twice, once for their firelight and once when they get to blow the candle out. Here's to a more candlelight dinners.

David's S shaped candle he dipped and brought home from kindergarten

Gabe's authentic beeswax candle he made at his Westward Expansion party. 

Hard to Stay Awake

This little guy is 4 years old and hasn't had "nap time" in over a year. When it gets to be time for Book of Mormon and prayers at the end of the day sometimes he just can't quite make it through.The expectation of ten minutes of sitting still is just too much and flop- over he goes. In the bottom picture he made it through the reading part but zonked out when his eyes closed for prayers. I'm pretty sure I can't even get into position #1 right now, much less fall asleep in it. Bless him. 

Wink'n Lincoln: A baby story

     On Friday night I finally decided to pack my hospital bag even though my due date wasn't for another week. My back was hurting pretty badly after my walk around the neighborhood with Zach but I didn't think much of it because I was pregnant- everything is uncomfortable when you are 9 months pregnant. When we were brushing our teeth before bed Zach told our soon-to-be-son to "Poke mommy and break her water." Sure enough, right when he said that I felt a sharp jab at the bottom of my abdomen but no gush of water. We had been praying for some time that if it was ok with the Lord, Saturday November 23 would be a convenient date for us and potential babysitters since Zach has this whole week off for Thanksgiving. We said our prayers and went to bed at 10:oo pm. At 10:45 the flood gates opened and it was my turn to poke Zach to tell him to get me a towel because my water had just broken. The Lord must love us. After a few phone calls my sweet visiting teacher was here with her overnight bag to stay with the kids while we went to the hospital. Being the experienced father that he is, Zach knew there wasn't much of a hurry and made himself a plate of nachos before we hopped in the car. We checked in and got situated but there wasn't a whole lot of action for the next several hours. I had enough contractions to keep me from sleeping but nothing to call in the doctor for. 1 movie and a napping husband later, around 2:oo AM, they started a pitocine drip to move things along. By 6:00 AM contractions were hard enough that I called in the pain squad and had the anesthesiologist put in an epidural. Fast forward a few more hours and it was pushing time. Unfortunately the baby was face up, or star gazing as my OBGYN likes to say, which is the wrong way for sliding right out. I pushed for an hour and a half before she said, "Are you sure you don't want me to use the forceps?" since she knew I was trying to avoid that. I can tell you from baby #1 that it makes recovery that much longer and more painful. I was tired though and he was stuck so I figured it was time to bring out the salad spoons and get it over with. I was doublely grateful for the epidural at that point since I could still partially feel pain and what was happening. A few pushes later he was here and I was holding him on my chest. What a prize after the marathon.He is my biggest baby yet even though he was a week early.

Lincoln Moroni Hutchins

November 23, 2013

12:05 PM

8 lb 2 oz

20.5 inches

We had discussed the name Lincoln Moroni previously but it just seemed to fit with his Captain nick name. Zach would have made Captain his real name but I'm not that brave. Lincoln's birth is also sandwiched between the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg address and Thanksgiving which was officially given the fourth Thursday in November by Abraham Lincoln. You can't tell from these photos but when he opens his eyes one is wider than the other so it looks like he is winking at you, hence "Wink'n Lincoln". We have much to be thankful for this year, not the least of which is this sweet new baby boy. The End or rather The Beginning.

Ruthie really isn't that grumpy. The first time she saw the baby she said, "I love the baby. My turn to hold him"

His sandy colored hair is lighter than the rest of my children at birth and his nose is a little bigger.
Other than that though, he fits right in.

All my boys

David asks to hold him the most but they all ask to hold Lincoln every day at least for a few minutes

Anticipation

I remember when I was younger in North Carolina praying for it to snow. On those rare occasions that the weather actually cooperated it was magical to wake up to a fresh, albeit usually thin, blanket of the powdery white stuff. There was an almost certainty that school would be canceled with anything more than an inch and we would have the day to ourselves. I am thirty years old now and I still love to wake up to a lovely whited out landscape. I've been watching the Canadian geese waddle on top of the frozen pond this week wondering when we would get the next snow fall. Well it happened and they loved it. Having small children is like experiencing things new all over again. Fun to watch, fun to play in and even fun to eat. I'm glad we didn't end up in Texas or Arizona. This is much better. 

Sakes Alive! It's Baby Number Five!

Name: TBD (But all those in favor of "Captain" as a first name should leave encouraging comments. Naysayers will be de-Friended by Zach on Facebook. Can you tell who is in charge of posting these baby photos?)
Weight: 8 lbs 2 oz
Length: 20.5 inches

Poor thing was O.P.- occipital presentation- or face up instead of down so he was stuck for quite a while before making his big entrance. 

His head was a little swollen after the forceps delivery.
 The bump went down within 24 hours