Laughing Out Loud

My kids are so stinking hilarious!! I was sitting on the floor with Nathan and the other three come in with latex gloves on their feet chanting, "RIBBIT! RIBBIT!! Look Mommy, we're froggies!!" I laughed so hard. Crazy, adorable kids!!!

Merry Christmas!!

I can't believe it's Christmas time again! Wow, this year has flown by! It has been a busy, wonderful and exciting year in the Ramsey home.
Last year we said goodbye to business ownership. Mike is enjoying letting someone else be the boss. He is back in school now getting his teaching credentials and then hoping to complete his Master's in teaching. He is hoping to teach high school Physical Education. We are so excited and feel so good about this decision. Besides school and work he is still quite busy with Elder's Quorum at our Church. He enjoys the opportunities to serve.
Gavin (aka Mighty Mouse, Gavinovich, Gavaroni and Cheese) is enjoying first grade. He is doing very well and has started reading things well on his own. It's a joy to spend time with him. We never know what funny thing he will say. He enjoyed soccer in the fall and is looking forward to going back in the spring for his 4th season. He is also taking piano and doing very well!
Caeden (aka Bacon Bits, Bacon Egg and Cheese, Jedi Master Caeden) is really coming into his personality. He turned 5 in November and was devastated to learn that Kindergarten had to wait until September (he was thinking he got to start as soon as he turned 5). He is very artistic and loves to color, draw, paint, etc. He is not as electronically minded as his older brother but he did discover something he loves very much....the Playstation! He would play for hours if I let him. He also played soccer in the fall and did very well. He is thinking that drawing class might be more fun than soccer though (don't tell daddy).
Suzy (aka Suzy Lou Who, Suzy Poozy Puddin Pop, Suzy Snowflake) is the ultimate princess! She loves all things pink, sparkly and glamorous. I have to confess, it's so fun! She has discovered that she loves Barbie movies (why didn't they have these when I was little?) and we own about ten of them. The boys have had to sit through many a showing of "Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus", "Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper", "Barbie and the Diamond Castle", and the family favorite, "Barbie and the Three Musketeers" (a misnomer as there are actually 4 of them). Anyway, Suzy loves to sing and dance and is actually quite good at it! She loves to sing in the car (especially Taylor Swift). She is looking forward to being old enough to play soccer and take piano, like her brothers.
Nathan (aka Meatball, Ham Biscuit, Big Handsome, BooBoo...and I confess, I call him Edward a lot)is an absolute joy. He joined the family on July 15th (2 weeks early) and weighed in at a healthy 9lbs. 3oz. Now, at almost 5 months old he has doubled his birth weight. He is a very sweet and happy baby and loves to laugh. This Christmas is extra special for our family. We are so happy to have our sweet Nathan Edward here.
As for me, I stay quite busy just living life. I love my days with the kids and my husband. I am still in Young Women's at Church and I love that as well. The girls have such wonderful spirits. They both teach and humble me. Any free time I get is usually spent reading.
This year we have truly felt the love, peace and strength that comes from our Heavenly Father. I am thankful for the knowledge of His love. I love everything about Christmas. I love the lights, I love the music, I love the movies, I love the COOKIES, I love the gifts! But aside from all of those wonderful things I love to reflect on what it might have been like to be present for that first Christmas. What would it have been like to see the star and know that the Savior had come?
I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year!!
Love,
Jenny and The Ramsey Clan

Please Send Prayers

It's a sad post today friends. I just found out that a good friend of mine from high school lost her husband in a tragic accident yesterday. Please keep Emily and her family in your prayers. You can also contribute to her and her children (13 month old daughter and baby due in June)through the Emily Jones Memorial Fund at Wells Fargo Bank. You can also make a donation directly through this website:
http://www.johnjonesmemorial.com/forum/
We love you Emily! May you feel the infinite love of our Heavenly Father in this time.

http://www.mormontimes.com/people_news/newsmakers/?id=11886

Making the Most of it

A few months back my friend introduced me to a program called "Fishful Thinking". I will get the link on here as soon as I figure out how but until then...use your imagination! :) Part of the mission behind "Fishful Thinking" is to approach motherhood with creativity and positivity. I am strong believer in the power of positive thinking, a trait that was demonstrated to me by the women in my family. My mother, grandmother and my aunt are all amazing examples to me of positive thinking, even in very difficult times. In the face of tragedy and struggle these women took their lives by the horns and refused to be brought down. They all are great examples of positive mothering!
For my first (hopefully of many) "Fishful Thinking" posts I wanted to do a "Making the Most of Motherhood" segment. As mothers we often find ourselves in a time crunch. With so much time dedicated to our children it can sometimes be easy to neglect ourselves. For this week's installment I wanted to focus on sleep deprivation (perhaps because it's forefront in my mind lately). We may not always get the sleep we need but I want to know how my friends make the MOST of their sleep! I know for me, it's all about the bedroom. One thing I do to make the MOST of my sleep time is to make my bedroom my safe haven! I try to make that the room that is off limits to toys so at the end of the day I make sure that my kids take any toys out and put them in their rooms. I also like my bed to be nice and ready for me so I take an extra minute (it seriously only takes about one) in the morning to make the bed when I get up. I make sure that I wash the sheets often and I like to spray some linen spray on my pillows before bedtime. When the room is clean and inviting and smelling nice, I find it so much easier to relax and get some much needed, all be it interrupted, rest!
So I want to know what my friends do to make the most of their sleep time! Leave a comment or write your own "Fishful Thinking" post.
For more information on "Fishful Thinking" check out my mama-pal Kelli's blog at www.writingthewavesmama.blogspot.com
Kelli I hope I did this right!!! :)

Ramseys v. Swine Flu

In an epic battle between good and evil, the Ramseys went up against arch nemesis,
H1N1, in the most heated play off of the season.
Team Ramsey made early attempts to thwart the advancement of Team Swine by isolating lead player, Gavin Ramsey. Resistance was futile, however, and Team Swine kept the virus in play, overcoming valiant team members, Caeden, Suzy and Nathan Ramsey.
Things looked rough at half time for the home team. Players were down and Team Swine appeared to have the upper-hand. Reinforcements were called in and the team was seen by their lead MD. Excellent efforts and vigilant care ensued on behalf of team Ramsey by their awesome Pediatrician and the efforts of head coaches, Mom and Dad.
Thanks to the help of home team supporters who cheered, chanted and brought in refreshments, the Ramseys began upping their game and by the fourth quarter, had regained strength.
Team Pig made a last attempt with an illegal underhanded attack at players Gavin, Nathan and Suzy, resulting in worsening coughs and, in the most shocking fowl play seen thus far, an episode of barfing. Thanks again to the efforts of their expert doctor, Gavin and Suzy were both able to turn it around and gain possession of the lead.
After this grueling show down the score landed at Team Ramsey 4, Team Swine 0. The head virus of H1N1 was overheard saying that there is no plan for a rematch.
Well done Team Ramsey!


On a more serious note, I realize that the decision to vaccinate is very personal and sometimes a difficult choice to make. I just want to encourage everyone to really do the research. The Swine Flu is no joke. We actually had a fairly mild to moderate case with only one child ending up on a nebulizer(and it isn't the one I would have expected), and one child ending up with a secondary infection. This strain of the flu is receiving a lot of hype. Some is unnecessary. Some, however, is well founded. A few facts to chew on:
* This strain of the flu is becoming very serious for young children and pregnant women.
* 1 in 4 of the children who have died from H1N1 were healthy prior to contracting the virus.
* The CDC estimates that as many as 1 in 2 people will contract H1N1.
* More people have died in October from H1N1 than typically die in an entire flu season.
I realize that vaccinating carries risks but when it comes down to it, the risk of complications from the vaccine are minuscule in comparison to the risks of contracting , and having complications from, the flu. I have attached two links with some information on the swine flu vaccine. I would encourage all of my friends and family to read it and become educated. This last week was intensely difficult and my children were lucky.

http://windsorpeak.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi?flavor=archive;list=baby411;id=20090922153943

http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/

My Little Crocodile!

Well folks, it's official, my little boy is growing up!! On Tuesday Gavin lost his very first tooth! It's kind of a big deal....I'm pretty excited and so is Gavin!

Great Kid Quotes of the Week

Gavin (to a mannequin at Dick's Sporting Goods): "Next time I'm gonna come back and give you a kiss babe!"
Caeden (to me while waiting for Gavin to get off the bus, while watching the lawn guy cut and bag the grass..in a desperate attempt to rid our yard of the evil sticker weeds):
Caeden- "Why is that man here?"
Me- "He's cutting the grass."
Caeden- "Why?"
Me- "Well that's what he does. Like daddy cleans carpets for a job, Mr. Bruce cuts grass for a job."
Caeden- "Oh. Well, you should cut the grass mom."
Me- "Well I can't."
Caeden- "Why?"
Me- "Because I can't cut grass and hold baby Nathan at the same time."
Caeden- "Would baby Nathan get frustrated?"
Me- chuckle "Yes, he would."
Caeden- "Oh." pause "I love saying the word frustrated."
Suzy (to me with her stuffed pink kitty): "Mommy, do you want to pet my kitty? He's very nice. He don't bite. He tickles."
Nathan of course isn't saying much but he's smiling lots which is so fun! :)