Love These Little People

Lately, I have been feeling very grateful for these three little people. I love them so much! They make my life so great. I'm so lucky to be their mother.

Niah Turns Seven

My baby turned seven on Saturday!! I can't believe Niah is that old. I am really weirded out by it, actually. She had a great birthday. She had been saying for months that she wanted a Justin Bieber birthday party. Bryan and I weren't real excited about that idea, so I talked her into a rainbow party. She was happy with that so we went with it! She helped me plan everything- except the details of her dance party that she requested. It was such a fun party to throw! I love planning and throwing parties! I probably got a little carried away, but I usually do. Bryan told me I was 'intense'! Ha. The rainbow cake was probably my favorite. It was so fun to eat and the kids got so excited when I cut into it and they saw the colors.
Here's the dance party. This is the part I kept secret from Niah. She left the house for a couple of hours with Bryan. When she came home I had transformed our family room into a disco dance room! I covered the windows with tinfoil and hung up sheets to block out the light. I bought a disco ball to hang from the fan and there were flashlights shining on it to make it sparkle. Before the girls could go in to dance they had to give me a ticket that they won from a game we played. And yes, they danced to some Justin Bieber music!!
Niah invited some of her cute friends from school and one from church. They had a blast together!

I set up a photo booth so we could take some fun, silly pictures of the kids. They turned out great! I think I will print them off and give them to the girls as a thank you card for coming to the party.

Niah said it was the best birthday ever!
Niah brings so much joy to our family. She is at a fun age. Very independent, smart, knows what she likes and doesn't like, is friendly, caring, thoughtful, and very aware of what's going on around her. She is growing up. I don't like it! She's hit a growth spurt recently and every time she puts on her school pants after I wash them they are another inch shorter- I swear! Stop it Niah! I love Niah so much and am so glad to be her mom.
Love you Ni!

Not sure why it posted so funky. I can't figure it out. Oh well.

Christmas Memories 2011

I am slow getting to this post, but I want to make sure we write this Christmas down for the books. It was a fabulous holiday for us! We stayed in South Bend and celebrated with just the five of us. Bryan had from Christmas Eve to January 2nd off! It was so great. The time went too fast.

Christmas Eve we took the kids to a movie. That's a tradition I grew up doing and it's a great idea because it uses up a lot of the time that day so the kids aren't going crazy waiting for Santa to come! Then we went to our neighbors' house to visit for a while. They were so sweet and they gave each of the kids a gift. Then, it was finally time to open up Christmas pjs! (You will see a lot of Captain America in this post. He doesn't go many places without his costume these days.)

We decided to let the kids draw names for each other this year. Here they are showing off what they got. Benny loved his guns that Niah gave him.
Before the girls went to bed they set their alarm for 6:10. It went off and they didn't wake up! I was so surprised. I reset it for 6:30 and they woke up that time. Bennett wasn't so sure about waking up so early!
The girls are waiting for everyone to get ready and come downstairs with them.
I made a booby trap this year and covered the doorway with crepe paper and tied a jingle bell to it. The kids were such snoops this year that we couldn't risk any more presents being seen before Christmas morning! I think they liked running through it.
Chloe got a beauty salon and some accessories to go with it from Santa. Niah got a magic wand and spell book. Benny got a Captain America shield and a sled. Santa was so nice this year and brought them everything they wanted! I'm not sure why Bennett was sad in this picture. Probably too early in the morning.
Christmas day was spent going to church, opening more presents from family, playing the Wii that I gave Bryan, and we even went caroling to some of the neighbors. We also fed the missionaries so it was a busy, but memorable day.
" I am strong like Captain America, Mom!"
Here's the damage the day after Christmas. It looks like a tornado hit our living room!
Niah loves her wand and spell book. She's casting a spell on Bryan to be a better singer. She told him it didn't work when he tried to sing for her!
A couple days after Christmas, we took a road trip to my sister's house in Columbus, OH. The kids loved hanging out with their cousins. I wish we could do that more often. Tam took us to a place called Recreations Outlet. It was awesome! They have tons of playgrounds set up that the kids can play on. All of the kids had a total blast. It was great for them to get some of their energy out!
Bryan and I also got to go on a date to the temple and out to lunch for our 9th anniversary. Thanks Tam for watching the kids for us!



New Year's Eve wasn't that exciting for us actually. The kids wanted to stay up until midnight, but they were tired from our drive back home and from playing hard with cousins for a few days. I also had a lot to get done for primary the next day. So, I switched the clocks and made them think it was 11:30. We played games, had a treat, popped some poppers and then they went to bed. It worked out nice and the kids thought they stayed up until 1:00 am! Only Niah got a little suspicious, but she didn't put up much of a fight about it.
I really love having time as a family to just relax and enjoy each other's company. Life gets too busy and I forget to just slow down and spend quality time with the kids. I think this Christmas will be one that we all remember. It was one of the best ones we've had.

2011 Christmas Newsletter

I love this time of year. There is so much excitement in the air and so much to be thankful for. This year has been a good one for us. It seems to have passed so quickly- it goes faster every year. I love to go back and read about each year that passes, so I thought I would document it here this year. Consider this our "Christmas Newsletter"!

Bryan is halfway done with his residency! He loves his job and is so good at at it. It's fun for me to hear him talk "Dr." talk on the phone with his colleagues or patients. He's so smart and really knows his stuff! He stays busy with work (of course), taking care of all of us, and serving in the High Priest group leadership in the ward. He is dedicated to everything he does. We are really looking forward to having him all to ourselves for a week after Christmas! This year, the word busy took on new meaning for me. It seems that we have not had a moments rest for a while! The kids are getting older which means they have more things to do- school, preschool, homework, after school activities, more friends to play with, etc. I love being a mom and would not have it any other way. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have to stay at home with my kids. We have so much fun together. Just yesterday, I was called to be the Primary president in our newly formed Notre Dame Ward. I am so excited for this change! I am also feeling a little overwhelmed at the idea too. I have been trying to enjoy our ward more and get more involved somehow- I guess Heavenly Father answered my prayers! :) This is the way to do it, I guess. I really can't wait to serve the children in our ward. What a blessing. It seems that there were times this year when I felt out of place and alone, but looking back I have learned a lot. I love where I am at in life and I couldn't be happier!
Miss Niah is no longer a little girl. She has grown into a young lady! I can't believe that she will be turning seven in less than a month. Whoa. Niah had a great year with many new experiences. She lost her first tooth, she played softball, said goodbye to good friends and made lots of new friends, graduated Kindergarten and entered First grade. She is a terrific student and her teachers can't say enough good about her. She's reading at a third grade level. Her class members adore her. She is always coming home with notes from them that say things like, "You are such a good friend, "Can I sit by you at lunch?" "You are my best friend!" She is admired by all, even her little sister and brother can't get enough of her. She is very mature for her age and notices things that most kids her age don't think about. We love having her in our family. I wouldn't know what to do without my big helper!
Chloe Nan is a spit fire! She makes us laugh on a daily basis. She has a quick sense of humor and charming way about her. She will be turning five in February. Ahhh! That can't be happening. Chloe started preschool this year. She LOVES it. She loves her teachers and is learning how to make new friends. She is taking speech therapy through her school and at times gets frustrated with it, but is working hard at it. I can see some improvement already. She loves the dog and is usually the one to help out with her and play with her. She is really into being fancy- all the time. She adores anything that sparkles and shines. Her hair always has to be just right and so do her clothes. She has a fashion sense that most four year olds don't. I never have to worry about what she picks out to wear because she knows how to match and can pick out darling outfits all by herself! Chloe loves making things and using her imagination. We love Chloe Nanners and are so glad she is a part of our family.
Mr. Bennett is growing up too. What a joy this little boy is! I really can't get enough of him. He is so pleasant to be around. Bennett is talking a ton and makes us laugh with the things he says. He tells me he "loves me bigger" on a regular basis. He is obsessed with Captain America right now. He wears his costume almost every day and loves to watch the movie whenever he can. His favorite line is, "You never give up do you!" He'll say that and then shoot us with his fist and a funny gun noise. I can't help but laugh- maybe I shouldn't laugh at him shooting pretend guns. Oh well! Benny loves to wear hats. He always has one on his head. He still loves baseball and asked Santa for a baseball piggybank! All of his teachers in nursery can't believe what a good colorer he is. They think he's very smart. I think so too! I always tell people that if I could guarantee that all my kids would be like Bennett I would have ten more! Really. He is so happy and such a good boy. We love Benny Boo and can't imagine life without him.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We hope you find joy and peace during this wonderful time of year.

Love,

The Mason Family

Christmas Tree

Christmas is here! There is definitely a lot of Christmas Spirit in the Mason household. We have been working on lots of Christmas projects and doing things like watching Christmas movies, picking out our annual ornaments, decorating, and trying to keep the kids from snooping! Apparently, staring at those presents under the tree was just too much. Bennett decided to have his own Christmas this morning! I came downstairs to find his present from Grandma Mel unwrapped. I said, in probably too loud a voice, "Bennett Charles, what are you doing?!" His reply was, "Look, it's Woody!" I couldn't be mad. It was too cute to see his excited face. I decided to grab the camera and Bennett willingly gave me a big cheeser grin. I think he knew he was in a little bit of trouble! He pulled the string on the back a few times and then I took it from him and rewrapped it. It's now back under the tree. Don't you love his hairdo and his shiner on his eye? Someone, (okay Chloe) decided to push Bennett right into the dining room chair. Ouch.
Today was the big day to go and find our Christmas tree! We went to the same place as last year, Butler Tree Farms, and it didn't disappoint! We had a great time. We finally got some snow yesterday so it felt a little more like Christmas.


I love this time of year. I love to see how excited my kids get about everything. The anticipation is killing them. They still have a long time to wait!

Busy Busy

We have been busy, busy around here. I feel that as time goes on the less time we have to just hang out and relax. Our days have been filled with school activities, Dr. appointments, vet appointments, physical therapy for my neck, Thanksgiving dinner at Bryan's work, driving kids around here and there, visitors, a getaway for me and Bryan, and lots of other things. It's been crazy! I haven't taken many pictures lately. Here are the ones I have taken.

This picture reminds me of a paparazzi picture or something. Bennett looks like a celeb with his flat brimmed hat, zip hoodie and his skinny jeans! Niah thinks he looks like Justin Bieber. It makes me laugh. Bryan's mom, dad, and grandma came to see us last weekend. They stayed with the kids while Bryan and I went to Toledo to see Les Misreables. This was my fourth time seeing it and it was one of the best. It was incredible! Can I just tell you how great it was to be able to get away, even for only a night?! I needed that for sure. Thank you Shannon, Ferald, and Grandma-Great for making that possible!

I love having visitors! It gives me something to look forward to. I hate it when they leave though. This is the only picture I got while they were here. Terrible.
Here are the kids today. They were fighting and causing trouble this morning so I gave them a Sunday assignment! They are coloring pictures of family and Niah had questions she had to answer about why she loves her family and how she can make our home a happier place. I'm mean I know. They are happy now though and getting along great! :)
Another thing that we are dealing with right now is the dog. She was diagnosed with advanced hip dysplasia. Wah. We spent another load of money getting x-rays of her to see what was wrong. Our breeder has a two year health guarantee. I called him to see what our options are. He said he's never had anything like this happen before and would be happy to give us another dog. What?! Are you kidding?! I will not go through the puppy phase again and I would have to pay for shots, spaying, etc all over again! We don't want to give Mabel back, of course. She is part of the family now. Another option is a hip replacement. What?! No way. Who knows how much that will cost. For now, we are keeping her on meds to keep her comfortable. I'm sure her life span will shorten a lot and eventually she'll get arthritis and we'll probably have to put her down someday. Sad. We love her. It's so sad to see her limping all the time. She can barely get up after laying down and she has no endurance. She can run and play for about 10 or 15 minutes and then she's done. I guess one perk about this situation is that she is a great dog. She doesn't get into anything and she just kind of lays around all day. What are the chances we pick the one dog out of eleven that had hip dysplasia?! Oh well. We love Mabel and wouldn't trade her for anything.
That's what's been happening around here lately. I am looking forward to this week. Birthday, family, shopping, and lots of fun! Can't wait!

Halloween and Fall

Our Halloween was great! The kids had a blast trick-or-treating this year. Bennett finally caught on and understood what to do! Niah dressed up as Susan from Narnia. Grandma Shannon made her costume. It was perfect! Niah was so happy about it. Chloe dressed up as a fairy. She saw some purple fake eyelashes in a magazine and had to have them, so we planned her costume around those darn eyelashes! She looked so pretty. Bennett was an astronaut. We had a zipper malfunction so he looks a little 'GQish' with his zipper open.

And of course, don't forget Mabel. She wore Chloe's old Tinkerbell costume! It was only on long enough for me to snap a picture then she tried to eat the wings.

We carried on our annual tradition of soup and breadsticks. The kids were so excited to go trick-or-treating that they didn't really eat. They were full on candy anyway! (Notice Bennett's costume change. He went trick-or-treating as a fireman. He just couldn't make up his mind!)
Tuesday, Bryan had the day off so we spent the afternoon out in the yard raking leaves and enjoying the beautiful weather. I love days like that.

Chloe's enjoying a snack out in the sunshine!



I love this time of year. I don't want it to end. At least we haven't had any snow yet!