Fun December Month

We had a blast this December and Christmas, from Parties, to Decororating Ginger-bread houses to having the twins for Christmas, it was just NON STOP FUN! Here are some pics (a lot of pics) to show the fun! ENJOY!

Benson having some fun making his Ginger Bread house...

Britton showing his ginger bread skills!

The boys at our Ward Christmas party (getting ready to see Santa for the one millionth time)

Benson getting his face painted at Dan's work Christmas Party

Britton's face painting turned out GREAT!

Benson helping me make apple pies, he is such a good chef!

Christmas morning at our house!

Miss Ava opening up a new doll set, she had so mch fun

Benson was so excited he could not even look at the camera for even two seconds

Britton AS ALWAYS loves his playmobiles from Grandma Connie!

HA HA HA, Taylor was still sleepy but excited at the same time, so this is his sleepy-excited smile

Can you tell the twins LOVED their new trike helmets?

All the kids got new bikes from Santa so we went on a Christmas Bike Ride

Ava and Daddy relaxing at Aunt Louie's

Taylor was plain tuckered out at the end of all the FUN!

Center of Attention

For the first time in my adult life I was asked to sing in church.... So Dan and I sang Silent Night yesterday for our church program! We did not get a lot of practice, but Dan truly has such an amazing voice that I knew we would be OK.
Well I am sure you all have someone in your church (man or woman) that has to comment about everything and be the center of attention at all times... and of course, we have a girl like this in our ward.
WELL....
Yesterday before Sacrament meeting started and everyone was getting ready to participate in the Christmas program this woman came up to Dan and I (keep in mind she was not asked to be in the program) and asked if we minded if while we sang Silent Night she could stand to the side and sign it. We said yes and did not think to much of it.
When it was our turn to get up in sing we decided not to stand at the pulpit, but by the piano (we are loud enough with out the microphone). As we stood up this girl gets up as well and goes right in front of the pulpit and THEN... she stands on top of the wooden step meant for little children that can not see over the pulpit. So not only is she the CENTER OF ATTENTION she is also 10 feet in the air (exaggeration but you get the picture).
The pianist looks at me and I whisper that she is going to "sign" for the deaf. The pianist starts to laugh and says, "No one is deaf here!"
Well it ended up helping me out because instead of everyone looking at Dan and I they were watching her sign. So it was nice to "assist" the solo signer, with our vocal cords... AND ONCE AGAIN, she was the center of attention. It worked out for everyone!

The Best Gift Of The YEAR!

This is just a fun picture I found of the boys that goes perfectly with this post! They are wearing Daddy's shoes!


Here is a fun one of Ava... she is always cracking me up!


And of course my little side kick Taylor... I love that whenever we are together he never leaves my side!

As many of you know, this is the first time since the boys were born that I have had the opportunity to FINALLY be a "Stay at Home Mommy!" I can not believe how much I love it and how I finally feel like I am actually where I need to be!
Even though the boys have always been my babies, I feel like I know them so much better now. Being a single mom, working every day and then coming home and being tired, I still tried to be the best mom I could, but I know I was missing out on so much. Britton took his first steps at School and I can not even begin to explain the painful feeling that I felt when that hap pend. I missed out on one of the biggest parts of my child's life.
Now that I am home with them I feel like I don't miss out on anything. I have had the chance to do preschool with Benson this year (this is the only year I will have with him home before he goes to school) and I love that I am the one that gets to teach him. That he is really learning and he loves that I am his teacher. I love that I get to read to Britton as much as I want (he is our little reader) and some days if he lets me we sit there for hours and read and read and read.
I have always known that Benson's mind goes a mile a minuet, but I get the chance to see Benson use his amazing mind to the fullest. He builds so many things, can do so many puzzles that are made for adults (super hard thinker) AND I GET TO SEE THIS EVERY DAY! I get to see it with my own eyes instead of hearing about it from his teachers.
Now I also get to see the fighting and tantrums and all the other "FUN" things that goes on with children, but I have even come to appreciate that it gives me even more of a chance to become the best parent that I can possibly be. I have felt like I have grown leaps and bounds as a mother and as a friend to my children. My discipline is constant, their consequences are constant, something that is hard to do when your children are not with you all of the time.
Now keep in mind I LOVED the boys school in Arizona and would recommend it to ANYONE that has to work outside of the home, BUT I love that I have them with me and that it truly is a gift from God to be a mother.
I am so thankful for Dan and that he supports me being at home with the boys and that when we have Taylor and Ava in our home (for week visits) I will be able to be at home with them too (even though at that time I am sure Dan will be taking leave to stay home with us all)!
This has just been the most amazing gift of the year, and as Christmas is in five days I just wanted everyone to know that the greatest gift I have received this year is to be able to stay at home with my children.
I hope you all have had an amazing gift this year as well, not something that is wrapped under the tree, but something that will be planted in your heart ALWAYS, as mine has been.

Such A Fun DECEMBER WEEKEND!

We had a blast this last weekend starting with Thursday! Dan did not have to work on Thursday so we took the boys to see Santa.... FIRST THINGS FIRST!

Can you tell Britton was THRILLED?!?!?!?


Then the boys FINALLY got to swim again, but it was not what I thought it was going to be. After being out of the pool for a couple of months the boys had some serious issues with getting back in. FINALLY we got them in, but not with out the assistance of a water noodle. So I guess I need to get them back into swimming lessons ASAP!

Friday night we went to Dan's Marine Christmas Party, and the boys had a blast! They got to see Santa again, do tons of crafts, be with their new buddies Brison and Ethan and run around for hours!

Then Saturday we went to our Church Christmas Party, where they saw another Santa Clause. Benson told me after they saw him that Santa thinks they are REALLY good boys because he keeps coming to visit them! HA HA!

It was just a FUN weekend, PLUS we decorated! FINALLY! So now we are in the mood and all set for Christmas! Now we are trying to make sure the boys know the TRUE meaning of Christmas!

Bringing some AZ to NC

The boys and I are so use to being able to swim (almost) year round and ever since we have been here we have not been able to swim. The boys have been seriously down about this, so I promised them we would find someplace to swim. LUCKILY Dan is a Marine, because we found out that the only INDOOR swimming pool (that is not connected to a gym) is on the Marine Base. So starting tomorrow we will be swimming every week again, indoors! Then of course when summer comes we will be using our own pool. I am REALLY excited though because the boys took swimming lessons this summer and just became fish, and I don't want them loosing their "fish like" abilities!
In fact here are some pics of them during their swim lessons this past summer (June):

Benson learning to Dive


Britton and his instructor Shelley, learning to kick those feet HARD


Benson was a pro by the end of the first day!


Britton's favorite thing in the pool is the Diving Board! He jumps in, gets out and does it all over again. This keeps him entertained for at least an hour!


The boys with Shelley! They loved her, she was so good with them and taught them SO MUCH!


I can not wait to see the smiles on these two guppy fishes face tomorrow when they see the pool! Dan does not have to work tomorrow so it will be a Fun Family Event!

Thanksgiving and our FIRST attempt at Black Friday

We did not take a lot of pics at Thanksgiving to show you all the fun, but we had a blast!
This was my first year away from my family (so of course that was hard), but Dan's sister, Jennifer, and her five boys came and spent Thanksgiving with us and we had so much fun: cooking, playing games, laughing, and so much more. They are from Georgia so I am thankful they took the time and made the drive.
It was so fun getting to know my new nephews and for the boys to play with their new cousins. They were here for three days but I wished it could have been longer. I really like Jennifer and she is so easy to talk to and get along with.
Dan was so excited to have our first Thanksgiving in our house and it went perfectly. We did an old fashion Thanksgiving feast where everyone sat at the same table (it was a LONG table), with a beautiful table cloth, all the food SOMEHOW fit on the table (and might I add I made the best Yams EVER - Thank you Buffy) and so did we! We also had some friends from the Marine Corps come!
We have been teaching Benson and Britton that at the table we never say "Ewww" or "I don't want that." At Thanksgiving it paid off and if they were handed something they did not want they simply said, "Mommy (or Daddy) may I please not eat that?" HA HA It was great!
May I also add that just like any normal American I gained a good 5 pounds from it all!!!! That is how you know it was good, you measure it by the pounds gained. At least that is how I do it.
THEN~
Dan and I decided we were going to do the BLACK FRIDAY shopping the day after Thanksgiving. We had the alarm clock set for 4:30, but that plan soon went out the window when we kept hitting snooze and did not wake up until about 7!!!! We still were out the door by 7:30 and got some GREAT deals! We even got Kung Fu Panda for $6.99. YEAH FOR US!!!! We got all of our Christmas shopping done in one day, it was pretty amazing. I might just end up being one of those crazy "AFTER THANKSGIVING SHOPPERS" every year. We missed all the fighting since we got to the stores later, but I am glad we did. I was so sad to hear some of the stories that happened around America due to these sales. It was also nice to just spend some one on one time with Dan (Jennifer watched the boys for us), I don't think we have had any for a while. FUN TIMES!
We are really looking forward to Christmas now. It looks like we will be having Taylor and Ava with us, we have all of our decor and presents, so now we just need to set up and wrap them all!!! I can not wait!

Happy Birthday to Our Britton Boo!!!

Britton so excited about his KUNGFU PANDA Birthday Cake!


He loves opening presents, with the help of Benson.... OF COURSE!


Britton opening up his FAVORITE present, an INDIANA JONES costume! OH YA!


Grandma Connie found INDIAN PLAYMOBILES ON EBAY!!!!!!!!! YEAH! He was asking for these for weeks. Thanks for finding them mom! HE LOVES THEM!


Britton turned FOUR today! OH MY GOODNESS, he is a kid now and it shows in every way! We actually celebrated his birthday when we were still in Arizona because I wanted him to have one last COUSIN birthday! HE HAD A BLAST having all of his cousins there. He always cracks me up when we sing Happy Birthday to him, he smiles from ear to ear and gets so excited for the end so he can blow out his candles! As soon as everyone is done singing he finally lets out the breath he has been holding during the song and BLOWS his candles out... with a little spit for everyone! YEAH!
Britton was my miracle baby! I thought I had miscarried him at 10 weeks. I went through all the signs and symptoms of a miscarriage. My next door neighbor at the time, who was a delivery nurse, was with me when it happened and even said she believed that is what was happening, but when we went to the hospital THERE HE WAS and the heart beat was as strong as ever.
Britton is ALWAYS on the go and can NEVER sit still. Even at night when he is in his bed Dan and I listen to him sing either the Indiana Jones theme song or the Star Wars theme song until he falls asleep. His mind just never stops. Which may explain why he talks so much in his sleep!
He is my READER for sure, he can spend hours reading his books and making up stories to the books that are newer to him. With that and him loving Indiana Jones, I see him growing up to be a Professor that secretly gets called out for Secret Missions.... At least he MAKES BELIEVE that for now (he is always on a secret mission somewhere with his Indiana Jones costume on)!
Since Britton was born he HATES being away from Benson. Even now it is hard to separate them in anything. Britton has a little bit of a breakdown every time Benson tells him, "I am going to Kindergarten next year with out you." OH GOODNESS! The poor little guy, his heart just breaks.
Britton is my LOVE and CUDDLE bug. He always has been. He ALSO LOVES to eat my hair. YES, EAT MY HAIR! Since the moment he was born he has had an obsession with my hair. When he was younger it was cute how he would come and run his fingers through it when he got upset, or if he got frustrated he would come and chomp it before I knew what he was doing. BUT NOW! We are trying so hard to break him of this habit. You may say my hair is his BLANKIE! AHHHHHHHHHH
He loves to laugh and has the funniest giggle I have ever heard. He thinks repeating the name of King Peter or King Edmond from The Chronicles of Narnia are the funniest thing ever, he will say, "King, King Peter, King, King Edmond," and then roll on the ground from laughter. Lately though it has been, "King, King Honeyboy!" We finally realized this is because he loves our Honey Jar!
BUT OUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BRITTON BOO right now is he loves reading Winnie the Pooh Books, and because Winnie the Pooh says, "OH BOTHER," so does Britton, but because Britton has a bit of a hard time saying it, it comes out as "OH FADEWA!" Cracks us up every time!
As parents we are given the most amazing gift of love, and Britton is so sacred to me. He is my little Boo (My Earthly Angel), he is my Sweet boy and I love him so much. I know that even though me getting pregnant with him was a shock that he was meant to come to earth when he did. I know that I could not have gone through being a single mother with out both of my boys. I do believe he came to make it easier for me. AND HE DID! He continues to make me laugh, cry, tear my hair out (sometimes from him biting it), love, cherish, and understand myself better. I am so thankful for my little boy. Thank you Heavenly Father for allowing me to be his Earthly Mother, I feel greatly honored that you have trusted me with such an amazing and sacred spirit.
WE LOVE YOU BRITTON,
Daddy and Mommy

HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY!

THE KIDDO'S FINALLY MET

We FINALLY had the chance to have Benson and Britton meet Taylor and Ava and we all had an absolute BLAST! Benson was thrilled to be the big brother of three instead of just one, and for the first time Britton also had the chance to be a big brother. Taylor and Ava RIGHT AWAY started referring to the boys as their brothers and we had the amazing COMPLETENESS of our new family.
We did so much! Once again Ava would not leave her Daddy's side and Taylor wouldn't want anyone else to hold him but me. I thought maybe Benson and Britton would be jealous but instead Benson just wanted to hold Taylor and Ava's hands and protect them and Britton just could not get enough kisses in with them.
Here is some fun photo's of the visit:

Here is Britton and Taylor watching a movie


Britton and Ava banging on the drum (which they did FOREVER)


This was Benson showing Taylor and Ava all their cousins toys (we stayed at Dan's sisters house)


All the kids playing


A VERY tired Taylor, all the playing tuckered him out


Fishy Face!!!


FUNNY FACES (the boys had fun with these)


Ava could not get enough of Daddy, it is so funny she does not call him Daddy she calls him "MY DADDY!"


With all of my cute little boys


Little Miss Ava Exploring and learning


Benson showing off his magnet skills


Well if you can not tell it was a great trip, great fun and is now great memories. We can not wait to be together again around Christmas!

SADNESS!!!!!!!!!!

My Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL boys had beautiful, BEAUTIFUL hair and last night we cut it ALL off.




It started out as a trim of Benson's hair on his neck,...



...but the whole thing went wrong and we had to do his whole head. AND THEN OF COURSE, Britton wants to look like Benson.... so his hair went too!



I was so mad at myself, but so glad that Dan was there to finish the job, because I probably would have let them have ugly uneven hair for a few weeks BECAUSE I LOVED THEIR LONG LOCKS! AND NOW THEY ARE GONE....GONE! They look like Mini Marines.

A THOUGHT FOR THE ELECTION

PLEASE GO VOTE TODAY!

Our family (The Pearce's) come from a VERY Political back ground. While we were growing up my dad worked for the JBS (John Birch Society - just google it on line and it will tell you all about the organization), and he made sure that instead of us going to Soccer Camp, Cheer Leading Camp, etc. that instead we were going to Government camp. So if there is ONE thing we are all confident in, it is POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, the whole shebang!
I have been very worried about this upcoming election, especially with Dan being Military. You can really feel the stress around the base here too. So it was interesting that in church on Sunday the Relief Society lesson was about counting our blessings and ONE thing has really stuck with me, and it was....
REMEMBER that no matter what the outcome is on ANYTHING, GOD is still in charge!
WOW! It just put everything in a whole new light for me. Funny how church lessons can do that at times!
I hope everyone remembers how BLESSED we are to be able to vote and that you will each take that blessing and vote today!!!!
GOD BLESS AMERICA

Benson and Britton... It's HALLOWEEEEEEEEEN Time!

We had a BLAST on Halloween! We went to one of Dan's friends (from his Unit) Halloween party and it was so nice to get out and meet people. The boys had a GREAT time and loved Trick or Treating. Benson also was the one that broke the pinata, the breaking of it made a few other kids mad though since they did not get a swing at it! OH YA, my son is a tough one!
Our Costumes:
Dan - Darth Maul
Lacy - Laura Croft - Tomb Raider
Benson - Prince Caspian (from Chronicles of Narnia)
Britton - Harry Potter
We spray painted the boys hair black and they just thought that was the best thing of the night. They each spent about five minuets in front of the mirror admiring their new look. I had one women ask if I was a stripper.... WHAT? Hello what kind of stripper wears a sweater and carries guns and puts on leggings? I guess I am not too familiar with those joints! The same lady asked if Dan was trying to bring out the devil theme with his Satanic costume.... I think she was a little off!
The boys were so excited and hyped on sugar that they stayed up until 11:00. THAT IS UNHEARD OF FOR THESE BOYS!
I am so excited I have a hubby that will get into the holidays with me! I LOVE GOING ALL OUT!

WE ALSO GOT PICS OF TAYLOR AND AVA BEING A SCARY CORPSE BRIDE AND GROOM! It looks like they had fun too! We wish we could have had them... maybe next year!