The Nativity

      One of my favorite traditions in the Bouton family is the acting out of the Nativity story every Christmas. Usually we do this on Christmas Eve. However, this year the girls were disappointed that we didn't have enough people to fill all the roles so they decided to wait until Christmas Day and have Todd's parents act out the story with us. We are so glad they obliged us. We take this tradition very seriously as you can tell by the way the actors in the photos below are in full character. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bouton Family Christmas Card 2012

Merry Christmas!

Love,

The Bouton Family Blog

 

 

Hot Date

Todd and I went to his firm's Christmas party last week. It was boring, which would have been OK if the food was excellent. Unfortunately we had to take our food to go because at 9:00 they still hadn't served it and we had to go back home! It was fun to dress up and go out for a change anyway.

 

Ward Christmas Party

As we dressed for the ward Christmas party visions of beautiful photographs with Santa danced through my head. As you browse through the photos below I think you will have a greater understanding of why it is I never manage to make a Christmas card with all the kids actually sitting together.

 

 

Ava thought Santa was terrifying, she only took this picture because Maya was blocking him.

 

 

Chloe made Santa his very own activity book.

 

 

Dallin stood next to Santa for about 10 seconds before he high-tailed it out of the photo op.

 

 

Chloe refused to stop chewing on her candy cane and

Dallin is trying to figure out how to steal it from her.

 

 

 

Happy 10th Birthday Dallin!

 

First of all, I can't believe this boy is 10! Can you? That means it's been a long seven years since we received his diagnosis. This birthday was bittersweet for me. 

 

Dallin is still hardly talking at all and I know that I shouldn't put limitations on him but I had, in my mind, set this arbitrary deadline by which I just knew he would be talking more. For me, that deadline was his 10th birthday. I set this deadline after talking to another Mom whose son was basically non-verbal and then, at around 10-years-old something clicked and he started talking in sentences. I just knew that would happen for Dallin! Except, depressingly, it hasn't.  I have never talked to a Mom whose kid started talking after 10 years old and I have to admit, it's really hard for me to keep on hoping. I know how much better Dallin's life will be as he grows older if he can communicate verbally and I WANT that for him SO BAD I can taste it. 

 

We sang Happy Birthday to Dallin when we had Thanksgiving with my side of the family. On Dallin's actual birthday we got him balloons - which he loves- and he opened a few presents and we sang to him again (he has always loved that song). 

 

The highlight of Dallin's birthday occurred one week after the actual date when the Primary kids sang to him at church. Dallin went to the front of the primary, put on the birthday hat and sticker and smiled as big as day while the kids sang him, "The Birthday Song". He can't sing with them but he loves to "direct" them and move his arms with the music. As he stood in front of them he moved his arms and smiled at them, obviously overjoyed at the attention they were giving him. I watched the other kids and saw the look on their faces - I could tell that they were touched by Dallin's infectious spirit.  It made me fall in love with this boy of mine all over again. I love that sparkle in his eyes when he smiles. I love the way he is so open and loving towards everyone he meets. I love the way he laughs and how he is so uninhibited and unashamed of showing love. I love that he exudes this specialness that you can't quite put your finger on.

 

So even though my heart is full of sadness at times, I have to remember the bigger picture.  Dallin can be difficult to love and difficult to care for but loving Dallin and caring for Dallin is also the best thing I have ever done in my life. He has taught me about charity in it's purest form. I will always be thankful and joyous for that. 

 

 

 

Little Pumpkin

While the big kids were out trick-or-treating Ava and I passed out candy and toys. Here is Ava in her second Halloween costume, just because she's a cutie-pie!

Pumpkin Carving

 

 After a taco dinner we carved pumpkins at our house this year. The Irvine Hickens joined us. I've discovered that you learn a lot about a person by the way they carve pumpkins. For example, Doug's OCD kicked in to high gear as he meticulously carved his witch on a broomstick. Todd is straight-up aggressive when he carves and cleans out a pumpkin. Maya is artistic and always manages to bring a "sweet" quality to her pumpkin faces. Chloe wanted nothing more than to "do it herself" although she did let me help a little.  Dallin twirled bubble wands and could have cared less about the pumpkins as he was busy snatching left-over taco shells from the kitchen (I think he ate 6!). Here is our photo gallery:

The Carving Crew

 

 

Maya - ever fashionable - even while sticking her hand in pumpkin guts.

 

 

Chloe tried her best to carve her own pumpkin this year.

She did NOT enjoy the pumpkin entrails.

 

 

 Ava was stationed in her stroller so she could observe the carving a

safe distance from the cookie sheet full of knives.

 

 

 Daniella was adorable in her striped Halloween onesie.

 

 Rosie was on baby entertainment duty- I love how

she and Daniella both looked shocked in this photo!

 

 The end result:

(from left to right)

Dallin's, Todd's, Maya's, Chloe's, Doug's

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trunk-or-Treat

We participated in our stake's trunk or treat again this year. For the first time we decorated our trunk and passed out toys to the kids. I don't know why I didn't take a picture of our trunk or of Dallin in the trunk! Uncle Doug, Aunt Rosanna and sweet baby Daniella joined us and that was fun - I am still LOVING having family close enough that we can do things like that together.

 

It was more relaxing this year because, for the most part,  Dallin just chilled in the trunk and ate popcorn. He did try to snake candy out of a few kids' buckets. I noticed he kept trying to take candy from the little tiny kids - who couldn't fight back. They would just look at him with these big, sad, eyes, questioning "Why? Why would you take my candy? Why?"

 

As the night came on so did the loud dance music and strobe light. I didn't get any pictures of that but my kids loved it. Chloe said dancing in the parking lot in the twilight was "the best night of her life!" Maya and her friends got down with the Taylor Swift songs. Dallin REALLY enjoyed it - tossing his balloons up in the air and trying as best as he could to dance right along with them. 

 

Happy Trunk-or-Treating!

 

 

 

 

Halloween Costumes

Here are the photos of the kid's Halloween costumes this year. I've been behind on my posting due to computer problems, you lucky people will get all of my Halloween postings in one big mass! You know how I adore Halloween photos. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Patch Fun

We decided to try out Irvine Regional Park's Pumpkin Patch this year. It was nice and cool the day that we went. It wasn't the best patch I've been to but it was a great place to take photos and you know how I feel about that! We thought it was a pretty good deal until it came time to buy the pumpkins - WAY overpriced! We ended up putting half of the pumpkins we picked out back and picking up some at the grocery store on the way home. Call me cheap - I'm OK with it!

 

Chloe and Todd

 

 

 Dallin - he wasn't feeling very well that day. :(

 

 

 My favorite people

 

 

 Todd and Ava

Chloe the Mummy's Wife 

 

Todd - in character as the Mummy

 

 

 Sassy Maya pulling Chloe

 

 

 Maya the Mummy's Wife

 

 

 Todd and I

 

 

 Ava giggling at all the pumpkins!

 

 

 Admiring the tractor

 

 

 Exploring the Haunted House

 

 

 Maya was having a generally sassy day

 

 

 Me and my little pumpkin