Wrapping up 2015...

As my little rascals grow older, I feel the old saying of "time flies" has really taken hold of our lives. I am one of those momma's who cherishes all these moments of craziness whether we are rejoicing over inchstones...

or we are working really hard to stay sane during the three year old sass stage!

These children are precious gifts from God and I hold the charge of raising and discipling them very close to my heart. All three are goofy and zany in their own way which keeps me on my toes! I love dancing week to week to their rhythm of life. The year 2015 didn't bring any major changes or difficult obstacles for the Clayton Crew to overcome, so for that I am thankful. It was one of those years chalk full of family fun memories...

While we have plenty of squabbles around here, I honestly must say that our munchkins are becoming incredible friends. They truly enjoy playing together and are doing amazing at talking through their problems so they can continue to see how much of a mess than can make together :)...

Kason is rounding  the corner about to turn 7 which I can hardly believe. This last year he matured so much before our eyes...sometimes I have to do a double take as to who I am talking with. He is starting to outgrow a lot of our difficult struggles we have been dealing with for several years. Kason is still stubborn as all get out, but he is starting to open up more and process with us so that we can help him. He is still all boy and wants to spend as much time outside as possible, especially if it includes dirt and trucks...

He is still our home body and prefers to spend as much time as possible with his family. 

 He still loves all things sports and if you ask him his favorite past time, riding bikes with his dad is always at the top of his list!

 Kason has the most compassionate heart that at times can be overwhelming for me. Like I have shared before, he is the glue between our kids. He not only nurtures/takes care of both his brother and sister, but he also meets them on their level to play with them. Kason is also growing spiritually which has been one of my favorites to experience. He loves to share bible stories with us, read his bible, sing songs of praise, write notes...

We have even noticed a change in his prayers. He is starting find ways to pray for others (without our prompting) beyond just what he is thankful for. Daniel and I couldn't be more thankful for the young man he is growing into. One quick story on him: Daniel was teaching him one day about how Jesus said "The first will be last and the last will be first" when he was having a difficult time sharing with Zoe and not pushing his way to the front. A couple of days later, Zoe was making a horrible choice and Kason patiently taught her the same lesson telling her, "Jesus says that the first will go last and the last will go first. That means you need to let Max go ahead of you first, then you can go". *Melt my heart!* Next up in the rascal line up, Max...

 This handsome young fella is still growing leaps and bounds as he rounds the corner about to be 5...oh yes, you heard that right, 5! He enjoys spending a lot of time vertical these days...

 which still throws me off. I am having a hard time getting used to cooking dinner and seeing Max pull up to stand at the kitchen island near me. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it, he has just spent so many years laying down or sitting that I still can't believe my eyes. One of my favorites from this past year about Max is how much more interactive he is with people and toys/objects...

 He has really started to engage and it is oh-so much fun! He will often look at me and smile just to see if I will smile back...oh, this flirt definitely knows the way to my heart! He adores telling his family how much he loves them, by crossing his arms over his chest. Music is still what soothes him the most...music seems to speak to him...he loves to rock to the beat. His therapy has done wonders for him, teaching him how to undress himself and the bed apparently :)...

while he doesn't like to sleep with a blanket or pillow, he thinks it is hilarious to play under the sheet at quiet time. While he grew developmentally by leaps and bounds, we are still dealing with a lot medically...

definitely no where near where we were a couple of years ago, but his weeks are full of appointments. He still sees around 19 doctors and therapists for his medical team...a lot on a weekly or monthly basis. I will say that he is the healthiest he has ever been which is such a relief. Now we have just moved into the life of a having a special needs child. I spend hours a week with therapy appts, doctor appts, phone calls, paper work, consults with the school, medicines, tube feeds, breathing treatments around the clock when he gets sick, diapering issues, feeding therapy just to get him to allow food near his mouth, and the list can go on and on...yeah, he is pretty much a full time job all on his own! He is finally moving out of naps in the afternoon, but sleeping a solid 12 hours at night. He requires a quiet time away from the noise and stimulation every afternoon still, and if I don't lay him down he lets me know by signing to me. I've tried working with him on having quiet time downstairs on a mat while I get work done like I do with the other two...

but let's just say he wasn't too fond of the idea! He is very obedient when given simple commands, but he would only stay for maybe a minute then he would yell at me and crawl off...haha! Although Max can seem overwhelming and a handful at times due to his needs, I just wish you all could experience how worth it is to have him as a part of our family. He adds so much life into our family and consistently reveals God's presence...for that, I am grateful. Moving on to the last, but most definitely not least...

little lady! Zoe is a firecracker in the best possible way!

This last year Zoe moved out of the terrible twos and into the shall I say fabulous threes? She is still spunky and sassy as all get out and can be very dramatic at times, but she is really outgrowing it and moving into processing with me with words rather than just crying. She is just so happy most of the time, she loves to hang out with "her people" (insert long list of friends here)...

she cannot get enough of twirl dresses, loves to evade bed time by sneaking into her brothers rooms, wants to eat fruits/veggies/cheese sticks ALL DAY long, will most likely become a hairstylist (thanks to the daily practice she gets on her mannequin of a momma)...

is all about her school and nastics (gymnastics in her language), and is the best little momma I've ever seen.

 One afternoon I walked into her room and saw this giant mess and was about to tell her to get busy cleaning, then stopped to realize she had laid every single baby she had down for a nap and was sitting in her rocking chair singing and quietly talking to each of them...it was so sitnkin' precious! She adores her guys, especially the big one...

 and Kason is pretty much her hero. I love that God gave our family a little lady to love on and adore...and that I ate my words when I said I only wanted boys. Zoe has been way more fun than I ever could have imagined her to be. I love having her as my sidekick everyday...

 I mean, who wouldn't with that adorable cheese face?!? This social butterfly is growing up so fast and her heart is just as beautiful as she is. No worries with this one, if you don't feel good she would love to pat your face and sing you a song :). As the year 2015 came to a close and the holidays had passed, Daniel and I have found ourselves reminiscing over the beauty of our last year together....sharing how far our munchkins have come, how they are maturing, and where they might be headed. We were able to spend 4 solid days together without interruptions and it did all our hearts some good. One day it even got cold in Austin (I know, shocker!) so we took the kids ice skating...

Max was a trooper chillin' with me outside and Zoe loved the idea in theory...

 but screamed bloody murder once her skates hit the ice. Kason and dad had a super fun time together...

 Other than that, I didn't take any more pictures of our year ending. We vegged together, cuddled, played games, cooked yummy meals, played with our new toys, and just soaked up each other's company. We did have plans to ring in the new year with some friends at our house, but Max had other plans for us like visiting the ER thanks to seizures. These incredible kids God gifted us with weren't even phased by the turn of events, just rolled with our need for flexibility, and had themselves a good time anyway...

 We wrapped up 2015 the next morning with homemade biscuits and sparkling juice! I heard it once said that "Our life is not dictated by our circumstances or situation. Our lives are dictated by how we choose to respond to them." -Jeff Davidson. I am so thankful that we have a God who lives presently in our lives and has moved our family's hearts into a posture of seizing the day. Not everyday is a good one, but we work at finding the good in each day. My prayer as we begin the next chapter, year 2016, is that we can all open our eyes to the way God is working around us and that we may join in his mission. May we look for the real importance in our lives, simplify by saying no to some things, so that we can say yes to life as a family who loves God and loves others!