Friday, December 12, 2008

Update time




I have been so slow about giving the latest news on our family. So here it is.
We had a good time with my side of the family over Thanksgiving vacation. There were over 30 people there for dinner and that was without my oldest sister and two of my brothers. Unfortunately, my little ones couldn't be there as the oldest three had strep throat, so daddy stayed home with them. (I did bring him a plate of leftovers later that evening.) The kids recovered well enough to be able to spend some time with the family a few days later. They loved playing with their older cousins and being included in all the activities.
The girls are doing well in school. Emily got a completely positive report from her teacher during her conference. She is an excellent speller and a top reader and we are very proud of her. Grace is moving right along in kindergarten, making lots of friends, and doing great at memorizing her Bible verses.
The boys are enjoying time at home with me (I think!), and I know Mark loves being the oldest while his sisters are in school. He is a smart boy and loves to use the computer and hang out with daddy when he is at home in the evenings. Micah is our little charmer. He just flashes that little grin and those green eyes and has everyone wrapped around his finger. Samuel is on the go and loves to be in to everything. He has been the quickest to crawl of all the kids, so we are predicting that he will be walking fast, too. He has eight teeth now and enjoys testing them out on whoever and whatever he can!
Ok, I guess that it is it. I will try to blog a little more often this month. Can't match Cyndie, though, on the perfect record of blogs for November. :)

Monday, November 24, 2008

Worms!



My kids (especially the girls) love bugs. I guess it started a few years ago when they discovered rolly pollies in the front yard of our apartment. Now it's on to bigger and better things like...worms. Grace found a huge earthworm in our backyard this past weekend and proudly carried it around everywhere in an empty yogurt container. She even had it at the park today where she finally decided to let it go.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Cleaning time


Every Friday morning, I clean our bathrooms. Sounds like fun, huh? Well, it is especially nice when I have some help. Micah practically begs to help clean and follows me upstairs to do it. I couldn't resist snapping a pic of him this morning when he was cleaning the master bathroom. He will make a great husband someday, don't you think?

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Funny things kids say

Mark talks nonstop, especially on our rides to and from school. Today's conversation: "Mommy, can we make a time machine? Maybe we could make one when the fireworks come. Then we can see the dinosaurs. I like dinosaurs. They eat people."

Fall Festival


Last week, we attended our church's fall festival. The girls decided to be twin cheerleaders, the older boys were firemen, and the little guy was a dalmation. Aaron went as "sound guy", and I went as a wanna be blonde actress. It was a last minute decision, as I was tired of going as frumpy, tired mom.

Friday, October 24, 2008

My special day


It was six years ago today, that I woke up in labor with our second baby. My first thought was, "Oh no, not on my birthday!" As it turned out, little Grace Marie was my easiest labor and delivery. She was such a feisty stubborn baby but has turned into a sweet and very helpful girl. She is always willing to do what needs to be done without being asked. She is in her first year in school and is doing so well. I am so proud of my "birthday present"!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

I love fall


This is the best time of year! The leaves are changing, the air is fresh and cool, and pumpkins are everywhere. As soon as October hits, I start digging out all my pumpkin recipes. I made Aaron a sugar free pumpkin whip, which he absolutely loved. This morning, I used my pumpkin creamer to make a yummy latte and a batch of pumpkin chip scones. Delicious!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Our pets


I am using this blog to talk about my family, but I forgot to add some important members. We have Daisy, our beagle who we got when she was a puppy. She has been quite a handful, and I am reminded every day that kids are much easier to raise! She is almost two years old and is doing much better in the training department. But, when our front door opens, she is off and running and won't be back home until she feels like it. As you can see, she is a beautiful dog, and once she looks at you with those pretty brown eyes, it is hard to be upset with her.

Our second addition is Tom, our cute kitty who we adopted in May. The kids named him Fluffy at first, because he was just a tiny furball. Then, they named him Kitty, but that got boring, so they settled on Tom, because they love Tom and Jerry so much. He is a great cat and tolerates quite a bit from the kids and Daisy. The girls trap him in their bedroom most nights and fight over who he gets to sleep with...poor cat! He would much prefer to hang out with me and Aaron and ends up sleeping in a corner of our bedroom just to escape the chaos.

Career women


The girls had career day at their school on Tuesday. I had totally forgotten about it, so Monday night we had to run out to find some outfits for them to wear (since I am not creative and cannot sew). They both were pleased with their choices. Bet you can't guess what they want to be. :)

Naptime


Mark is outgrowing naps but sometimes cannot make it through the day without a little snooze, even in the strangest places. Daddy couldn't resist snapping this pic of him on his comfy spot.

Friday, October 3, 2008

The cutest blessings ever!


Baby Samuel

Sweet Micah

Silly Mark

Emily and Grace, beautiful girls

This week


As most of you know, the kids and I were rear-ended on Monday afternoon . It was scary for all of us, but praise God, no one was hurt. The van is totaled, so we are in the midst of looking for a replacement. Aaron has been taking the girls to school everyday, and my mom and dad have been picking them up. I have really appreciated the "break" in not having to get everyone dressed and going everyday. The boys and I have been enjoying quiet mornings at home without all of the hustle of trying to get out of the door by 8.. We got a rental van yesterday, so my next step is to go and get new carseats for the boys and a new double stroller (which unfortunately was in the back and was damaged). Through this whole ordeal, I have stressed to the kids the importance of being buckled up at all times. Because we were all safely buckled, no one was seriously hurt.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

I decided to finally join the world of blogging

I admit it, I am an internet snoop. I love finding long lost friends and reading people's blogs. I have read quite a few lately and decided it was time that I started my own. After all, I am a mom of five kids and there are always stories to tell!