Fun Times

I have a goal to just post cute pics and stuff. Sometimes I try to make if perfect. Thus I almost never post. So here are some of the fun thing we did in November. They are a little out of order. Also one last note my natural spelling and grammar is(are???) pretty horrible. I usually have Craig check for me. But I'm just going for getting it done not perfect anymore....


Emma partied out on the tramp. I was watching out the kitchen window and noticed no movement for awhile. I just covered her up and she took a few hour nap. I have a ton of pictures of her sleeping in odd places. She's mostly given up napping but occasionally she just can't make it.

As I said out of order. The day after thanksgiving we always decorate the Christmas tree.

I was getting out the winter gear and Beka became a "moummy". She says the words mommy and mummy mixed together.

Beka's kindergarten feast. Very cute!!

Our Family feast.

Celebrating my dear hubby's b-day. We went to a 3-d imax! There were only two people in the theater besides us. Which was good because Emma got bored and wandered around most of the movie.

A fun craft we made glow turkeys. They turned out very cute.

those are some of Novembers highlights. I am so thankful for my sweet family. They truly bring me great joy. I love this journey called life.

Gabes Turn

Gabe makes sounds like an ewok?(little furry creatures from starwars), his hair curles around his ears when he's sweaty, he belly laughs, he reaches for me, he claps and bobs his head for attention and he almost always has a big smile for me. All I can say is that I'm completly crazy about this happy, chubby little boy. Each of my babies I fall in love with and I find as I get closer to them being the last I enjoy them even more.

My Handsome, Helpful, Happy, Hankie carrying Husband!!

This post is for my (well read the title). He is the best.

Handsome: I always will love his blue eyes and beautiful smile.

Helpful: OK. I am endlessly coming up with new projects. How about turning the storage room into a room for Anna, lets put in new laminate flooring, planting trees, painting rooms, building garden boxes, sand boxes, making an attic over the garage, yard work.... He agrees knowing he will end up doing most of the work.

Happy: When I've been having one of those hard mom days. Endless messes, whining kids, dishes, laundry, fussy baby, ect. Craig walks in the door he'll hold the baby, joke with whining kids, tell me how great I am and usually crack some sort of joke with me. The whole mood lightens and we make it through another day.

Hankies: Craig always has a hankie. This is especially useful for a family with four girls(me included I cry easily). There are a lot of tears. Not to mention runny nose, scraped knees, and spills. He's always prepared and ready to lend a hand.

I am grateful to be married to Craig for all of the above reasons and a million more. Most of all he is my best friend. (You're GorgeousER!)

Freedom

At the beginning of the school year Anna began to ask if she could walk home from school. I worried, I pondered, I agonized, I talked with others, and finally I let her. She and her friend Mary have walked home almost everyday of the year rain or shine. They've loved it. Sometimes it takes over an hour (it should take about 15 min) . They go to the library, walk home through the cemetery, feed some of the horses along the way and their favorite: stop at the creek and wade in or read by the banks. Last week she took me to their secret hideout. She showed me the various rooms and told me about the game they are playing. I am happy to have given her this freedom to spend a little more time in fairyland. The years past have shown me she'll grow up soon enough.

At the beginning of the year they were caught in a down pour and were completely soaked... and happy!

Gabes Blessing

We blessed Gabe on April 13th. It was a nice day. Craig gave a beautiful blessing. I am so grateful for my husband. He is a wonderful father and husband. It meant alot to me to have my family all gathered together. My sweet grandma let us use her beautiful home to have a brunch after.

What cuties, Gabe was a sweet boy. He's such a happy guy.


The blessing circle guys



Father and son & father and son

The whole gang!

Me and my Dad

My beautiful Grandma

She fills our lives with sunshine!

I have loved this age. Five is a happy age. Beka seems so grown up. I like how I can talk with her and explain things to her. At the same time she thinks she's invincible and loves to get lost in imagination. It is truly a magic time in her life. I love to watch her play and see the pure joy and innocence. I love to hear her laugh. It bubbles out of her and is infectious. She loves music and singing and playing. It's how Beka lives. She is a very full of life person.

This is my favorite picture. This is her cat Jasmine, it's her Hobbes. She takes it most everywhere. She got this crown at Lauren's birthday party on Friday and she wore it for most of the weekend.

She likes to build tents for Gabe. (yes, that's a latex glove balloon :)

Goggles and ... fairy wings? She told me she's an underwater fairy.

Beka loves to include Gabe in her fun.

Chocolate Hands

Emma has always had an affinity with Hotty chocy (hot chocolate) as she calls it. This week she has decided to make it for herself. This involves dragging the stool across the kitchen, climbing onto the counter and then digging it out of the back of cabinet where I had it hidden. After opening the can she decided why mix it into milk, handfuls of it will be just as good!! You would think after the first incident I would have moved it.... fast forward a few days. I was getting the Easter decorations out of the attic. Emma had been with me and went inside. I was almost done and thought she won't get into much in just a few minutes....this time I took pictures. She is so sweet. She immediately says sorry. With her big blue eyes and the sprinkling of freckles across her nose (and a chocolate mustache) I can't get mad at her. Later when she was in the bath she said look mom "chocate hands".

Beautiful Anna

Anna is becoming quite the photographer, not to mention a beautiful young women. These are some of the great pictures she has taken. She's also getting good at using photoshop to touch up pictures.

Mom Rocks!!

It's been over a week since my mom left and I'm getting in a routine... sort of. Life's busy and I'm trying not to overdo it. Thankfully Gabe's such a good baby. The only thing I worry about with him is putting him aside because he hardly fusses.

This blog is for my great mom. She doesn't say this (or even think this) but I realize it is a big sacrifice for her to come and leave her work to help me, especially for over two weeks. She did laundry, dishes, helped care for the girls, got me hooked on tomato & avocado sandwiches (yum) plus cleaned the garage, and completed various other projects on my to-do-list. We wish she lived closer. The girls love their Grandma.

Count Your Many Blessings

I have been feeling so grateful, after I have a baby I am always a little emotional and I keep thinking of all the great people who have helped me so much. My first and most wonderful blessing is my dear husband. He is so kind and thoughtful. I have been amazed these last few days, he was mom to the girls and took care of me, he does all of this patiently and with a good sense of humor:)





I am grateful for my daughters. Each one of them is such a special girl. Anna has been my right hand for much of this difficult pregnancy and is now helping me around the house and with little Gabe; every day she gets him a new outfit with matching hat. She's keeping him in style!

Beka, as always, is full of fun and energy. She keeps life exciting. She's totally in love with her new brother and she's sweet about getting his diapers or what ever he needs. She loves to hold Gabe. It's one of the few times she'll sit still.

Emma is a little joy to have around. She loves to sing and make us happy. She loves her new brother. She's getting very good at touching softly and playing pat-a-cake.

I am also grateful for my extended family: my wonderful in-laws who stayed at the house with the girls while I was in the hospital and then took Beka and Emma to their house, to Derek and Eva who also watched the girls for us, and for my mom who just arrived and will stay for two weeks to help me out. It's really giving me time to rest up and get feeling better. I feel so taken care of. Not to mention all the family and friends who have brought by meals, I am so thankful for all their help too.

Lastly, of course, I am Grateful to have a healthy, beautiful son. He is such a blessing to our family and brings us all so much happiness.