It's New Year's Eve. How Exciting.

Moments like this, I don't want her to go back to school next week! She keeps her room so neat and tidy. I'm glad she's not like her mother.


Let's face it, Tommy is an accident waiting to happen. I don't know if you can see it, but he has a big goose egg in the middle of his forehead. I hope he grows out of his clumsiness.


I frequently hear, "Mom! Come see what Tommy is doing!" And it always involves Anna. I don't know if he'll really be any help when she is ready for food, but it's cute that he likes to pretend.


This is how I spent my New Year's Eve before the kids went to bed. And then I spent an hour cleaning the kitchen after that. I'm glad my husband likes his job, but there's just sometimes I wish he was here.

So how are all of you spending New Year's Eve? I guess I can read your blogs and find out. :)

Update

Well, it's just been a crappy day. Bad news about Val, and I had to say goodbye to Jenny in person- they leave for AZ in a couple days. I am not a crier, but I am about ready to weep a big puddle.

How do you decide when to take a person off life support? I don't expect an answer for that, but just something that has been going through my mind all day. Val responds to commands by blinking. She made it known today (by blinking 3 times for yes) that she would want to be rescusitated (I am too tired to look up the correct spelling, sorry) if her heart stopped working. My mother-in-law, affectionately known as Maude, is basically the big decision maker. Her baby sister is laying in a hospital bed looking at her. I just can't imagine.

I would like a response, though, for this question...

What are your favorite bible verses that you would turn to in times like these?

Please Pray for Our Family

Our family is going through a rough time right now. Casey and Laurie's favorite aunt (Val) had a stroke Sunday morning. She is only in her early 40's. Things are not looking good right now. I just got off the phone with my mother-in-law (Val is her youngest sibling), and they told her that a decision will have to be made in the next couple days... the ventilator is doing all the work. They think Val does recognize people, and she has never met our baby Anna, so they are going to see if we can take Anna up to meet her. My mother-in-law just lost her mother less than 2 years ago, and this is going to be really hard on her especially. Please pray for us. Val is saved, halleluja, but it is still so hard on all of us left behind.

The past few days have been busy busy! Here are a few pictures...


Christmas eve day was spent at Laurie and Dean's. The kids were spoiled rotten.


Grandma came through big time with this lock box for Adam. He loves coins, dimes in particular.


We spent Christmas day at my parent's. We keep threatening to get rid of our tv and put a piano in the living room. They like my mom's organ so much maybe it would be a good idea.


This is how you burn off your extra pie- you go out and dig tunnels!


I got to spend a good portion of today with mi amiga Jenny. She lives near Mexico now, so I like to throw around a little Spanish when it seems appropriate. We went to Laurie and Dean's so she could meet Addie, had lunch at Culver's and shopped at various hot spots in Saginaw- that means JoAnne fabrics and Family Bookstore. :)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas friends! We had a wonderful time at Laurie and Dean's yesterday. We are off to my parents today.

I am so thankful for Jesus-it's his birthday that we are celebrating. The mom in me wonders if Mary baked him a birthday cake. Just one more question to put on my list for when I see him.

Snowy Weekend

The snow that came on Friday was amazing, it totaled about a foot. And the wind on Sunday made travel even more interesting, just ask Stephanie.


With all the snow around here we definitely had to wear our boots to church! I don't mean to take pictures of only Tommy and Abby, but the older two basically run and hide from the camera most of the time.


The plastic tree hasn't lost any of it's splendor. It might be missing a few pieces now, but none of it's splendor.


This sweet child of mine (4 1/2 months) is ready to crawl, I kid you not. She rocks until she falls on her face, she has the rug burn on her face to prove it.

Getting So Big

Rachel is the easy one to Christmas shop for. All she wants to do is write, draw, and color. She came home from school today with this little notebook, and she scurried to her room to start filling it up with words. Well, not just words, but complete sentences. It really is amazing. She did a whole review of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer tonight.


My boys are looking so grown up here. Becky is starting to weep now thinking about her own boys. Sorry, Becky. Adam is holding a little nutcracker that he got from his teacher. He really likes her, I think she "gets" him. She even brought him a bottle cap from her daughter, he was so excited.


Our neighbor Lou got us this Christmas tree with a little train that goes around and around- the kids LOVE it. They would sit and watch it for hours. I had to make them take shifts because they were fighting over who got to sit directly in front of it. I love Abby's hands here. :)

What I do in my Spare Time

(picture from http://www.doctorspiller.com/meth_mouth.htm)

I have never seen a case of Meth Mouth in real life, but I enjoy looking at pictures of gross things. I thought maybe some of you would enjoy it, too. As Casey would say in his best South Park voice, "Drugs are bad, mmm kay?"

It's too early for this

This is what Anna has to put up with the minute she gets up. Can you feel the love?


We love new snow! Abby and Tommy couldn't wait to go out and help shovel.

Well, I need to make some cookies now for a cookie exchange at work this afternoon. I can't wait to see what everybody is making! Have a great day everyone!

Just For Fun

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Each year, you really get into the spirit of Christmas. Which is much more important to you than nifty presents.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

The Tree- for Pam

Oh the tree trimming is such a chore with all these kids running circles around me. So we waited until Tommy, Abby, and Anna were all asleep this afternoon and got right to it. Yes, the tree is in the basement again. I am not spending the time tethering it to the wall in the living room.


And now for a few favorite ornaments...
(Sorry about the glare)


The beaded bell ornament comes all the way from Indonesia from some missionary friends of my parents.

The old-fashioned couple was a wedding gift from my 2 favorite little patients when I was a dental hygiene student. I thought that was really sweet for the girls' mom to do that for me!

I believe Barb got me this Noah's Ark ornament. I wish I could paint cute little pictures like that.

My Boys

Tommy will be 4 in March, and he desperately wants to be done with his naps. However, if he misses his nap because I am feeling really nice, this is how he ends up by suppertime. How can I disrupt this peaceful slumber?


My boys are needy. Or should I say they put on a good needy act because they are lazy... yeah I'm pretty sure that's what it is. So tonight when Adam asked if he could make his pb & j sandwich all by himself I was more than happy to oblige. However, I was hoping he would leave some jam for me.

Overheard

Adam (5)- "I am going to stay at this house till I'm 20 years old!"

Casey-" I don't think you're staying that long."

Yesterday's happenings

Yesterday's excitement occurred at the dentist office- I have braces on my top teeth now. I try to cock my head so you don't see the ugly side.


I couldn't figure out how to balance Anna on top, so we just left her out.


Rachel is getting Anna started on early reading.

Dancing

They were in rare form tonight, dancing up a storm.

Tommy is wearing a name tag because we had MOPS this morning, not because I am starting to forget who's who.


Adam was very upset that he couldn't dance with Abby, Rachel and Tommy were hogging her.


Abby has no idea how popular she is. I hope it stays that way.


Now he's a happy camper!

Nope

After soaking overnight in lemon juice, the lid still smells like chopped green chilies. Not even a hint of lemon. Hmmm, Cathy had an interesting suggestion, but I think the gasoline and matches is sounding a bit intriguing at this point.

Lid Update

After Jenny's comment of "baking soda fixes everything" and Kate's suggestion of maybe soaking in baking soda and water, I decided to go that route first. Unfortunately, after several hours of soaking, the lid smells like a cheap Mexican restaurant. So, on to Pam's suggestion of lemon juice. Wish me luck!

And yes, I know my hair is looking rather shaggy. That will also be taken care of this week. Yes Amanda, I'm talking to you.

I should know the answer to this

Some of you may know how I adore my random collection of Pampered Chef items. Well, last night after a late night phone conversation with Jenny in the A Z, I was starving. So I got out my little Pampered Chef bowl that had some applesauce in it and plopped down in front of the tv to have my snack. Imagine my shock and horror when I discovered that my applesauce tasted exactly like chopped green chilies. That's right, chopped green chilies, because that's what was in the bowl previous to the applesauce.

So my question to you is- How do I get the pepper stink off the plastic lid? I hate to throw out anything that says Pampered Chef on it.

We had some cute little visitors this afternoon- our niece and nephew (along with their parents and a grandma)!


My little Anna, she'll be 4 months old tomorrow. She is rolling all over the place (only in one direction). When I left the room she was on the blanket, when I came back she was up against the tv stand chewing on Adams pajamas.

The Best Day of the Year

Today is Dec, 4- our 9 year anniversary! We celebrated yesterday because it was easier for Casey to get work off on Wednesday. My mom and grandma came for the day to watch the kids, and we ran all over town spending all our money. We shopped at Kohl's, had lunch at Applebee's, went to the mall, Family bookstore, dinner at Red Lobster, Barnes and Noble, and finally back home. We have so much fun together, it really doesn't matter where we are. I often wonder why God is so good to me. I don't deserve him. He is a wonderful man. But I will just trust that HE knows what he is doing and I'll rest in that. In the mean time I need to do a few laps around the block to burn off this cheesecake.

Snow and Silliness

Abby is looking like such a big girl these days. Here she is all ready for church!




Sunday afternoon I watched the beautiful snow fall while I made bread. There were no Sun. night classes, so we just relaxed at home!






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Now for some Monday night fun- Adam with his pajamas stuffed full of stuffed animals. Casey didn't find it nearly as humorous as I did, but that's because he was home with all 5 kids today while I was at work. What a guy!


"Look at me! I'm a monstah!" (she means MONSTER just incase you wondered)


Jackie, the kids would love those sumo wrestling suits!