Christmas Card 2009

I've been putting off taking a picture for the Christmas card for several weeks now...I finally had to give in (time is running short!)....I was dreading the difficulty of getting five kids to look in the direction of the camera, muchless smiling at it!!!.......
Well, they did pretty well, and actually getting them dressed was the most painful part....The first pic I took was the best...but of couse I tortured them with 40 more snaps of the camera :) Ya know, just in case... I love Kate's expression...kinda looks like she's saying "Help me! I'm surrounded by boys!!!!"

This is what WE do at family gatherings...

My family thinks they are REALLY funny..... and really they are....So in our Thanksgiving and Christmas photo albums you won't find a lot of lovely pictures of the turkey, or of a beautiful tablescape, and definitely no posed family pictures....but you will find a lot of pictures

like this one of my big bro..... :)

and this one of my little bro
aaaand this one of my other little bro and his poor girlfriend who is being pulled into all this lovliness...

and of course we have to pass along our nutty-ness to our kids...

and here is one of my little brother with is "date"....yes, you are right there is no one there...that's the joke :)

and another one of pure EXCITMENT

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Here are a couple more from Thanksgiving Day....

boys outside playing football.....

Brian now thinks he has to lay down on the ground and smile for every picture....not sure why?

Wuz up?

Here's a good one....can you see the pie in their teeth? just kidding.....
and another good one of my MIL and SIL

Well, I'm off to scrapbook these BEAUTIFUL pictures for our fall album.....I'm really sad I didn't get a picture of my brother in law....he was participating in NO SHAVE NOVEMBER...and looked a little like an 80's porn star with his "rockin' 'stache" (sorry William--just had to make fun of you one more time) :)

Raking Leaves with Snowshovels

We didn't need rakes in our treeless, snowy backyard when we lived in Nebraska....and apparently last fall we were too busy moving into our house down here to get RAKES for the boys.......So being the inventive boys that they are.....they used their snowshovels to rake leaves into GIANT piles........ Here is sweet big brother Alex working very hard to pile up the leaves for his little bros. to jump in!

We lost Brian in the pile a couple of times! :)

Our little actor wanted a dramatic "falling leaves" scene for his picture....

hmmmmm....looks like trouble.

so much fun....

Brian kept laying down in the leaves and saying "cheese"...missed the smile pretty much every time....oh well...

Kate wondering what we are doing in the backyard when she could be in her warm house! Actually she LOVES being outside....

Run (in the) Forrest, RUN!

Kate has had enough excitement for one day..

HAPPY FALL!

summer 2009

Click here to view this photo book larger

How Could I Have Been So Clueless?

I am a pretty crafty person...at least I like to be when there is time

AND

APPARENTLY, there are 100's, maybe 1000's, of Crafty Blogs out there in the blogosphere...all of which have great ideas that I could use to enhance my own craftiness....HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS? You all have been holding out on me!

I am so excited! SO excited that I added a list to my blog just for craft-type blogs....If you have any fun crafty blogs that you love, leave it in my comments section so I can check it out...

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And speaking of craftiness....I haven't shown you any pictures of Kate's overly pink, overly girly room yet....I wanted to wait until Brian gave up the crib and we moved it into her room, but I finally broke down and bought a second crib for her.....(I think if we took his crib away right now he might have a baby break down----you all saw pics from my last post....we don't need any more of that face!).....The crib should be coming any day now and when it does (and the hubby puts it together) I will be officially be finished with her room and I will post some pics....

Going to check out some more crafty blogs....check ya later!

This and That and the Girl

Baby Brian has hit a little "rough patch" since lil' sis arrived....Now, don't get me wrong,...He's still the sweetest 1 year old boy you'll ever meet.....But he's been doing a little less of

THIS

and a little more of THAT

But it is all to be expected, when SHE invades your world.....

and I'm pretty sure she's laughing at him! :)

Falling Leaves and Naked Feet...

The leaves have pretty much fallen off of all the trees 'round these parts.....

And yet....We're outside.....Playing in the sun....Outside....

In November....barefooted.....

What an amazing day!

Outside..

Playing, Reading, Having Fun,

Soaking up the Sun....

yep...In November!

Ya gotta love, love, love days like this, cause they come and go quickly....

and I hear there is a frost in our future.

A Heart to Heart over a bottle of

Rum over a Capri Sun.....

It was pizza day at school for Nathan---Oh what a glorious day when you don't have to make a sack lunch...~You do however have to bring a drink for your child. I dropped off the big boys at school and was on my way to Nathan's pre-school when I realized I had forgotten Nathan's drink. We drove back by the house to grab a Capri Sun, only to run into our sweet neighbor "J". She has become my workout motivator...She was at kickboxing the first day I started exercising after Kate was born, and she has helped to nudge me along and keep me going....."J' has a grateful and giving heart and she is such an encouragment to those around her...

But, "J" is having a rough week...She has lost 4 babies to miscarriage in the last two years. This week marks the time when her last baby would have been due. She has been getting reminders in the mailbox this last month. Reminders in the form of diaper coupons and formula samples...ugh....She has been grieving for the loss of her children and she has been begging God to take away her desire for another child. I know there are so many women out there that have felt the pain of losing a baby to miscarriage...Will you please pray for my friend "J", during this difficult week....She doesn't have a grave marker, or any physical evidence her babies were here...She didn't even have a big belly to show the world...You can't "see" her broken heart, but let me tell you... It~Is~Broken.... Please pray for peace and understanding...and that she will find a way to use her sorrow to glorify God.....

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During our discussion, she raised a question that I just can't get off my mind. She said, "I know there are women out there that KNOW they are finished having children, I'm just not one of them...I don't think I ever will be.....HOW DO YOU KNOW?" I fumbled around for a good answer, but truth be told I am not one of those women either.....I did not go out the week after Kate was born and have my tubes tied, nor did I ask my husband to have something "permanent" done....

Physically, emotionally, financially and intellectually I will tell you I am finished having children....But--- I just CANNOT make things final....

I think about the day when I won't have to change another poopy diaper again with pure happiness (and utter sadness)...I dream about the day that we can leave the house without anything in our hands and go out to dinner without complete chaos with gleeful anticipation (and dread)....And I await the day that my children are "gone" and it's just the hubby and I and we can travel and be a couple again with excitment (and morose). I am sad that I will never carry a baby in my body again and happy that my body is my own now....I am sad I will never have that moment when a new life is placed on my chest for the first time, but happy I don't have to go through labor.... As each day goes by I feel panicked that this is the last time I will experience this milestone or that milestone......but at the same time so grateful to be experiencing it......

And so I have to ask myself...Why? Why don't I feel this finality that so many women claim that they feel? Do I love poopy diapers and 4 am feedings? Or Do I identify myself as the "baby mama" ....and if my kids grow into school age children I won't know who I am? Or do I just realize that this time goes by so fast and I am trying my hardest to grasp on to any string I can grab hold of to slow it down?...It's probably a little of each.......

As I search for and pray about the answer, I'm gonna try to live in the moment, realizing how blessed I am that God gave me 5 beautiful and healthy and perfect children, and knowing He is rocking and singing sweet lullabies to those babies we have lost, until the time we can be reunited with them........

And at this exact moment I have to go change a poopy toddler diaper and feed a hungry baby....


Liz

Wordful Wednesday

Nick's flag football team took second place in the league tournament this week....good job Bills! Daddy-daughter time on the couch.....Yes, she pretty much always wears pink :)
that "shocked" look is one she enjoys giving us a lot.....she gets it from her big brother (Brian) For more wordful wednesday vist 7 Clown Circus....

Busy, busy with my basketball team!

I am really busy....and really tired....don't feel much like blogging during the few moments I get "alone." Kate is doing well...sleeping for longer periods of time and getting so much bigger! She is an incredibly happy baby...smiles all the time and does the most adorable excited squeal! The boys are in love with her and are all so helpful....Brian has gotten a little more difficult lately, but that is to be expected when you have been dethroned. Here are some pics of what we have been up to!

B-boy at 22 months

Fall Festival at the big boys Elementary school

Lil' Sis----7 weeks

Waiting to wave to the big boys on the bus

Bye, bye big brothers....


Nathan's 4th Birthday party....it was a "campout" party...cake is a campfire..

3 marshmallows at once!

S'mores!

Blowing out the candles