Awakening...

This morning I got up and after breakfast started on all of my calendars for the new year (yes, I have more than one:)).  I finally had to set them aside.  Life with a large family tends to get a little hectic sometimes.  There are times when we feel like we don't even have enough time to slowly breathe.  I am not complaining, God has been so good to us, just stating a fact.  I walked away from the table and jumped on the computer and of course came upon my own blog as I was skimming through others.  Looking at our family reminds me of how sweet they all really are.  Having those pictures to look at reminds me of how quickly time flies by, and how I need to stop and enjoy these chapters in my life.  The little things I take for granted on a busy day are huge blessings I'm letting slip by.  Little Peanuts wild hair, the twins putting a puzzle together on the stairs and don't forget the modeling American girl dolls (who by the way played UNO Attack with us last night :).  These are all things that we giggle at and then move on letting them slip away forever.  Seeing them in pictures is a reminder to embrace all those sometimes silly, sometimes serene moments for as long as possible before they slip away.  The calendars can wait, the housework can be put off for a little while longer.  Long enough to fully embrace every moment of this blessed life God has given me, because before I know it the next chapter will begin.

Weekend Fun...

  Another weekend gone :(  We had another wonderful weekend!!  Saturday we went to my in-laws for our Christmas party.  We all love going there, it is always so much fun.  At our family christmas party the godparents buy for the godchildren and vice versa.  Daddy bought a Discovery Exclusive Radio Control Tarantula for our 5 year old nephew.  It really was the coolest thing!!  He and the other kids (9 total) had a great time with it.  After the gift exchange between the godparents and godchildren, the adults (other than grandmas and grandpa) played dirty (or chinese) christmas.  That also was alot of fun this year!  We ate prime rib and a bunch of other goodies.  All of the older kids played (or attempted anyway) Twister.  Then some of the adults attempted it.  Today Mom and Bud came over for our family christmas.  Again it's always great to have them out.  We had a great visit with lots of laughter and also exchanged some beautiful gifts.  The girls received an American Girl doll each.  They played with those most of the evening.  When they weren't playing with those they were out sledding down our hill in the front yard.  Poor daddy has to go back to work tomorrow.  I really enjoy having him home with us.  He is always so much fun to be around.  I told him he could stay home and work with me.  He didn't jump at the invitation though!!  Any ideas why?  Tomorrow is back to school here on the hill.  Sissy is done with her break and will start back up tomorrow.  The twins get to help make clay dough to play with tomorrow.  We are going to be working on squares and circles, and big and small this week!!  Sounds like fun huh?  Today I overheard brother J "counting" the cookie cutters as he pulled them out of the bag:)  "da...doo...dee...do...".  If you don't know, what he said was "one...two...three...four...".  I am impressed every day by what they pick up.  I leave you now with some pictures.  The one of our little peanut is what happens if her hair isn't combed down after her bath:)  Talk to ya soon!!

Standardized Tests...

Oh my goodness!  I couldn't wait for Wordless Wednesday to get over to tell you what came in the mail yesterday!!  Back in October Sissy took the PSAT at the local high school.  Yesterday we got the results in the mail.  I will share with you what the result form says :)  (Pretty nice of me huh?).  Drumroll please...

Critical Reading 57 (You scored higher than 80% of juniors).

Mathematics 51 (You scored higher than 57% of juniors).

Writing Skills 60 (You scored higher than 87% of juniors).

Her Selection Index is 168 which puts her in the competition for the National Merit Scholarship!!  We are all very excited for her!  What a smart cookie!!

Congrats baby girl!  We love you!

Wordless Wednesday...

Look What I Can Do...

Pictures...

Sister K and Brother J hanging ornaments

Everyone minus Bubby and Daddy (taking the picture after the tree was done)

Watching Daddy plow the driveway :)

The view from our kitchen window!

Snowman #1 by Sister K and Sister E

Snowman #2 by Sister K

Our kitchen window :)

A close up of one of the snowflakes we made this weekend.

Enjoy your day:)

Weekend Fun...

This weekend was awesome!!  We had a TON of snow fall on us..probably a good 8-10 inches total.  This all makes for a treacherous drive for mom and dad but loads of fun for kids.  Sister K and Sister E spent the majority of their weekend outside playing in the snow.  They went sledding, built a fort and 2 snowmen.  Saturday and Sunday night they had a flashlight shoved into the fort so they could continue working on it well into the night!  A few times Sister E came in because she got hit with a snowball or snow got shoved down her coat and she was none to happy :)  She always went back out for more though.  I'll load pictures of the fort and snowman this afternoon, they are so cute.  Besides all of the snow fun, we also made the cutest snowflakes for our kitchen window.  Cutting the patterns gave Sister K the creative bug and she sat for what seemed like forever coming up with her own patterns (or at least trying).  She was having difficulty figuring out the folding patterns.  We also decorated our christmas tree this weekend.  Brother J was really enjoying himself.  Him and Sister K would get an ornament and he would hang it on the tree.  Well the light cord to be exact!!  He couldn't get to the branches because of all those silly needles:)  Brother S didn't enjoy it quite as much!  He didn't understand why he had to put the pretty balls on the tree.  Afterall balls are made for throwing right?  We have a couple of ornaments that look like apples and Brother J has attempted to take a bite out of them a couple of times.  When he realizes he can't bite into them he brings them to me with a puzzled look on his face:)  We also had grand plans to decorate a gingerbread house this weekend.  Of course we didn't get to it!  Time flies when your having fun.  Bubby spent his weekend doing what he loves - skateboarding with his buddies and Sissy went to a cookie baking party, a christmas party with her girlfriends and she worked!!  Yesterday all the schools around here had a snowday!  Being that Sissy is homeschooled she didn't.  When she left to spend the day with her boyfriend (Algebra 2 in hand) I noticed her away message read "homeschoolers don't have snowdays".  She completed her work and enjoyed her day none the less.  Well that's all for now, I hear two little men jumping in their cribs.  I'll attempt to post pictures this afternoon at nap time!  Talk to ya soon.

Our Reading Tree...

We have a reading tree in our home!!  It is full of mini beanies and other critters who enjoy reading books with the boys.  Beside the reading tree is a chair and a basketfull of books.  Normally the basket contains all Dr. Seuss books.  This morning mama got up before the crack of dawn and prepared a little surprise for the kids:)  When they came downstairs with Daddy this morning their little eyes beamed when they saw their reading tree all decked out in christmas lights.  Their basket of books was now full of christmas books!!  Inside this basket were gems entitled The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell, The Little Drummer Boy Board Book by Ezra Jack Keats, The Night of Las Posadas (Picture Puffins) & Merry Christmas, Strega Nona (Voyager Books) also by Tomie DePaola, to name just a few!!  After they stood for a few minutes and stared in awe of the pretty lights, Daddy read books to them with his source of light being the reading tree!!  While they read I prepared their favorite breakfast, grapenuts porridge!!  What an awesome morning!!

I Can Handle It...

At 37 I can handle it.  At 19,21,27 and 29 I couldn't handle it, but at 37 I can handle it!! 

This is how the scene played out...

2 year old mad as heck because he couldn't have more milk (only because we didn't have anymore until daddy arrives home from the grocery store).

Flying cheerios, flying couch pillows, screaming, screaming and more screaming.  Crying, crying and more crying.  His twin brother tried comforting him once with one of his cheerios...that didn't work either.

2 year old throwing himself around, even off the couch at one point!!

Then silence.  The end perhaps?  As soon as I look the fun starts all over again!!

This lasted for approximately 30 minutes.  What was I doing this whole time you ask?

I was reading Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse to his brother and sister, what else would I be doing!?!

He eventually got tired of all that fit throwing and gave up.

I WON!!  I WON!!  I WON!!

See I told you I could handle it!!

Our Patron Saint of the United States

Daily Readings (on USCCB site):
» December 08, 2007
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Collect: Father, You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by His death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Another Milestone Reached...

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY BOYS!!!!