Cupid's on his way...but in the meantime...

A classic pic we had taken when he turned 5! It seems like we just did this but it's been 7 years ago now! He was (and still is) such a charmer!
This boy always has a weapon in his hand, which could be from being the second boy...very defensive! He loves all things gun and sword. He was 2.5 in this picture.
Cody Stark from Fox 59 (no longer there) showed up at our house on 12/3/01 to do the weather and he and E. hit it off...they are both goofballs!
Thoughtful boy, probably thinking up ways to bother me, even at the age of 3

Big boy turns ONE!
My two February sweeties...up in the mountains of Montana (2001)
Dual Birthday candles..Beck and E. once again, E. turning 2, Beck turning 19.
He spent a lot of time in this pose as a youngster and probably still should!
Hanging with one of our dogs...this dog lasted less than a year for us!

a tad more E...

I have loads of pix of this boy...I could devote a whole blog to him. which reminds me, I am thinking of letting the 3 big kids start their own group blog.

Not much happening here...the snow blast that they predicted has once again avoided us. But it looks like we are getting a nice layer of ice sprinkled onto us, which makes for some dangerous times.

Lots to do to day but wanted to get something on here, albeit late for you, Beckydear. Thanks for letting me come up and use your elliptical last night. Hope you had enough energy to fit some B time in!

Weekend Update

Sweet girl with her new Build-A-Bear Leopard, Pawly (aka Polly)

Notice how well I'm sitting up...won't be long now.
I am seven months old now

the coffee shop right next door to Pizza Hut...
His face is frozen this way......

It was another crazy weekend. Weekends are almost busier for us than weekdays. I guess that makes sense, with sports or worship services and then family time...etc.

Friday night, Mel, Molly and I went to the mall with fellow blogger and good friend, Sherry and Sophia. They forced me into the Build-A-Bear workshop (hee hee) and Sophie was so afraid that I was going to lose the leopard (we still have it, Soph...) The top photos of Molly with her new pink leopard are the result of that trip. Last year, I took each kid and did something with just them, and they got to pick something to do that would cost us some money...E. went first since it was around his b-day. He chose a Build-A-Bear for his special day out and chose a koala w/ a Batman outfit (just thought of a great post for later). That idea really took off and when it was Mel's turn, she chose a Hula Monkey (see post from awhile back, where Molly wore said hula outfit)...Will chose the turtle with Superman garb and we totally forgot (but seriously need to) take Levi to get his...I would have done his Friday night but it is quite necessary for him to be with me to pick out his animal and to kiss the heart that they put inside etc. We did Molly's because I was going to do one for her birth and forgot about that too. Yes, I'm slacking. No, you cannot get on me about that. We will do Levi's soon....Gma. can keep all the older kids and maybe even Molly and let me run Tiny up to the mall. I won't forget my camera this time.
Saturday was a nice, quiet in the house kinda day. David worked on the broken treadmill. (It's still broken)...I cleaned. The big boys helped my brother and dad with moving some stuff out of storage and Mel helped me with the two little kids. We went to Patria and it was awesome. It is good to be reminded that God loved us so much that his Son died for us. Talk about the ultimate "Valentine". That kinda puts mom and dad sacrifice in a new light...we can do what we do for our families because of what Christ did for us. And we should do it JOYFULLY! It is so easy to yell and get frustrated (I know, this is how I work)...this is where we take a deep breath. nice and deep, think about the damage we do every time we yell. there. I'm talking to my self first and foremost but if this applies to you...STOP IT!
Ok, back to the weekend...We went to the worship service yesterday and that was nice...we had met a really nice couple at our Newcomer's gathering on Kidney Stone Sunday...Patty and Jeff...she kept Molly out in the foyer for me so I could sit in the service (whatta nice chicky)...I would have put M. in the nursery but she has the tail end of a pretty chunky cough. They are really nice and have made us feel a part of this church body (as well as the other peeps we know already). I think David and Jeff are even going to try to do lunch...(which reminds me, Stickers, we have yet to meet your new friend...what's the hold-up??? :) )
Last night, we rode up to some jobs with David, got some coffee, picked up some shelves at my parentals (nice to see ya) and got a couple Pizza Hut thin veggie pizzas on the way home. Came home and watched "Dear Frankie"...if you haven't seen this chick flick, do it. David even gets choked up with this one.

Maaaaaaaaan it's cold here...I wouldn't mind pulling up my stakes and heading out west right about now...it's nasty cold here and spring can come any ol' time now!! (summer, you stay away, you hear???)
Pardon the blabby post...if you didn't like it, you wouldn't keep coming back! it's like a car accident...you can't it help but keep lookin'. I know. the ticker at the bottom doesn't lie.
Here's to a good Monday morning for you and a blessed, warm week. Peace.

Uppercase Living Party...

mmmm chocolatey goodness

Charlie's Angels...aka, Cheryl, Beth and Melissa

Beck's high school pal, Amanda and my mom

Jordan with Nora and Molly...look at that skill

Beck had a UL party Thursday night, with a lovely spread of delish food and fine fellowship. We had Charlie's Angels in attendance as well as the cutest, tiniest little friend of Beck's, Margaret. (she really is itty bitty and so cheerful). Becky's teenaged niece, Jordan, helped out with the little people.

Hope y'all are having a wonderful weekend...this sunshine has done my soul a world of good!!

I will be posting today or tomorrow on Molly and her new Build-A-Bear leopard she got in commemoration of her birth (exactly 7 mos ago this very day!!)...she is starting to sit up as well...she is so darn happy and cute!

Chow!!

Early Modern History Club

I will post about these pix later on today...going to bed. enjoy!

Hide your camera from your kids Part #3 is it?

Last night, I went up to help my lovely sister with some preparations for her Uppercase Living party (to be blogged later)...I love to leave the camera somewhere in Ethan's area...I erased a few of the nostril and other unexplained pix that were on the cam and these are the ones I decided to keep. He obviously has something to say. He loves to take pix of Levi and Molly. Levi is sheer cheesecake. Poser dude.
this last pic is Will very studiously working on his schoolwork at the island. So what is E. doing when he should be working on his fractions or nouns? goofing off. typical. he is so my child.
Our History club went well today...not a lot of peeps showed up, or so it seemed (cold and flu season is a bear)...but it was great, glad it's over for now. Kara, I could have so totally used your input on this...Why don't you live closer to me??? why? Tonight it was, as I mentioned, B's UL party...awesome stuff. I have some seri0usly fun pix to post from there but I'm going to bed...i will do it in the morn. When I feel a bit fresher and stuff. Good night, all. Love and peace to you!

A bit more E

1999: taken in Pensacola FL
1999: taken in Lake Orion, MI
Big man on (preschool) campus
1999: always with weapon in hand
Arrrgh, Matey...2001
This kid. this kid. He is a force to be reckoned with, that much is true. I pray daily for the strength to mother this up and coming young man. (I cannot believe he is going to be 12...) One week from this very day is Ethan's birthday. He wants a surprise party...ha ha. But he said if he didn't get one of those, he would just want to have a few friends over...I told him Will and Mel were already here, done!
In my next all Ethan post, I will try very hard to recall his birth...and even relive some of the gory details. Ok, just kiddin'.
Onto other news, not much news. Tomorrow (well, actually less than 12 hours from right now) is our Early Modern History Club...and my friend, Christina and I are in charge of it. It's on the American Colonies c. 1770. Such a broad subject. It has been hard to narrow that down enough but we're going to do it. Hopefully I will have some pix of that to post on here tomorrow night. If not, I guess it will be another post on "Why you should hide your camera from your kids, part whatever # I'm at by now". G'night and peace to you!

Big girl in a cart & power outages

Expect more. Pay less.

Levi will be in the picture one way or another.
Yesterday was a very mild day, temps in the mid-50's to low 60's. After Will's orthodontist appt. to reattach a spring, we ran into Target...Molly is just getting too heavy to carry in her baby seat...so for fun, I put her in the basket...she didn't quite know what to think but by the time we were done, she was getting the hang of it. It is so funny to watch her see the world in a different way...I think she will really dig observing things from an upward position now! She was just soaking in the passing traffic...(I should've gotten that picture)...
The picture of our washed out driveway is just to show you how much rain we got last night...there is a big trench from the pool area down to the ravine area...craaaaaazy.
I went out with my BFF's last night and after gathering my children from their various places and waiting out the storm at my parents, we came home to NO ELECTRICITY. If you've ever been to our house or our area, you know how spooky that can be...to drive down Delivrance road (that's what I call the street behind our subdivision, where the housing is very questionable) and see NO LIGHTS, only candles. I thought for sure our street would have lights. Nope. nothing. nada. needless to say, we came in, lit some of our Y2K candles (they come in handy in moments like this)...set up blankets and sleeping bags and read our Story of the World by candle and flashlight. Halfway thru, pop, everything started whirring and we were back in business. We still finished up our reading with no lights on but then proceeded to turn on our Gilligan's Island DVD. I so wanted to blog but I fell asleep in my chair...hope you all are safe and dry today. Much to do around here to prepare for our Early Modern History club tomorrow...and my sister's Uppercase Living party tomorrow night (You can come if you want...it's neat stuff...see my friend Nicky's site, The Scoop on Stickers to see more about it). Over and out!

Whatta Guy

Sweet baby David Y.
D. no longer wears these glasses, or any glasses for that matter,
Thanks to laser eye surgery!

This is a desperate post. Desperate in the fact that I'm so tired tonight and have not taken any pix over the past few days. I'll get back up on it. man, I have heartburn tonight...it's like being preggers again.
I love this guy! This sticker on the first page says I'm gonna marry that boy someday... weird to think I married that little guy in that flanner sleeper.
bottom pic was taken by Kara, loving cousin. We are overdue for some updated pix...but you get all recovered from your neck surgery, k, deary?? :) I still love my '06 pix!
this is a way rambly post but o well...this cat is going to bed and you can't say I didn't post for ya, B. now put that in your pipe and smoke it!
nitey-nite...

Monday morning incentive w/ ladders on the side

Beck gave me a couple of these pix tonight...she lived with us for a minute and to get to her room, when our house was in the process of being "built", she had to climb this blue ladder to her room, where our black spirals are now...
Beck, this pic is sheer motivation. Not to climb the executive ladder of course but for us as we venture to lose weight. Look how smokin' good you look!! We can do it! Being thin feels better than being fat tastes. there's some depth for you!
Aren't my young boys just adorable? This pic was taken in 2002!! Will was 7.5 and E was 6. Where did these little boys go? I miss them!
this last pic is just the view we used to see to get down "stairs"...yikes. Not for the faint of heart!
Ok...signing off and peace to you! Have a wonderful week and don't forget to stop and breathe every now and then!
(O yeah, Nicky, we needed to regroup this morning and we are a-ok..went up to visit with the Bledsoe's and I so wish I had taken some pix of our visit with them.)

Do you think we look alike?

Here we are with baby Piper
Ok, so by now, you know that my blog is more for fun than for real depth. And that's cool with me! Life is so serious and stressful and this is my outlet for relaxing, having a good time and making my little sister laugh when she gets to work each day. I know, also, that I have relatives and friends all over the grand US of A that check this out...so I will save all the depth and insight for my blogging friends! You go, kids! :)
With all of that aside, I was digging thru pix tonight, trying to find something different to blog for B.'s Monday morning arrival to her job...and I had forgotten my dark hair phase (2004)..these pix were taken within weeks or days of each other...B. and I didn't look too much alike as kids but sometimes I can really see how people would get us confused for twins...and to see people double take when they see us makes us giggle. hee hee. whaddya think? (remember, she turns 30 in 23 days...)

A well-rounded young man!

Happy Birthday, Dear Ethan!!



lovin' my jumper!


he is SO much more used to this nowadays!


This one's for you, E! On February 14th, Ethan will turn 12! So in honor of our second born son, I am going to post some pix here and there of him. Will was born 16 months before E...and it's still amazing to me how different they are, not just in body types but in personality. E can be intense and sometimes pushy but it's that pushiness that tells his dad and I that he is a natural born leader and encourager! This boy feels with his whole body and needs constant input and reassurance from us. You are something else, kiddo!
I should have known when I was laboring with him (for 2 days) that he was going to be my stubborn one. (he comes by that honestly...he is so like his mother) Yet while he can be hard-headed, he is also one of the most tender-hearted dudes around. Ethan, we love you and have hope of great things for your life. You already have such a desire for the things of the Lord and your relationship with Jesus Christ is a neat thing to observe.

We did NOT get the forecasted big blizzard and that is a relief to me..though we did get some swell icy conditions...We stayed home today and I'm not sure what we did exactly...I was in an "I stayed up too late" coma. The boys went to a jr. high activity tonight with their youth group (bowling, ask E. how he did)...they really like their youth pastor, Seth. He's a neat guy! (I think he even has a blog...) I went to Kohl's with my friend, Sherry and her daughter, Sophie as well as my #3-5 kids. M squared and Tiny. Sherry, you are one fun gal!
Now, I need to finish cleaning my house so we can get up way too early for another soccer game...who made this schedule that puts us starting at 8 A.M.??
Be back later...:) ;)