V. F. Homeschool

Uncomfortable Blessings

2012-02-13T11:55:00.000-06:00

I don't know if it is because of the two miscarriages last year and how it seems longer between babies than my other pregnancies, but this pregnancy I am really aware of each and every day. This pregnancy, more so than with others, stories have come to my attention about babies dying in the womb, being born still, cord accidents, and near misses. That kind of thing. It definitely changes how I view certain discomforts.

For example, the little nudge that feels like it broke my tailbone. (one of my kids definitely bruised it!) Or the rollover that took my breath away. Or the kicks that make my heart skip a beat (literally) or start racing. Or the push that almost dislocates a rib. At least she's still making her presence known. Even the movements that make me race for the bathroom or hurt enough to cause tears to fall are blessings. This, too, shall pass, and hopefully sometime in April (or March) this baby will be here in my arms instead of just below my heart. Sometimes causing it to hurt physically. Always tied to it emotionally. Along with my other 9 blessings in disguise. Forever!

February 13th 366 challenge

2012-02-13T10:27:00.000-06:00

2/13/12

First snow this winter! Here's my all white picture today, except for small spots of black where stuff shows through the snow...

February 12th 366 challenge

2012-02-13T10:24:00.000-06:00

2/12/12

The girls' room gets cold.... this is Liberty going down for a nap and saying CODE! (we put a heater in there.) I also love that Joseph's bear is her 'baby' and he's all wrapped up in a blankie, too, pink even.

February 11th 366 challenge

2012-02-11T17:37:00.000-06:00

2/11/12

Someone is tired... even Super Christophers need naps.

February 10th 366 challenge

2012-02-11T17:35:00.000-06:00

2/10/12

This girl LOVES butterflies, so when I found another clearance set her size... and Em did the hair with TWO butterfly barrettes. Lib was in heaven!

February 9th 366 challenge

2012-02-11T17:31:00.000-06:00

2/9/12

Tom in his Missouri cold weather hat. It kept him warm Friday night with wind chills below zero! I can still make fun of it, though.

February 8th 366 challenge

2012-02-11T16:41:00.000-06:00

2/8/12

It's a Liberty in a box!

February 7th 366 challenge

2012-02-08T10:38:00.000-06:00

2/7/12

Matching shirt day for 3 of my middle boys... they wanted a picture when they noticed.

February 6th 366 challenge

2012-02-08T10:35:00.000-06:00

2/6/12

Ice cream!

February 5th 366 challenge

2012-02-08T10:31:00.000-06:00

2/5/12

Cousins, all ready for church. These two are only a few months apart... we had 3 year old BOY collaboration going on in the house last weekend... !!! :)

February 4th 366 challenge

2012-02-08T10:29:00.000-06:00

2/4/12

What? Sometimes I catch her offguard...

February 3rd 366 challenge

2012-02-08T10:25:00.000-06:00

2/3/12

Quick! Adjust the glasses before Mom takes a picture... too late. Mom was on a picture taking rampage.

February 2nd 366 challenge

2012-02-08T10:23:00.000-06:00

2/2/12

It's faces like this that remind me I have a 5 year old boy. Again. (I've done this 4 times before!!!!)

February 1st 366 challenge

2012-02-02T19:55:00.000-06:00

2/1/12

This is a nazar boncuğu from Turkey. Our brother in law Cameron brought it back with him for us. It is supposed to ward off the evil eye. It's also sparkly :) Here is a link to more about it from Wikipedia.

Samuel turned 7!

2012-01-31T22:13:00.000-06:00

The baby boy we thought would be born at home in Pennsylvania (due to expecting lots of snow and no way to drive to the hospital in Punxsutawney) (not to mention he was due a week before Groundhog Day...) was instead born in Amarillo Texas 7 years ago this month. He has brought a lot of fun memories to our home, and a lot of giggles and grins, too. I can't believe it's been 7 years!

This is our shy boy. If you never see him at home you might wonder if he ever talks. We brought him to our first house closing in Texas because there was no way he was going to stop crying if we left him at our friends. He didn't speak at all in Nursery class (church class for ages 18 months to 3 years...) and still doesn't talk much in Primary. He did give a talk a few weeks ago about Gifts (the gift of Agency, specifically) He enjoyed his gifts for his birthday, and his birthday cards, too.

He has the best sense of humor. It started before he even turned 2... we have a video of him running around the house with a bucket on his head, laughing hysterically. We were laughing, too! He still has a great laugh. Right now he loves Legos, being a Ninja, telling jokes, reading Harry Potter, playing video games, and being with his family. He is pretty smart for his age and sometimes it's hard to keep up with him. He is learning how to play the piano as well as many other new things. He looks forward to being baptized next year and starting Cub Scouts.

We love having him as part of our family!


Birthday dinner... there's a story to this picture...


And here it is... June 2005... Samuel's first solid food (we were just teasing him, though... poor guy!)

Nightmare Before Christmas Trivia!

Blowing out 7 candles!

This is Samuel when he was 3...

January 31st 366 challenge

2012-01-31T21:35:00.000-06:00

1/31/12

This is Christopher's grumpy face. It makes me smile. Oh, and he dresses himself, too. That makes me smile.

January 30th 366 challenge

2012-01-30T22:42:00.000-06:00

1/30/12

Kind of random, but one of the people who helped with our closing today brought a flower for me. :) Kids were so interested in it and how a real flower smelled and felt and looked. (hello, we have roses in our backyard... well, in the summer... ) And yes, we closed on our house today. We're homeowners again!

January 29th 366 challenge

2012-01-30T22:36:00.000-06:00

1/29/12

Comparing pacifiers with cousin Lila. Good to see family this weekend!

January 28th 366 challenge

2012-01-30T22:32:00.000-06:00

1/28/12

Snuggling with Grandma V :)

January 27th 366 challenge

2012-01-30T22:30:00.000-06:00

1/27/12

First snow storm we drove through... the second one slowed us down more because it was dark and there was well, more snow. This is the one in Missouri. The second one was when we were almost there! Just slowed us down quite a bit, we still got there safely.

January 26th 366 challenge

2012-01-30T22:27:00.000-06:00

1/26/12

My baby girl (for a few more months...) just happy to be here with us.

Stationery card

2012-01-30T12:46:00.001-06:00

Sweet Little Hearts Valentine's Card

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View the entire collection of cards.

Stationery card

2012-01-30T12:26:00.001-06:00

Sweet Little Hearts Valentine's Card

Shutterfly offers custom St. Patrick's Day cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

January 25th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T12:08:00.000-06:00

1/25/12

Liberty on the way out of her room, away from Emilie who was taking the picture. She loves looking pretty, thus the flowers on every article of clothing. She can be a girly girl!

January 24th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T12:06:00.000-06:00

1/24/12

Christopher is still sick. I think this goes past the ear infection it was last Thursday.

January 23rd 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:59:00.000-06:00

1/23/12

Who needs a pillow when you have a Pooh?

January 22nd 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:56:00.000-06:00

1/22/12

Stayed home from church. Lots of sickies here again. Trying not to share! Here are Liberty and Timothy looking out the window at the cars passing by. It's bright outside... though NOT due to snow.

January 21st 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:51:00.000-06:00

1/21/12

Nathanael's 2nd Pinewood Derby... his is the white car in the front of the picture... kind of blends in :)

January 20th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:49:00.000-06:00

1/20/12

Happy Birthday Samuel! more about him later... he sure likes cake!

January 19th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:47:00.000-06:00

1/19/12

More free stuff! BzzAgent campaign for Kroger "Comforts" brand baby stuff. Diapers, cups, and wipes. I guess they have a good line of stuff, because everything we've tried so far is great!

January 18th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:44:00.000-06:00

1/18/12

A pillowcase, fashioned into a lovely hat for Kool-aid face Timothy...

January 17th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:42:00.000-06:00

1/17/12

Walgreens "Nice!" House Party goods showed up... fun stuff for free to share!

January 16th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:38:00.000-06:00

1/16/12

Watching Dad play Wii golf... wheeeee. LOL.

January 15th 366 challenge (Kansas City Missour temple!)

2012-01-25T11:33:00.000-06:00

1/15/12

More progress... we know there's only a few months left!

January 14th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:27:00.000-06:00

1/14/12

Click! That's what she was saying as she pretended to take a picture of me. Something I'll remember about this month is that Liberty is starting to talk! Reliably... mostly... as long as we took her plug away.

January 13th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:25:00.000-06:00

1/13/12

Weird flash malfunction but Nathanael liked it...

January 12th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:23:00.000-06:00

1/12/12

Our pitiful snow so far this year... though it DID make driving difficult, with the layer of ice underneath and all. Plus hills in any direction from our house... We opted to stay home.

January 11th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:18:00.000-06:00

1/11/12

Christopher's socks really do match his outfit, even though they don't match each other... so proud.

January 10th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:11:00.000-06:00

1/10/12

Daily bread. I love when it looks pretty. It doesn't always...

January 9th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:09:00.000-06:00

1/9/12

Liberty ran into a table... she looks like a football player.

January 8th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:08:00.000-06:00

1/8/12

The day the Clints left. :( Our friends, from Colorado and most recently New Zealand, who are also now back in New Zealand, came to stay with us a few days. We've done this many times over the years since Sara and I were floor-mates at BYU our freshman year... our kids mostly match up in ages (minus Timothy) Here are all 15 kiddos!

January 7th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T11:02:00.000-06:00

1/7/11

She loves sitting next to Dad. Goofy kid.

January 6th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T10:56:00.000-06:00

1/6/12

Having fun playing outside! It's been a warm January!

January 5th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T10:54:00.000-06:00

1/5/12

Epic game of Jenga with friends... note the observers...

January 4th 366 challenge

2012-01-25T10:42:00.000-06:00

1/4/12

Michael wanted a new closeup.... :) Love my eldest boy. I can't believe he's 15 years old.

January 3rd 366 challenge

2012-01-25T10:03:00.000-06:00

1/3/12

We did it. We got a Wii. I didn't think we needed another game system, but need really isn't a word you use with video games, is it? Everyone in the family combined gift cards and we went and picked this up, plus controllers and some games.

January 2nd 366 challenge

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

1/2/12

Fuzzy new (clearance) Santa hats to replace the old ratty felt ones!

January 1st 366 challenge

2012-01-25T09:56:00.000-06:00

1-1-12

It looks almost done! So excited. What a great view for New Year's Day! And yes, for some reason I don't do very well at this unless I post them on the blog... so here we go again!

Kansas City Missouri temple January 8th, 2012

2012-01-10T11:43:00.000-06:00

1/8/12

Cloudier today. This is from the parking lot of the church building. Just a different angle. You can see how great the windows are looking. Wow this building has come a long way since we moved here in August of 2010!

366 challenge?

2012-01-10T10:49:00.001-06:00

I have been doing them on facebook... but I know I'm going to run out of room on here for more pictures. I will be posting a link to the album so everyone can see... but I am still figuring out what to do for our blog.

Facebook 366 challenge photo album

Enjoy! We're already having a good year.

Kansas City Missouri temple January 1st, 2012

2012-01-04T14:28:00.000-06:00

Beautiful day for taking pictures of the temple. Everything with the windows and doors seems to be done except for the front door (behind a tree with this last picture). Lots of landscaping done. Fencing getting done. We are so excited! It looks beautiful and it is so neat seeing it every Sunday and through the week as we meet at the building next door!

December 31st 365 challenge

2011-12-31T22:11:00.000-06:00

12/31/11

New Year's Eve party! Lots of fun, food, friends, family... Happy New Year!

December 30th 365 challenge

2011-12-31T10:43:00.000-06:00

12/30/11

Video chat with friends in Colorado (most recently in New Zealand). After disappointing news that they won't be here this weekend, this cheered everyone up on both sides of the country!

December 29th 365 challenge

2011-12-29T23:55:00.000-06:00

12/29/11

Ready to go out for our anniversary... leaving our kids in the capable hands of... our older children. 16 years of marriage and we still look this good. Looking forward to many more years together!

December 28th 365 challenge

2011-12-29T11:24:00.000-06:00

12/28/11

One of my favorite birthday presents (my other favorite is my Plants Vs. Zombies game the kids gave me... but that's another story haha!) is the green book there alongside the other Eragon books. Michael was probably more excited about it than I was. I'm sure in time the 4th book will look as worn as the first 3 in the series...

December 27th 365 challenge

2011-12-28T15:48:00.000-06:00

12/27/11

Tom's favorite Christmas gift... the extended Lord of the Rings set on Blu-Ray. :) Just showing it with our old, worn out copies of the books.

December 26th 365 challenge

2011-12-27T17:44:00.001-06:00

12/26/11

Hot chocolate is so good. She kept slurping it and saying MMMM. Ahhhhhh! Yum yum! Then drinking some more. We like hot chocolate as a Christmas surprise... one of our traditions. Liberty appreciates it! I did get a video of this... I will post it later.

Pop pop!

2011-12-27T17:40:00.000-06:00

When having Family Home Evening, usually when Liberty has a job, someone else does it for her or asks her a yes or no question. Tonight we asked her what song we should sing and she jumped right up and said, "Pop pop!" So, we sang, "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree." For the un-initiated, here is a link, just click on "Words and Music" and press Play! (testing the link, she's here singing right by me!) Here she is doing the motions of her hands making popping motions. I should have done a video... maybe later.

Kansas City Missour temple December 25th, 2011

2011-12-26T10:51:00.000-06:00

Beautiful day! Christmas day temple pictures. Look how great the landscaping looks, and how little of the "construction" look is left. Loving seeing it every week (that we haven't been sick.) It was so good for all of us to go to church today.

Soon enough I'm sure we'll have pictures of the temple in the snow.

December 25th 365 challenge

2011-12-26T10:10:00.000-06:00

12/25/11

Christmas Eve presents were socks this year instead of pajamas... this is the kids getting ready to open presents, after changing out of church clothes (we were first at church today, wow! at 9 am church... we got there early for the boys to help) wearing their new socks. Liberty is at a loss to figure out why everyone else is so excited. Merry Christmas everyone :)

December 24th 365 challenge

2011-12-26T09:30:00.001-06:00

12/24/11

Almost Christmas! Just having fun.

December 23rd 365 challenge

2011-12-24T10:37:00.000-06:00

12/23/11

Christmas cards from friends and family :)

December 22nd 365 challenge

2011-12-24T10:33:00.000-06:00

12/22/11

Today we celebrated my birthday with this truly chocolate cake. It IS a cake. Frosted and everything. Devil's food cake Benjamin made, then Tom frosted it. It was then surrounded by little Kit Kat guards and the top covered with M&Ms. It was good, though very sweet. Liberty was brought to tears waiting. It was just too much to wait for!

December 21st 365 challenge

2011-12-22T10:32:00.000-06:00

12/21/11

Timothy and a Duplo train he made. Sure, we could have done something to do with birthdays, but as we didn't celebrate today anyway as there was only 10 minutes where everyone was home and noone had to be in bed yet, I'm not going to mention that I'm getting closer to 40 again, haha. See? Didn't mention it. And it's officially winter!

December 20th 365 challenge

2011-12-22T10:24:00.000-06:00

12/20/11

Another food post... but it's been fun, trying to make new things this week. Still need to make a holiday favorite, Gingerbread men! These are jam thumbprint cookies. Timothy calls them cheerio cookies... because they kind of do look like Cheerios... don't they.

December 19th 365 challenge

2011-12-22T10:21:00.000-06:00

12/19/11

Oreo Truffles! So easy... so yummy... the worst part was getting them covered in chocolate! These are the Candy Cane ones... Candy Cane Oreos, smushed up with cream cheese til you can't tell what's what anymore... and then coated with chocolate. They are GONE now. :)

December 18th 365 challenge

2011-12-18T09:18:00.000-06:00

12/18/11

Got our new family picture up on the wall... replaced the last big one that was 2 years old... and yes, we'll need a new one next year, too, but we try and get a family picture every year so that's ok!

December 17th 365 challenge

2011-12-18T09:11:00.000-06:00

12/17/11

Family still not feeling well. I am starting to think we're on another set of illnesses. Benjamin doesn't mind being a seat for Christopher.

December 16th 365 challenge

2011-12-16T16:07:00.001-06:00

12/16/11

She's either going to kill herself or her parents, through a heart attack. Miss Liberty is at liberty to go pretty much wherever she can climb, apparently. This was not the first time she perched between the bunk beds. Sigh.

December 15th 365 challenge

2011-12-16T16:04:00.000-06:00

12/15/11

Life is SO HARD when you are 6 and your mom expects you to do something. Anything.

December 14th 365 challenge

2011-12-14T13:51:00.000-06:00

12/14/11

The same Pooh that Samuel was scared to death of when he was 1... or was it 2? Or both? Pooh is a little soggy today with our above average temps and lots of rain. And he's getting a little tired of the Poo(h) jokes from the teenagers.

December 13th 365 challenge

2011-12-14T10:03:00.000-06:00

12/13/11

Yeah, he looks happy. That's because I pulled out the camera... he was asleep less than 5 minutes later. Another "sick" picture. 3 year old boys most definitely do not put themselves to bed in the middle of the day... or instead of having a treat after dinner... I hope we are all over these various cruds by Christmas. (yes, we have several versions going through the family... it's always exciting to figure out what we'll wake up to each day!)

December 12th 365 challenge

2011-12-14T09:59:00.000-06:00

12/12/11

This is why we haven't done much lately, other than a house appraisal. 5 year old boys do not just fall asleep for no reason.... in the middle of the day... in the middle of a sentence...

This is why we didn't go to church Sunday and we also missed our ward Christmas party the Friday before.

December 11th 365 challenge

2011-12-11T18:12:00.000-06:00

12/11/11

Nathanael and his stocking. I'll post a closeup... these are cross stitch stockings that I started when Michael was expected... and we (Tom?) decided I'd make them for all of our children. What I feel bad about is that Nathanael's was nearly done LAST Christmas... maybe baby girl (#3) will have hers by the time she turns 18.

(no these aren't all of the stockings... there are a few generic ones to the right... )

December 10th 365 challenge

2011-12-10T17:23:00.000-06:00

12/10/11

We needed some new 'family' stickers for the back of our van (they go well with our BYU magnet, don't you think?) So as soon as we found out who baby 10 was going to be we ordered these "Zombie" family stickers, and it says "we ate your stick family." Gruesome. But fun :) These were Tom's favorites.

December 9th 365 challenge

2011-12-10T17:08:00.000-06:00

12/9/11

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care... plus, got the mantle decorated, too!

December 8th 365 challenge

2011-12-09T14:43:00.000-06:00

12/8/11

Aren't these funny? These are our Christmas ornaments for this year. (sure, there were 12, but we don't need 12 til next Christmas... anyone need a hot dog ornament?) Emilie, Timothy, Mom, and Dad, chose hamburgers, Michael, Benjamin, Nathanael and Liberty chose pizza slices, and Christopher, Samuel, and um, Joseph, chose hot dogs. Terry's Village is where we got them, where they are now on sale for even less than we paid. If anyone is interested.

December 7th 365 challenge

2011-12-09T14:06:00.000-06:00

12/7/11

And the sickies have hit our house again. Making sure everyone keeps breathing, etc, can be a full time job.

December 6th 365 challenge

2011-12-06T09:24:00.000-06:00

12/6/11

It's gone now, but here was our 'snow' for today. Soon, there will be more. At least worth calling snow. :)

December 5th 365 challenge

2011-12-06T09:22:00.000-06:00

12/5/11

We love birthday cards! And Snoopy :)

December 4th 365 challenge

2011-12-06T09:19:00.000-06:00

12/4/11

Happy Sunday! Tom and some of the kids stayed home due to illness, but the rest of us got to see the temple. They have more grass put in, more landscaping, and it's still just a joy to see it so often.

December 3rd 365 challenge

2011-12-03T17:52:00.000-06:00

12/3/11

Samuel says he has a theme song now... "All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth!".

December 2nd 365 challenge

2011-12-03T17:50:00.000-06:00

12/2/11

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... kids (and I) have been busy getting gifts under the tree. Though it's killing the kids already, maybe they shouldn't be there yet...

December 1st 365 challenge

2011-12-01T17:08:00.000-06:00

12/1/11

Last of the turkey leftovers along with some new veggies and potatoes in turkey pot pies... going into the oven! They smell great.

Michael is now 15. (what?)

2011-11-30T21:50:00.000-06:00

15 years ago, we became parents. Shocking, isn't it? I woke up to get ready for class (they still had class the day before Thanksgiving way back when) and my water broke. Michael was READY to get here, even a month early. He was a tiny little guy, only 5 lbs 7 oz, but he's grown... just last month he passed me up in height.
We are very proud of him. He's growing more than just in height, but mentally and spiritually too. He is developing his talents. He is working on leadership skills. He is learning new things in homeschooling and Boy Scouts. He works hard. He has fun. He is exploring new interests and making friends. He attends Seminary and is working on his 2nd year of perfect attendance.
He has a great sense of humor and loves to share it. He is patient with younger brothers and sisters (most of the time!) He is learning to play the piano and does practice, once in a while. He enjoys drawing and writing. He's taken part in NaNoWrimo the last two years, and Scout camp for the last 3 years. (at 3 different Scout camps across the country, no less.) He even changes diapers.... but not often.
He likes They Might Be Giants and the Beatles, as well as other music groups he is discovering all the time. He likes to read and especially likes fantasy books like the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, though he has many other favorites.
Michael is a great person to know. I am proud to be his Mom and I love learning who he is becoming.

Now for his driver's training... eek!

7 pizzas for a hungry group! Michael loves pizza and enjoyed picking a lot of different kinds for both homemade and a few take and bake... (Papa Murphy's actually freezes well...)

Flaming death...

The smoke attacked the missionaries...

He's a big boy now!

Apparently he gets presents. Dunno, birthday or something.

This is the "Blue Canary" of They Might Be Giants fame...
Liberty loved his monkey sticker.

Chocolate from Dad!


Mythbusters game!

November 30th 365 challenge

2011-11-30T20:33:00.000-06:00

11/30/11

Timothy and Samuel love this puzzle. I know it's been in our pictures before, but they liked it with all the 'popups' popping up. I'm thankful for my family, for homeschooling, and for fun stuff like this.

November 29th 365 challenge- It's a GIRL!

2011-11-30T10:09:00.000-06:00

11/29/11

Here is our new baby giving us the thumbs up. (it is better than our 9th child, who flipped us off.) Baby 10 is a GIRL. She was very cooperative, other than being modest until the ultrasound was almost over, and everything looks great. She is measuring right on for dates, still due to arrive in mid April. This arm was up behind her head, like she was kicking back and enjoying the experience of being smooshed by the ultrasound tech getting pictures of her. We are very thankful that all is well, that she is telling us "thumbs up" in her own little pre-birth way, and that we got a glimpse of this little person getting ready to join our family in just 4+ months.

Here are some other pictures of her.

Baby foot...

Hello! Baby's hand.

Profile picture.

Initial reactions? Shock. After 7 boys you expect another boy. I was thinking we'd have 8 boys... instead, we are getting a third daughter. While exciting, it's a little startling and I'm not sure what to think. Even though I just had a baby girl 2 years ago, boys are written into our genes and I thought I was preprogrammed for more boys, as 2 had to be the limit (Tom's and my families both have 2 girls, and 2 girls only...) We'll be the first in this generation or the last to have 3 girls... probably going back a few generations, too! Plus this involves 2 girls in a row! Still adjusting my thinking to this idea... and then the fun part... getting ready!

(plus I get to use all of Liberty's CUTE baby girl clothes over again!!!! Even though a different season, most of it works!)

Kansas City Missouri temple November 24th, 2011

2011-11-28T22:09:00.000-06:00

11/24/11

Look! There's a grassy hill around the temple! Love seeing it come together.

November 28th 365 challenge

2011-11-28T21:42:00.000-06:00

11/28/11

Liberty with a Christmas snow globe... no water, just a little fan that blows the snow around. It plays Christmas music very LOUDly and has Pooh in it. So she loves it. Thankful for Christmas decorations! And kids who appreciate them.

November 27th 365 challenge

2011-11-27T22:42:00.000-06:00

11/27/11

Happy Birthday Michael! He's 15 now. He loves the "Blue Canary in the Outlet by the Lightswitch" night light he got from Abram and Jen. I'm thankful for Michael today!

Timothy is 5! Happy birthday big guy!

2011-11-26T17:13:00.000-06:00

Happy 5th birthday to my Timothy! I know his birthday was actually 2 weeks ago, but I saw it was Michael's birthday tomorrow and I'd better get posting about Timothy's birthday first before I get too behind!

Timothy was our 2nd child born in Amarillo, Texas. He was the first one born while living at a home we owned. So, Timothy was the last of our children in a long row to each be born while living at a different house. (Michael, Provo, Benjamin, Orem, Emilie, Kentucky, Joseph, Cincy, Nathanael, Coolville OH, Samuel, Texas). Christopher and Liberty of course were born while we still lived in that same house, so that streak was broken.

He was our BIG baby. Dr. Tucker was worried that he would get TOO big so I was induced, and he was kind of right... but shorted the real weight by a pound... Timothy was 8 lbs 12 oz, our biggest baby so far. He was born fairly soon after the induction, which just shows I was ready to have him!

Timothy is our little blonde boy, with CURLY hair. He got his hair cut last right after he got his stitches out this summer. It's needing cut again... but he tells us he likes it curly! He is learning how to read and loves to figure out stuff. He definitely has his own way of looking at things and expressing himself, so we have to be ready for anything for him. He has been doing great in Primary with new teachers and meeting at the new building next to the Kansas City temple.

His best friend is Christopher, but they are starting to include Liberty in their antics... so for a week we had a 4 year old, 3 year old, and 2 year old all wreaking havoc on our home... but now Timothy is 5... not that it will change anything that way! He has a great imagination and has lots of ideas to lead them in different games and activities.

Timothy is a very picky eater and would be happy eating bread all the time. However, we are getting him to try new things at least once or twice a week, even though he starts most meals with "I don't like that. I want some bread." You just can't cater to everyone when you have 8 children, but we do make sure he's fed something every meal.

Timothy is a great addition to our family! We love our 7th child, our 6th son, our #6 when we count off in the car, our curly haired wonder, our bundle of exuberance and excitement about everything except vegetables. We'd definitely miss him if he weren't around!

November 26th 365 challenge

2011-11-26T16:39:00.000-06:00

11/26/11

It's time to bring out the Nativity sets! I am so thankful for our traditions that allow us to remember the reason for the season. I am also thankful for my many child-friendly Nativity sets. :)

November 25th 365 challenge

2011-11-25T20:00:00.000-06:00

11/25/11

Christmas is one month from today. I am thankful for this season, for times with family, for remembering the reason for this celebration, and for all that comes with it. I love the memories, and I love making more memories. A second Christmas in a row, pregnant, even though I didn't know it last year, I am still thankful for everything that has happened this year and for all that I have learned.

November 24th 365 challenge

2011-11-24T21:31:00.000-06:00

11/24/11

I'm thankful tonight for my 9 children, for the things they each have taught me over the years, and for each and every day I have had with them, whether it was the 12 days I had with Joseph, or the 5,476 days I've had with Michael (so far)... (it'll be 15 years on Sunday). Each day there is something more to love about them.

And I'm equally excited to get know this 10th child, who is making him or herself known more and more often. We will probably find out more about who he/she is on Tuesday.

November 23rd 365 challenge

2011-11-23T23:35:00.000-06:00

11/23/11

Today I'm thankful for working appliances that allowed us to make our 10 pies!

(Tradition for us... one per person!)

This was the last one we finished, Coconut cream!

We also made 2 pumpkin, lemon meringue, jello, chocolate peanut butter, oreo ice cream, apple, cherry, and banana.

November 22nd 365 challenge

2011-11-23T16:28:00.000-06:00

11/22/11

Yesterday was the Liberty Interfaith Ministerial Alliance Thanksgiving Celebration. Tom and I were a part of the orchestra, which by the time we performed, had 39 participants. The Community Choir was made up of 120 people from different churches. We had 2 directors, several speakers, but mostly music. We accompanied the hymns, plus played a beautiful piece called "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" arranged by Mack Wilberg. Here is a link to the piece on YouTube, and here is another. The first one is the BYU combined orchestras and choirs, one is the Tabernacle Choir and orchestra.

I am thankful to have been a part of this, for any amount of musical talent, and the opportunity to share it.

November 21st 365 challenge

2011-11-21T20:13:00.000-06:00

11/21/11

UP UP UP! Liberty in the air because she has a few words we understand! She is so excited when we figure out what she's saying.

Today I'm thankful for my husband (and best friend) Tom, who loves me and our kids and shows this by spending time with us when he can, and by working hard for us when he can't.

November 20th 365 challenge

2011-11-21T20:05:00.000-06:00

11/20/11

I am so thankful for my beliefs, especially for my belief (knowledge, really) that my son Joseph is a part of our family forever, and for the part that temples play in that belief. Tom and I were married in the temple, and we were sealed for time and all eternity, meaning that our marriage will last beyond death, and the children that we have are part of that union forever, as a part of our family that began with that marriage ceremony in the temple. And that includes our son Joseph who died at 12 days of age, back in 2001, even though some of our other children have never met him but still talk about him, and our older children were ages 4, 2, and 1 still have memories of that time (or of us talking about that time.)

November 19th 365 challenge

2011-11-19T20:03:00.001-06:00

11/19/11

They were pretending to be chocolate and melting all over the floor. I am thankful that we can be clean with baths and showers!

November 18th 365 challenge

2011-11-19T20:00:00.000-06:00

11/18/11

Today I am thankful that Samuel does not have pneumonia, though he is sick. For now he just has a bad cough. We are definitely keeping an eye on him, though!