August 31st 366 challenge

8/31/12

Last day of August... we've had so little rain this year (since Liberty was really able to talk about it) and Liberty is just fascinated...

So grateful for the rain today!

Can you tell who Michael drew?

 

 Michael's artwork is available on Facebook, and people were asking who this was.  It just says that it is one of his brothers... as he has 5 brothers living, that isn't much help.  I could tell immediately, but outside our family I can see how that might be a bit difficult.  For help, here are his brothers' profiles.

 
Oh, and HERE is where to go to see all his artwork.  You don't have to belong to facebook to look, only to comment or share.  I'm biased as his mom, but I think he is very talented.

August 30th 366 challenge

8/30/12

Science is for everyone!  We were learning about animals, specifically beavers and webbed toes, and how they can move water better with the webbing.  We stuck a sandwich bag on our hands to feel the difference... and everyone learned from Samuel!

August 29th 366 challenge

8/29/12

Baby girl has two teeth!  The second one is just barely through, and she is miserable... but still mostly happy!  Everyone loves how Jules is starting to chew on everything... just wait til it's their fingers!

August 28th 366 challenge

8/28/12

Precious baby girl!

August 27th 366 challenge

8/27/12

My very proud First Class Scout.  Uniform all updated with new merit badges and new rank, plus his new neckerchief.  We were noticing that Benjamin doesn't have many pictures of him in uniform by himself... so we fixed that!

August 26th 366 challenge

8/26/12

So proud of my boys!  Court of Honor tonight.  Michael received his Life, Benjamin received his First Class, Michael received merit badges he'd earned, some from several years ago, and Benjamin also received merit badges but all from this year.  Nathanael received his 3 belt loops he'd earned.

Benjamin getting his stack of merit badges.

Michael checking out his merit badges.

Benjamin pinning on the mother's pin.

They made us sit down and had Michael come get us, too.

August 25th 366 challenge

8/25/12

Samuel likes spiking his hair...

August 24th 366 challenge

8/24/12

Michael and Timothy's project today.... he's covering part of it.  It really is pretty cool, and hangs right under the temple in Timothy's room.

August 23rd 366 challenge

8/23/12

The Firebird from Fantasia 2000... Benjamin wanted a picture to use on Facebook.  I remember how OUR sky looked when Mount Saint Helens blew, I can't imagine being there.  I love both Fantasia movies, for many reasons.

August 22nd 366 challenge

8/22/12

Liberty being her quirky self.  We got to hear her say her name today.  ME Li-berr-teee!  And My Little Pony going in the background...

August 21st 366 challenge

8/21/12

First (no, Second) day of school! 

We have an 11th grader (yeah, I know!), 8th grader, 7th grader, 4th grader, 3rd grader, Kindergartner, and 2 prek-ish kids plus a baby.  FUN!

Here are some pics from the real first day of school... yesterday.

August 20th 366 challenge

8/20/12

My kids are silly... I found a good deal on Pop Tarts on Amazon.com, and they came today.  The kids were thrilled.  They also had fun constructing the temple with the boxes and Samuel's spelling bee trophy...

August 19th 366 challenge

8/19/12

Tom picked our copy up at church!

Here's a book about the Kansas City Missouri temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It talks about the history of the church in our area, plus the history of the temple and how it was built, plus all the activities, Open House, Cultural Celebration, and dedication.  Great photos, great stories, and a lot of wonderful things to read as well as look at.

There are still a few left.  http://www.kansascitytemplebook.net/

August 18th 366 challenge

8/18/12

Even though she's not feeling well, she was having a blast finding her toes and laughing at the ceiling this evening...

August 17th 366 challenge

8/17/12

I love to see the temple!  I love having the chance to visit weekly and see it every time I go to church.  I love how it looks when we drive by, when it's lit up at night, inside, outside, and on the walls of our home.

August 16th 366 challenge

8/16/12

Liberty, who had just got up from her nap, and Jules, who also was just waking up.  Liberty is reading a new-to-her favorite that we'd just taped back together (it was also Nat's, Samuel's, Timothy's, and Christopher's favorite book...) called "Who Says Quack".  A true literary masterpiece, and since Liberty loves saying animal sounds, perfect for her.  And she read it to Jules.  so so so cute!

August 15th 366 challenge

8/15/12

Just a FEW more pages of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...  Yep, he's just 7.   He's started the next book since this pic was taken.

August 14th 366 challenge

8/14/12

Baby toes!

August 13th 366 challenge

8/13/12

Michael needed to visit a Federal building for Citizenship in the Nation merit badge, so we went to a BIG one, not just the local post office, etc... it was fun doing something just with him, and we came home with 2 bags of shredded currency.  Actually, it was very interesting to visit the Money Museum and learn a lot.  The coolest was the Truman coin collection with all the different coins covering the history of the United States. 

August 12th 366 challenge

8/12/12

This has to be a big picture to appreciate the pure awesomeness of my 6 sons.  In Phineas and Ferb pajamas...  and all mostly smiling at the camera.

Juliana Faith's birthday!

Last birthday post until Benjamin turns 14, I promise.  I just realized I never did post about Jules' birthday!

I usually deliver (when all goes well and on my own...) around 39 1/2 weeks.  We joked that it would be funny if this actually happened ON Emilie's birthday, which was approximately 39 1/2 weeks...

I was in and out of labor some of February, all of March and into April, so any day could have been it.

I do not know the morning of any day whether I will have a baby that day... or not.  And late at night, I won't know for sure until 11:30 pm whether or not baby will come that day.

So anyway, I was having a normal day for Emilie, I forget who helped me make her cake, but we had a good day.  I rested for a bit in the afternoon.  I had a big contraction at 4:30.  Another one at 5:00.  Another one at 5:30.  Tom got home from work.  No big deal.  Tom was actually on the phone with a friend asking about me (Anaise) when the rest hit all at once and I tried walking around while Tom was frosting Emilie's birthday cake... but realized, yep, this is it.  We arranged for rides for Benjamin and Emilie to Wednesday night church activities and Michael stayed home with the rest of the kids.  At this point in my labors, I do not time the contractions, I just note if they slow down again, because there is no time between them. 

So we headed for the hospital.  There is construction all around the hospital entrances, so we parked near the ER entrance and I tried not to stop to breathe through contractions anywhere I could get run over.  Minor detail.  Tom knows when I have to stop walking a lot that we're getting close... the other two times were with Nathanael (9 minute delivery) and Liberty (I arrived ready to deliver...).  So I refused a wheelchair- I wanted to walk.  I think it was nearing 6:30 when we got to L&D.   We got everything going (IV, checked me, I was close...).  My doctor was delivering twins that were almost here... she came and delivered Juliana, and went back and delivered the twins.  Quite a busy evening for her! 

Juliana Faith was born at 6:51 pm, April 11th, 2012.  She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz and was 21 inches long.  She had (has, still, mostly) curly red hair.  Right now it just looks like fuzz, though.  We're happy to have her here and she's already making her personality known.  She's a very calm baby for the most part.  She turned 4 months old yesterday and got her first tooth!  Yikes!

Emilie is 12. (late!)

Emilie turned 12 this year.  Now, her birthday might seem to have been overlooked with a baby being born that day, the temple Open House going on that week and the next, and the Cultural Celebration... however, she could not have done these things without turning 12 (other than having a baby sister for a birthday present.)  She had to be 12 before the Kansas City temple dedication on May 6th to be able to help with the Open House or be part of the Cultural Celebration... and she was thrilled!

She still LOVES Young Women's, loved camp, loves having a sister with the same birthday (she calls Jules her birthday present), loves everything about the temple, including going there each month to do baptisms, and generally is a cheerful happy girl, except when reminded to clean her room or to be nice to her brothers, namely Benjamin.

Emilie is our 3rd child and we were very shocked to have a girl so soon in our family... boys run strong on both sides!  (now that we've had 2 more, we're still thrilled.)(and shocked.) 

She was born in Florence, Kentucky, in the hospital right near the Cincinnati Airport and Turfway Park (horse races).   She's always been in a hurry.  Though she was technically late to be born (because of various problems), she walked and talked before she was a year old and hasn't been known to slow down since.

Emilie, 8 years old.

This year we've really seen her grow up.  She is wanting to help, she's learning new skills like making bread (not in the bread machine) and doing more with her little sisters.  She's started babysitting outside our family as well.

I am glad she had a great birthday.  I love this daughter of mine.  She'll always be my baby girl, even when she's taller than me!  (which is most likely later this year!!!)

We really did go to the hospital RIGHT after frosting the cake.

This was after Tom went home... they still had Em's birthday even with Mom and Jules at the hospital!

Obnoxious :) singing card.  Emilie didn't know she had a baby sister born on her birthday... she was on her way to church for her first "official" Young Women's meeting when we called.

Birthday presents!  Clothes!

August 11th 366 challenge

8/11/12

Quite a day today.  Baby Jules got her first tooth... and... something else happened.  Now what was it???







The picture is sure to give me a hint.  No, not his first time driving... they did two different driving Young Men's activities when he was a tiny little deacon... (12-13 year olds)... and he sat on a phone book.  No, this is his first time driving our VAN, and first time driving with his PERMIT! 

Wow.

August 10th 366 challenge

8/10/12

Huh?  Baby girl is nearly 4 months old!