Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving was spent at my parents house this year. For the past 10 years we've been rotating between my family and Brent's. This year was very quiet, due to both my brother's absence. I realize that things get complicated when people get married and you throw other people's family in the mix. I was disappointed that my brothers didn't make an effort to be at dinner, for my parent's sake.  It is what it is.  We still had a good time.

Before we went to my parents the girls spent the majority of the morning making hair clips out of felt.  They got really creative and did such a good job crafting. 





The cute  name cards the girls made for us all.



I love Jaren's one eyed turkey.  
The girls ran out of goggly eyes.



The yummy rolls I made. 
I'm a better cook then baker.  No, it's true.







Photo of us all.
That is one good looking bunch!  



Hannah finishing off her meringues with caramel.



All the desserts we had; lemon tart with blackberry sauce courtesy of Penny, chocolate mint cookies also courtesy of Penny, and the caramel cashew meringues courtesy of Hannah.

My family is use to eating dessert right after we eat.  Luckily we took some time in between dinner and dessert to clean up the kitchen.  My Mom and I had two surprise helpers.  Brent, you helped clear off the table, thanks babe.  And then Hannah stuck around and helped hand wash a bunch of the dishes.  That girl is growing up.  I really appreciated her efforts to help out. 

This Morning I Heard:

Grace exclaim, " Mom, can you put my clothes on.  I'm too tiny."

This Thanksgiving Day I am more then Grateful for my children.  I discovered a marvelous thing this year;  They are my greatest blessings.  You might think, well duh.   Allow me to explain.  When others have struggled to have a child, I've been asked to have more then I think I am capable of.  Which has caused me to feel quite inadequate and overwhelmed.  While visiting with my visiting teachers earlier this year the spirit whispered to me, " Your children are a blessing, not a burden."  Since that quiet revelation my attitude towards motherhood has changed.  I find I am more patient, loving, and teachable.  I allow myself to learn from my children and admit when I am wrong.  Of course I am not living a fairy tale with a Happily Ever After Ending.  I still have challenges, like all mothers do.  I have great children.  I am proud to be their Mother and I am looking forward to another fun year!

Taking Matters into His Own Hands

Last week Beckham was really into doing his own hair. Some days he went to school with some funky hair. But he was proud of his handy work, and that made me happy. Besides, hair is hair and they have to learn at some point to do their own. I was all for his efforts. One day last week I noticed he had put way too much water back into his hair and it was weighing it down quite a bit. I thought nothing of it and let him continue. It was time to take the girls to choir and I called to him asking him to come with us. No answer, no answer. I was just about ready to go out the door without him when he appeared from downstairs. I looked at him, took in his new face and simply stated to Beckham, " You cut your hair!". He frankly said back, "NO!!". Beckham, how can you look me in the eye and tell me you didn't cut your hair when clearly you did! When we got home from taking the girls to choir I tried to trim up his hair so it didn't look so... chopped. I am not the hair cutter in the family and I ended up cutting his hair in a wave effect. Short in the front and gradually getting longer toward the back. Bad News Bears. I did the best I could and sent him off with spiky hair. He was thrilled with his new look. Well, Dad wasn't. Later that night we had to take the clippers to his hair. That still was not satisfying enough for Dad. Sunday morning he once again took the clippers to the poor boys head, shaved off way more hair then was needed and gave him a line that cuts off the top of his head. **Sigh**

It is what it is and luckily hair grows back.




A close up of the front.



My Awesome Attempt to fix his handy work.

The Princess and the Butterfly

When I knew I was suppose to have Grace I was excited. I know, I'm crazy, excited about a 6th baby. but I was. Despite my enthusiasm I was nervous to tell people. Like I said, CRAZY!! The one person I think I was most nervous to tell was Kelli. She and Cory had struggled for a few years trying to get pregnant and finally found success with Invetro. I didn't want to steal their thunder. Kelli was in the room when I gave Mike and Donna their gift announcing my pregnancy. Kelli was the most excited out of everybody. I remember her jumping up and giving me a huge hug. That was a huge relief to me. Grace is the only child of mine to have a cousin to grow up with.

These two are funny when they get together. You can tell you are dealing with an only child, and the youngest of 6. They are both bossy and need our full attention. Alleah is constantly telling me when Grace is getting into trouble. Grace learns fast. The other day after Alleah had left our house, Grace looked out the window and said, "Ammerlin, Isabel is hanging from the tree outstide!" What a tattle tail!

Even though they like to boss each other around, Grace is always asking me to play with Alleah or if it's time to go to Kelli's house. I'm glad they have each other.


I started doing Grace's hair and it just kept going and going.
Turned out Cute huh? 



She was the CUTEST butterfly in town!



From the back.



A close up.  Like the boggies? 
Such and essential part of toddlerhood.



How cute are they?



Bundled and ready to take on the neighborhood!



A butterfly and her Daddy! Even Cuter!

The rest of Halloween, Almost

Several years ago I tried starting a tradition titled: Spooks and Soups. It was to get the Grandparents to come to us by bribing them with dinner. Some years it turns out, and others it doesn't. It was just too hard shuffling the kids from city to city, in and out, in and out, and missing out on the full trick-or-treating experience. This way the Grandparents get to see the kids dressed up and get to go around the block with them. I love it, and hope the kids and Grandparents do too.

This year we once again missed Grandma Penny and Grandpa Rick.  Grandma was in Virginia visiting my very pregnant sister and her family. We missed them both!


My attempt at making a fun decorative table.  I made a treat with popcorn, pretzels, marshmellows covered in melted white chocolate.  It was good!  More sugar cookies baked and decorated by Hannah and her friends.  For dinner I made Chicken Tortilla soup and a Roasted Butternut/Acorn Squash Soup.  I colored sour cream with black food coloring which turned it gray which in turn turned all the soups into a not-so-pleasing muted color.  I wont be doing that again.  It was a fun idea.



All the kids in their costumes.  I usually get a photo out front in front of our lone tree.  The weather was not cooperating and wouldn't allow for that tradition to take place this year.
Don't they look good though?





All those who attended, minus Brent who insisted I be in the photo.  GAG!



Jaren my Zombie.  This was his LAST year trick-or-treating.  It all has to come to an end sometime.  In talking with other parents I felt once they turn 13, the dreaded teen years, it is time to stop.  That just means I have to be a fun Mom and throw Halloween Parties or something? 



Hannah, the Fire Human Monster.  I still can't get over her stunning blue eyes.  
She's almost cracking a smile here.



Some of the finished carved pumpkins.
Hannah carved two.
Grandma always makes sure she carves one too.



Sean, the single o-so-cool bachelor, hung around to participate too.
I think he's trying to show off his biceps more then his pumpkin!

The Cookie Monster

Another tradition around Halloween is sugar cookies. My Mom ALWAYS made sugar cookies at Halloween and Valentine's.  I usually make the dough, cut them out and cook them. Just one thing I can't let go of. I did let the girls decorate the cookies. I had to turn and walk away though. I've learned to fill ziploc bags with the frosting. This year it was like watching frosting poop onto the cookies. It wasn't pretty. But the girls had a BLAST decorating and they still tasted GREAT!!

This year we enjoyed our cookies at Grandma and Grandpa Wood's after carving  pumpkins. Grandpa got a little out of control and decided that Hannah would look better with cookie on her face.


Hannah attempting to hide her face from the camera.



Beckham, the innocent bystander, looking on in amusement.



I thought you'd like a closer look of that cute face!



And then, BAM, innocent victim.  Grandpa just couldn't resist reaching out and smashing Beckham's cookie into his face.  It's all fun and games until someone's cookie gets smashed into their nose. The only person not laughing was Beckham.  Poor guy.  I had to wipe him up and get him a new cookie.  Sheesh Grandpa.

My New Niece: Maeve Penelope

My one and only sister went into the hospital Monday morning to have her baby girl.  She didn't end up having her until the next day.  As I mentioned before, she pushed for 3hrs and ended up having to have a c-section.  Either way, I'm proud of my sister.  Maeve is beautiful baby and a blessing to be sure. 

As I talked with my sister for the first time today I told her how I held a baby all night last night at our Enrichment activity.  I told my friend that I would be more then happy to hold her baby since my sister just had her's and I can't be there to hold her.  The emotions surfaced and it's at times like these that it SUCKS to be away from my only sister.  Not to be able to be there as a cheer leader and hold that new precious baby. 

I am grateful that Jessica and Maeve are both doing well.


Here she is!
Isn't she a pretty baby?



Maeve looks a lot like her Dad!!




One more pretty picture.

Halloween Part I

This Halloween Grace got scared Poopless, Beckham lost a tooth and the weather was more frightful then any costume in sight.









And Neither did Grace.  



Poor thing was scared to pieces!


Grace was so scared when Ryan got out of the car that she bit her sister Annika.  Annika let her go, leaving Grace still attached to her collar bone, by her teeth.  




Beckham's 3rd tooth lost.  It "just fell out" hours before trick-or-treating


See what I mean by frightful? Hello, rain and hail!!


It did clear up at dusk.
Do you see the reflection of the sunset in the wet street?
COOl!!!

The Sweeter Side

Grace has finally hit that stage where everything is more interesting and fun while climbing on top of, pulling down, dumping out, throwing across the room, and jumping and down on.  While this stage has never been my favorite, I was reminded this morning that these sweet little beings house ginormous spirits just waiting to get out. 

I was sitting in the front room patiently waiting for this kids to gather for prayer and send off for school.  Grace, for the um-teenth time was pulling on my Halloween tree decor whilst singing a random tune.  I was about to ask her to stop when she turned and ran full speed into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and exclaimed, "Mom, I'm just so HAPPY!!".  She then nuzzled her head in the crook of my neck and snuggled for just a few nano-seconds.  I wanted to cry, it was such a sweet, loving moment. 

It was at that moment I realized that these sweet children are just happy to be alive and experiencing life.  And that's just what they are doing, experiencing it in every way shape and form.  It's beautiful, and I need to take the time to experience it with her and with the rest of my children.  Spills can be wiped up, books put back away, toys placed in their proper bin, and broken things can be mended.  And sometimes they can't.  Grace broke my tiny salt bowl that my sister brought back from China 10 years ago.  I was disappointed that it happened.  But that bowl is not more important to me then my precious Grace.  I'll just have to go to Cho's on University Ave and buy a replacement. 

This afternoon my Sister Jessica gave birth to her 3rd and final child.  She was just about 2 weeks over due, waiting for her body to go into labor naturally.  She had a c-section with her twins and wanted to experience natural child birth.  That translates into a lot of waiting for nature to take it's course.  Well, nature didn't take it's course.  After a little help from pitosun and the breaking of her water she finally went into labor.  She pushed for 3 hours for the end result to be another c-section.  I'm proud of my Sis.  She was patient right up till the end.  I know she must be devastated by having to endure yet another c-section.  But she's strong and she now has a beautiful 8lb 2oz baby girl to show for it all.  Congratulations Jessica, Jamie, Asher and Soren!!!