The Rest of the Family

Dear Raini,
I just had to share this picture with you. It's of the rest of my family and some aunts, uncles, and cousins going up Old Man's Pass to get Christmas trees from the woods. Dec. 2007.

7 Months!

I can't believe some days that she is 7 months old already! And yet most of the time when I look at her and what she's up to these days, I can't believe she's only 7 months old! She crawls, she babbles, she moves along the front of the couch, she kneels. She's a full 3 months ahead of where Joshua was at when he was this age, and more than that for Emmy! Emmy took her first steps at 13 1/2 months, and Elayna is going to be running by that age. It's amazing how every kid is so different! Dec. 7, 2007.

Cardinal at our House

We saw a Cardinal at our house yesterday. It came and got some seeds from our bird feeder and wasn't scared off by the Blue Jays. There were also some Chickadees as well, which the kids really enjoyed watching! Dec. 7, 2007.

Experimenting

I was experimenting with my camera last week, trying to figure out what all the buttons were capable of doing. These were some I took after the decorating was done and the kids were playing by the tree. Dec. 2, 2007.

The Fun of the Great Grand Box

As usual, the most fun thing ever invented is ~The Box~ better known as The Fort, The Castle, The Ship, The House, etc. etc. etc. The kids played in it for several days, until they started to tear one of the corners, which doesn't make Momma happy when she needs it to put the tree back in it after Christmas! Here Josh is feeding Elayna a bottle in The Box, something which made him feel very important! He loves helping me with her any way he can. In fact, one day he tried to be so helpful he got her out of her crib!!! I was downstairs, heard a thump, and a little cry, but I thought Joshua must have shared a toy with her or something. Next thing I knew, I heard Joshua coming down the stairs, and he came right over to me and said he got Elayna out of her crib! But he couldn't get her all the way down the stairs and needed my help. !!!! I ran up the stairs with my heart pounding to find her in crawling position right at the top of the stairs. Josh and I had a little talk about where his helpfulness needed to end! Dec. 2, 2007.

Christmas Kids

Aren't these a cute bunch of kiddos?! Dec. 2, 2007.

Putting Up the Christmas Tree

We put up the Christmas tree last weekend, and the kids enjoyed helping to decorate it as they usually do! And whatever candy canes you see in this picture - no longer exist. Emmy has a craving for candy canes apparently every time I turn my back! This year we have a *(*(*(fake)*)*)* Christmas tree - sorry guys, you just can't get a good Noble Fir out here unless you want to pay an arm and a leg and a dry Scotch Pine just isn't the same anyway, so FAKE it is for us Michiganders! Dec. 2, 2007.

Joshua Writes His Name

Joshua has been practicing his letters, and finally the time came to help him put together all the letters of his name. The center "Joshua" is the one I wrote, and Joshua's letters are just above mine. The "J" is a little funny, but usually he writes them backwards, so I thought this was pretty good! Nov. 28, 2007.

After Church

After church on Sabbath Uncle Colby was getting Levi to smile and giggle. He has an adorable infectious smile! Levi and Elayna are 2 1/2 months apart, but he is taller and weighs more than she does already! Nov. 24, 2007.

Levi's Hair

Seriously, is this not the funniest thing you've ever seen?! Nov. 23, 2007.

Thanksgiving!!!

For Thanksgiving this year, we celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa J, Grandma J's brother Al, Travis and Raini, and little Levi. Travis and Raini came up from Indiana and stayed with us, and Grandma J brought the food in two trips from across town, and we pulled out the little island table and made it into a BIG table to fit us all. It was a great meal and nice to have everyone around the table. As you can see, the three youngest members of the family were all sleeping, very conveniently, during the meal! Good timing!! The whole week before Thanksgiving, as I thought about what to say when the time came to say what we were thankful for, I got teary remembering the enormous blessings God has given me this year. And then, when the time came, I couldn't say what was in my heart. But that night, as I said my prayers, I poured out my heart to Him with many, many tears. I know that so many of you who love our little family were Thankful for the same things I was, and I know it would have been so wonderful to sit all together on Thanksgiving and praise God together for restoring Joshua's health. One day soon we will. At one big table in Heaven we will all sit in an incredible day of Thanksgiving!
Nov. 22, 2007.

Bread Dog

This is what happens around here when my bread machine turns out a lump instead of a loaf. Tucker appreciated the meal! At least it isn't being used for a bedroom door-stopper...ahem... Nov. 21, 2007.

First Braids

Grandma M managed to get Emmy to sit still long enough to put in her first set of braids! How cute is this?! Nov. 18, 2007.

Mommy and The Girls

I figured I'd get a few pictures of me and my adorable girls after church before lunch and naps and changes of clothes! Nov. 17, 2007.

Look Who's 2 Years Old

Emmy turned two the week before Thanksgiving and we had a quiet little birthday at home. Grandma and Grandpa J came over for dinner and we had cake and ice cream and opened presents afterwards. Emmy's favorite gift by far was Aunt Gaye's dolly stroller. After that one she forgot all about the rest of her gifts and was completely distracted for the next several days! What a big girl! Two years old! Nov. 13, 2007.

Playing on the Floor

Elayna loves to play with Josh on the floor. He gets down there and lets her climb all over him and they both laugh and giggle up a storm. Nov. 12, 2007.

Breakfast Time!

I just have a hard time realizing that I have three kids sitting around the breakfast table now! Elayna usually has some baby food in the morning now, and so we all sit around the table. Seems like just the other day Josh was trying out his first bananas. Nov. 11, 2007.

First Snow

On Thursday we got our first real snow of the season. There have been a few light skiffs, but this is the first one that turned the world white. The kids were so excited and we bundled up first thing in the morning and went out to make snowballs and tracks in the snow. By mid afternoon it was gone, but the spirit of Christmas had invaded the house. We were singing Jingle Bells (one of Josh's favorites) and watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! LOL! Nov. 8, 2007.

Look Who's 6 Months Old!

Hard to believe my baby is 6 months old already. And if anyone is in a hurry to grow up it's Elayna. Crawling, eating bananas, and now with her very first tooth too! Next time I turn around she's going to be running after her brother and sister! Nov. 7, 2007.

Baby Bean

Elayna officially started crawling Nov. 2, finally getting the coordination of hand movement and knee movement down. She still doesn't go very fast, but she gets where she wants to eventually! Unless, of course, she gets distracted along the way by something the other two left on the floor, such as a chip or a fuzzy, or a cup! Nov. 6, 2007.

Party Time!

It really was fun to have Joshua's friends from Sabbath School come and join us! We had home made pizza (thanks to Grandma J!) and two cakes (Lightening McQueen was pretty small, so I made a Peppermint Christmas cake, too!) and 10 (count 'em) yes, 10 KIDS! Joshua was so thrilled to have his friends here and had been talking about the party for weeks. Every time we asked him what he wanted for his birthday, his response was, "A birthday cake!", and this year he ate one of the tires. He still remembers that he ate Bob the Builder's foot last year. The kids played in the living room with their little styrofoam kit airplanes and sticky frogs, and us Moms sat at the kitchen table and gabbed, and it was a really fun evening. Sun. Nov. 4, 2007.

Almost Party Time!

The cakes were all ready, the pizzas were in the oven, and the house was...well, about as clean as it gets these days! It was almost time for Joshua's 4th birthday party! Nov. 4, 2007.