Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Before December is over...

...here are a few of the highlights for your bloggy pleasure:
All of the Knoxville grandkids trim Grammy and Grandpa's tree. A tradition for at least as long as we've lived here.

Josh's preschool Christmas party. This is the sixth one of these I've been to (starting back when Emma was three). The kids decorated (graham cracker) gingerbread houses, sang us a few holiday songs and then got a surprise visit from Santa. Santa happens to have been my high school algebra II teacher (have I ever mentioned that the preschool I take my kids to is run out of my old high school? It's great, I love it).
In the days following Afton's arrival in our home, Grammy and Grandpa came over to help out. It was so wonderful having their company and their service. Grammy mostly served in the way of rocking and soothing a fussy baby in the wee hours of the morning and changing many diapers. Grandpa mostly served in the way of painting the areas of our house that have been wanting paint for months and months. I took photos of the latter.

The four big kids looked festive for church on the Sunday before Christmas.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Rock On


So many things to post about, going all the way back to mid-December. No time now. Baby to hold, thank-you cards to write, house to clean. Someday soon you'll get sick of all the catch-up posts.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

A quick peek...

12/15, 5:05pm, 8 lbs. 8 oz., 21 in.[Minutes old.]


[Hi, Mom.]



[Hi, Dad.]


[Five kids.]


[Home.]


[Sweet.]

[Cheeks!]

Friday, December 12, 2008

Design Mom 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!


Run, don't walk, over to Design Mom for 12 giveaways. All just listed today. You can enter all weekend, there's some really great stuff, don't miss it!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

What? Huh? You still haven't posted about Thanksgiving?

Well, no...technically I skipped right over it to the Christmas tree photos. What can I say? I'VE BEEN BUSY. But lest I not blog about a holiday, here are some shots from Thanksgiving lunch at the Cruze's and some videos of the Thanksgiving after-dinner talent show at the Barber's.

[Lydia and Leile get dizzy on the tire swing.]

[Thomas and Rachel]


[Ben can't believe how good the food is]


[Cheers!]



[The little boys' table.]


[The girl cousins had a whole routine worked out to this 'My Turn on Earth' classic.]

[If you're patient enough to make it to the end of the clip you'll be rewarded with some sweet hula hooping action.]

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Merry Christmas





I'm too tired for a sentimental and witty write-up...but I wanted to show our photos from decorating our tree this year. It was perfect.

I'm scheduled to be induced on the 15th...

Thursday, December 4, 2008

3 is my favorite number, so I'll love him double this year




I failed to report on something very important last week. My Scott turned 33. For his birthday celebration itself, we kept it low-key. The kids all wanted to get him their own gifts (with their own money, even!), so we went shopping and their very own ideas were a football, some candy, and lots of gum. We made him an extra good dinner and some cheesecake too.
33 reasons I love him:
1. He's hot. Duh.
2. He knows and remembers what's important to me.
3. He's athletic (I like that). Most of our married life he's played on some sort of intramural or city sports league team. Basketball, soccer, flag football, ultimate frisbee, and mostly softball. I love to watch him play. I love for our kids to see how awesome he is. My favorite part of watching him in any game is the first time the opposing team sees him run at an all out sprint. (Because he's FAST.) I eat up all of their comments of disbelief and hanging open mouths at his unmatched speed.
4. He's funny. He make-a me laugh every day.
5. He is generous. I often feel a struggle with my inner selfish, self but not Scott. He doesn't think twice, he just likes to give and help and serve.
6. He coaches our kids' sports teams too. He's that super-involved dad.
7. He can connect with the kids on some super-exclusive wrestling-level that I will never be able to.
8. He can do this.
9. And this.
10. He's got a good attitude. And a reputation for smiling all the time.
11. His testimony. If this list were in order of importance this would be #1. He is constantly setting the standard for me.
12. He doesn't mind rubbing my feet, even if they may or may not be a little stinky.
13. He changes diapers.
14. He's tough. Especially when it comes to being sick. Throwing up is no big deal to him. Puke, rinse, carry on.
15. At the beginning of the summer he took over grocery shopping for me because I was pregnant and still nauseous and just couldn't take all four kids along with me (the drama). School started up again and I wasn't sick anymore and he still did (and continues to do) all of the grocery shopping.
16. He's tolerant.
17. He always scoops my ice cream. And he's not stingy on the scoops.
18. He is the most amazing story-teller I have ever heard. He has a gift, a true gift for captivating a young audience. Toddlers through preteens, he can keep them all riveted with the same finely-crafted tale.
19. He is smart. Book smart and intuitive smart.
20. He takes each of the kids out on a regular basis individually to do something fun and mostly to have a chance to talk one-on-one with them all.
21. He loves me.
22. He likes (tolerates?) my love of rocking out together in the car to a really good song.
23. When Lydia was born he started making a hot breakfast for the older three kids every day (while I had just been feeding them frozen eggos and strudels).
24. He usually prepares the roast (and he's good at it...very tasty).
25. He taught me to drive a stick-shift (with all the patience of a courting beau).
26. He is a hard worker. Whether it's his job, projects around the house, service, his callings, anything...he is dedicated to it through and through from start to finish. He is the polar opposite of lazy. He doesn't mind getting dirty, sweaty, or whatever it takes, he gets it done right.
27. Along with that work ethic, he's always been able to support our family. Even when we were newlyweds in college, he got a job on the assembly line at a pill-packaging facility until he could find a better one. Not having a job was not an option.
28. He is strong.
29. He writes me love notes.
30. He is nothing but supportive of me...my interests, my priorities, my feelings; he makes them his own.
31. Did I mention perfection? Seriously folks...
32. He is everybody's friend.
33. He's humble. He's not really going to like this post...no, not at all.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Who has cute clothes?



Lydia has cute clothes. Sometimes I feel like there are not enough days in the season to wear all of her cute clothes...or enough days that we're going to be out and about and have those cute clothes noticed. You can't wear an outfit like this around the house. Sometimes I just have to be sure and take a few photos so somebody besides me can see what she's wearing. I'm not bragging about her wardrobe, mind you. Because guess how many of her cute clothes I have purchased for her? Zero. Well, maybe a few of the newborn things that Emma wore. But by and large she has always been dressed by the generosity of her aunts, uncles, and grandmas. Mostly she is lucky enough to sport the super cuteness that Claire has outgrown (whenever I see old photos of Claire when she was two I have to keep saying, "Hey! I love that sweater, Lydia just wore it the other day." For that matter, Ben and Josh's clothes are 99% handed down from Langfords and Sextons so I go through the same routine when looking at photos of their boys in younger days). And Lydia is lucky enough to have all these relatives that love to get new cute little clothes for cute little girls' birthdays and whatnot. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who keeps my kids looking good. It really is a blessing to not have to shop much for clothes for four kids. This little number was from Lisa for turning two. I know...it's cute.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

This is something I love about the cold weather.


Cozy. Toasty.
The pajamaed kids enjoy our first fire of the season (while Emma also enjoys her daily nebulizer routine).

Monday, November 24, 2008

Finally


After living here for 8 months, and having the curtains in our possession for at least 6 of those months, we finally treated some of our windows.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Miraculous Fluke

Yesterday Lydia did something wonderful. Right before her bath she peed on the potty. I know it was a total fluke, lucky timing, but man was it exciting. She got a sucker in the bathtub to celebrate. Since then she has multiple time announced she needed to go potty but so far no repeats. Who knows, though? Maybe she'll be that kid who potty trains herself. And maybe baby Afton will be that baby that sleeps through the night from day one. Maybe.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Emma: Personal Trainer





For some reason Emma and Ben decided that she should make up an exercise regime for him. (Maybe it's just natural, considering the praise she got for her buff arms seen here.) Pretty intense stuff. My favorite move is "Hold foot to head". I'll have to have her show me that one.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Weekend birthday parties

Emma went to a school friend's party on Saturday, who was the recipient of a monogrammed apron:

And look how cute I folded it up:


We also celebrated Claire's upcoming birthday and she got (you guessed it) a shirred top:

With matching headband!


Ta da!