Celebrations!

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Abbie

Within the next two years four of our pastor’s seven children will be wed! One of the neatest parts of being a part of a small church is that everyone is friends with and knows the pastor and his family. We were so excited to get to dress up and be a part of one of the wedding celebrations in December (unfortunately, we had to miss the first of the four weddings). It was a very personal and sweet ceremony that honored Jesus above all else.

Zoe has figured out how to trick her hair to get a few waves and curls (the secret is a wrapping damp hair in a bun all day long, fyi).

Emmie decided the ceremony wasn’t her cup of tea and wanted Daddy to walk her in the foyer. Much better.

My boys think a wedding is okay but what they most look forward to is the reception. Especially buffet receptions. But waiting until the buffet is open…That’s really hard.

Weddings bring sweet reunions too. Some former members of our church drove in and that meant instant friend time for Ceili Rain, A and C as they joined together and played at the reception. We miss C and her family dearly and pray one day they can move back in to the area!

Okay, Bryant got in on the hugs and reunion too.

I wanted a family picture and this was the best we got. Oh, well. Tracy got some really good ones while Y was here and I’ll share those soon.

November Randomness

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Abbie

Stay calm…that’s a plastic knife. You can’t help but admire the timing of the picture though.

Partying hard with Mama and her friends on a girls’ night out.

Ceili Rain loves the cow.

Operation Christmas Child is always a big hit in November.

I emailed Dex Baby because some of our DuraBibs were falling apart after several fun years of use. Seriously, the best bibs I’ve ever been able to use. And they have a lifetime warranty. They sent me back, not two, but three to replace the two that had been destroyed. Great company!

My son and Mark are so edumacated.

Sitting pretty. In 12 month clothes!

Some days only napping on mommy will do.

And, Emmie’s first time on a swing.

Quick Trip

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Abbie

Several months ago, Grandmere broke her foot. The doctor and Grandmere were very patient and tried to let it heal. However, it just wasn’t doing what it was supposed to. So, a week before Thanksgiving, she had surgery to put a pin in place. She’s been doing great with it but we thought it would be in her best interest (and sanity) if we didn’t invade overnight. We all wanted to see Papa and Grandmere, though. So we made a quick day trip to their house on the Saturday after Christmas.

We were able to give her part of her birthday gift (okay, Papa’s gift too)…a birthday board.

Yeah, I don’t have a clue.

From here on, one of the kids grabbed my camera. This should be interesting.

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Abbie

We celebrated Thanksgiving at Ge & Granddaddy’s house this year. Be prepared for the goofiness that is our family…

Emmie got to meet Uncle Jay. Next to daddy, he pretty much hung the moon.

Black Friday (okay, late night Thursday) shopping yielded lots of treasures between Aunt Yaya, Ge, and I. But the Apples to Apples game was an immediate hit for the kids since it was too cold to go outside.

This is my nephew, E. We’re super excited that he has almost survived a full year of 13.

Ceili Rain is just excited to have a big cousin who is willing to give some cuddles.

And make goofy faces with. Aunt Yaya taught her how to do the “fish” face.

Malachi and Bryant were driving a truck in one of Granddaddy’s fun chairs.

Aunt Yaya and cousin J showing us how to properly pose for pictures.

Emmie has been a dog baby since she first noticed that there were furry little things running around our house. This visit proved it even more. When Pepper, my yippy “sister,” would bark, Emmie just blinked or yelled back at her. But Rusty, my grumpy ol’ “brother,” shocked us all. Once evening he plopped himself right beside Emmie and waited. This is what she did…

Baby and dog adorableness…holding hands!

Rusty isn’t a “baby” dog so when he did this we were all quite shocked. Then, when Emmie was ready for a nap and Mark picked her up, Rusty huffed at us.

Granddaddy and Emmie got early morning cuddles the whole time we were there.

Ge snuck in a few too.

Birthday

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Abbie

I had a lovely birthday this year. My parents came up the day before and watched the kids so I could take Emmie to her well check. Mark took me shopping the week before because…well, because my clothes were getting baggy and falling down. It’s a good problem to have.

Mark made my chocolate cake with chocolate icing and Zoe suggested we had mini chocolate chips. Fully of yumminess.

We live in a military town which means a lot of “transplants” come here and stay. I love meeting new people and trying new foods. This summer, some neighbors recommended a Hawaiian barbecue place. We were more than happy to try it out. Mark and I tried it out on a date night and loved it. So, my birthday dinner request was for the family to experience a bit of Hawaii in our little Southern town. It’s not a fancy place but the food. Oh, the food is awesome!

On Friday nights they have Polynesian dancers. My little dancer, Ceili Rain, loved it and just had to get a picture made with the dancers.

My other birthday request was to get our bedroom painted. I spent several hours in our dark brown room when Emmie was born. I grew tired of the color and wanted a lighter color…a blue. So, I grabbed several paint samples and stared at them for several months before deciding on one. Mark painted it the weekend of my birthday and I couldn’t be happier. It’s bright and more welcoming.

This is the painting in progress.

When Grandpa Comes to Visit

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Abbie

With my birthday coming up, Ge and Granddaddy came up to visit and volunteered to watch our crew while I took Emmie to her six month check up. The kids are used to going to well checks but it was a treat for them to not have to go. Confession time, it was a treat for me too. Doctor offices can be a tad on the boring side, but Ge and Granddaddy always find something fun to do.

Granddady and stairs means everyone can get some loving!

Ge brought a sugar cookie decorating kit. I walked in right as they were finishing up decorating and the kids were none too thrilled I had come home so soon.

Their creations:

Um, yeah. Get right on cleaning that one Ge!

Emmie is Six Months!

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Abbie

Emmie turned six months last month. It’s safe to say, she’s growing like a weed! The week we made this picture, we had to pull out her twelve month clothes. Her torso and the cloth diapers made snapping onesies near to impossible. So, up a size she went. She had a great check up with Dr. B. She’s a bit slower on her milestones than her siblings but she’s still within normal developmental range. She’s sitting up and grabbing at objects and even manipulating them in her hands. Bless her, having a mama who is a social worker, and a grandma and aunt who have masters in special education…this baby is being watched like a hawk.

She continues to be a delight to our family. The kids remind me daily that she is definitely the favorite for them. All of her adventures these past six months have reminded us to not take a single day for granted. She is truly a gift.

Here’s her stats:

17 lbs 13.2 oz (84%). A week after her well check we had to go back in because she was sick (nothing serious…just a normal infant virus), she weighed 19 pounds…over a pound in a week…This kid loves her milk (because she doesn’t eat baby food).
27 inches long (90%)

Miss Ems decided that she wanted to sit up for her photo shoot this month.

October Randomness

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Abbie

Liam’s Lego Creation. It was a volcano disaster. Note the fallen village people.

Emmie got her first bite of food.

That about sums up her thoughts on baby food. We’re still working on it but she prefers mommy or soft foods she can hold to eating mushy foods from a spoon.

Liam took a quick picture of us for Grandmere. Not too bad if I do say so myself.

Mark’s kid chains.

Emmie was still working on rolling over in October. This is as far as she would get. Those hands. They slay me.

Dinosaur bones make a yummy chew toy.

Emmie loves Ginger. Even though Ginger is a bit skiddish around her, the feeling is mutual. Ginger checks on her regularly in the evenings and when Emmie is crying Ginger looks for me or Mark to go get her. This is the best I can do right now. I’m looking forward to seeing their relationship grow. She’s our first baby to actually take an active interest in the dogs.

A few weeks after the food introduction and she’s slowly getting the hang of it. Okay, not really, but she did enjoy a few bites.

Helping daddy build a patio extension.

A neighbor invited Ceili Rain to a birthday party. She got to “meet” Elsa. Her world was rocked.

We got Mark at home for a whole week as he worked on training online. Contrary to popular Facebook belief, he was actually studying here. Not sleeping.

Emmie still does not have a ton of hair. So I made her a hat.

It’s an owl. And she approves. I think.

Our Bunch and Wedding Bells

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Abbie

We enjoyed attending L and E’s wedding. This was Mark’s cousin and we enjoyed celebrating their marriage.

As predicted, Ceili Rain only left the clip in her hair for less than an hour. But at least it looked pretty in a flexi.

Yes, there were a few kids missing running hither and yon. This was just before attempting our family pictures. All twenty-three of us.

So, we started to leave the wedding and noticed the bride and groom’s perfectly clean car. We just couldn’t have that. Luckily, Aunt B and I had toilet paper in our vans. Uncle B supervised the decorating.