Didn't make the cut...

On the Christmas, Valentine's Day, letter.  :)  This picture just makes me laugh!  I can be driving along and think of it and laugh till I have tears.  We had spent the day in Washington DC with some great friends doing the Smithsonian and a few monuments, then visited with some family... it was a loonnng day and when we woke Lily up to go in the house and climb in bed I couldn't resist her picture.

Here is her cheerful perky little self  early in the day... to redeem the above photo...
Hopefully I'll get our letter/cards sent before St. Patty's Day...

Heartbreaker right?

Isn't this boy adorable?  What is so heartbreaking is that he has had a spot of MRSA on his knee this week. Poor kid. It has to hurt! He is a trooper though, and we were able to avoid I.V. antibiotics, which is such a relief!  Plus, he is loving his mega-strong medicine. (Another relief, he is usually not so fond of taking meds, and that is so hard!)  His knee still looks pretty gross, but it isn't quite so swollen or hot to touch... just icky.  We feel blessed to have caught it early. Sometimes I feel like Heavenly Father makes sure that in my busy, hustle bustleness of being the mom, I stop and notice something like a pimple on a little boys knee (that isn't a pimple, but could be mistaken for one if you weren't "in tune".)  I'm so grateful that I get to parent with a husband like Dave and with a loving Father in Heaven. I couldn't do it on my own!

Such a Cool Kid.

 If you could choose a big brother, you'd choose Michael. He rocks.  I swear, the boy is so patient with the rest of these kids... Henry wanting to be big and playing with all his stuff and talking all night long... and the girls with all their fluffage and girlieness. We're so lucky to have him. He is gentle and thoughtful and always wants to do the right thing.  
There is this adorable little baby at church that only has eyes for Michael. :)  She loves him and responds sweetly to him and the feeling is mutual. He is really sweet with little kids.  I love this photo because it shows how excited he was to hear how Lily's first day of school was.

 Michael is a reader.  ha! Understatement. The boy loves reading. I love it when he reads Calvin and Hobbs because he is all alone in a chair laughing his head off! Love it! He got an e-reader for Christmas and I'm pretty sure has read more classics than me. This morning we loaded another book on there (coolest thing to be able to get library books at home on a snow day!)  He has managed to get straight A's again this marking period, school comes naturally for him, but remembering to turn things in on time and staying organized? Not as easy. He is rocking the Middle School.

Michael is picky! He has a limited number of foods that he likes, but when he likes it, he really does.  Feeding him has gotten easier though, he isn't  vocal about not liking things and is always gracious.  (Plus, he can make his own pb&j's now ;))  

A few weeks ago we had one of those days that I hope to never redo.  Amidst it all, what became so evident to me, was what an amazing boy he is.  After missing the bus (a crazy morning with Dave and I leaving the house before he did) he attempted to walk to school--  I mean, what 11 year old does that? It was freezing cold, he wasn't dressed to walk in the snow miles and miles and ended up turning around and returning home after going about 1.5 miles.  Scared, lonely, frozen, frustrated and worried.  It breaks my heart-- but also makes it swell with love and pride.  He is a good kid. (and we have a new action plan for random events!)

Michael is also an awesome trombone player! He is following in his Papa and Uncle Will's footsteps!  He had a great solo in his Winter concert,  Feliz Navidad!  I wanted to shout and holler when he finished, but I restrained myself. It was awesome though.  He is a part of the 6th grade band, the Jazz Band, and his teacher recently asked him to learn all the music so he can be in the Symphonic band (7th & 8th grade).  He is also a singer!  He was the LONE MAN in the 6th grade chorus. Bless his heart.  :)  I'm proud of him for sticking it out with those girls after the other boys all quit or were "let go".  I think a few more boys have this semester so he isn't quite so alone now.

Oh! He is also TALL!  Check him out in this video! He is totally not going to be the shortest deacon passing the sacrament by the end of this month. :)  I'm lucky to have a kid like Michael.  He teaches me new things, laughs with me, helps me out a lot and is really fun to be around. His teachers all love him and so do we!

Janey Jane Jane.

Today my sweet Jane turns 10. TEN!!!!!!!!  How did that happen? 
I love Jane. She is full of laughter and fun.  Jane is currently homeschooled so I get to enjoy her company all day! It has been fun to watch her learn, and learn about her. For example, working in handwriting books, meh. Writing poetry using handwriting techniques? Yeah! math on the computer, score! Spelling? a breeze no matter how you shake it.  One thing that makes homeschooling easier with Jane is that she is pretty self motivated. She also is super smart. :)  While I'm distracted with Lily and Henry, she keeps trucking along.  Go Jane! She is into doing her hair, adding accessories to outfits and carrying a purse. What a lady.
Jane is a peacemaker.  She is always striving to do what is right and genuinely feels bad if she comes up short. She is very very tenderhearted and feels things deeply. She is aware of how others are feeling, and does nice things for people to cheer them up.  I've realized that my feelings of frustration or disappointment about random things really effect Jane.
 (Notice how cooperative Henry was in this photo? no wonder we still haven't sent Christmas cards! )

Jane LOVES babies. Loves them.  She is good with them too. She can keep Henry happy during tough times (like long car rides or shopping trips) by taking him on imaginary adventures in pirate ships or on horses. It is fun to hear her," Let me help you put on your cowboy boots and spurs, oops, fell off, try again, now your hat, Looking good Buddy! Lets' go riding the range! oooh! See that giant cactus! Steer clear of that!"  You get the idea. She rocks. Henry really adores her.

Jane is crafty. She is always making something out of something. She's good at crocheting and makes cool beaded projects.  She loves to write letters too!  She's been on a swimteam for the past 2 years and is really doing great! She works hard and somedays I can't imagine how she can keep swimming forward! They do some tough drills.  She also plays the piano and is super good at practicing (as long as we are on our normal schedule and the kids are out the door by 8:15.)  
Jane adores penguins. I mean, LOVES them.  So much so that Henry, shouts "Jane, a Penguin!" Whenever he sees one.  (There sure were a lot of penguin themed things in the stores in December!  It is fun to have something you love.  Jane is also a fantastic giver.  At Christmas she bought thoughtful gifts for everybody in our family. She bought things she really would have liked to keep in fact! :) Watching her give, and the others too, was my favorite part of Christmas.  



( Jane and Eve about 5 years ago... Wow, they have grown up!)

I've learned a lot being Jane's mom.  She is a precious spirit.  She loves to laugh and make others laugh, and is truly learning to use the gift of her sense of humor appropriately.  Jane is honest, she is truthful and hardworking. She loves to bake with me and is willing to try almost any new food. She is probably our most adventurous child.  Jane will spend HOURS outside playing-- with a sibling or neighbor or alone.  She loves the snow and will bundle up and play for hours. Yesterday I looked outside to see her rolling from one side of our snowy yard, all the way to the other edge. :)  She delights in it (and only eats the clean snow! ;))

Jane Elizabeth is a joy. Aren't we so blessed with such an awesome family??? sigh.

Genevieve Noelle...

Can you believe Eve turned 8?  I can't. She is such a special girl. Do you know I NEVER have to even remind her to do homework. Ever. She walks in the door, hugs me, sits down and gets to work.  Amazing.  She not only does it, she does it right! She is one smart cookie. Her school teacher appreciates what a fantastic role model she is for the other kids, and the mom of one classmate has told me how much help she has been to her son. Not only does she help him, but she is a good friend. (In turn, he is a special friend to her too.)

Eve loved her birthday. She flitted all around the room as she opened gifts. I think it must be cool to get presents 2 days before Christmas! She was very sincere in her wishes for family members and in her thank-yous. With all we had going on (Baptism, Christmas Eve, Christmas, my birthday, scheduled trip to Mazaatlan...) life was really hectic and we bought cupcakes. She acted like they were the best ever. She has a sunny disposition.

Eve was so excited to be baptized. I think it was more exciting to her than her actual birthday, or even Christmas. It is so special that she has an understanding of what an important step that is. Her "snapshot" is going to be pretty much a baptism post. :)  We decided that the morning of Christmas Eve was a perfect time for a baptism-- and it was!  What a fantastic start to a day--- and I bet she won't ever forget the specialness of that day.  We sang Christmas Carols, the talks were done by 2 amazing young women,  she had support from so many loved ones who have prayed for her often over the past 8 years.  Even though we didnt' have any extended family there, the room was overflowing with people who are like family to us.  It was also filled with an amazing spirit. As she received the Gift of the Holy Ghost,  she was reminded of what a special light she has and that many people will be drawn to her.  She has been through a lot in her 8 years and we know she has a lot to accomplish in this life. Truly, it was a perfect morning and a perfect way to start Christmas Eve.We only wish we could have shared it with all the people we love.

totally un-Eve related. Can you get over how tall Michael is?  Yikes.

About 3 weeks ago we had a scary thing happen.  I was rubbing Eve's back and noticed that she had a big lump... I lined the kids up and compared spines and felt panicky.  We went to the doctors within a few days and were sent for x-rays.  I was so scared.  I had visions of tumors and cysts and things I can't even type.  I'm not generally an over-worrier. (Her infancy taught me a lot! ;))  But I was flat out scared. I can't tell you the relief we felt when the results came back normal.  Sometimes I think Eve has her own definition of "normal".

Eve is fun. She loves to dance and make crafty things. She is so precious to play with Lily and Henry and treats them really nicely.  She likes to eat most everything and is pretty neat and tidy.  Her hair grows like crazy and she is patient while I brush it out every morning. 

Oh Lily....

Lily laughs pretty much all the time. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is either laughing, or crying. :)  She has really great, understandable language. I'm clinging to words like "flumb"(thumb) and lellow, because pretty much every other word is totally free of little kids sounds. (clear r's, l's, s's.)  She talks a lot. Like, all the time.If she isn't talking, she is making some sort of noise, lalalala! All that noise makes it hard to be a good listener sometimes.... but she isn't usually naughty, just distracted!

 Jane and Henry and I crashed Lily's fall field trip to the pumpkin patch. It was fun to see her interact with her class mates, she is a full head taller than most of them and acts like it. ;) She loves Pre-K and is at that awesome stage where she sounds out everything. She'll write whole pages of letters the "meensumfng" (mean something). You get the idea. It is lovely! Most of the time her her notes say "Lily Loves ___" (insert name of family member).

 Lily was planning her birthday for 11 months and 30 days. :) She already is looking forward to being 6, but I keep telling her to enjoy today! Live in the moment!!! She loves to color and draw and will spend a long time playing all alone with a dolly. The other day I heard her playing all alone with imaginary friends. I love that!  She is really sweet with Henry and they play together really well, today they were on and off the bus (couch) a hundred times!

Lily wanted to be Fancy Nancy for Halloween. The thing was... she pretty much is Fancy Nancy everyday. :) Life would be so boring without Lily around. She is such a sweet, cuddly, loving little girl. She is so entertaining and delightful. She always wants to be helpful and do the right thing.

Oh How I love this boy.

Oh, Henry. He is full of fun and energy and keeps us all laughing.  I am loving his language--- words like whobody. Such a great word!  During the month of December, we rocked out to Christmas music, pretty much every waking minute. :) Everytime the Little Drummer Boy would come on, no matter who the artist or where we were (car, kitchen, home, party...) he would stop what he was doing and run to me, grab my chin so he could get my full attention and say "Dis be Misso Gwummo guy?"  (Mr. Drummer Guy) It charmed me every time! 

Henry is a big kid. He likes to do all the things the big kids do. He has rocking moves with Just Dance 2 on the Wii, is a whiz on the computer and can race hotwheels and build spaceships with his trio blocks. He is happy about 99% of the time, just a really good natured kid.  He loves his big brother and sisters, and often asks where they are if they aren't home. He shouts a lot, likes to be independent with everything but the potty (he is a social pee-er. He just wants company!) Henry isn't picky and will eat pretty much everything.

Henry is a likable kid. He is easy going, doesn't beat his friends up, pretty good at sharing, INCREDIBLE at delayed gratification, and irresistable when it comes to kissing and squeezing. Fortunately, he is just a big love and loves to cuddle with his momma. :)

This week my goal is to post a "snapshot" of each of our kids.  Since the past year of my blog has been so lame, I'm hoping to catch up a bit by writing down some details about each of our kids that make them so unique.

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hello?

I'm a non-blogger blogger. But... I miss being able to look back at my blog and see what was going on in my life, so I'm re-committing myself.    I'll start by telling a few things that made me happy yesterday.

I was standing at the kitchen counter making waffles and a cardinal was enjoying birdseed at my window feeder. I love being inches away from those beautiful creatures and watching their little beaks munching!  It was one of those, "my life is so good" moments: good music playing, happy kids, warm kitchen, yummy smells, good food, beautiful life.

Michael was in need of new pencils for school. I found 6 brand new pencils, sharpened them, and left them on the table by his homework. When it was time to clear the table for dinner I told him those pencils were for him. His enthusiasm was awesome. You would have thought it was a brand new game for the Wii or something. :)  Sincere gratitude is a beautiful thing.

Lily and I were playing some silly game where she puts a pillow on my head and I act shocked. As the pillow fell off my head, she threw her arms around my neck laughing and shreiked in my ear, "Oh Mommy! I just LOVE you!"  :)

Eve came home in a mood.  I think it is the sassiness of 8.  I reminded her how the tone of what she said was as strong of a message as what she said. A few minutes later, after being less sassy, she said "Wow! I feel a lot better! That tone thing works!"  :)

Jane did a ton of Math work today... in various positions/locations. At one point I walked in the kitchen to find her sitting on the floor with her book on a chair.  Not ideal, but it made me laugh and she completed all the work she needed to finish.

Henry. Just Henry. He keeps me laughing all day long.  I sat under him and watched Sesame Street for a while today, he is lovey and cuddly and adores me... it is mutual.  I think I "cocked" his nerf gun at least 5,000 times today. 

Dave built a lovely fire for FHE.  After we had our snack (banana split on a spoon: one slice of banana, a spoon of Neapolitan ice cream and a choc chip on top... I don't do big snacks at bedtime...) and the kids were tucked in bed, I sat in front of the fire and read for an hour. It was warm and lovely.

I have a good life.

The Whole Oxygen Mask Thing...

Dave and I were invited to the most Spectacular Birthday Party EVER! :)  My Dad turned 70 and Bev threw him an amazing party.  All of his children and spouses were invited to go on a Cruise with them.  What an amazingly generous gift we all got for his birthday!  

We were so excited. But, we have 5 kids.  How do we do this?  Oh yeah, Dave's amazing parents! They flew out and spent 8 exhausting days with our kids. The kids had an amazing time with them. There wasn't a single minute of our vacation that I felt nervous or worried about the kids. I knew they were in competent and LOVING hands.  Every time we called we heard laughter. :)  It was such a blessing that they were willing to come and do this for us. 

Our first stop was Sally and Jason's house.  The Peel family went to church and Dave and I napped. And nobody woke us up. It was Awesome!  (Our flight left Philly at 6 so we had a very short night!)  We enjoyed Halloween  California style and loved watching their kids flitting around the yards handing out candy. They have such wonderful kids and it was so fun to see Sally and Jason.    The next day we went to see Dave's Grandma Steimle.  She is such a sweet lady.  We got to see her new place and eat lunch in her dining room. (Couldn't help but notice the 45 different varities of walkers!)  You can tell that everybody loves her!  Every time we get to be with her feels like such a treat. She is such a positive cheerful lady. 

Then Sally drove us to our ship.  When we got to our room we had an invitation for the official Birthday Kick Off Party!  It was such a total JOY to see my siblings.  I haven't seen Will in almost 2 years, Jenny & Eric, and Amy & Chad it has been 4.  We saw Angela and David 4 years ago and Heaven knows when we saw Joel last. Plus, we were able to meet his darling new wife Alicia.  I kept crying.  It was just so fun to be in a room with all these amazing people!  

Jenny worked really hard to create a memory book for Dad. It was beautifully done.  We enjoyed Pumpkin Pie, (Dad's favorite!) and watched the sunset and the land disappear.

The next morning... Wait. I have to tell you how cool it was to sleep in.  It has been nearly 12 years since we actually slept in last. (well, at least me ;))  Even though Dave and I were not accustomed to Pacific Time and woke up at 5:30, it felt like we had slept forever!  What a treat!  The next day we spent on Catalina Island.  It was so nice to just wander around together.  My pictures are severely lacking in Joel & Alicia and Bev & Angela... I think because they ditched us and our GPS tour for shopping. :)  We ate a wonderful meal (probably my favorite of the whole trip) and laughed and had fun.

The next day was spent in Ensenada, Mexico. We had a great time shopping and being touristy at La Bufadora.  La Bufadora is one of the biggest blow holes in the world and was really really cool. Water shoots out of this little under ground cave (or something like that... I need to learn more.)  My favorite part was when we were posing for a family picture and we had our backs to it and we all got soaked. Awesome! 

The next day (are you tired of this trip yet? Tough. I'm not. It was awesome!)  We spent the day on the ship.  We played mini golf, read, relaxed, did music trivia with the cruise director and played shuffle board on the Lido Deck. :)  Really, it was so fun just to hang out together and get to know each other again. I have an amazing family.   Plus, we all wore matching cruise shirts and people asked us for directions and what time the black jack tournament started.

 Our last day of vacation was spent in Disneyland. Holy Cow! It was so much fun!  We had a great time going at our own pace, doing fun rides our little ones would hate (Space Mountain! I LOVE Space Mountain!)  We got soaked on Splash Mountain and loved the fantastic fireworks. It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone and head back to our hotel. So hard.  I was really weepy. I think mostly because I had anticipated this trip and spending time together, and it was Over! :( 

When we came home I realized why they tell you on the plane to put your own oxygen mask on first before helping people around you (your kids).  If you can't breathe you aren't of any use to anyone.  This trip kind of felt like a giant dose of oxygen. We both came home feeling so refreshed and like our marriage was fresh. I had no idea how much Dave and I needed time together.   It was hard to be away from our kids, but it was GLORIOUS to spend time together and relax without the pressure of day to day life!  A million thanks to Dad and Bev, and Linda and Alan who made it possible! 

The Jenny Nicholas, 34 days till Christmas Concert Extravaganza.

Tonight our children put on a concert for us, complete with programs, signage, a band, and autograph pages.  Jane was Jenny Nicholas. It was awesome.  I just love how my children do things like this... it takes me waaay back to when I was little and we put on "shows" for our family. :) 

Lily was "Samalina".  She is something else.   I am not sure where she gets this stuff, but goodness, Dave and I just can't keep a straight face.  This photo is from the first day of school,  I asked her if I could take her picture. She struck this pose and her teacher said out loud (I think she might not have realized it wasn't just in her head.)  "Oh My."  :)