Happy Birthday Jesus!

LOTS of pictures from Christmas...

Putting out "reindeer food" in the yard
and Santa's Little Helper

Christmas Eve was spent shopping
(we're always last-minute shoppers)
and out to eat Mexican food,
then home to watch the Nutcracker ballet
and quiet down in our PJs because...

St. Nick came to visit!

Christmas dream come true...
the American Girl Dolls!
(made in China, Steven likes to say)

Daddy showing Steven Joseph
how to dunk!
He loves his basketball hoop!

She wanted a mermaid,

loves her mermaid umbrella!

Mommy's Ped Egg for my cracking feet :)

Cinnamon Rolls with Baby Jesus
(in the center of the table)

Christmas morning mass was nice and quiet

Then on to grandparent house #1
Turkey dinner at NeNe and PaPa's
with Aunt Kathy

First of many American Girl (AG)
doll gifts, ballerina clothes!

and on to grandparent home #2
sleeping with AG "Elizabeth"

sleeping with "Emily"

All the girl cousins got AG dolls this year
Oh the fun they had last night!

A failed attempt at a cousin picture
11 kids under 8, including 4 toddlers
just not in the cards!


The chaos of present opening
The kids were told to "freeze"
so we could try to organize it a little better
also failed.


Pandemonium
That's what you call 11 children
and 12 adults opening presents at the same time!


Ellie with her AG dog


MC opening an AG dress


And with her magnet dolls
(these are great, lasting paper dolls!)


SJ enjoying the taste of a microphone


And enjoying his new cow plates and silverware


what was left...boxes and bags everywhere.


Fun times making song videos with Aunt Jill
Then watching them on the laptop
You can see the glossy eyes...

What a fun-filled day, a wonderful Christmas! Last year's Christmas was spent at home relishing in the birth of our newborn Steven Joseph. This year we really got to enjoy the blessing of quality time with our families. We are so fortunate! And I'm so thankful everyone is feeling better now! Hope you all had a truly joy-filled Christmas too!

Hay Ride!

We missed out on this neighborhood tradition last year, due to our 3 day-old baby...but this year we didn't! Our little city (our city is in the middle of a suburb and made up of only a few hundred homes in about 3 neighborhoods) offers horse-drawn carriage rides and hay rides on the 23rd and 24th.

Here are the beautiful horses:


friends going on a carriage ride:


Us with the kids on the hayride! (hayrides were free while carriage rides cost a few dollars and required advanced registration...maybe next year)




Hope you all are having a joyous and festive Christmas Eve! Christ is almost born!!!

Gingerbread Baby Birthday

Digging in the yard

Big sisters


Making gingerbread houses

Gingerbread boy cake!
made with mini cupcakes

Happy Birthday to you!

He wasn't too interested in the cupcake
and fell asleep right after this
his sisters had to open his presents!

Perfect presents for our first little boy
Balls, books, and trucks
He's one happy toddler!
Thanks for all your sweet birthday wishes!

The nasty tonsil/fever virus has now taken over the younger two. Hopefully they will be back to themselves by Christmas! We're hunkering down and staying warm inside this week. I'm a little worn out running from one crying, coughing, feverish child to the other, but I'm hopeful that we're almost over these weeks of sickness. Hope you are all having a calm and hopeful last week of Advent!

ONE

One year ago
One ready mom
One more c-section
One newborn baby
One firstborn son
One special name, after his
One cool daddy
One little brother
One other child to love on
One more forehead to kiss
One new day with him is like
One lifetime of laughter
One minute with him pulls my
One worn out body into
One too many directions, but this
One year with him, makes me thank my
One true God for my
One baby boy who now is
One rambunctious toddler as well as a big
One year old boy.

Happy Birthday, Steven Joseph.
We love you so much.

Oh it was so cute!

The Homeschool Christmas Showcase, a talent show of sorts.

The girls and their poem, "Love Came Down at Christmas"


Ellie with her preschool class


Mary Clare and her Little Flowers Class


More later...
Oh, and MC is MUCH better. The first good night sleep in over a month. Thanks so much for your prayers.

When in doubt

post pictures.
Since I can't write coherently with no sleep.
These are pictures from the past week or two.

Painting flour dough ornaments

Reading with NeNe

How I love my house...full of kids!
This was a baby shower last week

Love this SJ photo

Big sisters lovin on the poor baby at the park

I'm free!

Love this one in his high chair last night
Ready for somethin good to eat
Tired eyes ready for bed.

Now my tired eyes better go to bed...
Please pray that MC's throat will feel better tomorrow! She REALLY wants to be in her Christmas program. We're all ready for everyone to be WELL. Please God.