Ain't No Lie. Bye Bye Bye.

I know many of you are wondering about the current state of my health. That statement is somewhat sarcastic, but there have been many of you who have asked, so I wanted to keep you sweet little dears in the loop...
Today I met with the surgeon for my pre-op appointment. He did some last minute question answering, checked everything out, then sent me on my way with a surgery date set for next Tuesday morning bright and early. By bright and early I actually mean dark and while everyone else is still sleeping. Ha!
I'll be having a partial hysterectomy(they'll leave my sweet little ovaries) as well as several ligament repairs. If all goes well I should be able to come home by late that afternoon. The recovery time is about the same as having a baby. He told me today I'll probably be up and around pretty quickly, but shouldn't return to everyday regular life for about 6 weeks.
Many have asked how I'm feeling about all of this. The answer is numb. It doesn't really seem true yet. I'm sure when I wake up and there are parts of me missing it'll start to feel real, but right now I'm still in shock that it's happening. Like, for real, happening.
I'm mostly worried about how my life will look for the next few weeks. My right-hand-lady, Aunt Steph, is currently living out of town working on an opera. She's ultra mega talented, and for some reason wants to be successful at something OTHER than being the worlds greatest aunt! We are so excited for HER, but that means she'll not be able to help at all with the kids while she's away. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but we have six kids. That makes finding a sitter we can afford that actually WANTS to watch all six of them together(which is how we like to keep them) a pretty big task. At this point I have no way of knowing what I'll need help with. Because Manly is basically self employed he only gets paid when he works. That means there's no sick leave/pay. So, we are on the hunt for all the help we can get. If you'd like, you can pray that this will all work out great for us. That our children would be taken care of, and that I'd be able to rest in the thought of them not needing me while I heal.
I'm also mulling over the fact that this is, indeed, the end of my childbearing days. Oh, believe me, I know that most of you are rolling your eyes at the thought of this being a tough thing for me while my house is running wild with six children. Bottom line, it IS. I know our baby days were over when Manly had his surgery a while back, but now they are REALLY over. And that's fine. It's just tough.
My heart is so thankful that God allowed my body to hold out and carry all of the kids. I'm so thankful that He prompted Manly to make the decision for Eli to be our last baby. I KNOW that He(The Lord) knew what needed to happen. I KNOW that this is in His plan. You have NO idea how grateful I am that our family felt completed when our little red caboose joined our family. My heart has not yearned for another baby. I know that some day, in years to come, I may feel a sadness about no more babies, but I'm thankful that our home and our hearts are filled with the joy our six kids bring us each day.
So, it's with hope for good health in the very near future that I bid adieu to my poor overworked uterus. It's been good to me all these(ahem) 33 years, but I'll not be needing it anymore.

The Truth Is...

I keep getting on my blog to update the world with what's been going on with us, but the truth is every time I do I feel overwhelmed with how far behind I am on here. It's been WAY too long, and I've missed a LOT. Another truth is that I bought a new computer, and while I love a lot of what it does I HATE sorting through photos on it, and it makes trying to post photos on here nearly impossible. I'm thankful for the provision of a computer, but I should really take the time to try and figure this thing out because I'm limited to what I can actually do on the silly thing! Ehh, at least it has a touch screen...
Also, the truth is that we aren't doing so great. While I always try to be real on my blog, there are only so many times that you can write that it's been a tough year. We've had financial struggles due to the yo-yoing of private practice, heartache, loneliness, sadness, sick kids, kids going to public school, kids getting their heart broken, kids with attitude problems, the list goes on and on. I am fully aware that our trials are minuscule in relation to the trials of others, and I am in no way trying to get anyone to feel sorry for me, only stating that it's been tough, and sharing our nutso life with the world isn't really high on my list of things to do. I want to be honest, but honestly, there are some things I really don't want to have lingering over my head on the Internet for the rest of time.  I've struggled with how to say what I'd like to say for a long time. Honestly, there are a lot of things I'd like to share, but proper words just won't come to me, so I take that as the Lord being my filter of sorts. Ha!
I haven't really done a whole lot of blogging since Christmas, so I think I'll just highlight a few things that have happened since then.

• In January we put the three big girls in public school. It hasn't been what I wanted it to be, and honestly, I'm not really all that pleased with how things are going. The girls are all doing fine, and have really liked a lot about school, but I'm still feeling sad about not being their teacher. I miss them terribly, and feel like it's still not quite right. There are a lot of things I do like about it though, and one of those is that they are having a fun time and they are shining their light for all the school to see.
  

Here they are on storybook character day. Addi is Cinderella, KK is Alice, and Olivia is Josefina(the American Girl).

 

KK won the character award in February. Makes a momma proud!

The kids had a superhero night at school. Here they are sporting their looks. Yes, Eli is wearing a shirt although you can't tell! Ha! Check out the creeper behind Livi. Poor Mia was a little shy.

 

Another pic of the kids. Seriously hysterical!

 

My Lulu at her first choir concert. She's the first one on row three on the left.

• Brubbs turned FOUR! I can not believe he's already four! He's such a sweet sensitive little boy. I love his sense of adventure, and love for all things manly. He and his Daddy went to the monster truck jam for his birthday. He got a Red Rider BB gun from his Pop which he loves. All he asked for was cake and his Nana and Pop to eat lunch with us.

Here he is at his restaurant of choice with his monster truck cake.

 

With his pop shooting his gun for the first time! He is SO proud of that gun!

• Manly and I made rain gutter bookshelves. I got the idea to do them a long time ago, but never had the time or effort available to do them. Recently we've been making some simple home improvements, so I added doing this to my list and we knocked it out in an afternoon. They look BEAUTIFUL and the kids love them, and they are quite sturdy if I do say so myself. We used this tutorial, although since ours were almost nine feet long we added several more brackets than they say are required.

I added little baskets for the really heavy massive story books we have. They're just too big for any shelf really.

•  I also decided to have my hand at some of my own DIY projects I've been putting off. I'm really happy with the end results, although I don't have pics of those. Ooops!

I used my leftover lactation tea to dye my curtains. They turned out the right color and everything. Too bad tossing them into the dryer for 10 minutes to dry shrunk them up!

This poor front porch rocking chair was looking quite rough! After a few coats of red spray paint she was looking as good(better) than new! LOVE the new color and it matches my front door.

I also turned several things in my house teal. LOVE the pops of color!

 

•  I helped the girls(with Manly) make some killer Valentine's boxes! Judge if you want, but it was fun and the girls were DELIGHTED! I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Although I did make these reusable, so I stuck them into the attic at first chance so I can use them again next year!! Ha!

Addi wanted a castle, so castle she got! It looked super girly and sparkly.

KK wanted a pirate ship. Her box took us about 20 minutes. REALLY simple and FUN!

Livi did most of the work on her doggie box. It was the cutest thing! I loved her idea of using multi-color brown yarn to give it added dimension. The little pink bows on the ears just really top it off. SO cute!!! Pretty easy too! Just a box with tape and yarn.

•   Isaiah is still receiving vision therapy in Fort Smith, and we are pleased with his progress. I will say we HATE going to Fort Smith every other week. It's a total hassle, but at this point still worth it to me. I wish his Dr. would move to Conway though!!

Isaiah working through his therapy with red/green glasses. He does a lot of work with these so that it will force him to use both eyes at the same time. 

• I got a nose ring for Valentine's Day. Well, I guess it wasn't really FOR Valentine's Day, but I did get it the day after Valentine's Day. So far I like the way it looks, but it does bug me a little. I think it's mostly because I touch my nose too much! Ha! It's funny how the way some people viewed me changed. Ha! Honestly, it's something I've wanted to do for a REALLY long time. I just finally got the guts to do it! There are a lot of things like that on my list of things to do that you might see pop up. Too bad the next thing on my list is fit into a dress that I've always kept. I may NEVER get to anything else on my list. Haha! No, seriously. I like my nose ring and you should too!



• Eli is a MESS. No, like he's really a stinker! He's basically been sick since he started refusing to nurse at 4 months. Yeah, he's basically a poster child for the benefits of nursing. He's currently on a month long dose of antibiotics in hopes of flushing this nastiness out for good, but if this doesn't work, we'll be checking for immunity and allergy issues. To say the least, it's been a long several months of having a sick baby. I know it could be much worse, and I'm very thankful it's not. I am praying for healing and answers though. In the mean time he's just been as sweet as can be! In between making messes that is!

 

After he got his oatmeal bowl and basically got it EVERYWHERE!

• Mia Jane is really coming out of her shell since the girls have been in school. She has had severe shyness, but in the past three months has really bloomed. She's also REALLY smart and able to do things that blow me away. She can add, subtract, knows most of her letters and numbers, and has amazing control over her writing. This girl got her smarts from her daddy. I can't wait to see her continue to blossom this year.

My sweet girl wanted to write her name. She said, "Show me how, momma." So, I did. This is what she did afterward. Love her little Disneylike "I."

 

She reminds me so much of my sweet Livi at this age.



• Manly won the outstanding young alumnus award at our college. I am SO proud of him! He's really done well in the last few months at work. I can't wait to see what lies ahead for him. I know he'll go on to do great things. He's such a hard worker, and really great at everything he puts his hands to.

My man with his award. Looking quite cute, I might add. 

• After YEARS of waiting I finally got my Big Red!! I'm SO SO EXCITED. I jump at any chance to get to use her! She's such a bute, and so good at what she does. I'm so thankful to Manly for getting her for me!

Here she is in action making homemade butter cream icing.

 

• Manly and I will soon get to take a break and visit Dallas sans kids.
• I met a random stranger who knew who I was because she read my blog. Hi!
• Manly got a new truck! Poor guy has been driving tiny cars suitable for much smaller people than himself, so he was delighted to get to buy a big Ford Explorer. Best part is it's completely paid for. Best advice we ever took was to buy cash cars!

OK, so up next, Eli's party! Now I feel like I'm caught up enough that I can share about his party without feeling like I've skipped EVERYTHING else that happened over the last few months! Thanks for being a part of our life and for hanging in there with me while I needed a break!

 

Their Story

I was so overwhelmed by my wild life this weekend that I completely forgot about my parents 34th wedding anniversary yesterday. I wanted to take a minute and praise them for their love and devotion to one another. They've lived through a lot of hard times, and they've come out stronger than ever. I'm so proud to have parents who stuck it out, stayed married, and still love each other. I'm so proud of them!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of them four years ago at their big 30th anniversary party.

My parents still looking young and in love.

This is when he asked her to marry him again with an anniversary ring. So sweet.

Our family. My sister, Emilie, mom(Ruth), me(and Isaiah), Dad(Scottie), and brother, Scott.

This is a special picture of my parents with their parents.

My granny(mom's mom), mom, dad, and grandpa(dad's dad).

 

And one from April of them with all the kids.

 

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! We hope you enjoy many more years together!

 

That Smell Made Me Cry

We had a cookout at church recently. It was catered by a local bbq place. They brought smoked chicken and the fixings. It was a yummy meal and the staff from Hog Pen was fantastic-even bringing around extra rolls and chicken legs to the kids(and anyone else who wanted one. Ahem, MANLY). We ate our fill and got our things together to leave.
As we passed by the kitchen, I stuck my head in and thanked the staff. The owner followed us out asking about our family. He told us he too had a large family and that they were now all in the kitchen working for him. Manly jokingly said that's what we were raising our crew for.
As we were getting the kids into the car he came back with three large bags of chicken. He said, "I know you can use this. Take it. We'll just end up throwing it out. I can't stand to see that happen when I know it could bless you." Manly, humbled by his sweet words, kindly took the bags and thanked the man.
When we got home I grabbed the bags out of the car. When I did I got a big whiff of the chicken. It smelled like smoke and meat. When I smelled it I immediately started to cry. I've smelled that smell before. But it's been a while...
I remember being little and getting my school supplies every year. You know that smell of fresh supplies? Oh how I love that smell. Paste and Crayola's have a way of reminding me of recess, adverbs, and multiplication. Still to this day, I can walk into a school and it takes me back to being a kid.
The same happens when I smell Exclamation! and Sunflowers perfume. I go back to my younger teenage years. I can totally remember my friends and I basically bathing in that stuff, getting all dolled up, and going to the mall for the day to people watch and shop at Claire's. Good times. Good smells.
But this smell, this masculine thick smell, reminded me of one of my favorite people. My grandpa was one of the kindest, most thoughtful, hardworking men I've ever known. A lifetime smoker, he always had a smoky masculine smell. When he'd finally come in from his body shop (where he worked all my life) he would get cleaned up and come over to our house dressed in his best western cut shirt. He'd have gel slicked hair, and spicy aftershave smell. He'd likely have some gift for my mother to thank her for the meal. He'd also have a story and a laugh to share.
I remember being a tiny child watching him fry eggs and bacon on Christmas morning. He'd slip me a slice of bacon with a wink and a smile.  He'd open his fridge which ALWAYS smelled like buttermilk, and get another dozen eggs to fry. He cooked for his entire family each Christmas morning for years.
My favorite though was Thanksgiving. That man knew how to fry a turkey! He'd be up early on Thanksgiving morning getting the birds ready. He'd come over later with a perfectly fried turkey in his arms and a smile on his face. He'd put that sucker on the table with a laugh, and I'd have to sneak just a little smidge. He'd laugh and me and give me a hug as I munched. It was THAT smell. That meaty manly smell that I smelled when I brought that chicken in.
Now the last of the bags sits in my fridge. I find myself not wanting to finish it up. Each time I open the fridge I smell that smell and I remember all over again.

Addison, Future Psychotherapist

Being married to a therapist is a riot. When he meets someone new I assume he's always thinking about how they talk, why they say the things they do, and what kind of childhood they must have had. I think it helps that I have a degree in counseling as well. It gives me somewhat of an insight into his everyday life. Too bad I just never really had the knack for doing therapy.
You would not believe how many times I've been sitting there talking to my husband only to get that sneaky feeling that he's thinking about my brain. I'll stop, look at him, and say, "STOP IT! You're my husband! NOT my therapist!" He often uses his skills on me though. Sometimes I like it. I mean, it's pretty awesome to have a husband who really "gets me." Ha! The reality is that he's already had "me" as a client. He knows my issue and how to fix it.
He also uses his skills on the kids. They haven't really picked up on it yet, but I'm telling you he opens their little minds in the blink of an eye. He'll get them thinking about why they feel a certain way or what their feelings might mean. He's able to get them to talk things through and name their emotions in a way that I simply can not do.

Imagine our surprise when, out of the blue, we hear our Addi throwing back therapy talk to her dad. The breakfast conversation went something like this:
KK: So, Bobby and GRAMMY were MARRIED?
Manly: Yup.
Olivia: Yes, Emma Claire. They were married. We've already had this discussion before.
KK: I know, but BOBBY AND GRAMMY were married! That's so funny!
Olivia:*Rolls eyes*
Addison: And you and Aunt Stephanie were their kids?
Manly: Yup(catching on that Manly doesn't actually SAY very much!)
Addison: *Putting her hand on Manly's arm, nodding her head,  and looking really sympathetic* I'm really sorry, dad. That must have been really hard for you. Are you OK?
Manly:*Trying not to laugh* You know, it was hard for me, but I'm OK now. It was a long time ago.
Addison: Oh, good.

Today's Dreams are Tomorrow's Reality

I recently read a great article from ParentLife Magazine about helping to discover your kids unique gifts. It can be tough to see some things our kids have as gifts. For instance, my KK talks non-stop about food. No, seriously, the child talks about food ALL DAY LONG. It drives me crazy! I want to say, "STOP TALKING ABOUT FOOD!" probably 100 times a day. BUT, if I look at it as God gifting KK with a talent to prepare and serve food I can more appropriately talk to and train her for the future.
Since Olivia was tiny she has wanted to be an animal rescuer. Now she's felt the calling to be a missionary, but her love for animals is still there, and if you were to ask her she would likely tell you that she desired both things. It's my job as mom to be sure to sharpen these interests, and give her time to see if it really is something she is called to. Can her desires for the future change, OF COURSE! She's only 8. BUT, I can see her love for people groups and animals as a God given gift, and remember the words of Paul from Philippians 1:6 "I am sure of this, that He who created a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus!" I believe that God is preparing amazing things for our kids. It's my job to be their biggest fan and PRAY for success for them. No matter what that looks like for them.
SO, how can you find some of your kids unique gifts even at a young age? I asked the following questions:

1. Today, if you could do anything you'd like, what would it be?
2. In high school(I said when you are a teenager), what activity do you most want to participate in?
3. When you're 23, what do you want your career to be?

When I asked my kids these questions these are the answers I got:

Isaiah

1. Be with Jesus!
2. Color with a red crayon.
3. A Monster Truck driver!

Addison

1. Help someone that was hurt.
2. First she said, "Experience a baby deer." when I asked her to explain what that meant she said, "ACTUALLY! I want to do big kid swimming!"
3. Work at a doctor office. Take care of animals.

Emma Claire

1. Go to Disney World.
2. Draw a BIG picture on BIG paper. When I asked her to explain I learned she was talking about drawing murals.
3. Working at LARRY'S PIZZA!!!!

Olivia

1. Take Palin(her dog) to a dog show and win first prize.
2. Art
3. Missionary work

Obviously, some of these answers are silly, but when I really stop and think about them I start to find the hidden truths of who my kids are. SO, here are my thoughts.

Isaiah
First of all, BE WITH JESUS!! Are you serious? I just melted when he said that. He desires to be good and please his parents. I think he will have a future being a bold Christian and leader for his family some day.
When he said color with a red crayon I thought of two things. Number one, red is his favorite color. Number two, he's NEVER still for long while coloring. BUT, then I thought about how passionate he is about things like red being his favorite color. He's like that about other things too. He wants to be sure you know certain things about him right off the bat. I think this statement more shows me about his passion than what he actually wants to do as a teenager.
Right now he is TOTALLY into monster trucks. He got that way because Manly took him to see them for a guys night. Bubby doesn't get a lot of time with just Scotty because there just isn't a lot of time right now for that, but it has shown us that he LOVED spending that time just hanging out being a BOY with his dad. This reminds me to be sure to block off time for my boy to be a boy with his dad. We need to be sure that we make time to train him to be a good dad and husband because he has a wild masculine heart that needs to be tended to.

Addison
I was a little surprised by some of Addi's answers. Mostly because you never know what in the world that girl is going to say. BUT, I think the common theme of her answers is that she loves caring for others. She's always had such a caring soft heart for others. She's my child that will stop in the store just to chat with an elderly couple because she knows they may just need a smile. She's the first to tell strangers to have a nice day. She'll tell someone at the cash register that she likes their shirt or that they are pretty.
I learned from this that her answer, "Do big kids swimming." that I need to be sure to include her in as many big girl activities as possible. I'm sure it's hard being the middle of 6. I'm going to plan to put her in swim lessons this summer to see if it's something she really likes. If so, we may continue to see if it's something she's interested in and maybe join our local swim team. She has the build for swimming, so it may be something she's really good at.
I also see her need to please others in her answers. She and Olivia have talked at length about how they'll work together some day to save people and animals. I don't know if it's more something that Addi wants to do or that she just loves Olivia so much that she wants to please her and be with her. I want to be sure to cultivate in Addi her caring heart by getting her involved in community projects where she can serve others. I think that will be a time when she can really shine.

Emma Claire
Oh, my silly KK. Her answers were a little different than I thought they'd be, but not much! Ha! Her first answer shows her desire to go and do things. That girl would love nothing better than to NEVER be home. She loves travel and going places and seeing things. I hope to be able to let her go and see more as she gets older and we have less tiny littles in our home. I'm much like her in this respect. I love to just get up and go somewhere. I love that spontaneity I see in her.
Her second answer was a little strange to me until I asked her to explain it to me and she said, "Like on Ramona and Bezus(the movie) where Ramona and her dad paint the big picture and take it to the class and everyone loves it so much!" I think that KK wants to please others and be the "cool kid." I think sometimes she suffers the second child shadow. This answer made me realize I need to be sure to cultivate in her a desire to let others see her for who she IS. I don't want her to do things to try to be liked. I want her to learn that being herself will allow others to be drawn to her because who she is is really cool.
Working at Larry's is actually a big step forward from working at McDonalds(which has been her goal in life since she was old enough to talk!). Bottom line. The girl is PASSIONATE about food. She really doesn't EAT a lot of food, but she just loves everything about it. The flavors of spices, the smells of food cooking, the colors of the food, the presentation, she loves it all! She can smell a food and know what is in it. I have NO idea how God is going to use this gift, but I know this. It's an OBVIOUS gift. I decided I need to plan a time to allow her to serve meals to homeless or help me take a new mommy meal. I think this would be a great way to show her how to focus her gifting.

Olivia
My Livi had a hard time not answering the questions for everyone else. She has a need to control(which is a common trait for the first born). Once it was her turn she was sure of her calculated answers, and quickly put them out there for me. These three answers are gifts we've seen in her for the last several years, so I wasn't surprised by any of the answers.
I do want to get her some help in training her dog because it's something she's asked about and I know that she would be really good at training her if she had some help and I just don't have the time to do it(or the know how). She loves her dog and cares for her. It's TOUGH having a pet in a large family, but I've learned to just let her to the taking care of her and depending on her to be responsible for Palin. She's proved herself worthy of being a doggie owner.
She's taken art classes before and loved it. I think we may need to look into it again, or at least really spend some time at home allowing her to do different types of art projects.
Almost two years ago she told Scotty and I that she felt like God was calling her to be a missionary. At the time she told us she wanted to go to Alaska, but as she's learned more and more about different people groups she's felt a tugging for several different countries. I see her as a total Amy Carmichael type. She cares so deeply for others. Her sweet tender heart squeezes for children and hurting people. She always wants to help out on mission projects, and is a REALLY hard worker. Although it hurts this momma's heart to think about her leaving me someday soon for foreign soil, I know that she was given to me to train up and send out. I plan to continue to cultivate a giving heart in her. I want her to understand that having a tender heart is both a blessing and a hardship. I have to train her to guard her heart, yet open it up for others.

SO, what else can we do? We can learn as much about our kids interests as possible. Be sure not to confuse your own interests for theirs. Don't bulldoze over their interests because it's not something you are interested in. Rent books and movies from the library. Check out your local area classes. Read up on what is available in your area. Talk to your spouse about what your plan can be. Ask others for advice who may already be in a field your kids are interested in. Most importantly, PRAY that you will be ready for whatever comes.

To Be Human Again!

We have a newer version of Beauty and the Beast(newer than the one I first watched as a kid) that includes a song that always makes me sigh...

There are days when raising these sweet lovely littles is so exhausting and I think to myself what I'd give to have a day to myself and feel human again. Please don't think that I don't feel blessed and please know that some day I KNOW I'll wish they were all little again. Seriously though, it's OK to say it's tough and it's OK to be open about it with your husband. I've learned that when I get to the "these kids are driving me crazy" point I need a break. Some days I don't realize I need a break until I'm running around town on my free Wednesday mornings(Manly got a sitter for me several months ago) and I say to myself, "WHOA! This is the first time I've been able to think to myself for a moment. Being in the car alone is usually enough to get my batteries recharged, but sometimes I might need a few hours to get me back on track. And then, there are those amazing days like I had yesterday when I leave the house in the morning and Manly says stay gone as long as you want.
Ahhhhhh, feeeeeels gooooooood. I spent the day celebrating with my BFF at her bridal shower, hanging out chatting with her about her upcoming marriage and our men, lunch, a tiny shopping trip, and a nice quiet drive home. When I got home Manly was working on dinner and the kids were quietly watching a move. Ahhhhhh, feeeeeels gooooooood. I walked into the living room and all the kids came running. See, that's another perk of being gone all day. The kids run up to you like they do daddy after he's been at work all day. My sweet Mia Jane kept saying, "MOOOOOMMMAAAA" and laying her head on my shoulder. Love it!
I am always so refreshed when I get home. Suddenly, the little tiffs between the kids don't bother me as much, fussy babies get tender care instead of tough love, and the Manly Man gets my full attention as I'm more determined to connect with him. Everyone wins.
Once the kids were fed, bathed, and in bed I looked at Manly and thanked him for giving me a day to feel human again. Yes, my job here is VERY important and because of that I need to take a moment to regain consciousness with the outside world from time to time. Take a moment, figure out a time to have your refresher, and FOLLOW through. It'll be great for you, your kids, and your man. Trust me!

Christmas Through the Years

I thought it'd be fun to look back at some family picture through the years. Here are a few of my favorites. They only go back to 2007 because that's when I got my first blog, and I haven't stored all my pictures anywhere else(other than their original data cards). It's also when I got my first digital camera. SO, here you go:

2006

This picture brings tears to my eyes. My sweet Grandfather with KK and Lulu on Christmas Eve.

 

A picture from one of the last times we went to a studio for pictures. LOVE this one.

CUTEST little smile. Lulu so SMALL!

 

KK was so tiny. This was the first time we got her out of the house. Being a premie born in the winter was rough on her tiny body.

 

 

2007

This is Lulu and KK. KK looks like Mia in this picture.

 

Sweet cutie KK. That girl was/is such a doll baby!

 

My sweet sweet beautiful Livi.

 

Our family Christmas 2007. I'm soo cool. Ha!

 

2008

I mean, SERIOUSLY! One of the CUTEST babies EVER! My Addi hardly sitting up on Christmas Eve. This was our first Christmas back in our current town.

 

All bundled up to see the lights at Garven Gardens.

 

Manly and me looking cold under the lights.

 

Love this picture of Manly and the big girls(who at that time were just "the girls.").

 

Love this picture of Addi. Manly said she looked like George Bush! Ha!(I only remember that because I wrote it on the facebook picture not because he said that a lot. Just in this picture!)

 

2009

The girls looking silly. KK's sporting a classic KK face.

 

In their Christmas Eve PJs.

 

One of my favorite Christmas pictures. Ha! It's HARD to take a good picture of more than one kid at a time! Look at all the BLONDE hair!

 

The last year of only sisters. One month after this Bubby was born!!

 

2010

The kids show just how easy it is to get 4 children in a tree box.

 

Cutest boy in all the world. He'd pull on my legs and say, "Muuuuhmuhhhh!"

 

Our family.

 

In our PJs for Christmas Eve.

 

KK looks so little. Addison looks like Mia. Brubbs was a CHUNK!

 

Classic Santa shot.

 

Sweet Brubbs. Seriously CUTE in his PJs.

 

2011

My silly Smittles. This is the year we added Mia Jane. Brubbs feathered hair is so stinkin cute!

 

My oh MY! He's so cute!!

 

I guess this is the year KK decided that smiling for the camera was the boring thing to do! Ha!

 

Our family riding the Polar Express. Yes, that's a shiner on Brubbs eye. Who knows????

 

Me and my babies on Christmas Eve!

 

LOVE this one!!

 

2012

The kids all dressed in their Christmas(y) outfits.

 

The caption of our Christmas card was simply "Blessed." That's the ONLY word that comes close to expressing how I feel to mother these littles. Thinking about adding to our family in the coming year makes me giddy. Sure there will be added stress, and it will be tough, but God has blessed us over the last several years with these beautiful blessings and I can't imagine MY life any other way. God bless you and yours this Christmas Season.

Thanks for being part of our journey. I love knowing you are reading.

Love,

Leslie Smittle

 

Signing OFF until after the New Year(other than to post for Home Brewed Smittle on Sunday)