Merry Christmas 2012

No children were harmed in the making of this Christmas card.

First Day of School 2012

First Day of 1st Grade


First Day of 4th Grade


And you may joke that I put them in their backpacks on the front porch - because we're homeschooling... but we actually WERE on our way out the door. Leah had a dr. appt., so we did our first lesson of the school year in the exam room waiting for the dr. to come in.

I'm so excited about our school year!

Natalie's 9th Birthday Party

Natalie wanted an "art party" and sleepover for her birthday, and I aim to please. So we had some of her friends and their families over for pizza and painting last night. Then the girls stayed over for a slumber party. They stayed up until 2am. Then at 5am, I got woken up by Erica. Then we were all back up at 7am. I was so tired today. I am way too old for this! haha I did go back to sleep for a few hours after the festivities were over. Natalie had a blast, which made it all worth it.


Natalie's ready for the party to start


Rainbow/tie-dye decorations


They painted art canvases with their initials


Ashton painting


Natalie was so happy to be with her friends


Abigail, Natalie and Dana


All their finished artwork


Natalie opening the Secret Password Diary that we got her. She's wanted this since Christmas last year!


now she has a matching penguin with Dana and Abigail


giving someone "the eye"


This girls loves presents!


Dana got her matching princess pajamas


Jordan, Ethan, Abigail, Dana, Natalie, Ashton, Ethan
Erica, Evie, Graham, Leah


I tried to make tie-dye cupcakes, but they were a huge FAIL, so at the last minute we went to HEB to pick out a cake


Happy Birthday dear Natalie...


Natalie, Abigail and Dana making bracelets


Evie and Erica - I have NO idea what's going on here


Dana, Ashton, Abigail and Natalie watching the first movie of the night. When it was over, we had a midnight snack of leftover pizza. Then we watched another movie. Only 1 girl fell asleep during that movie. Finally at 2am, I told them they HAD to stop talking and GO TO SLEEP. :) And they did.


We are very tolerant in this house.


Dana and Natalie at breakfast


Abigail and Dana enjoying donuts for breakfast


Ashton was the first to fall asleep and the last one to wake up.


Graham triple strawing it


Leah REALLY enjoyed her chocolate donut!

My kiddos

I haven't done an update on the kids in awhile, so I thought I'd hop on and do that real quick. These are all some pics I took a couple weeks ago.


Natalie will be turning 9 next week. She still loves soccer and can't wait for practices to start next week. She'll be playing on an academy team this season. She loves fun jewelry and picking out her own clothes. She loves to draw and anything to do with art. She's still enjoying piano and is getting pretty good at it if I do say so myself. She's an avid reader and always has at least a couple of books with her anywhere she goes. She's always taking care of things around here. She's on top of her chores and really, everyone else's too. She is super driven and very caring and giving.


Erica started taking a hip-hop dance class halfway through the summer and found her calling. Unfortunately for her, Daddy is not thrilled with it and has said no hip-hop in the fall. So back to ballet/tap/jazz for her. Erica loves anything to do with music and dancing. She started piano lessons this summer and has taken to it with ease. Her teacher is really impressed with the amount of focus and talent she has. She can wipe the floor with you on Mario Kart or Just Dance on the Wii. The girl is GOOD. She is reading magnificently and is so excited to be checking out chapter books at the library now. She struggles a lot with anxiety, which I think may be tied to her current health issues that we are working through (eczema and food allergies). But she is overcoming her shyness more and more each week. I am so proud of the progress she has made.


Graham is just all boy. He can't sit still to save his life and he always talks SO LOUD! I don't know where he gets that from. ;) He is really into super heroes right now. I think Spiderman is probably his favorite, but he also likes The Hulk, Superman, and Batman. He is the only one of my kids who will say "I love you" out of the blue to me and it completely melts my heart each and every time. He can't wait until next year when he'll get to play baseball (tee-ball), and neither can I!


Leah has more personality than anyone I know. Her favorite color is pink and she loves wearing ruffly skirts and dresses (as long as they don't itch, and she's quick to tell me if they do!). She started taking dance classes this summer (even though the studio doesn't usually let them start until they are 3) and she has done amazing. Her teacher comments on how well she listens and follows directions. She is very independent and knows exactly what she wants. She's my only child that has ever liked to hear my sing, and she insists on singing with me each night before she goes to bed. The top 3 songs on her playlist right now are "Jesus Loves Me," "Jesus Loves the Little Children," and "Jingle Bells." She cracks me up!


My perfect little Cherubs!


Or something like that...


Eh, I'll keep 'em!

2 Corinthians 1:9-11

"Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." 2 Corinthians 1:9-11

I saw this verse on another blog today and it just spoke to me. How easy it is for others to see turmoil in their life and blame God and turn away from Him. When, it's the exact opposite He wishes for us. That we may turn TO HIM in our darkest times, so that He may deliver us and we may give Him the glory.

I praise you Father, in my dark times... because of my dark times. I thank you for the dark times... that I may grow closer to you through them.

Just another Friday

Easter 2012

Pictures

This post is mainly for my mother-in-law, since she isn't on facebook. :) I rarely post here anymore because it's just so much easier to post on facebook.

Here are the pictures we had taken last weekend.





















And here are our annual bluebonnet pictures.