Some fun pictures from museum

Shoes!

This is just the outside shoes!

Noah's kindergarten graduation

ANoah finished kindergarten and celebrated with a small kindergarten graduation/recognition ceremony. Shawn was able to take an extended lunch break to attend. The children and I met him there. He had as much fun climbing the trees in the park as he did during the ceremony. Congratulations, Noah! We're so proud of how much you've learned this year. 

Happy 9th Birthday, Joshua!!

Happy 9th birthday to an awesome, bigger now, fellow! We are so richly blessed to have you part of our family. It's incredible to think that God has allowed you with us now for 9 years. And to think of everything you've come through. For example, mom dropping you on your head when you was only 6 months old and you suffered a depressed skull fracture and underwent immediate head surgery to "pop the skull off the brain" as the doctor put it. Then the high chair tipping over with you in it because Zach was pulling himself up with it just days after forementioned surgery. And the chair leg that broke while Hannah was siting in it and I was holding you on the floor right beside her. And falling/jumping off the porch banister and giving yourself a fractured arm. And the tree that fell on you and your little brother, Noah. I'm sure the list goes on and on, and that there are things you've been saved from that I don't even know about! I'm so glad you're in Gods hands and as much as we love you, He loves you more!!

Happy 15th Birthday, Hannah!!

Happy Birthday, dearest Hannah! Only 6 months until you drive. How is this possible?!!! Where did the tiny, red, squalling infant go that we just brought home?! You are an amazing young woman who is such a help with the house and your brothers. I love your willing spirit that offers help no matter how tired you are or if you want to do something else. Also the dedication you give to your studies finishing 9th grade with all A's and a 4.0 gpa. Congratulations on that and we thank you for all you do for us, and thank God for letting you be in our family! 

Happy 13th Birthday, Zachariah!

Incredible! We now have 2 teenagers in the house! Really, really hard to believe that Shawn and I have been together that long,sometimes it seems as though we were just dating yesterday- other times its really hard to imagine what my life was like pre-Shawn(much much better with Shawn!). SO SO thankful for the time God has allowed us together and even more thankful for these 4 precious lives He has entrusted in our care. Zachariah- I love your tender spirit and what  you mean for our family. Yes, your name may be mentioned a bit more often in correction and maybe a wee bit of exasperation, but I wouldn't trade it for anything, for I see beyond the trivial stuff to you. And we do love you! It's not easy growing up, and the older I ge, the more I see you'll get there fast enough without me pushing you. I'm so thankful for you, and even though we don't share actual birthdays since you decided to come out 1 and 1/2 hours after my birthday(on the 30th), I'm so glad to almost share my birth date with you!

Happy 6th Birthday, Noah!

Happy Birthday to such a terrific little fellow. Well, not so little anymore! I'm sorry to say though, you'll always be Daddy and Mommy's little fellow since you are our youngest. We are so blessed to have you in our family! You certainly light up our lives and have such wit about you that we constantly wonder where you come up with your knowledge! We love you, little buddy.

Remember that saying.....,

Kids say the darnedest things? Well, they can also say the most heartbreaking things as well. For instance, on our way home from meeting on Sunday, an enormous sigh came from little Noah. Followed by, in a very pitiful voice to Josh, Zach, and Hannah, "Well, there's only 4 people in this world that loves us. Daddy, Mommy, Grandma, and Papa." This was totally out of the blue as we were talking about our lunch plans! He did amend his statement with, "Maybe 6. Aunt Angie and Uncle Simon do." How heart wrenching for me to hear! Shawn and I have been thinking and privately discussing the idea of moving somewhere to find a meeting where maybe an older couple would be surrogate grandparents so our children would know what it means to feel and see and be told they are loved. And be around people that want to be around them, without putting them down or getting after them for so many unimportant things.  That really makes us long for adopted grandparents that can show them love and a Godly influence by a life lived not with words only, but by works.  So, so glad the little ones are in His hands and care. And most importantly, have His love that surpasses human love and abilities, without fail.

Where do they get this from??!!

So on our way home from filing our taxes, I asked our children if they remember when the Arby's and the Walmart and the other various shops were built. Some replies I received was kinda(H),maybe(Z), and no(J).  However, the one to remember came from,......,,, Noah! His fabulous reply was, "No Mom, you know why? It was before I was born. I was just a rotten egg in your stomach then." All serious and not once laughing, unlike his sister, brothers and dad! (I didn't laugh though, was too flabbergasted to!) We have to ask where does he come up with this??!! We figured out where this one came from anyway. The game many play of last one there or you're a rotten egg. Noah says he's always the last one there so he must be a rotten egg. Hmmm. Should I be proud of his medical knowledge of where he came from or saddened to think he thought he was a rotten egg or amazed that 5 yr olds can pull things out of their mini computer brains like this? I felt a little of all three and maybe its just a mom thing, but I felt mostly sad because he believed it! Our precious Noah. You are certainly not a rotten egg but instead a wonderful blessing and bundle of pure joy for your family. We all love you SO much, little soon to be 6 yr old fellow!

More snow pictures

I love this kind of snow. Heavy on trees and everything around, melts on road. Great for scarity cats like me that is petrified of driving in snow. Must come from living on hills and getting cars stuck sideways,  halfway up the hill, and then having to back down with little control of where the car will end up. Also from men in big trucks that lose control from going too fast and t-boning you in your drivers door and leaving lasting hip pain causing hours of physical therapy. Or something like that. I suppose it could just be the person as well. 

Here snow is falling from trees and I took this picture through my sun roof. :)

My boys decided they really needed to try out the hill in our backyard. Just for a few runs then we'll come right back in and do school. Meanwhile, the sensible one decided she has too much school to do, (and anyway some people do care if they get good grades and school done, Zach, unlike you who could care less),so they stay inside and deligently work on school. 

Running up hill before mom says ok that's enough now. 

I think this is one of my favorite pictures of the day. Like what you would find on address labels. :)

The next pictures are really cool too. Or at least I think so! In a matter of minutes, it's easy to see just how fast time goes. I noticed the sun was very pretty on the flag on our front porch, and as I took the first picture, not even a minute later it was in a different position on the flag. So I took the following various shots of the sun working its way across the flag. 

My hands are only a little cold Mom, are you sure we have to do school now?

Brrr it's really getting cold! Ok we'll be right in. Thank you, boys. I sure love you and am so glad you have a chance to be boys and know what it means to have fun. I really love you too, Miss Responsible! You are truly a blessing to your dad and me! God really blessed us the days He let you four join our family!