Happy New Year!

We would normally wait until midnight to ring in the new year, but we didn't want to awaken the younguns, so we celebrated early! I tell ya, this was a pitiful bunch. Everyone is feeling bad, and they were so whiny, and someone even said, "this is the worst party ever". It was the most pitiful one, I tell ya. They did get energized once the sting/confetti came out.

Happy New Year!

Veteran's Day Lapbook

We did a lapbook about Veteran's Day, and learned a little bit about the wars. Then we took a ride down to Little Rock National Cemetery, and that the kids were amazed to see all the headstones lined up of war veterans. If you have never been, it is a really neat thing to check out!

Yes, we do know a vereran, Clay's grandfather. And, we currently have my sister's husband, and his twin brother serving in Iraq.

Tigers/big Cats lapbook (Noah's)

Arctic/Antarctic Polar Animals lapbook

Christmas Eve

The boys...what an excited bunch, huh?

This one was too interested in the tree, he kept leaning back wanting to play with the lights, I got this one real quick before I moved him...thought it was cool how his hand is glowing from the light.

Santa brought....

The stomach virus....and it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. I may someday post our Christmas pics, but right now I am washing sheets and cleaning and caring for everyone....and my right hand man came down with it last night, so I am on my own now, and PRAYING I don't get it. UGH! Please pray for us....I have a baby going on his 8th day of it, and the doc said there is nothing I can do but wait it out and keep him hydrated.

Christmas Randomness

The week before Christmas, Z's DHS office had a Christmas party, and he got all these gifts! Wow, someone was SO generous! Each office does Christmas presents for the kids differently. His office had a church do an angel tree for their kids, and he was hooked up! What a blessing! After the party, we went to the downtown library, and the girls found these little snoopy toys. They were kinda hidden, and the not said, "If you find this, it is your, Merry Christmas!" They were so excited!
One night, we decided to dedicate that night to opening all the treasures our kids had made/purchased for everyone. It was AWESOME! A new tadition I want to keep, I think it was my favorite part about Christmas!

Leah is explaining to A about the magic towel she got her, and Rachel got Noah a case for his glasses.

Look at my treasure!! I am modeling the jewelry that Noah and Leah made for me, and Rachel gave me this Santa bank full of gum. I LOVED seeing what the kids picked out for me. It was so special.

A is modeling her crown her teacher at school got her.

Christmas Eve eve this package arrived from Clay's aunt in Washington. Lots of yummy goodies!

This moment brought tears to my eyes. This had been a long emotional day, I tried to blog about it twice that day, but never got a chance. When the day was all done, I looked over at Noah reading this new book to Z, and then I sat down, and saw this gingerbread. This was on the "angel tree" for someone to choose to buy my baby some Christmas gifts. The dynamics of it all came down on me, and I just lost it. Some days it is very hard knowing the sad background my babies come from, and how much I love them, and the the thought that they aren't really "mine" and never will be. Oh, it is so hard.

Merry Christmas!!

Rach & Zac

I've had a lot of people ask me how Rachel is doing with the new additions to our family. She has her moments, but I think it is more her personality, than jealousy...she has always had her moments. To go from a baby, to having 3 kids younger than her in 1 months time, she has been the trooper!! She is the closest friends with Amber, and several times a day, I catch her in the floor playing and rolling around with the babies. She LOVES to play with the babies. The weekend Amber and Hunter were gone, within 5 mins of them getting home, she was in the floor playing with Hunter.

I had once thought that Noah would be the one that would take these kids leaving the hardest....but I know it is gonna hit Rachel pretty hard too. There will be times she talks to me about it out of the blue, and she will just about start crying when she thinks of them leaving. I am proud of her, and love watching her have fun with them!