Monthly Snapshots: February 2011

We had a date night at our house with Mike's brother & sisters,  their spouses, and Mike's parents.  We played a few games, laughed until our sides hurt, and enjoyed seeing Jack & Joann get chummy with each other.  It was a pretty swell night!

My girls created large wall murals.

Awesome art!

Emma started a new occupation.

Chesley really needed it. :-)

Emma also rigged up her own tetherball-like thing.  She was obsessed with tetherball at school and wanted to get some serious practice in.

Wow!

These two amazing sisters dressed up twin-ish and came in to perform some ridiculous and mighty terrific song that they made up, but would not let me post video of.  I love these girls.

We took a ton of pics of these two on the trampoline, trying out a continuous shot feature on our camera.  This was one of my fav's.  Great Colin face!

Zach's very first day of preschool!

My two price-less munchkin home-buddies!

Colin lost another tooth!

Zach wanted to be a robot, so we transformed him!

Triple-Decker boys!

Colin helping to make crescent rolls and bread sticks.

Colin befriended his very own butterfly!

Pretty awesome!

Sleeping Beauty

Yum!

Yummier!

(first ice cream cone)

Yummiest!

Ethne's first story time with Mommy!

And, Ethne with Oma.

It's crazy how much our little goose has grown up since Feb!

January 2011

It seems that almost all my time is spent on "catching up" on things. I suppose that will be my story for the next few years. As for now, that is the story of this blog. My plan? Monthly snapshots.

I think it is a great plan.

So, here goes January...

Ethne decided to grow into a little girly baby with all plumps and giggles. She absolutely LOVED laughing at herself (and me, of course) in the mirror. Reflections rock!

These gorgeous beauties are also extremely talented! This picture was taken before their orchestra concert. Their instructor decided to hold it in January instead of December as to not compete with holiday celebrations. Brilliant idea, in my opinion. They played fantastically.

Our little munchkinator decided to catch RSV. We were blessed that her oxygen levels never got dangerously low, and that we were able to treat her at home. She spent a couple of weeks fighting it. Such a little trooper.

My kids get totally excited over such small things (which I love), and this is one of them. Sibling sleepovers. Every once in a while we let them all pick a room to sleep in together. They think it's the greatest. I also love the fact that they are all reading in this picture. I will never get tired of seeing the kids with their noses in a book.

Ethne got big enough to join us at the dinner table! We borrowed this bumbo from my niece and the greatest thing about it was that Ethne could be right there with us, cooking in the kitchen, eating meals, playing on the back porch, even when she was still a little too unstable for a high chair or a bouncer seat.

Zach was, and is, all into superheroes. This is a "universal" superhero mask we made for him during preschool time that we had together at home while the kids were in school.

Colin had our neighbors over to play and they asked if they could borrow the camera to take some pictures. These boys were really talented. This is one of my favorite pictures of Colin taken by his friend.

Ethne started sitting! On her own! Of course, vertical positions often went horizontal pretty fast, but at least she was vertical! The bunny quilt she is sitting on was made for her by her great-grandmother.

This dress was Chesley's, then Emma's, and now Ethne's. It was like holding all of them at once.

Chesley got to go with her dad on a Young Men's/Young Women's Snow Trip, even though she was still yet 11. She had a great time being with her Dad and catching a glimpse of what Mutual would be like.

Zach and I took a trip to the zoo with his aunts and cousins. Zach really loved seeing the Komodo Dragon and the elephants on this outing. It was Ethne's first time at the zoo as well, but I think that the only animal that she noticed all morning long was the vulture in the desert habitat.

Ethne eats!

Real food, mind you!

For the very first time!

She was an absolute fan of rice cereal. The only one of my kids to ever love that stuff.

Emma had wanted and wanted and wanted a desk in her room. I had been keeping my eye out for small desks, as their room is not that large, and hadn't really come across anything. At the same time we were getting rid of a few items in our home, including this lampstand. I asked her if she wanted to use it for a temporary desk and she was as happy as a clam to accept it. She still has it in her room and hasn't dreamed of anything fancier yet.

Ethne's all time favorite past time.

Grabbing her toes.

Especially easily accessible when her toe-grabbing-restrictive-diaper was off.

This past time evolved as well. The toes eventually made it into her mouth.

And, being such a big month for Ethne's milestones, she decided it was the perfect time to start lifting her head up high as a kite when she was on her belly. I love how surprised and proud she is!

IT'S FINALLY HERE! NEW YEAR'S DAY 2011! WAHOO!

NEW YEAR'S EVE.

SHORT.

SWEET.

AND TO THE POINT.

HERE IS AN ACCOUNT OF OUR CELEBRATIONS THAT NIGHT.

BEEN ENJOYING THE YEAR EVER SINCE.

IT WAS FREEZING.

BUT NOTHING WAS GOING TO STOP THOSE KIDS FROM BEING ON THE TRAMPOLINE.

WE TOOK A TRIP TO THE PARK. ETHNE AND I LASTED 2 MINUTES BEFORE WE FROZE TO THE BONE AND ENJOYED THE VIEW FROM THE WARMTH OF THE MINIVAN. THE REST OF THE FAMILY LASTED A GOOD 15 MINUTES MORE.

PRACTICING OUR BAD ("BAD" AS IN "COOL") WII BOXING SKILLS.

DINNER IN FRONT OF THE TV WITH A GOOD MOVIE.

WHAT ON EARTH IS MORE EXCITING THAN EATING ON A BLANKET?

ROASTING MARSHMALLOWS IN OMA'S OLD WOOD BURNING STOVE THAT WE RESCUED FROM IT'S PREVIOUS OWNERS. I SPENT MANY A CHILDHOOD CHRISTMAS IN STRAWBERRY GETTING MY FEET TO THAW OUT IN FRONT OF THIS VERY STOVE.

I LOVE IT!

AREN'T THESE BOYS JUST THE MOST HANDSOME DEVILS? LOOK AT THE EXPRESSION ON ZACH'S FACE. HE IS EITHER UP TO SOMETHING, OR EYEING COLIN'S MARSHMALLOWS. COLIN IS A PRETTY EXPERT ROASTER.

BEST PART OF THE NIGHT... MIKE PULLING OUT THE FIREWORKS. WE STILL HAVE BURN MARKS ON OUR DRIVEWAY. AND I SCREAMED FOR PRACTICALLY EVERY ONE. (I AM SORRY. I GUESS I AM JUST CONSISTENTLY SURPRISED.) MIKE AND THE KIDS HAD AN ABSOLUTE BLAST LIGHTING THINGS ON FIRE AND WATCHING THEM EXPLODE!

OOOOOHHHH....

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH....

MIKE TAUGHT THE KIDS HOW TO DIP PRETZELS IN CHOCOLATE.

IT WAS ONE SERIOUS LESSON.

THIS IS THEM.

CONCENTRATING REALLY HARD.

HOPING TO DO IT GOOD ENOUGH TO PLEASE THEIR DADDY.

HE IS PRETTY PARTICULAR ABOUT HIS CHOCOLATE-DIPPED PRETZELS.

AND, LAST OF ALL, AFTER THE BANGING OF THE POTS, A FAMILY SLEEPOVER IN THE LIVING ROOM.

HAPPY NEW YEAR YA'LL!

Last Christmas!

SO, TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE ALREADY MOVED ON INTO THE YEAR 2011, I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR CONTINUING TO DRAG YOU THROUGH 2010. BUT, I AM STUBBORN AS HECK AND AM DETERMINED TO "JOURNAL" SOMETHING IN EACH BIG MOMENT OF OUR LIVES AS A FAMILY, NO MATTER HOW BACKLOGGED I GET. "I WILL CATCH UP" IS NOW MY NEW MANTRA.

OUR CHRISTMAS, AS EVER, WAS ENTIRELY FUN. WE WERE ESPECIALLY BLESSED TO HAVE A FULL HOUSE OF FIVE AMAZING KIDS TO SHARE ALL THE MAGIC WITH!

ALL OF THE PICTURES TO FOLLOW ARE MOSTLY OUT OF ORDER, BUT I FIGURE YOU ARE ALL TOO EXCITED THAT I HAVE NEARLY REACHED THE END OF THE YEAR, THAT YOU REALLY DON'T CARE.

EVERY YEAR WE TAKE A FAMILY PICTURE BY THE CHRISTMAS TREE. WHO NEEDS A CHRISTMAS HAM WHEN YOU'VE ALREADY GOT SEVEN OF US?

TRADITION #2, CHRISTMAS PJ T-SHIRTS. LUCKILY I WENT TO BOOK CLUB BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND ONE OF MY FRIENDS WAS TALKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS PAJAMAS AND I REALIZED THAT WE HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN TO DECORATE, LEAST OF ALL PURCHASE, OUR T-SHIRTS. SO, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY HAVE BEEN SPEEDILY DONE, I THINK THEY TURNED OUT STELLAR, ESPECIALLY ETHNE'S, JUST BECAUSE IT'S HER FIRST, AND ZACH'S, BECAUSE HIS MAKES NO SENSE. OUR "THEME" THIS YEAR WAS "CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS". ZACH'S WAS A DINOSAUR ORNAMENT, WITH TWO HOOKS, UNDER WHICH IT READ, "ZEBRA ZACH".

TRADITION # 3. THE GRANDKIDS PERFORM THE NATIVITY FOR GRANNY. MIKE'S GRANNY IS AT A HOME FOR PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER'S AND FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS ALL THE YOUNG'NS ON HIS SIDE OF THE FAMILY HAVE PUT TOGETHER A SHORT NATIVITY PROGRAM FOR THE RESIDENTS THERE. IT IS ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF THE HOLIDAY, SIMPLY BECAUSE THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE IS SO TANGIBLE. ALL THE "GRANDMAS" THERE ABSOLUTELY LOVE SEEING THE CHILDREN. IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL.

TRADITION #4. PINATA. ACCORDING TO MY KIDS, IT IS

THE. BEST. TRADITION. EVER.

MIKE'S FAVORITE PART IS GETTING HIS MOM TO SAY "PINATA", WHICH SHE CANNOT DO WITHOUT ADDING A HISPANIC ACCENT.

TRADITION #5. B - I - N - G - O. BINGO.

WE REALLY LIKE THIS TRADITION. IT IS OUR ULTIMATE FAVORITE. CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING BETTER TO PLAY ON CHRISTMAS EVE. THE BEST GAME EVER. BY FAR. SO BLESSED THAT IT IS IN OUR LIVES.

THERE.

NOW ALL YOU RAPIER'S CAN CUT OUT THE TEASING.

REALLY.

I LOVE BINGO!

REALLY!

ENOUGH SAID.

(ETHNE'S 1ST CHRISTMAS!!!!!)

NEW TRADITION! CAROLING! BY FAR, I THINK MY KIDS ENJOYED THIS THE VERY MOST! I STAYED BACK WITH ETHNE, BUT YOU COULD HEAR THEM FOR A BLOCK AND A HALF AND THE KIDS COULDN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH FUN THEY HAD.

I AM SO GLAD THAT WE ARE PLANNING ON DOING THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR!

OUR CHRISTMAS DESSERT. EDIBLE CHEEKS AND EVERYTHING. SO YUM!

TRADITION #, I DON'T KNOW, I'VE LOST COUNT. BUT IT IS A GOOD ONE. EVERY YEAR THE KIDS PICK A ROOM, SET UP CAMP AND WE "WRAPPING PAPER" THEM IN FOR THE NIGHT. THIS YEAR WE ADDED A "MAZE" OF SORTS DOWN THE HALLWAY TOO. THAT WAY THEY ARE STUCK IN THEIR ROOMS UNTIL WE WAKE UP AND MIKE AND I NO LONGER MISS THE FIRST LOOK OF EXCITEMENT ON THEIR FACES WHEN THEY SEE WHAT SANTA BROUGHT. THIS YEAR THEY STARTED YELLING FOR US TO WAKE UP AT ABOUT 4:30 AM. THEN THEY "PATIENTLY" WAITED FOR A WHOLE 40 MINUTES LONGER. IT WAS ONE EARLY CHRISTMAS, AND THE FIRST ONE EVER WHERE EVERYONE ENDED UP NAPPING LATER ON IN THE DAY.

EARLY, EARLY, EARLY CHRISTMAS MORNING.

I AM EXHAUSTED, BUT ETHNE SURE LOVED HER SLIDE. SHE FELL ASLEEP AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN.

THE BEST PART OF WAKING UP AT OH-DARK-HUNDRED... A TRAMPOLINE!

(OUR POOR NEIGHBORS.

THEY TOLERATED OUR KIDS SQUEALS OF EXCITEMENT QUITE WELL.)

THEY WERE BEYOND, BEYOND HAPPY!

TRADITION #?. PUTTING TOGETHER CHRISTMAS LEGO SETS.

MY DAD AND OMA CAME OVER FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER AND BROUGHT ALONG A GIFT THAT THEY SAID SANTA ACCIDENTALLY LEFT AT THEIR HOUSE.

IT WAS A WII.

THEY HAVE A VERY GENEROUS SANTA, AND OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN LOVING IT EVER SINCE.

MY DAD AND COLIN. MOST LIKELY GETTING A BIG-MAC ATTACK.

EMMA AND COLIN SHOWING OFF THEIR NEW TRAMPOLINE SKILLS.

ME CARVING THE ALREADY PRE-CUT, SPIRAL-SLICED HAM.

IT TOOK EFFORT.

MY PRECIOUS OMA HOLDING MY LAST BABY. IT IS A MIRACLE TO ME THAT SHE IS STILL HERE, BLESSING MY LIFE WITH HERS. I'VE WATCHED HER WITH HER GROWN CHILDREN. HOW SHE LOVES THEM. HOW SHE INVESTS HER WHOLE HEART INTO THEM. SHE'S SO PROUD OF THEM.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SHE HAS PASSED DOWN TO ME. MY KIDS ARE MY MOST CHERISHED POSSESSIONS.

WILL THE TRADITIONS NEVER END?!? WHY, YES. YES, THEY WILL.

TRADITION # LAST ONE.

SEEING THE TEMPLE LIGHTS.

MY KIDS WERE EXASPERATED WITH ME. I SNAPPED A GAZILLION PICTURES WHILE WE WERE THERE. I FINALLY HAD TO PUT THE CAMERA AWAY, BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE THOSE MICE, YOU KNOW, IN THE LABS, WHERE THEY PUSH A BUTTON WITH THEIR NOSE, WHICH, IN TURN, GIVES THEM SOME SORT OF SHOCK IN THE PLEASURE CENTER OF THEIR BRAIN. THAT WAS ME AND THE CAMERA BUTTON.

BUT, I HAVE TO SAY IT.

I WAS SO, SO HAPPY THAT DAY.

MY CUP CONTINUALLY RUNNETH OVER.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010 EVERYONE!