Crazy busy!

So much has happened this last few weeks. Anna turned 4!! We went and saw the Disney Princesses at the Expocentre and she had a few friends over for fun. They had a dance party, played barbies, and decorated their own cupcakes. She is so funny now and really thinks she is big.
Maria has been staying with us, preparing for heart surgery. Her history of rheumatic fever damaged her heart valves and she has chosen to have surgery here so we can help care for her. We are currently awaiting a surgery date.
Just had the boys' parent-teacher conferences. They are doing so well, so smart. Andrew will be put in a group for advanced teaching because he is so bright. Couldn't be more proud of them. David is still struggling to actually do all his homework and turn it in but all his teachers comment on how polite he is and that he is making more of an effort than last semester. He is starting track and is also starting to sing in a mariachi band. He continues to work at cold stone creamery and hopefully will be driving soon!
In the mean time, Alex and I are really doing well communicating and being thoughtful of each other. Some times hard to do amongst the busy. We had a wonderful Valentine's date at New City Cafe, a well overdue night out.
Now, off to work!

Andrew is 7!

I know it is so cliche to say "time passes so quickly" or " they grow so fast" but these are so true. It seems like the days may take forever but the years fly by so fast. I remember so well waiting for the arrival of my second son. Walking by his empty blue and white bassinet and giggling. I was so nervous and excited for Alex to meet his little brother. Now he is turning SEVEN! Seven sounds so much older than 5 or 6. Seven is the beginning of "big kid" the end of the little. He is surely this. He is slightly concerned about what other people think, is competitive when it comes to sports...or anything, fights with his sister, doesn't want to shower.... However, he will still sit and cuddle with me, gives kisses in front of his friends, sticks up for himself, lets me pick out his clothes, and helps around the house. The night before his birthday I pulled him aside and told him " tonight is the last night I will kiss you as a 6 year old. When you wake up in the morning you will be 7! I sure did have fun with you this year as a 6 year old and I can't wait to see how much fun we will have while you are 7." He started crying! " I'm going to miss being 6!" What a sweet child. I can't help but imagine what he will be like in 7 more years. sigh. For his birthday he chose breakfast for dinner and wanted a sports party. He really just wanted to play football with all of his friends. We had 23 kids at our house! I was so thankful that the weather was actually nice. They played outside, played games in the basement, ate lunch and of course had cake. He kept hugging me and saying "thanks" so I'm pretty sure he had fun. It was a busy and fun weekend. I love him!

Journal for Aiden

So Baby #4! That can be a crazy thought for many but not for us! We were so excited to find out that you were being sent to us. Each time has been a different experience and I was worried that this time would be harder. Harder on my body, harder because we have 3 kids to take care of... you were simple, calm, relaxing. You were already blessing us before you were born. The kids were SO excited to meet you. They would talk to me belly so you would recognize their voices when you were born. They took a "big brother, big sister" class to help them prepare. You were due on January 4th and I was so worried that you would be born on a holiday. I was planning like a crazy lady trying to get all things ready for Christmas early "just in case". I was super miserable the last few weeks before you were born, having contractions any time Id do anything. Then like the patient little man you are you waited. You waited for Christmas to be done and all cleaned up before you decided to join us. I woke up the morning after Christmas having contractions. We skipped church because I was uncomfortable, and went to walk around Walmart. Your siblings were worried about me and they were so cute asking about you. Then you were born at 11:07pm! 7 pounds exactly. The littlest of them all. You were so mad at the nurses that were checking you out, you just wanted your mommy. You have been such a sweet, loving boy and we are lucky to have you. Love you Aiden!

Changes

So as I am on this blog journey I now have switched to using my own computer and now am learning how to apply pics and all! So I am hopeful that some of my new posts will now contain pictures of my cuties.

This year is starting off well. We are all trying to eat healthier and the kids are really doing well with it. They are already starting to ask for fruits and veggies as a snack instead of "cheez-its". We are all trying new things and it has been fun. That's right, FUN! I am hopeful that this will continue to be a nice thing that we do as a family.

I have found a new love....PINTEREST! I am finding all sorts of neat ideas on this site including many organizational concepts. I am trying out different crafts, cleaning things up, and getting organized. There is something about a new year that brings this sense of a clean slate, a new beginning. I really am enjoying changing this around.

Tomorrow will be the kids' first full week back to school and Im not looking forward to it. It is crazy and chaotic when they are all home but I enjoy it. I do miss them when they are gone. Someday soon it will be summer and I might think differently.

my thoughts for the day....goodnight!

It's a New Year!

So it is now 2012! I cant believe how fast time is flying by. I mean I literally feel like my life is going in fast-forward while my body stays still. Aiden just turned ONE, Christmas is over, it's 2012! AHHH! I am not sure how to slow time down, but sure wish I could figure it out. Our baby is growing so quickly, all our kids are really. He is now pointing to things that he wants, babbling and trying to say some words, standing on his own, and walking along/behind everything. Aiden and I were both sick on his birthday so cake was delayed a day and he sure loved it. He is definitely my kid. He went crazy for the chocolate frosting and made a huge mess. He tried to open his presents but of course liked the paper the best. The biggest hit is a little car toy from Grandma and Grandpa. It makes noise, has lights, and spins the cars around in circles- what more could a little boy want?!
Christmas was fast and furious and slightly a blurr with all the illness this year. I took Anna, Alex, and Aiden to immediate care on Christmas Eve because of coughs, fevers, runny noses... Christmas Day night and the next few days I was super ill and then Aiden ended up with pneumonia. UGH. It was a fun time with all the cousins visiting at Grandmas house though. We also baptized Alaina and had family pictures. Fun and busy.
Now to enjoy the first few days of a new year before going back to school. Hopefully God will continue to bless us and allow us more time together this year, because I'm sure it will go just as fast as last year.

random ....

Well, I still am working on bringing this blog up to date and still blog about what is happening now- hard work! So let me tell you about David. He moved from Mexico to live with us in March of 2010. He came as a young naive teen who didn't know how to do much. I mean, didn't know how to pick up after himself or close a door behind himself. He has been really an added stress to our lives. At times not even sure why we work so hard to have him here. He is really a good kid though. He is really growing in strides considering the upbringing he had. Today he was really helpful with the kids while I had to take Anna to ballet and get ready for work. He made dinner plates for the kids, played with Aiden, ...all sorts of things. He also managed to finish his homework and walk the dog. He is really trying hard to show us how much he is growing and I really am proud of him. I never knew how much work I was signing up for by having him come to live with us but I am so thankful that he did. He has brought some great laughs and fun to our family. We love him much and the kids don't remember a life without him. Praying that he continues to grow.

working on updating...

OK so I am trying to catch up with all that Ive missed out on. So much has happened these past couple years. So many laughs, tears, hugs,... It's hard to even remember everything and even harder to put it all into words. I will tell you that this year is better than the last and definitely busier. Adding a fourth baby to our lives has been busy, fun, and not quite as difficult as I imagined. Aiden is super smiley, loves to scream, and give kisses. He is pulling himself up on everything which means he is falling down a lot also. He is now eating lots of different table foods and when he is army-crawling somewhere he shouldn't he will try to get there faster when I am headed towards him. He is starting to sleep through the night but not always. Such a sweet addition to the family. Anna is so good with him. Always right there to comfort hime and play with him. She is the first one in his room when he wakes up from nap. She is such a great big sister. She has started to Miss Patty's PreK (preschool/daycare) and has really started to bloom as far as school work goes. She is starting to write her name, can identify the letters of the alphabet, and is learning the colors in Spanish. She is also in her first semester of ballet classes and is dancing the minute any music comes on. The "big" boys are busy with school- both doing very well also. Alex is really growing into this responsible sweet boy. School is finally clicking with him and he is able to focus better (with the help of some medication) and we are seeing how smart he really is. He loves to read and picks books that many adults would like. He just read "heaven is for real" and did a book report on it. He enjoys being a big brother so much that he is praying for another little sister :) He is playing soccer- indoor just started today- and struggles with it because he isn't naturally coordinated (like his mother) but really loves to play. Andrew on the other hand, is naturally gifted when it comes to sports. He just finished flag football and loved it! He loves to throw the ball around with his dad and Alex. He is doing well in school- does his work so quickly that he always has drawings on the back of his papers. He likes to play on the computer and currently the neat thing is playing Smurfs on their iPods. These kids are just so much fun and they are my life. I really enjoy each day a little bit more because of them. I'm hoping that this blog will allow me to keep track of the fun we have and the cute things they say.

Wowza! I'm BACK!

Ok so it has been a SUPER long time since I have even thought about blogging. So let me catch you up to speed...... Alex is now 9 1/2 yrs old, in the 4th grade and is turning into this wonderful, caring young man. Andrew is getting close to 7 yrs old and is onry, gentle, and super honest. Anna is almost 4 and is giggly, bossy, and a great helper. We have added our 4th child- Aiden Johnathan. He was born the 26th of December 2010. He was 2 weeks early and came the day after Christmas! It was a busy holiday season! He is such a sweet addition to our family. His siblings gush over him and is trying to catch up to them already. Also, 1 1/2 years ago David, our nephew who is 17, moved in with us. He is adapting well to our large, loud, busy family. I am going to work harder at documenting all our ups and downs (there are many!).

Christmas 2008

This Christmas was wonderful! It seems that each year Christmas time gets more and more fun. The boys are really starting to get into all of it. They really were concerned about getting their letters to Santa in time and making sure he would have a snack (brownie and milk) which Anna was able to enjoy the leftover crumbs in the craziness of the morning. They enjoyed wrapping presents for each other and their friends and loved helping Anna open her presents. She received her first baby doll and was pounding on the packaging with excitement. Super cute! The boys were given a lot of similar items (puzzles, batman toys, board games, etc) to cut back on the amount of fighting and yet they still would fight. Boys will be boys. On Christmas eve Anna started to get a cold and what we know now what would turn into pink eye and Andrew awoke at 5:30 Christmas am throwing up. It never fails that someone is sick on the holidays. Alex woke up at 4:00 am on Christmas am very eager but was patient until 6am even though he stayed awake. Needless to say we all took a nap that day.

Journal for Annalise

Wow! The excitement of having a daughter was overwhelming and fun! I was out numbered for years and finding out that you were a girl was so surreal. Alex knew you were a girl and was so excited for a sister. Andrew really didn't understand yet. Daddy was excited but nervous about a daughter. The buying spree had already began. I had been saving girl clothes for years awaiting the day, hoping to have a daughter to where the cute outfits. Your due date was February 14th. I was only hoping you would come early, impatiently waiting to meet my daughter. Dr. Thompson was worried that you were getting too big so he encouraged me to have you early. You arrived on your daddy's birthday, February 7th at 10:50 at night. You came very quickly and Grandma and Grandma Rose were there to watch the miracle of your birth. Four generations in one room, amazing. You were smaller than we imagined you being. 7pounds 7oz. You had a ton of black hair that stood on end after your bath and your nails were so long I had to cut them. Your brothers came to meet you. Alex was immediately in love and wouldn't stop touching and holding you and Andrew thought you were neat but he really loved playing with the automatic bed. A day I will never forget. Love you Anna!

Journal for Andrew

The excitement of a second child can not be explained. The thought of having another baby is great and having another son great. I was so excited to find out that you were a boy. Daddy, Grandma, Aunt Jennifer, and Alex were there for you sonogram and I was the one to see that you were a boy. We were all excited and I was eager to see how you two boys would interact, fight, stand up for each other, be brothers. I was due with you on Aunt Audrey's birthday and she was hoping that you would come and share her birthday. I was inpatient and encouraged your arrival on January 26th. You came very quickly and much easier than your brother. My first thought when I saw you was ' he is so big'. You were 8pounds 1oz. and you looked BIG. I felt great immediately after having you and you slept a lot right after you were born. The best part was introducing you to your brother. He checked you over and really liked you (you brought him a spiderman toy). He became very protective of you immediately. You were a good sleeper and loved the boppy pillow. You were such a great addition to our family. Love you Andrew!

Journal for Alex

You were and unexpected suprise for your dad and I. We were so excited for your arrival and yet scared not knowing what to expect. Your due date was July 4th and with my birthday on the 2nd I was really hoping you would share my birthday. I was so sure that you would be born before the 4th that we didn't make any plans for celebrating the 4th of July. I sat at home waiting, waiting and yet cherishing every minute of you bouncing around in my belly. You finally came to us on the 8th after a little encouragement and you were perfect. 7 pound 13 ounces and 21 inches long. You were born at 6:43 pm and it was love at first sight. Daddy was so excited and kept saying how 'amazing' everything was. Going home was nice but a little scary. With your first child you don't really know what to expect and we would just sit and hold you. You were a easy baby. You liked to be held, nurse, and loved your swing. Still cant believe that you are ours! Love you Alex!

First entry

This is my first attempt to learn how to Blog. For someone who isn't computer savvy, I am sure stepping out of my box. Please be patient with me as I am learning. I have great hopes to learn how to do this well as a way of journaling for my children as they are growing up so quickly.