BRACES!!!

Jason is officially growing up . . . he got his braces on today! 

Just before Christmas, he had to have 6 baby teeth pulled - "OUCH"!!!  He still has 2 baby ones left but everyone figured they'd come out on their own with nothing left around them! 

We'll see! 

Then Gary and I had to have the "financial talk" with the Ortho Office!

 That was our "OUCH"!!! 

Once we signed on the dotted line (and made a hefty down payment), we were good to go . . .

BEFORE                                                                                         AFTER

So far he's only bummed about no Sun Chips (too crunchy) and no Milky Ways (too sticky).

And the fact that he's supposed to brush his teeth at school . . . so NOT cool!!!

 Cincinnati Bengal colors, of course!!

Last Day of Break!

Sadly, today was the last day of our Christmas break!  Gary and the kids have been home for 13 days!!!  But we've got to head back to the regular routine tomorrow :o( 

Lucy was awesome!! 
She had never been skating before

but let go of the rail pretty early

 and really built up some speed!

So today we celebrated with a fun family day . . . we went ice skating!!  (Gary and the kids skated while I took pictures - I just don't trust my ankle on the ice yet!)



Kevin has only been skating
one other time!
But he did GREAT!!!  And was
smiling his special "Kev smile"
even when he fell!

  

Jason loves to skate! 
He's been hitting the ice with

friends a lot! this year!



Anna started out by hugging the rail but by the end was saying

"I can do it all by myself!"

   

They all took a break
while the Zamboni smoothed the ice!

                                            

 

Our Oldest and Our Youngest!
I love moments like this!!



 

 

One of many falls -

but always with a smile on her sweet little face!



After a couple of hours on the ice, a few minor bumps and bruises, and a nice cup of hot chocolate, it was off to Five Guys Burgers and Fries for a yummy family dinner. 

Then it was bedtime . . . It's a school night, you know!!!  :o)

Happy New Year!

The first day of the new year already brings with it a clear picture of God's amazing grace, love and protection in our lives . . . yesterday a severe storm passed through our area sending us all to the basement for safety. Gary was planning to run some errands with the girls but decided to wait till the storm passed. After the warnings were over we were all amazed at how calm everything had been - didn't seem bad at all . . . barely rained, barely windy! Hmmmm - what was the big deal? We all came upstairs and Gary and the girl's headed out . . . he called moments after he left to describe what he was seeing just a few miles from our home - destruction! A tornado had touched down and traveled so close-by and we hadn't even realized it (Gary and the girls might have been caught right in its path if they had left before the storm hit)!

The ball fields where the kids play were hit. . . trees snapped and uprooted, bleachers thrown around like toys!!

This was one of the fields Jason

played on last year!

A church where many friends attend was hit HARD as well . . .

So as we celebrate Day 1 of 2011, we are so thankful to be spending it with loved ones and with an intact roof over our heads.
Our prayers go out to the families, congregations and organizations affected by this storm!

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IN THE COMING YEAR!

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas to All . . .

New Christmas Jammies

 And to all a
Good Night!

It's Almost Christmas!!!!!!!!

What a wonderful time of year!  I love it!! 
All of the preparations, decorations, parties, shopping, baking, wrapping, and more . . .
The kids have been busy making lots of presents, singing in our church kids' choir, and tearing their paper chains as they count down to the BIG DAY!!!

We took our annual tree-chopping trip to Pea Ridge Forest . . saw Santa & found the perfect tree.  We took Barley this year - he had a great time too!

Nana & Grandpa invited everyone to a special family night

at the zoo with beautiful light displays. 

Gary and Anna won a Radio Disney dance contest while they were there . . . Gary knew his "sprinkler dance" would come in handy one day!!!  Way to go, Daddy!

Anna made a "snow teacher" at her preschool winter party! 
Mrs. Kenkel is such a good sport!!

Lucy went Christmas Caroling for Canned Goods with her girl scout troop!  They caroled around our subdivision . . . even stopped for a picture with our front yard Frosty!!

 And then there was the ICING . . . . lots and lots of ICING!!!!

The kids had a great time decorating cookies with lots and lots of ICING!!!!

YUM!

 (Did I mention there was a lot of ICING!?!?!?)

 and best of all,

we've been praising God for His amazing gift . . .

Our Savior's birth!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!! 

We love you!!

What a great sport!

One of my favorite picture days of the year . . . leaf-raking day!!  It must be something about the "carefree-ness" of children playing in a pile of leaves!!!  I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!  And this year Jack and Justin were hanging out with us on that special day!  Even better!

I'm not sure it's Daddy's favorite day though . . . using a ton of energy battling leaves that are undoubtedly going to get blown into the opposite direction.  Then, when there's finally has a decent pile of leaves to drag to the curb . . . the kids race out, jump in it and have a leaf fight!!!! 

But who could get mad at these faces???  

 



Or these . . .



Or these . . .







We can't!!!

And so every year, Daddy rakes giant piles of leaves, the kids jump in them, Mommy takes a ton of pictures . . .

And Daddy rakes the piles back up again!

What a great sport!

Thank You, Daddy (Uncle Gary)!

Welcome Baby Tug!

Well, there's finally a new pet in the family

and it's not mine!!!!  Nana and Grandpa got the new addition - a keeshond puppy named Tug . . .

does that make him my brother??  Anyway, he's wonderful - all FUZZ!!!  He met the "Big Dogs" the other day and boy, did they have fun! 
Tug had NO IDEA that he was not a big dog too!!!

The Old Man, Bogey, seemed to tolerate the little "whipper-snapper"! And Tug seemed to understand (most of the time) that Bogey didn't want to play!

But Barley was another story . . . he was like Tug's own personal chew toy! And Barley had the patience of a saint - just took whatever Tug dished out!

Seriously, though, Tug is awesome!!  He's gotten along with everything he's met so far . . . adults, kids, dogs, even Nemo, the cat (Nemo wasn't thrilled though)  We're so glad he's a part of the "flamy" as Anna would say!

We Love You, Little Tug!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Love,

An Email (get it, "E-male"), A Bengal Fanatic,

Princess Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty),  and an Oreo!

Happy Fall!

What a great family time!! 

The kids didn't have school on Friday so Gary took the day off to hang out with us!  I scheduled the kids' flu shots (not fun on a vacation day) but then we followed that with a trip to the pumpkin patch!!  So much fun!                                        

       

Now to find the perfect pumpkin!  Small ones, big ones, orange ones, white ones, bumpy ones, smooth ones, light ones, heavy ones . . . which one will it be???? 

 

It's so amazing to realize that these are memories the kids will have for a lifetime!  God has blessed us with 4 amazing kids . . . and He has blessed them with each other!  Friends will come and go but brothers and sisters are forever!

A Christian child was asked by a friend, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The Christian replied,
"It is like being a pumpkin.  God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc., and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

Anna, Lucy, Kevin, Jason!