Brina's Birthday

I had the best time surprising Brina this year. She has been showing an interest in cake making and so I asked her mother and sister if they would love to go in thirds for cake classes. They did and she was very happy. I have enjoyed her texted photos of her creations in class and hope she enjoys those delish treats in the years to come.








Renee even had a Remy birthday gift she hadn't been able to give him.








I had to capture this little girl, Renee and Sabrina's neice, with her beloved Pinocchio. Story is, she adores him and had wanted a real Pinocchio for Christmas. Her father found this little guy on ebay and now he lives in her home. :) Isn't that sweet?





These four have been growing up together for years. Such dear friends.





Happy Birthday Sabrina!

Field Trip to the "Airplane" Museum.

Elijah has been studying all of the wars to do with our more current American history the past months. After the WWI and WWII discussions I decided to take him to the museum. They had so much to look at. I don't have many photos from the trip because we had two other little ones with us and boy was it...hectic! HA!


If your in the area and have never been, GO!


We finally found the geocache under the "whirly bird". I think it was harder before they took it off for it's beauty appointment. Eli found it and he was so proud. Remy was a sour pouty boy. Urgh.





Our group! You may recognize those other little boys as Sabrina's Mikey and Tucker. :) Even Noah had a trip.





The little boys had a hard time at the museum, hands on everything, and just crazy! Ahhh! They loved this more.

Mikey and Remy

Mikey (Sabrina's first son) and Remy have had a love hate kind of relationship. She and I have had to seperate them and make them treat each other nicely more times than I can count. They just clash! Remy tells me that he tries so very hard to be nice to him, but that he just gets carried away. He loves Mikey. He really does.

The last few times they have played together I have seen a big difference.

Today we didn't hear a word from them for hours! We kept checking in on them. I kept thinking soon he will make Mikey cry, or soon Mikey will aggravate Remy. It never happened.

Mikey can talk really well now, he is a playmate instead of someone that needs direction in play, and Remy and he have a similar interest.

BUGS!

Mikey is THREE!

Sabrina and her two fast growing boys were in town for Mikey's 3rd Birthday! It doesn't seem possible! I remember the days and nights we stayed up waiting for him to come OUT! LOL! Your a big boy Mikey! Enjoy being three!

Uncle Matt has to get that belly!

Tucker was so big this time! :) I kicked him over a few times for walking. I don't care what his mama thinks...they need to stay younger longer!

Brina eating up that sweet boy! :) What else is a mama to do?

Remy says that Tucker is still acceptable...although Mikey hasn't been for some time now. HA HA!

Eli was able to spend some time with his best girl. :)

Odds and Ends of Our Lives, Lately...

It is Christmas Time!

And I am so darn happy!

Friday marked our Christmas Break from formal homeschooling. We have until the New Year to enjoy our days the way we choose. LOVE IT!

Brina and the boys came for a visit, please be in prayer for her as she takes on the huge tasks that the Lord has put before her. Pray for her strength!

I always get a photo of Matthew and Tucker, I have since he was born. :) Here is the newest one.

Here he is pulling up on my legs as I sit on the couch. :) He is MOBILE!

This little crawling fool can go anywhere he pleases, and believe me, he does!

We made Ginger Bread Men with Brina, Renee, and the children. We had a blast! And Logan stayed the night as Matthew helped him with a Science Fair project he had.

Here is a photo of Mikey decorating his Ginger Bread Man. :)

Remy and I made this Dolphin this past week. Matthew made up a pattern for it because of course Remy doesn't want to make what is in the book. Our daddy is GOOD like that! Hee hee!

I am thinking that Matthew and I should write a felt craft book together! :)

Eli and Remy are in a homeschool craft swap online. Eli's swap came in the mail last week. Isn't this the best Santa puppet ever?

We had our Christmas get together with Renee and her family. Sabrina gave the boys these super cool "TRANSFORMER" jammies! And now Aunt Brina ROCKS OUT in their opinion! :) But she always has. :)

I kept forgetting my camera lately. BUT I know I can snatch some photos from some pals...if I remember!

Be on the look out for Christmas Break fun!

Look how BIG Tucker is now!!!

I had the pleasure of loving on my little Brina babies one weekend at the end of October. :) Mikey was delicious! He wants to go with me everywhere and he grabs me and hugs me with sweet kisses! It is neat for me because I am not around blood family. Sabrina has given me aunt-hood. She has given me a sweet gift. I have watched her children grow and she has allowed me a deep connection with both of them. Thankyou dear friend! :) Your more family than you can ever know!

Tucker is EVERYWHERE! He has the bluest eyes and he is so observant!

Now you tell me...isn't that cuteness in a handbasket?

Bowling, a Swim Party, and a Day to Ourselves.

On the 27th:

Sabrina and I took the kids to bowling. Sherri we missed you! :(

Eli doing a victory dance.

Tucker is the easiest baby. He can go and enjoy a whole day with the big boys. Love you sweet boy! You will always be special in Aunt Eha's heart!

The 28th:

Brought my small get together for my birthday. Sabrina will not be here for my birthday on the 10th so she gave me a small party where I was surrounded by all of my children I love and adore! Some were missing...but we had a house full!

Silly String is a blast!

Mikey has really gotten into the water the past few swim days. :)

And he always makes this unsure face. Cracks me up!

Mikey and I started playing this game he made up and now he has everyone play it with him. He jumps to you from the steps and you must take him down to the ladder. He will then climb up the ladder and you have to swim as fast as you can to the steps because he is coming FAST to jump in. And you better be there!

I love this photo of Sabrina with her boys. Her face looks so sweet. What a dear woman she is to me. We just have so much fun and she knows my heart inside and out! She even puts up with my fits! HEE HEE! And I had a major blowup before the party over a cake with Matthew. LONG STORY! Anyway, it is nice when you have someone who knows you and they love you any way! It is a perfect example of Christ's love in my opinion. :) And he makes only a few of these people for you in a lifetime. Enjoy them when you find them. Treat them with lots of love and respect. And never take them for granted. They make up for the crap others may put you through. They make life sweeter!

Matthew shot this of me by the pool...not HALF bad!

Sabrina had went to nap with Tucker, the baby. I had Mikey with me swimming. The little fella fell asleep in the pool with me walking him around! We took his swim trunks off in the water, wrapped him in a towel, and I laid him with his mama for a long nap.

Matthew and the kids had fireworks.

We even had 15 glowsticks in the pool! PRETTY!

My crazy silly boy Eli had all the kids making "cuppy's" which were cups with faces pressed into them with a fingernail. They then floated these in the water and played a strange game. I love kids!

Matthew took me to another movie. I saw the movie "Wanted" and we loved it! This is me with my party hat right before we left. Hee hee...

Sunday the 29th:

We just enjoyed a slow paced day. We had a light summery meal that ended with this!

We also started our puzzle and had a movie night with the boys.

Today the started with me finding this critter in the baby plants we had planted. He had almost eaten them all! YIKES!

The boys made this...they are getting GOOD!

We worked on the puzzle. I only have to start working on it for them to join me. :)

We then made vegan corn dogs. :)

First you cut them up and stick toothpicks in them.

Then you roll them in cornstarch so the batter will stick.

You make up a mixture of:

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

1 TBs sugar

1 Ts salt

1 1/2 cups soymilk

And then you dip!

You need enough HOT HOT HOT oil to cover the baby corndogs and then you fry until golden brown!

Who said that vegetarians couldn't have junk food??? I plan on making these to take to the fair this year. My boys can never have a corn dog but now they can!

All day today we heard a cat making horrible noises. I found the source. A ferile cat trying to eat baby birds and birds pecking the mess out of him! He is a juvenile cat and so pretty! I have tamed so many cats...wonder if he could be?

Looks like someone dropped him off and he is hungry! Ticks me off so bad! Guess we will set out food at night!

Brina is gone now...back home...and we should be back to normal. If you have called or emailed I am getting back to you. It has been a busy 2 weeks! ;)

Remy has had 4 days off of school...don't ask me how I managed that. He cried and told me he wanted it today, so I guess he will be back at it tomorrow. Eli finished his 3rd week (lesson 15) on Friday and today he started his 4th week. He has almost been at it for a month and it still rocks! YAY!