April Fools...that would be me!

How is it possible that after hearing the same April Fools prank every year growing up..."I'm Pregnant"...from my mom, that I fell for it yet again? Kayla, Jeremy's wife sent a mass text this morning (which should have been my first clue, as she really doesn't send me texts that often). She declared that they were going to wait until everyone was together, but because that never happens (clue number two- we get together about once a month) she was going to just spill it! They were having a baby! It was unexpected but they were excited!


I will give myself a little credit because it was early and it had been one of those long nights with the kids, but I really should have known better! So I quickly reply with a "Yeah! We're so excited!" like a fool. Thus the obscure holiday! It took about five minutes for my brain to kick in and send off another text declaring my idiocy.
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS EVERYONE!!!

Christmas....

As we take down all of our Christmas decorations, I wanted to take a moment and remember how wonderful this Christmas was! There were three weddings since last Christmas so our family grew. It is a wonderful thing the way that love grows right along with the additions to a family, so that we never run out.

As always, we started our Christmas Eve traditions with Chad sharing the story of the first Christmas. The incite that the kids bring grows each year and I always look forward to what they are going to say about that special story of the birth of the Christ child.

Then for fun we always read "The Night Before Christmas". Why it captivates us year after year is something I'm not even going to mess with!

In past years the kids would exchange gifts, but this year they got Christmas pajamas from mom and dad. Its something we started last year with the Polar Express, that I think is now to be an established tradition.

Christmas morning we wake the kids up (yes I know totally reverse of everyone else's house...). Take the picture of everyone waiting in the hall, and then let the shower of paper begin. There is screaming and "Thank You's" when the dust settles, everyone is happy ( I know, a small miracle!) And we get ready for round two...

Out the door we go and off to Gilbert. (sing with me)"Through the construction and down the road to Grammy and Umpa's we go..."

We arrive. Hug and visit. Then, have a wonderful breakfast with the highly acclaimed, CREAM CHEESE ROLL-UPS. If you don't know what that is, my friend, you live a deprived existence!

We organize the gifts and then, from youngest to oldest, it begins again. Now some think this has changed over the years, but its pretty consistent. A little twist that isn't to every one's benefit, sorry Tara and Riley, is that the spouses are stuck with their Roussel counterpart's age to determine their order of unveiling....

We love to see others faces as they are opening gifts picked out just for them. That is definitely one of the highlights for me anyways...


Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!

Halloween

We're off to see the Wizard!

Allen was a perfect Tin Man. Wesley was a great Scarecrow. Madison was made for the Role of the Cowerdly Lion, and Ashley pulled off Dorthy like no one else!

First stop Mrs Feerick's house.

On to the heart of the trick or treating with Deni as Glenda the Good witch, Blair as the Wicked witch of the west, and Chad, Pam, and I as the Lollipop Guild. Madison and Deni really got into the candy collection this year - running from house to house, sampling the goods, it was a blast!

The Kids looked AWESOME. I know I'm going to miss the themed Halloweens but I promised the kids they could pick anything they wanted next year and that they didn't have to have a theme.

The end of the night...one more picture before the sugar feast!

Gathering Leaves

We were crumpling up paper to fill our leaf bag spider, and it got me thinking about changing leaves ( our leaves are still green and firmly attached to our trees - they usually come off sometime in January!) You can never go wrong with Frost!

Gathering Leaves
by Robert Frost

Spades take up leaves

No better than spoons,

And bags full of leaves

Are light as balloons.

I make a great noise

Of rustling all day

Like rabbit and deer

Running away.

But the mountains I raise

Elude my embrace,

Flowing over my arms

And into my face.

I may load and unload

Again and again

Till I fill the whole shed,

And what have I then?

Next to nothing for weight,

And since they grew duller

From contact with earth,

Next to nothing for color.

Next to nothing for use.

But a crop is a crop,

And who's to say where

The harvest shall stop?

Sweet Land of Liberty!

We gather ‘round to celebrate

On Independence Day

Pay homage to our country

As the children run and play.

With barbecues and picnics

And fireworks in the air

The flag we own is proudly flown

To show how much we care.

The stars and stripes spell freedom

She waves upon the breeze

While bursts of colors can be seen

Above the towering trees.

This is all quite wonderful

We revel in delight

But God above in divine love

Has brought this day to light.

With just a stroke of liberty

A touch of His great hand

He gave democracy to us

And helped this country stand.

The stripes upon our stately flag

Were touched by His sweet grace

Each star of white that shines so bright

Reflects His loving face.

So as you turn to face the flag

For battles that were fought

Be filled with pride for those who died

And freedoms that were bought.

But don’t forget to thank the One

That gives the bright display

The reason why we paint the sky

On Independence Day

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Father's Day

A Dad is a person

who is loving and kind,

And often he knows

what you have on your mind.

He's someone who listens,

suggests, and defends.

A dad can be one

of your very best friends!

He's proud of your triumphs,

but when things go wrong,

A dad can be patient

and helpful and strong

In all that you do,

a dad's love plays a part.

There's always a place for him

deep in your heart.

And each year that passes,

you're even more glad,

More grateful and proud

just to call him your dad!

Thank you, Dad...

for listening and caring,

for giving and sharing,

but, especially,

for just being you!

Happy Father's Day,

To all you dad's out there, and especially

Chad, Umpa, and Grandpa Charlie...We Love you!

Happy Mother's Day

WHO IS MOTHER?
Mother is half of the Father/Mother team, the one who gave birth to you as a child. When she first held you in her arms, she fell madly in love with you! She is the one that changed your diaper, gave you your bottle, bathed and dressed you. She is the one who tended to you when you were sick, wishes she could have bore your pain, but unable to even share it with you. There is none like a Mother.
If you have children, then you know what it's like to be a Mother. Often, it's a tough job, with unruly children, and many heartaches before they are grown. Sometimes a Mother is lucky that she has well-disciplined children, but only because she has done her best in order for them to be well-adjusted teenagers and later adults. Mostly, Mother sits and worries that she hasn't done her best with her children, especially if they don't turn out as she thought they should, with all the training she had given them.
Mother is a human being, capable of making mistakes. She is not perfect, just as none of us are perfect. But she is the one that we picture as being perfect during our childhood. As we become older, we realize that Mothers are capable of right and wrong ways of doing things, missing the mark, just as much as the next person. But she is still Mother. The thing that sets her apart is her everlasting love for her children and her intent that they lead normal, well-adjusted lives.
Not until we become adults, do we really begin to appreciate WHO Mother really is. She has nurtured you through your childhood, put up with your sassy ways and times of being lazy during your teenage years, and cried through your becoming an adult. But Mother was always there to encourage you when you made a mistake, although sometimes it's hard not to show disappointment {I am sure I've done that}.
As we grow older and have our own children, we realize that Mother was a very strong person, and we begin to wonder can we ever fit into her shoes. No, we wear our 'own shoes'........we can never do things the same as our Mother, although she has given us the pattern from which to build. IF we have a Godly Mother {I did!}, then we can bring up our children in the ways of God, so that when they grow older we have the assurance that some day they will live for God. After all, Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the ways he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Mothers are special. Is your Mother living today? If so, try to make this Mother's Day the most wonderful day of her life! Show her you care if only by telling her you love her. Take her out to eat, take her flowers, but show up on Mother's Day, if possible. You will never know how much this helps Mother to realize her family still cares. Sometimes we get busy doing the usual things in life, and lose sight of the most important aspects - loving our family. And Mother happens to be where that 'family' began. Without Mother, there would never have been a family. You might also tell Daddy that you are so happy that he chose Mother to be his wife. Make his eyes light up as well!!
M - Messenger, relaying God's Word
O - Outpouring of genuine Love
T - Trusts in God
H - Heart set on things above
E - Earthly saint
R - Rescuer of the Wayward

Happy St. Patrick's Day!