So Grown Up!

How did these guys get so grown up??? Mikey and Abbey are growing up to be such wonderful teens/preteens! I am so proud of their kind and generous hearts!

Happy New Year

We had a low key New Year's Eve celebration at home. Daddy had to work so I took the night off cooking and ordered out for pizza delivery. Mikey was the only one brave enough to stay up late. The rest of us were in bed by 9:30pm.


Bye bye 2009........hello 2010!


Who wouldn't want to party with these two cuties!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We have so much to be thankful for this Christmas season! We give thanks and praise to the Lord for his faithful provisions, our health, and wonderful happy family. It was so fun to watch the kids open all their gifts. They were so grateful and happy with everything they received. We have such a generous family!


Mikey + a wad of cash = one happy teen :-)


Papa Mike reads a new book to Mister Matty.


Abbey was excited to get a friendship bracelet kit from me and Patrick.

Colton loves all the yummy treats in his stocking!


Abbey with baby Andre (4mo.).

It was such a blessing to share Christmas morning with my sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew at my mom and step-dad's home.

Elmo is Matty's favorite!

More Christmas Fun

While my sister and brother-in-law were visiting from Arizona, we wanted to get together for some Christmas cookie baking. Colton just LOVES baking cookies and is getting really good at rolling out the dough and using the cookie cutters. Next year I think I'd like to get some gingerbread people cutters and do some cute gingerbread cookies.


Here's Colton busily cutting out cookies.


Colton said, "This is hard work, Mom!"


Patrick, my sister (Sarah), and my niece Alex.

A bunch of tree cookies are ready to go on the cookie sheets.

Christmas Eve

Anna's first Christmas Eve at Auntie Lynnda and Uncle Paul's house.


My two sweet little girls.


Colton was so excited about opening his gift from Grandpa Bud.


Matty looks like such a big boy in this picture. He's definitely not my little baby anymore :-(



Mikey and Matty look so handsome.

So, Christmas Eve didn't quite turn out the way we had hoped it would. Patrick couldn't get the day off of work. Michael and Abbey did lots of extra work, helping me watch the little ones so that I could get all the gifts wrapped to place under the tree. The good part was that we all worked together to get things done! I couldn't have done it without them. This is one of the many things I am loving about having "older kids". We went to the annual Christmas Eve party at Auntie Lynnda and Uncle Paul's house in the evening. Surprisingly, we were actually on time.