Just a little doodle for the family and especially for my sweetheart Dennis.

always,

mom/michele/mamachele/gramachele

A blessing....

This is just a quick post, like most of my post lately, to express gratitude for my monkeys.  They are awesome.  The other day ago, Colin got out a huge pile of books for me to read.  I was in the middle of a class connect (that's where the kids are actually in a virtual classroom with a teacher and other students) with Emery, so I couldn't read to him.  Liam sat right down and read the entire stack and even read stop that ball twice!  I was so thankful.  It allowed me to finish working with Em and to stay focused.  He's such a great big brother and there is such a special bond between he and Colin.  I LOVE it! 

Isabelle is learning to knit and loves it.  Let me tell you this girl is gifted.  She can sew, knit, crochet and it takes her no time at all to learn it.  She's amazing! 

Colin captured this shot of Liam and I love it!  I love the photo below as well because it shows a normal day in our lives.  Liam is working on school and Isa is taking a break to knit.  Usually we are dressed by this time in the morning, but none of us were feeling super great this day, so we took it easy!

Anyway, I love my life.  I have days that are not so great, but for the most part, my life is amazing!

BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!! Yeah!!!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/10187578

Check out the movie Liam made on his birthday.  It is guaranteed to make you laugh and you'll probably need to watch it more than once.  I'm just saying...

random joys...



Colin took the camera and we taught him how to frame a person.  He did a great job!  Liam's a pretty awesome subject too!




 Um, I really love the relationship Liam and Colin have... They are best buddies!  Liam will snuggle Colin to sleep, play legos, guns, cars or whatever else Colin requests, watch Bob the Builder and Elmo with him and read to him at night.  He will even let Colin sleep with is beloved Pikachu or on the top bunk with him.  He's a great big brother and a super example for my littlest man...

 more awesome shots by Colin...Yikes I look   AMAZING (note the sarcasm in my post here)



Emery is awesome.  She makes me alternate between laughing and hollering.  She has one volume right now and it is LOUD, but this girl LOVES life more than anyone I know.  She is passionate and snuggly and FULL of love.  She requires A LOT of attention and love in return and has some super sass in her, but this crazy wonderful bundle of love, life, and creativity is someday going to move mountains.  LOOK OUT WORLD...EMERY JANE IS ON HER WAY!



Christmas Joy

We went Christmas tree shopping this year.  The tree was beautiful, but didn't smell much, so we were a little disappointed...  Emery cracks me up in this shot.  I think it's great how much our personalities all come together in this photo! 

 Christmas Eve with our matching pajama bottoms.  I even made Morgan a pair of Mater jammies to match the boys and myself a pair of snowmen bottoms to match the girls...

 Christmas Day after church...

Our Christmas tree... Please note my beautiful birthday present on top of the tree.  Isa made me a new angel!


May I just say that we had the most heartwarming Christmas. It was beautiful, relaxing, probably one of the most enjoyable ever! We decided to scale back on the commercial side of Christmas and give from the heart. So we set a budget and laid down some rules for the kids. Rule #1: If you want something for your sibling from you, you are responsible to find a way to purchase it or make it... Rule #2: Really think about the person you are buying for and give a gift from the heart.


That's it and it was fantastic.  Liam opted to use the rest of his spending money from his lawn jobs to purchase gifts.  He really thought about his siblings and purchased something that would mean  something to them.  For Morgan he made a lego stop motion movie of Good vs. Daddy.  It was awesome. 

 Isa made her gifts. We set goals and I helped her with the patterns, but she sewed and stuffed her creations. She made Liam a Pikachu pillow pet, Emery an Emery doll and Colin a stuffed Pikachu. The best part to me was seeing how excited she was to see everyone open her gifts and how well the said gifts were received.



(Liam modeling the Rangers Apprentice Cloak I made him)


Emery got in on the action and searched high and low for couch treasures.  With said treasure we made a trip to the dollar store.  She handpicked their gift and made me just what I asked for a pin cushion!  Does it get any sweeter than that!

 Isa's piggy bank from Emery...

Anyway, I'll jump off my podium, and just end with grattitude.  I was coming home from a little shindig we had the other day ago and I was listening to my kids and their friends talking in the back.  They were swapping " what did you get for Christmases" and I heard no envy, no discontent, in fact they were happy for what each child received and happy with their lot.  Later I  felt myself overwhelmed with joy as I realized that it really isn't about what you receive, it's about how you give and how you receive.  Christmas is a celebration of the greatest gifts.  Those of eternal life and second chances given us by our Savior, but Christmas is also about learning to give as he did.  I hope you all had a very merry Christmas.  We definately did....