New metal

We bought another car!

Just kidding....we only put braces on another child.  It's the same amount of money though, so that is why I got so confused for a second there.  At least it is cute face Jenny.   She needs straight teeth for sure!  I can't wait to see her cute smile get even cuter!

He's a BEAR!

This cute face is becoming a Bear scout tonight.  He will get his Wolf badge and arrow points and move along.  Yay for progression!  He will officially join my den of Bears of which he is the ONLY ONE.  (I actually kinda love that thought!)

Putting the mother's pin on me.

Wearing his Wolf tail.  He had to do 3 acts of service before he could take it off. :)

I love this girl.  She is amazing.  So many hard things she has been asked to go through in her life and she keeps on keeping on every. single. day.  I don't know how she does it.

I am so grateful for the faculty and staff at the school who are working so hard to make Jr. High a good experience for her.  I am grateful that they don't give her an easy ride and take away all the hardness of it, but that they lift her and help her achieve new heights that I am sure none of us realized she was capable of and yet...SHE IS!  I love that!

I love that thanks to a change in her meds, she is happier, calmer, and more focused than before.  I love that she feels the difference and wants it to continue.

I just love her.

Happy Birthday Mr. Nine-years-old

 Yes, it's true.  My little man had another birthday and got even older and even cuter than before.  It seems to happen overnight these days and this mommy's heart doesn't know how much more it can take!  I love the sweet boy that he still is.  Love the independence he is starting to want more of.  Love the kindness he shows to his sisters...most days.  He is a good kid and we are grateful to have him in our family.

Happy Birthday!

Yummy chocolate-peanut butter-ice cream pie he requested for his treat

Civilization V !!  He is so nerdy like his dad and this was the one gift he requested.

New clothes! 

the Month of September

It's catch up time folks.  I can't pretend that life didn't get crazy hectic there for a while and I didn't post a darn thing.  But of course, you won't know this because I am so sneaky that I am changing the posting date.  Bahahahahahaha... don't you wish you were cool like me?!

The boys continues to love his Karate class.  We love that he loves it, but do not love the expense.  It's a worthy cause though and I am counting on the fact that he will be equipped to defend the honor of me and his lovely sisters if called upon to do so.

Little stinker butt now goes to school and is learning to read and asks brother to read with her quite often.  It's quite cute.  That's a lot of quite.

Peaches were canned.  Golden goodness in a bottle.

My oldest nephew, Jarom, got himself hitched to a lovely girl named Angie.  The wedding was nice and we loved seeing them so happy!

Don't look!  They are kissing!!

Sweet first dance as a married couple

I can't get enough of this cute face!  My niece Avery is so adorable!

Tire-swinging it at Aunt Marni's house.  Her house is pretty much the bomb dot com for fun stuff for the kids to do.  Seriously....like she has a tree house that I would LOVE to live in, two tire swings, lots of room to run and animals!  My kids are in heaven when we visit there.

'Da boys (Buddy, Jonathan, and Shiney)

The beauties (Jenny, Macy, Rachel, Anna, and Meghan)

First day of Jr. High

(look at them just walk away to catch carpool and not even look back at me.  So hard to do this!!)

I had two going to Jr. High this year.  Talk about traumatic!  I think I relived all my worst nightmares from that time in my life as I stressed and stressed about them being ready to go.  I worry about Rachel being made fun of.  I worry that she will get lost and have a meltdown in the hallway of the school.  I worry that Meghan will not have any friends and will have a rough year.  I worry that she will like too many boys again.  Too many worries!  I have to put my trust in the school and in the Lord that He will protect them and keep them safe when I can't be with them. 

I have decided being a mom is hard.