Silent Sunday

Tidbits for Today

Today is the UF-FSU game. The biggest rivalry for our college town. We are the underdogs but that doesn't usually mean anything in this game. It is a rainy weekend so that has kind of dampened things but come 3:30 there will not be a car on the road or a person in the stores. Well, that is a bit of an exaggeration but there will be a noticeable difference in traffic :)

My sister hung out with my two oldest nephews last night. She picked them up and she and her roommate showed them the town. She hadn't seen either one since my wedding 11 years ago. Sissy and Billy were in 6th grade and Micky was in 3rd! I thought it was pretty cool! I am sure they had a great time!! It is hard for me to believe they are that old! I can't wait to check in on them this morning - ha, ha.

Yesterday daddy and the kids were passing a corner where they had torn down a Boston Market and were putting up a McDonald's. I am not a big McDonald's fan so when I had passed the new building a couple of weeks ago I must have said "Not another dang McDonald's." So yesterday when daddy said to the kids "Look guys they are building a McDonald's right there." Boop said "It's not a McDonald's daddy it is a dang McDonald's."

Last night we had leftover turkey dinner at my brother and sister-in-laws. Another nice family get together. Of course, I left my camera at home!

It is hard to believe that is was two weeks ago yesterday that God blessed us with EG. She is so beautiful and the kids just adore her. I catch myself just staring at her when she is peacefully sleeping in my arms. I tell myself to soak it all in because it goes by way to fast. I love when she is stretching and one arm goes straight up in the air. She sticks her face out and stretches her neck and it makes little wrinkles in her forehead. Her preferable sleeping spot is in my arms. She for the most part is a great sleeper. 5 hours at night and I have to wake her!! She still is not a very good eater so we are doing all we can to work on that. But she seems content for now . . . .

Thank God

I am thankful for my family.

All of the cousins on my hubby's side of the family.

The first and the last.

The younger girlies.

Boop finally has boys to play with.

As a friend of mine said on my last post "Thank God." That is the most appropriate saying that I have today. "Thank God" for family - all my family. What a wonderful time we had yesterday with my husband's family. The kids ranged in age from 24 to 13 days and they all had a blast near as I could tell!! We had great food and soooo much of it. Everyone worked so hard preparing and cooking and making everything so festive. We had about six tables and about 5 tents and there were lights on the tents, candles, flowers and outside fires. It was one of the most memorable Thanksgivings I have had! I just loved watching everyone interact with each other, talking, laughing and joking around. I tried to get good pictures but I need a photography lesson. One of the things we did was take a picture of all of my mother-in-law's grandkids. 17 in all. It was suppose to be a surprise for Christmas but an undertaking of that magnitude was hard to keep a secret! I think that was probably my favorite part of the whole day. How blessed my MIL must feel to look around and see her own children and then all of her grandchildren. To me, I think that is what life is all about. Yesterday was a day of no cares or worries. No discussion of the economy or politics (at least not that I heard). My 13 day old daughter was held by every cousin she has (well almost everyone ;). She was in heaven. She slept the entire time. Occasionally she would open an eye or two and then settle back down to sleep in some one's loving arms. If there is a downside is that it goes by so fast. Before you know it the dinner is over and the kids are exhausted. It seems like it happens all in the blink of an eye. As another good friend quoted on her blog "Breathe this moment." How apropos for this holiday season . . . .

Thanksgiving Prep

We are glad daddy is home but we have hit the ground running today! Daddy's whole family will be here for Thanksgiving. Three brothers and one sister with all of their families. A total of 21 people not including our family and various members of other families. The last I heard is the count is up to 45 for Thanksgiving dinner! This is a special time because this is the first time hubby's whole family will be together since our wedding 11 years ago. So, all that to say, my post on Friday will be lengthier and hopefully with pictures :) Until then . . .

Daddy Comes Home

Today will be one of the longest days that we have had so far. Daddy comes home today!! But his flight doesn't get in until 9PM. We will clean and straighten and organize so that he doesn't walk into chaos after being gone for almost a week. The kids will be bathed and ready for bed and we will just kind of hang out until he gets home. Thankfully his friend's wife is picking them up from the airport. It has been a little chilly here and I can't imagine having to go get him ourselves :) I am sure he will be amazed at how EG has grown and changed in the few days he has been gone. Her face has filled out and she has certainly become more alert. She even smiles occasionally! The other kids will be excited to see what he has brought them. We were joking around yesterday about some of the things he has brought back for them. For the last two years he has brought each kid the exact same Badger sweatshirt. So I think we have at least 4 in 2 or 3 sizes! This year he called me at least twice while shopping to get ideas and run some possibilities by me. He did good and I think the kids will be surprised. He even called back once and asked "What about Ellie??" I was impressed!! She will get a Cabela's bear just like the other kids.

I, for one, will be glad to have him home. It has gone very well here in his absence. Better than I could have expected. Everyone pitched in. The kids enjoyed having Grandma here and Ellie has eased into a pretty predictable routine (even though it consists being held a lot;) But with daddy home things will start to gel into what we will be doing everyday as a family. We have all been on kind of a vacation. So, as with every vacation, it is always good to get back to real life . . .

Picture Day

For the last eight years I have always gotten the kids yearly pictures done the second week in November. I do it early enough in the season so as to avoid the holiday rush. We don't have school pictures so it is very important to me to have these done. We have tons of relatives that don't live near us and it is away for me to keep in touch and show how are family is growing. I include the pictures in our Christmas cards. Plus, I just like looking at the pictures from year to year to see how everyone has changed. This year posed a little bit of a problem. We wouldn't have baby C the second week in November plus I didn't know if it was a boy or a girl. So when I called to make the appointment they always ask the number of kids and gender and name. I think they were a little stumped at first when they got to kid number four and said "I don't know." Of course, I went on to explain myself. But it was a little humorous to hear the pause on the other end of the line.

Anyway, today was our first outing with all the kids and it was to have the pictures done! I couldn't have been more pleased. Grandma was here to help get everyone ready. Our appointment was at 10AM and we started getting ready at 7. I am not joking!! The girls had their hair done and Boop's was actually brushed. The baby was the last to get ready and she was nursed and dressed by 9:30. We were the first appointment so we didn't have to wait. The photographer posed them and told them what to do and the kids listened. EG was a little upset about being handled by someone other than me but she had moments when she didn't cry. The photographer took pictures of it all. It took about 15 minutes and there were plenty of good pictures to choose from.

I really am blessed. Not to brag but there was a family there with just one child and they were having problems. Here I was with my 4 and they were quiet, well mannered, polite and obedient. Honestly, I was just a little proud of my bunch . . .

Silent Sunday