Would somebody slow things down a little...PLEASE!!

Time is slipping away much too quickly. I look at friends' blogs and get impatient for a new posting and then I realized that it has been over a month since I did anything new...oops!

Here's an update on everyone; youngest to oldest.

Gracie: We were wondering if it would ever happen and sure enough, she's a nutball and a booger, and her nickname is Gracie-Goober. She's a little stinker and will fight you to the death if you attempt to take anything from her. (I nearly lost an eye trying to get a sucker from her.) She loves phones and will sneak one if she finds it and dial all kinds of numbers. If I catch her, she runs as fast as she can away from me squealing with delight the entire way...until I catch her and then it is more like shreaking and I get "no, top it" (Stop it). She will eat what she wants, when she wants, by herself...unless she wants me to do it, and then ONLY I can do it and she has to help. Good grief, she was the "good one"...now she's turned on us too! Oh, but the child is a sweetie pie and will sing "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" jumping up on every "beam". She'll sing "I love you" (The Barney Song) complete with kisses and hugs, she will sing and shake her little hips and twirl around - such a girl! (She loves to sing constantly - just like the rest of the group). She still loves to cuddle and suck her thumb. Her vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds every day. Her other nickname is "googly-bear" - she is such a cutie!

Shaylor: Shaylor is all boy with karate chops, guns blazing, dinosaurs roaring, & cars smashing. He's the pickiest eater I've ever seen, and loves the number "S" and the letter "3". (You read that right!) He's a very loving boy and loves to help me cook. He has his own - manly- Home Depot apron ( it is orange...his favorite) and will not allow me to tell him "no" if he asks to help.

Noelle: I love the girl. She is funny and sweet and smart and so thoughtful of other people's feelings. She is doing great in school and reads so well. She got all Honors on her report card except one "Satisfactory" in Spanish...She's amazing! Oh, and we found out that she doesn't care for Brussel Sprouts! (see below)

Ashlyn: Ashlyn is also great. She quit gymnastics - gasp!!! I know, I know. She has so much talent for it, but if it isn't what she wants to do, I can't push her. She got down her round-off backhandspring really well, but she kept hurting her wrists, she didn't like the teacher (who really was not very warm or fuzzy), and to be honest, the juggling with carpooling and everything was really wearing on me - so I let her quit. She got straight Honors on her Report Card and is so helpful to me with the little ones. I have let her babysit all the kids for me as I run to the store real quick - which is awesome!

Amelia: I am busy, busy, busy. My new calling is very involved and I love it - but I'm having to learn how to juggle it all. I'm working out hard and have lost 14 pounds so far by eating right and exercising HARD. I don't know if I'll win our Biggest Loser contest, but I'm doing everything I can! It is exactly what I needed to kick my rear into gear! I busted out my new sewing maching last night for a service project and now that I know how to use it, I spent the morning mending clothes! It was so much fun! I'm finding lots of new recipes and I think I'll start posting them on this blog so everyone can try them out too. I absolutely love to cook! If only I could eat the things that look so good to me!

Ian: He had surgery a week ago on his ear. He had a hole that covered 1/3 of his eardrum. So, they cut behind his ear, folded it forward, took tissue from behind it and went in and did a skin graft to replace the entire eardrum. Then they put his ear back, sewed it back on and bandaged him up. The first few days were rough, and he is still having a lot of pain and pressure. But, he is back at work - with the side of his head shaved and all. He has to sleep sitting up, and so he doesn't sleep well. We won't know if the surgery worked for about a month, but his hearing couldn't get much worse than it was, I guess. He's doing well at work and getting lots of praise for his ideas and presentations and the work his team is doing. I'm so proud of him and how hard he works for our family.

So, that's us for now. Not much is new. We had a mellow Valentine's Day and decorated cookies. Not exciting, but it was great to be together as a family.