New Year's Thoughts and Resolutions

Well, as I sit back and reflect on this last year I am reminded, once again, how blessed I am. I have a fantastic husband and 8 wonderful children. My boys take such wonderful care of me and were very good to me throughout my pregnancy this year. They all had to buck up and really help out because I just couldn't do it all between homeschooling, working and just being a mom/wife. I also think I was more hormonal this time (extra girly hormones maybe???). Poor guys, but they handled it like troopers. Jeff is so patient with me and handles my mood swings with such grace. If my boys grow up to be half the husband Jeff is, they will make their future wives very happy.

On one of the message boards I belong to, someone asked the question about where you were and how far you had come in the last decade. Jeff and I were living in an apartment with just two of the boys - we just had four boys at the time. Since then I quit work, we have bought a house, been through Jeff's job loss and subsequent major reduction in salary, I went back to work part time (3 years ago), and had four more wonderful children. How blessed we have been!!!!

Which brings me to my thoughts about Lexie. People assume we have continued to have children because we wanted a girl. Not so! When I first married, I said I wanted four boys. Well, I got that instantly when Jeff and I married. I always knew I was a great boy mom. You know, I am not a girly girl type of person and have always been somewhat of a tomboy. I love my boys and just assumed that God intended for me to just have boys. See, assumptions are not good things to make! I was absolutely SHOCKED when the sonographer told us we were having a girl. I really didn't even believe her until Lexie was actually born. We are very happy to be parents of a daughter, but that doesn't take away from the love we have for our boys. Our family has been ordered just the way God intended because He placed that order. It makes me wonder what else is on God's menu for our lives.

Anyway, onto my resolutions.
1) Read through the Bible in full (chronologically)
2) Play more games with the kids (at least 3 days per week)
3) Get every room in my house decluttered (already doing really well on this)
4) Exercise
5) Continue to count my blessings

I had to turn my little girl's mouth purple.

Well, Lexie and I had a really bad thrush infection. For those that don't know, it is basically a yeast infection in her mouth which then also causes problems for me since I am breastfeeding. Oh the joys! Well, I had been battling it for weeks and knew that I had read on the internet that Gentian Violet works wonders on thrush. Well, it did but it also turns baby's mouth (and anything else it touches) a very pretty shade of purple. It did work though.

Our New Year's Eve

We had a nice quiet evening with all but Daulton. Daulton had to work and then he went to a party. Here are Dylan and Lucas with their party gear. Dylan even named his balloon "Balloon Buddy". Original, huh?

At midnight, we all got the silly string out and sprayed one another. I really thought I could keep it all contained to the outside, but that didn't happen. Who was I kidding? Then when Daulton came in just after midnight, didn't the boys really have a surprise for him? We cleaned up silly string for D-A-Y-S!!!!

I have a new driver

Well, Daulton turned 16 and got his license. He is so proud of his truck and loves the independence he has. I have to say that I am loving not having to go back and forth taking him to and from work (especially early on Saturday and Sunday mornings). The other day I was standing at the door watching him pull out of the driveway on his way to work. Dylan (8 year old) was standing next to me and said in the most serious voice, "Ahh, they just grow up so fast." Smart little twit isn't he? I think he has a tad bit of his mother's sarcastic sense of humor, huh?

Gizmo is gone

We don't know what happened to him. I saw him early in the day on Friday and then later started looking for him when I got ready to give him a bath later. Well, he was nowhere to be found. It's not unusual for him to get out of the yard, so I was not overly concerned until several hours later when it got really cold as the sun went down and he still wasn't home. He didn't normally go far.... we think maybe he got out and had a seizure (he has been having them for years) and then maybe froze. I miss Gizzy as we have had him for over 10 years.