Happy New Year!

Family and Friends, I hope that 2010 proves to be your best year ever. And I hope the same for this family! I'm tired of BIG changes and ready for a year of growth, change, and a little bit of routine.

I have always found it sort of silly to "resolve" to start something just because it is a new year. I mean, if you want to change, why not change immediately? But, for some reason, this year I feel compelled to make some resolutions. I think I've very much let myself go since Chaille was born. So, I'm making some resolutions this year. I'm not going to necessarily put numbers on things, I'm just wanting to change my lifestyle to be healthier. Maybe some of this is because it is a new year, and the other is because I'm turning THIRTY!!!

So, without further explaination, here are my resolutions (and yes, I'm nervous to publish them...):

1) I am going to get back into a routine of working out. This will mean getting up before the kids to get it done. My goal is Monday - Friday, but to be realistic, I will say at least 3 days a week!

2) I am going to start making healthier choices when eating, and passing healthier habits onto my children!

3) I'm going to start being honest, even if it is hard. Not that I am dishonest now... but I just omit my opinion sometimes or lie and say things are "fine" even when they aren't. I want to learn to express my feelings in words.

4) This is always something I strive to do, but I want to continue to grow spiritually. I'd like to continue my Bible Study, even when Esther is over. I also want to pass healthy spiritual habits on to my children.

5) Last but not least, I want to find a cause to give myself to. I have a real desire to serve others. And I don't have a lot of resources. But I'd like to be able to give some of my time, energy, and talent to something beyond these four walls. I've thought about using my knowledge to lead free fitness classes, or mommy and me classes, etc. And I've thought about creating a support group for other stay at home moms. I really want to do some soul searching and see what I can do with my limited time and resources!

OK, five resolutions is probably more than enough. I pray that God gives me the strength and motivation to stick with these things. My heart is ready and I'm poised to begin. May 2010 be my BEST year ever, and yours too!

The BEST Daddy!

My children have been blessed with the most WONDERFUL father. Steve genuinely cares for his kids with everything he has. And he shows them! After going to Randy and Deb's house on Christmas, we spent the next 3 days at home. All day every day. It was great family time. Steve played with the kids so much and they definitely enjoyed his presence! The day after Christmas, Steve was washing dishes (which is heroic, in itself if you ask me!) and the boys wanted to help. So here he is, washing dishes with Nolan dropping them in and Silas rinsing the clean dishes:

Then, on Sunday, Steve cleaned out space in the basement to build a workshop. Avery and Silas had each gotten kits to build something for Christmas. Silas had a car, and Avery had a birdhouse. Steve worked with them to build them. He did one step with one boy and then one step with the other. It was super sweet, and they had so much fun. And the quality time they got with their dad, priceless! Here are a couple of pictures:

Last night I had Bible Study. Steve had "boys" night while I was away and they all played the Wii. Nolan got bored and wanted to take a bath. So, Steve took Little Bear to the tub. He said that the two of them had so much fun, talking and playing together. How precious! I obviously didn't get pictures of that time, but I find this picture of daddy and his little guy to be so sweet:

And this one too: Daddy and his little girl also get to spend precious time together. She has him wrapped around her little finger already! She looks at him with stars in her eyes. (and I don't blame her!) He makes sure that she gets time with him every day. Sometimes he even asks me to "let" her stay with him when I have something I need to do. What a wonderful daddy this sweet little lady has:

I feel incredibly blessed to call this man my husband. Steve is an amazing man, with so many great qualities. He takes care of ALL of us! I'm so proud that I am the woman that he comes home to and has chosen to spend his life with. We have one pretty WONDERFUL family!!!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you, dear family and friends! Christ the Savior was born, and today we remember Him in celebration!

We started our celebration at 5 a.m. Avery and Silas were just too excited to sleep. Oh, how I remember those days!!! We had a wonderful morning full of opening gifts, having breakfast together, and play, play, playing! There is so much new to play with!

I'll share our pictures from this morning, then it is off to play a little more before a warm, winter's nap and then a trip to Grandma Debbie and Papaw Randy's. Enjoy:

The excitement!

Christmas is coming, and the excitement is in full force at our house! We had the luxury of having Chrismas with the Grinstead family on Sunday because my parents are heading to Florida to see my Grandma over the holidays. So, we already have a few new toys to play with! :o)


Yesterday, Steve took off work so that I could go with Silas to school for his Christmas party. Here are some pictures I took of Silas at school:

Playing "Santa, Santa, Angel" (aka. Duck, Duck, Goose)

Silas got to see Santa!! He told Santa that he wants a spark scooter for Christmas (a new addition to his list, and much too late for the "elves" to process this request)

Opening his gift from a classmate (a Sonic basketball goal and ball.)

Mrs. Liza (his lead teacher) reading a story about reindeer.

Last Saturday, Deb brought her camera to Avery's basketball game. I finally took pictures of him playing (and all of us on the sidelines too!) I thought I'd share some of them:

Steve offered Avery a little advice when it was his turn to sit out.

Guarding his girl! Ha ha. Defense is his best position!

Silas enjoyed watching the game from this viewpoint. Thanks, grandpa!

Cheese, mom!

Dribbling. He's improving with each practice and game!

He's a terrific passer too! He rarely shoots when he gets the ball, he always looks for a pass.

Trying to capture those teeth Chaille has (her two bottom ones!)

My Grandma makes me happy!

Getting SO big. Hi, mommy!

Chaille and her Great Grandma Frye. A GREAT picture of both of them!

GIRLS!!!

Today we had a wonderful surprise, a playdate with Teresa and her girls, Allison, and Ashley. My friend from high school, Teresa is in town for the holidays. They are making one last long visit home to Indiana (from Illinois) before moving to Texas. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to see her while she is here!

It isn't very often when Chaille gets to have other girls over to play with, so this was exciting for mommy! Teresa's girls will turn one on Tuesday, making them a little more than 5 months older than Chaille. I look forward to them playing together again as they get older! Here are some pictures:

Chaille, Ashley (in blue), and Allison (in pink) playing.

A posed picture. Teresa had her hand ready to catch Chaille. She's not real steady with the sitting up like Ashley and Allison are!

Avery helped Chaille some. He and Nolan enjoyed entertaining the babies. (Silas was still napping, so he missed out on the fun.)

7 Months Old!

Baby girl turned 7 months old yesterday. Wow, how time flies! Her little tooth is really starting to show, when she will keep her tongue off of it. She is back to feeling like herself, although her sleeping still leaves mommy desiring more... *yawn* She is back into the routine of waking at both 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. So, Steve and I decided this morning that it is time to work on sleep training her (i.e. letting her cry it out!) It makes me sad to have to do it, but the prospect of getting longer than 3 hours of sleep at a time makes it worth it. During the "cry it out" part, however, you can bet I won't be sleeping!

Things are settling down pretty well at our home. I'm feeling better, for the most part. I still look very ugly. The orbital area around my eyes is YELLOW! Like, took a dandelion and rubbed it all over my face, yellow!!! Avery told me that we needed to change my Mii on the Wii because I no longer look like her. The kids have been very sweet to me, and Steve has done a wonderful job of taking care of me. He finished the laundry mound that I was headed to tackle when I fell, and he did just about everything for the kids for a couple of days. Thank God for a wonderful husband! (and for his wonderful mother who, on Thursday, picked up Silas from school and brought him home along with lunch!!!) I am totally blessed!!!

Don't try this at home

Wednesday evening I made a boo-boo. I headed downstairs to put in a load of laundry and slipped on the first step. I fell all the way from the top step to the bottom. Thankfully I was ok, and remained conscious, despite having landed on my face on the concrete floor.

I'm all banged up. Bruised and sore all over my body. My left side took most of the hit, but the muscles on my right side are all sore from the stretching that must have taken place. I can't believe how long it is taking for my muscles to stop hurting. I'm healing, just slowly.

I can't believe I'm going to post a picture. I rarely post pictures of myself on a normal day, let alone looking like this. But, my mom took a picture, and I know that if I were on the other end, I'd be curious as to how my friend looked. So, here I am in all my glory (3 days after the fall):

O Christmas Tree

Traditionally, we have gone and cut a real tree for Christmas. This year, however, we opted for an artificial tree. The place we usually get our tree from is only open Fridays through Sundays and we didn't find that out until Monday! Whoops. So, instead of waiting another 5 days for a tree, we went to Walmart and got it done. We put it up and put our blue ribbon on it Monday night. Yesterday, the boys decorated the tree with ornaments. They did a wonderful job, and the tree looks so beautiful! With the snow flying (and I do mean flying with the wind blowing at gusts up to 50 miles an hour...) I can honestly say that at our house it is "beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"

Another Chaille Update

Chaille has developed a rash on her trunk. As we know from having gone through this with Avery and Silas at nearly the same ages, this is Roseola. With Roseola the child has a high fever for 3-5 days followed by a rash on the trunk that appears about 12-24 hours after the fever breaks. Chaille has these exact symptoms. Thankfully, the rash is not bothering her (itching, etc.) She is back to her happy, content little self today. Thanks be to God that she is on the mend and that she didn't have any trouble with the scary, high temperatures!


I'm attaching a couple of pictures of her rash (try to ignore the food on her nose in the second one.) It was after lunch, and apparently I missed a spot when I tried to clean her up!

Picture Preview and Chaille Update

I wanted to update on baby girl today. Her fever is now low grade, and sometimes even gone. The doctor couldn't find an exact cause for the high temperatures, but is treating her with a lose dose of antibiotic anyway. He said that she "could" have a sinus infection because her nose looked really gross. But, he said, her sinuses aren't actually even formed yet. He also said that they try not to immediately assume that teething is to blame, but in her case that the teething may have something to do with it. I am just relieved that the fevers have come down! It was scary to see her with such a high fever and acting so lethargic.

Steve picked up the CD with our photo session on it today. He has it at work but e-mailed me some of the pictures to sample. I'll have them all tonight!!! Yay!!! I decided to share some, but am keeping some to myself for now (thinking one of them will be our Christmas card photo!) Enjoy our wonderful blessings: