The End.

2012. You are the year I wish to forget. In four and a half hours I will not have to write your number again. I can pretend you never happened (and the little evidence of mid year will fudge her age for the rest of her life).

You were  hard on us. We are not coming out of it unscathed, but we are coming out of it and for that I am grateful. We are hopeful, that a new start is in store for us.
We are rejoice-full.
We will continue to chose joy, even when that is the hardest road to take. When depression, self pity, exhaustion and resentment are looking like an easier place to land we will continue to see the little bits of life that are worth smiling over. And they are here. Always.

2013. Be gentle with us.
We are still smiling.

6 months!

1-Elizabeth is sitting very well now.
2-She naps for 20 minutes at a time...tops. Ug.
3- She is more interested in her toys.
4-Her brothers remain her favorite toys. 
5- She is very ticklish and has an awesome belly laugh.

6- She eats food!

Snow Day

We never did have a snow day last year. We had such a mild winter that Jon never once shoveled the driveway but the downside is the boys didn't get to play in the snow either. Well....today was their day! They stayed out all afternoon. Jake went through 3 pairs of mittens and Ella had a nap in the sun. I love winter days like this!

Sink Bath

I had forgotten the best way to bath a squirmy baby! Ella had her first sink bath today! She loved it!

Christmas 2012

 Andrew and Robyn got engaged!

This has been a hard year. There have been some beautiful moments and the birth of Elizabeth was our miracle but I am eager to see 2012 come to an end.

Jacob had pnemonia, I had the flu, my grandfather passed away, one of the most tragic and violent events of recent history took place in Connecticut, Elizabeth stopped napping for more than 15 minutes at a time,Jacob stopped napping entirely, Jon had his CAT scan to see if his chemotherapy was successful. And that was just this week.

I am grateful for the opportunity we had over this Christmas week to see family, carry on traditions and watch our children smile.

"James"

The Elf on the shelf book says that the kids can talk to their elf but they can't touch him or his magic will leave. Well...Jake touches him everyday...this was too distressing for Ben so I changed the rules so that when James is touched he becomes naughtier, which they love of course. After putting mustaches and whiskers on our family picture his antics continued by painting the boys toenails bright pink while they slept and toilet papering our Christmas tree...

Ben is really into Santa this year. He asks everyone if they are a "believer". We have never made a big deal about Santa and I try to be sure that I never lie to him outright about him so when he asks me if I believe I usually just say "well, do you?"
He looks at me like I am nuts and says "Mommy! We have an ELF in our house!?"

When we bought the Elf on the Shelf I never dreamed that he would actually believe he is a real elf. I thought my introspective, thoughtful and logical Ben would know that we were moving him around and think it was a fun game...nope. He believes absolutely that James is a real elf and is flying back to Santa every night.

5 year olds are so fun. Jacob on the other hand...the jaded other half, laughs at him scornfully with a little eye roll "Bum (what he has always called him) he is dust a dawl! He isn't weel!"- Ben glares at him. But I know Ben really does think he is real. I have heard him talking to him when he thinks I am not listening...and of course there was the finger under his nose to check his breathing incident. 

I wonder what James will be up to tonight...

Sweeties

 Look at this handsome man. I am a sucker for a cute guy and a baby!

The Sick House

For the last two months at least someone has been sick in this house. I am SO tired of illness. Whatever needs to happen for this family to be healthy will be small in comparison to the pay-off. Jacob has been getting it the worst. He woke up sick again this morning "Mommy" he said with droopy eyes, "can you just hold me?" and by the time I got him to the clinic his fever was 105! We are waiting to hear back about his x rays, but in the meantime he is one poor miserable guy! Even I was sick...which never happens! It can't! No one else has a hope if mom goes down! Fortunately our moms came to the rescue. I say that awesome mothers are the ones who run into your mess when everyone else would run in the opposite direction. We have sure been thankful for them!

My Work Out Buddies

2013 has a lot planned. Most importantly to get healthy...our mid afternoon work outs are a step in the right direction. The difference between their work out and mine is that they jump up and run 37 laps around the kitchen because evidently that was just a warm up. I, on the other hand am laying flat on my back until I catch my breath again. My goal will be to keep up with them!

Green Drinks

I like to play a little game with my Vita Mix called "Will They Drink It?"

Most often the answer is YES! Sometimes I am shocked.

This particular drink had fruit juice, freeze dried broccoli, kale, spinach, berries, mango, banana, chia and flax seeds.

They drank it in under a minute! YES!

 It was so good, this is is Ben crying because it is gone!...notice him in the back of the picture.

 He chugged it!

 She will get some next month...

Cute Moments

We have an Elf on the Shelf named James. It is a little stuffed elf that watches the boys and reports back to Santa. The story says that if they touch him the magic will leave him. They are both very good about not touching him when they find him in the morning. Poor Ben...he tries so hard to be logical and realistic but he is five...he is really struggling with weather or not James (and Santa) are ACTUALLY real. 
I caught him with his finger delicatly placed under the elf's nose making sure he wasn't quite touching him.
"Ben, what are you doing"?
He looked at his feet. Snatched his hand away and looked embarrassed.
"I was just ...um...seeing if I could feel him breething...".

"Ben...is it fun to believe that James is real?"
"Mmm hmm".
"Then let's have fun believing he is real."

Okay:)


Ben can occasionally get very upset. He is sensitive and his emotions can sometimes overflow into something that resembles a dam. When it bursts....evacuate!  He was having a meltdown the other day...I said "Ben is there anything I can do to help you?"
"YEEEEEEEEEEES" he wailed.
"GET my BAAAAAAABY DOLL!!"
"You're babydoll?"
"Yes! It will help we think of Jaaaaaaaakey and then I will be happy again!"

I look over at Jake...who is ferociously nodding his head like that makes perfect sense!

I love these guys!

She Sits!

This little girl is growing up WAY too fast!

Oh she is so cute it is almost too much to look at straight on.

Five!

Ella, you are five months old! In so many ways it seems like we were counting down the days until your much anticipated arrival just yesterday. Mostly though, I can't remember a time when we didn't wake up to your sweet little cooing, happy face and have your sweet spirit in our family.

1- You roll everywhere, you are trying so hard to crawl! I am not ready for that yet!
2- You LOVE your brothers. They simply have to look at you and you giggle.

3-Your brothers adore you!
4- You have two bottom teeth and 4 top teeth!
5- You are such a happy baby. You will sit contentedly and watch everything going on and "talk" excitedly when someone includes you. .l

***I am sure we will tell you this story often of how as a baby you were so beautifully charming that multiple times people have peeked into car seat and welled up in tears at how taken they are with you.  Yes, really this has happened more than once! The most recent occurrence was just this week when I was trying to talk to an employee at the community center. She was trying to answer my questions as you grinned at her from your car seat. She had to stop, pause and wipe her eyes, all the while apologizing. "Oh my! I didn't mean to become emotional, she is just so sweet!"
Ella Joy...that you are.

Thank you for coming to our family, just when did, just how you are.

Like a Weed!

Miss Ella Joy is getting so big. She is so full of sweet personality. I can't get enough of her smiles, coos and giggles. She is such a happy baby.