It seems like my posts keep getting further and further apart! I guess that is what happens with 5 kids- there is only time to accomplish so much. D'Angelo is up at Gaga & Papa's house but should be home tomorrow. It was so cold here this weekend that we kept the kids in the house. I went out on Saturday shopping and the wind made the skin on my face feel like it was freezing. Unfortunatly we are all suffering from another winter cold and had to skip our Monday playgroup this morning. Ugh, another day in the house. Hopefully we will all be happy & feeling good quickly.

This past Thursday we got good news from Xavier's OT Jennifer. He no longer needs OT. Jennifer thinks he is doing great and she is comfortable releasing him from services. Now, he will only get 1 hour of PT a week with Lori. I must say that I am sad Jennifer won't be coming around anymore. I sure have gotten attached to her over the past couple years. She was Auggie's OT for a short time and D'Angelo's OT as well. I know all the kids still ask me weekly about Mrs. Amanda. When is she coming over to play, I wanna see Amanda... Amanda was D's speech therapist, but once he aged out of EI (early intervention) in September she stopped coming to the house. She was awesome with D'Angelo and we miss her around here.

I have a few pictures of D'Angelo from the end of the year that I thought would be fun to share. Papa bought D'Angelo a snowmobile and worked many hours fixing it up for him. D'Angelo was so excited to see his own kitty cat snowmobile after riding with Papa on his big sled. I can't believe my 3 year old is riding a snowmobile all by himself! The real reason I allowed it is because it doesn't go that fast & Papa is always right with him-running alongside!

Happy Friday! We've had a fun & busy week. Yesterday morning I took the kids to an art based playgroup at our friend Melissa's house-brave woman. She opened up her home to 10 toddler/preschoolers and their younger siblings to come over and do messy arts & crafts! It was a ton of fun for the kiddos! We came home ate lunch, napped & then went out to their friend Taylor's house to play. Our playgroup this morning was cancelled, so we hung out at home today. Our friend came over with breakfast which made the kids day! The big guys are coloring and the little guys are playing while I blog this...

The little things that make me happy :)

$3.99 at Target for my new coffee cup.

Tuesday was a stay at home day so we played with shaving creme :)

Sunday January 6th was a beautiful weather day here so the kids got a chance to ride their new wheels that Auntie Jennifer sent them for Christmas!

Happy New Year 2008!

We had a nice New Years with our friends! We have been gettting together with the same group of different friends for the past 7 years. That does make sense what I said, doesn't it? You know, groups of friends stay the same but the people come & go.

We used to gather in David's Lakeside House where we had the studio to crash in with the sexy lamp and all! David, what ever happened to that sexy lamp? We had the great debates, cigars, red wine, too much champagne and crazy drunken dancing fun Bill & Courtney salsa style. We had Alex, Tara & Orr, Jeff & Susan, and Tom. We had the year I couldn't even say good bye to anyone the next morning or early afternoon for that matter because I was sleeping on the bathroom floor. I can say that was the last time I ever drank too much-champagne. We had the year Charlie tried to steal our roast off the counter! The time with David insisting I not throw out the old salad because he loves it wilted the next day! Do you know what he said the next day? What the hell did you save this for? But David NEVER drinks too much.

While we enjoyed our last party there we decided to venture down over 100 steps to the beach so we could, I don't know, why did we go? I don't know why we really went down there to start with but it ended up that Tom ran into Lake Michigan! No joke- freezing cold Jan 1st Tom runs in then gets out to take pictutres to prove he went in! I'm still surprised he made it back up all those steps to the house. Thank goodness he had enough to drink that night.

The year after David sold his Lakeside house we celebrated New Years in Land O Lakes WI. at Orr & Tara's new cabin. Not everyone was able to make the trip up there but it was a great time. We had Bob & Carolyn, Tom, Tara's parents, and us with Baby D. The company was fantastic and the food was, as always, incredible. It was just beautiful there. We took a long walk in the snow covered woods and relished in the peacefulness of everything up there.

The last three years have been spent at Jeff & Susan's place. Again we have seen people come & go here as well. During our 2005-2006 celebration we had Alex & Maggie, Dave, his daughter Andrea, Tom, Jeff, Susan, Rick & I there. That year was memorable for the heated debates that went on. There wasn't a quiet, calm moment btwn any of the guys. Thankfully the next morning proved to be calm since it was just us and Jeff & Susan.

Last year was quiet with Dave not joining us. It was just Jeff, Susan, Tom & us.

We did have Chef Rick prepare us a nice breakfast New Years Day 2007 though.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!

Here is our table that Susan decorated so beautifully. Susan always has the best decorated tables- always. Even when it isn't an occasion, she makes it an occasion. I love that about her. As for me, I am lucky to get matching plates on my table let alone chargers, napkins in rings, coordinating candles and little decorations. I did however manage to match her table this year. Forgot to get a picture of that though. My teal shirt matched the chargers, etc.

Lucia getting ready to dive into her tent and take up the spot in the middle.

No, really, she wants to take a picture!

creme brulee sideways! The torch is ready!

They gave me a girly cup!

David

The motley pair.

hey bro, my ski cap looks good!

Adeline New Years Day 2008
3 busy kids coloring

Our new sweaters from Uncle Chuck look & fit Great! Thanks.

We had a great day yesterday celebrating Christmas with my Dad and family. They came over to our house about 9:30am and stayed until after midnight! We had a full day of fun. My Dad made us brunch that included the best french toast I've had (other than the Winter in Italy French Toast at Egg Harbor). He also made a fresh spinach & bacon quiche. I guess he is already enjoying his new Paula Deen Cookbook since that is where all his recipes came from for brunch. The kids had a great time opening MORE presents. Rick got a nap in during the day & my Dad got a nap in after 9pm while Deb, Josh & I played Rummikub. Of course Rick was already asleep for the night at 9pm. Sad to say I never got a nap in nor did I win one round of Rummikub.

two boys in a tub

who says fruitcake is no good?

I love my gramma Kathy's fruitcake cookies!

Yum Yum.

We didn't have a white Christmas but today we got a little bit of heavy-WET-snow.

11:00am

12:45 pm

3:00pm

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas here. I am so blessed to have such a loving family and great friends. Christmas Eve is traditionally our time to host dinner. Usually Rick goes crazy in the kitchen prepping for days and cooking, cooking, cooking. This year he honored my request to have a simple meal so that he could enjoy the day with us and not be a slave to the fancy food. He did very well being simple- which surprised me. He did wind up forgetting to buy the bread to make the croutons for his butternut squash soup though, which was a bummer because it makes the soup for me. He also was so relaxed that he forgot to add the brown sugar which resulted in a soup that was not up to par. Thankfully for me, I got to taste batch #2 that he prepared for the neighbors today. Very delicious! I think next year we'll try to prepare a meal somewhere between fussy and simple.


This Christmas was so awesome because the kids really enjoyed it and their excitement was contagious. They received many gifts and did well sharing with each other. They almost didn't care whose gift was whose so long as they were able to tear into something. Unfortunately that did lead to Adeline opening a couple presents that remained under the tree this morning. We are celebrating with my Dad on Saturday so those gifts are still in the danger zone of being opened here!

football in the house? so happy


3 tired kids who needed to get to bed




Was there a Santa sighting?

We have been so busy the past couple weeks in preparation of Christmas. We have attended a few Christmas parties with the kids as well as a couple cookie exchanges. This morning the kids were soooo excited to go to the cookie party as they called it at their friend Taylor's house. They had a great time playing, eating cookies, running around and eating a couple more cookies that Auggie wound up throwing up in my car on the way home- YUCK! I could have done without that. What's worse is that I cleaned the car today but when I took D'Angelo to AWANA tonight the car still smelled gross. Hopefully I can go have it cleaned properly.

On a better note I'd like to share a few snapshots of our lives ...

playing outside in the snow Saturday evening

The naughty A Team (adeline & auggie) is at it again...

more snow fun



Xavier James loves his bath time