Nathaniel

We are so proud of Nathaniel. He is an awesome big brother. He helps with the younger children and they all look up to him. He also pesters them a lot, but I guess that's what big brothers do. He played basketball at the YMCA recently and he had a lot of fun. He got a basketball hoop for Christmas and he loves to go outside and practice. This is his third year of piano, and he is doing so well. He loves scouts; he should be earning his Wolf badge this week. He looks so grown up in this picture--he will be 9 soon.

Mary Poppins

That's our Emily, "Practically perfect in every way." She plays the piano and reads so well. She always desires to do what is right and hates to be in trouble. The other day I needed her to clear off the kitchen table, even though it was actually Nathaniel's chore (I did one of her other chores to make up for it). Anyway, I came back a little later, and she had already cleared the dishes, got out a clean washcloth, got it wet, and wiped down the kitchen table. When I saw her, she was wiping down each of the kitchen chairs. All I wanted was the dishes cleared, but I was very grateful. I can't believe she will be 6 this month!

Big Boy

This title refers to Andrew in more ways than one. First of all, he is so tall, and sometimes I forget he is only 3 years old. Secondly, he is potty training right now. Yea!!! He really is growing up. I can see that he is finally starting to grow out of his destructive stage. He loves to be a helper. The other day, I was standing in the kitchen and I said, to no one in particular, "I really need someone to go get Daniel's green sippy cup for me." Seconds later, a proud Andrew handed it to me. So sweet! I remember on our trip this past summer, he always insisted on helping Daddy bring in our things from the car. He is talking so much more, now, too. I am so grateful for that. He asks me for a hug about 10 times a day, and I am always happy to oblige.

Wii

Can I just say how much I love our new Wii? Thank you Jim and Carol! I think the family favorite so far is Bowling. Emily is putting us all to shame. She got 4 strikes in a row and her high score is 177! I think that is part of what makes it so fun; Daddy and Mommy aren't necessarily any better than the kids. Also, we don't have to battle the crowds at the bowling alley, and we can bowl in our pjs. :-) Even Andrew loves to play Boxing.

As an added bonus, it is a great motivator. This morning, I didn't have to tell Nathaniel to do his chores. He quickly got them done without complaint (even piano practice!) so that he could play Wii.

Good news--Daniel is doing much better. Michael isn't feeling too great, unfortunately. We were able to go to the YMCA yesterday to do the same thing I had planned last week. I took the boys to the indoor baby pool, and then I took them to Childwatch so I could play tennis. :-)

Blogs and My Sweet Daniel

Thank you all so much for your comments! I am so excited about blogging. I have already found so many friends and family members who are doing blogs. What a wonderful way to keep in touch!

My friend Lisa asked, "How do you have time to blog?" I had to laugh at that, because I wondered the same thing. That is why I put it off for so long. Thank you, Crystal and Tori, for convincing me to just go for it! I figured that if I could write in my journal, I could do a blog. :-)

Then there is a day like today; I had planned to play tennis at the YMCA and then take the boys to the indoor pool. I was really looking forward to tennis, because this is the first day in a week that someone was willing to play with me. It has been so cold. Alabama cold, not Midwest cold. Anyway, my sweet little Daniel woke up last night with a horrible, barking cough (croup). We were up with him a few times giving him breathing treatments and creating a sauna in our bathroom (letting the hot water run to create steam) to help clear his little lungs. Needless to say, today wasn't the best day to go to the YMCA; I had to cancel tennis for today and the boys and I can just play at home. So, I suddenly have a little time on my hands. I've caught up on my email, and now I can work on my blog again. Thankfully, Daniel is feeling much better this morning and he is taking medicine so it should totally clear up in a few days. Yea!

Great news!

We are going to have another baby! I've already had an ultrasound where I got to hear the heartbeat and see the heart beating on the screen. It was wonderful! The baby is due on August 21.

Welcome to my blog

Well, I've finally done it. I have a blog. I can't wait to get started. :-)