'09 Was Fine

Woah, what a crazy year, full of change and surprises!
2009 began with me (elisabeth) experiencing morning (more like all-day) sickness and adjusting to the idea of having another addition to the family. Thank the Lord for anti-nausea medicine! That was the biggest surprise, but our new baby is also the biggest blessing. Jonah started piano lessons and hasn't looked back. I am constantly thwarting his practice sessions with pleas to stop or "You'll wake the baby!"
The month of April came and Jon and I took Jonah and Ava on a trip to San Francisco. We had a blast! We walked a ton and saw so many beautiful sights and even had some nice warm weather.
June saw the entire family in my sister's wedding in California. Well, we were all supposed to be in the wedding, but Boo was so exhausted from the busy week that she fell asleep on her Nana as the ceremony was starting and didn't quite make it down the aisle. Then she was hustled off to the babysitter's and didn't see the reception, either. The older two had the time of their lives and Auntie April (Bepo) and her husband Bela fulfilled Joe and Ava's "lifelong dream of being in a wedding!!!" They danced the night away at the reception and had a really memorable visit with all their cousins for the week, as well.
July we were back at home in time for Portland's heat wave and decided to skip the church camping trip this year (um, 9 months pregnant and 106 degrees in a tent? No, thank you.)
Jon's folks took the kids for a few nights while Jon and I streamed Netflix on the laptop and hibernated in our bedroom with the window A/C unit! We only left the house to satisfy those crazy food cravings. Well, I say crazy, but all I really wanted was Mango Bubble Tea...
In August we were blessed with Abram Jonathan, or Baby Abey or Gooey-guy as we call him. He was four days late and I finally went into labor while making a fresh peach cake ("Just let me finish getting this frosting on, little guy!"). He popped out fast enough that the epidural didn't even have time to really set in, darn it all. But he was 8 lbs 1 oz of perfection and we think he looks like his daddy.
Mid-September we started school again, Jonah in third grade and Ava in first. They are quite the readers and quickly absorb new material. They also love to be quizzed "Prizes, please Mom!".
We missed out on Halloween due to a bout with the swine flu--that's all I need to say about that...and Thanksgiving was spent roller skating with some great friends.
All in all, what a wonderful, busy, crazy, spin-so-fast-you-can't-keep-up year. And yet, we take time to hold each other, to kiss the baby, to play some pat-a-cake with the two year old, to play another round of Bible Charades, to read together.
We find that we can't count our numerous blessings and constantly remark on how good our Lord is to us. May you enjoy His peace this coming year, as well!

Christmas, and then some...

This month saw the beginning of some changes to our living room: new tile surround and a wood stove insert! Next: painting...
There are quite a few pictures of Christmas morning in there, too. I love the ones of the kids faces when they were opening their surprises! Everyday Boo still says, "It's almost Chis-mas! Jesus Bird-day!!"
Finally, it snowed today! Ava is so happy to eat snow again. It accumulated quite a bit and is coming down again after taking a short break. Brynne was the one who alerted us, she was coming down from her nap yelling "Is Nowing! Is Nowing!!" We were like "huh?" until we figured it out. Ava fell asleep praying it would still be around tomorrow...

Our new fireplace!

My first mobile post!

Mini Photo Shoot

Ava's Rendition

Overheard during chores this afternoon:
"The urgent Mary had a baby boy,
The urgent Mary had a baby boy,
The urgent Mary had a baby boy,
And they say that his name was JEEEEEESUUUS!"

A Little bit of Abram

Here's just a glimpse of the sweetness we get to enjoy everyday.

Gresham Skate World--Revisted--Happy Birthday Jonah!!

Little did you know that 13 years ago last month Jon and I met in front of the very lovely rock wall (circa 1967) you see us standing before now. 11 years of marriage and 4 kidlets later here we are, back again (by request, mind you), for Jonah's 9th Birthday Party! He wanted a co-ed party and there ended up being more girls than boys there (uh oh!). . . As you can see, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. There were only a few others that skated.

As soon as Brynne saw that everyone was going to be skating, she whipped her shoes off and demanded some skates, too! She did pretty well (with Daddy's help, of course)

Clara and Makaena (with Tim in the background) making their laps

Clara and Jillian just chillin' (oh, it begins so young)

Daddy and the Boo skating away. The decor hasn't changed since 1967, either.

Melody and Audrey workin' those fancy moves, or about to fall, I can't tell which...heehee

They announced on the loud speaker after this "Please do not hold children while skating"

Olivia & Jaden (sisters)

Roller Girls (Ava, Olivia, & Paige)

The Birthday-Boy doing a "Skate-by"

Jon helping Paigey (he's good like that)

Makaena taking a little rest

Simon & Jonah

Audrey Rose

Mimi (Miriam) & her Mama (Jenni)

I love this pic of Jonah doing fish lips while waiting for us to sing to him! In leiu of a cake Jonah wanted these rice crispy treats made with butterscotch, chocolate, and peanut butter. This was waaaaay too easy!

Miriam, Jillian, Ava, & Olivia

Ava & Olivia (looking a bit glazed at this point!)

Audrey

Makaena & Clara (yum!)

Face-first on the treat!

Aidan and Timothy

Abram and Nana

Opening presents (and some finger-licking, too)

"I can't get it out!"

That's our Boo!

Encouragement From All Sides

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts as we battle through this hard season of sickness. We've been encouraged by many of you; offering meals, offering to drive up and nurse us back to health, offering any help needed. I can't help but be reminded that my friend Tonya had an unbelievably hard situation just over a month ago, as her daughter found her youngest son (18 months) at the bottom of a swimming pool. They were able to resuscitate him and he is completely fine, Thank you Jesus! As she processes through what happened, she sent me the words to this song yesterday and I bought it from amazon.com today. It's beautiful and exactly what I needed. I am sure I will be listening to it often. I am hoping that you will be encouraged as well. If you don't have it already, you really ought to buy it.

"If You Want Me To" by Ginny Owens.
"The pathway is broken and signs are unclear
and I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley if You want me to

Cause I'm not who I was when I took my first step
and I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
So if all of these trials bring me closer to You
then I will go through the fire if You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
when You lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone

So when the whole world turns against me and I'm all by myself
and I can't hear You answer my cries for help
Then I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
and I will go through the valley if You want me to."

Halloween?

You might be wondering where the elusive Halloween pictures are. Well, so are we! We all got super sick (minus Jon and Abram-thankfully!) the day before Halloween and despite our best homeopathic, vitamin-taking, water-drinking methods remained that way. Most of us to this day. And Halloween waits for no one, evidently. I could have posted some truly scary photos of the day (think pale faces and green noses) but thought I'd spare my readership (all 5 of you *wink*). Jon went to the grocery store and bought our kiddos some candy to ease their depression and despite it all Jonah said it was one of the best days of his life. That was after eating his allotted two pieces. That's optimism for ya!

Sissys

Each morning Brynne climbs onto Ava's top bunk and says, "I nuggo yoooooooouuu," which, evidently is the cutest thing in the world to her newly awakened sibling, who laughs and replies, "Okay!"
Parenting is hard. Having a family, hard. Keeping the house clean, yup, hard. But I love this part.

Wook at my Minnie's Mama

This is how Brynne rolls these days. She would wear that dress everyday (and sometimes does--I have no idea where she got that from). And despite the blister-inducing stiff-as-a-board Minnie Mouse shoes I got her (at the Goodwill, thank you very much) she would wear this combo to bed if she could.

Baby Marcus has a twin!!

Oh my! My nephew Seth will be happy to know that BABY MARCUS' long-lost twin sister has been found...in Portland! Baby Matilda was uncovered in a dark closet (poor girl) and the trauma has left her with a few screws loose...we found her on top of the lamp this morning.

We were able to coax her down with a nice cup of tea. Hopefully she won't be as wild and wacky as Marcus! They even gave him his own blog to document all his adventures. We heard he was found on the roof of their house and even took the car out without permission! Maybe Matilda will be heading into that closet again soon. . .

7 weeks

Abram is 7 weeks in these photos. The time passes so quickly; we are taking every opportunity to enjoy him!

This picture makes me laugh--it's like he's trying to figure out what the heck Daddy is doing!