Luke and Coralyn's Party

Luke turns 4 just a few days after Coralyn turns 3.
They have partied together for 3 years now!

Hey, what is your name?
Superhero!

Coralyn turns 3!
In all her glory.
Oh, gotta have that princess cake.
Her mommy made her cake!

Notice the ninja shirt!!!!

Do you see the look of admiration on his face?
She draws a crowd!
Oh, how they love each other.
April 2009
Luke 4,
Coralyn 3.

Luke turns 4!

Luke turns 4.
Ninja turtle cake,
thanks daddy for freehanding this turtle.

Daddy freehanded this turtle.
He was inspired and looked it up online.
Raphael is Luke's current favorite,
Red mask.
He holds the "sais" as a weapon.
fun, fun.
April 2009

Mason Plus...

Grampa!! Thanks for sharing.
(grampa's weakness)

Grr, Grampa. NO sharing.

Grampa and my three plus Kezia (Andrew is off to the side)
bedtime snack.

Daddy playing games with the kiddos.
Mason too!
Mason is 5 months old.

Luke's "Meet the Marines" day

Meet the Marines at Mother's Day Out.
Love the camo pants and the superman cape.
He picked his outfit.
March 2009

Got Coralyn back! PLUS ONE!!

Welcome Coralyn back to our brood.
And we are enjoying the addition of Coralyn's baby sister,
Amelia Cristin to our bunch!!
Yes, I have my hands full.
The Princesses started coming every day last Monday.
I have had a full week of chaos plus the few days of this week.
I am not sure this is the smartest thing I ever done but....
they are sure fun.
Amelia is 3 months,
Mason is almost 6 months,
Coralyn just turned 3,
Luke just turned 4,
and my big girl,
Mackenzie is 6 1/2.
Yes that makes 5.
I also have my hubby and his laundry.
Thank GOD for friends. I have had back up on this crazy adventure.
I love "putting into" the lives of these precious babes.
April 2009

Missin' Coralyn

Coralyn has been "out on maternity leave" with her mommy and baby sister, Amelia.
Do you know what it is like to have your world turned upside down?
Luke is at a complete loss without her; "my Coralyn" he calls her.
"where is my Coralyn?" "Why is my Coralyn not here?" "when is my Coralyn coming over?"
Coralyn feels the same way!
We are a part of each other. What a blessing to have such intertwining relationships.
Baby Crying......Gotta go.........

Been a while

Mason is amazing. He is growing so fast. Mason rolled over last week, from back to front. He is only 4 months old. I thought it was a "fluke". The next day he was a proficient roller!! He crunches up his head and lifts his feet, then he sort of falls to the left, arches his back, stretches back out and then he is over. Strange.
The third day, I think he rolled over the other way. But it may have been just an accident. He has not rolled tummy to back again.
He "talks" more now. He makes sounds and responds. I love it.
Mason 4 months, March 2009

new problem!

Mason learned to roll over.
Tuesday was his first time. He was in his crib, woke up, fussed and I noticed he was not where I put him! By Wednesday he is a proficient roller-over. He is a quick study!
Finally, today he did not want to take a nap. He kept rolling over onto his face.
After crying a little.....he did fall asleep on his tummy.

Boy better figure out NOT TO ROLL OVER or TO ROLL BACK OVER!!
March 5th, 2009
4 months old.

The Whole Crazy Lot of Us

Summer's side of the family.
It was such an awesome blessing to be all together for Christmas this year.
We attending the Christmas Eve Service together.
We had a huge sleep-over.
We really DID Christmas this year.
(Oh, someone is always looking away in the pictures.
I guess this year it was my turn!)
2008 Waco, Texas

The Gilberts

Brittney with Isaiah
Christmas Eve Service 2008

The Palmers

Mackenzie on Jeremy, Mason on Summer, Luke
Christmas Eve Service 2008

The Gilberts

Kelly holding Blaize
Corey holding Alex
Christmas Eve Service 2008

Christmas morning

the boys
Isaiah holding Mason
Luke

Mackenzie, Isaiah holding Mason, Luke
(Missing Alex and Blaize, it was quite early on Christmas day)

Grandkids Gilberts

Alex-- 2 1/2
Luke--3 1/2
Mackenzie--6 1/2
Mason--5 weeks
Isaiah--7 3/4
Blaize--9 mo
Thanksgiving 2008

Passionate Chocolate

Dove with Almonds
Happiness is the experience of living every minute
with love, grace and gratitude.
Oh, the words of chocolate!

Christmas Various

Mason on Christmas day, 2 months.
What a gift!












Luke, what a smile!















Mackenzie--6 1/2
Isaiah--almost 8!
Blaize--less than 1
Luke--3 1/2
Christmas eve service.











My Gorgeous Sister!
Brittney,
Look!! She is wearing a dress
AND
a smile!!!!!!!














Mason 2 months.
Great smile.

New Years Eve Gift

Several days after the incident my black eye is nice and formed.
It extends all the way down my cheek and to my hair-line.
OH< how it hurts.
The nice cut is really just a scrape; nope, no stitches.
Happy New Year!

One week later....
Full, lovely color comes in!
Ok, here's the story.
We had been working hard on the farm in Athens.
(the grandparents place)
Post hole digger for Jeremy,
Tractor driven wood chipper for Summer.
Granny was in charge of All the kids.
New Year's Eve.
Grampa comes over and says:
It is 4:30, lets call it a day, play with the kids,
then eat dinner and do fire-crackers.
Why don't you two go for a little ride on the bike
(Granny's tandem bicycle).
I did not want to go.
I have control issues and I would have to ride in the back
with Jeremy steering.
I said ok.
Off we go.
On the country road, the 5-7 dogs (little mutts!)
all chase us at the same time.
We get past them. My legs are burning.
I am not used to this much exercise!
Jeremy says, you wanna drive.
I convince him I am simply too short.
I can't sit on the seat and touch the ground.
We are off, again.
This time My Brilliant Husband says:
"Lets get a good start and we will get past the dogs,
they are already up on their porches!"
Now my control issues are surfacing!!!!!
Here they come.....
Mostly they stop near us and chase us.....
Mostly....
That one little black mutt.....
GOES RIGHT FOR THE FRONT TIRE.
He does not stop.
He runs right in front of us.
We hit him square on!
I don't remember the rest.
The way I heard it was:
He spun around and we ran over him again with the back tire.
My face connected with the gravel.
I hurt my big toe, my knee, my elbow and my upper arm.
All on my left side.
My hands were not even dirty! How did I do that?
I jumped up, all wobbly.
I did not want to get bit by the stupid, now angry, animal.
Jeremy grabbed me before I fell over again.
You know how much head wounds bleed?????
Jeremy starts calling out: anyone home?
We are just down the street from our property
but then you have to walk down the driveway.
A guy comes out, disclaims the dog:
"Not mine, people come and drop off their mutts here!
I'll call animal control."
(We know it is yours!)
So, he drives us home, Granny freaks.
Coralyn says: "My Unca Je-my, no-no, no hurt my
Ant Sum"
We explain.
Granny cleans me up and gets ice on my face.
Coralyn says: "NOW! All better, go play"
She knows the drill.
The neighbor is an EMT. He comes over to check my face.
No broken bones, does not look like stitches.
No ER for me.
Animal Control came.
The Police came.
Jeremy is not so bad. I am guessin' he will lose his toe nail.
His knee and palm still hurt but
His Face did not See the Ground!
My hands were not even dirty.
Oh, no fire-crackers.
We did have a bon-fire and ate some perfect Marshmallows.
Happy New year.
It is now 2 1/2 weeks later, my knee hurts and my face hurts.
(no wise-cracks, Your face hurts me too! :) )
I wonder what kind of scar I will end up keeping.
Oh, what a great story!
New Years Eve 2008

More Mason

Mason at one month,
resting with Daddy

Is that Mason resting with Dad again?
Dad, don't you know that it is not nap if only YOU are resting?

Big, alert eyes
Mason, 1 month

Thanksgiving,
Thank you for cousin Isaiah,
what a loving guy.
November 2008

Mackenzie's layered trim

She has never had much hair.
The ends are yucky and it breaks very easily.
Yes, she is wearing HUGE Christmas earrings.
These are for special occasions only, not every day.

We got at "trim", girls don't get their hair cut.
(She was afraid they would cut her hair OFF
like when we cut Luke's curls off)

The before picture
November 2008,
Mackenzie is 6 1/2 years old.

Mason one month

Mason and daddy
Look at that head control!

My big guy and my tiny guy

resting in the sling

How does this thing work?
We are not sure.
Mason, even at the young age of a month,
does NOT like things on his head.
Not hats, not hands, not sling.
November 2008