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

"The First Year"

An exerpt taken from "The Girlfriends' Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood" by Vicki Iovine
"Having a baby is like entering a carnival fun house...It's a thrilling adventure, even if you do look a little distored in all the mirrors, you have no sense of direction and have to feel you way along in the dark, and even if every once in a while something pops up that you didn't expect and scares the heck out of you. You can fight it by running around looking for the exit or you can just exhale and remember, life is a carnival...."
* * * * *
And with every new addition, the carnival rides again! Get to know each kid individually; learn their unique personalilty. Watch it develop and grow and mesh with the rest of the family....enjoy!

Halloween Follow Up

This is what they usually look like.
We dress up often.
How cute, a moment of sharing.
Or are they arguing over the page?
We will go with sharing. That is my story,
And I am stickin' to it!
Mason is just "chillin" nearby.
Careful! Don't step on Mason.

Coralyn in Mackenzie's tutu again.
and again
and again.
Luke (no pants, again), in his superman shirt,
with his guns and mask on.
This is their true colors.

Coralyn spends a lot of time this way.
"Princesses do dat" she says.
She also spins an awful lot.

Finally, the halloween picture we needed for the post before.
(on halloween, she was NOT in the mood for pictures,
this is a follow-up picture)
And a great princess she is.
October/November 2008
Someone!! Buy that princess a tutu!!!!!!!!!

Halloween

The Palmers,
Luke--thinks he is a policeman
Mackenzie--thinks she is a princess
Daddy--thinks he is a "stud" (that is his work shirt!)
Mason--thank you to Uncle Corey and Aunt Kelly for the hand-me-downs

What a cute "tigger".
Mason--9 days old

My princess
Mackenzie--6 years old

My Warrior.
Luke--3 1/2 years old.

The Bunch.
Coralyn "fincess" (Princess)--2 1/2 years old.
"Me a princess, like Kenzie"
Coralyn is wearing one of Mackenzie's "tutus"
We better get her on of her own QUICK!
Halloween 2008

Two Weeks, Already!

Mason had his two-week appointment yesterday morning.
By two weeks, babies are supposed to be "back up to birth weight".
(at Mason's one week, he was one ounce above his birth weight)
At two weeks, Mason weighs 7 # 8 oz.
He is eating well, what can I say?!
His favorite time of day is still 3 AM to 5 AM.
Not exactly my favorite time of day!
Jeremy has been getting Mackenzie up and at 'um
and ready for school.
Jeremy and Aunt Becky have worked out getting
her to school on Jeremy's work days/school days.
Thank heaven for family.
Pray my sleep is restful,
since I don't get much!!!
Mackenzie is having trouble with homework.
Luke is having trouble with the schedule changes
(and that others don't uphold mommy's rules like he expects)
Coralyn is still with us weekdays.
She entertains Luke greatly.
This week they have been "Prince and Princess"
He has "rescued Her" every 5 minutes for hours on end!
Yes, he does weld a sword to protect "his princess".
They really do love each other.
November 7th, 2008

One Week

Mason Wade Palmer is one week old.
He eats, sleeps and loves to be wide awake between the hours of 3 AM and 5 AM!
He is a really good baby, except for the AM party!!
At his one-week-weigh-in he was exactly 7 pounds.
(babies should be at or above birth weight by their 2 week-check up)
That means he is doing great.
Thank you for your prayers.
Please continue to pray for sleep.
(Summer is not real nice when she does not get her rest)
October 29, 2008

Videos of Mason

I've uploaded a few videos I took of the new addition to our family. Hope you enjoy.
I set them up so you can download them and watch them in full quality.

Mason at less than 5 min old (85 mb)

Mason moving his hands around and looking at the camera, Great close up video (93mb)

Mackenzie holding Mason (44mb)

Mason Wade Palmer is here

Mason Wade Palmer joined the family at 8:40 am and came into the world at 20 inches long and 6lb 15oz. We checked into the hospital at 6:30 am and he was out by 8:40 so it was a quick delivery. Summer did great and Mason is doing great as well.

Family Photo (current for the week!)

At least the tire is bigger than me!
October 08

Corn Box

Luke in the corn box.
Like a sand box but corn!

Mackenzie in the corn box.
(Yes, I let her pick her own clothes!)
Mackenzie said this is deer feed, not corn.
Uncle Chris hunts!

Tractor driven Cow Train
Jeremy is riding too, oh, dear!
Luke is in the orange shirt.
Mackenzie is right behind Luke.
This was the highlight of the day.
They BOTH remembered it from last year without
prompting on the drive out there!!
Great memory for a 5 and 2 1/2 year old.
Kaska Family Farm Corn Maize
near Waco, TX
October 2008

Kaska Family Corn Maize

Mackenzie: The sun is too bright!
Luke: slept in the car and just woke up!

Is that a watermelon or a pumpkin in your shirt?

My babies.
They really grow up, don't they?
Mackenzie 6 years
Luke 3 1/2 years
Un-named boy child minus days old
October 2008
near Waco, TX

1st Grade Bible Presentation

1st graders get their own first Bible.
They use it in class each week, together, so they can find the verses together.

My first Bible
October 2008
Highland Baptist Church,
Waco, TX

Pregnant Mom Brain

I just put strawberry syrup in my bowl.....
of macaroni and cheese!
It was intended for the cup of milk which was right next to my bowl.
Yes, I ate it. It was not too much, just a drop or two.
Oh, the joys of pregnant mom brain.
Oct 2008 (39 weeks + 4 days)

39 Weeks, third child

The shirt no longer covers!
No, I don't wear it in public!
Guessin' just days now,
but babies have been known for not cooperating.
Thursday October 16th, 2008
Due (officially) Oct 22.

Shower

Halloween babies,
Carla is due 5 days after me.
We shall see who gets there first.
Not fair!! She is taller than me.
Third child for both of us.
I have a girl, boy, boy.
She has a boy, girl, girl.
It has been a great time having a fellow Preggo this time around.
Thank God for Friends.

The Loot!
Thanks girls!!!!!!
October 2008