Wednesday, November 9, 2011

40 Years

My Parents have been married for 40 years!

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We had a great anniversary party and everyone was there! (So of course we needed a family picture, thanks Jos!)

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It is always amazing and so fun when we get to be together as a family.  I know through the years there have been many ups and downs.  Having eight kids was never easy, but my parents are a great example of sticking it out and working hard to make it work.  I feel so grateful for them and for all they have done and continue to do for all of us.

  Happy Anniversary! We love you!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Catch up

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C & C turned 4! Soccer is the new thing around here.  They played their first season this fall with the Yellow Ironmen!  So fun to start that chapter!

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Ellie putting herself to bed. Troy and I came up to go to bed and she’d come up with this contraption!

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Some summer fun and Ellie’s standard outfit!

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First day of school! They LOVE it!!!

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Not to be left out!  Poor Ellie cried when we dropped off the boys at school. She wanted to go so bad!

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We went to Disneyland and my Dad and Troy’s Mom and brother came with us! We could not have had more fun! Three nonstop days! Amazing!

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I wondered how the kids would do with the  Disney Characters…  C C & E are not afraid of any of them!  Poor Characters were hugged and high fived until we had to tell them their turn was over!  They loved them all!!!

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Ellie’s favorite Princess!!!

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The first face is what we saw most of the 3rd day! Ellie calls it “The Wicked” and it is! We much prefer “The Princess”!

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We also hit the beach and the splash pad! So fun!

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Then came Halloween! Two pirates and a mermaid!

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We grew 19 pumpkins in our garden this year! Pure luck and so fun! (A few were stolen as the month went on… bummer!)

Lucky for the kids they have a great Dad who is creative and carved their favorites on pumpkins. Lightning McQueen, Ariel and the Pirate! They didn’t like the guts so much!

PS Troy did his 2nd Half Ironman “Pumpkinman” (see pumpkin shirt) in Las Vegas this October!  Go Troy! What a man!

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Through it all I continue to grow Baby Sweetpea! I’m so grateful for Troy who pitches in whenever and where ever he can to give his old sick wife a break! I’m so glad to have great kids who have lived on Breakfast Bars, Pop Tarts and bananas for the last few months in the morning with no complaints!  Things are looking up.  The kids are so cute about Baby Sweetpea and it’s been really fun to have them talk about the baby and be so excited!

And there you go!