We're Pregnant!!!

We're pregnant!!! This is such wonderful news! Our baby is due June 2011. I'm 3 1/2 months and already have a baby belly. I love it and feel so beautiful. As a mommy of 5, I've already been asked when I go out with all the children..."Are they all yours?" And Dan has been asked by co-workers and even strangers "You know what causes that, don't you?" I wonder what kind of comments we'll get when I'm showing a lot more with this baby. I've already had the comment "Better you than me." To which I think an appropriate reply is, 'You know know what? You're absolutely right!' Those who know me know that I have a deep appreciation for pregnancy and having a healthy baby. It's a blessing every time. There are those who are happy to be done with diapers, etc. I welcome such tasks. It's all about perspective, & I'm glad I've got mine right.

We're SO happy to be pregnant!!!! :)

Gingerbread House

The children worked on a yummy gingerbread house on the day of Christmas Eve. It was a lot of fun, and tasty, too!

Look mom, no training wheels!

This is BIG! Connor, Cameron, & Hannah all learned to ride their bicycles WITHOUT training wheels! (Yes, Cameron has a helmet too...he never left the driveway) It happened in one day and they all just got on and started riding. Dan really didn't have to run alongside them much at all. They were just ready! Another skill they've acquired for the rest of their lives :)

Rest In Peace, LingLing

My cat, LingLing, died this morning, around 1 AM at 14 1/2 years old. It was very sudden. She was perfectly fine on sunday. On monday, she threw up, but my cats do this frequently and was not a cause for concern. On Tuesday (yesterday), she laid under the Christmas tree and stayed there all day, not moving much. We thought she had a stomach bug monday and was just not wanting to eat on Tuesday. Still, we decided to take her to the vet this morning if she wasn't back to her usual self. I said goodnight to her at midnight last night, told her I love her, and petted her. We believe she passed away within an hour after I told her goodnight. LingLing was with me for all 14+ years of her life. She moved with me from CA to Maine, to Georgia. She loved our children, and wanted to be wherever they were, no matter how noisy and crazy the room sounded. She tolerated her tail & fur being pulled by Gabby and the others when they were babies. She never so much as left the room when Gabby would do this. She wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by her family. Cameron was the most devastated, other than myself, this morning. The news hit him hard. He use to lay on the kitchen floor and have conversations with LingLing. He loved her dearly, and it was so obvious that she loved him too. We placed LingLing in a burial box on a towel and tucked loving things around her. I wrote her a letter, and the children drew pictures. Then we enclosed a large family picture in with her. She didn't have any favorite blankets or toys. Her family was her favorite thing. LingLing devoted all her unconditional love to this family for over 14 years, first when her family was just me, and later loving Dan, and each child born. She was a beautiful siamese mix with crystal blue eyes. But her real beauty came from her love for this family. Losing LingLing is a great loss, and we will miss her dearly. We buried her under a large old tree in our back yard, which always has lovely Spring/Summer flowers under it. Cameron carried her to her grave and placed her inside. Hannah helped shovel soil on top of her box, and Connor spoke the words, Rest in Peace LingLing.

We love you, LingLing.

Peek-A-Boo

Gabby loves to play Peek-A-Boo like this, and she loves that pink computer. What a cutie!

Thanksgiving Feast 2010

We had a wonderful feast at home this year. Everyone enjoyed the food & we shared with each other all the many thhings we are thankful for. Lily wore her school Thanksgiving costume and Hannah wore the school hat she made. It was wonderful to all be together. So many blessings!

Size matters

For years now, Dan has been waiting for our TV to die. Like a vulture circling the wounded, Dan has been hoping our 20" TV would be damaged in one of our moves, or meet some other unfortunate demise. It began going black last week, but would come back to life after a few minutes. It gave up the fight this weekend. Dan tried to appear appropriately saddened, but I caught that gleam in his eye when he wasn't looking. He wasted no time hunting for a new TV. My recommendation was to buy the same size as we had before since that's what would fit in our entertainment center. Oh no... this was the chance Dan had been waiting for! He wanted a large, flat screen model. He found a 42" and it was love at first sight. Personally, I think that men are the only ones preoccupied with size. What is it with men and electronics? So here we are...the owners of a 42" plasma flat screen. It was a fight I was never going to win. But the ear to ear grin on Dan's face is worth it! :)

Halloween 2010

We celebrated Halloween on the 30th this year so the children wouldn't have to trick-or-treat late on a school night. Connor was a ninja, Cameron was Harry Potter, Hannah was a blonde Dorothy, and Lily was Ariel, the Little Mermaid. Gabby was a baby Tinkerbell! Dan was wearing his greek toga and I transformed from domestic goddess to a greek goddess.

Apple Farm 2010

During our 10 year anniversary weekend, we drove 2 hours to an apple farm in the North Georgia Mountains. We picked apples for the first time since moving from Maine 6 years ago and had lots of other fun. Our new big van sure came in handy during the long drive. We came home with a few types of apples including Honeycrisp, granny smith, rome, & winesap. I have visions of apple goodies dancing in my head! The children have already asked for an apple pie. Yummmm!

Pumpkin Farm 2010

The pumpkin farm was so much fun! We look forward to it every year. There's so much to do. Here you'll see pictures of the pumpkin launcher, corn cannon, jumping pillow, the famous cow train, and our entire family. And yes, that's me in the cow train with Gabby. Hannah was in the cow in front of me...a much larger cow. She didn't want to switch with me, so I sat in little Annabelle. Gabby had so much fun!!! She was waving to everyone! The children loved it all, and we brought home some beautiful pumpkins.

Bottom's Up!

Gabby likes to bend forward and peek at me through her legs. I've tried so many times to capture her on camera, only to have her stand up the minute I reach for it. Finally! This was the best shot I could get!

Gabby's first Autumn day

There was crispness in the air for the first time this season. I took Gabby out to our patio to capture her pleasure over the change in season. She's so cute!

The big-family mobile!

What does it take to get a big family from place to place? A big van! That's right, we did it...we bought a 12 passenger Chevy Express 2500 van this weekend. Conscious of the fact that cars depreciate the moment they leave the lot, we went in search of a great used van that would meet all our needs. We found a 2002 model with only 38,000 miles, at a very nice price. We're having some extras put into it and when it's finished this week, it'll have power windows & locks, cruise control, and even a camera installed to aid visibility when backing up. We were getting to the point of needing 2 cars that can hold several children, with at least one of them able to hold our entire family. Now we can carry extra children, sports gear, and travel in comfort. We're keeping our Town & Country minivan. This is the vehicle to take us into the future!

Plasma Train a' la LaMontagne

It's become an evening habit for the children to head outside to the patio, dressed in pj's, for a nightly ride before bed. They love their plasma cars, bikes & scooters. For those of you looking closely, no...Connor does not really need glasses. The lenses are clear but not prescription. I bought Cameron's lovey (BlueBear) glasses when Cam got glasses. Connor is wearing BlueBear's glasses.

Strong (Wo)Man contest

Gabby was out to prove how strong she is! While most 12 month old babies push their walkers, Gabby sees a future in power lifting...

Armpit Farts!

Well, on this, the very day Gabby turns 13 months, Connor decided to show her how well he can make armpit farts. Gabby started cracking up with laughter! She couldn't stop! She thought he was hilarious. The other half of this story is that I was wondering where Connor learned how to do this (I personally can't do it). Is there some secret school that all boys attend to learn armpit farts, how to burp the alphabet, etc? Not according to Connor. He said his friend, Fletcher taught him. Well, how did Fletcher learn it? Fletcher has an older brother..... Sounds like it will remain a mystery....

Go, Gabby, Go!

Gabby has been enjoying walking and playing on the patio this week. She isn't concerned in the least by her siblings whizzing by her on scooter, bicycles, and plasma cars! She likes to 'push' Lily in the Cozy Coupe Car until it's her turn to get behind the wheel, then it's watch out...baby has a need for speed! She likes us to zip her around the patio, stopping only to hear the windchime nearby.

Hannah & Lily

Hannah & Lily wanted their picture taken together....Sweet sisters!

S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G

Gabby got a purse for her birthday and LOVES to "go shopping"! She puts the strap around her neck by herself and we fix it over her shoulder....and off she goes. In the picture showing her big happy smile, she's clutching 2 coupons in her hands. She's starting off right!