This and That

A Little of this, a little of that

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? The joke is my mother had a dog named Chris :) Marie ( my middle name) is after a great aunt.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Probably about 30 mins ago.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Honey Mesquite Turkey breast

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I don't know :) I am not sure I am always a good friend. I like to be alone too much :).

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? YES

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? No

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cracklin' Oat Bran

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Hmmm- I usually wear crocs around the house. If they are tennis shoes, no, other than that, yes.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically, yes, emotionally, no. (but I am working on that!)

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?Coldstone Creamery Cake Batter

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? How they are dressed. (shallow-i know)

15. RED OR PINK? Pink these days, I've had enough of red :)

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? I'm wishy washy.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST I miss my son

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? blue jeans and brown crocs :)

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? soft taco

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Basketball on tv (not my choice), Gabriella chattering about, Naomi and Noah giggling.

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Something orangey.

22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Bergamot or freesia ( REAL freesia)

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Tim

24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? probably soccer

25. HAIR COLOR? Brown.

26. EYE COLOR? brown

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No

Dylan is 17 today!

There....I said it.
This is another tough birthday for me.
Somehow turning 17 volts you from the *child* stage to the *graduation, college and many other adult-type activities are looming just a year from now* stage :).
Ahhhh-- wasn't he just dressing up in his Robin Hood costume and shooting plastic arrows just a while back? Sitting at the piano in Sweden in his blanket sleeper singing his heart out a few years ago? ( He was only a year old!) Riding in the wagon with next brother Noah ( and people asking if they were twins) ?
I refuse to say * time flies* because I know it is such a cliche ( but I said it anyway, didn't I? :)

Happy Birthday our dear son. You are a joy and make us SO proud!

Why I am often ambivalent about cleaning.....

Super clean the refridge and someone spills a jar of chunky salsa in it an hour later.
Mop the floor and an entire pitcher of koolaide is spilled 10 minutes later.



Detail and vacuum out your van and the 3 yo b--fs in his car seat. :) YAY!

It does my heart good....

Little Ella did something cute today ( ok--she is always doing something cute! she is 1 yo! :)
We went up to Naomi's room to wake her up this morning and she immediately zeroed in on Naomi's American Girl doll ( all gussied up in her soccer outfit). She reached out her hands and I took her over to it. We picked it up and she grabbed hold of it, hugged it--then gave it a big smooch!


Why is this significant to her mother?

Just days ago I happened upon her playing with her brother's car ----complete with *vroom, vroom* sounds.
My heart sank as I thought a tomboy was in the works ( nothing wrong with tomboys, but when you have 8 REAL boys, a girlie girl might be nice (Naomi is getting there :)
So there is hope.........

O Come, O Come Immanuel! :)

Yes, I know we weren't liturgically correct naming our son Immanuel when he was born on Epiphany that year. :) ( One of our friends joked that we should have named him Balthasar, Gaspar (or Casper), and/or Melchior after the three wisemen!) Still, we liked the meaning of the name *God with us*. We felt His presence very keenly at the time of his birth since it was by far the roughest out of the bunch.
This boy definitely keeps us on our toes, but infuses our lives with much joy and laughter. His energy and *joy de vivre* are contagious. I once mused to my mother that when you have a firecracker for number 9 verses #1 or #2, you tend to chuckle more at his antics than stress ( although there is a good bit of stressing, too *wink*).

Happy, Happy Birthday our *main Man*!!! We are so glad God gave you to us 3 YEARS ago!!!!

Naomi made the awesome *Larry Boy* cake!