Welcome Child # 6!

SURPRISE! We have adopted a 2 year old boy named Charlie. He is a good boy and the other kids just LOVE him. He has grey-ish, brown-ish, black-ish hair and one brown eye and one blue. He is about 18 inches tall, about 45 inches long and weighs about 40 lbs. Okay...he's a beagle but that doesn't make him any less of a boy and any less a member of our family. I'm not quite sure why Steve thought I wanted a dog for Valentines day but that is what I got -- well, thats what the whole family got and I think everyone would agree it was a good decision. If you know us well you know that we have been through our share of dogs since Sophie (our beloved Schipperke) but Charlie just fits. He is SO wonderful with the kids. Tyler (as evidenced by the pictures) can't get enough of him. He could hug and pet him all day. Aubrey and Alex are in HEAVEN. They are both such dog people. Hayden and Jake are a bit more reserved about the dog. I think Hayden isn't sure about the added responsibility but I actually think that he needs the chance to be more nuturing and responsible -- he needs the confidence. Steve is in heaven too. Charlie is really the perfect dog for Steve - he just loves to sit next to you on the couch. (He just loves to be on the couch!) And as for me I have a walking partner, so its all good. We really are lucky, he is a GREAT addition to our family! WELCOME CHARLIE!!

I've succumbed to the Christmas pressure

Alright I had to post some Christmas photos. These are all from Christmas Eve, as I recall. Steve got all of the kids scriptures for our nightly study.

I FINALLY finished daddy's apron. (I started it for his birthday, last May!)

The must have...new jammies (and robes for some) for Christmas Eve. Jake looks a little like a miniature millionaire, who shall remain nameless.

Even I got Dr. Pepper bottoms. We were all decked out in style, and warmth. It was a great Christmas!

Here they are writing a letter to Santa, complete with cookies and milk, of course!

Jakey Bo-bakey

Okay, how about we scratch the Christmas posting idea. Maybe I'll just get on with my life and stop thinking I'm going to get to all that old stuff. Besides I just want to post these cutie picts of Jacob. He is getting so big. He is 15 months now, though still wearing some 9 months pants. (He is kinda small for his age) He is a climber, which I totally hate. I've already had to barracade him from the bathrooms and the cat litter but how do I keep him from every chair and couch in the house. He just decided that he could do it this weekend and he fell on his head like 3 times so maybe he already figured out its just not worth the view. I can only hope. He would not really smile for these pictures, which makes me sad 'cause he has the CUTEST dimples. You can kind of see his impish grin in the running-away picture. That is the look he usually has on his face -- "Oh, lets see if she sees me running away"