And they thought I wasn't looking...

I hadn't heard her in a while...
I only heard the football game and some mmmm...mmmm...mmmm sounds....
And this is what I found...

And they thought I wasn't looking :)

Ethan... my HeRo!

Something is gonna be changing around here... we haven't talked about it much... for fear of tears...


But the day is quickly approaching... when Ethan will be heading north to Michigan Tech University...

He is all grown up...

And Drake... well... he is still our little boy... our only boy... who LOVES Ethan... like a big brother :)



You see... since Drake was born... Ethan has been Drake's buddy... they have this special relationship...

Drake holding E's thumb when he was only a couple days old :)



"E must you always carry me!"

"I'm beating you right Ethan?"

"I have the best view from up here E!"

"Come on E... can I shoot the gun? "

"One day I am going to hunt like Ethan!"



"Ethan!" (Drake laughing of course)




"Ahhhhhh!"




Ethan- laughing :) Drake recovering and lovin' every minute!
 "Just wait until I am big like you E!"



Ethan always had time to play with me :)

  



All I learned during my brief sheep showing career... I learned from Ethan :)








 

"Ethan if you say this helps keep the mosquitoes away... I believe you!"



Ethan gives the best rides...
on boogie boards...piggy back... jet skis... snowmobiles... tractors... or  jeep rides...    :)
He even use to pull me around in a baby bike cart :)



You know Ethan.. I trust you with my life!



"OK... If I can't drive... I want to ride with Ethan!"

"I'm helping!  I got your back E!"

Easter Egg hunting buddies :)





 

And the most recent pic :)

 This is where you find Drake on a Sunday morning...

 sitting beside Ethan.... in whatever pew he is in...

And the next few years...

Drake will be cheering Ethan on from the stands...
at Michigan Tech University's Football Stadium! He can't wait!

Here's looking at Big E's Biggest Fan :)

"Ethan... I love you man!"


   







Land that I love...

I am so very thankful for the country I live in...
I am so very thankful for the men and women that serve this great country...
I am so very thankful for those men and women who gave their precious lives so we can enjoy the freedoms we have...

 Happy Independence Day!!

Blessings...

I was thinking today about being a mom and the last ten years. Having Autumn 10 years ago seems so long ago some days and then others I think I can still remember smelling that new baby smell for the first time... And then I look at Allysse and think "Wow is this really my 5th child." My body reminds me regularly that "yes you have given birth to five children" :) 

I pray regularly for my children... for health... safety... their future spouse... their schooling... their personal struggles... their attitude... and the list goes on.   But most importantly I pray that they accept Jesus as their personal savior.

God answered a prayer of mine today... Alana accepted Jesus :) Wow... Oh how I love Jesus :)

3 John 4

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Morning Tea

I just came across these pictures again today.  This year once the three oldest went off to school, Aubree and Allysse would have some time together. Most of this year, since Allysse's birth, was Aubree holding Allysse and kissing Allysee...kissing Allysee... kissing Allysse and .... kissing Allysee again :) But eventually, it is hard to believe... Allysse got big enough to sit and watch Aubree and watch her and watch her some more. And then one morning... you see... it's like she grew up...this morning was a little different... there was new guest at the tea party...

Tea in the morning with a sister... and in your jammies is priceless :)

Once Upon a Time...

I often find Alana holding Alysse... playing with Allysse... singing to Allysse... and now that she is learning to read... I found Alana reading to Allysse...

Then she read... happily ever after :)

The Pit

Dirt... Sweat... tears... and testosterone...

The big boys and little boys all love this game. We discovered it at camp. They call it "Ultimate Dodgeball" but the official name is "Ga-Ga Ball". Great fun! They played for hours and went back several times. Drake is trying to convince dad that we need like three of these pits in our backyard so we can hold "tournaments" :)

When the dads pulled the boys from the game for dinner... they cried because they wanted to play more.

 When the boys pulled the dads to the pit the next day to play again... the dads cried because their bodies hurt from the day before :)

 Drake wants to go back to camp... to go to the pit again... and again... and again... So the other day... I saw dad googling "Ga-Ga Ball"... could a "Ga-Ga Pit" be in our future?

Undercover

One afternoon while preparing dinner in the kitchen, I look into the livingroom and this is what I see.

I see a bigger sister, with the littlest sister.

 Alana made Allysse a tent.

"A little tent," she said.

 "We were playing."

 "Playing pretend."

 "She was driving the plane mom."

"I was just telling her where to go."

I love my kids.

Happy Birthday Daddy :)

So Alana... the artsy one in the family... wants to make daddy a card for his birthday. She sits down with a piece of white paper from our printer and a 96 count Crayola Crayon Box. As she is creating her greeting she stops and asks... "Mommy what color is daddy's hair?" I had to stop and think how to answer the question... "Blackish/Grayish" I answered. She said, "How do you spell that?" "Why do you need to spell it?" I answered. "Well, I don't see that color so I am going to read the crayons to find it." I had to laugh... she settled on Brownish/Blackish :)

Happy Birthday Daddy!