As Mommy, I am always the one taking the pictures, so I am so excited to be IN the picture! This was taken just before going to church, which is another exciting thing--that we actually had time to spare to take pictures! We are usually running madly to get anywhere on time!

Little miss prissy Lydia. She has truly brought joy to this holiday season, from rearranging the ornaments on the Christmas tree (which she calls a "merry Christmas" instead of Christmas tree), to ice skating in the kitchen, she knows how to have a good time! She loves Dora, and has added the Princesses to her favorites as well. She loves going to church, and can sing "Amazing Grace", "Jesus Loves Me", and a couple of Christmas songs that we have sung during school. She also made up her own song...."My name is Lydie, I like to dance, I like to dance...." that she will sing loudly over a over (but at least she put a nice tune to it). She was named after my grandmother, who went to be with Jesus while I was pregnant with Lydia.

The holidays have been alot of fun this year. The kids play well together, and pretend alot, and just make the season one of child-like fun! I enjoy just watching them all together. They play around the Christmas tree, which they did a fine job of helping to decorate, and they "ice skate" around my kitchen. They have also enjoyed Daddy keeping us a fire going on the cold nights we've had.

Cy is my little man. He has a kind heart, and is so loving to everyone. He really enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree and helping to bake the goodies. Daddy has taught him how to chop firewood and to bring it in the house. Cy also likes raking leaves, shoveling dirt, riding his 4-wheeler, and anything to do with tools. He loves school, and would ask to do schoolwork nearly every day.

I am so thankful to have such precious children. I pray they will always stay as close as they are now. They fuss and argue like any siblings do, but they so love each other. They will take up for one another in a heartbeat. Cy won't let anyone mess with his sisters. When the boys start coming around his sisters, I don't know who will be tougher on them, Cy or Daddy! Lydia loves her brother and sister. She and Hannah play so well together, especially to be 5 years apart. Hannah is very patient and tolerant with Lydia, but when she gets fed up, she's fed up. It's funny. Hannah plays her part as the oldest quite well. She's a good leader! And Lydia truly sums up being the youngest. She can be rather demanding when she tries to be! But now she will take up for Cy in a minute! The other day, Jeff scolded Cy about something, and Lydia looked at him with a very serious face, and said, "It's not true Daddy. That's my Cy. He's just a boy!" They are all precious, in His sight and in mine!

Hannah is growing up so fast---quickly becoming a beautiful young lady before my eyes. She just amazes me---she can do most anything. I remember teaching her to read, and now she loves to read and reads almost as well as I do. She is so creative (which she did not get from me), and for Christmas this year, she has hand-made gifts to everyone in our family, as well as for the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Such a thoughtful child! She does a fine job overseeing the other children, a job she takes quite seriously! And I am sure she knows the Christmas story in much greater depth than most adults do!

You may as well say these are Mommy's four children! haha They all get into mischief, with Daddy often being the ring leader! Of course, they all look like angels here.

Our homeschool group has a Mother-Daughter luncheon each year at Christmastime. This has been the third year that Hannah and I have gone. It is so much fun that we both look forward to each year. We dress up in our Christmas dresses, and it's just "us girls". Making memories.......

Cy is definitely all boy! From trucks and trains to teasing his sisters, he's the man! He and Daddy caught some little fish in fish baskets, and if you look closely you can see them in his hand. He was so proud of catching them!!! The kids got a small fishbowl and put 5 of the fish in it with some pond water, then found "pebbles" and shells in the yard, because "fish like pebbles and seashells!" (says Hannah).

Daddy's "Dear" Helpers

NOVEMBER 2008

Jeff killed this deer and the kids just went wild! They had to "pet" it. It was so cold that Lydia was in her white furry Sunday coat !!!

OCTOBER 2008

Lydia loves to play dress-up. Her big sister Hannah often helps her with her dresses.

Just look at those beautiful girls! Daddy will have his shotgun ready in a few years!

Miss Hannah still enjoys dress-up. She is in the process of teaching Lydia "all she knows"!