Maggie Turns 6

In November, Maggie had an "art" party for her 6th birthday.  The kids painted wooden forms of their choice and decorated door hangers, we opened gifts, had cupcakes and sugar cookie bars and beat on a piñata.  There was lots of running around in the backyard and six year old fun.  This was the first friend birthday party Maggie had ever had and she thought it was GREAT. 

Facts about Maggie at 6 years old:

1.  Maggie is a fantastic artist.  She has God given artistic talent. She loves to create and would rather be drawing, painting, cutting something up or creating something in general rather than doing anything else. 

2.  Maggie is a VERY picky eater.  She does not like very many things and is a hard child to feed. If it is a carb, she will eat it. But fruits and vegetables are hard to get her to swallow. Dinner usually ends in tears and she is always the last person to leave the counter after a meal. 

3. Maggie loves school. And especially her teacher Mrs. Macres.  Maggie has lots of confidence and does well in the learning as well as social aspects of school.  We had this conversation the other day.

Maggie: Mom, I think I am famous at school.

Me: Oh really? Why?

Maggie: Well, because when the kids have a question they almost always ask me and not the teacher.

Mrs. Macres loves her too and Maggie is loving her kindergarden.  

4.  Sometimes Maggie is so much like me, it's scary.

5. She LOVES to annoy her siblings. Getting a reaction out of anyone is very satisfying to her.  It's hilarious and obnoxious all at the same time.

6. When Maggie is given a task, and she is in the mood to be helpful, she is a perfectionist. 

7. Maggie loves the cat.  

8. Maggie really likes to have her arms and back tickled. She likes to cuddle.  She HATES having her hair done. 

9. Maggie is a girly girl. Makeup, nails, jewels, smelly anything, etc. She loves it. She is in a hurry to grow up. 

10.  Maggie knows who all the boys are at church. 

September to November 2012

 In September we had the backyard landscaped!!! Hooray!

October brought a visit to the pumpkin patch with William and his best friend Asher. We had a fun Halloween dinner with lots of friends and family (which I didn't manage to get a picture of) and trick or treating. 

At the beginning of November we had a sisters and Mom weekend in southern California to kick of the countdown and celebration to Noelle's 40th birthday.  We went to the Price is Right, where Chelsea got on the show! We stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Miller, laughed a lot and had so much fun.

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house in 2012. Grandma and Grandma Miller, Papa & Honey Garnica, Bruce & Carole Teeples, Mike, Jen, Tori, Garrett & Cami Bergen, Eddie, Chelsea, Andrew & Juliette Pickup, Peter, Melinda, Maren, Luke, Evan & Kent Andersen all came for dinner.  

I Caved on the Kitty

We go to this pet shop where they always have kittens. People drop off the litters that they have instead of taking them to the shelter. We have to go there every couple of days to get food for Parker's bearded dragon. And every time we go Maggie asks for a kitten. And every time she had been told no. And she cried. She cried repeatedly at home every time she asked as well. Until last week. This kitty was in the pen looking so cute that I couldn't resist. Will and I took him home and Maggie came home from school and got a very big surprise.  She named him Rocky. So far he is great. Very friendly. Maggie reminds me of Olivia in those children's books. She carries him around over her shoulder and is constantly bugging him. He doesn't seem to mind. 

We are now at our threshold for pets. Dog...check, Cat...check, Lizard...check.

Will turns 3

We had a family birthday party for William a couple of days before the actual day of his birth. 

 He wanted cookie dough for his birthday dessert, so that's what he got.  A big scoop of cookie dough.

 And it was a good thing we did because he spent his real birthday in my bed, sick with a fever.

Parker Turns 10

We had Parker's birthday a week early and celebrated him and Matt's together...

Attendees: 

Garnica's

Pickup's

Andersen's

Reed's

Teeples

13...say it isn't so.

On June 9 Kate turned 13.

We had a friends and family party at our house on the big day.  

She is a great kid. Not overly moody yet, I'm just waiting for that to set in. She is helpful around the house, plays with her siblings still and can laugh at herself. She is beautiful on the inside and out. For her birthday she got a sewing machine and a week at sewing camp. She starts camp in just a couple of days and is super excited about it. We love her and are so glad she is ours.

14 Years

Fourteen years ago Matt and I were married. 

those 14 years have included...

4 children

6 moves

8 cars

some tears

lots of laughs

I like and love him more today than I did fourteen years ago. I'm glad he's mine for eternity.