Sophia's Fifth Birthday

Sophia turned 5 on December 6!  (Yes, I'm a month late posting this, but the blog is a lower priority than my family. :)  She requested a treasure chest cake.  I am not sure what drove that decision except for Avalyn's love for pirates.  Over the years I have become better at decorating cakes, and I have become less perfectionistic about them.  The kids love them no matter what.

Sophia asked for LEGOs and a wallet.  She was very happy to get both!  The kids wanted to buy her gifts as well, so I took them to the DollarTree and they each bought Sophia a small gift.

The Ribbon Dancer was a big hit!

Home Depot Kids Workshop

On the first Saturday in December, Adrian took Sophia and Mercy to Home Depot for their kids workshop.  It was Mercy's first time and Sophia's first in a couple of years!  They enjoyed the time with their daddy doing something special.

(Pictures at Home Depot were taken with Adrian's phone.)

The girls were so proud of their creations!

The Annual Leaf Pile

The kids love playing in the dried leaves!  Adrian indulged them and made them a big leaf pile.  They had a good time, but were hard to photograph.

Random Pictures from November

These are just a few pictures that didn't have a place in bother posts.  I just wanted to share these random pictures.

This is the route that I take to Keira's speech therapy every week.  I LOVE this view down the hill to the bridge over the Chattahoochee and then back up past the flood plain and the neighborhoods.  The colors are exquisite every morning.  The greens and grays and blues all laid out in front of me.  I just love this section of my drive, even with the bumper to bumper traffic.

Adrian was trying to take a picture of a rash on Patrick's cheeks.  Patrick kept turning his head to smile at Adrian!

Patrick gets his first ride in the trailer!  Mercy is very excited to go for a ride with Patrick.

Adrian is all ready for the ride.  Dylan runs beside him as he rides, and the little kids are in tow.

Park Hopping: Chattahoochee Lower Pool

On Nov. 4, Adrian and I decided to take the day off and enjoy being outside together.  We went to the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area's Lower Pool Park.  It is just below the dam on Lake Lanier.  The kids and I have been to this park several times, and have walked on the far side of the Chattahoochee.  So we decided to stay on the west side of the river and hike a trail beside the river.  We had a lot of fun, but got "lost" several times by taking the wrong trail and ended up "hiking" for about an hour longer than we planned!  It was an enjoyable time and I look forward to hiking here again.

Adrian took the first 4, and I took the last 3.

Looking at a Book

Patrick tries to look at the aircraft carrier book with Kyle.  (Kyle isn't too enthusiastic about sharing!)

Vacation: Scenic Views

Well, I am so far behind, but I have been taking pictures.  Though feeding a baby, and the rest of the family, homeschooling, and house work has been taking a much higher priority to blogging.
These are the last pictures I was going to post from our vacation.

The condos across the street on the inter-coastal waterway.

A view of the pier from our condo.

Sunset between the condos.

Sunset on the beach.

(Adrian's picture)

Just after sunset, notice the moon.

Just after sunset.

Inside the atrium. (Adrian's picture)

Looking down to the ground floor from our floor. (Adrian's picture)

Bow and Arrow

In 1998, I went to Papua New Guinea.  I brought home two bows and a bunch of arrows.  Originally, I had them hung on the wall in my bedroom.   After I got married, and moved several times, they have been bundled up and out of the way.  Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago.  Avalyn asked if she could make a bow and arrow.  She couldn't find any sticks that worked well, so I pulled out my bows.  The strings understandably were dried out and broke the first time it was used.  So we bought paracord and used that instead.  It seemed to work!  Avalyn had fun using the bow!

Keira's 9th Birthday

In the beginning, Keira really struggled to gain weight and to meet the normal baby mile stones.  She had many doctors' appointments and many specialists and therapists working with her.  Now, nine years later, she is doing much better than I think anyone would have guessed back then! 
Keira requested a green horse cake, so naturally a green horse needed a rainbow mane!

Like her siblings, Keira has discovered that LEGOs are fun.  She got two sets for her birthday!

Happy Birthday to my little Joy.  I love you so much.  I am so thankful that God gave you to me to raise, care for, and love.  You are a joy, a light, and a wonderful caring helper.  I look forward to many more years of watching you grow and helping you learn.