I Don't Want to Go to Heaven.

Yesterday Abby and I were looking through some old pictures. She saw a picture of herself as a baby sitting on someone's lap. She asked who is that? I said that is Grandma Wiggins. Do you remember her? Yes she said, I have been looking for her, where is she? I told her she was in heaven with Jesus. Abby quickly looked up at me and said, "she died?" I told her she had. Abby then wanted to know where heaven was. She asked if everyone went to heaven. I said if you love Jesus you go to heaven. You could see the wheels in her head turning as we were talking. Finally, she very quickly stated, "I love Jesus but I don't want to go to heaven." And that was the end of the conversation. You could tell this was not a topic she cared to discuss any longer.

The Bluebonnets are here!

Thursday we made our usually annual trek to see the bluebonnets and take pictures. This time Uncle Scott came with us carrying his awesome camera and photo taking ability. Aunt Ruth and Natalie came with us as well so we had a great time hanging with family. We found a sunny spot behind Walmart in Brenham that had a field full of bluebonnets and we had fun there but the sun was awfully bright. We made our way to Independence and unfortunately The Antique Rose Emporium was closed. We LOVE that place. The girls do to because there is lots of space to run around and lots of things to investigate. So we drove on to Old Baylor College. They had swings there for the girls and a huge oak tree perfect for climbing which is exactly what the girls did. Scott took some awesome pictures of the girls at what I guess were the front steps to the old college. The sun was starting to set, so the lighting was perfect. We then spotted an incredible field of bluebonnets beside Sam Houston's old house. So of course we took more pictures. The girls did a good job of smiling pretty and striking poses. Some our naturals at it and others.......not so natural, but I won't mention names. The pictures can tell the story. The girls found an orange tree in front of Sam Houston's house, so they had a little snack after taking pictures.

It was a long day of all of us.....and I didn't mention all that we had to accomplish before we left just to be ready for our photo shoot. Really I was wiped out before we got to Brenham. We started bathing, washing hair, blow drying hair and rolling hair at 10:00 am. Then there was the ironing of the wardrobe not to mention putting it all on! Fortunately this was a day that Emily woke up in the middle of the night with fever so she sleep most of the day before we left, so that made the day a bit easier. Yes, I know I am a terrible mom for dragging my fever ridden child out to take bluebonnet pictures. But once we got into the car she didn't have fever anymore. Plus she had a great time on our little road trip!

They did get a little tired at times having so many pictures taken.....I think David even said they are going to grow up hating bluebonnets. But I disagree totally. They will have found memories of all our road trips to the bluebonnets each spring. Some of those bluebonnet treks have included stops at the BlueBell Creamery, which I think is a very good memory. I suppose only time will tell what they have to say about their memories of bluebonnets.....but for mom it will be all good!

Olivia CAN let her nails grow!

I made a bet with Olivia a couple of weeks ago that if she grew her nails out I would take her to get a manicure. Now getting a manicure is a big deal. I am one of those mothers who thinks taking 5,6,7,8,9 and 10 year olds to get there nails and toes done is ridiculous. Don't we already give our kids too much too early as it is? So, if they start expecting manicures at 6......well it can only go down hill from there. Therefore, we have always done our manicures and pedicures at home. But I decided to make an exception because I needed an extra special reward in hopes of getting Olivia to stop biting her nails! It drives me NUTS! Her little nubby nails just looked pitiful all the time. She would want to paint her nails and I would tell her...you have nothing to paint, let's do your toes! I guess she finally got tired of hearing me go on about her lack of fingernails. One day she told me she was going to stop biting her nails. Well, I jumped on that one fast and made deal with her completely believing she would never stop biting her nails. She would come home from school and tell me mom I'm not biting my nails anymore. I would look at her little nubs and think....yeah right! WELL....yesterday I looked at her hands and actually saw signs of a white nail emerging! I was so excited I wanted to throw a party. I went on and on about how good her nails looks and how proud I was that she had stopped biting her nails. I told her they needed to get a little longer before we go get a manicure, but I do believe she is well on her way! Good job Olivia, momma is really proud of you and I am sorry for not believing you could do it!

Fun at the Rodeo

Well.....we really don't go to the rodeo. We have not dare ventured there with three little ones yet. Who knows how that would go....maybe next year. But we always make it to the Livestock Show and Carnival. We started going when Olivia was three and we soon learned she hated the animals but LOVED the rides. The faster the better. We couldn't believe some of the rides she wanted to get on. She would always get off with a big smile on her face.

Now Abby loves the animals and just this year started enjoying the rides more. Though she does choose the scary, creepy rides which is Abby......she loves all things scary for some reason. Halloween is her time of the year. She loves looking at all the scary costumes and things in the store at Halloween. I find that very odd but at least she isn't scared.....I guess! But back to our trip to the Livestock Show. Abby wanted to see horses so we took the tram to the horse arena where we visited with a few horses.

Now Emily loves the animals as well. The petting arena is one of her favorite spots. Of course she wants to feed the animals and chase them around. But the rides she absolutely hates, but she forgets that each time she begs to get on a ride until about halfway through the ride and then she starts crying.

One thing they all like is the cotton candy and no trip to the rodeo is complete without a bag of cotton candy...... and beef jerky for that matter. We discovered Emily loves the stuff!

We walked around for over 6 hours and needless to say we were all pooped by the time we left but a good time was had by all!

Emily's 3rd Birthday Party

At last Emily has her first real birthday party with friends. I do believe she had an exceptionally good day, as can be seen by one of the pictures were she is completely disheveled. She has seen her sisters have birthday parties and was old enough now to know she wanted the same thing. Somehow I managed to talk her out of a Chuck E Cheese party.....that was all she talked about after Abby's and even until 2 weeks before her birthday party. For some reason I thought it would be cheaper and less complicated to have it at home......I think I was wrong....but I don't care, home birthday parties are the best. Emily said she wanted a Cinderella cake up until a week before her birthday and then she changed to Tinker Bell. Good thing she has a mom that doesn't plan things way in advance and waits until the last minute. At least that way you can change things at the whim of a almost three year old.

We had our first outdoor birthday party. I always wanted a child to be born when you could actually have a birthday outside. But with September and August birthday with Olivia and Abby that doesn't happen in our neck of the woods. So a March birthday is perfect. The weather was great, a little windy but that is better than rain. We couldn't keep the candles lit but that didn't seem to bother Emily....she blew anyway.

I unfortunately spent most of the time in the kitchen, but I guess that is what happens when you plan things last minute. Fortunately I always have a very helpful sister in law that makes things much easier! And a dad who take lots of pictures and a husband taping the fun on camera. So the next day we watched the party on video!

Well I have 5 months before it is time to plan two more parties....maybe I will get it together by then!

Happy Birthday Emily

Emily turned three yesterday....her party will be Saturday so I will have pictures to post and more stories to tell.....but for right now I am going to let my mind wander through our past year with our little hellion! I know I shouldn't call her that but that is exactly what she is.....though I have to say yesterday she was such a good girl and we were out in public and everything and she really was quite obedient. I briefly thought.....could her terrible two's really be over the minute she turns 3! WhooHoo.......but I will have to get back with you on that one. She has been at MDO today so I am not sure what her day has been like....but I know her sweet teacher Ms. Mindy will be honest with me......she has her hands full with Emily and is never without a story for me when I come to pick her up. The other day Mrs. Sharon and Mrs. Mindy said they wished they had a video camera in the room. They could have won funniest home videos they said since they were both chasing Emily around the room hopping over kids napping trying to catch her....but enough of their memories....let me tell some of my own.Even though Emily can be a wild child she is a sweet child. She tells me she loves me all the time without being prompted. She loves to give kisses and she is quick to say thank you. She still loves that crazy paci and I don't know what we are going to do to get rid of it but it is time. She stays in her bed all night now ( her 4 year old sister doesn't even do that) and every morning she wakes up and tells me, "I stayed in my bed all night but Abby didn't! " She wakes up every morning with a smile on her face and a paci in her mouth....she says,"Hi Mommy!" Then her next statement is, "Where's Daddy" She loves to be thrown on the bed. That is something David started with the girls and they love it! I love her two front teeth that are so big and stick out. I call her beaver buck teeth and she always laughs when I say that. She loves to swing and have Abby take her for rides in the Jeep. Her and Abby love to play mommy and baby or puppy and mommy. Emily has no problem eating off the floor like a dog.The other day Emily threw a fit in a store so we promptly left. She threw a fit the entire way home. 20 minutes. I thought for sure this girl is going to get tired of crying and stop. Finally as we are pulling into the neighborhood she says, Mommy, I can't stop crying." Suddenly I started to feel sorry for her. I thought she really doesn't have any control over herself. I told her to take a deep breath and blow it out. She started to calm down. Later in the day, I believe, she hear me telling my mom this story.....because now quite often she tells me, Mommy I can't stop crying".....I no longer feel sorry for her. She is going to have to come up with a new story and I am sure she probably will.

As the years always go by quickly, this year was no exception....the changes are sometimes so subtle they go by unnoticed. One day your not rocking her to sleep anymore, she's going to the bathroom all by herself. Gone is the baby bed, the diapers, the bottles , the little bitty spoons and all the other things that say a baby lives in this house. Oddly enough that makes me sad....the truth be told I was putting off potty training Emily because I didn't want to stop buying diapers. That would have been a sure sign I didn't have a baby in the house anymore. But my husband and my mother wouldn't let it rest. That wanted that girl potty trained and she is!

So now we have a three year old living in the house....looking forward to all the fun and excitment that will bring........

I don't feel like going to school today Mom.....

I have been saving up all my stories and now I have time to blog them so here is another one.

Olivia woke up one morning this week and said, "Mom I don't feel like going to school today." I am hot, my throat is dry, my stomach feels weird, I don't want to be reminded that four of my friends left my class and went to Mrs. Fox's class and when you woke me up my best dream left and I can't get it back."

Well those are all very good reasons to not go to school but get your clothes on girl...your going to school.

The picture is of Olivia stating her case of why she doesn't feel like going to school.

Junk Hair Abby

This week we were getting ready to go somewhere and Abby had messed her hair up getting dressed. She came to me and said, "Mommy my hair is all messed up. I have "junk" hair!" Junk hair, I said...ummmmm. Abby replied, " yes you can call me Junk hair Abby."

So here we have a very pretty picture of Junk Hair Abby.

And one day Junk Hair Abby will appreciate the beautiful head of hair God gave her.

Happy Valentine's Day

Tonight we had our family Valentine dinner.....red table cloth, flowers, candles, lights down low, soft music and our best china ...the works. The table was beautiful. Now bring on the 2 year old the 4 year old and the 7 year old along with bacon, potato and cheese and heart shaped pancakes! Yes, that was the request from our silly girls. Abby wanted pancakes and Olivia wanted bacon potato and cheese. At least it is easy and it looks very nice on china. Of course we got the video camera out to record the moment. The girls loved helping their daddy set the table. Olivia loves drinking out of glasses with stems on them. Can't think of a better way to create some special Valentine memories.

Times Remembered.......

Well, last week was the anniversary of Emily's accident. Of course it came and went without fanfare but in the back of my mind I noted it and remembered back to those crazy couple of weeks and how God was so very faithful. I wasn't blogging back then so I did not have the opportunity to write it all down. And even though I said I was going to write the story in her baby book I have yet to do it. So I will take the time now and you would think since this happened a year ago, I wouldn't be able to remember everything.....funny thing is I can remember it all just as if it were yesterday.......It was Saturday morning and David and the girls were in the gameroom and I was in a bedroom. I knew David was using the paper shredder and when he hollered for me I knew it wasn't good. I ran to the gameroom picked Emily up and ran downstairs with her. I took one look at her hand and said we need to go the emergency room. I got a towel and wrapped her hand up and started praying out loud.....just talking to Jesus....and I had complete peace. We got everyone in the car and off we went. I sang songs and prayed the whole way, while Emily cried the whole way. David drove like a bat out of hell and the girls sat in the back very calm. I was calm the entire 2 hours we were in the ER. 1 1/2 of those hours the dr. was trying to sew up her fingers. She cried the entire time. But the peace of God was all over me. Normally I would have been a sobbing mess. There is no doubt God's presence is powerful in whatever form. Thank you Jesus for your peace that day. And for giving peace when we needed it and taking it away when we needed to look elsewhere for medical care. We were lead to the best possible Dr. out there and with the Lord's help he put Emily's precious little fingers back together again. Once again during Emily's surgery I had complete peace and what a blessing that is. The Bible talks about a peace that transcends all understanding. And that is what I had. I love those verses....
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:6-8

Another one was Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As traumatic as this event was (apparently to David and I only) the girls remember that day with giggles. Just a couple of months ago Abby was reminding me of the time her and Olivia went to the hospital in their PJ's, when Emily hurt her hand and Daddy was crying. They thought it was funny they got to wear pajamas in public. Once again God's provision and protection of Olivia and Abby. They were not negatively effected by the events of the day. Even seeing their Daddy upset, which normally would send Olivia over the edge! Thank you Jesus ...your mercies are indeed, new every morning.

Emily's fingers are not perfect...but she has them and they work just fine. They are a reminder to me of God's peace....His faithfulness and His provision.

Classic Olivia

David has been trying to give Olivia piano lessons for the second time now......but she is not interested in practicing.......David told her yesterday he wasn't giving her anymore lessons until she started to practice. As I was talking with her today about how much she wanted to learn piano and how she needed to practice if she wanted to learn she looks at me and says...."Mom, I go to Kuehnle Elementary now, I am seven years old and my life is just so different. I have lots of things to do now." Like what I asked, " I have to stay at school longer and I have lots of work." Whatever girl......you are just too big for your britches!

Olivia Takes Jesus To School

Olivia brought home some of her artwork from the first couple of weeks of school. I took this picture of the one I was most proud of. It was hanging on the wall of the classroom at the first open house. There was a picture of each child in the center then they were to write all the things they liked or things that were special to them around the picture. Of course the first thing I noticed on Olivia's was Jesus. I looked around at the other children's and no one else wrote down Jesus....it made me a little sad as I further adjusted to my child being in public school.

When Olivia brought the picture home the other day I looked at it again and begin to think why hadn't any other child put Jesus or God on theirs. I knew there were several other children that were Christians. Two of them even go to our church. Then I thought....Olivia was fresh off the boat from private school were they talked about Jesus all the time at school. These kids are used to just the opposite. They probably are conditioned not to think, talk or write about Jesus at school. They only do that at church. I thought I can't let that change Olivia. I want her to think, talk and write about Jesus at school. So I took the opportunity at that moment to go talk to her and tell her how proud I was to see that she wrote down how special Jesus was to her and let everyone else know that. I told her I know they don't talk about Jesus at this school like they did last year at her school, but that doesn't mean that you can't talk about him, I told her. And I hope that you will continue to do that even though that isn't what everyone else does. She did say her teacher does talk about God sometimes..... I don't know if that is true or not.....but I would like to think so!

Is It Christmas Yet????????

Well the Christmas season is here....yea!!!! It is so much more fun with kids...unfortunately we have opened the Christmas season with sickness. Yuck! Emily has missed school, Olivia has missed school and we have missed every Christmas party and other such festivities. So we are off to a rough start but there have still been a few funny things to note in the process. Like everyday Abby asking is it Christmas yet? This started the day after Halloween I do believe! Then it was when are we going to make our gingerbread (house). They had fun making it with Daddy. Decorating the tree was something else. Abby kept asking if we had anymore almonds. Finally we questioned her about the almond thing...to discover she was trying to say ornaments but was just being lazy. We had a few broken ornaments but everything got glued back together. It took two days to decorate the tree and a week to get the house decorated but it is done. Now we can sit back and enjoy being sick in a nicely decorated house!

We did venture out last night, because I was determined we weren't going to miss another Christmas outing, for our annual cousin's outing to The Galleria for pictures with Santa! In spite of runny noses we still had a pretty good time. No tears for Santa. Everyone smiled pretty. Though Olivia's nose was pretty red!. Abby asked Santa for a choo choo train and babydoll. What a combo but that is Abby. Emily asked for toys. And Olivia....well she was just there for the picture now that the truth has been exposed , she wasn't really interested in telling a strange man dressed up like Santa what she wanted her parents to buy her for Christmas! She said she wanted to know the truth but I knew she really didn't.

Olivia has missed two days of school and yesterday she was asking about going to school today. She said will I miss school tomorrow? She then said I like school but that is life...sometimes your sick and sometimes your not.