Saturday, December 26, 2009

Henry is 7 months!

Walter Henry you are SEVEN Months Old!!!







You have slept for 8 hours straight for the last three nights, I think we might have reached the sleeping all night milestone.

You wear a size S diaper cover and an infant prefold.


You wear size 6 -9 month clothes.





You can sit unassisted for short periods of time though you're still just a little wobbly.





You scoot backwards on your belly and yell when you get stuck under tables, chairs, etc.



You have eaten rice, oatmeal, bananas, green beans and apples. You don't like your food room temperature, it must be warm. No eating straight from the jar for you!



You got your first tooth 2 weeks ago.

You got in the Jumperoo last week and really seem to like hanging out there.

You moved into a convertible car seat.

You weigh 17 lbs 13 oz.






In some ways I can't believe 7 months has passed since your birth and in others it seems as though you've always been here. You are a sweet little guy who rarely makes a peep. You are very loved by ALL of your family both near and far.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours . . . .









And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.



Luke 2: 9-14


Thursday, December 17, 2009

You oughta be in pictures

When Kent's family was over for Thanksgiving, we had a little photo shoot.
I actually took this picture with the timer on our camera. I have a Canon EOS Rebel XS and I think one of it's best features is that you can set the timer to take 10 pictures in a row. We've used it the last few years and have managed to get better pics than when someone else is controlling the camera (I think it's because the kids aren't distracted by what someone is doing. They just look at the constantly flashing light. LOL)
All the kids with their Great-Grandparents. Griffin and (Walter) Henry are named after Grandpa.

Kent with his parents and brother.
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Monday, December 14, 2009

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack

After more than a week with no computer power cord (mine blew up!). I have power and can re-enter the blogging world. I just couldn't get the whole mobile blogging thing to work. LOL

Monday tends to be a bit stressful around here so I hope to have something up for your viewing pleasure in the next day or two. :)

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Thanksgiving #2

A few years ago we started the tradition of staying home on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. We will travel to other places to celebrate but on the actual day we stay home. We invite anyone who would like to join us to come over. We had a really good turnout this year.


Mom and Dad were able to come.


As well as Uncle Kirk and Grandma and Grandpa Lawrence.



Uncle Phillip, Aunt Vicki, Brooke, Joey and Calen joined us as well. We had plenty of food. The kids requested Nana bring a banana pudding, fried potatoes and dressing. Aunt Vicki brought a whole smoked turkey and several sides. We had a TON of food. I'm sure we could have easily fed twice as many people.











I'm not sure who is having more fun here - the boys or Uncle Phillip. :) The kids all have a special fondness for Uncle Phillip (and the rest of the family!) and want to invite him to anything they can think of at our house. They love for Uncle Phillip, Aunt Vicki, Brooke, Joey and Calen to come over.





We did some minor rearranging to facilitate photo taking in front of the fireplace and Ben and Griffin determined that the triangle made by the wall, couch and school chest were great for hide and seek. They kept poking their heads through the cracks and saying "You can't find me" and "Where me at?". LOL


Henry kept Granddaddy entertained. :)


Thanksgiving was also Henry's 6 month birthday and Griffin wanted in on the pictures with "Walter Henry bug".


When I finished taking their picture Griffin wanted to take a picture of me with Henry. I think he needs a little practice and maybe two feet added to his stature. LOL




Ben was playing a game with Granddaddy where he would get in a chair and jump on Granddaddy. Granddaddy would tickle him, Ben would act like he didn't like it and then do it again. :)

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Center of attention

What is it about the baby of the family? They seem to think they are the center of the universe. LOL


Cousin Raegen recently loaned his old Bumbo seat to Henry. To say that Henry likes it would be an understatement. He loves his new perspective on the world. We sit him in the middle of the table at supper time and he can be part of what the rest of us are doing and enjoy the conversation.
It is a little difficult to get the other kids to use good manners. It's kind of hypocritical to tell Madisyn to get her elbows off the table when Henry is perched in the middle of it.
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Dirty Little Rock Star

Just before bed one night, Ben discovered the hot chocolate mix.
Exhibit A

Exhibit B

His latest hair cut has left him with hair that seems to want to stand on end. I thought he was kind of cute and Kent thought he looked like a little rock star. I don't know about the musical ability but he definitely has the loud obnoxious screaming part down.



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Monday, November 30, 2009

All Aboard!!

Little Logan arrived around the same time as Izzy and his aunt asked me to fix him up with some burp cloths. Logan's daddy works for the railroad so I was able to try out a new design.
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Christmas Elf

At the ripe old age of four, Griffin is really into dressing himself. I use my veto power during the day but at night he tends to mismatch his pajamas. On this night he also discovered a size 12 months Christmas sweater. Being the creative being he is, he of course tried it on. I think it really sets the ensemble, don't you?
It's a good thing we don't do Santa around here. He might have been taken to the North Pole and put to work!
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Fly on the Wall

Yesterday we were at an open house for an upcoming auction. Papaw was there and he pretty much always has candy in his truck for the kids. Kent reached in to get a piece and Griffin warned him about the "toothpaste chocolate". Griffin kept going on and on about how Papaw had bought toothpaste chocolate and it was nasty so Daddy don't get a piece. Kent poked around in the console a little and discovered the offending candy. Most people know it as Ande's mints. He thought the mint tasted like toothpaste!

Friday, November 27, 2009

D is for Dinosaur

My little FOUR year old is starting to read! It's oh so exciting. He has sounded out several words with my help but two weeks ago, he read 4 words on his own! Maybe I can figure out how to get video on here. But that's not the point of this post - well, not entirely.

I have mentioned before that we made a curriculum switch to My Father's World . Griffin begged to do school so he started Kindergarten this year. In the past we have used Saxon Math and Phonics for K and 1st grade and I'm not completely sold on MFW K and 1st but I *heart* MFW Adventures and I'm curious to see how they will all mesh together. I really think Saxon is a great program and plan to stick with their math throughout all our homeschooling days. The phonics worked really well and Madisyn has a good grasp of the "whys" behind reading which is my only fault with MFW. Since Griffin is/was studying Dinos we went on a dino hunt. The last time we went to the Pink Palace was about 2 years ago. He didn't remember anything about it and was a little concerned that the dinos might try to get him. I have never been to the actual "Pink Palace" portioned of the museum but I would love to go tour it some time. The museum part is free on Tuesday afternoons and touring it as the solo adult w/ 5 little ones (mainly 2 certain boys ;) ) is about all I can handle. :)

The triceratops in the background used to move around and growl. There is a little sign up about how he's in "retirement". I believe he's been that way for over 20 years. I do realize that their are budget cuts but I so wish the dino could be repaired or replaced so that future generations could experience a "living" dino.
Believe it or not, that was the best I could do. No one was interested in having their picture taken. Griffin wanted to hurry up to see if he could find a living dino.


Griffin with another dino so he could show daddy. LOL Once he realized that dinos were dead (except for lizards, etc) he had a much better time.



This is a leg bone from a brontosaurus (I think, can't remember exactly). It's the equivalent of our femur (thigh bone).






I had to go up the stairs a pretty good way to get the entire woolly mammoth. I think Griffin grasped what a four year old could. His favorite part of the trip was visiting the model of the first Piggly Wiggly. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures there.



Since Christmas is a coming, the Enchanted Forest is set up in the mezzanine of the museum. Madisyn took this picture as proof that both Henry and I were in attendance. I think I might have a budding photographer on my hands.

This blog post was brought to you by the letter D and the number 8.




Thursday, November 26, 2009

Henry is 6 months old!

Walter Henry - You are SIX months old!




You wear size 3-6 months clothes and a few 6-9 month.
You wear a size small diaper cover.
You can hold yourself up on your arms while in the floor for several minutes.
You love for someone to hold you so you can stand.









You suck your two middle fingers often though not for long (several times a day for only a minute or two).



You have slept through the night several times but haven't done it on a consistent basis.

You sleep in the crib in Mommy and Daddy's room.





You *love* the bumbo seat. We sit you in the middle of the table while eating supper and you can see everything that is going on.



You can sit up if we hold your legs down. You have the upper body strength to hold your trunk but you fall over easily.



You weigh 16 lbs. 4 oz.


You have a definite fondness for your sister. You light up when she comes in the room.

You frequently stick your tongue out, I think a tooth is coming but it hasn't broken through yet.

You have an infectious laugh. I love to hear you chuckle.

You are a very loved and treasured little man. :)


Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I hope that at this very busy time of year, you stop and THANK the Lord for all he has done and continues to do in your life. If it weren't for the grace of God we would all be lost and headed for an eternity of pain in hell. Thanks be to God that he sent his only son so that we could have something to be thankful for on this glorious day.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psalms 100 : 4


I plan to come back tonight and blog about Henry's HALF YEAR birthday but I wanted to share a little from our Richardson family Thanksgiving a few days ago.



We decided to have a family Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday but it was proceeded by a funeral of a very dear lady from my home church. I would like to share a little of my thoughts during her funeral.

She taught Sunday School for as long as I can remember and was very involved in mission work. In fact, she was telling us about a particular missionary when I decided I needed the Lord, just like those people the missionaries were talking to. As I was sitting there listening to her pastor tell of all the wonderful things she had done and how much of herself she poured into others, I realized just how true it was. The preacher at a funeral generally tries to comfort the family and friends by expounding upon the good qualities of the deceased. If anything, he barely scratched the surface. Mrs. Georgia was a great lady and will be sorely missed. I have no doubt that she is having the best Thanksgiving Feast ever with her Heavenly Father.

Her funeral also caused me to think about the legacy we leave behind.

Will I be known as the grandmother that sat in the back with the kids and read stories just so I could be with them?

Will be remembered as the Mom that always welcomed my children's friends with open arms and an open pantry?

Will I be remembered as the wonderful lady whom on my death bed, was more concerned about others and making them comfortable than I am about my own infirmities?

It's definitely something to ponder on this holiday and every day. Our day to day actions speak much louder than what goes on during a few special days. We are remembered for the everyday - not just the 'special'.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program . . .


****************************

While Mimi, Granddaddy, Aunt Robin and I were at the funeral. Daddy and Uncle Billy stayed behind with the kids. When we returned this is what we found. The dads had no idea that the kiddos had been sneaking cookies. In fact, they didn't believe it happened at first but you can't really argue with cookies in the floor. :)
Finally, everything is ready and Uncle Justin brings on the turkey. Since it was such a nice day, we decided to dine outside. I don't believe we've ever done that before.

The hungry masses. :)


My little turkey with his turkey. Ben can be fickle. He picked at most of his food (could it be he had too many cookies) but gobbled up the turkey.





As soon as I said I wanted a picture, Griffin shoved another bite in his mouth. I included it anyway because I think it shows the 'cut-up' part of his personality.


The Stains enjoying their meal. Raegen is talking so well know. He cracks me up. He calls Billy 'Dad' most of the time. We went for a little drive and Robin was giving Billy directions. Parrot Rae-Rae was in the back saying "Turn weft, Dad" . It cracked me up.




Ty would not sit up and act right. Aunt Kristen should have bonked him over the head. ;) It was a little cool for Izzy to join us outdoors so Mimi sat inside with her.





The first Witcher boy I fell for and the last.

The seven grandkids - Back Row: Madisyn (8) holding Izzy (3 weeks) and Ty (7) holding Henry (6 months). Front: Ben (2), Raegen (2), and Griffin (4).
I will praise the name of God with a song,
and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:30