wishing...

...for slightly warmer weather. It's going to be quite a wait. These were making me laugh today. :)

HER day...

Yesterday was all about Molly. I did my VERY best to let the day be all about her...whatever she wanted to do. Here is what she chose:

1. balloons and donuts first thing in the morning

2. a bath with as many slides as she wanted (down the backside of our ridiculously small tub)

3. nails painted

4. photos to please her mama :)

5. lunch at Great-Grandma Bird's (G-Birdy)

6. stop by daddy's work for a quick hello...and candy

7. NO NAP...:(

8. a party with her one and only guest being Christy. Mommy's plans for the party went out the window. She wanted presents first, no games, a bit of cake, then play with her play-dough kit.

I think it was a great day. We love her so much. Hope she knows it.

january 5th...my 4th was born...

Three years ago today, this little gem was born. She was a firecracker from the beginning. A cute, bubbly, red-headed firecracker. I love this baby so much. She is funnier than any other 3 year old I know. She makes us laugh every single day. Laugh and smile...and what is better than that? Sometimes she makes me scream, but I choose not to honor those moments on this special day. :) She is my pal. We have a lot of fun together while the older 3 are at school. We run errands, she runs out into the parking lot, I chase her and holler, we apologize, we cuddle. She won't cuddle much, but when she does, it is heaven. I wish you all could feel it.

Molly is bright. She loves to learn new things, especially songs. I'm not sure, but I think she may be a musician in the future. She hears songs once, then she sings them. Her voice is like a squeaky, little angel. Beautiful. She took a long time to get the talking thing...a LONG time (like 22 months-ish), but doesn't stop now. She will have adult conversations with anyone who will listen. A REAL conversation...with some mess-up words every now and again, which only make it cuter. I love to listen to her as her brain speeds ahead, thinking of what to say. Hopefully someday, she can read this and know just how much joy she brings to me and her family. Complete joy.


These are of Molly earlier today, before the storm. :)

The following two are last year, then her first birthday...and her BIRTH-day (& a few days later).

aaaahhh...

I finally got to scrapbook last night with my dear friends Michelle and Brooke. :) I am not exactly your conventional scrapbooker. No chronological order, no huge events. I tend to scrapbook pictures that speak to me. Pictures that I love to stare at.


These pictures are so fabulous. Dave took them this summer when we went to see my brother Joe's house in Pennsylvania. It is an amazing place. Just the drive down the road to his house makes my heart race. It is THAT gorgeous. These are cousins from 3 families having fun playing spies together. Rachel's daughter Annie, 2 of Joe's boys...Matthew and Aaron, and my 4. Alex adores these big boy cousins of his. They are so good to him. They are so kind and patient. And Annie is basically a 5th child of mine. At least she used to be. Now they live in PA and we hardly get to see her. :( The kids adore her. I think these 2 pictures say all that I am fumbling around trying to.

BABW...

I'm not even sure what words to use to describe how great this experience was. After the kids opened gift cards to the Build-a-Bear Workshop from Grandpa and Grandma on Christmas, they couldn't stop talking about it. Christmas morning, we spent quite awhile on the internet looking at all the animals, clothing, accessories available. They knew just what they wanted.

We decided to go to the mall as soon as it opened. I desperately wanted to beat those "day after Christmas" crowds, so my kids could really enjoy things. We got there just after 8 am and were the 2nd people in the store. It stayed pretty mellow until we were just about to leave.

I really feel that every child, sometime in their life, needs a chance to go do this. The kids were so happy. They were excited about everything. Even Alex. Their smiles were huge the whole time, and you know how much joy that brings to a parent. I was even teary part of the time. When they are THAT happy, it is really hard to ignore. :)

After picking their bear and it's clothing, it gets stuffed. They decide how full they want it to be...how firm. They take a little cushy heart, rub it on their cheek, give it a kiss, and tuck it inside their bear. Then they "fake" bathe it, blow it dry, and go give it a name on the computer.

They leave with a birth certificate, clothes, accessories, a chintzy cardboard house, and smiles from ear to ear. Such a great morning. I wish there was a better way than writing, to capture all the emotions and feelings. I guess pictures will have to do. :) Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!

Our Christmas...

Christmas seems to have a whole new magic about it when you have children. I love these 4 little ones so much, and when they are excited, I am excited. My older 3 woke up somewhere around 6, then sat on the stairs waiting for Dave and I. We told them NOT to go into the living room and try to catch a glimpse of their presents...and you know what...they didn't. They are so obedient and so cute. At around 6:30 they started calling for us. It actually startled me out of my sleep. They were almost bouncing off the walls. About to burst. They begged to wake up little Molly and get things started.

This is just after each of them saw what was left by Santa. I realize it's not the greatest picture, but I love THEM in it. I love their tired/wired expressions. You can almost tell how big Alex is smiling from the back of his head!

Grandma and Grandpa gave us what? Build a Bear gift cards? (future post :))

I took adavantage of their happiness, and tried a few portraits. Alex was a doll. He loved his new "gifts rock" pajamas and wore them for a week straight, day and night. He seems to be looking older and so, SO handsome to me lately.

Lizzy got all sorts of animals. She LOVES animals. She was teary when she saw her 3 new beanie babies. She is so easy to please. So gracious. And just look at her hair!

Emily was the happy recipient of a digital camera. She has wanted one for a LONG time, and her wish came true. She carried that thing around (and still IS) all day, slung over her shoulder in it's little padded bag. She took pictures non-stop. Dave thought she looked like a japanese tourist. I wanted to kiss her. She was so happy and I loved it.

All Molly asked Santa for was a "doggie that you push the button and it goes ruff-ruff". She got one. She loved it. I had to wake her from her nap for her pictures before the sun went down, hence the puffy eyes and 1/2-smile. I want to eat this kid.

We spent the day looking, over and over again, at all our treasures. Ate yummy food. Played games together. It was quiet, happy, peaceful. Most years I am aching for my family back in Delaware. This year was a little bit different. I still wished we were there, but I was content with being here. I was happy being here. I had my 5 greatest joys with me all day. We celebrated the birth of our Savior together. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

And a few by the budding photographer!

welcome to 2009...

Another Schofield bash last night! This time at John and Kara's. John is #2 of the Schofield 13. We have LOTS of parties at their house. Such a blast. We love our cousins. :) They had made Ropa Vieja, which is hands down the BEST soup I have ever tasted in my life. Dave and I got the recipe years ago from my sister Tracy (a total conniseur). She used to call it "Dirty Laundry" soup ("old clothes"), and the name stuck. Anyhow...it takes hours to prepare, but is so worth every bit of effort. I had 3 bowls...in my big, fat, bloated pregnant state. We also had a chocolate fountain, complete with cherries, pretzels, oranges, pears, cinnamon bears, marshmallows, donut holes, pineapple, and the list goes on. HEAVEN. At 8 pm, John pushed the clock forward to 11:50, and we PARTIED. The level of mess in their living room was actually making my heart race. It was a disaster! Cleaned up well though. Games, laughing, noisy chaos, and we loved every minute of it!...I'll post Christmas tomorrow. :)