JM is driving solo now!

JM has been driving for over a year now with his learner's permit. He has taken driver's education at school and passed. He has even taken the state test during driver's ed at school.
So, finally, the day has come... the day he shows up and drives with a DMV appointee.
JM...

a little nervous!

Ready to go for his driving test...

JM waiting on Jon, the DMV appointee who is going to drive with him.

"Look mom...

I passed! I got my license!"

After it was all over and JM was back home...

he was worn out after all that hard work! He barely handed Grandpa his wallet so Grandpa could check out his license!
I can't believe he is old enough to drive!
I'm lucky that he is a very good driver.
Still doesn't keep me from worrying about him, but I know he is cautious when he drives.

Friday Foto Fiesta (finally)!!

Yea! It's Friday! Time to whip out a great pic and play along with Candid Carrie!

As I have been trying to decorate my hallway with pictures, I ran across this one...

... JM and Magic.

Of course, this is a really old picture. Magic was a puppy I got shortly before I found out I was pregnant with JM. She is a Cocker Spaniel and was one of the best tempered dogs around. She loved JM and from the first day home, she would poke her nose into his cradle to watch over him. Sadly, when I was pregnant for Annie, my dad accidently ran over Magic. I was heartbroken and I cried and cried and cried.

I cherish this picture. If you look close, or click on it to blow it up.. she is giving JM kisses. It was captured amazingly well, and normally, I am not a big fan of puppy kisses... but it was different with Magic. She was human, just covered by fur.

Join in the fun and post a fabulous picture and visit Candid Carrie and sign in for a fantastic Friday!

Way Back When-sday

Time for way back When-sday!

Since we are gearing up for Easter around here... I just wanted to post a pic that was taken just 1 year ago!

Amazing how much the girls and JM have changed in 1 yrs time!
I loved JM with his short hair.... *sigh*
Courtney in this pic has really short hair and now she has a whole head full!

Join along in the fun... visit Twinfatuation and post those pics from days gone by!

Way Back When-sday

On this Way Back When-sday, I wanted to feature someone who has always been apart of my life... just as if she was blood related...

My parents neighbor Shirley.

This is a pic of her and JM in 1994. She still looks like this. Actually, she has looked the same for over 30yrs! I swear she never ages! Anyway, she is a wonderful lady and still waves at us as we drive by. I promised years ago to bring this picture to her... think I might just do that this May.

Join in Way Back When-sday by visiting Twinfatuation.
Play along... you know you want to!
C'mon... its fun!

Happy 16th Birthday JM!!!

So, JMs day started out with me singing Happy Birthday to him! Though, I told him he isn't 16 until 5pm tonoc b/c that is when he was born! He weighed in at a whooping 6lbs 9oz. He was 21in long. He had blondish hair and really dark blue eyes....

JMs hospital picture.

I thought he looked so much like his dad's family!

Once home, he slept in a cradle underneath a window b/c we had some jaundice issues...

This is a special cradle my Grandma passed through our family.

When JM was about 6mo old, my parents and I went to Indy to visit...

and we went to the zoo and visited lots of places. JM and I were pretty tired!

JM...

1994... he was almost 2 in this picture. He was so smart. He could spell 3 letter words (like cat, mom, dad, dog) at 2.

JM and I....

1996... he was 3 in this picture.

JM really wanted a sibling...

in 1997, he got Annie. He was 4 when she was born.

JM really adored her for the first year or two...

Annie (1) and JM (5)... Christmas 1998.

JM (7) and Annie (3)...

Christmas 2000.

My kids....

Christmas 2002... Sammy (2), JM (9), and Annie (5)

Annie (6) and JM (10)...

Christmas 2003.

Annie (7), Sammy (4) and JM (11)....

Christmas 2004.

JM and the twins....

Aug 2007. JM was 14 in this picture.

Going out for my birthday in 2008....

Sammy (7), JM (soon to be 15), and Jonah (soon to be 5).

My birthday party this year....

Cadie and her 'bubby'... a month or so ago.

I will post pics from later today tomorrow. We are taking JM out for dinner. I have to go by the school today and surprise him with something. I can't believe he is 16. Just seems like time has flown by! Almost over noc he has went from being a kid to a teenager!

***Sorry I am missing pics from 2005 and 2006... I didn't have any of those pics scanned into my computer***

On this noc...

On this noc in 1993, I was just getting to the hospital (about 1830).
My water had broke some time around 8am and I had a heck of a time convincing my parents that my water had broke.
I attended classes, had already changed clothes 2x that day and came home from class to change yet again! Thank goodness for dark pants so no one could really tell my water had broke! Plus, it wasn't a huge gush, just a trickle, like a slow leak.
I will have to dig up pics from this day in 1993.

I will definately have a post dedicated to JM tomorrow!

Friday Foto Fiesta

Ahhhhh.... its Friday!!!

Yeah!

Too bad I have a meeting today, but I think we will be going out to supper tonoc.

So, that makes it all OK!!

My picture for today is JM and Cadie...

Cadie calls JM "bubby" and she was rather upset that "bubby" was leaving.

Click on over to Candid Carrie and join in the fun!

Let the countdown begin...

My idea was to post this picture yesterday...

for Way Back When-sday.

However, I forgot yesterday was When-sday!!

I did realize yesterday though, that it is 1 week until my oldest baby turns 16.

Where did that time go? I can't believe he will be 16.

This week back in 1993, I spent my time not doing much except going to school and coming home. I wasn't due until March 25, 1993 and JM had already demonstrated that he didn't like his womb environment anymore...

Valentine's Weekend Recap

Friday, the kids got out of school early. Jen and I decided to take our crew over to Peoria to have their pictures taken. It was pure chaos... but we loved every minute of it!

All of the kids...

Jonah, Annie, Hannah, Jeffrey and Sammy
Courtney, Emma and Cadie

My crew...

Jonah, Annie, Jeffrey, Sammy, Courtney and Cadie

The 3 amigo's....

Courtney, Emma, and Cadie

This was to be the twins 2 yr pic...

Courtney... Cadie wouldn't cooperate and sit on the blocks with her sister!


Cadie...

Finally got her to smile!

Courtney...

this is her 2yr picture

Cadie...


pouting!!!

We had so much fun... of course trying to get the twins to cooperate is always a challenge!

Monday MeMe- Pictures of Christmas's past

Every Monday I host a MeMe.... just for fun!
Play along if you like, leave me a comment and I will add a link to your blog!
Up this week is pictures of past Christmas'.

Christmas 1974:

Mike, Me and Penny

Christmas 1994:

JM (21mo)

Christmas 1997:

JM (4) & Annie (1 day)

Christmas 2004:

Annie (7), Sammy (4) and JM (11)

Christmas 2007:

Annie (10) holding Cadie (11mo), Jonah (4), Sammy (7) holding Courtney (11mo)

Hope every has a very Merry Christmas and a blessed Holiday season!

Playing along this week...

Jen

Up next week:
12-29: New Year's Resolutions

The Tree is UP!

Ok. I think next year... the weekend after Thanksgiving I will be putting up our tree! I feel like Ole St. Nick is knocking at my door and I am not even close to being ready!

Anyway, the kids and I had lots of fun decorating our tree. Normally, I am one of those people who has perfect placement of ornaments on the tree (think of Monica from Friends). However, this year, there wasn't any stopping, organizing or doing much more than just sit back and watch in wonder...

Sammy hanging up his decorations.

Jason and Cadie...

...this is just after we pulled Cadie out of the tree! I had used a step-stool to reach the top of the tree when stringing lights and Cadie found it quite handy when hanging ornaments, however, she misjudged a step and fell over INTO the tree! Amazingly, it didn't knock it over! Daddy just had to console her a little and she was right back at hanging ornaments!

Courtney...

...was slow and determined at her attempts to hang ornaments. Cadie would hang 2 or 3 to 1 of Courtney's!

Cadie...

... back on the footstool. She would occasionally look back and double check that she was indeed hanging the ornament in the correct position!

Courtney...

... a little backwards on her ornament hanging, though is getting the hang of it!

JM...

...even as the oldest, he had fun helping the babies, and made sure to hang his ornaments the highest on the tree!

Anna...

...got the important job of stringing the garland!

BEHOLD....

OUR CHRISTMAS TREE!


For those who wonder how I keep the tree in one piece and standing...

YEP... those are 2 gates!
I also took all the glass ornaments and set them aside. I think maybe 3 ended up on the tree, but the majority never made it out of their box for this year!

Actually, my bright idea was to move the one gate (the stretchy evenflo gate) out of the doorway by the front entry. This left this doorway open, but as long as the 2 other gates were closed, there wasn't anyway the girls could get to the Christmas tree or go up the stairs. However, last noc, I quickly learned that the girls have figured out how to break down the stretchy gate!

*sigh*

Since I had a "spare" gate in the garage (bought it for the stairwell, but it was too small), I had my FIL drag it out of the garage, I cleaned it up and that will be my husband's project tonoc. Put up the metal gate, they won't be able to climb it or knock it over! The stretchy gate will go back to its home over the entry way doorway (as seen below)!


I am hopeful that maybe next Christmas... we will be able to have our house opened back up! I think I have a gate in almost every doorway now!

Baby Picture Sunday- Color me RED!

It is time for Baby Picture Sunday - up this week: COLOR ME RED!


This is from many many years gone by...

that was my very special Christmas outfit... 1973.

ok, so these guys aren't really babies anymore...

however, my scanner still isn't working... so you get a pic of the big kids!

lastly, this was taken last fall...

Cadie was chewing on the gate and Courtney was trying to sit still so I could get a good pic of them for their first Christmas!

Jump over to Who Says Eight is Enough to play along and check out Debi's fabulous blog!

Way Back When-sday

WoW!!!
Time for Way Back When-sday!
I get to share a pic from days gone by with all of you!

This is JM and Annie...

date: Dec 1999

I love this picture! Hard to imagine them ever being this little... but they were once!

Click on over to Twinfatuation to play along with Way Back When-sday!

Baby picture Sundays: Holiday Babies

Debi over at Who Says Eight is Enough? hosts Baby Picture Sunday.

Here are a few baby pictures that I can share. *currently, my scanner isn't working... so this is the best that I have*

Christmas 1997:

Big brother JM and 1 day old Annie

Christmas 2002:

Annie and Sammy with Santa

Christmas 2003:

Annie and JM

Christmas 2007:

Cadie and Courtney

Hop on over to Who Says Eight is Enough? and play along!