Happy Birthday Kinsley!!

We celebrated one year of life for this spunky girl this evening.  I think she liked her birthday though she was clearly overwhelmed by the attention sometimes.

Julia's schedule was packed today, and I was grateful Zach was home.  I have finally returned to Jazzercise after three weeks of nursing an injury, so I was able to attend my normal two Saturday morning classes because Zach took Julia to cheer practice.  I then took her to her tumbling class and then spent the afternoon at the home of one of her classmates so that they could build a moon station together.  The moon station took much longer than expected, so we went straight to the party from there. I did not have my good camera, so I took pictures with my phone, and it just isn't the same when you are used to better quality pictures.  I am disappointed with the pictures I got (my cake pictures were completely blurred), but we still had a great time.

At one-year-old, Kinsley likes to dance, and this girl can really put a swing on her back porch.  She loves anything with lights and noise.  Mickey Mouse Playhouse is her favorite TV show, and she can spot a cell phone sticking out of a pocket.  She loves cell phones.  Her favorite toys include Go Go V-Tech sets and animals. We got her some animals, and I have to say that the monkey and elephant are particularly cute.  

She didn't have any help getting that cake all over her face.

Regan cracks me up.  She says the funniest things.  She and Ira were big helpers for the opening of gifts.

Ira is a piece of work.  He has this sweet little voice and is the cutest thing, but he has this rebellious streak that he just won't let go.

Isaac is perfectly content.  You have to be when you have such strong personalities in your older siblings.

Happy Birthday Kinsley!  Last night gave me some great Christmas ideas.

If I Could Turn Back Time...

For the first time ever, I am able to share some of the professional portraits we gathered of our kids over the years.  When Zach was a baby, we started this, and we continued it until just over a year ago when this had to be dropped along with many other things from our budget.  I always justified this expenditure by reminding myself that we don't get these years back.  I chose a photographer who backed up his files multiple times so that I could get these back if something happened to our home.

Under duress, our photographer has had to close his business.  We received the opportunity to purchase our files at an amazing rate because they would be destroyed otherwise. When first approached about this opportunity, I knew I could not afford it, but Angie was so gracious to work with me.  I never shared the photos before because I feel strongly about honoring the photographer's rights, but we now have permission. We built a great friendship with the staff over the years and are so saddened that things are ending this way. Darwin's love of photography has not stopped.  His daughter is a photographer, and he will continue his work with her.  He just won't have a studio any longer.  His assistant, Angie, possesses great talent, and we pray for the paths that God has in store for these wonderful people.

I remember our first session.  I walked into that studio with a sleeping three-month-old Zach in my arms.  He would not budge.  Darwin was patient, and we ultimately decided to reschedule.  My mom returned with Zach for a morning session.  Four years later the staff delighted in Savannah when she showed up with a fun hat for her session.  Julia shocked them when she lifted a heavy prop at two years old, and Wyatt would not put down his video game while they changed the background for one of his sessions.

I still want to back up these files, so I will do that through Snapfish and Nation's Lab.  I will house the disks at someplace away from home after backing all of these up online.  I am not sure if that will be a relative's house, or if I will try and fit them in a safe deposit box.  I am not sharing these in any particular order.  I am just pulling out what is on top in the bag.  I may reorganize later.

Julia - 18 months

I am finding that this is taking much longer than expected, so this will be a long project.

Julia - 7 years

Savannah - 8 years

Julia -2 years

This is the heavy prop Julia lifted during this session.

Savannah -13 years

You were beginning to think I never had the boys photographed, weren't you?

Wyatt - 8 years

Zach - 15 years

Julia - 6 years

All Photos courtesy of Darwin's Photography

Snow Day

After a crummy night of sleep, I might have ordinarily been grateful for the snow day we got today.  However, I have never experienced a snow day so early in the year, and I am worried about a second school year ending well into June.  Admittedly, I did get some things done that I have been meaning to do for a while.

The kids embraced the day.  Julia had a friend over for the entire day, and Wyatt had a friend over for a couple of hours.

Savannah took her first solo drive on iffy roads (okay, her first ever drive on iffy roads).  She then pulled out her drawing journal and finished a piece she started in the summer.  Savannah told me that she did not think she would like this piece when she stopped working on it this summer.  However, she changed her mind with her work today.  I personally love it.

Driving! Actually taking a selfie before driving home.

Drawing!

All About Wyatt

If you have a conversation of any length with Wyatt, you are bound to hear "YOLO GG Swagg!" exclaimed.

Translation:

YOLO - you only live once

GG- good game

Swagg - cool confidence

You might also hear "'Sup?!"  translation -What's up?!

He still likes food and loves when the family is all together around the dinner table.  Wyatt is always excited for dinner.  

Wyatt spends his afternoons playing Legend of Zelda or Minecraft.  For his upcoming birthday or Christmas, he wants a 3DS.  He has worn his out and knows they are beyond the budget, so he is well aware that this might be a combination gift.

He goes to school often looking like a mad scientist with wrinkled pants or a crookedly buttoned shirt.

He earns solid grades, and he has adjusted very nicely to middle school.  Wyatt complains about things like assigned lunch tables that separate him from his friends.  He works hard to finish his homework before the bus picks him up at school to bring him home.  As a result he's so distracted that he has missed the bus once. A friend realized that Wyatt was not there in time for the bus to turn around for him.   

We can tell him where to meet us after church and run into him as he heads in the wrong direction to try and meet us.  He might be 11 but in public we still have to track him like a five-year-old :)  Speaking of such, we hope that a major growth spurt awaits him in the future.  At his recent band concert, Wyatt stood a full head shorter than everyone else in the band.

Our kids call him Tangerine because it rhymes with his middle name.  He hates being called Tangerine, and he hates his middle name.  Savannah paid for accidentally letting his middle name  slip on the bus one day.  Wyatt came home in quite a mood.

 

Right now Wyatt mentions daily that he cannot wait to put up the Christmas tree.  He loves that tree! Unfortunately, Wyatt owns the fewest ornaments- something we do hope to change.

He's still affectionate and a ready helper when something needs to be done.  We love this guy!

She passed!

After three attempts to schedule the test (government bureaucracy at its finest), Savannah finally took her road test today.  She passed.  Savannah does not rattle easily over tests, and that's a good thing since her instructor showed up at our house instead of school to take her to the test.  Their shortened time together meant very little pre-test practice.  

This experience differed for her from Zach's.  Zach gave up his learner's permit and received his actual license on the day he took his road test.  His license had a sticker on it to indicate that it was a restricted license.  That sticker was removed six months later at the County Clerk's office.  Savannah kept her learner's permit, and the sticker was placed on it which makes more sense.  I guess she will get her new card indicating that she is fully licensed in six months - if she doesn't blow it and have to start over from scratch.  While free to drive on her own, Savannah must live with some restrictions for the next six months.  She cannot drive from midnight until 6:00 a.m., and she cannot drive with more than one non-family member in the car.

I took her out to celebrate with dessert from a local ice cream and bakery shop.  I thought she would be more excited, but her excitement over passing the road test was dampened by a very difficult physics test today.  Andy and I lost some of our joy in the occasion when he added her to our car insurance -- a big drain on our income.  Yikes!

Savannah enjoyed cookies 'n' creme cheesecake while I enjoyed one of the best desserts known to man - pecan pie with chocolate chips.  I also celebrated the fact that for the first time in a couple of weeks, I came home from work and did not take pain medication.  I still have pain, but it has been bearable today.  It's worse in the morning and improves gradually throughout the day.  I know I will likely take something before I go to bed, but one small victory gives me hope that this may soon be behind me (that may or may not be a pun).

Oh My Aching Back

Nobody likes a whiner, so I warn you not to read this post if you don't want to put up with whining.

I am entering week three of a trial I never expected and could certainly leave off of future plans.  Exactly a week ago today after a week of pain, I was diagnosed with lower back muscle spasms.  By the time I succumbed to seeking medical help, I could barely dress myself.  Forget about shoes and socks. Within two days of medication, my pain was much better, but I found a new problem.  In my attempt to compensate for my aching back, I created another problem which resulted in shooting pain from my lower back to my knees.  I tried everything initially. I tried working out and stretching my back. I tried resting (as much as that is possible with a full time job and busy household).  Nothing short of muscle relaxers worked.

On Sunday when my new pain reached its peak, I left church early and immediately called my doctor.  I knew that I had promised a shopping trip for Operation Christmas Child to the kids, and I planned to take a few hours to actually ice my back.  Monday was only slightly better, and today only a bit better than yesterday.  My doctor told me that if it was more than muscle then I could be in for a complicated and long treatment plan.  I am still holding out hope that this is not my sciatic nerve, or that my current treatment will soon yield much better results.  I certainly don't want to return to the doctor.  We have not met our deductible, but we have depleted our FSA, so I could not afford the first visit much less more or an addition of PT.

In the end this certainly brings perspective.  My dad recently had problems with his sciatic nerve.  I have a new sympathy for what he endured.  I have watched my husband who already works hard at his job and then comes home and works hard for his family take on even more responsibility because of my limited mobility.  Prior to this setback, I was on a roll with my workouts and on target to finish 150 Jazzercise classes by the end of the year.  I think that train just left the station.  While it could be worse, this is a reminder that I take my health for granted.  My kids have been very good helpers during this time.  They can drive me crazy with their messiness and laziness, but when the need is great, they rise to the occasion.

Ring Ceremony, Class of 2016

Big day for Savannah!  She received her class ring along with several of her classmates tonight.

Zach's ceremony seemed more meaningful to me.  They kept the focus on the community of the class and the rings while Savannah's ceremony almost seemed more like a graduation.  Zach's ceremony occurred during the day followed by a nice luncheon.  Savannah's ceremony took place in the evening which allowed for Andy to attend as he could not attend Zach's.  It made it easier for me to attend, but I definitely think there should have at least been a dessert reception afterward.  Instead, it was a crazy free for all as people tried to gather for pictures.  I will also say that Zach also visited his elementary campus which was near the luncheon and shared his big day with the teachers who remembered him, and I know the teachers loved that a few students did that.  Savannah's class was not afforded the same opportunity.

I love the cut and color of Savannah's stone.  It is really eye-catching in the right light.  Because her name is long, and her ring is small, she opted to have her last name on one side of the stone and her class year on the other.  One side of her ring reflects her school experience with both visual and musical arts.  The other side includes her sports: field hockey and track along with a cross.  She really debated about field hockey since she has not played since freshman year, but I reminded her that for most students a class ring is solely a high school ring.  However, Savannah has attended the same school since kindergarten making this a school ring, and she spent more years playing field hockey than track, so it makes sense.  

We finished the evening with ice cream and a few friends.  Savannah is having a very stressful junior year, but good things are happening weekly.  Class ring this week, maybe a restricted driver's license next?  - We shall see.

Frugal Moms tip:  We paid for Savannah's ring by saving for it from the time she was in elementary school.  All the kids have savings accounts that were started when they were babies or when they joined the family.  We put a very small amount in each of those accounts each pay period.  We started with $5 per child.  When they reached fourth grade, we doubled that amount. Just a little bit accumulates nicely over time, and these accounts should cover class rings, senior pictures, and the senior trip.  Our original goal was that they would kick-start college, but high school has its own pricey details.  Zach's account has covered some college expenses, and Savannah's account covered the fee for her dual credit class which will give her four hours of college credit when she completes it.