Irish Blessing...

Sleep, my babe, lie still and slumber,
All through the night
Guardian angels God will lend thee,
All through the night
Soft and drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
Mother dear her watch is keeping,
All through the night
God is here, you'll not be lonely,
All through the night
'Tis not I who guards thee only,
All through the night
Night's dark shades will soon be over,
Still my watchful care shall hover,
God with me
His watch is keeping,
All through the night

don't watch the video (its annoying)...just a good song :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hsHBsK30eU

Avery's Favorite Song this Week

Avery belts out this song, when she hears it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bap-oZI-Grc

It never seizes to amaze me how much the word "stupid" is used these days. Our kids aren't allowed to say it, so when they hear it they tend to make a surprised gasp-like sound, as if they can't believe its on the radio or the TV. Anyways...the word is in this song. Avery made the usual gasp-like sound, when she heard it yesterday...and then she explained the following:

"Mommy...I know why that girl said the naughty word." (Avery)
"Oh, yeah? Why?" (me...smiling)
"Cuz she has issues." (Avery)
"Yes, you are right...that's what she said, wasn't it?!" (me...laughing hysterically)

I think she's going to be a singer...or a psychiatrist!

Family Update

I've been slacking, so I think its time for an update. The kids are doing well. Nobody is sick, knock on wood, and being able to play outside in the fresh air will only continue to help that. Brian is busy with work, and is looking forward to his annual fishing trip w/ his Dad this May. This year they'll be sticking close to home, fishing on Apple Canyon, off our boat. Turkey season is right around the corner, which we are both anxious for. That truly means Spring is here :) We plan to take a trip out to Jerod and Kristen's this April, since the kids and I didn't get to go as planned a few weeks ago. I'm very anxious to visit their growing family! Work is going well for me, as I continue to work on a good balance between it and the responsibilities that go along w/ family and home. Somedays are easier than others, but all in all its going very well :) Avery likes going to the babysitter's house, the days I'm in the office. She is quite the social butterfly, acting like she's 13 rather than 3, w/ some of the comments she makes and looks she gives. Bryton is doing well in school, and returns home every day with very dirty jeans...which sometimes have holes in the knees. He plays hard at recess, which tells me he's a very healthy, typical little 6 yr. old boy! No loose teeth right now, for him. Both kids have grown taller, as their pants are getting too short. Guess its time to do some Spring shopping! Bailey and Jake are doing better w/ listening, especially when Brian is around. When he's not, they know I'm a pushover...and Jake tends to act very naughty :) He is getting better, though, as he gets older and grows out of the puppy phase. And somedays we wonder if Jake's stupidity filters to Bailey...either that, or he's getting old enough that he truly is losing some of his hearing and his eyesight. I think that may be the case :(
The sun is shining today, and the weather is beautiful. Won't be long and we'll be getting shorts and sandals out~ yahooo!

Quite A Crew

Look out, here comes the pack...Bryton, Isaac, Caden, Avery, Samuel, and Addison. This pack of cousins had great fun together, out at Nana Cheryl's house.

Cousins

These little blonde heads can put a smile on anyone's face, especially when they are all together!

You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.
~Frederick Buechner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCypnO2418M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUPMXbmG_O8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flAvh1o-s5E

Pics

True Signs

Yesterday afternoon I finally saw the first true signs of the kid's feeling better, and getting over the hump of these bugs they've had. I took them to McDonald's to eat, after church, and they inhaled their food. Each of them ate an entire fish sandwich, a few french fries, and Bryton had another 1/2 of a snack wrap. Those are the kids I know :) And then we stopped at a clothing store, so I could check out a few things...and they were very naughty! Hiding amongst the clothes racks, playing hide and seek; running from one side of the store to the other, playing "race"; laughing one minute and arguing/pushing each other the next. I think the ladies working there were happy to see us leave that place! Finally, I took them to get their hair trimmed...and Avery proceeded to talk her way through her entire haircut... and Bryton's. She talked about everything to that poor hair stylist: our dogs and how they are very different; the songs on the radio and where she's heard them; her long pretty hair, and how she thinks its "just beautiful"; and her friends. Bryton would add tid bits here and there, but mostly he played with the toys he had stashed in his pockets (typical Bryton :). Ahhh...to have healthy kids on the my hands again, who are very full of life... That feels good.