Happy Birthday in Heaven.....

My sweet sweet girl would have been five today.

Briona taught me to make the most of the life that you are given. Every day is a gift...share it with the people you love.

Take walks, jump in the leaves, play a board game, tickle, make bubble bath beards, and snuggle. Let them stir cake batter, or play in the sink. Do what Dora and Diego tell you to, and watch them smile. Take a minute to read that bedtime story for the seventh time,....

These are the moments that memories are made of.

Happy Birthday Briona Hope. I love you and miss you.

God is good. All the time.

She Loves Me.....She Loves Me Not!!

Ruby loves her Mama!

Clara....well...not so much!

My girls are as different as night and day. It's sometimes hard to believe they are growing up in the same house!

We went to a friend's birthday party the other day. I took too many of my children with me to take a camera, but my dear friend Anne managed to get some great candids of me (thanks Anne...blah!) and the kids enjoying the day. Poor Noah was home still on restricted activity, but GREAT NEWS!!! His latest CT scan shows that he has healed WAY ahead of schedule, and he is now allowed to resume normal activities! :)

Ricky, as usual enjoyed himself! As did Matthew. He LOVES jumping and bouncing, and there was a HUGE bounce house for him to play in! Emily's mom even kicked out all of the big kids so that he could have it all to himself for awhile. He was in seventh heaven!

Ruby arrived at the party dressed, but each time I saw her, she had on less and less clothing. I'm really going to have to keep my eye on that one!

This wasn't even the worst of it. She eventually took off her jeans too, and was attempting to take her diaper off. I told everyone it was because she is potty training....at least I hope that is why she has such a penchant for being in the buff lately!

Good news is that I finally found costumes the girls will wear without having a nervous breakdown. Not what I had dreamed of certainly...but at least they aren't dressing up in their brother's costumes! I got them both Native American Squaw costumes. Brown and made of fleece with a little fringe on them. No tulle, no wings, no glitter...no fun for mom! The saving grace would be that Ricky is being a cowboy, so now they are "Cowboys and Indians"!

Well...my MIL is supposed to come here on Wednesday. She is still imobile. Will be here for 6-12 weeks. I'm currently praying for serenity and grace.

The boys are busy busy busy. Matthew has a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch on Friday. Ricky is in Eastern Michigan's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat...Noah has decided he wants to go to Green Hills, a small indepent school that serves grades 6-12. It would be an amazing opportunity for him. We went to an Open House there yesterday, and even DH thinks it would be the optimal learning enviornment for Noah. He is currently working on his portfolio that needs to be submitted as part of the admission process...he's really enjoying it so far. I'm proud of him. He is really gung ho on getting admitted to this school, and it is no minor feat to do so! He and Ricky are both in Chess club again and hoping to be on Chess team for the state tournament in February. Kindergarten is as crazy as ever, but we are getting into the swing of things and really starting to get some learning going!

God is good...all the time.

I think I may be in trouble....

You know, they say to be careful what you wish for....once upon a time, I would wish long and hard for a baby girl. I used to dream of dressing them up in adorable clothing, playing with baby dolls, and the like. I never quite imagined what I would be getting!

My Clara is ALL girl...and not always in the good way. I mean the temper tantrums (shrieking, back arch, arms flailing, biting, and crying) and a mind of her own on what she will and will not wear. She has become obsessed with changing her clothes, weather be darned. She wants to wear what she wants to wear...even if it is three pairs of pants over one another, or as you will see by the picture....a bikini in October! She also has taken to deciding that we will go "bye bye" by getting on her sunglasses, her chosen outfit, shoes, purse, and baby doll in a baby carrier. Today she even brought me MY shoes and purse. Unfortunately I was sick with the flu, so her dreams of going somewhere were quickly squashed. She found the dollar bill in her brother's wallet and was trying to hide it in her bikini top! DH insisted that I get the camera...we couldn't resist!

Like I said....I think we may be in trouble!

Ruby on the other hand is much more subdued. Even tempered, and ever patient with her high maintenance sister. Where Clara tantrums Ruby rushes around looking for things to bring her to make her stop crying, saying in her best mama voice "Der doo do" (there you go) and then nodding her head up and down saying "Sess? Oday now?" (yes? okay now?) It makes me feel better...and she eventually finds something to calm her sister. I think she's earned her nick name of Lil' Mama. She loves it when I call her that...beams from ear to ear. She enjoys wearing pretty clothing as well....but always looks a wreck! I think she may take after her dear mommy....(poor kid) it's exhausting looking after Clara! Here she is helping me wash the dishes.

I swear her hair was combed at one point!

I'm still on my quest to find a costume that the girls will wear...so far no custom boutique Lady Bugs, Monarchs, Sugar Plum Fairies, Jewel Beetles will do...nor will any plain old Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty from the second hand store, or the fleece pink poodle costumes from Old Navy that I ordered. Thank goodness for Ebay and 30 day return policies....I'm beginning to think they may just go out as twins! Although I'm thinking they MIGHT wear the cute squaw costume I've seen on ebay. Those would be especially cute since big brother Ricky is going as a cowboy! Plus...no tulle, no wings, nothing that goes on their heads (we can do without the headband...) but only if I can acquire it cheap. I've been outbid twice tonight so I am going to bed!

God is good. All the time.