O Christmas Tree!

Our Family at the tree farm

Stopping for a kiss

Savannah and Anna

The photographers check their work.

Noah and Daniel

Nathanael, kind enough to pose. Nathan and Michael running in the background.

The men scouting for trees. There are so many to choose from!

Abigail and Victoria looking...

still looking.

Noah is ready with saw in hand.

Look, Jeremiah found a perfect sized tree for him!

He is so pleased with himself!

He's headed for the car. (No, we didn't really bring this home)

Stopping for a photo-op. Sophia was mellow the whole time and eventually fell asleep.

Snug and cute

Happy Victoria

Today we were able to get out and go Christmas tree hunting with dear friends. It was a clear and crisp day, perfect for tree-cutting. As always, there was plenty to be done at home, but this is a time our family looks forward to every year - choosing and decorating the Christmas tree. It was a treat to be able to go with friends. The kiddos had a great time with their pals and enjoyed hot cocoa and candy canes when we were done. The only hard part was choosing from what seemed like thousands of trees. I think we found the perfect one, though. It looks great in the house, even though it's not decorated yet. I hope you are not too "busy" to enjoy this CHRISTmas season. Believe me, I've been there. Take time out for what really matters. Step back and thank God for small blessings and make memories together.

I think we found our tree at last!

Noah saws while Nathan and Samuel H. supervise

The Houstons bring their tree down.

Anyone for log-rolling?

Sophia Boogies to the 80's

Sophia was caught on video bustin' a move to our 80's keyboard. She must've gotten her moves from her father!

Happy First Birthday Sophia!

Our youngest little sweetheart is one year old! The special day was Friday, November 11 - Veteran's Day. The past year really has flown by for me, more so than any other. It must be because it has been very busy and full of so many changes. We've had quite a bit of sickness in our family during the past two weeks, but we were still able to have fun with Sophia. She had her very own cake, homemade just for her. First birthdays are fun, and while we've gone all out for some of our children, she was happy with just a simple celebration. She has generally been pretty easy going and happy, but has shown a bit of a temper lately. She is now walking pretty well and very pleased with herself! She loves music and makes an attempt at singing and dancing. Eating is one of her favorite pastimes and she likes pretty much everything we offer her. Her brothers and sisters love her to pieces so she is never lacking attention. I find her playing with cars, helicopters, and Batman as often as baby dolls. Of course, she could have fun with a cardboard box or the wastebasket. We're so thankful for our chubby happy baby! They grow up so fast...sigh.

Next in line - Victoria is 3!

Victoria and her brother Sammy

A happy girl at Mt. Rushmore

Having fun with Grandpa

Trying out her new princess dress with Nathan

Enjoying her birthday breakfast



The birthday girl on her day



At the Columbia River Gorge on the day we arrived in Washington.



Well, before I share Nathan's birthday news...Victoria turned 3 on October 10th. She had been anxiously awaiting this day for some time. We had the privilege of having Grandpa here to celebrate. If you know Victoria, she is full of life and personality and always entertaining. She's a real cutie...and she can be a real handful. We hope to direct  her dynamic personality and charm into being a godly young lady who can be a blessing to many. She's a "people person" who is friendly to all. Her favorite things include babies (real and pretend), music, dressing up in anything from cowgirl to princess clothes, playing outside, coloring, being with friends, and going to church. She is definitely girly, but can keep up with the boys! The only things she requested on her birthday were brownies, cupcakes, and chocolate milk. She also got to have a birthday dinner with her family, including Grandpa, and a birthday lunch at McDonald's playplace. Children are a blessing and we enjoy celebrating special days with them!

Happy 5th Birthday Jeremiah!



Jeremiah trying out his new T-ball



A happy boy!

The girls enjoying the party 

Cake time!



This fed a crowd



Flashback to his 1st birthday - cutie

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1st Haircut

Since I am still trying to catch up, I wanted to backtrack a little and post Jeremiah's birthday before Victoria's.  Autumn is birthday season in our family and I can barely keep up. Jeremiah turned 5 on September 24th. I can't believe my chubby little baby boy is 5! He is our sweet youngest boy, sometimes called "the weeping prophet" at our house. Yes, he is sensitive, but can be equally cheerful and has a great sense of humor. He loves God, his church, and his family. He's a smart little guy with a love for numbers and books.  I enjoy taking him on errands with me because he is very cute and entertaining. Thankfully, he makes friends fast and loves it here in Washington. His best friends, according to him, are Bubba and Zachary B. and all the Houston Boys. He told me we should stay in this house forever. I said "Really?" LOL. He also said he misses Hayden B. and Tyler V. in Virginia. He loves sports and his favorite is baseball. We got a T-ball set and a baseball cake for him and had a cook-out with dear  friends, which he thoroughly enjoyed! We love you little buddy!

A Few Photos at the Creation Museum

This is a hilarious photo because I thought she would look so pretty in front of the flower pot.  A breeze began to blow and the plant was rustling and waving. She got scared, kept looking over her shoulder and thought the plant was trying to get her. Poor little baby!

Lovely Savannah

Victoria is always ready to pose!

The Creation Museum Botanical Gardens. They were quite extensive.

Cute Jeremiah

Checking out the Alligator Garr

This was our first stop - the Creation Museum. I would recommend everyone visit there if they are in the area of Ohio/Kentucky. They have a walk-thru from Creation to Christ. It was a blessing to visit. We saw Ken Hamm and Buddy Davis while we were there. It was all very God honoring.