I don't want to forget....

I have so much to learn, so I'm starting with keeping the camera on auto but no flash. That way, I can use natural light. Our bedroom and living room have lots of windows so that's where I try to take indoor pictures.  Look at his cute little toes. ;) And he LOVES books! You can see she's missing a tooth. Did I mention on her birthday that she had to go to the dentist and get a tooth pulled? I could tell it had a cavity and knew it was coming out in the next couple months anyway. Not the best birthday gift, but she handled it well once it was over! :) We are having a little garden this year. Keith, AC and AK have been getting the area ready. We'll build some raised beds. I'm excited to see what things we can grow.  AC's hand at age 6

Oh  my word! I know I probably say this each year, but I just can't believe our firstborn is eight! In many ways, it's very bittersweet. I never dreamed that I would still be changing diapers on my 8 year old, feeding her at times, having to dress her, give her baths, brush her teeth. It's a very helpless feeling to not know what she needs or wants when she cries. Many times I've thought that I wish I had enjoyed her first couple years of life more, back when she could do more things than she can now and was verbal. If only I had known it would be taken away. I guess we all feel that way if you've lost someone close to you, long before you should have or if it happened unexpectedly. But God is good. I love this little girl with all my heart, despite the frustration and stress level at times. She is precious and has a sweet smile. She's a great eater. (Seriously thankful food isn't another thing to stress over!) She loves her siblings. She smiles when Keith ...

EK started horse therapy back in June. Its a daddy-daughter thing. :) We took a break for about a month and a half over the summer but got back into it when school started. Keith says she really likes it. Her therapist is the one with the yellow hat in these pictures. We all went up this past Friday to watch and so I could take some pictures. EK either wasn't happy we were there or wasn't happy that she rode a different horse. Lately, her therapist has been having EK ride with her on a bigger horse. (He was sick that day.) EK loves when she can go faster, something the therapists can't really do when walking/even running beside her.  Here are a few pictures of from the session. It was really quite chilly.  AK kept me busy trying to make sure he didn't get into anything he shouldn't. AC decided not to wear her winter coat at first. She regretted her choice a few minutes after we got there. After we got EK on the horse, we ran to the car to get her bi...

**I wrote this Christmas Day and forgot to post.* AC's pappaw asked her on Christmas Eve what was special about Christmas and she said, "It's Jesus's birthday and I get to eat monkey bread." We started that breakfast tradition in the Hoyer family. It's one of my faves too. I thought AC would wake up early since she had trouble going to sleep Christmas Eve, but she  didn't come down until 8am. I asked if she'd help me make the monkey bread before we opened gifts. She was sweet to agree. She was excited to use a sharp knife for the first time. :) I got a new camera for Christmas but the battery had to be charged. Sorry these are great, but they are from my phone. :) One of AC's gifts was a bed for her doll. Sometimes I think my kids enjoy their stocking stuffers more than the big gifts. AK was very excited about his gluten free playdough . (AC and AK played for about an hour with it after breakfast). AK also loved his train set. He pla...

I finally uploaded some pictures from my new camera. Here are some from Christmas Day, but remember I'm just learning how to use the camera. Hopefully by next Christmas, I'll take better pictures. For now, just kept it in "auto".  Notice how AK holds the bat. Silly boy! I would show him how to hold the other end and he would, but the next time he put the ball on the tee, he'd turn the bat around.  AC and her Grandma I'm not sure it was a smart move to give this boy a sword, especially since it isn't foam. It's been put up a few times already. My pretty EK. She wasn't into unwrapping presents, but she wasn't upset about it either. AK and AC were happy to help. :) AC with one of her cousins Serious about unwrapping. One of his favorite gifts (actually all his gifts were a hit!) But he does love putting his toys in the backpack and pulling it around. I need to write down what he calls it. Practicing a little while ...

We don't do Santa. I know, I know, I'm a mean mama. Just for the record, I'm not anti-Santa. We watch all the Santa  movies. AC knows who he is, she just knows he isn't real. Even AK has learned about Santa this year, and says "ho, ho, ho" every time he sees someone (or something) with a Santa hat on. :) I grew up with Santa and it didn't scar me. I don't remember when I realized he wasn't real, but I know I played along for a while (since I was the oldest of 4). Anyway, we don't do gifts from Santa...for a couple reasons. When EK was small, I knew she would HATE sitting on Santa's lap. We never started that tradition b/c of it. She would still hate the tradition at age 7 if we did it. We also only give a couple gifts to each child. I did not want some fictional character getting credit for something that we bought. (Yes, that's selfish!) Because of the other two reasons, it allows us to make sure that Jesus's birth is the main thi...

Oh my word!! Is it just me or is it stressful trying to get good pictures?? I'm hoping this gets easier with time. EK and AK had issues. EK is hard to get sweet pictures of on a good day. But she's a pretty little girl, so I want a picture that shows that. But AK was a handful this year. He's a busy boy and if he doesn't want to do something, he can't be talked into it or even bribed. My sweet friend Jamie (bless her heart) was very patient. We had to take pics two different days. The first day was freezing and we didn't get any good ones. The 2nd attempt was much warmer (like 20 degrees warmer) so we got a couple that were "card worthy". For now, enjoy a few that did not make the cut...Just trying to keep it real, folks. :)