Happy birthday Miss Elli!

We have a new baby girl in the family! Ellianna Jean made her grand entrance this afternoon. We have been waiting a long time for her and couldn't be happier that she's finally here!  So, welcome to Crazy Town Elli! It's so nice to meet you!

 Ellianna Jean 7lbs 4oz of sugar and spice and everything nice

 Daddy and Elli

 Big brother Andrew

Outsmarted my a munchkin

I hid the scissors. Very well. I knew since Trace and Avery never cut their own hair that it was just a matter of time until Alex did. Well, Avery trimmed a tiny bit but no real damage. I've learned this from years of eating pennies, stamp and ink pen tattoos, liquid soap as body lotion, toothpaste as hair gel, window licking and cleaning shopping cart handles with a tongue. All done by Alex, but not the others. Today, I came downstairs to a trail of hair and Avery calmly informing me that Alex had cut her hair. My first reaction was HOW? I hid the damn scissors! But, NO. That's not enough 'round these parts. Let me back up a bit...yesterday I got my hair cut. Like 6" gone and Alex wasn't happy with me. She's not a big fan of change. But she woke up today loving it and wanting her hair cut too. The three of them already had an appt for cuts before school starts so I told her she only had to wait a few days. I should have known by her blank look that waiting wasn't on her to-do list today.
Ok, back to the hair cutting. Turns out she used a letter opener!! Now, before you turn me in to CPS we don't own the dagger type. It was the "safety" kind. You know, the C shaped ones with the tiny little blade in the corner? So she didn't loose any fingers, just enough hair to create a sweet side mullet. And she was kind enough to leave one long strand of bangs. It looked more like she used a weed eater! I went from mad to laughing in about 2 seconds because she was way more horrified over what she did than I was. She would smile then almost cry, then back to smiling. Here's what I mean....I caught the cry face.

Do you see the HUGE chunk missing?! Sigh....  Anyway, I called Laura who does our hair in a panic and she got us right in. Here's the before and afters. She promised Laura she wouldn't do it "eber, eber again". We shall see.

Me miss you long time....

Well, as you can tell from the previous post from 2009 *eyeroll* I'm not very good at keeping up with this blog. But with the creep-o factor Facebook can have I don't share everything about our life, especially our kiddos, and I know you want to know what we're up to every second of the day! You don't? Well, I will at the very least share what these three crazy kids are up to and throw in some family updates for you who live so far away.

Here's what will bring you up to speed.....

Trace is 13. Yes, I have a teenager. I don't like it anymore than you do. But on the bright side, he's awesome! We couldn't ask for a better kid. The problem other parents seem to have with kids his age just don't happen here. Sure, he can be moody. And messy. Bossy maybe. But all in all we hit the jackpot with this one. He's super smart, very funny, artistic, great at any sport he picks up and exactly the roll model a big brother should be. He is God's way of reminding us that it could be worse....which leads me to his sisters.

Avery is 7 going on 70. At least that's what her choice of clothing is telling me. Picture a cross between Rupaul and an old lady from Tampa. I'm serious. But what she's lacking in fashion sense she more than makes up for in heart. She is the sweetest child I've ever known. She is always saving money to buy gifts for someone else, making us "I Love You" cards and trying to save every animal she can find. This past school year she spent some of her daily class time helping a boy her age with autism because she was the only child he would respond to. Now that will make a momma proud! Maybe one day, if she gives up her dream of starting a bikini soccer league, she will make her mark helping others. As a stylist at a nursing home in Tampa maybe?

Alex. Oh, Alex. Working in at children's clothing store I get asked all the time if we will ever have another baby. I smile and say, "Oh, probably not" while my head is saying screaming "HELL NO!" Let me start by saying that I love her and thank God every day that I am lucky enough to be her mom. BUT if she was my first she would have been my only! I could write a best seller on just the things she has pulled in her short three years. There are those rare moments when she will crawl up in my lap and put her chubby little hands on my face and tell me how beautiful I am or how much she loves me. And she is probably the cutest child I have ever seen, and I don't just say that because she's mine. But she is also the loudest, meanest, smartest, most quick-witted and stubborn three year old ever! She will be keeping the other four of us on our toes (and watching our backs) for a while I just know it!

When we're not chasing the kiddos or working, Justin and I are busy fixing up this old house. It's a work in progress and will be for some time. Hey, if you were 104 years old you would need some fixing up too! Other than that we enjoy long walks on the beach and trying to achieve world peace. Or at least date nights and a moments peace.

MY EYE!

Sorry. I haven't been good about getting on here lately. Now that the holidays are over I have a bit more time. I don't have much to tell, only a really funny Avery story. I know you're shocked! Here it is.....



After telling Avery for what had to have been the 1000th time to clean her room (there were less than 5 toys on her floor that needed to be put away) I had HAD IT!!! Through gritted teeth with the psycho mom voice I said, "AVERY!! Go pick up those TOYS!!" Without missing a beat, and not trying to be funny, she salutes me and says, "MY EYE CAPTAIN!"



HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!



Needless to say I laughed and laughed! Which doesn't help get the point across that I'm serious about her cleaning. It finally got done, 3 hours later. But that's how it goes around here.

God, give me strength

As my children were watching the Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon Linus got up on that stage and made his sweet little speech:

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men'. That's the true meaning of Christmas Charlie Brown"

I made them both pay attention when I knew it was coming. After, as I was getting ready to ask what Linus meant, Avery leans to the side and.....

FARTS!!! (loud!) then asks even louder "WHO IS CRUSTY LORD?!?!"

Well, at least it didn't happen during Sunday morning Bible school!

Tis the season to be sneezin'!

Sorry I haven't been around in awhile. Everyone has been sick! I started it off with a little cold, then Alex with ear infections, followed by Avery. Then Trace, not to be outdone, had pnemonia! Justin is following us all with the sniffles. Not much has been happening during all that except we're going through Lysol and tissues like crazy. Just some Christmas shopping here and there. I did wrap everything I've already bought. That's pretty exciting to me! Avery did come up with something pretty funny last week. She came and told me that she told Alex a secret. When I asked what it was about this is how it went:

A: Mom! I told Alex a secret!

M: Really? What was it about?

A: I can't tell you but she said "OH NO YOU DIDN'T!" and I said "OH YES I DID!"

M: (laughed till it hurt)

She added the head bob attitude and all to her story! I really need to put her in acting classes! The pictures are my attempt at making Christmas cards. It didn't work out too well. I think if they would have kissed her one more time she would have hurt them! Hope you enjoy these last few weeks till Christmas!

Get ready to laugh!

As I was adding pictures to my last post I found these from last week. I forgot all about them!