Just like Santa

We've decided to do something different for Christmas this year. We are having a gift exchange between the kids. They all pulled names and are very excited to be giving a present to another kid in the house.

Lauren has Ian
Ellie has Lauren
Shannon has Ellie
Ian has Shannon.

I took Ellie to the store to get her gift and she said "Mommy, we're being like Santa and getting presents."

First word

Ian has his first word. He looks at me and says "Mom-mom". Definetly a first in this house. The girls always sad Da-da first.

I definetely perfer this.

Five Dollars

I can't find my work ID and it's cold so I have to walk around the entire building. It's my fault becuase I never hang it up and the run around every morning looking for it. I have to get goning somehow.

I just offered the girls $5 if they find it. They are now running aroudn looking everywhere for it. However, Ellie just stopped and said "Mommy, if I don't find it, can I still have $5?"

My entrepanaur.

10 month Bear picture

Pre and post Thanksgiving Meal

Pre- meal


Post-meal

Thankfullness

We are thankful for:

1. God, the author, creator, and sustainer of life.
2. Lauren
3. Ellie
4. Shannon
5. Ian
6. Having one last baby
7. The completion of our family
8. Teachers
9. Therapists
10. Jobs to pay our needs and some of our wants
11. A marriage that has been reedeemed.
12. Cars that run
13. Good neighbors
14. Lauren was invited to a birthday party this year.
15. Autism
16. Typicalness
17. Dancing ballerinas
18. A roaring dinosaur
19. A summer spent at the pool
20. a job I like most of the time
21. the ability to forgive
21. the ability to be forgiven
22. summer school and extended year services
23. food on the table
24. a church that loves kids with Autism because Jesus loves kids with Autism
25. That tommorrow is always a new day
26. that we get to experience the world for the first time, one last time
27. that our kids likes each other, some of the time
28. for extended family that loves our children
29. that we get to experience a baby boy
30. for health insurance, we sure used it this year
31. for a great delivery with Ian
32. that my reputation is the girl who almost had the baby at work
33. for a beginning relationship with a church family
34. that we have not had any extensive medical tests for L this year
35. that we do not know what it is like to leave our kids in the hospital
36. that it's only Autism

9 month bear picture