Kiddoes

A quick update on everyone:
                                                                   SARAH
September 19th--  Happy 11th Birthday Sarah!  I can not believe I am old enough to have an ELEVEN year old!  What a joy each of the seasons of mothering are!  Sarah has become such a wonderful helper-- I can't remember running our home without her!  After Natalie was born she took full charge of the kitchen....cooking, cleaning, menu planning.....she did it all!  She LOVES to work in the kitchen and is very proficient.  Her breads usually turn out better than mine!  Since she is usually the first one up and going in the mornings, she loves to prepare breakfast for the family.  She has such a wonderful sense of humor and is growing up in so many ways!  Such a joy! 
She loves to read--she's into Nancy Drew right now,  loves History,  and still loves dogs and horses!

                                                                    MAYA
Maya is a super-dooper baby holder!  She loves making Natalie smile and seems to have a special knack for getting her to quiet down when she is fussy.  I will find her singing some silly little made-up song to her and Natalie will be listening intently.  She is Boden's morning buddy which means she gets him dressed in the mornings, helps him with his breakfast, then helps him wash his face/brush his teeth/make his bed/etc. after breakfast.  She is so creative at making these chores into games for him.  She is a wonderful listener and is so good at being a great friend.  This girl is gifted in relationships for sure!   Her laughter brings such joy to our home!  At this moment she is ironing all her dad's uniforms for work-- a task she enjoys and does well.  So sweet.
She loves horses, making people laugh, and whittling with her pocket knife.

                                                                    BENJAMIN
November 6-- Happy 8th birthday Benjamin!  What a little man our big guy is becoming!  He wants to be wherever Dad is and doing whatever Dad is doing.  This year he got to learn to mow, ride a skateboard, and shot his first deer!  He loves to play with Sarah and Maya and is beginning to enjoy his brother more and more as Boden is able to run around with him now.  He constantly comments on Natalie, "She's just so cute!"  He is creative and is always coming up with very logical ideas and inventions.  He often stumps me with his questions.  He loves building, hunting, and cooking when I let him!

                                                                        BODEN
  Boden.  Oh Boden!  He is our little "Joy-Boy".  So full of life and laughter!  We all adore him completely.  He is so very verbal and has no problem communicating his need, wants, likes and dislikes.  He thinks he rules the roost and he probably does!  He keeps up with the "Guys" and wants to be doing everything they are doing.  He loves to play hide-n-seek and as a result can already count up to ten!  He also knows all his basic colors already!  He says the cutest things and will repeat everything he hears.  He loves riding his red tricycle, eating (anything, anytime), and running in the back yard with his brother and sisters.

And last but not least.................................... NATALIE
She was two months old this week.  We are finally getting some of those precious smiles and coos!  I love this time when it's as if they all of a sudden "wake up" to the world around them!  She loves to look out the window and swing in her swing.  She is starting to push herself up in order to look around.  She turns to the sound of voices and will interact with coos and smiles.  She is a happy, content baby-- as long as I'm holding her!  :)  I do carry her around in the Ergo a lot of the day and she still sleeps with me at night.  What a sweet cupcake.  

And that's all folks!