My Halloween Baby.....hittin' DOUBLE digits!!!

Ashton's birthday was today! Wow...it's always a shock. You would think having 9 birthdays to prepare you, the 10th wouldn't catch you so off guard! But it does!

There is something so precious about your firstborn. It's something that can NOT be explained. My mom had always told me, as a teen or young adult, that there is something different about your firstborn. She was always at a loss for words when she tried to explain it. I NEVER understood. I knew she loved me and my other brother the same amount, how could it be different? NOW, I know.

Ashton is such a perfect firstborn. He is an amazing kid and as close to perfect as you can get! He is a HUGE help around the house and you never hear the first complaint from him! He will play with the babies non-stop when he gets home from school. He builds train tracks for Bryson. He gives in to the girls and plays what they want. He's laidback AND an overachiever! He gets straight A's....and in 4th grade, that is not an easy task. He scores lightyears over the other kids in his class and homework is a breeze. The teacher told me that she wishes every kid was just like Ashton. He's great at math too! He scored in the 97th percentile in the nation! Who would have guessed??? He did NOT get this from me or his father. We are thinking it was passed down from his paternal great-grandfather!?!? He is sensative and generous. He wants to please God. What more could we ask for?

Right Now.....here is what I want to remember about Ashton:

*You love Super Smash Brothers Brawl and Lego Batman on the Wii.

*You turn off the Wii when your time is up, no cryin', whinin', or beggin' for more!

*You love to have the neighborhood boys, Caleb and Austin Y., come over and jump on the trampoline.

*You are a very sincere, thankful person.

*You are very sensative. The very rare times that you do get in trouble, you WILL tear up...out of disappointing yourself usually.

*You are NOT a picky eater, but you like what you like and not usually NEW stuff. You eat everything that I cook....from casseroles to pasta dishes!

*You like your bread...nude. That's what we call it without butter.

*You love having your best friend, Austin C. spend the night. You two are so much alike and quite the duo!

*You enjoy playing "Crossbows and Catapults" downstairs with your dad and friends.

*You have an amazing creative side! Especially when it comes to writing or drawing. You have even created several of your own comic books to "sell" to your friends.

*You have gotten so good at soccer. You give it your all and are specifically good at defense.

*You still let me love on you.

*You always say "Oh good grief"...like Charlie Brown....when someone says something corny.

*You wake up at 6:15 almost EVERY morning on the dot! You grab a poptart and sit in the rocking chair to watch cartoons. You LOVE repetition.

*You are organized and observant.

*You like Baked Spaghetti and Mac-n-cheese.

*You don't like things to be different. Changing our daily schedule up makes you a tad nervous.

*You are a good leader. You love to be put "in charge".

*You are not very shy anymore. Wow...you all of a sudden grew out of this!

*You like to ride your bike with Chance when we go to Grandma's house.

*You are a hard, diligent worker. Especially at our new house!

*You are a wild sleeper and have been since you were a baby.

*You love to be funny. You have a sarcastic sense of humor that makes us all laugh!

*You are a FAST runner. I recently was trying to catch you while we were playing tag and I could NOT do it. You were WAY faster than me and I consider myself fast!

From the day you entered into this world, you have amazed me. I love experiencing new things with you. I am so proud of who you have become! You are a wonderful example for the younger children! Thank you for being so unique and bringing so much joy to our lives!

The Bry Guy turns 4!

Today is my sweet little Bryson's 4th birthday! Needless to say, it does NOT feel like he should be 4! He has amazed us how quickly he picks up things and how smart he truly is! He has always seemed older than what he really is! This summer, when we were taking the kids to register at school, we were asked 3 times if Bryson was there to register for kindergarten!!! We were like "No! He's only 3!" He is so tall and slender, just like the other kids. Has big feet....size 12 1/2. He can be so well behaved when you need him to be! So many things have always made him seem so grown up! But I can still look at his face and see that little bity sweet baby face!



Here are the little things I want to remember about Bryson now....



*You are passionate about your toys...Thomas the Train fanatic and John Deere Lover!!!


*You love to have someone build tracks with you. Usually it's Daddy.


*You love watching Thomas, Max and Ruby, Tom and Jerry, and Sponge Bob.


*You are too rough most of the time. If you are on time-out, it's probably for playin' too rough!


*You have a love/hate relationship with Nolan and Nevin. You love them when they cooperate and play nice, but get so frustrated when they tear up your track or take your trains.


*You like to go outside with naked feet.


*You are truly the original "Mud Magnet"....if there is dirt to drive your tractors in, you are SO there!


*You love to bounce on the trampoline. Right now...it's off limits while your arm heals. It's killin' ya!


*You love to eat "little pizza" for lunch.


*You like to spank people on the bottom. You even spanked the nurse that wrapped your cast.


*You are a kisser! You LOVE to kiss the people you love. CONSTANTLY!


*You are T.O.U.G.H. A real trooper. (The whole broken arm/surgery thing has barely phased you!)


*You always say "I gotta good idea"!


*You admire Ashton. You will say...out of the blue..."I love Ashton"


*You let the girls dress you up in their clothes and you don't mind a bit.


*You like to play "preschool" with Nolan and Nevin. You are the teacher and they are the students. (usually takes place on the top bunk of your bed) When the girls get home, you play preschool with them and you are the student and they are the teachers. It's so cute.


*You love to sing and dance and put on a show. You especially love to sing, Mexico, Jesus Loves Me, and Zacchaeus was a wee little man.

*You love to DRIVE the Gator powerwheel.

*You love the song "We Will Rock You". You rock out that air guitar!

*You generally don't like to listen to songs that aren't "guitar songs".

*You get crazy excited about 2 people: Stevie and Jacob. Best Buddies!

*You absolutely LOVE to help. Cooking, cleaning, fixing things, you do it all!

*You have to "hide" everytime Daddy walks in the back door. Your hiding places are usually in plain site, with you curled up in a ball....Announcing...."I'm hiding!"

*You like to look me square in the face and say "I was a good boy today"....usually out of guilt, I think.

*You pick Olive Garden every time we ask for ideas on going out to eat. Must stem from my pregnancy cravings when you were in utero????

*You like to blurt out weird phrases to make people laugh. Something like..."it smells like ketchup". You're such a comedian.

*You are a faithful prayer warrior. You are almost always the first one to volunteer to pray for dinner. You always pray for: "Daddy's boss to feel better, the little girl who stole my M&M's at vacation bible school, Karen to feel better from cancer"

*You have a pop tart and chocolate milk every single morning when you wake up.

*You are on the go 100% of the time. No stoppin' ya!

*You LOVE Target.

*You are a good eater.

*You love to go to "Preschool Jr. Church". You recently told me that you really like your teacher with the "tall shoes".

*You don't like to drive "far" in the van.

*You don't like your picture taken.

*You have no idea of how crazy we are about you.

I love my times with you....when the babies are napping and the big kids are at school. I love to sit and kiss your soft face and give you big hugs. I love to stare at the profile of your face while you are intent at watching cartoons. You have been such a fun part of our family! You have added so much happiness and you are constantly making us laugh! I am so blessed to have you as one of my children!!!

My 30th Birthday!

Well, today was my 30th birthday. Wow...I never thought I would be "in my 30's". Don't get me wrong, I am glad I am! I loved my 20's. They were awesome. I had our first son one week after I turned 20. THAT was a great way to start out my 20's!!! It kept getting better and better as he grew into such a wonderful young man and we added 5 more to the crew! But, I just always assumed, my 20's would last forever. Well, they ended today and I can honestly say, that I am TOTALLY ok with that!



Today was not REAL eventful. We had a great day though! We got the big kids off to school. I cleaned my mother-in-law's house ( I do this weekly). Then for lunch, Dave and I went to the Beef House and had a great meal with our 3 little guys. We ran into a "friend" and he paid for our meal! That was so generous. When the kids came home from school, they gave me their sweet homemade cards and 2 pairs of the cutest lounge pants I have ever seen! I LOVE lounge pants....they are a daily piece of clothing for me! Dave had to work, so he wasn't able to go to Georgetown with us, but that's ok. We went to Mom and Dad's house for an impromptu dinner and then to Revival at Church. A very good day!!!



Everybody has been sympathetic with me as I turned 30. But I have to say in return, 30 is not at all hard for me! I am at such an amazing point in my life. I couldn't possibly love life any more than I actually do right now! I am so blessed that God has chosen such an amazing husband for me. We have had 6 of THE cutest/smartest/sweetest/wackiest kids...HANDS DOWN!!! My parents, my in-laws, and the rest of our extended family are absolutely the most supportive and loving family that anyone could imagine. What would I EVER have to complain about?!??!!



So, here's to my 30's! I am looking forward to the next amazing decade of my life! Who knows, maybe we'll add another 6 kids in 10 years!

My babies are turning 2 today! AAGGHHHH!

I can not believe that my littlest babies are turning 2 today! It seems like just yesterday that we brought them home in there little snuggly sleepers......we were on a crazy newborn twin schedule doing feedings every time we turned around.....the kids were begging us to hold the "babies" so that they could sit and stare at their tiny little faces and hands.....we would have to load up them in their infant carrier every time we took a trip out.....etc. etc. etc. They have turned out to be such sweet little boys that are so full of personality and happiness. I can not imagine our lives without the TWO of them! And to think that for almost half of that pregnancy we only thought we were being blessed with one little Angel!

Just for my record...here are some quick things that I want to remember about my little guys:

Nolan

You are my strawberry blondie...I thought the girls would be, nope...My Nonie is!

You have an innocent smile....melts my heart every.single.time.

You have been MORE stubborn lately than ever before. A phase? I hope!

You stroll when you walk. Laid Back Baby.

You love yourself some veggies. Every meal...at least 2 or 3 helpings.

You love to drink in the morning. You bring me that sippy at least 10 times before 10 a.m.

You are a breeze to put to bed. Have been since day one!

You are a quiet soul.

You love to sing and hum.

You have a soft spot for Tae and Riya. Many times, if I can't find you, I know to look for them!

You let the girls dress you up in their clothes...and you love it!

You like to put on hats/bracelets/purses....any accessories. But they usually don't last long.

You are not a big fan of t.v. Every now and then you will watch though.

You LOVE Grandpa. He is your favorite person in the whole world!

You pee on my floor every time you get naked.

You prefer to sit in the basket part of the cart, so you can stand or sit.

If you ever see anyone kissing, you pucker up right away for yours!

You like to jump on the trampoline with Ashton holding your hands.

You love to go under the big pine tree in the backyard and play.

You are in a throwing phase...usually things you SHOULD NOT throw.

You generally don't mind strangers talking to you.

You are a H.A.M. You love to be the center of attention. Class clown!

You are a BIG flirt!

You love to get into the bathroom and play in the sink with the water running. MeSsY!

Nevin

You have the brightest prettiest red hair...almost identical to that of your big bro, Bryson.

You have a smile that is contagious.

You almost ALWAYS have that contagious smile on your face.

You can be VERY stubborn and bull-headed (We know who you get that from.... HE HE!).

You always have a "skip" in your step.

You can be somewhat of a picky eater.

You love pasta.

You love when you get the chance to have chocolate milk (right now, it's about once a week).

You can be a PILL to get to bed! Sometimes you just lay down & go to sleep...sometimes...NOT.

You sometimes like to wake up at 4 or 5 a.m. and just cry....stubbornly....for bout an hour.

You prefer men to women, when it comes to people you don't know very well.

You can talk like NOBODY'S BUSINESS!!! You talk as well as a 10 year old sometimes!

You call ALL men, "Daddy"....which has been embarrassing more than once!

You have a soft spot for Ashton and Bryson.

You don't care for your carseat.

You don't like those "squishy/slimey/wiggly" balls at the store. You flinch at the sight of them.

You always want to sit in the "seat" of the cart, NOT the basket part.

You love the MUD. You bathe in the mud....head to toe, literally.

You enjoy cartoons-Thomas, Handy Manny, Diego, Yo Gabba Gabba, Wow Wow Wubzy, etc.

You love bathtime.

You hit your head...mainly forehead...and get bruises ALL THE TIME!

You like to just dump out totes of toys for no reason. I make you pick them up every time too. You always ask for "night night kisses"...even when it's not night time. And "Hug".

You are best buds with Bryson, but you can also clash with him since you two are SOOO alike.

Both of you

Love Thomas the Train, just like Bryson. The shows, toys, books...everything.

Love when "Daddy's big truck" pulls up.

Love the John Deere Gator powerwheel.

Love to be naked.

Love to go "Bye, Bye".

Love to try to escape out the back door. We have to keep it locked 24/7.



You guys have brought so much joy to our lives! You keep us busy and you keep us laughing! We love you so much!!!

Sassy Salsa

One of my favorite things about summer is enjoying our small garden! I love to see Ashton trying to use the tiller to get the ground ready to plant. I love to see Bryson kneeling down beside Dave, working so hard on pulling weeds. I love to see the girls out there, picking cherry tomatoes and eating them in the hot summer sun.

But most of all....I LOVE picking our vegetables and making BIG batches of salsa! Dave started it years ago....and gradually I have hopped on board. At first, I helped because I could cut the veggies faster. But now, we have it down to an art! Dave is best at doing the taste-testing. He can always tell right away what it needs "more of" or "less of". We have used the same "recipe" for years. It's actually not really a recipe, but more of a concoction! The kids all love to join in and help. Even Ashton, who does NOT eat the salsa (or any kind of salsa) loves to pitch in! We let them peel the garlic, squeeze the limes, tear up the cilantro, etc... It is such a great way to spend time with each other, and work together as a team!

We always make a HUGE batch and share it with everyone! Sometimes my parents or Dave's parents, sometimes our neighbors and friends, and sometimes we even get orders to make it for family get-togethers (like July 4th or Labor Day)!!! Everyone is very appreciative when we share!

This summer, we had the priviledge of having our neighbors over to help us make the salsa! We had taken some over the previous week and they decided it only made them want more! At one point, Shanda was on her back deck, eating the salsa with a spoon!!! She had the idea of bringing over some of their own tomatoes and making some more! We jumped at the chance and invited them over right then! Luke and Shanda are a blast to be with! Two of the nicest people you will ever meet! (Shanda is one of my best friends in the whole world and it is hard to keep us apart!)
So that evening, while the kiddos played in the backyard, we cut and cut and cut our veggies and DOUBLED our BIG batch of salsa! Of course, after we were done, we hung around, eating chips and salsa, and talkin' it up!

Looking forward to our next salsa-makin' adventure....

Fourth of July Fun!

We have had such a blast this Fourth of July! For one thing, this is Dave's first time in 8 years that he has had this day off. He has always worked either days or nights and was never able to relax and spend time with the families and/or watch a whole fireworks show! How thankful I am to have my husband with me this time! I am sure it sounds silly to some, but it never FEELS right when someone from our family is missing. Whether it's Dave at work, or Ashton at a sleepover, or someone's sick at home with Nan while we go out. Nevin and Nolan were both under the weather for part of the July 4th festivities. Thank goodness we had half a week of stuff planned, so they were able to join in the fun. Of course, they couldn't get sick at the same time, so they took turns!

July 3rd - On Thursday, Nevin was very sick. He had a fever and had been throwing up for the last day. Dave stayed home with him, and I took the kids over to Nan and Papa's for Monical's Pizza. When we were done eating, I went home with Nolan and Dave went back over to his mom's house to be with the big kids. I put the babies to sleep and had a few minutes of absolute silence. WOW....that was pretty cool. Dave and his mom and dad took the kids out in the back yard to watch the Turtle Run fireworks. Now this is a tradition. A tradition for Dave...his whole life. A tradition for our family....since 1998. Dave's parents live in the perfect spot. They have a couple acres so we drive the lawn mower (w/trailor) out back packed up with snacks, drinks, blankets, chairs, flashlights, and bugspray! We go out about 20 minutes ahead of time and get all set up. The kids run off some energy and wait on pins and needles until the show starts. Then the fireworks start.....the kids LOVE them! They will sit there and chat among themselves about their favorite ones/colors. We all snuggle together and usually each kid takes turns sitting on each adult's lap! Then once their over, we pack up and head out for the night. It is so much fun! I was so sad to not be there, but so happy that Dave could take part this time. The kids came home so excited telling me about every little detail. It was so cute!

July 4th - I am a HUGE sucker for traditions. So our norm on July 4th is....our neighborhood parade. We have a "little" neighborhood parade that is growing by leaps and bounds. I started taking the kids myself, because Dave would have to work, and then the next year had talked Dave's mom into going with me. The kids decorate their powerwheels...a Barbie Jeep and Dora 4-wheeler... and their bikes and wagons. This is so much fun for them! We meet one street over and walk a little over a mile to the "ending point". At the end, everyone gathers around and chit chats and they hand out the red, white, and blue popsicles to everyone. We have walked in extreme heat, rain, humidity...everything. This year it was PERFECT weather. We took Nolan and Nevin in their stroller with us. By this time, Nolan was getting a little blah. Even though they weren't feeling perfect, I think it was good for them to get out a little. We had a great time seeing neighbors, friends, and teachers that we haven't seen since school let out. The kids really like to be part of something like this. It gets bigger every year! This year we had a police car, firetruck, and a horse! People line up on the streets to see all the kids go by. I think it is great, especially for the older people that can't get out much. It's so nice they can go right out on their front lawn and see this parade of kids in their patriotic outfits!

Usually after the parade, we will go to Camp Assurance for the July 4th Rally. It kinda depends...sometimes we have headed straight to my parent's house. This year, we decided since the boys were a lil under the weather, we would just head home and let them nap before we went to Georgetown.

Around 4:00, we went down to my parents house for our annual July 4th family get-together. I LOVE this day. We grill out and have some crazy awesome food. Whenever my family gets together, there is WAY TOO MUCH food! We had pork chops, hamburgers, and hot dogs on the grill. We also had all kinds of GOOD homemade food- hashbrown casserole, potato salad, 5 cup salad, pasta salad, 7-layer salad...we like salads =) etc.... And yummy desserts - oreo dessert, texas sheet cake, chocolate chip cookies and so on. We are blessed with some excellent cooks in our family. After eating, we watched the kids ride Chance's go-kart and their bikes in the driveway. The little guys loved pushing their dump trucks and trying to keep up with the big kids! It was a little chilly...about 70's....this year, but the kids HAD to go swimming. Mom and Dad's pool is always in tip top shape with some new toys on the fourth! The kids lasted longer in the pool then I thought they would....big goosebumps, blue lips, and chattering teeth half the time! We got out and ate some more dessert and got on some dry/warm clothes and headed off to the fireworks. We rode (like always) in the back of Uncle Brody's truck. When we got there this year, we happened to park right next to one of my best friends, Kara. My girls LOVE her daughter, Addison, and Bryson and her son, Jacob, are BEST buddies! Needless to say, we had a blast and the fireworks were only half of the entertainment. Chance and Ashton were "rating" them on a 1 to 10 scale....sometimes being Simon Cowell! It was a blast! We headed back to Grandma's afterwards and put on our jammies and headed home.

Our Summer Daze.....

So...many people will ask me... "Is it hard to have all your kids home for summer break?" or "Are you ready for the kids to go back to school yet!?!?". They are usually a tad shocked when I answer "No...I LOVE having my kids home from school on summer break!" It is such a special time when I get to have them all to myself to love and hug on ALL day! The older ones are HUGE helpers with the chores and babies, but they are also so much fun to be around! We have had such an awesome summer already and we are only 2 weeks into it! We have done some really fun things and have so much more planned!

We have:
~ had a couple of wienie roasts...complete with s'mores and staying up past bedtime.

~all taken part in planting the garden.

~swam in Grandpa and Grandma's pool.

~had some fun cookouts at Nan and Papa's house with their cousins.

~gone out to Steak N Shake for a spontanious milk shake date! (Which BTW, if you are looking to stay on a budget AND have fun....they have 99 cents kids shakes!)

~played in the mud...up to our necks, and jumped on the trampoline in the rain! Sometimes, you can't let the weather get you down...If you can't beat 'em...Join 'em, right?

~gone to VBS at our church and had a blast! Ashton even won Indiana Beach tickets for 2nd place in points for his age group! We all had a blast at the Friday Night Carnival!

~made some very interesting crafts for the wonderful Father/Papa's in our lives!

~had a totally LAZY rain day. That's right....no chores, no laundry, next-to-no cooking. We rented movies, cuddled in our blankets....all 6 kids generally rotate on my lap in the recliner...and did absolutely *kinda* nothing. This was very fun, but VERY different from our normal routine. It felt good....and I was ready to get back to norm the next day!

~hit some good rummage sales. Speaking of rain, Tae and Riya and I went to the "original" Catlin rummages during the rain storm. We had to "wade" in and out of sales. It was so much fun and the girls had a blast!

We are planning to:
~take the boys (2 of which are HUGE Thomas fans) to "A Day Out With Thomas" in Indiana. We took Bryson last year and it is awesome! The girls will stay with Nan, and this will be a special treat, mainly, for the little guys. Ashton is coming along as helper/entertainer! We even get to ride a real Thomas train!

~go camping in our tents at Forest Glen with Doug, Jami, Stefani, Stevie, and Schae. This is Dave's sister's family. They are great and so much fun. Jami is such a sweet person and she is one of my best friends. The kids will have a blast! We are going all out! Hiking, fishing, yard darts, s'mores and campfire stories...I can't wait!

~have great July 4th celebrations with our families. I LOVE this holiday. Usually we go out to church camp on the fourth and then to my mom's for a big celebration. We watch fireworks that night in Georgetown in the back of Uncle Brody's truck. On the weekend, we usually get together in Dave's parents' back yard and watch the Turtle Run fireworks. We drive the lawn mower with wagon and all our supplies out to the back of their acreage and "set up camp". We will usually have popcorn, watermelon, and some other goodies. The kids will run around and then sit in amazement once they start. I love traditions!

~send the kids to church camp. All 3 of them actually want to go! They will go to Camp Assurance in Georgetown, which is the camp that I started going to when I was 5 yrs. old. I went my whole life and LOVED every second of it. The kids have all spent time out at camp during family/church activities, but never for 3 days by themselves! Mostly, they are looking forward to swimming everyday, riding the horses, going down the zipline, and doing crafts. I am so glad that they have this opportunity! I am a control freak....so this will be a nerve-racking time for me. I am so used to being with my "babies"!

~take a family trip! This is still in the making! I know we are going to St. Joseph, MI....to the beach! We LOVE it there and decided that we HAD to go again this summer. We haven't decided what else we want to do. We usually like to try new things and also do a couple familiar things too! Maybe Indy Zoo, Chicago Rainforest Cafe, and/or going a bit farther north in Michigan. We are planning everything out right now. Financially, this year has been different from what we are used to. We are working on saving money and coming up with new ways to earn money for the trip!

~celebrate our 10th anniversary by taking a "Date" trip to Brown County, IN. For those of you who know us well, you know there are VERY few times that Dave and I get "alone" time. Once a year we venture off and go to one of our favorite places....Brown County....aka Little Nashville. It is so peaceful and romantic. Dave and I thoroughly enjoy this break. By the end of it, we are so ready to get back to the little ones! My parents will probably have Ashton, Nolan, and Nevin and Dave's parents will have Taelyn, Mariya, and Bryson. The kids really look forward to this time too!

~hopefully take a "girls trip" to Chicago! I have asked Nan (Dave's mom) to accompany us! We will take the train and go up to Chicago for the day. We will go to the American Girl doll store and spend the day! Yes...there is actually that much to do there. My girls don't know this yet! It is a surprise! We aren't going to tell them where we are going until we get on the train! They will FLIP out!

~hopefully take a "boys trip" to Indiana Beach! Dave, Ashton, and Bryson will go to the amusement park for the day. The boys will be spoiled by riding all the rides and playing numerous video games! The video games will be the BIG hit! The boys don't know about this trip either. We are still working out the kinks! Dave's Dad may join them.

~make some more crafts to give to those whom we love. My kids LOVE to use their creativity! They are darn good at it too! We have got some special projects planned. These simple things bring SO many smiles! I am hoping to start a special project with the kids very soon. They would be sewing stuffed animals to donate to the Emergency Room for children that come in sick or injured. I think this would be a valuable lesson and a great way to put those willing little hands to good use!

We have so many little things planned as well. I think that the little/"simple" things are just as important as the BIG things! Sometimes the best memories made are from the unexpected things!

My favorite thing is when at the end of the day....my 6 beautiful happy children come in....with dirty bare feet....scraped up knees.....popsicle faces....pink, sun-kissed shoulders....and a HUGE smile on their face! I love to hear them chatter and laugh together as we are settling in for the night. These family times are so precious and I know in the blink of an eye, they will be over. I will cherish my kids being....kids!!!