1 Mommy + 5 Kids = One Wild Ride!

New Blog Address!!!!!!!

2008-11-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

I wont be posting on this blog anymore......new starts require new blogs!!
Here is the link to our new site..... http://tashadawnand5.blogspot.com/
Come see us there!!

New photo blog.

2008-09-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

Here is the new link to the new photo blog.... not much up there yet...but its coming!
http://t-h-e-photography.blogspot.com/

My thoughts this morning.

2008-09-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

Here I sit at my computer waiting for my coffee to finish. Girls are still in bed and my mini man is playing in his playpen. I find I wake up with a heart ache every morning. I am not supposed to wake up to an empty space beside me, and every morning I do. But as the day goes on, it is so incredible busy that I don't usually have time to think about being on my own. That is until its time to go to bed and lay beside that empty place that is not supposed to be empty. Maybe I will let my dog start sleeping on his side of the bed?
Anyways....Gary and I are now legally separated. Its kinda hard to wrap my head around that one. I mean, I know that I am doing what is right by going forward with the separation but my heart is screaming, " I never asked for this! This is not what I want for our life, but how will I ever trust again!!" I do find I have an amazing amount of peace in my life right now and the kids and I are getting use to this new life...there are no more tears about daddy moving out and the insane hard to answer questions have stopped. My house is still driving me crazy and I wish that it was finished. That still makes me want to move. I guess that having concrete floors for 3 years is starting to get to me! And I can't do all the work that needs to be done....I know I'm good, but not that good!! Gary has been helping as much as he can to try and get the house done but it is hard because he has to work so much.
I am learning to take one day at a time and am really focusing on my amazing kids and on myself! I didn't even know I still had a "myself"! She has been gone for a LONG time!!! One thing I am doing for myself is pursuing my photography. My sister and I are starting to step out and are going to see where it takes us. We both stay at home with our kids and need to make some money doing it. Alisha has training in the digital end of the pictures so we make a really good team! We are setting up a temporary web page and I am going to actually start charging to do peoples pictures. I know, I can hear my mother and mother-in-law saying "ITS ABOUT TIME YOU START CHARGING!" Here is the link to the site. http://throughhiseyesphotography.blogspot.com
Well, my children are waking up and the morning routine is a little crazy around here so I better go!

Grace & Madi!

2008-09-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

Today found Grace and I home alone with Reuben....who is cranky and teething. So Gracie got to have her best bud Madi over and we painted tee shirts! They turned out very cute and the girls are really enjoying being the only kids here. This never happens with this many kids in our family!! Here is their beautiful wearable art!

Family

2008-09-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

My cousin got married last week end and it was a big family get together! I will have some wedding preview pics soon but for now here are a few family shots. Not all of the family was there...like my 5 children! but lots of them were..... My baby brother Chad, His wife Michelle and their girls Alexis and Emma.
My sister Alisha, her husband Wes and their kids, Abram and Olivia.
Some of my family....there are quite a few missing....but it turned out to be a good piture. I don't think we would have all fit in the pic if we were all there!

Back to school !!!!!!!!

2008-09-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well it was a fun summer but it was also the LONGEST summer of my life! September 2nd could not come soon enough....but it did come and here are my kids on their first day of school!
Great Grandpa & Grandma Bradford bought the girls their backpacks and all the supplies in them!! Thank you again you guys!!

Miss Elizabeth started kindergarten and was glad to finally go to school with her sisters!

My amazing boy!

2008-09-12T20:15:00.001-07:00

Here is the love of my life! I love having a son....I cannot imagine life without him!

Frog hunt

2008-09-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a good old frog hunt....and its even better to do it in your pajamas!

All they could catch was baby frogs...the big ones stayed in the pond and the leaches kept the kids out!!

Summer Fun!

2008-09-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

We actually managed to somehow have a very exciting and eventful summer in the midst of all the changes in our lives. The kids and I spent tons of time at the lake, camping, lots of sleepovers and Emily and Alannah even got to go to the PNE!
Our summer started with house sitting at very good friends of ours farm! This included a beautiful log home, hot tub, pool, playground, pond with a boat ( and leaches) and a ride on lawnmower that mommy had fun on! So....here are some pics of our stay!

This is Grace's first time ever jumping into a pool....it was a very big event!!
She was very proud of herself:)
I don't know what to call this jump...... but that my Alannah!
My beautiful Emily....the water rat!!
Screaming sisters!!!
Pinky is a little more cautious in the water and didn't like getting splashed, so she didn't last that long in the water....
But she did fall asleep while lounging in her tube....so cute!
Here is the hot tub that I had to drain and refill cause it was NASTY after all the kids in it....after I cleaned it,it was a mommy only hot tub!
Here are some senery shot of the back yard! It was so amazing!

I'm still here.....I think.

2008-08-23T14:49:00.000-07:00

I actually somehow have a quiet moment and thought I would try and update....school starts soon so I am hoping to have more time to blog.
O.k. Where to start??
The kids and I are doing well. It has defiantly been a time of change and adjustments but, holy cow, my kids are amazing. They are doing great with all the stuff going on. Gary and I have kept on good terms so the kids don't have to deal with our crap....they can just keep being kids. They see daddy alot....almost everyday. He has his own place and they go for sleepovers and hang with him there. It seems to be working well for all of us. Mr. Reuben is the most amazing little man!! He has stolen his momma's heart....and his Aunties and his Nana's and his Bugga's (grandma) and a few others as well. He is doing amazing with his breathing and is no longer on his monitor!! I have weaned him and he is on a bottle now. It makes me kinda sad but he is sleeping way better and can spend time with his dad now too. I guess my milk was really affected by all the stress in my life...he was nursing every 2-3 hours all day and night but now that he is on the bottle he is eating every 4 and is only up once at night!!! OH HAPPY DAY!
Well, my moment of quiet just got interrupted by kids so I have to fly...I will post pics soon!

Electric Pink!

2008-07-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

And I don't mean the color!!

Exersaucer Boy

2008-07-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

My Pinky Fish!

2008-07-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

For all who haven't heard....

2008-06-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

I am going to make this short...because I am getting tired of reliving it every time I have to talk about it. On Friday the 20th I found out that my husband had been having an affair. He packed his stuff and left that night and is now living with her. I have no explanation for this...It hit me pretty hard.....It hit all of us pretty hard. The girls are doing o.k. Each day gets a little better and a little easier. I have an amazing family and friends who have covered me and my kids with their love and prayers. And most importantly I have an amazing God who's promises never come back void and who's love never fails.
And that's all I have to say about that!!!

The Start of Summer!!!

2008-06-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

Summer started with a blow but we are getting back on our feet and are ready for the heat!!(Thank-you Aunty & Uncle Wes for the pool!!) We had to cover the pool because the girls were burning like crazy!! They love the pool!!!!

Dog Meets Kitten.....

2008-06-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

I guess Akiva's puppy memories are still strong, because she thinks the kitten is one of her pups! It is so cute!

Crusin' With Reuben

2008-06-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

Here is what I came out of my room to find big sister Alannah doing to her little brother!!! TOOOOOOOOOO CUTE ;)

Our Comfort.

2008-06-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family. Little miss Comfort.

How I spent my weekend!

2008-06-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

Our Friday evening found Gary and I taking Reuben to the hospital to meet the ambulance that was waiting to take him to Victoria General Hospital. The poor little man got a tiny cold and that cold and the laringomalasia are apparently a bad combination!! Our boy was in alot of distress and mommy and daddy were very stressed! So of we went to Victoria.....and just to make things exciting a drunk man decided to jump in front of the ambulance that was going 100 km an hour down the highway! It was a little freaky! Because of the position Reuben needed to be in to breath I was holding him over my shoulder and I was strapped onto the bed. This made things very scary when the ambulance swerves and slams on it brakes! I tell you we had angels all around us. I got a bump on the head but mini man stayed safe in my arms.(I call it death grip!) So we were delayed by almost an hour because the driver couldn't drive because his heart was in his throat and his legs were jelly and we waited for the cops so that he wouldn't do it to someone else. So we finally made it to the hospital....and he spent 2 nights in intensive care and one night on the peds floor. We are home now and I am a little frustrated cause there is nothing that we can do we just have to try and avoid him getting sick!! Oh how fun will that be with all these sisters of his. So if anyone has a bubble that Reuben will fit in, please let me know. I need a germ proof baby bubble and a kid less trip to Hawaii with my amazing husband! Thank you every one for all your prayers! I know because of them I didn't have to share my ambulance with a dead drunk and our stay was only a weekend long!!

My new kitties!

2008-06-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

Akiva's last puppy went to its new home today....so I decided to get 2 new kitties. Well not really but you have to admit, they are stinkin' cute!
This is my little girl kitty......

And here is the little boy kitty....(Gary says I'm mean to do this to him, you should see what I did to my nephew!)

Sweet!!

2008-05-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the inspiration Megan!! After seeing my cousins blog and her 1st fruit bouquet I had to try one!! I think it turned out pretty good! I gave it to our pastor and his wife for their anniversary.

There is a company in the states that sells these and one this size would be about 35-40 dollars!! I did look a little nicer then mine....but this is my first one. The wheels in my head are turning.....hmmmmmm.......

More Reuben Faces!!

2008-05-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Our little man is getting sooo big sooo fast! He is starting to laugh and giggle and really likes to talk.

Trampoline fun.

2008-05-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

This trampoline has been a very good investment....our kids are on it all the time and we have become a very popular place for ALL the neighbor kids!!

Bailey and Elizabeth slept really good after hours of jumping!

Reuben and Abram

2008-05-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Just some cute pictures of Reuben and my sisters little guy!

6 puppies+1 dog = alot of poop

2008-05-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

I am so tired of picking up puppy poo!! So I decided that I have to older children for a reason......so they can pick up puppy poo!! It was Alannah's turn yesterday....what a production! Between the gagging and choking..... I couldn't stop laughing. She finally had to take some drastic measures....here's a few pics!

Here they are trying to escape.

Reuben singin' the blues.

2008-05-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Reuben likes to sing the blues with his daddy....here he is practicing!

And here are some more of our beautiful boy....and his lizard quilt that his Nana made him!

New puppy pictures.

2008-05-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

O.K. Humour me here.... close your eyes and imagine coming home to find that your dog has had a # 2 accident in the house.....not a nice smell right?!? Now imagine that you have 6 dogs that have # 2 accidents in your house all day and night.....really not nice....I mean, I am gagging when I walk out of my bedroom....I have been burning smelly candles for 4 days. Right now I have 2 vanillas, a bumble berry and a summer melon one burning for most of the day!! And that is with me cleaning the dog pen twice a day!! So, today the puppies and Akiva got moved outside permanently. Gary is going to build a roof over half of the pen,( I here the rain is back next week.) And I am picking up some hay to make their bed with. On that note here are some pics of them in there new pen.

Elizabeth made sure that they had lots of pillows and blankets.....

and that they had some stuffies to snuggle with......

This one is little Ella's new puppy.

This little girl is going to live with a friend of ours named Chris.
Akiva has started to wrestle with the pups.....soooo cute!

And here is the pup trying out her new moves on sponge bob.....

This one found a leaf and was quite enjoying it...but we all know what siblings are like....they came and wrecked his fun!

Pinky and "her" puppy.

2008-05-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

We are not keeping a puppy...but this is so cute I am almost tempted!! She carries this pup every where and even had it in her doll buggy the other day! It loves to be wrapped in a blanket and lets Pinky drag it around all day.

Here are some more puppy pics......

Sleep over Time.

2008-05-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

The girls had a sleep over last night...that means we had 7 children in our house!! We are in trouble when all 5 kids want to have friends over night! They all slept on the new couch....

Here they are close up!

Reuben and his new best friend!

2008-05-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Here is our boy!! He is growing like crazy....the faster he grows the sooner he out grows the breathing problems!! Grow Reuben grow!!!!

And here he is with his fancy oxygen monitor....If it beeps we run!

Piggy Puppies First Meal.....

2008-05-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

I was under the impression that I would have to show these little pups what food was....you know put some in their mouths or put their noses to the bowl....well not these puppies! What a bunch of piggies!! They we in the dishes, growling and inhaling their food like it was not only their first meal but their last! One of them actually curled up in the plate and had a little rest. I can't believe we have 4 weeks to go until these little guys can go to their new homes!! They are gonna be big dogs!

Happy Day!! (New furniture)

2008-04-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

After almost 11 years of marriage we were finally able to buy new furniture. It was a very exciting day! We were also able to get our girls a trampoline!!!!!
This is our new livingroom set.

And our new table and chairs....we still need to get another bench for it.

And here is the trampoline with a couple of jumping beans on it!

Our New Babies.

2008-04-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

Here they are! Our new little puppies. Akiva did awesome delivering them and my mom and Heidi made very good puppy midwives!

Akiva is one tired momma....and her pups are growing like weeds! We almost have homes for them all....3 little boys and 3 little girls! Our girls have named them all...are you ready for this? Sam,Cookie,Big Foot(my name for him is Solomon),Diamond,Sugar & Pipi. They are all very cute and loud!

What is a normal life??

2008-04-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here is an update on our CRAZY life!! I will do this in point form because I now have a high maintenance baby and don't know how long I have to type!

- I had noticed since the beginning of March that Reuben seemed to sound wheezy and strange sometimes when he breathed, but didn't want to be a paranoid momma about it....
- April 3rd; Reuben went blue on me early in the morning and it scared the sh*t out of me!! So we made a trip to the hospital. We saw the pediatrician and she arranged for us to see the E.N.T.(ear,nose & throat specialist) in Nanaimo the next day.

- April 4th; I get a phone call first thing in the morning from the pediatrician telling me that the helicopter is on its way and that they are flying us to Victoria to see the E.N.T. and a pediatrician there. Now this made things fun...Gary was still in bed. He also had to leave Sunday for Lasqueti Island to work for the week. So I phoned super, amazing, wonderful Nana and arranged for her to watch the girls for a few days, Woke Gary up, threw a few changes of clothes in a bag and flew out the door.

- We end up taking an ambulance to Qualicum because it was to foggy for the chopper to come over the mountain.
- It took 30 minutes to get to Victoria General, and the chopper ride was pretty cool...to bad he was to little remember it!
- Once we arrived he had a scope down his throat within the hour and was diagnosed with laringomalacia (no idea on the spelling) and a enlarged floppy epiglotis. Laringomalacia is when the walls of your larynx are soft and can collapse while you are breathing.
- the next few days were spent monitoring and assessing him... His condition was not bad enough to require a trachiotomy or surgery. We discovered that he has no problems breathing when he sleeps on his stomach (also known as prone position) And I also learned to nurse him while laying on my back with him on my tummy with his tummy( Now that is talent!)
- April 8th; My Momma calls to tell me that our dog is having her puppies and I tell her that it looks like I may need her there till Gary gets home on Saturday. Akiva had 6 puppies, and I was very sad I missed it. The girls got to watch the whole thing and I stayed on the phone for play by play updates!
- April 9th; I am told that we can go home once we get Reuben an oxygen monitor so we can keep a close eye on him at home. We just have to really watch him until he grows enough that it isn't a problem anymore. I am also told that the government won't help pay for this monitor because Reuben is not permanently disabled! Thank-you so much. They would rather pay $1000.00 a day to keep him in the hospital then pay $1500.00 for a monitor.

-April 11th; We are transferred to Nanaimo by ambulance to be closer to home and to wait to get funding to get a monitor. My amazing husband was super dad for the next week and took it off from work to be Mr.Mom. So now the government was still paying $1000.00 a day to keep us in the hospital and made us loose a weeks worth of wages!! Thank-you very much again!!!
-April 18th; We are aproved for funding from "Help Fill A Dream" for little misters monitor and were finally able to go home!!

Now he is crying and my time is up!! More to come later....puppy pictures too!

More babies????

2008-03-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well....It seems that while we were in the hospital having Reuben, our dog, Akiva, had a one night stand with a black retriever....and like most one night stands....she ended up pregnant and the father is nowhere to be found!! So......we think that the puppies are due around April 3rd. I am really hoping that all goes well and that there are no complications. My brothers dog had 12 pups and my dad had to bottle feed them! I am busy enough feeding Reuben never mind puppies!!!!!! Here are some picks of Akiva when she was a puppy....if ya want a pup.....let me know!!!

The many faces of Reuben!

2008-03-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing God made fussy babies so cute......cause it makes it alot easier to deal with them!!! Here is a little taste of how talented and cute our little boy is!!

Super Grace!

2008-03-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

Gracie's class has been taking gymnastics for their P.E. class. Today was the day we were aloud to go watch all the little monkeys in action! She was amazing....doing things that I don't think I would even attempt! He are some pics of our Amazing Grace.

There was a day when I could do this!!
Jumping beans! Every kid should have a trampoline!!!

Now comes the bar flips.....they could hardly even reach the bar! So cute :)

Just a cute shot to show off her second black eye in a month...on the same eye!

This bar doesn't look as high as it really is. It was high enough that I was nervous watching her swing and drop into the foam pit.....but on the other hand it looks kinda fun!

There is no way I would have had the strength to do this one.....a couple of the kids made it to the top!

Last but not least.....a place where your kids are told to climb the walls!! :)

Quick Hodi Houses Update.....

2008-03-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Not alot of extra time around here lately. Little Mr. Reuben has had a fussy couple of weeks....and really just wants to spend his days in my arms. That makes things a little tricky...you know, with 4 other kids and everyday mommy duty's.
Reuben and I seemed to have to have come to a happy compromise thanks to Auntie Beth! She bought us this amazing, life saving baby Carrier called a Mobywrap.( see pic below) If you have a baby or know someone who does, you NEED to get a Mobywrap. They are amazing!!! Here is there web address....cause I can't figure out how to post a link..... www.mobywrap.com
I have tried sooooooo many baby carriers and this one is the best by FAR!!

Ok.....Now onto other Hodi news!
We are now homeschooling Alannah! I know, I know.....I just didn't have enough to do so we thought we would take on another time consuming project! Alannah did not have a very good teacher this year and things were just getting worse and worse so we pulled her. So the next 4 months will be school at home while we build this little girls self confidence back up to where it should be! But on a good note....we are seeing positive changes already.
Well, gotta fly.....time for school!

Cat nap?

2008-03-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

Seriously....this is how our cat, Oscar, sleeps! I personally see nothing comfortable about sleeping with my face in my butt.......but then again I am not a cat! ( Thank God!)

Just had to share!! :)

Alisha's Belly

2008-03-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

Alisha came over the other day and I took belly pictures for her......she has training in the digital end of things so between the two of us...I think they turned out pretty darn good!!

These are just a few of them....if you want to see more check out her site.....http://alishaferguson.blogspot.com/ She has promised that she will keep her blog updated because I am making her look bad.........

Cool Dude

2008-02-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

I had to play dress up this morning....not many of his clothes even fit him yet. Like this outfit...the pants are pull up to his nipples and the shirt looks like nightie...but hey, its really all about the hat and the shades man!

Alannah comments......

2008-02-28T12:52:00.000-08:00

Alannah: Mommy look, he doesn't even fit in his skin!

There has been many more interesting things from the mouth of Alannah since having Reuben....here are a few examples:

Gary brought all the girls to see me at the hospital and Alannahs eyes were the first to see the catheter bag and tube...I watched her eyes travel up the tube and then she stood there processing what it was. Here is her comment: Oh my gosh.....that is so embarrassing!
Then we took them in to see Reuben. Gary was changing his diaper and they were all watching. As soon as his little boy parts were exposed Alannah blurts out " Look Dad....It looks like an elephant seal!"
A few days before Reuben was born, Elizabeth was on our bed in the morning telling me that the baby is going to come out my eyes when it comes out. I was explaining to her in very simple terms how the baby really comes out...yet she still insisted that it would come out my eyes...in the middle of this Alannah had made her way onto our bed and was now ready to insert her 2 bits....
Alannah: No Pinky, the baby can come out 2 ways....the doctor either cuts it out of your stomach and then you stomach is ruined forever or the baby comes out your butt and then your butt is ruined forever!!
O.K. here is the last Alannah comment for the day...(its milking time...)
Alannah: (during a diaper change) Look Mommy his DILLY DINK is bigger then is leg!
DILLY DINK!!!!!!! Where in the world did she get that one!?! Thank you public school and the children in it! And just for the record...our son's "dilly dink" is not as long as his leg!

Black & white fun with my boy

2008-02-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

AWWWWWWWW....no words are needed!!!

creative kids + clay = slugs??

2008-02-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

Here is the newest creations of Emily and Alannah's...... They are off of the movie Flushed Away. I am pretty impressed.

Reuben and his sisters......

2008-02-18T19:47:00.000-08:00

Life is starting to feel a little more normal now. It is very nice to be home......
Our little boy is doing well.....my midwife was here on Saturday to see him. He had gained 2.5 ounces. Not alot, but pretty good for a little guy! He now weighs 5.13 pounds! Not quite at his birth wieght....but getting close!
I leave you now with some pics of the cutest little boy....and his very cute sisters!

O.K.......Here are some more, cause he is pretty amazing!
You have to have the classic "bath in the kitchen sink" shots!

He loves his baby swing! Thank God!!

Baby's Here!!!

2008-02-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

Our little Reuben Austin was born at 2:24 am, on Tuesday, February 5th. I will fill you all in on how it all happened later....I am WAY to tired to type for long! Reuben is doing awesome and came home from the hospital today!! It has been a very exciting and long day.....so I will leave you with some pics of our amazing new addition to our amazing family!!
Waiting to see the dr at the hospital........

Waiting for the oxytocin to start my contractions.......

Walking the halls with my faithful but tired man!
The contractions had kicked in!

Out and on to mommy's tummy.....

Daddy FINALLY cutting the cord....It only took 5 babies to get him to do it!

Our little man!!

These were taken today......finally going home!

Baby scare!!

2008-01-30T15:15:00.000-08:00

Well its been a fun day!! My midwife was scheduled to come to my home for a visit today and a few hours before she was due to arrive I started spotting. So long story made short, after a rather invasive exam and all of the fun stuff that comes with that we discover that I am 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Here is a diagram that I found that helps you see what the heck that even means!
But taking into consideration that I have had 4 other baby's this is not to concerning.....the concern is that the last baby came early....so this one might want to as well! So I am to take it easy and be aware of my body. If anything changes at all I am to call her. This little man needs to stay in for 3 more weeks and then all will be well! Oh and I will be seriously messing with my sister's plans to have our baby's as close together as possible. And that is unheard of!
So thats my day today! I will keep you all updated.

More snow!?!?

2008-01-29T11:24:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to 6-8 inches of snow. The girls were very happy to have a no school snow day! I am going crazy though!! Here are some pics of this mornings play in the snow.......

Little miss Pinky eating snow.....

Fashion show girls!

2008-01-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

Our girls got asked to help model some flower girl dresses at a small bridal fair in town.........too cute!!! Grace would have nothing to do with it,(big surprise)and Elizabeth had to be carried and then had a moderate melt down on the floor in front of EVERYONE!!!!!!! Emily and Alannah did great! Here are a few of the pics....I didn't get to take very many because I was helping them change in the back......so sad!

Alannah was very serious through the whole thing..........she did say that she had lots of fun though???
Here are a few more

Emily's sewing project!

2008-01-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

Emily got sewing lessons for her 10th birthday and has been very busy! She has made a beanie, a drawstring bag,2 snowmen and her biggest project..........her big foot pillow!!!! She is now making pajama pants! Eat your heart out Nana!!!!!

Sister Bellies

2008-01-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

Not too much to say about these....you can totally see the difference between baby #2 and baby #5!! I am 29 weeks and Alisha is 23 weeks in these. They were taken at my mom and dad's on Christmas morning.

New house update.

2008-01-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of the progress we have made with our house....Gary had some time off over Christmas and went crazy! I am also starting to feel a little nesty and really want my house as done as possible before our little boy arrives! So here is our bedroom before.....
And this is what we have now!! I love it.......there is still alot of stuff in it that wont be when we are done...like the shower stall and tools ect....but it is well on its way!
This next picture is of the baby's stuff in our room....Gary and I set it up last week.....we are getting really excited! And it is really nice to have a big enough room to have this set up in it!

This is just another shot of my romantic canopy bed....ahhhhhh I love my bed!
We also painted our living room and have Gary made ledges for the tops of our half walls.......here are the before and afters!

Notice the lovely ledge!!
And he made one for this wall too....sure makes it look done!!

Home made soap.

2007-12-04T08:43:00.001-08:00

This is my new clean hobby that my mother in law and I are having soooo much fun making and smelling!!

P.S. Super cute snowman....

2007-12-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

I forgot the snowman pic......

Happy Birthday Amazing Grace!!

2007-12-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

Our little Gracie is 6 today!! Where does time go? We had a little birthday dinner last night. This was my attempt at the requested " purple snowflake cake."

We got her a porcelain doll and she LOVES it. She came up to me after and said," Oh Mommy, I have never gotten anything like this before!" It was pretty cute. Here are a few more pics of the birthday girl!

1st big snow day of the year!!

2007-12-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

I know some of us can't stand the stuff, but with 4 little girls and a dog that should be a sled dog....you can't help but get a little excited!

Our dog, Akiva, LOVED the snow. The girls kept trying to build a snowman, but she would steal the snowballs from them before they had a chance!

It snowed all day and most of saturday night and this is what Sunday looked like! It was beautiful.

Well this morning is another story....like the weatherman said..."its like a great big slurpie out there." It rained all night and we are supposed to get up to 70 mm of rain today.....Gotta love the west coast! Oh well....I hear there is more snow to come!

Fun at Nana & Papa's!

2007-12-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would post some pics of our trip to Nana & Papa's....We love the west coast! The girls had soooo much fun....so did Daddy!

The Girls called it bubble beach.....and tested fate with the waves!!

It was a perfect weekend, very cold, but that didn't stop Gary!

This is what happens when you get a little too friendly with the wild west coast waves......

22 weeks....and counting!

2007-11-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

It is very interesting and scary how much your body sceams " I am pregnant" with your 5th baby!! I ran into a lady the other day who asked me when I was due...so I told her mid march and her jaw hit the floor and she asked if my dates could be wrong!! I soon found out that she is pregnant too! I could not tell by looking at her....she had to do the belly hold and "show me"....when I asked her when she was due my jaw then hit the floor! She is due in the beginning of January! Now this is her first baby....but that really did not bring me much comfort...so here they are the 22 week belly shots. We took them in Ucluelet when we were visiting my parents.

Halloween Fun !!

2007-11-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Our kids have the coolest Bugga(aka Grandma)on the planet!!!! We went to Bugga and Grandpa's for dinner and to hit their neighborhood trick or treating.....and Bugga once again made an amazing and fun dinner!!! She wasn't even there to eat it and I am not to sure when she found the time to make it while working 12 hour shifts???
BUGGA YOU ROCK!!!

These are my " vegetarian" eyeballs that were soooooo good, I was nice enough to share them....

Here are the meat eyeballs......lots of fun at the dinner table!

And of course she couldn't stop at dinner....here is what we had for dessert!

It was a very "sweet" night and that was before any candy!!! I will post picks of the trick or treating fun soon....just waiting for the pictures!

It's a BOY!!!!!!

2007-10-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

We are totally in shock and are flying high!! The Hodi sisters finally get a little brother and Gary gets his son!!! Here is the ultrasound picture of his little willy!! The picture shows his 2 legs spread out and his "thingy" is hanging between them!!!!

Here are a couple more pics...one of his legs and the other is a side profile shot

March seems very far away now.... but they did move my due date to the 8th... not that that means anything!! We are having a hard time with boy names, we thought we had one picked out but now that we know that it is a boy we don't like the name anymore! Here is an updated pic of my belly. I am 20 weeks...and I feel huge already! And knowing that I have 20 weeks to go is scary!

Life can be so weird sometimes...my Papa passed away this morning. He had cancer and we were all praying that Jesus would just take him in his sleep and that is exactly what happened. I was pregnant with Elizabeth when Nana died too.....so to say the least I am full of very mixed feelings.....excited about life long awaited for and already loved constantly reminding me of its presence and the sweet sting of death as Papa is reunited with Nana and is no longer with us.

I love you Papa.

15 weeks preggers!!

2007-09-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

Ok...it's been a while! Here is my first pregnant shots.( taking by Emily!!)

This has been a much nicer pregnancy....no tubes down the nose, no I.V.s, not to much puking....kinda weird! I am very happy, mabey it's a boy?!?!?!?

2007-07-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

AAAHHHHHHH...will this ever end?

2007-07-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a while and lots has happened.....but for some reason the more we do the more there is to do! I don't get it!!!
Here are some pics of the girls rooms...they are almost done! Grace and Beth now have their own room!!
And Emily and Alannah have a very BRIGHT room and mommy is very happy that she can close the door!!
And this is what the rest of my house looks like right now...totally disgusting!!

This is my bedroom..can you find the bed? My kitchen got emptied in there!
And below is what my kitchen looks like right now!
and the next 2 pics are my kitchen table and my living room......

And then to make things even more interesting....my kids all got the chicken pox and now that that is over Grace has strep throat!
You know what they say,"if it doesn't kill ya, it makes ya stronger!" I am not dead yet so I will keep going!!!!!

Pinky and Grace's Room!

2007-07-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

One down, many more to go!

We move all the girls into that room so that we can work on Emily and Alannah's room.....my house is in total upheaval right now! Here is a pic of our new living room with some furniture in it.....its not staying that color....just for now to make the bank happy!
We also got some more good news today...the bank wont be here to inspect until after the 9th!!!!! Our mortgage broker is on holidays!! YAY

xoxoxox Carpet xoxoxoxo

2007-06-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

Here it is.......CARPET!!!!!!!

Very exciting....Don was here at 10:30 this morning and put carpet in all day!
Todd and I also cleaned the front yard so now I can post a house shot!!!
You know that your kids have been carpet depived when all they can say is "oooohhhh Mommy it feels soooo nice on my feet!"

Pepto Pink bedroom

2007-06-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

No,I'm serious......it really is pepto pink!!!
We tinted our primer to look like we painted and I thought that it would be a good idea to tint it with a red because we are going to have some red walls in our room. Maybe it was a good idea, but it looks gross.......on the other hand my husband wants me to get our bedroom paint RIGHT AWAY!!!!!
Here are the other rooms.....
..........and here is my helper.....super Grace!!!!

Her chicken poxs are almost gone....we are still waiting for the next outbreak....
she had a pretty good case...we stopped counting them when we hit 100. Alisha brought
Abram up here so Grace could share her poxs with him too!!

well thats all for now....carpet sort of goes in today!!!! I will put more pics up later!

Updated house pics!

2007-06-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

Well....here is where we are at as of Saturday the 23rd.
We had alot of help today, it was awesome. The outside is almost done, but it was raining, so I couldn't get pics.
This is Grace and Pinky's bedroom.....

A mother/daughter drywall team!!

Mud bucket Beth

Super Don!!

Cole and his butt???

Oh how I LOVE drywall

2007-06-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

WOW...I am getting excited now! I want to paint!!!!

We have had lots of help today, it has been awesome!The pic above is our living room and the cabinets are for my kitchen.
This will be the door to Beth and Grace's room and the next one is their room.
This is the master bedroom...or as much of it as I can get in a pic!! I have never had a nice big bedroom before!! The wood frame on the ceiling I going to be my PRINCESS CANOPY BED!!!!!!!!!! Gary is going to drywall it and then put crown molding around it. Then we put the curtain rods on the inside and hang my curtains!

This is our beautiful front entry and we hung our official sign today.( Gary says that it means that the bank can't have our house cause our name is on it!)

Thats all for now.....I am pumped!

Insulating at midnight is so romantic!

2007-06-15T17:42:00.000-07:00

We finished insulating at 12:00 last night and started again at 6:30 this morning!
We are kinda tired but we did pass our inspection and are now boarding.

Things are lookings good! Keep checking back for up dates.

Just some cute pics!

2007-06-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

This is the girls bedroom...all 4 in one room!!
Emily & Pinky having a "sleep over."
Our girls and Sara hanging in the motorhome.

Good news!!

2007-06-11T15:56:00.001-07:00

We passed our inspection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here are some update photos.

3 Weeks to finish our house!!

2007-06-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

O.K. Keep us in your prayers, cause we need a miracle!! The bank has decided that we have taken to long to finish our place so they have given us to the end of June. Kinda crazy around here now!!!!!! Here's the pics to prove it!!!
I told you it was crazy!!!!!!!!
You can see the walls that we took out....
This was my kitchen!!!
More holes in my wall......
This is the addition...

Now I have to go do a dump run!!! I will put more updates on later!!!

Gary's borrowed boy toy.....

2007-05-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Sooooo....Gary was in heaven thanks to friends that we have made up here!!!!They also have 4 kids and live in a small single wide trailer, but do have 22 acers to their advantage!!! Anyways Trevor dropped his bobcat off for a day so we could get our yard ready to plant GRASS!!!!!!! Yes, I am very excited about having a lawn!!
So, after a 2 minute lesson, Trevor left and Gary was on his own.....He did pretty good! Only broke one brick and only hit the house once....not bad for a beginner!!

Do you think he is having fun???

My husband was so nice, he even let me have a turn on his toy. It was fun...a little tricky but I did figure it out and actually moved dirt!!!

I love pansies.

2007-05-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

I love the colors. These plants are 2 years old and they are getting soooo big!! I wonder if they will go another season?

Do you remember doing this!!!!!

Pitter patter of little feet.

2007-05-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Just another cute shot!

Toe rings.

2007-05-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

My little Pinky found a new use for my wedding rings! Too cute.

Weekend on the Wild West Coast!!!

2007-05-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

Aka....Nana & Papa's house!!!!!
We spent 2 night at their house because daddy was up their helping do their drywall and mommy didn't want to be a single mommy any longer sooooooooo off we went!!!! Our friends, Ange & Jody and their 2 boys were up there and my nephew Richard...so in total there were 13 people staying in Nana and Papa's 3 bedroom rented apartment above the library!!!! Try to make 7 kids use their soft quiet feet.....more like an elephant stampede!
We did lots if walks and beach exploring, and we all had an awesome time! Here are some pics!

In order of pictures seen that would be Grace's crab, Judah's crab and Emily's crab!!!
Here are some pics of the beaches there.....

And some more.......

Mad Hatter Fair!!!

2007-05-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

The girls had their huge school fair today. They had sooooooo much fun. Gary's mom,Elizabeth, Bailey and Cole came up for it too. Here are some pics!!

You will notice that Emily and Alannah are not really in any pictures.......they were to cool to hang out with their family so we didn't see them all night.

I want to ride a horsey!!

It's been a while!!!!

2007-05-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, life is very busy! Still don't have alot of time to type....but here are some pics......

GARY made these cupcakes!!!!!! Is he not the coolest dad in the WORLD!! I am soooo impressed.

This is my handmade soap that I made with my other mum, (Gary's mum) Yes....it does look like sausage!!!!!But you can ask Pinky and she will tell you that it doesn't taste like sausage!!!!!( It was just a little bite.....I left them to dry on the table)

This is my little cousin (who isn't so little anymore!!!) and my Papa!

Well thats all for now....have to go pick up kids from school and injoy the sunshine!!!!!

A Ltttle Sleepy.....

2007-04-04T22:51:00.000-07:00

I was washing dishes and trying to talk Pinky into eating her dinner......and this is what I turned around to see!!! Just to clarify....she does have all her teeth but this is what she would look like with only one top tooth!
We have had some sunshine lately so we have been outside alot.....Alannah and her friend from school had fun in one of our trees....
Not to sure why Alannah is being tied up in this one....could be for many different reasons.......this is what happens when you don't have cable......your kids get creative and resourceful.All that was needed for this fun game was a sister and some housecoat belts. Now that's talent!!

Boardom + Spring Break = MUDFIGHT

2007-03-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well....spring break is here and so is the rain, and in our yard, that means MUD. There is not much more to say about that.....but here are the pictures!!!!

Emmy the poodle...

2007-03-09T20:44:00.000-08:00

Just had to post the after affect of the corn braids!

Very 80's I think...just needs higher bangs!

What to do with wall climbing monkeys!!!

2007-03-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

Have you ever found your children climbing the walls in your house, or climbing to the top of the door frame? Look what I caught Grace doing with her little sister eagerly watching and learning!!!!!!
That would be a supportive beam in my house.....yes it needs a drywaller!!!!
But never worry, never fear....I found the answerer to climbing little monkeys.......

Egyptian Princesses

2007-03-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

We have always told our girls that they are all princesses and that Jesus made each of them so special. Well, today with the help of their big sister, our girls tested out the option of Egyptian Princesses. I love it!!!

My Saturday project...

2007-03-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

Well..I don't know what anyone else did today....but I had to post some pics of what I did! My fingers are still cramped...I'm surprised that I can type.

Yes, I know, I only did half of her head...there is a reason for this! I am not spending 6 hours doing something that she is going to take out in 2 days!!!!!

Shhhhh

2007-03-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

I think that God knew what He was doing when He made kids look so beautiful and cute when they are sleeping. After a whole morning of whining and crying, Pinky crashed on the couch.(thanks Dora!) All my nerves were soothed and I love her again....just look at her AWWWWWWWWW.

Tip of the day!

2007-03-01T06:55:00.000-08:00

Here it is....this is a valuable word of advice learned from first hand experience!
~ Do not have 6 little girls under the age of 9 have to spend over 24 hours together in a very small house (900sq feet) with only one bedroom to play in and not enough beds for the extras to sleep in so they have to sleep in you and your husbands bed (while you pray that they don't pee on your side!)Therefore you and your husband have to resort to sleeping on your two couches and you get the smaller of the two (because you are smaller) and you freeze all night since you lost you heat source(to the other couch) and the temperature dropped to -5ish and you don't have proper heat in your house. And remember that once you finally do fall asleep, your 5 year old will have "bad imaginations" about spiders and will require sleeping with you on the small couch that your knees have now locked up on and you are so tired that you just somehow make room and try to find your happy place. Oh ya and that is also the day that your husband has to be up at 5 to go to work! And remember, don't look in the one bedroom that they all had to play in! It is quite disheartening and devastating!!!!!

Its begining to look alot like christmas!?!?!?!?

2007-03-01T06:28:00.000-08:00

You now the weather is messing with your kids head's when your 5 year old asks if it is going to be Christmas again tomorrow!!!!!

This was taken on Saturday the 24th....that is the girls school. (photo is taken from my living room window.) Can't get any closer to school than having it in your back yard!

You have to admit, there is just something about catching snowflakes on your tongue when they are the size of toonies!!!!

New house pictures...

2007-02-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

O.K. this is where we are at with our house.....I will share more on how we got to this point another time....you may have to use your imagination a bit..you know..to help you picture the grass, flowers, picket fence.....and while you are at it you could imagine all the garbage and stuff out of my yard too....thanks

For you Stacey!

2007-02-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

Here it is the requested photo of the cousins.....hope you like it! Sorry if it BUGS you......hahahahahaha

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!

2007-02-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

AHHHHHH....It's snowing AGAIN! No more snow....PLEASE. Does anyone else out there share in these very Strong feelings I am experiencing right now. I WANT SPRING!!!!
Thanks for listening.....
Here is the proof...these were taken about 15 minutes apart!!!!! You know what they say about the weather here....If you don't like it, wait 5 minutes!

Up @ 5:30.....

2007-02-20T06:26:00.000-08:00

I hate it when I wake up in the morning and don't get time to have a coffee and take a few moments to myself to wake up and have some me time before I start the day....but it really suck when you have to get up at 5:30 to achieve this. But I have to admit that it is worth it, my day is always off to a rough start when I wake up and have to be mommy servant before my eyes have focused and my coffee ingested! I'm not to sure why I am telling you all this, so.....um.....ya... OH the funniest thing happened at the bridal fair...OK I have to start at the beginning. Our 10 year grad reunion is coming up the year, (very strange feelings come attached to that thought) but the problem is that I only went to public school for that one grade 12 year. Now you may be thinking...why is that a problem? The problem is I didn't know anyone. I met Gary and we hung out...but I didn't make any friends. So I have told Gary for many years that our reunion is going to suck because I am just gonna be the girl that Gary married. (He went to the same schools with most of these people since elementary school so EVERYONE knows Gary....plus because of his gift with music he wast the most popular band nerd there was!) Now, he has always said " no that's not true"....and tried to comfort me and all that stuff but I know that I know that I am the girl that Gary married! Well, here I am at the bridal fair and not once, not twice, but three times, I had people come to my booth and say, "Hey didn't you marry Gary."!!!!!!!!!!I knew it, I just knew it! So my fears were confirmed, my identity was stolen by my husband...I am now the girl that Gary married. Oh well...I guess there are worst things that could happen.
Well, kids are now up and attempting to sit on me and I can no longer see the computer so...I'm outta here!

What a crazy week.....

2007-02-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I have a few spare moments....the washer and drier are loaded and my dishes can wait 10 minutes!! We have had an awesome but very busy week. We had a lady come an speak at our church on Monday and Tuesday night. The meetings were awesome and God was there!! We didn't get home till after 11:00 both night and our kids were a little on the sleepy side. Wednesday we were all zonked from lack of sleep.....yet Gary and I stayed up till 2:30 am talking....we have been doing that alot lately, and just enjoying each others company. On Thursday, Gary left for work with my Dad for a few days, so I had to hold down the fort on my own. He didn't stay as long as we thought and surprised me the next day as he came through the door. That turned out to be a good thing because we all went to Victoria for the day to see my family. We had an awesome visit at my Auntie Judy and Uncle Brain's house, and my Grandpa and his wife, Tisha, came and brought along my Auntie Sheri. (who flew in from Moose Jaw the day before) It was great to see everyone. Kinda crazy all the memories that come flooding back...sometimes I would love to be a kid again. Alisha, Wes and Abram came too.....and Abram stole the show! We stayed for dinner and didn't get home till 10:30. We had the strangest experience driving home....it was REALLY windy and raining so hard that my wipers couldn't go fast enough but there were NO clouds in the sky! We could see all the stars and it was quite bright out....really weird! Anyways..we made it home and got everyone into bed! The next morning I had to be out of the house by 7:30 and had to set up and man a photography booth at a bridal fair, Treena (the photographer) had hip replacement surgery and was still in the hospital. I got home in time to go strait to church...we go at night...and it was awesome! Emily is on the kids worship dance team and they did 2 dances and they were beautiful. The Lord used them to touch alot of hearts and there were quite a few tears in the room.
So that is my week in a nut shell....sorry I don't have any pics to post....oh I could post some randome ones that I have taken...

My Girl friend and her baby.

Emmy dancing at church.

2007-02-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

I LOVE YOU GARY I Tasha, take you Gary, my precious gift from God to be my husband. I love you and accept you as you are and as you will become. I love you Gary and I promise to continue to love you with a love that by God's grace, will be patient and kind, without envy or boasting, pride or rudeness, always protecting, always trusting, always enduring.
I want to grow with you in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; and in obedience to Him I will respect, encourage and pray for you in all that you do. I take you for better, for worse, for richer or poorer. I will love you in health and in sickness. I will love and cherishand lovingly submit to you untill death we are parted. I will go wherever you go and love wherever you love, your people will be my people and your God will always be my God.
You are the other side of me.......I am not complete without you and your love.

Fun in the snow!

2007-02-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

Well I'm afraid that this is not going to be creative....we have all been sick for the last week and my head is still not up to snuff. Here are some pics of the girls in the snow...it was very nice to get a decent amount this year....the girls were in heaven!
Emily, Alannah and Grace spent hours outside, and Gary joined them as much as he could. The went over to the school's field to make a snowman.....they ended up making a lazy boy chair, a t.v. and the remote control to go with it! I think this creativity was influenced by daddy a little bit. Pinky (Elizabeth) didn't fair in the snow quite as well as her sisters!

Doesn't it just break your heart?

For some reason the girls had this thing about burying their heads in the snow and seeing how long they could stay like that???? What ever floats your boat...right?

Well thats all I can muster up for now.....more later.....nap time!!!

The great house adventure!!!

2007-02-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

O.k. I hope you are ready.....here it is our beautiful first home. Ummm....or shall we call it a shack...there are many other names that I have called it in the last year and a half, but you don't need to hear those. Go ahead and look...don't laugh too hard!

Ummm...wow, I haven't looked at these in a while! The beautiful babe on the right is my faithful friend,Heidi. She came over as soon as I got there to help me clean the huge pile of %&*# in the front yard. It was very disgusting! We actually ended up having a contest to see who could find the most needles.....Heidi won. There were many more treasures to be found in the pile. Here is a sample list: ummmm....I changed my mind, its to gross to list. Just think drug house that has never been cleaned! The house was no better! I had to clean all the obscene reading material out before our Pastor and a big crew from church came up to help. It was crazy. We filled the industrial sized dumpster 2 time with the garbage from the house. The power had been cut for a couple of months and Gary opened the fridge....he cleared the house!! So the fridge got duct- taped closed and was launched into the dumpster. The guy who lived here left everything in the house....his furnature, clothes ..... everything. It was really weird. Actually...whats even weirder is that we found out later that he was at our neigbors, (another drug house) watching us throw all his stuff out. Here are some more pictures.....

Gary's Mum and Cam came up and she brought food for everyone.....no, you don't understand, she doesn't just make sandwiches or lasagna....she has to make her own bread and mayonnaise and make her own noodles. She is AMAZING!!! (If you are reading this mum, you love me more than Gary right???)
This was a well deserved coffee break, Heidi and I did most of the work ourselves!!! (kidding) The trailer behind us is what we stayed in for 5 LONG days.....mom and dad stayed at a hotel for 2 nights and helped us everyday and had the girls sleep at the hotel with them. It was such a blessing. (Thanks again guys). Gary and I spent our first night by ourselves and it was in no way a romantic first night at our very oun house. The other drug house neigbor ran a little business out of his home and his customers started comming at around 11:00 pm......anyways, to make a long story short, we were almost asleep and we heard the most horrible noise! It was a man screaming like he had been stabbed or shot. But it was like he was right outside our trailer. Gary and I were like little kids....remember, when you were little and you got scared so you just pull the blankets over your head and hold sooooooooo still....ya, thats what we were both doing. It may be funny now but we were ready for a knife to come through the trailer wall!!!!!
This is super grandpa..(aka, gumpa....or Cam....or mabye Clint Eastwood...take your pick!) He tackled our hedge and our trees. I have 2 beautiful oreantal cherry trees in the front yard and now when they are in bloom they look like perfect pompoms on sticks...I love them! We also have a plum tree that was very out of controll....no problemo for Clint Eastwood!!!

May I now introduce you to Darling Daring Donna!!!!(hehehe...sorry Donna, sort of.) She was awesome.... and the only one brave enough to clean out the stove.... I looked like someone put there pet cat in there and cooked it for a couple months. My mom tried to clean it but started gaging! Sooooo....Donna cleaned the dead cat slime from the oven...we then sprayed it with kill everything cleaner and left it for 2 days. Then I scraped it with a drywall floor scraper.

This is an inside shot...it really does no justice though. The man in the picture is our Pastor, Brad. He and his wife Caralee have been a constant supply of support, encouragement, and always share their cleanex...yes there have been many tears shed along this crazy journey. This is Gary, my Uncle Peter, and my dad...they are trying to figure out why there is a huge hole under our house and why it is full off water! But that is another story for another time!!That room is now being coverted in to the master bath off of our bedroom...I know, really hard to picture isn't it.
Well, my time is up...gotta fly. I will try and find more progress pictures.
TTFN, Tasha

Our beautiful girls

2007-02-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

I am going to try this again.....I have already had to erase one blog.
O.k. Lets start with the girls, since they are all consuming and are in my face as we speak, it seems only appropriate that I put them up first!!!!

Emily Vera, 9 years old, grade 3.

My baby is getting too big too fast, but that shouldn't be a problem, because this was her last birthday. She is not allowed to hit double digits! Emmy loves arts and crafts and is always making stuff for other people. She is doing really well at school, and joined the Jr. girls floor hockey team! She is coping with life in our VERY small house,(that is another story!) and is doing an awesome job as a big sister. She also can't wait until the 4 girls don't have to share a bedroom. I have heard talk of zebra striped bedding and a jungle theme in her and Alannah's room!

Alannah Faith, 7 years old, grade 2

Hmmmmmmmm........where to start with Alannah?????? Well she is......a fire ball....an instigator....a constant energy source.....a born leader I tell you!!!! This one will shake the world! For some reason, Alannah has ended up with tons of nick names, not to sure how they all came about, but here is the list off the top of my head: Lou, Loutsu, Lou my Lou, Lanna, Boo,Boots, Chaunchy, Lan-Bannan....if Gary were here there would be many more. Alannah is doing awesome in school as well. Her reading level is extremely high and she is a "absolute angel and a delight to have in the class room." I still think her teacher is talking about the wrong kid!! Life would be very boring without our Lou.......alot quieter....but boring.

Grace Rebekah, 5 years old, kindergarten!!!

Our amazing Grace....not to sweet of a sound though! Just kidding....kinda. You should hear her when her sisters tick her off! Gracie started kindergarten this year and was very excited to be going to school with her big sisters. It did not take long for the kindergarten high to wear off and the " I want to stay home with mommy to kick in." But never fear, there is nothing that a sticker chart with very appealing rewards won't fix!!!!! So going to school is no longer a problem. Thank God. One day I left her crying with her teacher and got a phone call from the principle asking me to come and get her....he had to carry her into the office SCREAMING, kicking and hitting. I told him that he was very privileged to witness a true Hodi temper tantrum. He rated it at a 9!!!!

Elizabeth Alisha, 3 years old

Our littlest girl is not so little anymore. It is a bitter sweet feeling. No more babies verses no more diapers!!!!!! Yes folks, our diaper days are officially over! 8 years of butt wiping, diaper changing and potty training ......been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. (That was corny.) I AM FINISHED!!!!! There is a light at the end of the tunnel....keep going all you young mommy out there...you will survive. Sorry, got a little off track there! Elizabeth, or Pinky as we call her,is very 3. I always found 3 worse than 2. 2 year olds have a natural defiance about them....figuring out boundaries, 3 year olds have an "up yours" defiance that totally throws you because you never thought that your last cutest, sweetest, perfect child would be capable of such monstrous behavior!!!! Don't get me wrong...she is as sweet as she looks...just don't make her mad or say the NO word!

Well that is all my untrained typing fingers can handle...but there will be more, if I can figure out how to do this again!!! Hope you enjoy my first blog Alisha, since you are the only one that will be reading it!!!!!!

Toot a Loo till next time,

Tasha