Halloween

Although I haven't posted much in 2013, I'm not even going to attempt to catch up.  I'm just posting what's going on now.  And what's going on now is Halloween!

Rachel's excited for candy!

Jakin was a cyclist.  Corban was Calvin (as in Calvin and Hobbes).  And Aidan was a baseball.

Annie has been excited for Halloween for at least six weeks.  She dressed as Lucy from Narnia.  Although it's tough to see, she is holding a glass bottle for Lucy's cordial and a dagger.  Lauren dressed as a unicorn.

Half the fun of trick-or-treating is coming back to the house and checking out all the loot.  The kids raked in an obscene amount of candy.  Full pumpkins.  Like their mother before them, most of my kids like to sort and organize their candy.  They also like making trades.

The evening was rainy, but it was actually quite pleasant.  The temperatures were warm and the rain wasn't falling heavily, so it was nice to be outside.  The rain didn't damper the kids' spirits at all.  They still ran from house to house on our familiar route.  For better or worse, we trick-or-treat in our own neighborhood, where there aren't many other kids out.  Consequently, at each house our kids are offered two or three pieces of candy because the neighbors know they won't get many kids knocking on their door.  Multiply that by a couple dozen houses and the candy haul is significant.  There's nothing quite like this is my kids' lives.  The sheer quantity of it all makes them giddy.  On the day after Halloween they asked if they could dump out their candy again just to look at it again.

Here she is

Little Rachel being a big girl in the Bumbo.  We're getting lots of smiles these days, which is wonderful to see.

I'm still here... sort of...

 I confess that I haven't even attempted a blog post since my last one in March.  It's not like I didn't have time this summer.  I did.  I was just doing other things, I guess.  Well, here I am all set to give a Miller update and I can't figure out how to post pictures.  I switched over computers right about the time I had Rachel and .... what?  What was that?  Who?  Yeah, there have been a few changes around here since my last post.  We've had a baby!  Rachel Clare was born on August 16.  For those who are still counting, that makes six kids.  And six kids makes for a loud house.  Life is not easy, but there are frequent glimpses of beauty and goodness in the midst of all the chaos.  Rachel is .... well, it's hard to write about Rachel without writing about how fussy she is.  sigh.  It's true.  Her sweet smile goes a long way toward making peace, but my goodness, the girl will wear a mama out.  I do love having a little girl again and I so look forward to seeing how she fits into our family.  What a blessing she is!

Someday I'll figure out how to post pictures with this new computer and you'll get to see the little peanut.

A visit from friends

 The last time we saw these dear friends was just before they left for Germany for a two year stint.  Much has happened in both of our families since then, including the birth of a baby for each family.  It was so so good to have time to catch up - even though we stayed up much too late each night doing so.  The kids had a blast together, dividing up firmly along gender lines despite age differences.  Sweet times.

Just look at this little bundle of cuteness!  John Martin, 7 months.  As he does with every other child 2 years old and younger, Aidan called John "JoJo" and therefore initiated him as a true friend.

 A rare Miller family picture

Seriously.  How can you not squeeze this kid?  Among the two families, there are nine children.  When one of them (can't remember which) was about this age, Tim declared that she (or he?) was living a dangerous life because we all just wanted to take a bite out of her.  I think the same is true for little Johnny.

Winter vacation

Our family took a little mini vacation to the Adirondacks with our good friends over the February vacation this year.  We stayed in the family cottage of our friend's grandparents.  The picture below is our view of the frozen lake outside our window.  The dads kept the kids busy cross country skiing (even Annie went 6 miles one day!), tubing, playing ice hockey, and ice skating.  These dads are very fit and can still wear out the kids, but we wonder when this will flip to the kids wearing out the dads.  Our first day was the best weather.  Everyone skied.  It was so wonderful to just ski from the back door.

There was plenty of down time as well.  Lots of books and games.

We were able to spend a few afternoons at a local retreat center.  The kids loved having the opportunity to do some climbing.

 Annie went over and over and over.  She really loved it.

This is the dads' version of supervising the kids on the climbing wall.

A local guy and friend of our friend's grandparents has been feeding deer outside his back deck for 30 years.  He and his wife have given all the deer names and know the family groups.  They invited us over to watch feeding time one afternoon.  It was really amazing.  As Aidan watched mesmerized, he kept saying, "Deer.  Eat."  

 Most of our crew

 Great times with great friends

Random catching up

Ok, so it's been a while.

We actually had snow on the ground for much of the winter, but the kids were out on a day in February with no snow and relatively warm temps.  Aidan loved splashing in the puddles.  It's amazing how that activity is instinctive.  See a puddle.  Must stomp in it.

When we took our Christmas tree down in January, I moved this basket of board books into the living room.  Aidan has loved books ever since.  He doesn't have a preferred reader, he's equally happy with anyone reading to him.  Everyone is (usually) happy to oblige.

 If I don't have time to blog, how will I have time to figure out why these pictures get posted out of order?

Back to books.  Aidan is especially sweet when he just backs up into whomever he has chosen to read to him and plops down on his or her lap.  How can one resist that?

Annie is serious about dressing for her holidays, as I've mentioned in this blog before.  Guess which holiday the girls are decked out for here?

Nordic skiing is a big part of our family's winter

 Even Aidan got a turn skiing with Daddy

Makes me happy!

I am a person who likes when everything has a place and everything is in its place.  When we moved into our house a little over two years ago, very few things had a place.  But Jack has moved along steadily and he continues to make our home more beautiful and functional.  People who regularly visit our home remark that there's always something new to see.  And that's true.  The latest new thing is this shelf in our mudroom.  Jack and I bought the baskets a few months ago and then he built the shelves to fit the baskets.  I cannot even say how happy this addition to our house makes me!  Everyone has their own basket for hats and gloves.  Even the kids are excited about this.  Even Aidan is excited about this!  He knows which basket is his so he can help get himself ready to go out in the winter and he puts his hats and gloves away in his basket when we return home.  Sometimes I just walk in the mudroom and smile because I love these shelves so much.  Thank you, Jack!

Four!

 My LuLuBelle turned four at the end of January.  I don't think I'm particularly good at coming up with birthday theme ideas, but I think this day turned out pretty well.  At four, Lauren is very interested in sitting with Annie and doing school whenever Annie does school.  Lauren wants to have her own books and has been most enthusiastic about cutting and about writing her letters.  I thought she would enjoy an ABC themed party.

Annie happily made Lauren an ABC banner to help decorate for the day.  It's still hanging in our kitchen.  It has actually helped Lauren learn the ABC song because she can look at the letters and figure out the song.

Once again, I'm having trouble organizing my pictures the way I want them.  This picture is our ABC fishing pool during Lauren's friend party.  Jack helped the kids making magnetic fishing poles.  For one of the party games, the kids fished for letters and, ideally, said what letter they caught when they caught one.  Those crazy home schoolers.  Below that is actually the first picture of the day.  Our family tradition is that Daddy takes the birthday kid out to breakfast on the morning of their big day.  Lauren was so excited to go to the restaurant "just me and Daddy".

 The birthday girl is having fun!

 I made HUGE cupcakes.  They were actually probably too big.

 The kids decorated their cupcakes, beginning with the first letter of their name.  Here Lauren digs into her monstrous cupcake.

 Aidan is trying to do justice to his cupcake

 Annie is pleased with her decorations

 I'm not sure if it's because she's a girl or because she's four or a combination of the two factors, but when Lauren opens up a clothing item, she wants to put it on. 

 Calico Critters from Mom and Dad

 She also likes to lay it all out and survey the merchanise. 

 Pretty girl.  I think she had a fun day.  I love her so!