Happy Birthday Abby!!

Abby woke up to more presents under the Christmas tree. With her birthday only 3 days after Christmas, she is the only one who gets that priviledge. Daddy made her green pancakes (per request). Then she opened her presents. If we get the kids any "big" gifts we do it for their birthday rather than Christmas, we want them to make a clear distinction between their day and Jesus'.

She played for a couple hours than I took her out to tea for the first time. That is my favorite thing to do for my nieces' and friends' birthdays but we haven't had one in town for the last 2 years so none of my kids have been able to go with me. I was so excited to see this one open just two days earlier. Just in time for me to take her. She was so excited and so was I. We had a great time and may even get our picture in our local paper as they were there and took our picture and interviewed us.

After that, we had family over for cupcakes and play. It also had snowed the night before so it couldn't have been any more perfect of a day for Abby.

We ended the day with reading "Her Story" (I try to keep a journal of each of the kids from birth on and on their birthday I read what I've written). She loved it and kept asking, "Is that me your talking about Momma?" I love my full-of energy, smiling, songbird, dark-eyed beauty.

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas. The only thing missing was the snow (that came the next day)We start the morning out with a "treasure hunt" looking for the baby Jesus' that go to our three different nativities. We light the candles on our Advent wreath, read the Christmas story from our Advent storybook, and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. Then the kids dive in. We try to keep Christmas gifts simple and more needs than wants. We have good friends that do only 3 gifts/child (that's how many Jesus received on his birthday) and we've adopted that as well. I also get each child an ornament. Levi could've cared less about any of it, he was more interested in the tissue paper and wrapping paper that had already been torn off. One of the gifts froam $ from family was a trampoline... What a huge hit!!! That's gonna be their P.E. for school, "Go jump for 20min." YEA!!!

I fixed a turkey with all the trimmings( my best one yet), a French Apple pie and the infamous Green Bean casserole and we had dinner over at my folks. The cousins all had a blast and the food was great and the fellowship even better.

Seasonal Celebrations!!!

This last week was spent full of activity. We started it off with the kids being in the Christmas Pageant at church. It was very low key, just some songs and narrations. Kind of nice for a change from the big production This was the first year all three actually wanted to do it. I think Miriam would've opted out had it not been for her siblings being on board.

I really backed off from school and only did a couple of subjects as well as having the kids work on crafts for family and friends. Wed. we have a bible club called AWANA and we caroled at convalescent hospital and retirement mobile home park.

John's school had their Christmas program on Thurs. night which the kids and I usually attend with him. This year we had to stay home because Levi caught a yucky cold (no fun at this age!!!).

Friday night we caroled to our neighbors and took them little crafts we made. "Daddy" is home for 2 weeks, YEA!!! Saturday evening we went down to Fresno to pick up some last minute Christmas and Birthday (Abby) gifts and had dinner with our dear friends Sue and Chandler West ( They were my youth group leaders in high school). They are so good to my kids. They took them to see Christmas lights and then we had dessert and gift exchange.

I'm frantically trying to get the last few gifts made. So, Bye for now. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas filled with memory making moments.

9 mos. old today!

Levi has been out as long as he was in.

I can't believe last year at this time I was sleeping on the couch, in a lot of pain and couldn't believe I still had 3 more months to go. Now I have this sweet bundle of "harmony" (that's what his name means).

He is soooo much fun. He smiles most of the time. He's crawling and cruising and putting everything he finds on my unkempt floors in his mouth. He is starting to eat some solid food although he was the first of mine to not take to it very easily. He makes that funny noise that spits on everyone (I can't remember what it's called). He sleeps through the night when he's not teething or sick (which is most of the time =( ). He is very easy going and pretty low-maintenance.

He makes me feel like I'm doing a pretty good job at this Mom thing but I'm learning my "feelings" are not good indicators of Truth =).

I'm realizing how fast time flies as I watch my older three play with him. How I wish I could grab some time back for each of them, but the time slips through my fingers much the same as miles pass on a road trip. I so want to enjoy the journey for what it is instead of looking ahead to what I think things will be like or multitasking the whole way. How does one do that? I don't want any regrets but I fear that is just a part of it all.

Well anyway, today I will enjoy this moment of his life as well as my other 3.

The First Snowfall of the Winter

Well, Winter is here finally!! It's definitely getting cold.

John took the kids up the road about 20min. to play in the snow on Sun. It was a beautiful day and they had a blast. Meanwhile, Mom and Levi stayed home to get a few things done around the house. We love our Sabbath Day!!

I'm In!!

Well, here I am. I don't know how I'm gonna find the time to do this but if I can I hope my family and friends will apprectiate it. I have so enjoyed some of the other blogs I've seen. I hope (at the very least) I'll be able to use this to keep friends and family from afar, privy to the Rumohrs' goings on. May God bless you and keep you and "may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable and pleasing in your sight oh Lord."
Cari