You see…I will not take today for granted.

I had the gift of reading two blogs (posted by friends on facebook) that reminded me of some incredible things…some God-given messages.

Shana is a friend from college. She’s a love and has been there for me and reached out in times of her own need. I’m lucky to consider her a friend. Today, she reminded me that life’s journey is always a journey to something else that’s often God anointed. She called me when she learned I had miscarried our first and reached out to me when I miscarried our second. She rejoiced with me when Clare was born this last summer! Thank you Shana for reminding me “IT” is my life…my God guided life. You can read her post (and my reminder from God) HERE.

Secondly, while reading through facebook, I opened in a separate tab this blog post. The writer, in the midst of a great cross, shines an essence of God not easily attained in this life. Her post reminded me of the grace in walking with God, understanding that HE alone is the author of life, and his grace is sufficient. You can read her posts HERE as she journeys with God and life in her womb.

So today, I will not take the details of my life, my God-given life, for granted.

As I write this, our 6 1/2 month old Clare, is laughing hysterically as she pings the doorstop and it makes noise back at her. Ping….hysterical laughing….arm flapping with excitement. Ping…hysterical laughing…arm flapping with excitement. Over and over again. Exactly the way you would expect any child to play. Today, I noticed and laughed with her. She spotted me, turned her little body to me, and began her fast crawl across the room, laughing and giggling all the way. With each movement closer, her joy grew and so did mine. The joy of a child making its way to its mama…I think there’s an infinity of messages in the parallel of the Holy Family’s interaction and that which we are shown here on earth. I think I’ll ponder that today…the shared joy and embrace between mother and child.

Today, I will not miss the details that make life unique. Thank you God for this life, for my children, for the journey of past and present experiences. You have spoken to my heart. Today, I am listening.

Happy 6 month birthday (well 6 1/2 months now) sweet girl. As a gift to herself, she started crawling. Yep. Serious overachiever. She’s 2-3 months ahead of the game. The good Dr. says that’s what they call hyperactive. Oh no not a Boster kid! (I think there’s always that chance in this house.)

This girl has crazy blue eyes. They are actually brighter than her sister’s. We thought that would be hard to top. In the natural light, this girl’s eyes are unbelievable!

This rattle is a new toy to her collection. It was a gift from Gramma Lissa at her birth and just brought out. Oh how she loves it! It’s the special toy that she gets when we change her and/or when she’s playing at my feet while I put on my make up.

This is the face she makes when she’s happy to see you. You can count on her burying her face while she makes it and flapping her arms at the same time. We all love it!

Oftentimes when she’s happy or trying to talk, she’ll blow air through her lips. We always know it is coming because her face looks just like this!

It’s nice that she likes to be in her exersaucer for at least a few minutes after she’s eaten. It helps with her reflux and keeping the food she’s just eaten actually in her belly instead of on the floor. Yep. This overachiever is the worst yet. She still hasn’t outgrown this terrible feature of Boster infancy. 6 month check-up brought a new prescription. Here’s to hoping it works better.

Okay, maybe not such an overachiever in this regard, but I totally take the blame for this. At 6 months (a full three months later than her siblings), she moved to the crib. Michael won. She’s sharing a room with him until my sister moves out and Clare can take over the nursery.

The good ‘ole Dr. Papciak says all is well, but this little girl needs to eat more. I’m not sure her little tummy is going to hold all that he wants her to eat. I’m thinking, modifications might be in order. In time, maybe we can work up to it.

She’s getting so big!
Weight: 15 lbs. 2.6 oz. (50%) ` Height: 25 ¾” (50%) ` Head: 43 cm (50-75%)

Katie is a great big sister! Clare still laughs for her more regularly than anyone else.

Golly, has it really been half a year already since this little one entered our house?

I’ve also added a few new digital projects (the most recent ones) to the blog. You can find them HERE for those who want to partake in BosterFamily storytime.

Katie brought this little guy to us saying he was dirty. Indeed, he was dirty and was in serious need of a bath. Imagine, right? A wild kitten needing a bath? There was nothing to do, but bring him home and bathe him.

After drying him, loving on him, playing with him, and naming him…he could stay for a week trial. Well, the week is over and we are here to introduce you to Alaska, our new pet. Yes. I said there was magic in the air!

We are the parents that swore (even before getting married) that we’d never have a pet in the house. Magic.

A trip to PetSmart confirmed that he was the runt, 6 weeks old, and healthy. He simply wants to be held. Magic.

And to play.

And to climb.

And to be everywhere we are…preferably right on top of you…on top of any of us…whenever we are within proximity of his climbing abilities.

And to be loved. A lot in fact. Magic – the power of a pet.

I don’t think Alaska needs a week for us to decide. Welcome to the family.

(This collection of pictures I realize is a bit misleading. Alaska does love the kids a lot, but he isn’t necessarily partial to Michael. Michael is simply always hollering at me to take pictures of Alaska and him together. Ironically, Michael wants desperately to hold Alaska, but doesn’t like picking him up. He hasn’t quite figured out the perfect hold so as not to get scratched by those little baby claws. It was a great day when Michael learned to carry him like a momma cat. My boy is indeed getting so big!)

I can’t believe that we have ushered in 2012 already! Where did the last year go?? I know…it was carrying a baby, nursing and caring for an infant, and now keeping up with a crawling 6 month old! Not to mention, all the great comings and goings of the big kids, homeschooling and tutoring also!

The last day of 2011 and we created a disaster in the house. Christmas money was the perfect opportunity to reorganize. (BTW…my husband’s head starts to spin when I start envisioning projects of this nature.) The flat screen TV needed a new home and the kids school things had overtaken the corner desk area. Just Dance Kids II meant the necessity for more floor space, and of course a crawling babe required we “open” things up a bit. Hence, the need for more compact furniture and better organization…where do you go for that? IKEA of course.

Look at that girls’ eyes! She also had her first french fry today. I think she’s teething. At any rate, she can suck the heck out of a fry much to her dad’s demise.

IKEA also meant the perfect opportunity for Michael to sit and play his DS. It seems everywhere we go, he finds someone else playing that darn Nintendo. We have not allowed it while eating or in any social setting. However, we did (after dinner was over and I was feeding Clare) agree to let him go sit with a boy playing his DS. Poor Mikey. He got his out and was sitting down as the boy got up to leave. Oh well! After making our purchases, we zoomed home to put it all together. I love my DIY husband and the ease of IKEA furniture!

All things were organized and at least somewhat presentable by 8 p.m….the perfect time for neighbors to visit in their pajamas!

In 2012, we definitely need to do more of these “the house is not in perfect order/menu unplanned/impromptu” encounters with friends! We had a great evening and EVERYONE managed to stay up until midnight even despite our protests that everyone was going to bed. We passed the time by playing Wii Pictionary and watching Santa Clause 2.

The evening also included appetizers and this most amazing Deep-Dish Cookie Pie. Oh my! They were crazy good! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and let it melt just a bit over the warm cookie. I can’t wait for the next time to serve these decadent warm chocolate chip cookies. Boy were they delicious!

Here’s to a great 2012!! I hope to spend more time with family and friends, be more intentional in all we do, and add a great deal more exercise to our days. Happy New Year to you!!

The weather was so fantastic this weekend! I can’t believe that it is getting cold…in fact, freezing cold!

New Years Day is the best occasion to stay up late again, eat a lot of food, play more games, and be with friends! Yep. There was a lot of all of that this year also!!

Just Dance (any version) has become a favorite for sure! Both kids have some serious MOVES. How fun to watch them side-by-side with the highschoolers!

She’s getting so big! She’s had a great time putting on her eye makeup (almost) everyday since Christmas. I think it is definitely her most used gift. She’s even doing makeovers on all of us.

Happy New Year! Wishing you lots of blessings in 2012!!!

Best Friends

Games

Play

This is the best way to spend the Christmas octave! Merry Christmas everyone. Thank you dear friends for your friendship, your blessings, your hospitality, and especially your love. Here’s to the promises of 2012 and more memories!

And just because I love these pictures and their blue eyes….

Okay. Preparations for Christmas morning lasted a bit longer than we’d expected. After feeding Clare at 5:00 a.m. Christmas morning, I laid back down for what I thought would be 15 minutes. An hour and a half later, we woke with only 20 minutes to get to Mass. The kids were crushed that they didn’t get to open their Santa gift before Mass. I was crushed that we didn’t sing Happy Birthday and lay him in the manger before Mass, but we made it (minus my makeup) and we were on time even. Christmas graces are truly the best! What a peaceful morning!

Upon returning home, I made the kids promise that they’d run upstairs and get their baby Jesus but not sing without me. It’s my most favorite part of Christmas morning and always brings me to tears. The anticipation was just as great (despite the fact that it was several hours later than planned). What did Santa bring??

They both got what they wanted! Look at those faces!!

Clare received a very beautiful necklace with genuine amber stones…a natural anti-inflammatory.

Christmas breakfast included these most delicious rolls. Oh my goodness!! Seriously fantastic!! I think we’ll make them on Easter (and add the story this time)! Gotta love Pinterest and finding this diamond of a recipe.

Anna made her fantastic rolls for our dinner meal (oh were they yummy)…might have been the most fantastic thing served that night along with my sister’s potatoes and our friend’s broccoli. I’m not cooking Christmas dinner again!

This was Katie’s first photograph on her new camera…mom and dad watching them open presents! In fact, this was after the first present in the first hour after Santa gifts were opened. The kids did indeed get to open a present every hour…I LOVE this tradition!!

Michael didn’t complain too much when Daddy opened this gift!

There were several Skype calls made throughout the day…to both sets of Grandparents. It’s the first year in a long while that mom and dad weren’t here to celebrate with us. Last year, it was snowing on Christmas day. This year, it was in the 60s. Sure missed them but so thankful for Skype!!!!

Friends came for dinner.

My sister and nephew came for dinner and presents.

Clare’s Godparents (and sisters) came for dessert. That’s two years in a row…surely that counts as an unbreakable Christmas tradition!

She had a great First Christmas! It’s hard to comprehend that she’s already 6 months old!!!

Grandparents (not ours) came for dessert also. They liked the chickens we are pet sitting! We are thankful to see them every year and this year to have them here for Christmas dessert.

Katie gave EVERYONE (thankfully not the boys) makeovers!

I sign off with the best Christmas words ever!

For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

In hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there.

Katie has an incredible heart of gold. Even before she ate her breakfast this morning, she began her present to Santa. She painted him the above picture and left him this letter.

Here are their letters to Santa.

AND the children were all snug in their beds….

The kids are sleeping with baby Jesus, ready to wake early tomorrow morning to sing Happy Birthday, lay him in his manger and open their gift from Santa. They are confident he’s bringing just what they wanted. HHHHMMMMM….

A very merry Christmas to you and yours. This momma is off to bed…it’ll be an early morning!

After completing our chores, we spend a little time playing. In this case, it’s with the baby kittens next door. (The kids also like riding the wagon down a perfectly fantastic hill!) Look at this little sweetie. I’m totally smitten!!! More than I want to admit, actually!

It’s so hard to believe that the first day of Winter was 70F! Crazy and it’s making getting into the Christmas spirit quite difficult.

Christmas is coming. It is bedtime. We extend to you our love in these remaining days of Advent!

Good night and an early Merry Christmas!