It was a good day for Emma (and David)

This is just a GREAT picture.

What a special treat for our Emma. She has always been fascinated that the Colts home games are about 10 miles from us and has always wanted to go. Well.... we got a surprise phone call from Casey and Ted yesterday. She had 2 free tickets in the end zone, 10th row. Wow. Wow. David just said "Wow." We had a busy day, but everything was rearranged to allow this to happen. (Kira couldn't care less by the way... I know you were wondering how he chose girls). I was Christmas shopping and my girlfriend Janna took Kira and Ayla home with her. (She needed some girl time amidst her sea of boys.)

Anyway.. .I wasn't there, but she really enjoyed it and David did too. She got a little bored by the 3rd quarter, but there was lots of action to watch.

Surprisingly enough... this was the only thing she asked for except for something to drink. That alone is a sign of how much she enjoyed it. Rather shocking actually. She had her Indians finger on one hand this morning and the Colts on the other.... and yes... the marker she painted her eyes with actually came off in the shower.

We Wish you a Merry Christmas!

Kira as the Christmas tree that lost her lights when they took Christ out of Christmas


Emma at Thomas the Train in the song "I want presents."


Poor Ayla. She sort of warmed up to Santa.



Call me lazy. Call me practical. Either is acceptable. I figure... I keep a blog up... what is the purpose of sending out cards to the same people who look at my blog anyway!! OK... I am lazy.

Let me get right to the point. We, the Wadsworth Family, do hope you have a wonderful Christmas. We are so blessed to have so much; healthy family, currently healthy pets, a warm home and food on our tables. After the financial "success" of this year, that is just nothing to laugh at or to take for granted. We started out our year trying to get the house ready to sell. We were OUTA here! Well, thankfully the Lord can see what we cannot and that didn't happen. It wasn't time. If we had sold, we would be in a financial mess since I got cancelled at work most of the summer and a lot of the fall. The ends would not have met. We learned a lesson and I am now working more units to help ensure a more stable work environment... I am working Endoscopy and I also started back to Mother/Baby and the Continuing Care Nursery (a step down unit from NICU). Women's Hospital is a branch of St. Vincent and it fits me like a glove. It feels so good to be back. I was graciously welcomed back. I miss my friends in Endo, but maybe when it is slow at Women's, it will be booming in Endo. We can hope.

David is doing quite well at Lilly. My "loquacious" (overly-chatty sarcasm) hubby doesn't share a lot, but I do know he is very busy right now with end of year frenzy. He is working with Transportation and Safety at the Plainfield Distribution Center... he makes sure drugs get shipped safely, on time and at the right temperature. (There is way more involved than I ever dreamed... I am used to just calling the pharmacy and it is there.) He has also added to his Safety field and is now HazMat trained and has taken the basic EMT course. He passed the practical and awaits his written exam results. He starts Basic Firefighter soon. For those who don't know him well... he discovered that being a Firefighter was really what he wanted to do with his life, but it just wasn't financially feasible for our family. He can now enjoy his dream from a volunteer status at Lilly. The Lord knows just what we need and when we need it. He also enjoyed his rec basketball team which consisted of our small group friends and a couple of extras. They succeeded in winning one game and suffering minimal injury! They were a group of "old guys" and all have recuperated from their boo-boos. He is now gearing up for walking/running the Mini Marathon next year in Indy. He has the shoes and the fitness program all lined up! Go Dave! One more tidbit.. no deer this year. The Christmas program was a blessing, but put a big damper on his hunting time.

Our oldest, Kira Grace (aka Kiki) has had a great year. She is a great student and is being challenged in the GT program at Guion Creek Middle School. The teachers love her as she is a quiet, attentive, capable student. She struggles a bit with her Reading class as she didn't inherit her mother's love of reading. I always say she looks like me and acts like him and that rings true again. She loves math and has bypassed me in knowledge already in that department. She played a mean game of softball this past spring/summer. She made it on the all star team, but the team dissolved due to lack of participation. She took a bad hit to the face pitching, but thankfully didn't require medical attention... other than running her over to our best friend doctor. She continues to wow everyone with her musical capabilities, especially with the piano. She started playing the flute, but without a tutor to challenge her, she just coasts along. She whistles CONSTANTLY and is about to drive her mother completely bonkers in this house that is too small for 2 adults and 3 quickly growing children... and now 2 hyper kittens... more on them later.

Emma, Emma bo-bemma is such a colorful character. She is doing well in school also.. in her year round program at Fishback Creek Elementary. She is in 4th grade this year. She is just the opposite of her sister, Kira, in just about every way. She loves reading and excels in this area and struggles greatly in math. She did finally get her multiplication tables memorized, but not without pain and punishment! Emma also played softball and enjoyed being the catcher. We actually saw her hustle!! She enjoyed being in the center of the action. Outfield on the other hand was quite humorous AFTER I got over being mad at her. She stuffed her pockets completely full of sunflower seeds and stood in the outfield shaking her pockets and munching, kicking dirt. Thankfully a ball never came her way or there would have been a comical spray of seeds everywhere! She enjoyed it, but has decided that basketball is really her game. She had her first game on this past Saturday and loves it. Her coach told David that she has a little bit of "mean" in her and he likes that a lot! I could have told him a few stories, but he didn't ask! She cannot wait to learn and practice. Maybe she has found a niche.

Ayla Joy continues to be just that... Joy. No, her sisters' affection has never faded. It is the one thing Kira and Emma have in common, they love her unconditionally. Ayla spent the spring and fall enjoying softball games and tiny friends in the back of our van. She watched a lot of Baby Einstein and BabySongs from her car seat and played with the travel toys that lived in the back of the car. She was really sad for the season to end. She enjoys Wednesday Storytime at the library and playing with her best friends, Colton and Emily. She is a wiz with a computer mouse and can navigate better than most adults. She loves to read books and we have almost exhausted the library across the street. She loves to nap at exactly 1pm and drinks more milk than any child I have ever known (but don't tell her Grandpa as he doesn't like that idea too much.) Someday she will start eating food... hopefully. She is strong-willed but simple in her requirements. We have been so incredibly thankful that my niece, Casey Beth, moved to Indy this past January and has cared for Ayla on Mon, Wed and Fridays so I can work without putting her into a childcare facility. We love having Casey close and Ayla adores her.... We are still working on Casey learning to tell her "no," but she is sort of an aunt instead of a cousin and I never learned to tell HER no either, so I guess she is forgiven.

Our pets are the only ones who have not thrived this year. We lost Doc the year before and this spring Lacey took a horrible turn when she started having seizures. We lost her shortly after. When Doc was failing, Kira begged for a kitten from Uncle Gary's clinic and home came Snickers. We all grew to love this self-sufficient, moody, but lovable creature. Last month, he died too from heart failure. Home came 2 sister kittens, Sugar and Spice. (Snickers died the day before Kira's birthday and what were we to do....?) They are a lot different than Snickers, but we have enjoyed them immensely. Kittens are such fun... but hopefully we have not doomed them by bringing them into our pet-unlucky family!

I touched on my activities at the beginning, but you can pretty much guess how I spend my days, evenings and nights. With 3 kids, I am trying to keep my head above water, what with one entering the moody days of pubescence and one being... well, Emma, as well as a toddler running a muck. Laundry, meals and daily life are my life. I do fit in quite a bit of scrap booking and reading. Once in a while, I make it a priority to spend some time away to maintain my sanity. This causes David to enter insanity, so those times away are brief, but enjoyed. (He is always happy at my return.) I reached a huge milestone when my scrapbooks were caught up to date... a huge accomplishment for a chronic scrapbooker (my girlfriends took to hiding my albums so I had to slow down.. they were jealous.) I also read a lot of Christian fiction (see the list to the side of this blog) and read the complete Twilight series in a matter of 2 weeks...(don't ask about my parenting skills those weeks!) And NO, I am not done with Ayla's stocking yet!

See how blessed we are? We even have friends that will read my long-winded essays! We are so thankful for you too. 2009 can only get better for all of us. We are so thankful to have gas prices down to $1.59 from $3.59 and that our variable mortgage is decreasing again in January. Praise the Lord for small favors! We hope yours is looking up too! Please let us know how you are doing. We have already enjoyed letters from some of you... and even gifts from some too. Thank you for remembering us. We love you and wish Christ's blessing upon you. If you still have a moment... please scroll down to our kids' Christmas musical video. You will remember the true meaning of Christmas. Please have a "wonder-full life."
All our love,
Beth, David, Kira, Emma, Ayla, Sugar & Spice

For Unto Us a Child is Born

What a blessing children are. They made us so proud this past weekend at the annual Trader's Point Children's Choir Christmas Program. "It's a Wonder-Full Life" was amazing in talent, production and execution. These kids worked so, so hard... since AUGUST, every Sunday to perfect their parts. I am sure I will get around to posting photos of them in their individual parts, but the grand finale was indeed grand. Still makes me tear up. I have never heard it sung better. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you have a very, Merry Christmas.

Emma's Basketball Debut

mma is so enthusiastic about playing basketball. It is the first activity that she cannot be compared to her big sister as Kira has no interest. She is all about learning the plays and executing them. Her coach commented to David that he thinks Emma has a little "mean" in her and he likes that a lot. She plowed through a pick and made a really good pass today. Pretty good for her first game. Go Angels!

Sick and Snow Days

Thanksgiving is behind us and the germs surround us. The first snowfall came early this year and coincided with the illness that has invaded our home. Papa wasn't feeling so hot when we were in Terre Haute this weekend and although he barricaded himself in his room, the bugs couldn't keep their grimey hands off my girls. I had all 3 home yesterday when 2 of them should have vacated the premesis and gone to school! Life has been a bit boring. Too much email and Facebook, too much TV and too much Club penguin. (I have not been playing Club Penguin, by the way:) Above, I was working on my year end Creative Memories stuff and Ayla decided she needed to follow sort. Too cute. Her mind is very quick and sometimes I can't keep up with her.

BTW... I did do something.. I had to clean the carpets due to Ayla's midnight expulsion of fries and curdled milk. (I know I didn't have to share that, but someone needs to feel my pain!)

Ayla couldn't even say snow last year... it came out "nose." This year, she has it down pat! She couldn't get out there fast enough. Unfortunately, the big girls were sick and I wouldn't let them out with her... plus it was a slushy mess. We did make a tiny, tiny snowman and she really enjoyed that. The next snow will be a blast for her. I just need to teach her the importance of boots prior to that.

Yesterday, David was watching the Grinch with Ayla and Emma and a McDonald's commercial came on advertising their $1 soft drinks. He asked her "What is that?" Her response was "Diet Coke... I LOVE Diet Coke!" Casey and I have created a monster.... more Casey's fault though because I don't share mine as well as she does!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice.

It will now be a very happy 12th birthday, thanks to Sugar and Spice.

Sugar

Spice

Ayla is going to be the one to watch. SQUEEZE!

It was a very sad day for us, this morning. A very hard night for me, last night. David is a softie and caves easily. A year and a half ago, he got a phone call from Kira begging for a single kitten. This time it was for 2. They are D&R Rescue kittens, 4 months old.

Snickers

We will miss you, kitty.

Our little goulie's

David and Jason cook up the weiners! They gave away 400 footlong hotdogs on Friday. I saw J get to eat one. Dave had one bite of mine. They didn't stop working until they were all gone! They had more fun than the Trunk or Treaters!

Ayla and Colton in their Thomas attire. Ayla will NOT even consider a costume, so pajamas in her favorite theme was the best we could do. Her ride was a hit with all the toddler boys.

Kiki, the pirate.

Emma, the ghost. Hot dog looks yummy, huh? Poor kid couldn't chew the bun with her new expander, but did enjoy some of the dog.

Emma's big day

She's still smiling because I haven't tightened it yet.

The girls' orthodontist was also my orthodontist when I was pregnant with Kira. This is aging us both quite dramatically. I sighed and said "Here we go again." He laughed and said the bad part was that that meant we were getting older. We both have the wrinkles around our eyes to prove it!

Yay! It's Halloween!

Ayla is super-excited about the lid on Thomas coming off!

Ayla's Thomas Pumpkin.

Gary is Spongebob Squarepants pet snale. How David managed that, I don't know, but he loves pumpkin carving as much as the girls do.

Kira's traditional happy face. She did most of this herself at around bedtime. She had to finish her homework first and that took most of the evening, but it sure motivated her.

More from the fun weekend!

Ring around the rosey. Kira, and especially Emma, loved playing with their cousin Maddie. I am so thankful David got me a zoom lens because I could catch this from afar without interrupting their pure joy of playing.

Aren't pretty dresses fun?

Gabby, Jeremy's cousin joined the photo fun a bit later. She is such a sweet and beautiful child.

Who can resist dancing when Mike Wadsworth is in action! David requested The Wabash Cannonball for him.


I realized after the fact, that I didn't get photos of all 3 girls together, so we had a family moment before leaving Terre Haute on Sunday. Back to normal on the outside, but on the inside we were all still at the party!


Can you see the relief in their eyes?!!!! They rode away in the sunlight to get back to normal. Off to feed the horses, or something. What a weekend.

Caroline and Jeremy's Wedding... A few photos of our family

Mr. and Mrs. Caroline and Jeremy Johnson

This photo is so significant. No only is she adorable while "smiling" for the camera... I succeeded in sliding the half asleep toddler into this adorable outfit. It was still a fight, but no blood was drawn or fanny's swatted. A miracle brought on by the prayers of my sister-in-law, Christi. I must have worked as I never in a million years would have dreamed it would have!

These two are also quite important. Do I know how to predict my children, or what?!! At least this didn't occur DURING the wedding as I half expected. I knew she'd be down there fishing in her Sunday best.

Emma and Kira are pictured here with their cousins, Alex and Olivia (Matthew's kids that were in the wedding also.

Caroline and Jeremy, and their parents, of course, really know how to throw a party. It was truly a fairy tale wedding, complete with the horse and carriage. I don't have too many photos as I let the pro do his work.... and they did work... hard. I have many hours of editing my own shots, but couldn't wait for you to see my beauties at their finest.

Emma, as always, balked ferociously at first at my planned primping for the day. I didn't get her nails done, but pretty much informed her she was mine to do as I pleased on this important day, so get over it. She yielded quietly, for once. When I finished her hair and her dress was on, she told me that she wanted to feel and look like this on her wedding day. Pride swelled within me, but I calmly told her "Well, then honey, if you want to find a boy to marry you, you'd better start looking like a girl some of the time." Oops. I really am not ready for that either, so reminded her that she doesn't need to be in any hurry! "But you look beautiful, honey."

Kira, of course, sat quietly and let me fuss to her heart's content and came out smelling and looking like a rose. Always a feminine one, this was a day for her. I reminded her that it was important to at least not show up the bride on her wedding day. I think that made her blush. It was a close call though as Kira was beautiful.

It would have been hard to pass up Caroline's inner and outer beauty on her special day. I wasn't expecting such an entrance and was bracing myself NOT to cry. My girls walked down the "aisle" as well as my husband, handsome in his gold and black tux. Caroline made a grand entrance in a black carriage and even blacker horse (I am sure she knows the breed... I am going to guess Percheron and sound like I have a little horse sense.) It was huge, nevertheless. Needless to say, shock and awe brought the tears immediately. I didn't feel quite so bad when I turned and saw them in my mother's eyes too. We didn't bring enough Kleenex.

I could go on and on and on about what a delightful day it was, perfect, except for my cold toes. Unfortunately, it is bedtime and I need to head to bed. I can't wait to sift through my photos and get started on their album.

One last thought though. I am so happy for them. I adore Jeremy. I don't think I could have hand picked a better friend for her to spend her life with. I hope you enjoy a few pictures. There are so many I want to share, but am going to be selfish and just show my lovely children for now.

Cowboy Cookies

Here is one of our favorite family recipes... from many Facebook requests for the recipe, I will just post it here!


Cowboy Cookies:
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups oatmeal
1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bake 350 for 12 minutes. I remove them just before they turn golden brown so they stay soft longer. Leave them on the pan for 5 minutes before trying to remove them to cooling racks. If you like crunchy cookies, leave them in until they are golden.

Hey Grandma... Emma got a haircut!

A spoonful of sugar.

A sick day.

Had a very nice weekend. I went home-home to Warren County on Friday with the girls. Emma was a bit sick, but Grandma just doesn't care. She started feeling better on the ride home because she didn't want to miss the Jr. Youth Retreat at Mom and Dad's church. I love that they love to go there. They had a ball and made lots of new friends. Jim came home on Saturday with Raina and Kyla and Lisa also spent the day there. Another surprise for me was Grandpa and Patty coming also. It was a full house and mom spent most of her time in the kitchen, as usual. We had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and green beans... there was bread too, but I missed that. Lisa also made homemade hot caramel and we used some of the season's apples to dip. None of us were starving, that is for sure. Dad and Jim took G'pa and Patty and all the kids to see the wind farms out in Boswell. All were quite impressed. Ayla saw a picture of them and kept saying "Oh my gosh, it's huge!" Can't imagine what she would have said in real life!

I woke up today feeling a little bit more under the weather than Saturday, but showered and got dressed for church. Dave asked if we should take Ayla. I tried to get her dressed, but her cough was just nasty. I ended up staying at home with her. She ate microwave popcorn at 9am and I finished the last book of the Baxter Series "Sunset" by Karen Kingsbury. No, our family isn't quite as cheesy as they are (I love them, don't get me wrong.) but I am so grateful to have 2 wonderful families. We may not gather EVERY Sunday like the ficticious Bloomington family, but we do gather and love one another. Looking forward to the Wadsworth gathering next weekend for Caroline's wedding.

Praying for Lisa's safety as she travels on her hard-working trip to Honduras. I know she is nervous, but God is with her. I know she will be blessed by this trip. I hope she finds enjoyment in her work-filled days. I wish I could go with her.

Praying also for Aunt Kay, as she has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Doesn't sound good, but we love a God of miracles. Same also for our cousin, Eric Hall, diagnosed with MS this past week. God will use their situations for the good of those who love him.

The house is quiet, except for the shaking washer and dryer, and I am at peace. Ahhhh....... (Ayla fell asleep in my arms before noon.) They should be home any minute. Freezer meal in the oven and life is sooooo good.

Go Colts.. or Horse as Ayla likes to say.