You gotta wonder........

Eight little ones! I just can't imagine coming home with eight newborns, let alone carrying them for even 5 months, let alone birthing them, let along trying to physically recover from the birth. I hope that there's a "village" ready to step up and help with the family of the octuplets born earlier this week.

We are so blessed to have M & L with us, and admire greatly their parents! Adaptation to the routine a baby demands takes stamina, strength, patience, good humour, and lots of love...traits found in abundance with M & L's caregivers all. The reward is multiplied a hundred-fold every time we receive those loving looks, excited greetings, hugs and kisses, and the pure joy of watching them learn and explore and delight in every new thing.

A first for the toddlers in our family and for our nation

Celebrated with L & M & J on a long lunch hour to commemorate the
swearing in of our new president - their first election year, first "new president", first African-American President of the USA. I imagine them looking back in later years, remembering this historic day.

I took Friday off as well and Gregg and I watched the kids while Em and Sergio conducted interviews for their Hope Professor's spanish language book, and Jill did some job hunting. Here are just a few more photos from the week.

Making cookies with Grandpa on Saturday night - sleepover.

Bath, PJ's and snack while watching "Horton Hears a Who"; a very grown up looking M;

oh yeah.....and those cookies? Chocolaty goodness. Below are some "parts and pieces"

Above are all the parts to a Nintendo Wii game system that I have to learn to use this week (oh yikes! AND repack it all just as you see here.) I'll be giving it away at a fund raiser, but we'll be playing it to determine a winner. I was a little intimidated by the realistic games. Here's a little stack of new quilt pieces. It's a fun pattern to use up some scraps, but I have about 80 more of these blocks to make.Golf is NOT my game! But I admit that Wii was a fun way to warm up after an hour or so of sewing in the cold basement!

Felt like a warm up - just over 20 degrees F.
Enjoyed it from inside, except to shovel the drive.

Checo is Home!

Checo took Amtrak from Chicago to Kalamazoo.
He's looking pretty happy to be in Michigan again.

Speaking of cold!!!!!

Pretty cold this morning.

Cold........and flu season

Yes its cold! and more on the way. Just cautioned Em
about checking anti-freeze before her trip to pick up
Checo at the airport on Friday. And its flu season. L and
I traded germs apparently because we both were sick like
the proverbial dog the last few days. I don't wish it on
anyone. Hopefully the rest of the fam will have grown
immune and avoid it all together. L is usually so happy
and it was hard to see her feeling bad, not able to tell us
what's wrong. She seems to be back to her old self tonight.

So L and I missed the birthday celebrations in Holland.
Belated Happy B-days to Lois and Anja! I did feel well
enough on Saturday to make a doll quilt for Anja and
enjoyed the time spent working at my sewing table.
Thanks again, Checo! As you can see from these shots,
I have not painted it yet; the basement is just too cold
(I use a space heater and a shawl to keep warm.), but
will spruce it up with some color as soon as the weather
gets warmer. The table folds up and out of the way when
not in use and the iron sits on a sliding shelf for added
work surface when needed. Gregg also hooked up the
VCR and I can watch my P&P while sewing too. The
metal surface holding all the magnetic hooks is actually
the back of the furnace air return.


Here are a few more pictures from the last few days.


Here's L feeling much better! An M enjoying the weather
just before the snow storm last week. We actually saw
some grass for a day or two. Hope everybody stays
warm this coming week.

Epiphany

Just a quick celebration with M and Em tonight to mark Three Kings Day!

LOS REYES MAGOS
The Christmas season continues unabated in Mexico through
Epiphany, which is called Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day). Echoing the
arrival in Bethlehem of Wise Men bearing gifts for the baby Jesus, children
throughout Mexico anxiously await waking up January 6 to find toys and gifts
left by the Reyes Magos (Magi). In some regions it is customary to leave out
shoes where treasures may be deposited by the visiting Wise Men.
A special treat served one this day is the Rosca de Reyes--a crown-shaped sweet bread decorated with jewel-like candied fruits. Tiny figures of babies are hidden in
the dough before baking. There is much excitement as each partaker cuts his or
her own slice, for whoever gets a piece containing a baby is obliged to host
another party on or before Candlemas, February 2, when Mexico's holiday season
finally comes to an end.

Just a final visit to the creche and a few small gifts for M- no bread I'm afraid. Next year when M is a bit more aware of the signifiance of Christmas, maybe we can get more elaborate. This was a quiet evening otherwise here at home as Jill and L are visiting friends on the east side of the state and Em is off work for the rest of the week as well. Birthday celebrations planned this coming weekend in Holland. Sure hope the snow and ice holds off.

Some Misc. Videos From Last Few Days

Some Misc. Photos From Last Few Days

Monday-L and M at museum.




M showing off a move.

Part of New Years day dinner.

Boneless, leg of lamb. Seeing boneless lambs out
in the pasture is so sad. Purchased the lamb at
Kingmas, they get their's from S & S I think.

Janet joined us for dinner.

L's new room.