Enjoy the pictures!
The 8 "big" cousins at lunch time!
1.01.2011
Eleven in Cousin Heaven
As I mentioned in the last post, my brother Micah and his family have been in town for the holidays. Last week, my sister Amber and sister-in-law Missy loaded up their combined EIGHT children made the trek out to our house for a massive cousin play date! It was the first time all 11 cousins had been together since Christmas 2009.
Enjoy the pictures!
Enjoy the pictures!
Christmas 2010
Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!
I don't have much time, but I wanted to get this post up today. I have to make it quick!
We had a wonderful Christmas with our families, with more celebrations yet to come. We spent Christmas Eve at G & Bompa's house. G bought all of the girls matching jingle bell head bands. Here are Rae & Ava modeling theirs.
After a yummy brunch, the kids helped decorate the tree, then tore into their gifts. (Actually, they were all very good at taking turns opening.) Rae was very excited to receive not one, not two, but THREE sets of moon dough, a product she's been asking to get for months!
Ruby's favorite was Polly Pockets!
After our celebration over there, we went to my parents' house and stayed the night. It was fun to stay up playing games after the kids went down. My brother Nate got the game "Bang!" and we all learned how to play -- it's a fun game if you've never tried it!
On Christmas Day the whole family came over, which adds up to TEN adults (NOT including Joe's finace Becky and Nate's girlfriend Jenny who both couldn't make it), ELEVEN children under the age of FIVE, and FIVE dogs!!! It was beautiful chaos!
I don't have much time, but I wanted to get this post up today. I have to make it quick!
We had a wonderful Christmas with our families, with more celebrations yet to come. We spent Christmas Eve at G & Bompa's house. G bought all of the girls matching jingle bell head bands. Here are Rae & Ava modeling theirs.
After a yummy brunch, the kids helped decorate the tree, then tore into their gifts. (Actually, they were all very good at taking turns opening.) Rae was very excited to receive not one, not two, but THREE sets of moon dough, a product she's been asking to get for months!
Ruby's favorite was Polly Pockets!
After our celebration over there, we went to my parents' house and stayed the night. It was fun to stay up playing games after the kids went down. My brother Nate got the game "Bang!" and we all learned how to play -- it's a fun game if you've never tried it!
On Christmas Day the whole family came over, which adds up to TEN adults (NOT including Joe's finace Becky and Nate's girlfriend Jenny who both couldn't make it), ELEVEN children under the age of FIVE, and FIVE dogs!!! It was beautiful chaos!
Mom & Dad with their 8 oldest grandkids (while the 3 babies slept)
It was especially wonderful to have my brother Micah and his family here with us again this Christmas. Besides a very quick visit from Missy & baby Jeremiah in August, we hadn't seen any of them since Christmas 2009. It was absolutely awesome for the cousins to be all together and play all day.
Is it time to open presents yet?
Rosie's First Christmas!
After opening gifts, some of the bigger kids went outside to play on the enormous snow piles in my parents' back yard. They played for over two hours without even thinking of the cold.
The hills were so high, they could easily get into the tree. (Malachi pictured)
That's a lot of snow!
We have yet to celebrate with JP's dad's side of the family. We were supposed to get together with them this weekend, but sadly JP's grandpa ("Papa") is nearing the end of this life on earth and will soon be with Jesus. Please pray for the whole Charlebois family as we say goodbye to Papa, who we all love so dearly. I don't know how people who don't have the hope of Jesus & eternal life get through times like these. It's such a comfort to know that the place where he's going is so much better than what he's going through here.
That's a lot of snow!
Rae got an art easel! (That's what was in the big box)
Ruby got a doll that talks!
Ruby got a doll that talks!
12.17.2010
Eye of the Beholder
When you're a parent of small children...
...the old saying rings even more true.
Beauty...
...really is...
...in the eye of this beholder!
12.16.2010
Engaged!
This past Sunday, my brother Joseph asked his girlfriend Becky to marry him! He had a really sweet plan in place, and I had the very fun honor of hiding and taking pictures of the whole thing!
A few days beforehand, he took me to "the spot." It was a dock on Lake Rebecca, the place where they had made their dating relationship official and where they had their first kiss. The scenery was beautiful.
We rigged up a tarp on another part of a dock that was pulled up on shore in hopes that it would look like the park was covering up some canoes or something. I hid underneath with a little hole to peek out of.
With all of the snow we had on Saturday and the temps in single digits, Joe had a hard time convincing Becky to get out of the apartment and take the dogs for a walk by the lake. They were trudging through over a foot of snow, and as they approached I could hear Becky saying, "Are we there yet?" and "It's so cold."
Once they got to the special dock, they walked to the end and watched the trumpeter swans flying overhead. Then, as they walked back, Joe pointed to something on the dock and told Becky to take a look.
It took her a second, but once it registered, this is what she saw:
When she turned around, Joe was on one knee with the ring. It was so sweet!
And of course, she said "Yes!"
We are so thrilled to have Becky as part of the family. Don't get me wrong, she already was, but it's very fun to officially call her Joe's fiance! We love you both, and we're looking forward to the big day!
A few days beforehand, he took me to "the spot." It was a dock on Lake Rebecca, the place where they had made their dating relationship official and where they had their first kiss. The scenery was beautiful.
We rigged up a tarp on another part of a dock that was pulled up on shore in hopes that it would look like the park was covering up some canoes or something. I hid underneath with a little hole to peek out of.
With all of the snow we had on Saturday and the temps in single digits, Joe had a hard time convincing Becky to get out of the apartment and take the dogs for a walk by the lake. They were trudging through over a foot of snow, and as they approached I could hear Becky saying, "Are we there yet?" and "It's so cold."
Once they got to the special dock, they walked to the end and watched the trumpeter swans flying overhead. Then, as they walked back, Joe pointed to something on the dock and told Becky to take a look.
It took her a second, but once it registered, this is what she saw:
When she turned around, Joe was on one knee with the ring. It was so sweet!
And of course, she said "Yes!"
We are so thrilled to have Becky as part of the family. Don't get me wrong, she already was, but it's very fun to officially call her Joe's fiance! We love you both, and we're looking forward to the big day!
12.14.2010
Christmas Cards
We aren't going to be sending out Christmas cards this year, but if we had, this is what you would have received! :)
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Merry Christmas to all of you!
12.11.2010
Rae's Dream
Rae: "Last night I had a dream that a Queen came to our house."
Me: "Really, what happened?"
Rae: "I asked you & Daddy where she came from."
Me: "What did we tell you."
Rae: "You didn't answer me. There was fire coming from the sink and I think the Queen put it there."
Me: "That's very strange. Then what happened."
Rae: "She was trying to tell me & my elf** what to do."
Me: "What did you do?"
Rae: "I told her, 'Who made you the boss? You're not my wife** OR my Dad!"
**See previous post!
Me: "Really, what happened?"
Rae: "I asked you & Daddy where she came from."
Me: "What did we tell you."
Rae: "You didn't answer me. There was fire coming from the sink and I think the Queen put it there."
Me: "That's very strange. Then what happened."
Rae: "She was trying to tell me & my elf** what to do."
Me: "What did you do?"
Rae: "I told her, 'Who made you the boss? You're not my wife** OR my Dad!"
**See previous post!
My daughter calls me "Wife"
It all started about 5 days ago. Rae wanted to play Santa Clause. She was Santa, and she loaded up her "sleigh" (chaise lounge) with "bags" (blankets) full of toys to hand out to the children around the world. She added the three stick horses to the front to be "reindeer."
Then she declared me to be Mrs. Clause and Ruby to be her Elf.
Then I guess she got tired of saying Mrs. Clause over and over, so she started calling me, "Wife."
Now for the last five days she has continued to call me her wife. And if I call her Rae, she says, "You mean, "husband," right?
Then she declared me to be Mrs. Clause and Ruby to be her Elf.
Then I guess she got tired of saying Mrs. Clause over and over, so she started calling me, "Wife."
Now for the last five days she has continued to call me her wife. And if I call her Rae, she says, "You mean, "husband," right?
12.08.2010
Recent Quotes from Rae
Rae (playing on bunk bed, annoyed at Ruby, and spoken in a very superior tone.): "Mom, will you puh-leeease get this earth creature out of my tree?"
___________________________________
Rae: "Wow, that door looks bigger than Jesus!"
___________________________________
___________________________________
Me: "I love you."
Rae: "I love you."
Me: "I love you more."
Rae: "No, I love YOU more."
Me: "I love you the MOST."
Rae: "No, I love YOU the most!"
Me: "I love you the mostest, mostest, mostest, mostest, mostest, mostest, mostest!"
Rae: "I don't think I can love you that high!"
___________________________________
Rae learned one of winter's coldest lessons tonight when she licked JP's metal trailer while we were playing outside. At first she didn't even cry; she just came to me and said, "Mom, my tongue!" She had blood all over her face and at first I was pretty concerned.
As we walked back to the house, I explained to her what had happened. Only then did she start crying and then she wailed, "I don't think I'll ever be able to eat again!"
After we cleaned her up, we realized it wasn't that bad. Lesson learned!
___________________________________
And for good measure, here's one from Ruby (peering through her binoculars): "I see Oo-da!"
Translation: Rudolph! :)
___________________________________
Rae: "Wow, that door looks bigger than Jesus!"
___________________________________
___________________________________
Me: "I love you."
Rae: "I love you."
Me: "I love you more."
Rae: "No, I love YOU more."
Me: "I love you the MOST."
Rae: "No, I love YOU the most!"
Me: "I love you the mostest, mostest, mostest, mostest, mostest, mostest, mostest!"
Rae: "I don't think I can love you that high!"
___________________________________
Rae learned one of winter's coldest lessons tonight when she licked JP's metal trailer while we were playing outside. At first she didn't even cry; she just came to me and said, "Mom, my tongue!" She had blood all over her face and at first I was pretty concerned.
As we walked back to the house, I explained to her what had happened. Only then did she start crying and then she wailed, "I don't think I'll ever be able to eat again!"
After we cleaned her up, we realized it wasn't that bad. Lesson learned!
___________________________________And for good measure, here's one from Ruby (peering through her binoculars): "I see Oo-da!"
Translation: Rudolph! :)
12.06.2010
O Christmas Tree
The first year we were married, I went out and bought us a bunch of decorations for our first Christmas tree. I'm not sure why, but for some reason I really wanted one of those trees that you see in shopping malls or magazines with ribbons and color-coordinating decorations and white lights only. Maybe it was from working downtown? I don't know. But that's what I bought, and that first year we had a magazine-worthy Christmas tree.
JP hated it. It had no charm or sentimental value to him. He missed his mom's tree, where every ornament had a story & memory behind it.
Times have changed. Five years and three kids later, we finally have the Christmas tree JP's heart wished for, full of keepsake ornaments and tokens of our short history. And I have to agree -- this tree warms my heart like none of our past trees ever have. And watching the girls decorate it, clumping them all together on the same low bough, was so, so sweet.
We made the "mistake" of getting a blue spruce. We actually chose it from a local cut-your-own tree farm on purpose because we had read somewhere that the spruce tree was the "original" Christmas tree as the branches make a cross shape. We didn't realize that the nails of Calvary would also be represented by the very SHARP spruce needles! OUCH!
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches!
JP hated it. It had no charm or sentimental value to him. He missed his mom's tree, where every ornament had a story & memory behind it.
Times have changed. Five years and three kids later, we finally have the Christmas tree JP's heart wished for, full of keepsake ornaments and tokens of our short history. And I have to agree -- this tree warms my heart like none of our past trees ever have. And watching the girls decorate it, clumping them all together on the same low bough, was so, so sweet.
We made the "mistake" of getting a blue spruce. We actually chose it from a local cut-your-own tree farm on purpose because we had read somewhere that the spruce tree was the "original" Christmas tree as the branches make a cross shape. We didn't realize that the nails of Calvary would also be represented by the very SHARP spruce needles! OUCH!
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches!
12.02.2010
Recent Pictures
Daddy loves his girls, and oh my, do they ever adore him!
Winter fun!
Rosie is getting so chubby! Here she is at bath time.
Winter Wonderland
I have to admit...
As boring as Princeton can be in the winter...
It is without a doubt...
beautiful.
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