14 months 7 days

Abbey got her first tooth! Well its not actually here yet, but we can see the top of it. A big day. We waited a long time.

Also, I really appreciate my children and my family. Each little munchkin is unique. You wouldn't think 8 siblings could be so different but they really are. And each one is filled with valuable treasures of the heart and mind. I love hearing them talk about their curiositys. I love seeing them play with their brothers and sister. Hugging each other, cooing to Abbey, giving horsey rides to one another, laying 55 pokeymon cards on the living room floor and organizing them TOGETHER. I love their excitement when Matt says, "StoryTime!" They all come running and want "Twig" from the StormChaser.

Ahhh storytime. That is something else I love. Matt reads the boys stories most nights. He does a chapter out of 5 different books a night. He does a portion each, out of the Book of Virtues, Lord of the Rings, The Edge Chronicles (Twig), Thomas the Tank Engine, and a Bible story.

We have been reading Lord of the Rings for about 5 years. We are now in the last book. We are planning a Lord of the Rings party when we are done. Other treasures have been Charlie and the Chocolate factory (which the boys called Chawle and the Choclick factory) along with Roald Dahl's other books, the Little House on the Prairie series, Charlotte's Web, Trumpet of the Swan, The Indian in the Cupboard series, Chronicles of Narnia series, The Wrinkle in Time series, the Children's Treasury of Virtues and lots of others.

During storytime, everybody grabs a pillow and lays on the floor or cuddles up with mom or dad. The babies and little boys just follow the lead of their brothers and join in. You would think by the time story time is done everybody would be ready for bed, but no. Matt ends the story on a cliffhanger and all the kids get riled up and beg and plead for more.

I remember the time we read Charlottes Web. We got to the part where Charlotte had just saved Wilbur again and was very weak. We all got lumps in our throats and then when she died we all, from Matt on down, balled like babies. Sam still talks about the food in Farmer Boy. "The succulent turkey drippings and platters and platters of sweet corn and hot bisquits...".

I love my family. I love our days together.