Falling Down on the Job

Okay . . . so I've seriously neglected my blog. Actually, I've seriously neglected my camera in general. Time to catch up . . .

Thanksgiving weekend, we were treated to a trip to the firehouse! It was sort of a home school field trip that we've been talking about for ages, and it finally happened. Mr. Younce (Jim, to us grown ups) works at the really awesome firehouse in Creve Coeur . . . and we got to see it all!

The kids were all very excited about their goodie bags at the end!
(Back row: Karis, Jonah, Ali, Emma, Graci
Front row: Maddux, Aubrey, Meg, Julie)


Having fun swinging around the pole!


Posing with Mr. Younce (missing Maddux)

Our "sliding down the pole" demonstration. The kids all thought it was totally awesome (For that matter, the grown-ups did too!)

Mr. Alligood and Mr. Younce, checking out the jaws of life. (They're really heavy - I picked them up!)

HAZMAT truck.

Their equipment is all ridiculously heavy. Ali & Jonah were the only kids strong enough to try on a helmet!

Meg in one of the trucks

Julie in one of the trucks

Ali in one of the trucks

Listening attentively to Mr. Younce inside the ambulance.

Enjoying the recliners in the TV room

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, from the Pattons!

In an effort to NOT make myself crazy, I’ve decided to abandon the idea of real Christmas cards this year . . . so the blogged version is the best I can do! : ) The sad part is that I even have Christmas pictures printed to send . . . oh well . . .

So, where do I start for this year? Probably our biggest news this year is that we are officially homeowners! Yes, we built a house (and by “we” I mean our contractor!) in Pacific, MO (about 10 minutes west of Eureka) and we love it! It was fun to customize our own home (also stressful in some ways) and it’s awesome to have a place that we can call our own. We weren’t even looking to buy a house for another year yet, but God seriously just dropped this one in our lap. He is so gracious to give us things that we never even thought to ask for! : )

Now on to the girlies . . .

Julie is 2 ½ and is the sweetest little thing ever! (Am I allowed to say that when I have 4 kids?) She is a spunky, bright and active little thing . . . and always a joy. She potty trained in the spring and that was a breeze. It’s so wonderful to be beyond diapers for the last time!! She loves to jump, sing and read books. She is also a rather outspoken little thing . . . not afraid to take charge, and regularly needing reminders that she isn’t the boss of anyone. She is full of hugs, snuggles and is regularly asking for “besos” (kisses) I love it!

Megan . . . oh where do I start with Meg? She is 4 now and is still as tall and skinny as ever. Here lately she has been eating like crazy, and the standing joke is that all of that food is just growing her taller, because she is definitely not any wider. Meg LOVES to laugh. She really has a hilarious sense of humor. This year I put an Uppercase Living expression on her wall that says “girl, n: a giggle wrapped in sunlight” That pretty much sums her up! I guess the downside of that is that she is very “Anne of Green Gables-esque” – when she’s happy she’s really happy, and when she’s sad she’s in the “depths of despair” . . . awfully dramatic for a 4 year old! Meg started reading lessons this fall (though it’s something that I haven’t been very consistent with) and is picking is up very quickly. She’s also to the point now where she really wants to be one of the big girls – she especially love to have sleepovers with Ali & Emma!

Emma turned 7 in August. She is in 1st grade (by age) but academically she is doing all 2nd grade work. She continues to be my little math genius - a trait that very obviously came from her Daddy!! Here lately she has really embraced her inner bookworm . . . she is currently glued to the Little House series. This fall she started playing indoor soccer (the first of our girls to participate in a team sport). Her team is actually really good. (Currently 5-1, with 2 games left in the season) Almost all of the other girls have previous experience, and Emma has learned a lot from them. I am also learning . . . how not to hyperventilate in the stands! : )

Ali is now 8. She’ll be 9 in April. The other day it dawned on me that she is almost half way to 18! How is that possible? If the next 9 years go as fast as the first 9 did . . . I don’t even want to think about it! Anyways . . . Ali is in 3rd grade and doing great. She is pretty much the opposite of Emma is almost every way. She (unfortunately) inherited my brain for math, but is very strong in Language Arts and Geography. She is still taking piano lessons from Grandma Patton, and is really loving that right now. I find her at the piano practicing several times a day. She still LOVES her American Girl dolls. In fact, one of the highlights of her year was a trip to Chicago in May to visit the American Girl Place. In spite of the hand, foot and mouth disease that accompanied it, all 4 girls had an awesome time! Ali is also my reader . . . she would literally read hours every day if I would let her.

Aaron is still working for Boeing, and actually started a new position this spring. He’s now working on ground support. That change of position was accompanied by a raise (always nice when you’re buying a new house!!) He has had a very busy year with the move, then one of his Master’s classes this fall. On Saturday mornings he has been meeting with some of the fellas from church in a sort of discipleship group, which he is enjoying. He still enjoys Cardinals baseball and Rams football (though not so much this year for either of them!) Right now he is really looking forward to next semester . . . with no classes to take!

This year has been a deusy for me! It has really felt like whirlwind. Just way too busy!! I am loving my new house, but our move REALLY left me flat on my back. That surprised me, because this is the first time that we have moved when I haven’t been pregnant or had a newborn. So, I expected it to be easier . . . and that was SO not the case. By the end of the summer (which was busy with other things as well) I just wanted to crawl into a hole . . . but then it was time to start school! : ) It was rough semester (though I was honestly able to enjoy it – mostly) I am really looking forward to starting back in January . . . hopefully refreshed and better prepared! I still enjoy relaxing with a good book, hot bubbles baths and hanging out with friends, and keeping up with my blog. I am so thankful for my amazing hubby who keeps me sane and is always willing to help, and my sweet little girls, who are such a joy!

Above all else, I am thankful for my Savior, who willingly took on all of the frailties of humanity. Who was born as a sweet little baby. Who certainly took his wobbly first steps, and probably fell and scraped his knee as a boy. When I think of the life that He lived, and realize that each of those steps was just another step to the cross. I am unbelievably thankful for His sacrifice . . . knowing that He didn’t have to pay for my sins, but did so willingly. What a reason to celebrate!

I hope that this letter finds you rejoicing in His birth!

Because He Lives,

Aaron, Andrea, Alison, Emma, Megan and Julie Patton

Drowning Our Sorrows

Yesterday was a sad day in the Patton home. We had to say good-bye to Tucker, and I feel sick over it. I know we made the right decision, but it doesn't make it easy. Recently he's been showing some strange aggression toward the kids, and yesterday afternoon he actually bit me. Ali & Emma shed lots of tears at first. They perked up a bit when they decided they wanted to gather all of his toys, treats, etc . . . together and give them to Lexie. In an effort to soften the blow we went to the Playplace McDonalds for dinner, and put together our gingerbread house when we got home. A little fun went a long way . . . now if I could just get over the feeling that I've abandoned my dog. : (

The Pup

It's now been a month and a half since Tucker came home with us. I've had plenty to say about him, but very little time to do it. So here's the update!

-Our little pup isn't so little anymore. He has more than doubled his weight since we got him.


-House breaking is going great. His accidents are rare.


-He has had 6 puppy classes (with 2 left to complete) and they are going great. We have seen remarkable progress in him with our family, at home. Now we just need to work on him not being psycho with visitors and other dogs.


-He was neutered yesterday and came home a very pathetic creature. He whined and cried all evening and then proceeded to wake me up a good 5 times during the night. This morning he is over the whining and is being rather crazy . . . sprinting laps around the couches.

-The kids are doing great with him. Ironically, Julie probably handles him the best. She has no problems being stern and bossy with him : ) and isn't afraid of him at all.

So, that's life with Tucker in a nutshell. There have been times when I thought that I would kill him, but those have been few. In fact having Tucker makes me wonder if we should get another dog. After my adamant "no more animals" stance in my last Tucker post, this is quite a turn around. I just figured that he wouldn't need a friend: he has the cats and we have 4 kids! Well the cats HATE him!! Kelsey is a little more curious and playful, but Polly would kill him if she could. He LOVES playing with Lexie (The Alligood's dog) and I love how worn out he is when they're done playing! : ) We'll see . . .

The End of an Era

As a mom, every now and then, things just hit me. Usually they're silly little things. Little memories, etc . . . The other day I had one of those moments. I was going through the hat and glove box, getting things sorted for winter, when Julie put on a hat and said "I'm Bob the Tomato!" I laughed. The hat is actually supposed to be a strawberry, but that's beside the point. She had to pull with all of her might to squeeze the thing onto her head. And then I had my moment. Julie was just the last of my kids to wear that hat. It was a shower gift to us when Ali was born. It was knitted by Katie Brooks . . . and Aaron and I LOVED it! We just thought it was SO cute. Here's our picture of Ali "wearing" it as a newborn. It was massively large on her head . . . but, of course, we thought she was a riot.

And then, here's my little Jules, squeezing the thing onto her head!

I know it's just me being a silly mommy . . . but it was kind of sad.

Another Megan-ism

The other night we were all in the van, driving home from the mall, when Megan busted out with this one:

"Mommy, will I see you in hell?"

What question from a 4 year old.

I calmly told her "no, because I won't be in hell." That carried into the normal conversation of how I know that I won't be in hell, etc . . . A good conversation to have, a frequently repeated conversation in the Patton home, though it's never begun in that way.

Leave it to Meg.

A Worthwhile Read . . .

I don't usually use my blog to talk politics. I'm sick of the election, and admittedly, disappointed with it's outcome. I definitely would have chosen different results, but I KNOW that my God is sovereign. "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." Proverbs 21:1

On the other hand, I am saddened as I listen to believers bashing and showing blatant disrespect for the man that God has put into this position of a authority. This blog post by Al Mohler is excellent:

From http://www.almohler.org/blog_read.php?id=2715

"The election of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States came as a bang, not a whimper. The tremors had been perceptible for days, maybe even weeks. On Tuesday, America experienced nothing less than a political and cultural earthquake.

The margin of victory for the Democratic ticket was clear. Americans voted in record numbers and with tangible enthusiasm. By the end of the day, it was clear that Barack Obama would be elected with a majority of the popular vote and a near landslide in the Electoral College. When President-Elect Obama greeted the throngs of his supporters in Chicago's Grant Park, he basked in the glory of electoral energy.

For many of us, the end of the night brought disappointment. In this case, the disappointment is compounded by the sense that the issues that did not allow us to support Sen. Obama are matters of life and death -- not just political issues of heated debate. Furthermore, the margin of victory and sense of a shift in the political landscape point to greater disappointments ahead. We all knew that so much was at stake.

For others, the night was magical and momentous. Young and old cried tears of amazement and victory as America elected its first African-American President -- and elected him overwhelmingly. Just forty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, an African-American stood to claim victory as President-Elect of the nation. As Sen. Obama assured the crowd in Chicago and the watching nation, "We will get there. We will get there." No one hearing those words could fail to hear the refrain of plaintive words spoken in Memphis four decades ago. President-Elect Obama would stand upon the mountaintop that Dr. King had foreseen.

That victory is a hallmark moment in history for all Americans -- not just for those who voted for Sen. Obama. As a nation, we will never think of ourselves the same way again. Americans rich and poor, black and white, old and young, will look to an African-American man and know him as President of the United States. The President. The only President. The elected President. Our President.

Every American should be moved by the sight of young African-Americans who -- for the first time -- now believe that they have a purchase in American democracy. Old men and old women, grandsons and granddaughters of slaves and slaveholders, will look to an African-American as President.

Regardless of politics, could anyone remain unmoved by the sight of Jesse Jackson crying alone amidst the crowd in Chicago? This dimension of Election Day transcends politics and touches the heart of the American people.

Yet, the issues and the politics remain. Given the scale of the Democratic victory, the political landscape will be completely reshaped. The fight for the dignity and sanctity of unborn human beings has been set back by a great loss, and by the election of a President who has announced his intention to sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law. The struggle to protect marriage against its destruction by redefinition is now complicated by the election of a President who has declared his aim to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. On issue after issue, we face a longer, harder, and more protracted struggle than ever before.

Still, we must press on as advocates for the unborn, for the elderly, for the infirm, and for the vulnerable. We must redouble our efforts to defend marriage and the integrity of the family. We must be vigilant to protect religious liberty and the freedom of the pulpit. We face awesome battles ahead.

At the same time, we must be honest and recognize that the political maps are being redrawn before our eyes. Will the Republican Party decide that conservative Christians are just too troublesome for the party and see the pro-life movement as a liability? There is the real danger that the Republicans, stung by this defeat, will adopt a libertarian approach to divisive moral issues and show conservative Christians the door.

Others will declare these struggles over, arguing that the election of Sen. Obama means that Americans in general -- and many younger Evangelicals in particular -- are ready to "move on" to other issues. This is no time for surrender or the abandonment of our core principles. We face a much harder struggle ahead, but we have no right to abandon the struggle.
We should look for opportunities to work with the new President and his administration where we can. We must hope that he will lead and govern as the bridge-builder he claimed to be in his campaign. We must confront and oppose the Obama administration where conscience demands, but work together where conscience allows.

Evangelical Christians face another challenge with the election of Sen. Obama, and a failure to rise to this challenge will bring disrepute upon the Gospel, as well as upon ourselves. There must be absolutely no denial of the legitimacy of President-Elect Obama's election and no failure to accord this new President the respect and honor due to anyone elected to that high office. Failure in this responsibility is disobedience to a clear biblical command.

Beyond this, we must commit ourselves to pray for this new President, for his wife and family, for his administration, and for the nation. We are commanded to pray for rulers, and this new President faces challenges that are not only daunting but potentially disastrous. May God grant him wisdom. He and his family will face new challenges and the pressures of this office. May God protect them, give them joy in their family life, and hold them close together.

We must pray that God will protect this nation even as the new President settles into his role as Commander in Chief, and that God will grant peace as he leads the nation through times of trial and international conflict and tension.

We must pray that God would change President-Elect Obama's mind and heart on issues of our crucial concern. May God change his heart and open his eyes to see abortion as the murder of the innocent unborn, to see marriage as an institution to be defended, and to see a host of issues in a new light. We must pray this from this day until the day he leaves office. God is sovereign, after all.

Without doubt, we face hard days ahead. Realistically, we must expect to be frustrated and disappointed. We may find ourselves to be defeated and discouraged. We must keep ever in mind that it is God who raises up nations and pulls them down, and who judges both nations and rulers. We must not act or think as unbelievers, or as those who do not trust God.

America has chosen a President. President-Elect Barack Obama is that choice, and he faces a breathtaking array of challenges and choices in days ahead. This is the time for Christians to begin praying in earnest for our new President. There is no time to lose."

She's No Mia Hamm

Emma had her first soccer game this weekend. They won 5-0, and that is only b/c they stopped adding to the score after it reached 5. It probably would have been 10-0.

Rest assured that my little girl had very little to do with the excellent outcome of her game. When the game started, one of her teammates passed the ball to her and she just stood there. She didn't know what to do. It was funny, b/c everyone else just stood there as well. Eventually she passed it back to the girl who had passed it to her, and the game started. As the game went on, she got the hang of it a little more. She was better at staying in her position, and even touched the ball a time or two. Mostly she was interested in visiting with the other girls, flipping her hair back and forth and sitting on the bench. Her coach told the girls that if they got hurt or were tired, they could raise their hand and he would take them out. Well, that was a mistake! She raised her hand over and over again. Granted, this is indoor soccer, and therefore the girls are constantly running. Emma just didn't get it. In the end Aaron told her that she should only raise her hand if her leg is broken! : )

Aaron talked to her coach after the game, and he was upbeat about it. It was her first game. It's just important that she's having fun. She just needs to work on not raising her hand so much. Next week I'll be happy if she doesn't raise her hand at all, stays in position, and keeps her eye on the ball. I think that now that she knows what to expect, that shouldn't be too difficult.

I only had my cell phone with me, so this was the best I could do for pictures. In attendance were Mom, Dad, Ali, Meg, Julie and Grandma & Grandpa Klarner. Grandma and Grandpa were nice enough to treat the girls to ice cream after the game. That was their favorite part!



Emma is the one in the darker blue shirt (she doesn't have her matching jersey yet)

The Big Day

After a year of anticipation, Halloween finally came. It was a fun night, and my girls are already talking about next year!

Ali & Emma
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Meg & Julie
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The 4 big kids (waiting for the Littles to be ready)
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Finally ready! All 7 rug rats!
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For Trick-or-treating we went to our old neighborhood in Eureka. Miss Sherry and her Mom always look forward to seeing the kids, and they do a little party in their garage. It's a great neighborhood for trick-or-treating.

Our annual picture with Maw-Maw (Miss Sherry's mom) She was SO excited to see all of the kids. She misses us so much!

Our weather this year was unseasonably warm. That's been kind of disappointing (I'm ready for fall weather) but it was excellent for Halloween festivities. The past several years it has been cold and rainy, so we LOVED this!

After taking one trick-or-treating picture, I got sick of carrying the camera. So, here it is! : )

Time to Carve the Pumpkin!

This is a day-before-Halloween tradition for us! Always a blast!

The girls pick out the pumpkin seeds while Daddy cleans out the pumpkin.

The finished product. I think they names him Baxter.

Party!

Part of the fun of being a home school family is the fun parties! I get together with Jessica (with Graci and Maddux) and Amber (with Jonah, Karis and Aubrey) on Wednesdays and we do Art, Music and Spanish. It's a fun time for the kids to learn from someone who has talents that I don't have and a nice visiting time for the moms. This week, we had a party instead!


Jess was the cool mom who did all of the planning. We started our festivities by making Oreo spider cookies. What fun!
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Julie especially enjoyed her cookies!
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The party table. What a crew!
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Next we did Caramel apples. We had this "great" idea that we would dip the apples, then let the kids sprinkle toppings on them. Well, the caramel hardened way too fast, so we had to go with plan B. We gave them a plate of candy that they pressed into the caramel, and they thought that was awesome!
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Aubrey and Maddux decorating their apples (and enjoying a little snack here and there!)
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We did our little parade around the neighborhood - 9 kids in all!

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We stopped along the way for group pictures:
Back row: (L-R) Karis (piratess), Jonah (pirate), Ali (cheerleader), Emma (black cat - specifically "Licorice" the American Girl cat), Graci (gardener), Meg (pumpkin).
Front row: (L-R) Aubrey (mouse), Maddux (dragon), Julie (pumpkin)
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The Patton girls.

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All 9 of them sitting outside waiting for "The donut game" It was a big hit! Mrs. Younce tied the donuts to a string in the tree, and the kids were supposed to catch them in their mouths without using their hands. They all did it (though the littles did manage to get those hands in there!)
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Aubrey
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Ali
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Emma

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Meg
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Maddux
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Karis
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Jonah
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Graci

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Julie

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It sure was a fun party!