Christmas sing

The older girls were a part of the children's choir at church this year and this was their big Christmas performance.  They did great and Hannah even had her first speaking part.  They performed 2 nights and on the 2nd night I noticed during the singing that Gracey wasn't closing her mouth all the way.  The whole time, she had a bit of an Elvis snarl on her face.  Afterwards, I realized that "backstage" they had put blush and lip gloss on all the girls (see photo)...Gracey was afraid that she'd mess up her make up if she touched her lips together!  Singing to Jesus is great while keeping her make up straight!  :)

Jingle Bells

Here's our sweet Gracey May singing Jingle Bells.  Once I pulled out the video camera, everyone was a star.  I just love their sweet voices. :)

Starfish

Claire was sprawled out on the floor like this the other night...perfectly still.  When Ken asked her what she was doing, the answer was simple.  "I'm being a starfish."  Well, of course.  This little girl has the most amazing imagination.  Notice the leotard on inside out...she dresses herself too.  :)

ABCs

Here's little Jake, singing as usual.  His favorite song at the moment is  "Adelvise?" (from the Sound of Music...I have NO idea how to spell that).  But since I haven't caught that one on tape, here's a rendition of the ABCs....for the grandparents, of course.  :)

Warning: Belly pictures

My apologies to all that are offended by belly photos, but at the request of a few this is what big mama looks like at 30 weeks.  By the 6th pregnancy my body seems to know what to do and is getting bigger by the minute.

Only 9 weeks to go before we welcome the next and newest McNeill into our clan.  We are thankful that he seems to be doing well.  Actually, according to my MD he seems to be doing a little too well.  At our last ultrasound he was measuring in the 97th percentile.  He looks to be another big boy and if he continues at this pace, we may have another early induction.  We're continuing to pray for a healthy baby and can't wait to meet him.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  We finally have our camera fixed, so I feel like I can dive back into family updates.  It's just not the same to post without pictures.  We had a  wonderfully relaxing Christmas.  We stayed home and just spent the day as a family.  After a record breaking bad holiday for us last year, it was so nice to redeem to the season!  For those of you who weren't with us last year, Christmas involved a house full of the stomach flu and losing our 5th baby.  This year was much more joyful and made us so thankful for all of God's provisions for us over the past year.  

On Christmas Eve, we spent the day baking fudge and Christmas cookies.  Everyone decorated a cookie especially for Santa.  We sang Christmas carols and read Christmas stories.  One good book that we read this year is , "Santa, Are You For Real?" by Harold Myra.  It does a great job of explaining who Saint Nicholas was and why we still do "Santa".  The kids especially enjoyed the Advent season this year with the candles and candy. :)

Here's Jake enjoying one of his favorite toys while wearing his cool new firefighter outfit.

A word about Moonsand: just don't do it.  It was something our kids have wanted for quite a while and loved.  However...this is the messiest stuff EVER.  It is a very cool toy, however it would be a great toy for the spring when it can be played with outside.  For every 5 minutes of fun at the kitchen table, plan for 10 minutes of cleanup.  If your up for that, then, by all means, go for it.  But don't say I didn't warn you.

           

Jake loved all his new hot wheels and race track and the girls favorites were ponies, pet shops and a great doll house from Bumpa and Grandma.  Thanks, too, to Nana and Pa for all the goodies...the Tinkerbell make-up was the favorite for Claire by far.     

Fall fun

Here are the kids as they were heading out for a fun filled night of trick or treating.  Hannah was an angel, Grace was a cat, Claire was a butterfly princess and Jake was superman.  They all had so much fun running around the neighborhood and then finishing out the night with a party with our neighbors.  Jacob, being 2 now, especially enjoyed getting into the festivities this year for the first time.  All the girls would quietly walk up to the door and say, very politely, "trick or treat".  Then Jake would run up, stick out his chubby little hand and yell, "CANDY!!!"  A man who says what he means and means what he says.

Here's the little man driving the tractor at the pumpkin patch.  He loves anything with wheels, so the tractors and the hayride were highlights of the trip for sure.
Before we bagged up all the leaves in our front yard we let the kids have a few days to play in them.  They had a blast running and jumping...ahh, the joys of childhood.  :)
Hannah and Claire on the sidelines cheering on Gracey at her soccer game.

It's a.....

It's been a while since we've posted.  Our computer died about a month ago and it's taken us this long to get another computer and get things up and running again.  On the recommendation of many family and friends, we've gone with a Mac this time.   It is so different than a PC and it is taking me quite a while to learn how to use it.  All things considered, I've really enjoyed it so far. I haven't quite got the hang of all of how to post photos and such but in the mean time I wanted to let everyone know our latest news. 

We had our 20 week ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and....drum roll please....we are having another boy!  Needless to say, we were all very excited.  At the moment, Jake is out numbered 3 to 1 by his sisters, so I'm sure he'll be happy to have another little man on his side.  The baby, as is usual with our babies, is measuring very big...enough so that I'm having extra testing and may have extra doctor visits in the coming weeks.  You can pray with us that this baby tops out at 10lbs or under by delivery and is healthy and happy in the process.  :)  

In other news, my parents were here for a visit last weekend.  We had a great time and the kids all enjoyed some much anticipated Nana and Pa time.  We did some fishing, cheered Gracey on at her soccer game and spent some time down by a creek near our house.  Above is a family photo they snapped for us while they were here.

Funny song...

This song make me laugh. :)

Keeping cool...

Very close to our house we have a great park that has a sprinkler area for the kids to run and play in the summer. It's a great way for everyone to cool off without the stress of keeping everyone afloat in a pool. Ken's sister and her family were all here last weekend and we enjoyed some great family time a spent a couple of afternoons at this park. It's beginning to feel a bit like fall here already this week so here's a few photos of our kiddos enjoying the last few days of summer weather with their cousins.

Walk for Life

This past weekend we participated in the local Walk for Life to raise money for the Life Centers of Indianapolis. These centers provide emotional, spiritual and practical support for women facing unplanned pregnancies. Through these centers many, many women have heard the gospel of Christ and found hope that has enabled them to choose life for their babies. I can't imagine the heartache these women must face while struggling with such a decision, but having this support there must help in amazing ways. Through many of our friends giving online, our family "Team McNeill" has raised $360 so far. Thanks so much for everyone who contributed financially and especially to those who keep these women in your prayers! Here's a few pictures of our "team" during the walk.

Sated or hungry?

Today I was reading in Proverbs 27:7

"A sated man loathes honey,
but to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet."

As I read this verse today, the Spirit revealed to me the root of a problem that I find myself facing daily. Over and over I find that I am satisfied or long to be satisfied with the things of the world.... but why? I know that the things of the Lord are eternal and hold true satisfaction. I know that this world holds nothing for me. Yet, daily I will turn to those things in which I find comfort, those things that are tangible and time consuming and worldly. Those very things that, if I allow them to, will consume my thoughts, my time and, eventually, all that I hold dear. So, why do I allow this?

I find that I am most vulnerable to this when I am not abiding in the Word, clinging to the Spirit...when I am famished. When I am famished...not satisfying myself in the Lord...any bitter thing is sweet. Any bitter thing this world has to offer seems appealing and satisfying. But...when I am satisfied with God alone, not the "sweetest" thing, not the most alluring temptation, is appealing to me. My appetite has been satisfied in Him alone. I pray that I will daily run to the one that satisfies and leave behind all that is truly bitter.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

This past weekend we celebrated Hannah's 7th birthday... What can I say? Of course it is so cliche to say how fast she seems to be growing up and honestly, that's not entirely true. Some days it seems like it's taking forever. :) But most days, I'm amazed at how she is maturing right before our eyes. I have to admit, there was a time when I thought Ken and I might not survive 7 days with her, much less 7 years....those of you that knew Hannah as a baby know what I'm talking about. But somehow, through God's grace alone, He is growing her into a beautiful, funny, smart little girl that is becoming a joy to us in ways we couldn't have imagined. We pray that God will continue to make her into His image, that she will grow to be a godly woman after His heart and that we will get to enjoy her for 70 years to come!

Ken's parent's were in town for the weekend celebration and we all enjoyed some good family time together.

We had a house full of 7 year olds, cake, presents, a pinata and even borrowed a neighbor's water slide for the occasion. I think fun was had by all.

Our trip to the fair

The Indiana State Fair was in town last week and we took the kids to enjoy the whole fair experience. The best part was taking the "Fair Train" to the fair. The train ride was almost as exciting as anything else. The kids enjoyed the animals, a few rides and, of course, corndogs and cotton candy.

Daddy and the kiddos on the "fair train".
The elephant ride was a highlight. How many times in your life do you get to do that?
Daddy riding the "roller coaster" with the girls.
The boys were all tuckered out on the train ride back home. :)

Big boy

As the older kids have gone back to school, I have enjoyed the time with Claire and Jake at home. I know that they have enjoyed the undivided attention as well. I'm amazed at how fast all of them are growing up. Here's a few pictures of our big boy that is fast becoming our little man!

This is his favorite game with Daddy!
Okay, I know it is a little socially incorrect to put out bathroom pictures, but he is so proud of himself as he sits on the big boy potty...I just had to share.
Playing with his trucks on the cool ironing board runway.
My men. :) Jake loves driving with Daddy...they do this for about 10 minutes everyday when Ken gets home from work. :)

School days...school days....

Well the girls started back to school on Tuesday and had a blast. Gracey started Kindergarten this year and told me that she loves school more than rocky road ice cream. That is high praise coming from Grace. Hannah is liking 1st grade as well, although going to school every day is taking a bit of getting used to. She likes her teacher and has made several new friends but thinks it would be a good idea to take a day off every once in a while. Here are a few of the typical first day of school photos that we all remember so well. :)

This was the girls getting off the bus the first day...Grace was especially proud of herself!

Me too...

Today was the girls' last day of summer vacation. School starts tomorrow, and they are excited to say the least. We've had a fun day of family time and getting everything ready...new backpacks, lunchboxes, school clothes, etc. Tonight, as we were winding down and getting everyone ready for bed, it was pretty much the typical scene. Hannah was in the bathroom, Gracey was looking for PJs, Claire was gathering her toys for bed and Jake was running down the hall trying to avoid being diapered after his bath. In the midst of the craziness, Hannah yells to me to come to the bathroom. I quick poke my head in and she just gives me a big smile and says, "Mom, I'm glad you had all these kids."

Is our house crazy? Absolutely. Loud? Without a doubt. Do I struggle daily with how exactly the Lord will carry us through raising so many so close together? Definitely. But God is God and I am not. He promised me that children are a blessing and I know Him to be faithful. I am slowly and sometimes painfully learning that blessings aren't always in the form of easy and happy but more often in the struggles and trials that make us more like Christ. Without a doubt I know that we are blessed beyond measure and God has given us much more happiness than hard for only reasons His grace can explain.

It's so good of God to give us little doses of affirmation and encouragement when we least expect it. I just smiled at Hannah tonight and said, "Me too." And I meant it. :)

Summertime

Here are a few pictures from the past month. We went to Wheaton to visit Ken's parents over the 4th of July and the kids had a blast. We enjoyed the parade, fireworks and roasting marshmallows around a campfire (something you couldn't do in Alabama in July!). Here's our little flag waving Gracey Mae.

Hannah and Grace got new haircuts this month. They both decided they wanted short hair and considering how easy it is to wash and brush they got no complaints from me!
Jake loves the vacuum, obvisously. Everytime I vacuum he gets down like this in front it to watch. I really think I could suck him up in it before he would move.

Claire enjoying a popsicle on the back deck....isn't summertime great?

Our first blog...

Well, we are officially entering the world of blogging. After ready everyone else's blogs with much envy, I decided to take a giant leap into the 21st century and create our own. I have to admit that I have no idea what I'm doing, so I'm making no promises. And if I'm as disciplined with blogging as I am with scrapbooking...well, you get the picture.

For all of you whose blogs I've been enjoying but those of you I haven't seen in years, I'll give a brief update of what we've been up too lately. We are now living in Carmel, IN. Ken was transfered here with the Navy last year and so far we have loved it here. The weather is beautiful, the people are friendly and it's close to Ken's family, which is great. Ken gets to be home most every night and so the family time with this job has been great. Speaking of the family....here's the run down.

Hannah is now 6 and has just finished Kindergarten. She's still the "first child" in every way. She is smart, strong-willed and has an amazingly innate need for justice.

Grace is 5 and will start school in the fall. She is a typical "middle" child who loves to be different, is very giving and loving and is Hannah's #1 sidekick.

Claire, now 3, is a sweet, independent little girl who can usually be found playing with her animals and carrying around baskets of toys and other items she's collected.

Jacob, 2, the lone boy...so far. He is a very happy, very spunky little boy who is very chatty and has a love for all trucks, balls and Jay-Jay Jet Plane.

Last fall we had been expecting our 5th little one, but lost the baby at about 3 months. We named him Jordan and are looking forward to seeing him in Heaven one day.

Our newest news is that we are expecting again in February. We just saw the heartbeat today on ultrasound for the first time. Of course, we are thrilled and more thankful than ever for this blessing.

It's quite likely that I won't be blogging often, but I'm hoping to stay in touch and would love to hear from all our old friends in blogging world.