"Happy New Year" from Mical...

Happy New Year!!!

A recap of 2009: (The list that couldn't fit in the Christmas letter =)

Learning the art of colostomy bags...
Poop and the unlimited directions it can splatter...
Children who refuse to sleep past 6am...
6am summer breakfasts on the front porch so the rest of the fam could sleep...
6am conversations that consisted of one word..."truck"...every time a vehicle passed...
Tears...
More tears...more time-outs...
The food questioning...I could write a chapter on the topic...
Socks. The love of socks...
Biting...
TV is interesting after all...
My ears bleeding from lack of rest. Dan's might have bled a little too...
Musical beds...
English, the language of confusion...No, we don't eat wood chips, but chips in bags are good...
More tears...
I expect all my kids to eat vegetables. and oatmeal...
Tears...
Ice cream is not a punishment...
The cat is our friend...
Most dogs are good...
Tears...
Every time we get in the car does not mean we are going to get a chicken burrito.... (although I also wish that was how it worked.)
Doors...opening, closing, opening, closing, slamming, opening...
Lights...on, off. repeat. repeat.
Computers are for someday, but not yet...
Lyric, Gavin and Cole are at school a LOT...
Gum is not a good idea yet...
Cold hands, cold toilet seats, what the heck?!
Laundry is my new hobby...
I've given up all my other hobbies...
Lyric has possibly inherited our social lives...
Gavin is going to buy a school building to fill with his own adopted children someday...
Cole is very much a six year old boy...this covers so much.
Hair. The time it takes to do African hair. A whole new respect...
Tattling. The love of tattling. The six and four year old have made this into an art....
Laundry. It deserves to be mentioned again...
Sweet Mical kisses.
Sweet Moses cuddles.
It is all so worth it.

Looking forward to all the the Lord has planned for 2010!

Grandpa

Giver of bear hugs,

Back rubs,

and squeeky kisses...

Driver of buggies...

Builder of trains..

Reader of stories....

Grandpa.

Merry Christmas

Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father.
James 1:17

Merry CHRISTmas!!!



Christmas morning
(Before...









and After!)

We are spoiled.

Uncle Chad and Aunt Jillian with the three new Bronkema additions from 2009!

Gracie was born the day we left for Uganda!

Yes, Lyric has the Christmas spirit =)

One beautiful lady.

We love Christmas with Grandma in McBain. We celebrated with aunts, uncles and cousins and it was beauuuutiful.

forts and cookies...

Snow days...three in a row, two weeks ago.





We liked it.


This is the same field, across the road, that kept Cole busy for hours this summer picking blackberries. There was a bunch of brush cleared and now that pile of sticks has transformed into the neighborhood "fort."






















We made Christamas cookies.

Mical is really good with dough. I think she had practice before our time together. She has some skilled hands rolling it out!



We made a double batch and they are long gone. Boy can this fam down the cookies!


Christmas parties at school today and then break time! Yea!

We had Christmas with my parents on Sunday. Now they are down with Tim, Mindy and John in GA. So...Mical and Moses got to experience GIFTS. It is safe to say they approve.

6 months day!

It just struck me today that we've been home as a family of seven for 6 months today. Thank you Jesus. So, I had to post a picture of our day. The older boys went off to school crazy excited about all the new snow. Lyric headed off to school disappointed everyone in GR got school cancelled! Mical woke up and couldn't believe her eyes. "Mommy! Mommy! It's ON the trees!"

After heading out to play (I'd forgotten how long it takes to get little ones ready!), Moses landed face first in the snow. He didn't even cry. M&M both lasted longer in the cold than I did!

I guess this means I've posted things for three days in a row...another first!

SNOW ANGEL...check!

Firsts...

First Thanksgiving with the Kaechele side of the family! There were lots of kids to play with. It was great to see so many cousins and relatives who we don't get to see very often.

We ate during what should have been naptime for Moses. He didn't eat much of his "feast." This photo captures his mood perfectly.

My cousin, Kelly, with two of her cuties. Number four due to arrive this spring =)

First snow...just enough to cover the ground, but enough for making snowballs! Dan and Lyric were out braving "black Friday."

Tired Moses

I just had to include this video of Moses that I took a couple of weeks ago. I've always seen clips of kids falling asleep in their food, but I've never had one of my own...until now =)

And by another one of my silly boys...

How to Cook a Turkey

By Cole Bronkema (spelling by Mom =)

First, I shoot it in the heart.

Next, I stuff it with my hands.

Third, I put it in the oven for one hour.

Fourth, I want it real bad.

Fifth, I eat it.