remember...

Isabella is an amazing girl.  She is 8 1/2 yrs. old and has always been wise beyond her years.  She is so much fun to be with.  She has a beautiful smile and a contagious laugh.  She is very thoughtful to other people and is a big helper at home.  She loves to read and does excellent in school.  She is very organized and doesn't procrastinate.  It is so nice for me as her mom.  She even has a "tutoring service" at home.  Every time she reads with one of her siblings, or helps them with their homework she earns 25 cents.  It's great.

She is becoming a good little dancer and she's happy doing it.  She is very expressive with music and loves her ipod.  She loves her cousins and friends.

Last summer Isabella chose to be baptized and it was a wonderful day.  She couldn't stop smiling the entire day.  

Francesca is a "sunshine girl".  She is beaming with joy from the moment she opens her big brown eyes.  You will never find Francesca just sitting.  She is in constant graceful motion.  Her life seems to be a musical.  She is always singing and dancing.  Whether it's while feeding the dog or dipping her feet in the pool, she has a song and a step to go with it.  One of her favorite spots to be, is on stage in our living room.  

She is very happy and easy going.  She is also thoughtful of other's feelings and is always watching out for those she loves.  She's a true nurturer.

She loves to try new things.  She likes to be spontaneous and is always up for an adventure.

When she looks at you with those big brown eyes you can't help but smile.  Then she follows it up with a huge hug and a kiss.  She loves love!  She also loves for me to tell her stories of "when I was a little girl".  

She has an amazing memory and can read wonderfully.  It is so neat to watch her bloom in all of these new areas.

"Ready, Set, Go"... this is Finnegan!  

He is ready and willing to do anything.  He just loves to be "doing".  He loves the outdoors and he loves life.  He is full of energy and happiness.  If you ask, "Hey Finn, do you want to learn to wrestle?",  he will quickly say, "yes, I'd love to wrestle... what is it?".  

Finnegan is also very kind.  He looks for opportunities to make others smile.  Sometimes, after school he will tell me about a kid in his class that was sad or having a hard time.  Before I can even respond, Finn asks if he can invite that child over to play so he/she can be happy.  It's very sweet.  He also loves to make people laugh whether it's by doing his "booty dance", or quoting lines from his current favorite movie,  "The Pink Panther 2".

He is an amazing helper.  In the mornings he will have all of his sisters' backpacks lined up by the door and he will be putting the dishes away.  He loves to have a project, especially when it involves the outdoors.  Sometimes he even goes to Midway to help Pap build a fence and take care of the horses.  This is when he's the happiest, I think.

There is something very special about Finnegan.  He is one of a kind.

Cecily is my blue eyed angel.  She is so kind and loving.  She is a sweetheart that definitely marches to the beat of her own drum.  She is very soft spoken to the outside world but once she lets you in, she has so much to tell you.  She has a quiet softness about her... although there are times when we, the knowing ones, stay clear.  

Cecily loves animals and is very very kind to them.  She takes good care of our animals, Lola and Bubbles.  You know she loves them just by the way she talks to them.  She is facinated by the animal kingdom.  

Cecily is a thinker and a wise observer.  She thinks through her steps before she chooses to leap.  

She is very tidy and takes very good care of her things.  She also has many secret hiding spots for her "treasures".

She loves to perform in front of a mirror but gets a little reserved in front of people.  Although, just the other day she quietly pulled me aside and handed me a ticket.  She did a "solo show" for me.  She was dressed in a darling costume and sang and danced her heart out.  She performed for about ten minutes and then when someone walked in the room she was finished. Her show was over... and I felt honored.

She is also very savvy when it comes to technology.  I'm amazed at what this generation can do.

Isabella, Francesca, Finnegan, and Cecily, I love you so much!  

You are so wonderful and I am so blessed to be your mom.