Birthday Boy

This little baby boy has a birthday today - he's turning 8.

This little baby boy is still as cute as ever except he's grown quite a bit taller and will be passing up his mom before long.

This little baby boy doesn't have his curls anymore because he likes keeping it short - a #2 shield with the clippers.

This little baby boy still does toilets and hardly grumbles when asked to help clean the bathroom.

This little baby boy loves Lego Star Wars on Wii and it was his favorite toy yesterday from Santa.

This little baby boy can play the piano like nobody's business - who knew that those little chubby hands would turn long and slender, just right for playing piano.

This little baby boy still has huge dimples in his cheek and chin and now that he's a bigger boy he's completely unaware what that will do to girls some day.

This little baby boy has the most amazingly blue eyes that still can do his mom in when she's trying to say 'No' to him - it never works!

This little baby boy turned out to be a great big brother and is still a good little brother - who doesn't mind being 'girl trapped'.

This little baby boy can play soccer and basketball and is a really fast runner.

This little baby boy has grown up to be a wonderful son and loves his family and Heavenly Father.

This little baby boy is having a birthday... Happy Birthday Son!

This little boy has a birthday...

This one pictured here!

Father in Heaven bless him,

Throughout the coming year.

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear baby boy

Happy Birthday to you!

Love you Always,

Mom

Compromise

We are finally done wrapping all of our Christmas gifts - woo hoo! Growing up, Santa never wrapped our Christmas gifts. We would wake on Christmas morning and walk out into the darkened room lit up by the Christmas Tree. Underneath the tree, each of our presents would be grouped in a pile next to our stockings. They always looked magical in the glow of the twinkle lights and we would race to find our stocking so we knew which pile was ours. (It was pretty obvious the year I got my favorite 'Puddin' doll and my brother got a GI Joe.) It wasn't until my younger brothers were much older that Santa started wrapping gifts and putting them under the tree. With 7 children, I think it might have saved Santa a little bit of time, at the Covey household, just leaving them unwrapped.

The Big Easy, on the other hand, grew up with Santa wrapping all his Christmas presents. He said the fun for him was not knowing what was inside until the wrapping paper was completely off. They took turns watching each other open gifts and the fun was guessing what each odd-shaped box would hold.

When we started having children of our own we had to decide what we would ask Santa to do - wrap or leave them unwrapped??? I have to admit that unwrapping a gift does add quite an element of surprise and suspense. We started with our oldest and had Santa wrap the majority and leave the biggest toy out - or the one that might have to be put together or odd-shaped. That tradition has continued. We compromised - now Santa wraps them all and if there is something that is too unusual to wrap or needs to be put together in order to be played with on Christmas Day, he leaves that out. Like our youngest's play kitchen last year and the trampoline in it's huge box. I think it's a good arrangement.

With six children this year I think Santa has his hands full for the gifts at our house. Even though I think each child will get a modest amount of gifts - when you add that up its a lot of wrapping! I've talked to several friends and family members and its funny how there really is a 50/50 split on how everyone grew up with Santa wrapping or not. I bet there's been a lot of compromise happening through the years where gift wrap is concerned. Happy wrapping! (or not!)

The eyes have it!

It's Birthday time around our household! Not only is it Christmas next week and our anniversary tomorrow but....it was this guy's birthday last Saturday, the 13th of December:

And it's this guy's birthday today (our littlest guy that we're being foster parents to):

And next week, the day after Christmas, is this guy's birthday - he's turning 8 and will get baptized on January 3rd!

I'm thinking that besides the fact that we're completely broke, partied out and overrun with gifts by the end of December - I'm pretty much surrounded by some cute guys! And what about all these eyes!???? In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a sucker for eyes and it's hard for me to say "no" when they flash their baby blues, browns and greens at me!

I like free stuff!

I'm all about freebies - and you (or I!!) could win a Cricut machine or an iPod Touch! Bloggled is trying to save our blogs by backing them up (what a concept) and making them into books (another great concept!). Today only, you can register for free, link to them on your own blog, add a RSS subscription or add them as a friend on Twitter or Facebook for chances to win. There's supposed to be a drawing ever 2 hours. I don't know about you but I wouldn't look this gift horse in the mouth! :D

Clean Up on Aisle 5!!!

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. My sister and her family drove up from Arizona for 4 days. I am so grateful they did. The last week or so my glass wasn't 'half empty' it was pretty much bone dry and needed to be filled up. I've been trying to do some self-care and Eric has been doing a great job of pulling his half of the yoke but I still needed a pick-me-up.

I can't say that we did anything amazing or spectacular during our time together as a family. But the point...was that we had family around us. Someone to share and lighten the load. My children had cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents to love and dote on them. My biological children who have recently been feeling neglected and alone were reminded that they have special people who know their entire history and think they are pretty awesome. My foster kids were introduced to yet another group of people who are healthy, normal and also think they are awesome. I had my sister - who I adore beyond words - just a stone's throw away. We saw Twilight together, laughed about caterpillar eyebrows, had our walking therapy sessions, made chocolate gravy and quesadillas together and hugged and loved each other (hopefully enough to last us 'til the next time). I got teary eyed watching my oldest daughter stay up late with her favorite girl cousin talking, eating snacks. making crafts and watching movies. She couldn't get enough girl/cousin time.

My cup was filled to overflowing. It filled every inch of my heart and spirit and spilled out onto those around me. Love's like that, you know - it touches everyone in the vicinity. If you want to help with the clean up - be willing to bring a tissue or two - but only if you have a cup to wring them into!