Anna's 7th Birthday

We started the day off with a treasure hunt for all of Anna's gifts. I had posted the first clue by her bead, and in the dark of night I heard feet pattering down the hallway. We had to send Anna and Mary back to their room so we could at least get out the camera. They had a great time finding the gifts, and it prolonged the excitement of all the surprises.

Anna has been in need of a new bike for a while, and she was excited to get it. She had been saving up for a new bike this past summer but lost interest. Now she is glad that she got one for her birthday so she can spend her money on something else. Plus, her little bike made it possible for Jacob to beat her in bike races, so now she is ready to take him on.

We had a yummy breakfast with blueberry muffins, eggs, and strawberry milk. And of course we had to include a candle for the fun of it. I was able to take in a birthday treat to Anna's class and we went out to celebrate for dinner, and to celebrate our match to Boston, which happened to be the same day.

Happy Birthday Anna!

Let the Celebrations Begin!

Anna and Jake both have their birthdays in December, 3 days apart. It makes for a extra busy holiday season.
They began their celebrations with a visit from the best primary leaders ever. They each received their own personal cake, decorated just for them. They were in heaven.

Lisa, knowing Anna's love for dogs, made this super cute puppy cake, and of course Jacob was very impressed with his soccer ball. And we all enjoyed eating them!

And the verdict is.....

Well, I have to say I am surprised and relieved all in the same moment, but we finally know where we are going for fellowship...so much for somewhere with a mild climate, we are headed to Boston, Massachusetts!

Decorating the Tree

The Annual Gift Exchange

Every year we have the cousins draw names and give each other gifts. It is always a big hit, and the kids were patient in taking their turn to open their gifts. Jacob received a globe, which sits proudly on his dresser and he admires it daily. It really has invoked a whole new level of questions about geography (Thanks Alister).

Leo was the recipient of a set of marshmellow guns. He was thrilled, and had a hard time when the babies wanted to eat all his ammo. I think Moss had as much fun helping him put it together and shooting other people.

We made Lilias a fleece boa and headband, and and apron with her name on it. She gave the girls some very appreciated littlest petshop animals that have log on codes to play on the internet. Mary and Anna are still having a great time playing with them together, as well as protecting them from Brooke.

Thanksgiving Day Dinner

Lilias is the only girl cousin in the Fenberg family (and very beloved). I think the girls only spent one night apart from each other the entire trip. Whenever they got a little "tired" of each other, we only had to threaten their separation for a night and they immediately improved.

THE BOYS.
It is only another year before they become a rough and tumble gang to be reckoned with.

"The Mamas"
(Brooke's last days as "the baby")

Dinner in the Gallery

Lessons from Grandma Charlotte

Grandma Charlotte is an incredible decorator of pottery, and has spent many years perfecting her technique. She is famous for her birds, and does beautiful flowers as well. Now that the kids are older she has begun to teach and help them get involved in the process. The plates above are the girls first attempt with designing and painting, and to the right is Jacob's first rocket bowl (which he eats out of at every opportunity). Charlotte was very brave on this trip, and let all the kids work together. They take it very seriously and are very confident in their abilities already (thanks to Charlotte's continual praise and encouragement).

(Don't mind the face paint, just the residue of a great time painting their own faces)

This was Brooke's first go at it, and she too is very fond of her bowl. Thank goodness she has one, or we would have a serious dilemma on our hands every morning when all the kids get out "their" dish.

The Extended Fenberg Fam

I am not sure why we waited until the very last moment to get a group picture, but here we all are. We all had such a great time together. The kids never could get enough of each other. It really is amazing the power of family. There is definitely a spiritual connection there that keeps you bonded no matter the distance or time between you. The kids all wailed as we drove away wondering how we could torture them by keeping them away from their family. (of course, now Mary is old enough to bear the same burden Moss and I carry, which is, we will never live close to both of our families.) Mary sobbed, "Why didn't you think of that before you got married?". Somehow I never really thought of the children and their feelings about it.... what were we thinking?

The Cousins (Left to right) Roland, Leo, Lilias, Brooke, Jacob,
Anna, Mary, Baby Aubrey, and Alister.

When Friends become Family

So I would have to say many of the greatest gifts I have received in my life come in the form of amazing and wonderful friends. I have always been so greatful for this and wonder how people make it through life without close friends. Our time in Columbia has been incredible, and we are so amazed that we have been given the chance to associate with so many wonderful people. They truly have become like family. Our kids are already asking to always stay in Missouri. They too recognize how fortunate they are to have so many great friends.

These past few months have been extremely trying on our family as we anticipate the arrival of the babies and as Moss has gone through the application and interview process for fellowship. Needless to say none of us has fared super well and we have just been "getting by". Well, our dear friends the Spriggs came to the rescue (it's not the first time of course) and lifted us out of the depths of helplessness and hopelessness. They cheered our spirits and recovered our home.

Angela had the kids working in full force and relocated all the clutter back to where it belonged, did laundry, cleaned bathrooms and bedrooms, and mopped floors. (And still had time to paint little girls' toenails.) Not to mention prepared all the meals of the day! What else could you ask for?

Dave and Moss on the other hand had their own list of projects to finish up. They spent the day painting the living room, the stairwell, and the bathroom. They also stayed up into the wee hours of the morning adjusting light fixtures and setting up our wireless modem.
We are so grateful for their kindness and generosity with their time and talents. They truly are family.

The Kids

Brooke- 2 1/2 years old- is a creative, determined, humorous, capable, talkative,lovable girl.

Jacob -nearly 5- is an inquisitive, particular, loving, tender, bright, enthusiastic fun kid.

Anna- nearly 7- is a helpful, creative, sensitive, friendly, shy, animal-loving, artistic, bright girl.

Mary- 8 years old- is clever, quick, focused, persistant, tender, helpful, outgoing, school-loving girl.

Family Photos

Fenberg Family 2008

(we included the twins in this photo)

We are very fortunate to have a friend (thanks Jessica) who was willing to haul her own 4 kids out so she could take our family pictures. It turned out to be a rather pleasant experience. Of course we were prepared for the worse, but warned our kids that we would be taking at least 100 pictures. Being outside instead of in a tiny little studio helped a lot. They were able to throw rocks and run around in between turns. (Not to mention, the company of the Beecher boys is always a big plus.)

3 months to Go

Well, many of you who do not get to witness my daily growth have requested a picture of my progress. All I can say is that I have a lot of very kind and convincing friends who had me totally believing I wasn't all that big yet. I guess I should have taken the disclaimer "for having twins" into greater consideration. Somehow I have never really viewed myself from this perspective, and I think I will continue to avoid it. I can only wait to see what the next 10-12 weeks brings.
Lets just say I only get to see my ankles once a day and that is when I get out of bed. I have to admire them for a brief moment before they are lost to the ever increasing edema. On the bright side, the increased water in my legs does seem to decrease the pain associated with the varicose veins I have been blessed with. My guess is the water retention must be acting as a compression mechanism. There is a bright side to everything!

Trick or Treating- The Grand Finale

Some how "trick or treating" just isn't the same after days of festivities (at least for me). The kids were thrilled to have some friends over to enjoy the festivities. Moss was out of town for interviews, so it was a huge blessing to have other families over. Right in the middle of all the fun Brooke broke a glow stick and the liquid got in her eye (I am firmly believe that a mom should never go anywhere alone with multiple children). I can't even imagine having had to haul all 4 kids home to wash out her eye. Luckily no harm done just some tears, which were cured with a little candy:) and the rest of the kids didn't miss a minute of candy collecting.