celabration

Celebrations mark this week. We celebrated Naya's 3rd, Caelyn's 1st and Ben's 23rd birthdays. Oh yeah Nick and Christi's eighth anniversary. Wow that's a lot of events and that's just Nick's family. We can't forget to wish Paul (Christi's Dad) and happy belated birthday from the 1st, he's a left over goblin, and Susie (Christi's Aunt) a belated birthday as well on the 5th. So that means in a two and half week period we have 5 birthdays and one anniversary, wow!

Naya thanks Ben and Lara for her teddy bear cake she wanted. Her aunt and uncle made her such a wonderful cake. She also declare this to be her best birthday ever, so form Naya's point of view sharing her birthday party with Caelyn was the absolute best. She has also this taken to making characterture of us out of Mr. Potato head, or so she declares, "This is you" as she hands it to us. We are not always sure it looks like us but she says so.

Fionna loved getting to hang out all day Friday with her cousin Caelyn. She loved getting to hold her and playing dress-up with her. She also got to have her first girl only girl scout meeting . It looks as if her troop will have around eight little girls in it. Her new troop number is 10068.

Dreigan has had another tough week. On Tuesday we kept him home due to violent behavior in which he threatened or tried to injure every member of the family. He also declared nobody loves him which hurts since all three adult stayed home from work to take care of him. What usually sets off these fits is Dreigan not getting his way and some how he believes that if he can be the biggest baddest thing the he will get to be in charge and do what ever he wants. On the flip side he has been great about cleaning-up, once he gets started. He has also become super excited about reading simple chapter books and now takes a book with him everywhere and chooses to read. Of course mostly this is all because we have changed our normal again, which always freaks him out.

Honora grows and grows

Christi has a serious case of nesting, as a result the rest of the family is suffering. She has reached her limit on clutter and has declared this weekend slave weekend until the house is clean and organized.

Nick declares is proud of himself for not killing Dreigan or at least driving him to Nebraska and leaving him there.

Donna has returned to work this week. She is on light duty but she is very happy to be working again. Please continue pray as her leg still continues to be tender if she uses to much or the wrong way.

I was inspired by Nick and Christ's anniversary and Scott and Becky's example. They posted on their blog the story of how they met and eventually married. So here is Nick and Christi's story:
We can not tell you the exact date but what we can tell is that it was during the 89/90 school year. We met in the storm doors of Mesa Verde Elementary school. It was Nick's first day of gifted and he was forced to wait for the bus, that would take him there, with Christi, Lynn (Christi's oldest friend), and Becca (Christi's sister). Nobody can remember what words were exactly exchanged, but it is agreed upon that the three girls were not very nice. They teased poor Nick mercilessly, the girls being in the 4th and 5th grade and him being in the 3rd. Nick does remember thinking he hated girls especially these three girls. Fortunately for the kids Nick and Christi were able to form a friendship over the years they spent growing-up together. They grew-up in houses that were blocks apart, went to the same schools, and shared extracurricular activities like band and future problem solvers, so that by the time both Nick and Christi were in high school they were fairly close friends, though Nick was a closer friend with Becca, if fact she dated one of Nick's best friends. They did hang out frequently as a result.
Nick and Christi rekindled their friendship when Nick returned to Farmington from Socorro. He was there just in time to be be the rock Christi leaned on just in a time when she really needed him. He was there at all hours to listen, hang out and babysit when needed. For Christi he was truly God sent. Slowly over many months their long time friendship changed into something else. As they both realized that their relationship changed took them both by surprise at first. When they finally recognized what was happening, something that ALL their friends could see before them, their relationship moved quickly. They decided to see each other exclusively on April 30 2000 and were married on November 18th 2000, but then again after knowing each other at this point time over 11 years there wasn't much they didn't already know about the other one. They have found over the last eight years that their long time friendship is still very much the base of their relationship and has helped them get through many of the difficult time they have encountered. Many married couples when they get married say that they are marring their best friend but for Nick and Christi this is true and remains true eight years later. They pray that this continued "friendship with benefits" proves to be an example that Dreigan, Fionna, Naya, and Honora follow in their choices for mates.