Anna Kate was singing “Jesus Loves the Little Children” today and when she got to the part that says, “They are precious in his sight…” she stopped in mid-song and said, “Not a camp site, but like in your eyes!”  I said, “Oh, okay!” and she kept on singing!  She’s an interesting girl with a fascinating brain, that’s for sure!

Mike hates sitting water.  If I have a cup out for too long, he will pour the water out.  It’s something quirky about him.

I never thought of having kids as a physically impossible thing for people who are able to have children but just aren’t healthy enough to care for them.  That’s a really sad concept to me.  Recently someone brought it to my attention, and it had an impact on me.  When I started counseling at the pregnancy center in 2004, I had a manager that walked through my TMJ/Fibro illness with me.  Those were very hard days as I think back on them.  Mike and I just tied our rope and held on for dear life, so to speak.  I was so sick!  Anyway, she is not my manager anymore, but she was subbing for my manager last time I was working.  When I told her I have three little girls, she was amazed.  She couldn’t believe it!  She was like, “Wow, Melissa!  I didn’t think you’d be able to have more than one child!”  She wasn’t saying that out of doubt in me but out of sheer amazement that it was do-able for me.  She was SO excited and happy for me!  I just never thought of it that way, but it’s true.  God left me a remnant and found a way to bless me despite of all the pain.  I will never take for granted again just the ability to be able to care for multiple children.  It’s amazing how God figures things out for us when we trust him and ask for a way.

I was talking about Curt to Mike a couple of months ago and I said, “Bless his heart!” because of everything he was going through (which Curt would think is so dorky)… anyway, Anna Kate interjected, “Bless Curt’s heart and bless my heart too!”  Anytime I ever say bless someone’s heart, her heart has to be blessed too.  She owns that phrase!

Mike and Melissa, Paul and Patricia, Stephen and Susana… all the couples in Mike’s family, all with matching letters of our first names!

I once submitted a magazine misspelling to Jay Leno, but it didn’t get aired.  I thought it was SO funny, but Mike said I was wasting my time.  I guess he was right on that one!

Mike gives me white Hanes socks every year for Christmas… consider it my stocking stuffer (not funny)!

You know your husband is into fashion when you get a box delivered to your front door that says “Allen Edmond” and you are like, “No, he didn’t!”  Turns out, he was resoling his old shoes and had them polish up the leather so that he didn’t have to buy new ones… even better!

I love Nelly (the rapper)!!!  Something about his music strikes a chord deep down within me to just get up and dance!

Anna Kate loves the concept of an appetizer!  She’ll always ask for fruit or crackers for her “apple-tizer.”  Anna Kate always keeps us laughing!

When Rose really likes a meal, she will loudly say, “Mmm…Mmm…Mmm!”  We all crack up!

Noelle and her friend Emily made the best pumpkin pies to share with their families for Thanksgiving last week!

Anna Kate’s favorite fall activity this year!!!

We love Mrs. Paula’s assistant, Mrs. Julie!

So thankful for Mrs. Paula, her beautiful pictures, and the wonderful memories she’s making with Anna Kate in preschool!

We are so blessed by all of our sweet cousins!  On Mike’s side of the family, precious Noemi has joined the group of Pond girls!  I love Mike and Stephen’s reflections together in the window adoring their beautiful little girls!

Mike was doing something silly to make the little girls laugh, but Noelle was just doing her thing!

After lunch, we took a family walk down the most beautiful canal… it was a very special time together!

So thankful for our Pond side of the family and Susana’s parents who are visiting from Spain!

Stephen and Susana treated the family to brunch at the most beautiful restaurant near the church! 

Noemi knew today was all about her!

I asked the girls to make silly faces, and Noemi and Noelle were cracking me up, while Anna Kate was determined to get the babies to hold hands!  I love this picture!

Noemi and Rose had so much fun sitting beside each other!  They kept each other busy, and for that, we were so grateful!

Rose was ready for nap time, and Noemi was sharing her toy in this picture, while the big girls were all about smiling after the best brunch ever!  These girls love fruit and ate more than you can imagine today!

We had such a special day with our niece, Noemi and her sweet parents Stephen (Mike’s brother) and Susana, as she was baptized into the Catholic church on Saturday.  She has the sweetest little disposition, as you can tell!

The girls asked me whose “trophy” this was, and I said, “I think it’s Jesus’s!?!”  They were like, “No fair!”  It was cute.

Here’s Noemi with all of her grandparents!

“Bella” (Anna Kate) and her assistant “Ella” (Noelle) gave us the most lovely (and hilarious) tea party in the history of serving tea!  I’ve never seen Mike laugh so hard!  You girls are the best!

As I was about to write captions for this post, I kept scrolling down and just enjoying the pictures… they truly speak for themselves!  We had a blast the afternoon of Thanksgiving playing in Poppa and Rara’s back yard.  In the last picture on the left, this is the face Anna Kate makes when she gets an idea… in the next picture, she is pretending to make cotton candy!  Love how her little mind works!

This child connects with her maker when swinging on this swing at her grandparent’s house. She is one with the wind and feels His spirit through and through. Her enjoyment is contagious!