Need Your Opinion...

I just tried my hand at creating my own blog layout.  I had been using pre-created ones from The Cutest Blog on the Block, but decided to try making my own.  I even did the banner at the top of this page.  What do ya think?  There's still some things I need to tweek, but I'd say it's not too shabby for being my first attempt.

End of an Era...

About a year ago, I went to a "paint-your-own" pottery shop here in Abilene and painted my first-ever ceramic platter.  For those of you who have been to my house since then, you might have seen it up on my fireplace mantle.  It has "The Ellerbrook Family" written in the middle of the platter...with each of our names written around the edge.  And, if I do say so myself, it looks pretty darn good for my first time. 

But, ever since I made that platter, I've always had this "secret" fear that I might accidentally get pregnant, again, even though we hadn't planned on having more kids...which, if you know our history, you know that's not an unreasonable fear (do I need to remind anyone that both 3 & 4 were not planned surprise blessings from God?).  Then, if I did get pregnant, I would have to paint a new platter (the first one took me over 15 hours and going to the pottery place 4 times to finish...which is not an easy feat with small children at home). 

Well, it's the end of an era for us Ellerbrooks.  As of this past Thursday, our family has been firmly established as a family of 6.  This "baby-factory" is closed, assuming the procedure Lou had done is effective at preventing what it's suppose to prevent (more Ellerbrook children).  While Lou is recovering from this, apparently, very traumatic procedure (probably wouldn't be quite so traumatic if a stomach bug that has been passed around in our family hadn't been so lovingly shared with Daddy), I have been having mixed emotions about the whole ordeal.  Do I really want more kids?  No, but then again, maybe...sometimes.  Does Lou want more kids?  Heck, no.  So there you have it, folks. 

I get to enjoy my platter just the way it is...with 6 names.  I finally get to shop for coordinating Christmas stockings without the worry of trying to find one or two more (or however many subsequent children we had) two or three years down the road.  I can start sorting through baby and kid's clothes and giving them away/selling them after Noah outgrows the boys' clothes and Madilyn outgrows the girl's clothes (my garage and storage shed are going to thank me!!).  I get to throw away all my yucky, extremely-worn maternity clothes (seriously, if I had to look at those for one more pregnancy, I really think I was going to scream).  And, most importantly, I can enjoy all of these milestones that my four kids are reaching, able to fully appreciate them because I know that they pass by way too quickly and they will not be babies for long.

It may be the end of one era for us....but the beginning of an exciting, new one.  One that we will get to journey on together...just the six of us.

New Family Pics

For those of you who don't Facebook, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures that our good friend and photographer, Jamie, took of us about a month ago. Some of these were taken at the zoo in Abilene. Some of them were taken at Hardin-Simmons University. And we even got some good ones at Rosa's, after dinner with Robert, Jamie, and Maddie Jane. Don't look to close, though, because you'll see food on the kids' shirts. Well, except for Jacob. We made him take his shirt off (yes, he was sitting in Rosa's shirtless). What can I say? I didn't really wanted the cheese nachos he ate for dinner to make the pictures.

My lovely husband bought me Photoshop when we got our new computer and I have been playing around on it, lately, trying to learn the program. Here are some black and white pictures that Jamie took that I edited. All of our kids have gorgeous blue eyes, so I wanted to make them "pop" in these black and white pics.

These last three I edited to make them look old fashioned.

This last one is my very favorite that Jamie took. So sweet!!!

Just wish there was some way we could have gotten Noah in there. Oh well! He wasn't very cooperative that day anyway. It was getting close to bedtime and the kid LOVES to sleep (his favorite activity right after eating).

Would Someone Please Stop This Boy?

You see this boy? So cute, such a "baby", still.

And he should be...he's only 9 months old.

So why in the world has he already been doing this....

AND this....

for over two months?

And can somebody please stop him before I turn around and he's asking for the keys to the car?

Ok, so this last picture deserves an explanation...the kids were playing dress-up and didn't want Noah to feel left out...so he got what little part of a costume he would let me put on him before he was "off" doing what all crawlers like to do...you know, crawl. And for those of you wondering...he's a pirate, not a thug.

 

Our Comedian

This boy right here, our 3 year old, is quite the comedian.




Stubborn, yes. Hard-headed, absolutely. Whiney, you bet. But he is HYSTERICAL. Case in point...


Let me just preface this dialogue between Jacob and I by saying two things: 1) When the kids are fighting with one another and they come tattle...if there is no blood or no broken bones, I will often say, "I don't want to hear it...you guys go work it out," and 2) Lou and I are pretty sarcastic people, for those of you who didn't know that...so when one of us asks the other to do something, let's say like, "Would you please run out to the car and grab my purse?" or "Can you please go grab me a towel?", etc....the other one will often, jokingly, respond with, "Seriously?!!?" So now that you have a little background info, here's how the conversation went:


Mommy: Jacob, you really need to finish your dinner. If you don't eat, you'll go to bed hungry. Mommy is NOT going to cook anything else for dinner. This is what we're having, so please eat. (This is about the 50th time I've tried to convince him to eat what was on his plate...mind you).


Jacob: Mommy, I don't want to hear it....SEWIOUSWY! (That would be Jacob-talk for Seriously)


Ok, now tell me how I'm suppose to "discipline" him for talking back when he's so darn cute (and believe me, we are firm believers in our children respecting and obeying us). But, shoot, that was so darn funny!

First Day of School

Ok, I know....I'm a little behind on the postings. Here's pics of Benjamin's and Madilyn's first day of school:



Our First Grader

Our Pre-Kindergartner

Love This Girl!!

Couldn't resist posting this pic...isn't she just beautiful? Of course, I'm not biased or anything.