Mother's Day

Just the other day Collin my little blond haired boy was sitting on my not so roomy lap. Holding on to my arm he whispered to me I love you. And then squeezed me tight and said proudly Momma's boy in a voice so sweet you would instantly forget any mischief he had been into that day.

I have alot of moments when my kids do things that make me so proud that my heart feels it swelling inside.Several recent things that stick out in my mind are Logan's role in his school play. He shocked me with his confidence and his acting ability. He had worked hard and it showed. I remember waiting for the play to start and I felt nervous for him. He on the other hand never seemed nervous at all. He was a shining star on that stage he pulled off something I never would have dreamed he would do.

Macy has had a rocky softball season. But she has practiced,listened and learned. She had a beautiful hit in Saturday nights game. She knocked it right between 2nd and 3rd base. It was a hard hit that she hit it on the first pitch. It was one of those moments when I knew she had overcome something. She had conquered her fears , she had done what we all knew she could do! It's about so much more than a game of ball if she looks at life's challenges and listens,learns and practices there is no way she will fail at anything that is important to her.

Molly was recently accepted into the schools Gift program. This was so important to her because Logan and Macy had both been apart of this program. Molly's scores were impressive. Molly often sells herself short on how smart she is. But she is a smart cookie and this just gave her more confidence and something to smile about.

I recently went on a school field trip with Parker to Desoto Caverns. He loved the trip and must have thanked me 20 times for going along. I usually go on most trips but for some reason he was really happy to have me go to this one. He has a soft heart behind his hard shell.

In the craziness of raising kids there are always moments that make it all worth it. I have learned a big lesson since January you never know what the future holds so treasure each moment.

When I was faced with the reality that my Mom was in serious condition and I could possibly lose her forever my world changed. I could have not prepared myself for the shock of Mom's accident. I am so happy to have another Mother's Day with my Mom.

I can remember thinking how can I have a baby without my Mom there, she can't leave us yet! While staying with Mom in the hospital my Mother-in-law visited alot. I recall one of the hardest nights when Mom was still not out of the woods and I was so very exhausted both physically and mentally, my Mother-In-Law came over and hugged me tight. I pretty much fell apart and cried like a baby. I knew she could see through my bravery and strong will. She knew I was scared and needing someone to lean on.That meant so very much to me.

I am blessed to have both my Mom and my Mother-in-law. Both women I look up to, both who have taught me so much. I know I can count on them and I hope they know they can count on me. I hope we have many years ahead but if the years are to be cut short I want them to know I love them both, I will follow their examples and be the best person I can be. Their lives and love will be honored and I am proud to call them my family.

Thank you both for your love and dedication, I love you!

Drive-By Update

Coming up for air just long enough to update everyone on the happenings around here.I will do a big picture post soon so stay tuned.

Baby Hudson's kidneys are fine or so the nurse tells me. It's a long story but I haven't actually talked to my OB doc about the results. I will see her next week and will update after that.

Logan's school play GREASE was great and he really made us proud! All the practice and hard work really showed. And he turned 12 on Saturday. He leaves tomorrow for his big trip to D.C and New York City with his school.

The school year is coming to a close and that means field trips,fun days and last minute projects. Fun Fun Fun!

Full April Calender

April is an extremely busy month around here. We are knee deep into Softball season for Macy. Molly is preparing for her dance recital in May. And Logan is having play practice everyday after school with the big performances JUST 2 weeks away!! Also tack on the 2 birthdays we have in April too. Brian celebrated his this weekend and Logan's is coming up at the end of the month.

Brian is headed to California for a conference this coming week and Logan is gearing up for his school trip to Washington D.C. and New York City at the end of April.

And then there are upcoming doctor visits.

Molly will be seeing a local new Rheumatologist this Wednesday. It will be awesome to not have to drive to Atlanta for her to see a doctor. I have to follow up kidney ultrasound for baby Hudson on April 23rd.

The kids are getting summer fever and the school year is starting to winding down , they only have alittle over a month left! Woohoo!

Busy is good, no time to be bored. Like life is ever boring with 5 kids. Ha!

Destination Disney World

Click on Picture above to see the Trip slideshow. It's a bit long hence why this post took so long to write but enjoy!

We did return safely from our Spring break trip to Orlando and it has taken me a few days to recover. The trip was great, it was exhausting but well worth it.

The kids did awesome flying for the first time. Everyone loved it and that was a big relief for me. Collin wasn't scared at all and smiled and giggled during take off both times. 

Amazingly we were able to keep track of all the kids through the whole trip. It wasn't a problem at all as we had set up a buddy system where everyone had a pal to keep up with. Going through the crowds in the parks Brian held Molly's hand and lead the way Macy and Logan walked together behind him and I pushed the stroller with Collin inside and Parker holding on to the stroller, it worked perfectly.

A few days into the trip I was physically worn out. Brian volunteered to take the whole gang to Hollywood Studios and let me have the morning to rest. I took the morning to nap and laid out by the pool before meeting up with them that afternoon. It gave my hips a chance to rest from all the walking. Another day he took just Logan and Macy park hopping so they could ride some of the bigger rides without the little ones and the slow walking pregnant Momma dragging them down. I stayed back with Collin, Parker and Molly and let them swim and nap before we met up with the rest and stayed out late to ride stuff when the park was a lot less crowded. 

Collin loved the characters in costumes. He did great with the stroller, he knew when I parked the stroller outside a ride it was time to get out. Collin people watched while we waited on Brian and the kids to ride certain rides. He never cried for toys at all. I bought him a light up Stitch toy the first night and he played with it the whole trip using up an entire set of batteries. He rode rides like Pirates of the Caribbean even though they were a little scary he would just hold my arm tightly as I told him it was okay. We saw all the 3-D movie shows and he did well during those too. He was fascinated with the parades and he waved the entire time. The look of wonder in his eyes was priceless. 

Molly and Parker enjoyed the 3-D movies and most of the rides. They didn't like the roller coasters but liked the fast rides that didn't have big drops. The night of the fireworks Molly badly wanted to see when Tinkerbell flies down from the castle, Brian searched out a spot so she wouldn't miss Tinkerbell unfortunately it meant that we'd have to watch the fireworks through the trees. It turned out okay because by that point I was just happy to be able to sit and watch the fireworks even if it meant a not so great view. Parker really like a comedy show that featured the Monsters Inc. characters. He also liked meeting the characters and getting autographs. Parker did have some sort of allergy which made his eyes swell but luckily with some eye drops and medicine that cleared up.

Macy and Logan never seemed to run out of energy. They loved it all and were patient through some of the stuff gear more for the younger ones like the Playhouse Disney show. Logan discovered he does like roller coasters after all. Macy has always loved them. They both played along with the characters during our character meals. It was a great help having the help tote the backpack and camera too. 

By the time the trip was nearing the end we were ready to return home. It was amazing how nice and friendly the entire Disney staff was but the crowds and the rude visitors I had enough of. The trip was good and it was an experience we will not forget. My kids will never be at the stages and ages that they are right now and it was the perfect time to have such a vacation. I got to see the magic of disney through the eyes of my children and that was worth it all. I guess us taking 5 kids to Disney just the two of us was a brave move in most peoples eyes but I knew it was something we could handle. It was the most tiring vacation ever but it was something that will never be forgotten. 

There were only 2 hiccups in our trip. The first was we had bought a pocket size Canon camera just for this trip, thinking we would get tired of carrying around the big camera. When we got to the airport in Birmingham  I went to take a picture and the battery was dead. This camera has a special battery with charger and it was left at home. Brian thought he'd be able to buy an extra one but seems Kodak has Disney all wrapped up and we never could find a charger and just used our bigger better camera anyways. 

And I am still awaiting my suitcase that was left in Orlando. When we got to the Orlando airport it was mass chaos and somehow my suitcase got left on the Disney bus. We were able to track it down but now are waiting for it to be shipped to us. Luckily I have a lot of clothes but I still miss my new stuff thats in that suitcase. 

 

We were able still visit all 4 parks several times seeing and doing almost everything we wanted and we went to Downtown Disney and enjoyed Lego Land too. I think considering the crowds we did really well managing to get to do as much as we did.

With that said I declared the next big vacation will be an all-inclusive family resort somewhere in the Caribbean in a few years. I think I will need about 5 years to recover before I will consider doing Disney again.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

The Moon clan will be headed down to see Mickey in Orlando next Saturday. We are excited beyond words and I am nervous on how this will all play out. I have read websites and books and planned as best I could and I HOPE everything runs smooth.

But taking 5 kids and a pregnant Momma on a week long vacation is sure to provided some funny stories and possibly a meltdown or two. This coming week I will be packing and preparing. Packing for 7 people is enough work on it own but I also like to make sure to leave the house nice and clean so when we return it will be nice to be home again.

I am wondering how the kids will do on the airplane. Luckily it's a short flight and we don't leave till 7 pm. So no waking early and rushing around.

Can't wait to see their faces when they enter the Happiest place on Earth for the first time! Stay tuned for pictures , we will be back on March 28th.

Snow in Bama, AGAIN!

Wow! For the second time this year we had snow for the kids to play in. It was all gone by noon, but we got out early and took some pictures. Click the picture below to see more.

Scaling Mt. Laundry

Just so you feel better about the amount of laundry you have here is an example of what we did today. This was less than 1 weeks worth of clean laundry. I usually try hard not to let it pile up and be such an overwhelming task but it doesn't always happen that way.

We have a system for tackling the mountain of laundry and it works pretty well. First everyone goes to their closets and collects hangers. Then I assign each kid a job. Today Logan folded and stacked all the underthings. Molly's job was towels,washcloths,and dishtowels. Macy hung the shirts and tops. Brian hung all the pants and jeans. I was the person whole went through and made everyones piles along with folded jammies, t-shirts, and play clothes. Parker did a large part of the putting away once it was all folded and on hangers. This took about an hour verses the few hours it could take 1 person.

So now you can be happy about your little bitty laundry pile that you have waiting for you to do. Sometimes I wonder if I'll miss these huge mountains when the kids are grown and gone? No I don't think I will, but if I do I can go visit the kids and wash their clothes for old times sake.

A look back

These pictures were taken the first week of March 2003 thats 5 years ago . Molly had decided to give herself a hair cut just a few days before she was to have her pictures taken for Ballet class.

The pictures were taken by Mimi (my Mom) who had come over to my house after I called her in a panic and explained what Molly had done. What you can't see from the photo is how in various sections all over her head Molly cut her hair down to the scalp. Luckily Mimi saved the day and was able to cut Molly's hair into this short style.

Thank God Molly had curly hair and I could scrunch and fluff the curls to cover the bald spots. The hair cut actually turn out sorta cute and it grew out pretty fast. I tried shaming her for doing such a bad thing but it seemed EVERYONE commented on how cute the cut was on her. I would explain how the hair cut came about and Molly would just give them a grin. It was like she was thinking to herself that she had done a pretty good job on her hair do.

Wow, 5 years have flown by! These pictures are a reminder of the saying "Don't sweat the small stuff " . This was a MAJOR event to me back then but today it is a faded memory. I didn't even know it happened in March until Mom sent these pictures in an email the other day and reminded me. I am sure I am due for more of these "What were you thinking????" events , I hope I have learned that time passes quickly and hair grows back. And lastly even if I am mad and distraught at the time I should take a few pictures to remember the occasion because time flies and it too will be a faded memory.

I help Logan, Mommy.

Logan is our #1 trash man around here. While Logan was at school the trash was full I turned around to find Collin struggling to remove the full trash bag. I looked at him as he was attempted to tie the bag closed and he told me "I help Logan, Mommy." He then strained and struggled alittle more till he pulled the full bag out of the can. It was so cute and he was so proud!

Final Score: Girls 2 Boys 4

Yes you saw that right the next Moon baby will be a BOY! I can't say that there wasn't alittle bit of disappointment shown around the house by the other females that we aren't getting a pink bundle but God knows better than we do.

I reminded the girls all the good points of another brother. Like the fact that Dad will have a whole crew of boys to cut grass , carry out the trash and kill gross bugs and they might escape having to do these task.I reminded Molly how she can be our baby girl forever. We told them maybe in years to come we can adopt us a little Asian baby girl. This made them both giggle.

We are greatful and thankful for this little boy. He will be loved and welcomed with open arms. I know in just a few months there will be lots of fussing over who will get to hold him first.

In so many practical ways another boy makes perfect sense. I can't wait to see him for the first time. I can't wait to see all the kids with their new little brother. He is a blessing and we pray he will be healthy. His name will be Hudson Bennett Moon with the nickname of Hogan. Since I have been very sick like with Logan's pregnancy we have called this baby "Hogan" for several months now.

Please keep baby Hudson in your prayers as we have to have a more detailed ultrasound done in April to take a better look at his kidneys. The ultrasound from yesterday was unclear and the doctor was concerned that one kidney looked larger than the other. She didn't find it to be an emergency but something to look at closer.

Oh and we will be getting a new license plate that says 8Moons in June. :)

In case your looking for me

In case your looking for me I am in the bathroom. I pretty much spend most my days there lately since Collin is potty training. He is doing well, we aren't completely there yet but we are close. Our lives are focused around the potty and the business that happens there, how exciting is that? We are offering him stickers and small pieces of candy for a job well done and he seems to like that.

I think in 2 weeks this will all be a faded memory and I can add potty training 5 children to my list of accomplishments. But if you get to missing me I am being the cheering section in the restroom.

Baby Food!

My pregnancy craving this time has been baked potatoes and ..... fried pork skins! Sounds kinda gross doesn't it? I can eat the pork skins and NOT get sick , it's amazing.

So yesterday I ran into the grocery store to pick up a few things and I bought a bag of my beloved Pork Skins. I put them in the pantry and today I hear Parker ask Molly , "What are THESE?"while he held the bag up to show her. Molly replied with, That is Baby Food. Momma likes to eat them for the baby. I thought it was pretty cute.

As far as pregnancy goes we are moving right along. I am now 15 weeks .We will have the BIG ultrasound on Feb.27th. I will be happy to know who it is that likes to keep me so sick. Maybe then I can call the baby by name and tell him or her the knock it off ALREADY! And of course it will be fun to do some shopping for little bitty clothes again. :)

Mom Prevails

12 days post Surgery


For those of you who don't know on the morning of January 10th my Dad returned from letting the dogs in from the backyard to find my Mom laying on the floor unconscious. At the Emergency Room they discovered Mom had a skull fracture and blood clot on her brain. She had brain surgery to remove the clot, fix a brain bleed that they discovered during surgery and they used a plate and screws to fix the fracture.

Since January 10th our lives have come to a screeching halt. Mom has been the top priority for all of us. Mom and Dad's friends, church members and coworkers have been so loving and kind. I know there have been many many prayers sent up for Mom over the last 2 weeks.

Considering all that Mom has been through she is doing great. Each day her communication improves and her memory gets a little sharper. We don't know what all the future holds right now but we are counting our blessings that she is doing so well.

This experience has been the scariest thing I have had to face thus far. The days when my Mom would only be able to speak enough to beg me to help her and to moan in pain were the most heart wrenching in my life. I was spending day and night in her hospital room doing whatever I could to help her just as she would do for me. Mom needed me and I am thankful that Brian,my kids and friends understood this and supported me in any way they could.

I know this has forever changed us. I think we all realize how life can change in a mere second. I believe we learned our family is a strong unit and we can depend on each other in times of crisis. Our love and appreciation for each other has definitely grown.

Thank you for all the prayers and positive thoughts for my Mom. We were all touched by the out pouring of love and support for that we are eternally greatful..

Snow in Bama

It snowed this morning in Alabama. This is a huge event for the Moon kids since they have never really seen any snow other than a flake or two. The kids all bundled up and headed out to play in the falling snow. There was about 1 inch of snow which was just enough to collected on the trampoline and cars so that they could make some snowballs and a small snowman. Here are a few pictures of this morning snow fun.

The boys first wrestling match

The boys started wrestling this year. We have been practicing since November. This was only a practice match, but it was the first time they have been in full gear and wrestling someone other than their teammates. Unfortunately, the other club did not have anyone Parker's age and weight. So, he ended up wresting a teammate. I videoed the whole match. Here is Logan's first match. He pinned both his opponents and was very excited. Please excuse my loud voice. I was standing right next to the camera. Logan is the boy that starts on the left and is wearing the maroon singlet.

Another Year Older

On Tuesday I turned 31. The picture above was taken last weekend before going out to dinner with friends for an early b'day celebration. There wasn't much fan fare on my actually birthday because the kids had returned to school and Brian was returning from being out of town for work plus we had ballet and wrestling practice. But thats okay with me because I am happy to have the life I have, morning sickness and all. I just think of it as reassurance that the baby fine. Life is good that is present enough for me!

Womb with a View

Click picture to Enlarge

Here is the newest picture of #6. Seems this baby likes to keep Mom on her toes. I am now remembering the days of Logan's pregnancy. My older kids are scared to go places with me for fear I might get sick and sometimes it happens no matter where we are.

Today at my Doctor's appointment I saw a doctor who is not my favorite. He kinda brushed off my small bit of weight loss probably thinking I could lose a few anyways. I wanted to ask him how much he GAINED over the holidays but I didn't. I did tell him I needed Zofran which is a high powered nausea medication and he was nice enough to prescribe it to me.

The baby seems to be hanging out very low and the nurse gave me a good scare when she couldn't get the heart rate with the Doppler. The nurse happen to be the mother of a friend of mine from football,nice to have some sort of connection. So she hurried me over to ultrasound to keep me from worrying. Luckily everything was fine and I now have another set of pictures and a few more gray hairs.

For you experienced ultrasound folk in the picture the baby is facing looking out somewhat on it's side. You can make out the eyes, nose and mouth. The tech said the hands appear to be together possible holding the umbilical cord and the legs are spread apart.

My next appointment is in 4 weeks I hope to report it was a boring one.

Sums up the Scene

I was fiddling with the flash and I caught this picture of all five kids scoping out the Santa loot. Yes Logan is playing his trombone , he dashed off to get it as soon as he spotted his new music stand. He played us a few bars of Jingle Bells. Collin is playing with the kitchen Santa left out for him. And it's okay with me that Molly is just a blur because thinking back that is how I remember those first moments of Christmas morning as they all rush down the stairs. Maybe some of the best pictures aren't the perfect ones. :)

Whew we made it!

Christmas Day is now a memory. We have celebrated with Christmas parties, band concerts, school programs, dinners and unwrapped more presents than I can count. The kids couldn't seriously want for another toy for a good while. As I was feeling alittle disappointed in myself for only getting Brian 2 small gifts, some new slippers and a shirt. I then realize the gang have been asleep for hours and he is still up playing the kids new video games, so now I don't feel so bad.:)

We had a nice holiday with food and family. I was very touched with a card Parker made for me at school. Christmas morning after the kids had opened all their gifts it was time for me to open the ones Brian had gotten. I remembered that Parker had made a special card and asked him to get it from his backpack. He returned with his head hanging down and his lips poking out. He commented on how it was ugly because one of the eyes that they had glued on had been lost. I told him we could fix it and that I am sure I will love it. As I read the card out loud it made me cry. I wasn't expecting something so touching. Seeing the poem pasted upside down and written in his best 1st grade handwriting was the best present ever. Here is the poem..

The most precious gift I am told,
Is all the love the heart can hold.
I give it to you;
You give it to me,
There's enough for the whole world;
And the gift is free.



After all the thought, stress, money, planning, wrapping that went into the big stacks of gifts the kids had just opened this card was perfect. I know I do all this because I love them but I was also reminded that just my love is enough.

I hope everyones Christmas was merry and bright and you are looking forward to the New Year!

Christmas Parade 2007

Click on pictures to enlarge

Our float theme was Christmas Candyland. Brian and Logan did an awesome job of cutting out the decorations. We work hard at making this successful and it turned out so nice. My sister in law Kristi took on decorating the Gingerbread house and making candy for the banner and that added just the sparkle it needed. Our girl scout troop had a float party and the girls helped glitter and glue some of the props. All the hard work was well work it when our troop float won 2nd place. The girls looked great in their matching sweatshirts and pink santa hats.