These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Let me just start by saying, I never knew I would be SO BUSY, having 4 children, ages 5 and under! I barely have time to catch my breath during the day! Most days I never even look in the mirror until 5 or 10 minutes before Jason gets home from work, so I can look somewhat presentable. I don't want to completely let myself go, although it would be much easier.

I find that the only peace and quiet I get is at 2 or 3 in the morning while I'm feeding the baby.

So needless to say, we don't really have that much time to do blog postings.

I even contemplated, quitting the blog altogether, but then realized I could probably manage to do one post a month.

So here it is: our post for the month of December.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Reflecting on the real meaning of Christmas.

Christ, the hope of mankind, coming as a little, baby to earth.

Christmas babies!

Baking and decorating Christmas cookies.

Decorating the tree.

Rearranging the ornaments that the kids put on.

You know, the branches that are weighed down with 3 or 4 ornaments.

Kids who are so bundled that they can barely move or bend.

Spending "quality time" with family.

Jason and 2 of our brothers-in-law, on their iPods.

Making the kids shovel all the snow!

(Actually Isaac loves shoveling snow. He isn't just posing for the camera)

Have a Wonderful Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!!

Our Newest Arrival

Well, it's been a while since we posted anything new, but we've been a little busy!


Here she is! Madeline Mae Nichols.

7lbs. 12oz.

20" long.

Born November 6th at 11:11 am.

Madeline is such a peaceful, sweet baby.
For our 4th child, we couldn't have asked for a better baby.

Her brothers and sister just adore her.

Tomorrow she will be 2 weeks old already.
It seems like just yesterday, I was still pregnant and impatient to get her out and meet her.

Cute as a button.

The First Snowfall

Yesterday we had the first snow of the year. The kids were elated. I wasn't.When the snow starts in October and ends in April, it just makes for way too long of a winter.
Here are a few photos. Sorry they are so blurry. Our camera isn't doing too well these days.

Interesting

The other day we had some tangerines, and they has so many seeds in them!

All of the seeds in the picture below came from 1 tangerine, 52 to be exact!

Fall From Our Perspective

Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year. 

It is so pretty around our house in the fall, because we are surrounded by trees.

Fall is ushered in with a craving for all things pumpkin.

Here is my favorite pumpkin recipe. I haven't made one yet this year.

It's been hard to do much cooking this fall, because I have been forced to stay off

of my feet for the most part due to this pregnancy. So I don't have any photos of it to make you drool over.

Pumpkin Roll

Cake ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup pumpkin

1 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ginger

2 tsp. cinnamon

powdered sugar ( needed for a towel, to keep the cake from sticking)

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

4 Tbs. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

powdered sugar for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, and spices.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well blended.

Spray a 10 1/2" X 15" non stick cookie sheet with cooking spray. Pour the batter onto cookie sheet, spread evenly. Bake 12-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Prepare a clean kitchen towel by sprinkling heavily with powdered sugar.

After baking, turn the cookie sheet onto the towel, the cake should slide out onto the towel. Starting at one end, roll the cake into the towel. Cool 30-40 minutes.

For the filling, stir together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and butter. Mix well.

After the roll has cooled unroll it and spread the filling evenly. Roll back up without the towel. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or until filling is firm.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Enjoy!

The Nichols Wildlife Reserve

One of the great things about living in the country is that you don't have to seek out the wildlife. It comes straight to you! We see deer, turkeys, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, turtles and so much more. 

Here are some pictures of creatures we have seen in just the past 2 weeks.

Seth is the bravest of all the kids. He will hold

a frog or a caterpillar for the longest time.

This beautiful, young, doe caught Isaac's eye outside our living room window.

She stayed for a while just looking at us and letting us admire her.

The other other day, I walked out the front door and these 2 birds ( I thought they were pheasants, but I'm not sure now.) were right there!

I slowly crept inside for my camera and when I got back outside, the more beautiful of the two flew away, so I was only able to photograph this one.

This salamander was so cute, but we let him go shortly after we caught him.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

You know you need a pedicure when your 18 month old picks up your big toe and says, " Uckkk".

Needless to say, I won't put a picture with this post. :)

Isaac's 5th Birthday

Yesterday was Isaac's 5th birthday! He is so big (and smart) already.

I can't believe it's been 5 years since we had him.

Well, we had a nice day yesterday. I was not feeling up to having a party. Can't imagine why. :) 

Judy(Ken was out of town) and her parents came and brought us lunch. 

Then we had cake with them and my mom. So Isaac got to have most of his grandparents there.

Here he is beside his cake and cards. Such a sweet smile.

 

Isaac opening presents and cards. His great grandma and grandpa Hopkins are in the background.

Mommy and daddy with the birthday boy.

Isaac with both of his Grandma's, and Annabelle.

Getting a great big hug from great grandpa.

At the bowling alley. We were the only ones there,

so our pizza and pops came fast.

Isaac's favorite thing to do is play Wii bowling, so going to a "real" bowling alley

was very exciting for him.

Here is Seth. He loved it just as much as Isaac did. He actually got more points than Isaac did, but Isaac doesn't know that. :)

Annabelle didn't know what to think. She sat in a chair most of the time, wanting a "bawl, bawl" until daddy showed her how heavy they were.

What Our Kids Look Like After Too Much Ice Cream

Warning! Do not feed your children ice cream after 8:00.

Life For Some of Us in Northern Michigan

It's getting to be that time of year again. Time to start thinking about heating the house. Echh!
For the past few years we have been using wood as our primary heat source, with propane as a backup. This year, instead of buying 10 cords of wood, (which would help heat our house most of the winter) Jason decided to start going through the woods around our house and "clean" them up by cutting up all the dead and downed trees for fire wood. He bought his very own new chain saw, and has been hard at work for over a month. Every other evening after coming home from working all day and eating a hearty dinner, and also for several hours on the weekends, he goes out cutting, stacking, hauling chopping and stacking again. Slowly our wood room has been filling up. And now, in early September, he is almost finished!! I'm so glad because I miss him. Here are some pictures of the whole grueling process. It is such hard work but for those of us who still need money to buy gas and groceries at the end of the month, it saves a lot of money.

Here was an interesting tree right behind our house that Jason decided to cut down. It had a huge base, with 7 separate trunks coming out of it. Depending on how the tree is leaning and where he wants it to fall, ( preferably not on him ) he under cuts it...

then cuts it from the other side and then... TIMBER! down it goes.

After He cuts a tree up, he loads as much as will fit in the trailer, and hauls it back to the house with the 4-wheeler. (Thank you SO much Ken and Judy for letting us use your quad and trailer! He could not have done any of this without them!)

Then he hand splits the logs that are too large to burn in the stove.
Anybody feel like coming over and helping him so he doesn't break his back??

Isaac, on one of the rare occasions that he actually did help out, stacking a pile in the basement.

Work boy Work!

Now in our 12'X 11' wood room we have 4, 7' high rows of cut and split wood.
Aaaahhhh, when I walk in the room it smells like freshly cut wood, gas, and sweat from my hard working man.

Don't you just love how the logs look all together?

I'll help you next year honey, I promise. Unless I'm pregnant again. HAHAHAHAHAHA JUST KIDDING. I know, I know, I shouldn't even joke about such things. Bad Emily bad.

Can You Guess What This Picture Is?

First Time For Everything

Annabelle's first time in the corner.

Top 10 things I love about summer ( this year )

10. Watermelon.

9. Not having to bundle up the kids, or heat up the car.

8. Less laundry, ( summer clothes have so much less cloth in them ).

7. Grilling!

6.Watching and listening to thunder & lightning storms with my bedroom window open at night.

5. Shopping at the farmer's market.

4. Listening to the crickets chirping in the evening.

3. Swimming, of course.

2. Everything is so green!

1.The kids play outside longer.

Easy Child (Care?)

I came home from my 'one day a week' of working to find this picture my husband Jason had taken of the kids during the day. My niece had been visiting also and I guess this was the easiest way for him to stay sane for a while.

Except for the slight risk of trampling, it was a pretty good idea, no?

The play pen seemed to hold up pretty well too. I guess with childhood/babyhood obesity on the rise, they should hold at least 100 pounds.

So for all of you stay at home dads, or maybe even you moms out there who desperately, need a break, try-or maybe I should say don't try this at home.

Our Summer Vacation

I've finally gotten around to putting this post up! Woo Hoo!

These pictures are of our family vacation. We went to Gull Lake Ministries for a week of family camp. A few families from our church were there also. We had such a wonderful time. We kept busy, but were able to relax and enjoy each other.

Every night had a theme. From a carnival, to a rodeo, to the adult banquet nights(our favorite) , we were never bored.

Here is Jason taking the boys on the kiddy train during the carnival night.

                                               

             The boys with their special request balloon animals. Ligers!  " It's pretty much my favorite animal." ~ Napoleon Dynamite

Snow cones!

Isaac on the inflatable, bouncy, thing. Why don't they make those for adults?!

     

 Annabelle, ready for a day in the sun. 

 

We took a pontoon ride on the lake with our friends, the Cochranes.

Everybody had to wear a life vest, so as ridiculous as it seemed, 3 week old Olivia donned one as well. It gave us all quite a laugh.

Our favorite, daily activity was going to the beach.

Jason on the 'Ice berg'

Annabelle liked the sand and mud the best.

I think Isaac and Seth liked the ice cream the best.

The week we were there, Seth had his 3rd birthday.

We had a little make shift party for him.

The boys playing with Seth's new play-doh.

Mommy and daddy with the birthday boy.

We also went to the Binder Park zoo. This was the cutest animal there, a red panda.

It was just draped over a tree branch for the longest time. SO CUTE! I want one.

We went with Bart, Debbie and Ethan Glupker.

Thanks for inviting us guys, we had a great time.

Daddy forcing Seth to touch the scary goats.

This was the coolest zoo! They even had dinosaurs!

They didn't let us get too close though. This was the best shot we could get.

A little bit braver now, the boys with the goats.

The zoo had a place where we could pet and feed the giraffes! 

They are such gentle, beautiful creatures.

Annabelle didn't think so though.

We took a cute, little train around the children's zoo.

A family photo in "Africa"

The boys made a friend at the zoo. A giant fire ant!