It has been so long since I have written so I felt this was a good time for an update....
This picture describes my family, as well as my life 100%. It was a funny picture taken during family pictures in October and who would have thought it would sum up our lives so well.
Toby is the love of my life. He is my best friend, my companion, my partner, and my hero. He makes me laugh so frequently and often, out loud. He has the ability to make me smile even when he isn't around.
He makes me feel important, beautiful, and exceptional, even when I don't feel like any of those. He has the ability to see me at my best, even when I am at my worst. He works so hard for our family and makes sure we know how much he loves us...daily. He is a good man and I am thankful everyday he is mine.
We, together, have overcome an unbelievably crazy, busy year. We grew together and became stronger, better friends after dealing with the trial of Toby's shooting in October. We survived and decided not to physically injure each other in the process of buying our new home, and finally, we brought our final child into the world this year (and yes, she is final, we saw to that already) :)
Toby has remained the K9 officer in the department which keeps him on permanent night shifts and therefore we have a good and bad thing going on. We have no daycare, but we don't see each other as often as we would like. This, I think, makes both of us feel like single parents sometimes but also makes us appreciate each other more. So, when we do see each other, our time is precious. Dual parenting is interesting this way, texting or calling here and there to get second opinions, help, and communication of events. It is a mess at times but we make it work and this is our crazy life!!
Kiley, our oldest, has sure grown up this year. She is in eighth grade and unbelievably almost a HIGH SCHOOL student. She has had quite the year as well. She has overcome some difficult challenges this year. She has dealt with disappointments in sports, struggled with classes, and dealt with real bullying. She has come out in the end a champion. She has grown into this kind, compassionate, strong willed, determined young lady.
After being benched most of the season in softball, not making the volleyball team, and not getting much play time (some by choice) in a basketball she tried out for track. In doing this, she found her element and has shown everyone what she is really capable of.
She initially was put in the third heat in two events. She ran the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 400 meter dash. After placing first in her events the very first track meet, she was put on the relay team and eventually bumped up to the first heat. This past week she competed in qualifications and ended up qualifying in all four events for the regionals next week. She is extremely fast and even smiles a little when she runs. :) I am so proud of her.
She has also managed to overcome her struggles with some of her classes and is getting A's in all of her classes, AP included.
As for the bullying, it amazes me how children can overcome some things. She did the opposite of what I wanted to do (which may or may not have been run them over with my car) ;) She decided to kill them with kindness. She continued to be the nice girl that she is and never stoop to their level. I intervened on several occasions but never to the point that it could have made things worse. I supported her and listened to her and gave her advice but taught her ways to deal with it on her own. She has come out ahead in the end. She has overcome these girls! One has apologized and become a "friend" to her and without the ringleader, the others have backed off and even come around a little. While I advise her to be cautious, she has given them the benefit of the doubt. She truly has a heart of gold.
In the top picture, in which I stated that it explained our family perfectly....yes, Kiley too. She looks embarassed that her parents would kiss, much less in front of her. Yeah, she has reached that phase of her life...she is often too cool for us! :) Not in public, she still claims us...but at home we are the worst!
She is into her friends more than ever, BOYS, clothes, music, what so and so said to so and so, clothes, BOYS, friends...etc.
However, at the end of the day, she still loves on her little siblings, cares about church, hugs her mom and dad, and makes us laugh. She is spacey at times and a complete slob with her room but never afraid to come out and tell us about her day.
As hard as it is to watch your babies grow up, it is amazing all in the same token. Watching her become the young lady she is growing into has been amazing. I feel like if I have done anything right in my life it is my children and seeing the girl she is, tells me we are on the right track.
Braedon is also growing up faster than I care to admit. He is going into fourth grade next year, he is in Scouts now, he has been baptized, and is in minor's baseball. He is beginning to care about what shoes are cool and if his hat will be noticed by his friends. He doesn't want to wear certain things because they aren't "cool."
How did this happen so fast? He is one of the most enthusiastic, excited children I have ever met. He is 200% in everything he does. In baseball, he can hardly wait for practice and the whole time he is on the field he smiles and jumps...literally. He smiled the whole time he ran on the field during soccer and loved to be at his games.
His best friend in the whole world is his little brother, Chase and they do just about everything together. While they are best friends, they also fight like brothers. Sometimes I think they are going to be the death of me with the fighting but then they will do something that gets them both laughing and it seems to be better for a while.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into with my boys. They are such handfuls (of chaos, exhaustion, happiness, laughter, and love). How lucky I am to have this little man in my life. He is the most loving person I know and hates when something bad happens to someone else. He genuinely feels things...deeply. He is amazing and smart and I am so proud to be his mommy.
He is getting tall (and remaining skinny) and reminds me so much of my little brother when he was younger. He is fiesty and strong willed and stubborn for sure. In the top picture, he looks disgusted which is about right. He thinks if Toby hugs me it is revolting. Toby keeps telling him someday he will understand. At this point in his life he doesn't think there will ever be a day like that.
Chase is growing into an amazing little person as well. This little boy is one of the funniest kids I have ever met. He has a real sense of humor and knows the most appropriate times to share these "comments." Kiley always says, "Chase uses his words." Yes, he does! I could write a book with all the things this little boy says.
He is an outgoing child that doesn't know a stranger. He will make friends easily because he wants to be your friend way before you want to be his. :) He is quirky and could live on cereal and "jelly peanut butter" sandwiches alone. He will do things just to make you laugh but is the first one to cuddle up next to you and crash out on you. He is spunky and loud and rowdy.
Braedon is his best friend/worst enemy as well and he has really taken to the big brother role quite well. He is very protective of our Maya and doesn't appreciate when anyone asks him if they can take her home, he is very opposed to that and has been since she was in the hospital. He loves his daddy and spending time with him is his favorite thing to do. He tells me all about the adventures they went on or did the moment I get home (of course, after he tells me "here I am")
Chase definitely has a mind of his own. While our family is a group of huge baseball fans, Braedon has followed his dad into loving the Cardinals and Kiley has followed me into loving the Red Sox, Chase has decided to love the Giants all on his own. I am thankful for his independence and that he is not afraid to stand on his own and like his own things.
He makes his siblings crazy with his sneakiness and at times has made his dad and I the same. He has been known to make forts in the pantry just to eat a bag of marshmallows (or smushmellows). In the top picture he looks curious, which explains Chase to a T! He wants to know the ins and outs of everything. I can't tell you how many questions Toby and I answer in a day just because Chase asked.
Then there is Maya. Our baby girl and the end of the Gilmore children in our house. She came to us with a sweet little spirit about her. She is content and happy at all times. I have had friends ask me how this happens. She is so easy going. She loves her siblings and terrorizing the cat. I have never seen a baby smile so much in my entire life. Its almost as though she is just really happy to be here.
She is growing so fast I can hardly keep up with her. She started sitting a few months ago, then crawling faster than I would have liked and now she thinks she should pull herself up on everything. She wants to eat "real" snacks now and is clapping and waving. She has ZERO teeth and refuses to say "Mama" :) but we will keep her anyway.
She started out being my angel baby when it came to sleeping but now she is starting a new thing...stay up as much at night as possible. She is exhausting her parents. She wants to be held and played with or she wants to sleep in our bed. Toby and I are quickly changing the rules. She has got to figure this out. :)
She is my chubby, snuggly, little miss and I adore her. I can't imagine my life without her now. Amazing how before they arrive life is great but after they get here you can't imagine how it was great without them in it.
In the top picture Maya looks oblivious...well, she is. To everything...danger, exhaustion, time, schedule, etc. But, she is quickly starting to figure it out and with her being four and final...I wish she would slow that down, just a bit.
I don't know what I did to be so blessed in my life but I am. These people that I am surrounded by in my home are the center of my universe. They are the reason I live each day and they are the reason I love coming home. They make me want to rip my hair out, cry, smile, and giggle at least once a day. They also make my heart hurt I love them so much. They are definitely the reason I was put on this earth and I am so grateful they call me Mom and Wife.
*********************************************************************************
out...just like that in the end. I got the beautiful wedding, the dream husband who swept me off my feet and honestly, still does, and we were excited about our babies together. 
He is a good dad and my kids are so blessed to have a dad that 
My husband makes sacrifices every day for our family, some of these sacrifices are life-threatening and extremely dangerous. They have caused pain in his life at times and hurt. He has had to experience things in his life most of us would never dream of. Each day he functions on small amounts of sleep, yet he wakes up and is happy to see his kids and looks forward to the day ahead and the time he gets to spend with them. 
I am grateful for this man in my life. I am thankful to have had children with him and to be able to raise them with him. I am so happy to know that he puts our family at the center of his universe and for all that he does for us...daily!! 
He is one of the hardest workers I have ever met and would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it. He is kind and helpful and thoughtful. He cleans toilets and changes diapers and holds hair when a child is puking. He takes over when I am sick and he does random acts of kindness. He is the best of the best and I am so happy he is my husband and the father of my children!!
