8 months

Rolls all over
starting sleeping through the night
has two teeth
eats 3 jars a day
picks up Cheerios and other small food
can pull herself along on the hardwood floors
still refuses a bottle and a sippy cup
But still as cute as can be!!!!

Not Me Monday

Are you feeling guilty for posting something to your blog while you were feeling emotional and then regretting how it sounded when it came out? Overcome with shame because you just jammed your foot into the garbage...again....instead of taking it out? Well, don't be! Not Me! Monday was born out of my desire to admit some of my imperfections and reveal a few moments I'd rather forget. You may find it therapeutic to join in and do the same thing!

I did not NOT notice that my daughter had two different shoes on when we went to Chick-fil-A on Monday. It did not take me until we pulled into the Chick-fil-A's parking lot to see the beautiful Crocs that she told me she wanted to wear. There was not one brown Mary Jane Croc and a pink Mickey Mouse Croc both for the left foot on her feet. What kind of mom would not notice that. Seriously.... Oh, and when we left the Chick Fil-A playground we were not stopped by a mom that just wanted to make sure that we knew that Makenna had two different shoes on!

We did not go to ChickfilA for the past three weeks because they were offering a special that if you brought in your church's Sunday bulletin, you would get an 8-count chicken nugget pack for free. We did not march ourselves in there each week with 7-8 bulletins (depending if Daddy went with us), smile, and hand them to the cashier. We did not end up paying less than $8 for 8 8 count nuggets, 2 large fries, and 2 large drinks which fed our whole family! WHo-hoo!!

I did not tell Luke to watch his little sister while we were at Chick-fil-A while I went to get a milkshake (that we also had a free coupon for). He did not misunderstand me and go watch Makenna in the playland while I thought he was watching Klaire at the table. There is not way I would not realize that my almost 8 month old daughter was sitting at a table all by herself in her high chair while I went to get a free milkshake. I would not have moms and dads staring at me when I got back because I left my daughter there. AHHHH!!!!!

oh, and I did not buy my kids a bug vacuum and accessories, and there are most not definitely containers in my house with bugs in them. That would freak me out way too much!

Future baby names

Not mine, but the boys chose baby names for their sons that they all plan on having one day.
Blake's - Jackson Thomas Alma
Luke's - Luke Jeffrey Alma
Jakeb's - Sean Sonny Alma
Kaleb's - Ross Grant Alma

The things we talk about in our family! Crazy!

Spring is in the Air

Just some fun pics

These are from the other day when we were outside. The boys wouldn't hold still for a picture, but fortunately the girls do, and that's only because they don't want to stray too far from mommy.

Seven months old

Klaire is seven months. Can you believe it? In the past month she has....

mastered sitting up

first tooth popped through

refuses to take a bottle or cup

went on her second vacation

Holds her own spoon

rolls around on the floor

smiles at everything

eats Mum-Mums

and is still....the happiest baby ever!

Happy Birthday, Eric!!

My man turned 39 last week. We went to Lone Star to celebrate. (Kids eat free on Tuesday!) The kids and I pooled all of our cash together and bought him some presents. (Thanks, T-Rex for the Valentine's Day money and the anniversary money!) We were able to get him some floor mats for the SUV, a jacket, and a Blu-ray player. He's been wanting one FOREVER. We totally surprised him with presents because he had told us he didn't want anything because we just had our big vacation and all.

Gatlinburg

The trip was wonderful! The villa we stayed at was wonderful. It had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a washer & dryer, a jacuzzi tub, and a fireplace. We had a stress-free vacation. We were laid-back, plan-free travellers. We did whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. We went sightseeing and did just a little shopping. It was great and completely relaxing.



Here's a run-down on the stuff we did.


Saturday: Drove up on the mountains and took some great pictures. We went to Cherokee, NC. The kids went swimming that night.

Sunday: We went to church in the morning and then introduced the kids to Gatlinburg by walking around town. It was almost 70 degrees outside! Talk about great weather.

Monday: Ripley's Aquarium and more swimming


Tuesday: Did some shopping - knife store for Eric and scrapbook store for me, vegged out at the villa, and I'm sure there was more swimming involved.

Wednesday - Went to Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum - The Kids LOVED it. We went hiking in the wilderness in the middle of a blizzard with all six kids too. (slight exaggeration, but believe me when I say that was a experience we'll never forget!) We also at at an amazing steak house where it was BOGO night! YUM! Also, went swimming that night.

Thursday - We went to Guinness Word Record Museum. Originally we had wanted to go putt-putting, but it had snowed about 3-4 inches, so that's why we went here. Afterwards we went swimming more, and then had dinner in Pigeon Forge at a new restaurant for us called Huck Finn's where some of the boys ate alligator tail. (Jakeb did not because as he said, "I don't eat reptiles!") Oh, and then my college friend Shelley and her family came to the villa and visited awhile.

Friday was the worse day of the vacation because it was the day we had to leave. Boo! However, on the way home we found a Sonny's Bar-b-q to help us drown our sorrows in some of the best barbecue you've ever had!!!

SURPRISE!!!! - Gatlinburg

As I look back, it was an almost normal Friday in the Alma household. We were off to co-op. Eric was working from home which wasn't the normal case, but since it was our 10 year anniversary, he was taking a half day. The plan was to go out for lunch at Chilis after co-op. Who-hoo!! What a celebration, huh? I was looking forward to the food, but it was not really how I wanted to spend my anniversary especially my 10 year anniversary. I was really hoping that Eric had some big surprise planned like he had gotten a babysitter and we were really going out that evening or something. But he had been telling me over and over, "Marshan, we just don't have any extra money to do anything!" Blah, Blah, Blah! I was trying not to get too grumpy about it, but it was definitely a struggle. I had even complained to a few friends here and there stating sarcastically, "Who-hee! We're going to Chilis with children for our 10 year anniversary!"





Anyway, I get home from co-op with the slight hope that he has another plan, and we're met at the basement door by him. I catch his eye, and he gives me a smirk and says, "Everyone go up to the living room now!" So of course, I'm getting excited although I'm not letting it show. He must have gotten me flowers or something, or so I thought. When I get up there, I scan the table, the living room, even my open bedroom door in hopes to see something resembling some sort of PRESENT, but still nothing!


He then has us all sit down, and he says something like this,
"Kids, you know that today is a special day. It's mom and dad's anniversary. It's our ten year anniversary, so I have a surprise to celebrate. We are going on a vacation, a SEVEN DAY VACATION. Do you kids want to go on a vacation?"
He was answered with a chorus of Yeas!!!!! and kids jumping up and down.
"There's only one place I could think of going, so where do you guys think we're going?"
All the kids shouted, "DISNEY!!"
"Uhh...no, not Disney...somewhere closer."
Slowly, it starting to make sense what Eric is saying. Seriously? a vacation? You mean, we're not going to Chilis? How did he do this? Where did he get the money to do this? Seriously, a vacation? Only one place he could think of to go? Man, where would that be? It couldn't be Disney. Where? Think, Marshan, Think! Ohhh!!! I figured it out right as he was saying it to the kids.
"We are going to....Gatlinburg!"
YAY!!!!! was the kids response although they had no idea where or what Gatlinburg was.
Eric then looked at me and waited for my response. I think he actually said something like, "How are you doing?"
I just gave him the look of disbelief still. It had totally not sunk in yet. How in the world had he done this without me figuring it out?
He then went on with the kids, "Now, Gatlinburg isn't as exciting as Disney, but we'll definitely have fun. We'll be leaving here in about two hours."
WHOA!!!!!!!!! Two hours?? How do you pack for a family of 8 in TWO hours. The laundry wasn't even done. There was no way I was going to be able to get everything done in two hours. I had to get all the baby stuff together. There was no way we could leave in two hours. Breathe, Marshan, Breathe!
"I've been doing laundry all morning, so we all have clothes so all you have to do is pack it. Don't stress out, Marshan."
After I had picked up my mouth off the floor, I vaguely remember telling the kids to get
("Eric, are there washing machines there?") so many outfits, underwears, pajamas, socks, and ("Eric, are we going to church on Sunday?") one church outfit.
I walked in my room and was greeted with a bed covered with clean laundry needing to be folded and suitcases all over the floor.
Eric looks at me and says, "I already started to pack my own clothes, Marshan, and I already brought up the suitcases."
Seeing the suitcases must have started to make me realize what was really happening. The man was taking me on a trip for our ten year anniversary. We had talked about it a long time ago, but then we decided against it. But somehow, Eric had still planned and saved for it, and oh my goodness! He had pulled it off. He had done it!
Even as we were actually in the car driving to Gatlinburg, I still sat in the passenger seat in disbelief, and you know what? We never did make it to Chilis!

But man, oh man! Eric Alma won the husband of the year award. That's for sure!
Gatlinburg, here we come!