Actually, today celebrates my very first day of mothering 9 years ago. This morning as Josh was rushing the kids to get them ready for school, I told Jacob that exactly nine years ago I was rushing around getting ready to leave for the hospital. Two minutes after we’d sent the kids off to school (in the freezing rain) I heard them outside and went to see what was going on and why they weren’t at school. When I hollered out to them they replied that there was no one at the school. Ugh. Josh had assumed that since it hadn’t snowed like they were predicting on the news that there would be school as usual, and when he checked the school website it read “No School Weather Cancellation in Effect!” which he read as NO school weather CANCELLATION instead of NO SCHOOL, weather cancellation. So Jacob gets the day off for his birthday! And since there is no school, there will be no dance lessons tonight, so all the kids get a day off, and I get a LONG day with EVERYONE! But, Josh loves me and was able to collect work from his office that he could do on his laptop at home, so now he’s here too! The boys are playing with Jacob’s huge lego set that we gave him for his birthday this morning, and the girls are watching the Backyardigans with their dad. As soon as I finish up here we’re going to sit down with some hot cocoa and watch several Christmas movies while folding laundry. I’m trying really hard NOT to freak out about the fact that my baby is almost a decade old! I think its easier for me to get overexcited about with Jacob because since his birthday is in mid December it is just a matter of weeks before it is the next year! For example, this year (today) Jacob is turning 9, but in two and a half weeks it will be January of 2008, and in 2008 Jacob will be 10! Rationally I know that he won’t be 10 for another whole year, but its just easy to make that jump. Since I showed you all Elise’s baby picture, here is a picture of me taken right about this time 9 years ago, and a picture of our new little family taken in the afternoon. 
Becca, Josh and all. Is your family planning on coming over on the 22nd to the O’Brien’s? I wanted suggestions on book titles or subject matters the children are into. Let me know
Aunt Kathy
Happy Birthday Big Jake!
Becca,
I wanted to let you know that you look really pretty in your little family picture. It might be the expression on your face, whatever it is, you look so pretty.
Time seems to go by so quickly with kids… yet there are days that can’t go fast enough.
Anyway, I know what you mean about it is hard to believe it has been 9 years already. I am already wondering where the time has gone with Carter (he will be 3 next month) and Cael is already 5 months!