Katy is a preteen!!

How in the world did time pass SO quickly!! My little blue bundle is not on the crux of being a teenager. As she and I went off on her birthday shopping trip, she reminded me that she would be driving in three years. Say it ain't so!

Her birthday wishes for this year...
Shopping trip to the Mall of Georgia (which she said was highly overrated)
Salmon with wild rice for dinner
Cookie Dough for her Birthday Cake.

The Cookie Dough was a major hit with everyone. I will have to do that again. It was eggless and super yummy.

My sweet Katy (who informed the family she wanted to be called Kate now) is a true blessing. She is my right hand and could man the whole crew if she really needed too. She is always quick to help, especially with Josh. I can count on her to be there and fill in the gaps that I miss and she is usually very patient with that ;-)

Over the past few years she has developed a love for fashion, decorating, and makeup. As I write this, she is sleeping on the couch. She has also developed a fear of going to sleep when everyone else is asleep. I don't get that one. I digress... She has amazing drawing abilities and makes the most unique and beautiful note cards and pieces of artwork. God has certainly gifted her with an artsy mind and I am amazed at some of the creations she comes up with. She loves to modify her clothing to make it more "cutting edge" and "cool".

As with any preteen, her attitude is getting more robust. We have our tussles over tightness of jeans and skirt lengths, and makeup- ugh. But we do tend to work through those fairly quickly. (I am keeping it real here).

We are so blessed to have Katy (or Kate) as our daughter. She adds such whit and style to our family. I look forward to many decorating and crafting ventures with her as she grows into a young woman. And I pray the Lord will mellow her out in the teenage years ;).

Joshie is 2!

Poor, poor, Josh. I never even blogged on his birth! I will get around to that one day, before I forget how he came into this world. But for now, he is TWO!

A little about Joshua Houston Mullis.

He is just plain cute.

Dimples- enough said.

A smile, wave and loud "BYE BYE" for everyone

In the past few months he has become a bit more...

demanding (he wants it NOW)

violent (likes to throw and hit)

stubborn

silly

playful

He thoroughly enjoys following Jay around and doing whatever big brother is doing (or into).


He is still very sweet and loving. I enjoy the few minutes I get when he wakes up in the morning and insists on sitting with me while he drinks his morning coffee (well- milk). He is a snuggler and a hugger.And I hope he stays that way.

Overall, Joshie, as we call him, is a blessing and a lot of fun, not to mention entertaining.

Klaire is 7!

I am horrible. It has been a few years since I have updated the birthday posts. Sorry children. I do love you. And you did have a birthdays the last two years ;)

Our Klaire Bear is 7. Wow! How did this happen???

Things about Klaire

Athletic- well more monkey like.

Energetic

Loving

Spunky

Outspoken

Fiery Temper

but 

Sensitive to the Spirit

For Klaire's 7th birthday, we kept it simple. She and I went out shopping and then met Kris for lunch at Zaxby's (or Zabys as Klaire calls it).

Interestingly enough, she did not want cake. She informed me that she DID NOT like cake. So she picked out Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwiches (capitalization is needed for this).

It was a fun day. And she didn't get mad at anyone!

Her sweet sisters got her an EOS and an outfit. They are such sweet girls. She also got some goggles and a new bathing suit, a cool Frozen beach towel, pool toys, a Frozen duffle bag, and a Scooter!

We Love You Klaire!

Karoline's 6th Birthday

The Sweet Karoline has turned 6. She really feels like NOW she has reached big girl status!

We are so proud of her and all she has accomplished this year.  First off, she began Kindergarten this year and is doing very well. She really loves to draw and color and do anything crafty.  Her sweet spirit is always making things for people and wanting to plan parties for those having a birthday .

She has accomplished so much by way of speech this year. She is speaking much clearer and makes a real effort when going to her therapy.  Even Klaire has been asking when is it her turn to go to speech! They all know Karoline has a great time when she is there.

One interesting thing our little princess has developed an interest in... BOYS! She really really likes them a lot. So we are having to reign her in on this front and keep her in check. And she is quick to say that God will pick out her husband, although she has many options right now.

This has been a year of educational growth too, since she started Kindergarten. She is learning to read, enjoys math, and keeps up with her big sister in our KONOS studies. She is a quick learner and is (usually) excited to do schoolwork.

Even though Karoline is my pack-rat, she is also developing a great skill for organizing like her big sister. She moved up in the world and got her own desk recently and has been keeping it so neat and clean! I was beginning to get a bit worried about this in her, but she has proven that she too can keep her special things neat and tidy (I am a bit anal about that).

She is still very much a home body, and likes to stay where Mama stays. Although, she is quite content to play by herself and listen to audiobooks, she wants to know the I am close by. She recently attempted a sleepover at her Grammy and Big Jim's house. It went well, till she talked to her Daddy on the phone, and then she wanted to come home. Since then, she has been attached to home. And that is fine She says when she gets older she will try again.

Each year is so exciting to look back and see how far Karoline has come since I started this blog 6 years ago. She has grown so much in so many areas, and we all look forward to seeing how the Lord will continue to shape and mold her.

Quick Catch Up

For some reason, my updating to the family blog has been quite disappointing. Not only will Jay and Karoline feel neglected in years to come (if I don't post about their birthdays) but I will be missing valuable information to our family life for posterity!

So a quick update on the Mullis Family.


We are expecting baby #6 (we lost #5 in July of 2012) this July! Amazing how we lost our 5th child on July 4th of last year, and this year we are expected another blessing. The Lord has ways of helping us heal.

Kris has finally finished his Doctorate! He is officially Dr. Kris Mullis as of May 18th! He will graduate from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary on that day, and we are so proud of all the hard work he has put into this labor of love (10 years of work).

We have lived in the same house for almost 3 consecutive years! What an accomplishment! Seriously, if you know our history, this is our longest stint to live somewhere, and in the same house. We are thankful for the stability, but are always open to whatever God has for us.

So short and sweet, but that is what we have been up to.

Katy's last year in the single digits!

Wow! She is 9! I really can't believe how quickly she has grown up into a little lady. As you can tell, the girl has style. But she also has many other wonderful qualities that have nothing to do with the fact that she is great at picking out cute outfits.


She is a helper. She has many responsible jobs around our home. She helps with the kitchen clean up daily, keeps her side of the room nice and organzied, and is very helpful in keeping things neat. But she more importantly, enjoys helping with her little brother and reading and sharing her knowledge with her sisters. She says she would like to be a teacher one day and teach her children. She is well on her way.

She is caring. Katy is such a giver. She enjoys preparing gifts for family and friends weeks ahead of time. She especially likes to make things for her little friends and use her crafty abilities. Just the other day, Karoline had incured a head injury from a board book (via Jay) and was hurting badly. Katy went and made her a card and gave her a dollar inside of it. It certainly helped cheer Karoline up (espeically the money). But that is just one of the many sweet things she does for her family.

She is smart. I am partial (as any parent should be), but Katy is pretty quick. Kris and I tried several ways to speak in code around the kids, and Katy seems to always break it! She has really useful ideas around the house to help in organizing different areas. And to boot, she is book smart. She is doing great in her school work and is (usually) very motivated.  It is exciting to be able to teach her more complex ideas now and have deeper conversations.

It is such a privilage to have our sweet Katy. She is a blessing in so many ways and so special to us. As we watch the Lord grow her into a young lady, we look forward to her growth spiritually and intellectually.

The Bear is 4

Our sweet little Klaire bear is offically four, "all day long", as she likes to add.

A few of her favorite things include...

Tinkerbell
Curious George
Pretending to do gymnastics
Following her parental units around and asking a litny of questions
Following her sisters around and getting into mischief.

Klaire is an extremely sweet child accompanied by a very fiery temper. She is know to get in trouble for pushing and hitting, and occasionally spitting (that is if you make her really mad). But all will be forgiven by one of her giant hugs and kisses on the cheek.

A few moments to remember...

When she began to grumble under her breath and then say ,"I am just talking to myself."

Informing people that their hair looked crazy.

Giving driving directions or insisting that whoever is driving is lost.

Then...deciding it was time to become a big girl and stop sleeping in momma and daddy's floor and to sleep in her nice big bed. Now that is something to be proud of.

And of course, there are promises of how when she turns 5 she will no longer need mom to chaperon her to all her church classes :)

Klaire- you gotta love her!

Baby #5

Credit

Back in June, Kris and I found out that we were expecting sweet baby #5. We decided that we would wait till around 12 weeks before we made any announcements of our joyful news. Sadly, on July 4th, at 8 weeks of pregnancy, the Lord saw fit to take our child home.

Since I blog to keep up with our goings on, I believed that it was important to recognize the life that we did not get to know. Kris has decided that the child was a boy and has had several names for him, ranging from Calvin to Rosco, which always helps to keep things light around here. We did tell Katy, for she sensed something was going on and several times had asked if I was having another baby. As time goes on, we will tell the other children, but this will also help document it.

It has been a strange experience, for I have never miscarried. It was one of those fears I always had lurking in the back of my mind. Since we hadn't made our pregnancy public, it was easy to let the miscarriage be between us and a few friends and family. I am thankful for the Lord's blessing of another life, and will praise Him in the sadness of losing that life. It has been a time of drawing closer to Him and relying completely on the Spirits comfort to move forward. I am also thankful for our busy house, which helps to snap you back to reality pretty quick. This experience has certainly made me hold my children tighter and appreciate them more. And after reflecting on this for the past 2 months, I would say that resting in God's providence is what makes going through a loss bearable and then even finding tremendous blessings in it.

Great Awakening in our Schoolroom

After witnessing the baptism of a friend this past Sunday, the girls decided it was time to have their own baptismal service.  Karoline and Katy were doing the baptizing, and Klaire was a willing participant. All the stuffed animals and dolls needed baptizing also. So precious :) I can't wait until the day comes when the Spirit opens their eyes to their sin and draws them into a relationship with our Savior- what a day that will be!

Thanks Katy

As I was looking through a blog the other day, Katy was watching over my shoulder. She noticed a couple of books that I owned on homemaking and cleaning. Then she gave me the zinger. Katy said, "Mom, you should spend as much time cleaning as you do reading those books on cleaning!" Ouch.

Little House in our Big Woods

 Katy has been sporting this bonnet for a while now. It fits her perfectly! It is one from an outfit my mother had made me for old fashion day at church- many many years ago. She can't quite wear the dress yet- but it won't be long.

 I am not sure what Karoline was trying to do, but it was helping the family get food for the winter or maybe the summer- I can't remember. She was doing her part all the same.

And Klaire... I think she was trying to paint these boards (from the swingset Kris build for Christmas). Red Georgia clay works well for many outdoor adventures. So does left over wood.

So this is how it breaks down-

Katy is Mary, Karoline is Laura, and Klaire is Carrie. Jay is sometimes Jack the bulldog. I told Katy that Jay could not be baby Fredrick (who died at about a year old) so he is resigned to being Jack the bulldog. They play their roles well and they all get into the act- and they want Kris and I to get into it and call them by their characters name. Of course, we are Ma and Pa.

Lots of fun :) I love their imaginations- it makes me smile.

A Perpective From the Kids

The girls love the camera and like to grab it when I am not looking. Here are a few pictures from their view of our world.

Photos courtesy of Karoline and Klaire Mullis

And now he walks7

It took him longer than his sisters, but Baby Jay is now walking!

Baby Jay is One!

When I look back on how life was a year ago, it is amazing to see the difference. Our life isn't that much different, but I am always in awe of how God grows babies. Jay has changed so much over the last year and now he is a bounding, busy little boy. He is very fun loving and enjoys his sister tremedously- but who wouldn't. He gets so excited when they all get "going" if you know what I mean. And he has quickly learned how to be heard in our house. Jay has a very sweet disposition and is easy to calm when he get fussy. Just recently he has become a wonderful sleeper and has been putting himself to sleep at night.

As everyone told me, boys are so much more different than girls. And I am learning the truth in that. He is very different, and I am so thankful God made our personalities and temperaments so different. I look forward to seeing how Jay's personality will develop, and pray that God, through the Holy Spirit, will mold him into a man after His heart.

Karoline is 5

Sweet Karoline is 5 today. Wow, I really can't believe it has been five years since God gave her to us. She continues to live up to her name and is a sweet little lady. And she is all little lady too. Karoline is by far the "girlieist" of our girls. She loves anything pink and would chose a dress or twirly skirt over jeans any day. She has recently gotten into the "gross" mode. For instance, if she enters the bathroom that has a peculiar smell she will dance a bit of a jig and let the house know how stinky the bathroom is. And then ask if some of Katy's spray can be sprayed in it to make is smell nicer. She also has a very low tolerance for anything that appears to be "gross" i.e vomit, spit up, dog messes, or anything sticky left on the kitchen table. When I say low tolerance, I mean very low, to the point of her beginning dry heaves.

Yes, we all love our sweet Karoline. She is very compassionate, and will quickly go out of her way for her sisters (on most occasions). She is very sharing and expects it in return. But the thing I love the most about her is the way she loves to tell others she loves them. I hear it from her several times a day and for no apparent reason either.

But I am making a prediction- she will be high maintenance to whoever God has picked out for her husband.