Emily - 3 months

Emily - 11 weeks

Emily - 10 weeks

Emily with mom and dad on her blessing day

Emily and dad - 9 weeks

Emily - 8 weeks

Emily - 5 weeks

Emily-two weeks

Emily-one week

Emily was born on September 2, 2009. She was a very BIG surprise to our completed family. What a blessing to have her though. She is good natured most of the time, but is used to being held often that she kind of expects it now. Her eyes look like they will be brown like mom, Elise, Lauren and Brookelyn's. She is just starting to laugh, but has been smiling for quite some time. I love it when babies smile with their whole body, first the eyes, then the smile, and then the arms and legs! It breaks our hearts when she cries, so usually that doesn't last that long. Car rides, though, can be pretty excrutiating, when she has to stay put in her car seat. Everyone in this family has changed her diapers except for one male member! But, it's okay, not only do the girls not mind, but dad is an expert on getting her to smile!

Brookelyn is 8. She has been the youngest of our family for eight years. She loves to organize things. Tonight it was her dresser drawers that got tidied. Unfortunately, she has a very small list of foods that she likes: Poppyseed Chicken, Cheese Pizza, Chicken strips and toast. She has a tender heart and can get her feelings hurt, but she also has a toughness that helps her stand her ground as the "almost youngest child" in the family. Brookelyn also has a good sense of fashion. She loves scarves and knows several ways to wear them. She recently took a cooking class and made many delicious things. And she helps me out in the kitchen occasionally. She also helps bathe and select cute clothes for Emily.

Lauren is 11. She is about one inch away from being the same height as me. She was very excited to get braces two days before her birthday. But, after two weeks, she joined the "I Hate Braces Club". Lauren loves to be involved in several activities. Right now she is interested in drama (the real deal, not the girl induced kind). She actually has been involved in several plays for a few years now. She has dabbled in clogging and has had enough of that. She would like to try basketball and volleyball. She loves music and playing on the XBOX. She is a great big sister and loves to take care of her newest little sister Emily.

Nicole is 14. She has a smile and laugh that would make anyone smile back. Nicole is one of those fiercely loyal friends. She has several friends that know how important they are to her. She is a speed texter (but what teenager isn't?) Her favorite color is purple. She loves comfort food like Chicken Pot Pie, Soup served in Bread Bowls and Crepe's. She is currently learning French and has an awesome accent. Nicole has the best room in the house. It has it's own bathroom, balcony and secret hideout room. I hope she won't mind me telling everyone this, but every night we spend a few minutes talking while I scratch her back. If you want her to be your best friend, scratching (lightly) her arm or back will do the trick. Sorry boys, not you!

Rachel is 17. She is very artistic. Looking at her writing, even if it's just doodling, is like looking at art. She has a strong interest in current issues and follows several political shows to keep up. She says she wants to be an ambassador in Russia some day. She has a beautiful soprano voice, but can sing alto just as well. Rachel takes forever to make decisions. She wants to see/try on/know all her options first. It drives me crazy to go shopping with her, but I know that when she does make a decision...she put a lot of thought into it.

Elise is 19 and is a Freshman at Brigham Young University. She is a typical "first born" child. She organizes family events and created our first blog. She is naturally shy at first meeting and very loyal after warming up. She is a gifted pianist, flautist and listener of good music. She wishes that she would tan better, but instead settles for fair skin. She hopes to graduate in Secondary Education in the field of Mathmatics.

Eric and Suzanne "noticed" each other in the Fall of 1986 in Provo Utah. Eric was teaching at the Missionary Training Center and Suzanne was there for her two months missionary training. They "recognized" each other two years later in front of a Japanese class that Suzanne was enrolled in and Eric was an assitant teacher. The class list was manipulated so that Suzanne was in Eric's class. She received a B+ and an engagement ring. They were married on March 11, 1989.

Our Family: Eric (the sole male), Suzanne, Elise, Rachel, Nicole, Lauren, Brookelyn and newest member Emily.

The McAllister Family

Welcome to our blog.
2009 came with many surprises:
We were surprised (at age 44) to discover we were expecting another child.
We weren't that surprised, however, to discover that this new baby would be another daughter...that makes six.
We were surprised that we were able to buy a home in Provo Utah that has a backyard big enough for six future wedding receptions and a church parking lot conveniently across the street.
We were doubly surprised that the basement flooded two weeks after moving in.
We were surprised that after only being here for that short amount of time, we would have concerned neighbors coming in the middle of the night to help us move furniture to higher ground.
We're not surprised that our daughters still love Texas and Washington and want to visiti very soon.