Dec in Phone Pics

He is too much cuteness.  Those cheeks.

 He has gained some mobility. He can scoot & can go from sitting to supporting himself on a knee.  He often goes forward to his belly from there.

 Our fall afternoons have been OT on Mondays, tae kwon do on Tuesdays (this will change a little in Jan).  FINALLY on Wednesdays, we get to just be home and read.  Its so nice for all of us.

(Of course, do homework all of those days- blah, homework!)

 And we all take turns going to bed early.  Because life is just a lot.

 We now have a fish.  

I was the lucky one at our small group's white elephant (we LOVE our small group!).  

I was holding my breath the first week or so but now that he has lived for a couple weeks so we feel a little more relaxed about having him in our life.

 Mike "stole" this Elsa hat from someone for Lily.

 One eve I was lucky enough to be able to convince the kids to run up and down this sidewalk 15 times after OT.

 Lily's turn for an early bedtime.

(Mike & I are also on the rotation.)

 And this baby- I love him- I looked at this pic and wanted to title it 'the baby of my old age'.

I feel like we are stuck in the house more trying to respect the need for naps

but I love him and am so happy to have his sweetness.

October Phone Pics

Seriously, I am not a great blogger.  But I sorta like it.  I don't "crave" blogging like I used to. I enjoy the freedom (altho its never felt like an obligation... clearly) but then when I, every once in a blue moon, upload my pics, I feel I must post them because they are so darn cute and its just fun to remember the little moments.  And I thoroughly enjoy looking through old blog books/posts. :)

This boy becomes a hip baby.  

I really do know/ have known that it goes quickly, but this baby feels exponentially fast.  Like its been the blink of an eye and yet, I know that every day we are in this house & we try to soak in every minute of this long awaited baby.  But it just all morphs together into a blink.  One day closer to eternity and we will be glad it was a blink.

 Last fall, I took a picture like this in the elevator at our OT place. I had a baby bump then.  So when we walked in this fall to see all this goodness, I could hardly believe the joy!

 Snuggling with this guy one morning after the bigs head off to school.

It hit me one morning that OH, in the Lord's timing, I get to spend the whole day with this guy ALONE vs my timing (of years ago) and splitting my time between him and his sibs. :)

 And those lashes and cheeks.

This is the outside view of our window (look at those sun rays!).

I took the kids to my parents at the end of Oct while M headed off with friends. 

This guy got a bath in the sink and is he not the cutest thing?!  That swirl on the crown of his head, and the arm chub.

 Got my craft on in the last hour before bus stop time one afternoon and it made me happy. :)

 More of the lion cuteness...

July-Sept Phone Pics

I mean, that sweet meat.

 One day we picked up Mrs Yoder's donuts and headed to the little park behind the library, then inside for books.

 I took this pic while we waited after Peter's follow up neuro appt this summer.

I don't know, it documented the ill feeling I get of just having to go there... and to know that others go there and it is far worse.

He functions normally apart from a little med we give him twice a day. 

Clearly, he is unaffected, thank the Lord. 

But something about going there just drives a little dagger in my heart to feel the Fall.

 What a cute pic of Goo with 3 of her babies.

 Our old neighbors came over for a Friday dinner and the girls were Benny's fan club.

Just look at them. This pic makes my heart full, such sweetness in all 4 of them.

Benny meets his betrothed, Hannah.

Benny telling Daddy all about his day.

 Celebrating Mike's birthday with his parents :)

 One day this month, his guy just had a fascination with his tongue.  He kept it out a lot of the day- super cute to see them discover their bodies.

 Both kids love pushing Ben home from the bus stop after school.

I'm pretty sure he likes it too and missed them while they are at school.

March and April Phone Pics

Just wanted to have these pics here for our blog book.

A late winter trip to one of our favorite parks for a bike ride with friends.

The kids all kept trading bikes.  Lily is riding one of the bigger bikes and doing great! 

Another freezing late winter outting.  We I didn't last long.

 This boy loves books on CD.  He likes to turn on certain books and then act them out.  Here he is listening to Mater on the Moon and flying his space shuttle.

Peter LOVES to use this yellow and black rope for his "cheetah tail".  A cheetah is his most favorite animal.

 Kids love Mike.  Enough said.

My kids loved riding on the "four wheeler" at the Andrews.

 Sweet snuggles with the boy and girl while P was sick. 

 Does everyone have Easter Candy named after their kids?!

 Backpacks packed for a trip to Goo's House

 The kids got green from Goo for St Patrick's Day.  :)

 There was one particular day in March that I just needed to get away.  I needed to not think about something and be away with my kids.  I needed to esp think on this and have it drilled into my head and heart:

Soul, then know thy full salvation

Rise o’er sin and fear and care

Joy to find in every station,

Something still to do or bear.

Think what Spirit dwells within thee,

Think what Father’s smiles are thine,

Think that Jesus died to win thee,

Child of heaven, canst thou repine (complain or grumble).

  So we went to Williamsburg for the day.  I got the kids some new clothes at the outlets (retail therapy: yes please!) and clearance winter jackets for next year.  Then we went to Friendly's for ice cream.

 The van was in the shop (for a money hemorrhage) and so we took the Civic.  It was really, really sweet to be so physically close to the kids.  They liked poking their feet through the holes in the seat.  They thought it was HILARIOUS to have their toes peek through.  I loved having Peter's feet in my hair (yes, please touch my hair!).  They kept saying "HAIRY MONSTER" to me... pretending that the peek of my hair they could see through the head rest was a monster.  We all loved it.  

So thankful this man is handy... 

  The many faces of the Bug--- she is excited about an easter egg in her hand.

and she loves Henry (Uncle Henry the Great!)

These were a spring break afternoon outside while the boy napped.

 Nothing like snuggles with your Daddy.

Lily is making "patterans" with pretzels and a little pack of convo hearts that she found. 

 And will I have my hands full?!  Maw bought her this new dress.  She HAD to wear it and twirl.

 The boy is REGISTERED FOR KINDERGARTEN!!!  We actually didn't take any pics.  :(  But he did GREAT! and is super excited!!  Lily waited with Goo for the morning. She enjoyed being a little queen & was sad when we interrupted her fun.

 Singing the weather song at preschool.  Its too much sweetness in one room!

 I could be fooling myself.  I've never taught kids to read before.  But I feel like we are getting close.  I can almost feel it.  We've been working on this book and sounding out EASY, little words.  

IT'S FUN to see them figure it out!!

Making faces while we wait for Peter.  Lily likes it that I can touch my nose with my tongue.  Haha.