Precious Puppy

Sweet Sisters

My absolute favorite picture of the two of them to date.

 

Marker Obsession

My budding artists are really making progress. It's so fun to watch their skills improve. This artistic mommy is thrilled they love drawing and crafts as much as they do. I love being able to share interests together with my kids.



Action Packed Weekend

Our church meets at an elementary school and members of our church volunteer to help run the school's fundraising carnival each year. It's a yearly tradition now where Andy volunteers and I run around with the kiddos doing all the fun stuff. This year Gigi and GranRan came, so we were able to play man to man for the night, which was super helpful. (Rosemary didn't really count since she's so easy and just hangs out with me in the carrier).

The kiddos showing off their face paints from Miss Kim. Joe got a frog (of course), Belle got a dragon and Sam a dolphin.

Annabelle got some sand art for the first time. They got tattoos and balloon swords and flowers.


We had a campfire with Gigi and GranRan on Saturday night. I just love this picture! The pure love and joy in Robbie's face. She's in heaven when she's with them.

Rosie crashed after church. This was the best I could do to get a picture of her in this adorable outfit.

Annabelle trying to do pushups like Daddy. Haha!

I come around the corner and found her like this. Joe made it for her.

 

Sunday evening our community group was cancelled, so we took the opportunity to get some fun family time at a park. The girls and I played while the guys went on a run then we all met up later. I was able to take some cute pictures of Annabelle in action.

 



Joseph adores her so much. He's always telling her that she's so cute.

She loves her pink catty jacket.

Several days ago Samuel brought me a dandelion to blow all the seeds away and told me to make a wish. I told him there wasn't a single thing I wanted that I didn't already have. He told me that I should wish for another baby in my belly. My heart just sunk. Here he is, the oldest of 4 and is anxious to welcome yet another sibling into our family. I am so blessed to have him as our firstborn. He is so tender with the babies and is so eager to do whatever is needed during any given situation, baby related or not. I have seen him really maturing lately. Its becoming easier to imagine him as a young adult. He reminded me the other day that he only has a little over 3 years until he's 10!

Love these kids more each day!

Annabelle's Earrings

Annabelle and Kim have the sweetest relationship. She calls Kim Grasshopper and Kim calls her Ladybug. Kim was over one night, and while we were doing our nighttime routine with the kids Annabelle asked her to make her some earrings. Annabelle felt like such a big girl. It was precious.



 

Even Owls Go To Sleep Eventually

Once again Andy came up with a catchy tune that is sticking around. Miss Rosemary adored her swing so much that I thought it would be best to wean her out of it slowly. Since she was born she had either slept with us or in her swing and it was getting time to give it back to it's owners since they are having a baby soon. We also have Andy's family bassinet for her and were excited to use that a bit.

I'll have to think through all the steps it took to get her here. This picture is her first time in it and she did perfect. She never went back to the swing. So who knows if all those steps actually helped or if she would have transferred perfectly well cold turkey.

Rosemary's first 10 step Program, and hopefully her last:

1 - 6. There were 6 speeds on the swing and we started her out at 6. So the first 6 steps were just decreasing the speed with the white noise sounds playing.
7. Then the next was to have it off completely with the swing white noise playing.
8. In the swing, swing noise off, but an alternative noise machine on.
9. In her bassinet with the head rest from the swing around her head, with the alternative noise machine on.
10. In her bassinet, no head rest, new noise machine.

Wow. That's hilarious when you think about. It's amazing to think what a parent will do to get their kids to sleep.

Squirrels

We had a mama squirrel think our attic was the perfect place to birth and raise her young! This mama thinks this house isn't big enough for two mamas, so one of them had to go, and it wasn't going to be me! We had some trappers come and set up some traps while the mama and her baby laid in the tree watching every move they made. We never caught them, but they are out of our attic, so we can now repair the holes. Always an adventure around here!

Dirt + Water = Mud

This sums up our AJ quite well.

Fire in the teepee

These ten toes are anxious to get out there and get dirty with the rest of them!

The Westward Movement

We've been studying about the Westward Movement in history. They have always loved dressing up in their Cowboy and Indian costumes, but this study has taken their interest to a new level. Daddy jumped on their enthusiasm and built them a teepee, got out his bow and arrows set to teach them all about archery, and then made some bows for the boys. They now have targets set up in the backyard. It's a very big deal around here.

Eating dinner by the fire, because that's what the Indians did.

Rosemary - 18 Weeks

A dress I made for Annabelle now fits Rosemary. It's so nice to see stuff that I made be used again.  It's been quite awhile since I've done any sewing, but pulling out of storage the baby clothes of Annabelle's that I made makes me want to make more. I struggle with already having so much on my plate. How do I add yet another "want" when the needs are so pressing?

I know how good it is for me to create and continue to invest in myself, but it's hard to justify it most days when there are so many pressing issues. When I think about it, it seems so superficial to sit down at a machine and sew a dress for my daughter when I could easily go and buy one for probably cheaper than it cost to make one. And then during that time I could have been chipping away at a number of other things that actually matter in the scheme of life. Oh, the struggles of a mom...

Gamba Turns 9

I remember it so well. Once I graduated college I was finally able to meet up with Andy in NC where he had already checked in to meet his platoon. He had moved into our home a few weeks prior and was waiting for his bride to arrive. I moved in late one week and the very first Saturday we had together in our home we went in search of our puppies. We wanted two brothers. We came home late that afternoon with the two most adorable puppies we had ever seen. They were 41 days old.

Since then we have lost his precious brother, Lutalo. But Gamba is still with us. We are so happy he is our dog. We could not have asked for a better dog. He is so patient with the kids. He literally lets them walk all over him. He loves to take care of us. He loves to snuggle. He obeys so well. He still acts like a puppy even though his hair is turning gray in places. He fetches like his life depends on it... rarely stopping for a breath. We are just now starting to see him slowing down a bit.

 

We celebrated this year with making him some dog friendly popcorn balls. He was thrilled.

Our home would not be complete without this dog! He brings so much joy to our lives.

Favorite Toy

Rosie has a favorite toy and it is undoubtedly her orange ball.

 

 

And because I know that Nana thinks there could never be too many pictures of Rosie's legs, here is another one.

 

Kids Creations

I just love the extended periods of free time that homeschooling allows the boys to explore and create to their hearts content. Toilet paper rolls, popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners are crafting favorites in our home. These are astronauts with their space ships.

One of the dozen of pictures I get each day. This is a picture of Joseph giving me a flower. The box around my neck is Rosemary in a carrier. Haha!

Rosemary - 4 Months Old

 

At her 4 month mark, Rosie is still in her swing. We have been able to slow down the speed and even sometimes don't even turn it on. The noise machine still going strong, though. She loves her exersaucer and of course those fingers!

She rolled over both ways this month. And is quite possibly the happiest (and easiest) baby EVER!

The boys are still telling me they don't want any birthday or Christmas presents ever because Rosemary is the best gift they could ever get. This mama couldn't be happier.

Let Me Sleep!

The girls both looked so cute at church I wanted to snap a quick picture before they both ate and went down for naps. Rose seriously was not having it.

About 10 minutes later after she had some Mama. OUT!

Zooming in for the chub.

Surprise Photos

I love uploading my camera photos and seeing some pictures that Andy had taken when I wasn't around. Such a sweet reminder of how he loves to capture these precious moments of our family as much as I do.

Look at those eyes. So stunning.

I just love this face on Rosemary. She is looking at Joseph so lovingly.

A hilarious face of hers. It's new and we don't ever want it to go away.

And then here we have a picture he must have taken a night I was out for dinner in which he obviously did not clean her face off after dinner before they went outside to play. Messy face or not, she is so precious... and growing up WAY too fast for our liking.