Lifesong

Instagram Friday, on Monday = InstaMonday

A few pictures from my phone over the past few weeks.

Our last book we are reading together for this school year. We have four weeks left, and then we will break for summer. And then I will have a FOURTH grader and a Kindergartener! Wow. (Which is a little weird, since Ansley and Christian are three years apart, but because we started Ansley in Kindergarten when she was four, and Christian won't start until he's almost six, they have four school years between them.)

Me + the kids + Mimi took a morning shopping trip last week to get some tennis stuff for the kids. They are both starting tennis lessons in our neighborhood, and they are very excited about it! I can't wait to see both of them on the court!

A bill I got in the mail this week that made me laugh. And I don't easily laugh at bills. I left the doctor's appointment not even knowing I had been diagnosed with 'giddiness.'

Kota literally follows the sunshine all day long. She's very sad if it's a cloudy day. She can sleep like this for a long time (unless she's suddenly awakened by a baby smacking her, which may or may not have happened after this photo was taken.)

Mimi stayed home with Avery (since she was still napping) so I could take the kids to their tennis lesson. It was very entertaining! Their instructor is really good with them, and they both LOVED the lesson. They can't wait to go back!

This Baby Girl

This Baby Girl is big enough to wear pigtails.

Maybe now she won't be mistaken for a boy.

This Baby Girl has enough attitude and sass in her tiny body to make us all ready to pull our hair out.

This Baby Girl has an adorable-sweet little grin that can win your heart.

This Baby Girl has a scream that can send chills down your spine.

This Baby Girl is well loved.

Garden Time!

This past Saturday was our only weekend for awhile that we have free, so we knew we had to get a move on on our garden. We had great fun last year with our inaugural gardening experience, so we knew we had to try it again, with a little tweaking.

The kids enjoyed helping turn over all the dirt and get it tilled up.

Well, I take that back. Christian did enjoy it. But see those legs on that plaid blanket? Poor Ans started complaining about her stomach hurting. She didn't eat any lunch, and laid on the couch for a bit. But she was so excited about the garden, she wanted to come out and help, stomach pains and all. So she sat on the blanket in the shade while we tilled.

Shortly after, she went to the back of the yard and threw up. We thought maybe it was something she ate. But then she threw up four more times, so we were pretty sure it was a bug. But even though she was definitely not feeling well, she was quite a trooper and wanted to be out there the whole time.

It did perk her up a little when a large lizard salamander looking thing went scurrying through the garden.

Avery was napping, but the kids enjoyed helping and we got it all done pretty quickly (since there was a lot less work this year since we didn't have to actually create the garden space!).

These are our tomato plants.

We changed a few things this year. Last year, green beans, okra, and eggplant didn't really grow for us at all, so we didn't do those this year.

So on this side (note the blanket still....poor Ans) we have the tomato plants, then we increased the number of cucumbers, squash and zucchini since we used those a lot last year. We also threw in a few herbs in the front.

Then on this side we have peas, onions, peppers, cabbage and we are trying to grow some lettuce and spinach but it doesn't seem to be growing for us. I'm not sure why. I'd really like for it to!

Since I don't have any pictures of Avery, I thought I'd throw this one in, even though it has nothing to do with gardening.

Back to the garden. After it was done, Mimi came over for dinner. We ate on the back deck while Ansley slept all crumpled up in her chair and ate nothing. We thought it might be a little easier if Christian went to Mimi's, so she took him home with her.

We got The Baby down, and then figured since Ansley was so sick and still throwing up, we'd just watch a movie together and then all go to bed. It was almost 11 when the movie was over (Ansley very rarely stays up that late, but she was sick) and the phone rang.

It was Mimi. Christian was throwing up. So John went to get him and brought him home.

We set up two pallets on the floor in our bedroom, both with towels all around them and wastebaskets. We were up every hour or so with one or the other throwing up. Then around 3 am, I sprung out of bed and ran for the bathroom. Man, it was a fast hitting virus.

John was the only survivor. (Avery had it earlier in the week. At least we think it's all the same, but who really knows the mystery of germs?)

So that is the garden and stomach bug wrap up, all in one.

We are looking forward to all the produce from our garden this year, and we are very glad that we are all feeling better!

Twelve on Twelve: April

It's time for the April edition of Twelve on Twelve. I seriously can't even believe that I'm remembering these. I guess I'm saying I'm pretty impressed with my memory and the reminder I set on my iPhone isn't hurting.

Here we go.

1. Avery got a little obsessed with ice chips. She loves them! And I'm still going a little light with her since I'm not sure what's going on with her little stomach.

2. Ansley doing her math on the computer.

3. This is called the Monster, and I love it. It quickly gets all the crumbs from my floors, AND the bonus is the kids love to use it, too!

4. The past few days, Ansley has become very interested in learning how to type. I found a free online typing class that she's been working on. She has also become very interested in emailing her Daddy and her Mimi. Good practice!

5. Mimi took Christian this afternoon because it was his turn to have a little Mimi time. Ansley wanted to make the cake from "The Seven Silly Eaters" book. We did this once before, when she was maybe five or six, but we LOVE that book. Ansley made the whole cake, and even cracked the eggs.

6. Avery woke up from her nap, and was NOT happy being on the floor while her Mama and sister worked on something she couldn't see. So, this is how she stayed super happy the whole time we worked on the cake (although we won't talk about my achy back!).

7. The cake. It turned out delicious!

8. Ansley and Avery playing together.

9. Of course, we had to read The Seven Silly Eaters while eating the cake. So cute. You must buy this book.

10. Mimi and Avery playing after dinner.

11. While I clean the kitchen. Doggone it, that kitchen never cleans itself!

12. Avery dancing before bedtime. She kept pressing a button on a toy that played music, and then going all baby-crazy around the room. Adorable!

A fun way to document an ordinary day in April!

What did you do today?

 

One Day

Reposting from the October 2009 archives. Because it spoke to me. And maybe made me a little teary-eyed at the quick passing of time. I'm thankful I documented this, because otherwise I would never remember.

One day, he'll eat his sandwich like a normal boy. With the layers still together, not torn apart and inspected first. Inspected for what, I am not sure.

One day, so will she.

 One day, there will be no sticky hands to wipe or crumbs to sweep up from the floor. There will be no shirts to change because there!is!jelly!on!it! There will not be five loads of laundry to do a day.

One day, phrases like "For every answer you get right, you may sing your favorite song at the top of your lungs" won't ever leave my mouth.

One day, in fact, I probably won't even remember I ever said phrases like that.

One day, "Please go think about how you treat your sister" will be a sentence of the past.

So will crying. One day, there will be no tears to wipe. Or tiny hineys, for that matter. There will be no blankets to pick up for naps that have been carelessly left behind the sofa. And there will be no more part of our day carved out for "nap time."

One day, they will no longer be six and almost three. They will be much too big to want to take baths together. Or with friends.

One day, it might not make my day to see two siblings being so sweet to each other.

And one day, it will be gone too soon. And I will miss it. All of it.

So today, I am thankful for the mess, the fingerprints on the windows, the boo boos to kiss, the tears to wipe away, the teachable moments, the lunches to fix, the crumbs to sweep, the blankets that must be found for naptime. For sleeping toddlers and reading six year olds, for songs sung at the top of lungs, for schoolwork done neatly, for shoes piled by the door and thea stack of cars in the corner of the kitchen that I've tripped over three times.  

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance......" Ecclesiastes 3:2

And so God has called me to this season, this season of challenges and joys, of highs and lows. Some days, I could look at it as my season to weep, or my season to be frustrated or overwhelmed. But one day, this season will be gone.

Instead, I think it's my season to dance.

Won't you dance with me?

Easter Blessings

We had a fun-filled and busy Easter weekend! JonJon and Missy came in town, so it was a full weekend with activities and fun. My kids just love when they visit!

On Saturday we went to our church's Easter egg hunt. It was Avery's first one, which was really cute. I had a ton of pictures, so I just put together a little collage of the Easter egg hunting part.

Don't look too closely because I don't know how to make collages. I'm sure there is a way to be precise in Photoshop Elements, but I don't know it. Anyway, Avery is wearing Ansley's dress from her second Easter. Oh so nostalgic! She got the hang of putting the eggs in her basket. Christian went racing off when it was his turn (they were divided by age groups, and we had a child in each group), and Ansley enjoyed collecting hers with friends. She did get the most, though. Christian enjoyed the view from JonJon's shoulders. Avery now waves and says "hi!" to everyone she sees - that's what she's doing in this picture. So cute! JonJon putting his sunglasses on her - I love it! After dinner that evening, we did another egg hunt in our backyard. This is Christian going through his eggs, and then Ansley searching for eggs.

Whew that saved me posting like five million pictures. Now there will just be two million more to get us through the rest of the weekend.

After the egg hunt at church, we came home and dyed eggs while the Baby napped. She was one worn out baby!

We dyed two dozen eggs, and everyone joined in on it! It was fun to see the creative ways each person decorated their eggs.

Here are some of them that we decorated.

Then we enjoyed our Easter dinner on the deck. It was a beautiful evening!

Prime rib, green beans, seven layer salad, and an ice cream roll up cake for dessert. It was yummy!

Then like I mentioned we did another egg hunt for the kids. Here's another picture that didn't make it in the collage.

We enjoyed lots of playing outside since the weather was so beautiful.

JonJon and Avery swinging together.

Avery was really taken with JonJon. She would go to him without any issue and laugh and laugh at his antics! It was adorable.

Oops. I forgot one that I thought was really cute. I took a LOT of pictures this weekend! This was at the egg hunt, after it was all done. We helped with the event, so we were there early and then left a little bit after it was over. Avery had all the chalk to herself, and she just walked right over to it and got busy. It was cute! You may have noticed that she is pretty much walking everywhere now. She is still a little unstable, but she's finally discovered that walking is pretty fun!

After church today, we got some family pictures while waiting for Mimi, JonJon and Missy to come over for lunch.

When you have a little one, one year changes so much. I can clearly remember our Easter picture last year with our little newborn baby!

So thankful for the blessing of family. I love spending time with my family! It was such a fun weekend with everyone here, enjoying each other's company and celebrating our Savior. Very thankful!

A Friday Evening

Christian has been kinda iffy on the 'ol bike. Sometimes he's ready to go for it, but then if he falls he loses his momentum. He's a tricky one sometimes! So today I got him a new helmet, and some knee pads and elbow pads (which I think were the key!) to try out.

First there was some instruction. And it always helps to watch the older sister in action, right?

We were rather shocked to see how much Ansley had grown since she last rode her bike! She's really almost too big for this bike! Crazy.

Soon this one will be outgrowing her trike, I'm sure. She enjoyed riding her "bike" as well, and was so proud! She enjoys waving and saying "hi" to everyone we pass.

Back to Christian. John had to raise the seat a little - this one has really grown too!

And he was off! Just like that. He did SO well, and rode for a long time. He and Ansley raced up and down the block, and he just kept going and going. I think he's finally gotten the hang of it!

Avery was fascinated with the little "ding!" on her tricycle. It was so cute! She is such a little person now - the babyness is almost gone.

John had to practice on Christian's bike too. This photo makes me laugh!

As we were wrapping up our biking evening and getting things put away, I caught a glimpse of this view and I thought it was adorable.

Isn't that precious?

And that was our Friday evening!