London

When your baby decides to love and follow Jesus, well, it's about the best thing in the entire world.

Just a few things I want to remember......

Noble and William wrestling/running/acting like little boys in the morning before Noble heads off to school (while I'm telling him for the emp-teeninth time to please put on his shoes)......


London reading her bible before bed and writing down her thoughts and prayers in her journal...

Summer taking William's hand and leading him on the sidewalk......

William and Summer reading one of their favorite books with me before bed (Moo, Baa, La, La, La) and Summer being so excited about the 'La, La, La" part she skips the pig, trust me, it's adorable.

Noble holding my hand on the walk home from school.....

William walking Noble's balance bike all around the cup-de-sac, wanting to be exactly like his big brother......
 
Reading 'Little Women' to London before bed......

Making puppy training plans and reading up on all there is to know about crate training a puppy with L.......

Bath time with Will and Summer; watching them rub shampoo in one another's hair.....

Noble still asking me to sing him a bedtime song.....

Listening to all the new 'baby' words Summer and Will add to their vocabulary each day (Boble is probably my favorite).....  

A quiet afternoon to write down a few little pieces that fill my heart.......

A happy home

I read an article about 5 common things happy people have in their homes, and it made me stop and think about all the people I love and what specifically about their homes makes me feel at home, loved, and just happy (besides them of course)! All of them have a home that is inviting, begging me to stay for a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine).  I see comfy throws, friendly pets that plead to be snuggled, family photographs, yummy food, candles burning, music playing, kids scribbles and drawings taped up on walls and refrigerators, to-do lists, scriptures on the walls and just an air of openness about them.

It also gave me new eyes to see what, in my own home, at first glance might drive neat-freak me a little bonkers ( overflowing toy basket that I keep saying I'll pare down), but after a second, deeper look, shows something much more beautiful (a house full of children).

The evidence of our abundance is all around me.

My never clean windows show smudges of sweet little faces watching the world around them.  My casserole dishes, waiting to be returned on the counter, show loving care of generous friends and family during those not-so great days of illness. Medicine on the counter reminds me of our 24/7 access to medical care during these bouts of sickness, the hairbrush that is always on our table brings to mind all of the little blonde bed heads that I get to detangle every morning during breakfast.  Pillows on the floor (and not on the couch) are evidence of a giggly game of chase the twins played with one another just this morning.  Dishes on the counter and laundry on the couch are evidence of more than enough food to eat and clothes to wear.  Dirt and grass on the floor reveal a yard to run and play in.  Flies all over my kitchen point to neighborhood children running in and out the front door, making themselves at home.  The mess and joy of life completely surround me.
Here's to seeing the happy in our home.

Swingin' Along

My own little (9 yr. old) mermaid

The weekend of London's ninth birthday, I ended up catching some sort of yucky, achey, makes you feel totally miserable bug.  I'm attributing it to the fact that while out shopping with my mom and sister, London picked out (and came home) with an adorable top labeled 'Tween'.
 So it begins.
We had the best time though.  L was beaming all weekend.  What's not to love about a nine year old? She likes to shop, get her nails done and her favorite restaurant is Olive Garden.  Oh, and her top birthday request was for a mermaid tail she can swim in.  I'm sort of jealous.  Okay, I'm really jealous.  Trying to justify why I need a matching one, although we don't have a pool and I don't think it would be socially acceptable for me to wear a spandex tail in public.
Happy 9th Birthday sweet baby girl, you light up our lives!

These two

First Days

Now officially a third grader and a Kindergartener.  These years are passing all too quickly, I feel like we are just beginning the school years and that they will come to a close before I can even blink.

Now to soak up my time with these two littles. They will be off to school and new adventures much too soon.