What these faces mean

Sister love

                                  This picture cracks me up.  Andy looks exhausted, but happy.

                                                                 A very happy baby!

                                              Claire asks for gum as soon  as she wakes up.

                                                  Lily doing everything to make me laugh.

                                                                        Me laughing

                                                                   His favorite 'bankie'

                              Quick take the picture while we are clean, ready and presentable.

just for me

School started yesterday for us!  The girls also tried out for their first musical.  Lily was shocked

and upset that she did not get a 'real' part, the travesty!!  River also auditioned by marching up on stage, the director asking him to sing,  River saying 'no' and marching right back down.  He's sweet like that.  Potty humor is pretty big in our house right now and I'm trying to figure out when to laugh and when to push back.  I laugh more often than I should.  Claire is obsessed with mermaids,princesses, and cooking.   Bode has been spoiled with afternoon naps in our bed, ok, me too.

Lily is running with me now.  She turned 8 in July and just seems so grown up!  We have great conversations all the time.  As the kids get older my idea  of parenting changes constantly.  My greatest pearl of wisdom this week was this; create a culture in your home where you rebound from sin, instead of sin avoidance and concealment.  We want our home to be the first place they feel they can come to confess and heal...

And below you are looking at the number one, most fought over toy in our house right now.  Don't let that tough guy exterior fool you.  He falls apart if the girls take it from him. 

New York

We got back yesterday from a fun trip to the Adirondacks in NY.  It was full of celebrating as most of Andy's family, including out of state cousins, aunts and uncles were there.  As you will see I have almost no pictures except for the day Andy flew in and took these.  Turns out traveling alone with 4 kids doesn't allow much time for photography. 

                                                                  Fun on the boat!

  Swimming every day right in the back yard.  I loved that!  It was so fun to lay the 2 little ones down and swim!

                     

           Now I am busy planning school for the next year.  Happy to report I am already on week 7!

                                                  River needs some serious vacation detox.

       Bode turned 4 months old on July 6th.  He continues to be a smiling, happy blessing to our family!

Glimpses of the girl's room

Both girls were in day camp this week ,so I finished up their room.  I am really happy with how it came together.  Sometimes,(most of the time) the idea in my head doesn't happen.  This time it did.  Furniture,walls and trim are all freshly painted, curtains were washed, every inch was cleaned and organized.  A family heirloom quilt sits pretty at the end of their bed, and graduation decorations that were going to be thrown away were the perfect touch to hang from the ceiling!  Sorry I couldn't get a whole room picture.  We need a new lens, hopefully this casts a vision though.  

Ahhh Summer!

The weather here has been nothing short of perfect, wonderful, breathtaking... Can you tell I love it?  Seriously, we canned the last 5 math worksheets because of it!  Don't worry, I'll pull them out on a stormy or muggy day that is bound to happen here in the midwest. We have been living at the beach and yesterday we ventured to a local point of interest.  It is as perfect as the weather has been, and when I feel the day has come that my little ducklings are ready to spread their wings and I will work again I hope it's there.  Yesterday was extra special with music, antiques and a goose that really wanted to bite us.

So I had this idea...

I am redoing the girl's room; painting, purging and cleaning every inch!  They have a built-in book case that I thought would be fun with wall paper in the back.  I checked into it and, $$$$.  Which brings me to what I have spent the entirety of nap time on.  Feedback please! More birds, flowers, branches, leaves.... How do I do the final hanging; spray adhesive, hot glue.  It will stay as is until I have had a few days to process then I'll post the whole room!

Does anyone agree?

Peonies are much better on display then on the plant.  Let me prove my point.