Fall and a little more progress!

Picking up where we left off, weeks 19 and 21 at the bottom of the picture. Happy Fall! Our weekend is filled with fun,free, community activities. Hope you are able to get out enjoy what is arguabley the best month of the year.

To do list.

1. Put in hardwood floors and continue finding home inspiration on pinterest.

2. Read, Read, Read with the kids!

3. Continue praying to really believe that God is good and wants the best for us. Stop mulling over predestination and election, and just rest in my Jesus.

4. Crochet goodies for the new babies in our life.

5. Look for the best in people and give grace and mercy more than judgement-most respond better to this.

6. Finish painting the trim white, make a triangle banner for River and new baby's room.

7. Enjoy my surprise date this weekend!

8. Collect recipes for our Thanksgiving-Claire's birthday- decorate the Christmas tree-extravaganza.

9. Take vitamin D to replace my beloved sunshine.

10. Make a point to keep in touch to those precious to us.

11. Make Claire and River's scrapbook.

12. Play piano and sing just a little everyday.

13. Focus in on moments like Claire's little feet being the only thing I could see at bedtime reading. They were too cute!

14. Blog occasionally, but more frequently than not.

Keeping track

I found out about this little baby,July 5th. It is not easy hiding a 4th baby. I felt like I took the test and started showing. I am trying to be intentional about taking pictures every other week as I am thinking this is the last time I will go through the miracle of pregnancy. The girls are just as excited which is bringing a whole new kind of fun into the mix. River is very indifferent. These pics are starting at the top left 9weeks, 11weeks,13 weeks, 15weeks and then the start of my 17th. The photo shoot is held in our very glamorous extra bathroom.

School Days

We got a headstart on school this year due to upcoming trips and breaks. We are enjoying it so much! All of us, and that says alot. Lily has her alarm set for 7 does devos, chores and breadfast and school starts right at 8:30. Lily chooses what she starts and ends with each day and they can earn media time for excellent attitudes. It feels like a good rythym that we are excited to maintain.

Jason and Lindsay

I don't talk about them much anymore. Oddly, when I do it's still a pretty fresh hurt. Today is the 7 year anniversary of our good friends, Jason and Lindsay's death. It broke open a whole world of hurt, violence and loss that my little life hadn't experienced up to that point. I remember holding 3 week-old Lily and crying and singing as we had just welcomed the new life of our first baby, but lost 2 close friends to death. We will always remember the sweet memories and look forward to seeing them in Heaven once again.

July and August so far in photos

Let's do this.

If you're like me you have all sorts of different kinds of days. You have the uneventful, where you wouldn't necessarily call them good or bad, but just days. You have the days that are great, where you are rested, surrounded by great moments of laughing and joy and when you lay down on the pillow that night you're not questioning the words you said, or the actions of your children, you're just thankful and at peace. Then other days fall into the 'Let's do this' category. Kids are up earlier than usual, quiet time is missed, coffee didn't work and you are seeing all the characteristics in your kids that make you question your parenting abilities. I tend to push through these days, pray for grace and understanding and for the Heavenly Father who is the perfect parent, to once again take the reigns. At the end of these days, I usually turn to Andy and ask, 'Are we doing things right?' 'What do we need to change and work on?' 'This is harder than I anticipated.' On the 'Let's do this' days I especially need to remember to give myself grace and do-overs. The day doesn't have to continue on this track. 2PM is a perfectly good time to make things right! We are coming out of Andy having a very full schedule and me feeling very spent as a mom. Grace needs to abound in our house especially these days. Everyone feels a little off, isolated and out of sync as our work is very lifestyle instead of 8-5. Our annual camping trip is coming and I can't wait to reconnect, rest, and recreate, just us. I didn't know exactly how much I felt this until this morning when I was edgy and the tears started coming. 2 Trader Joe Dark Chocolate bars dipped in peanut butter and Andy taking over has definitely helped on the road to emotional well-being. A week unplugged and unprogrammed will be the icing on the cake!