Getting Ready for Christmas

We are getting ready for Christmas....decorating the house has been fun this year again. There is a still a newness to the house even though we have been here almost 2 years. We added a tree to the front room this year and I finally got to do a "theme" tree with a bow on top and ribbons running down. This Christmas seems to be easier than some previous ones.

Easter Outfits

Here are the kids in their Easter outfits. A little late posting them but better late than never. I look at them and I think, where did the little kids go! They are growing up so fast.

The pictures were taken in front of their grandfather's new church.

The Backyard

Since moving in we have not had the opportunity to work on the back. This spring we finally got it done and now have a great new "outdoor living space." Don says I watch too much HGTV, but he likes the "outdoor living space" as much as I do.

Summer Fun at Last

With so much rain there has been little opportunity to play outside. Either it is raining or it is muddy. Today was great! The ground is starting to dry out, the sun is shining and the kids spent some time being kids outside!

I am not sure if it is a good or bad thing that all the little neighbor kids are boys. Works out well for Ethan, and Emily doesn't seem to mind (this is the part that concerns me). I guess for now they all just have a great time together.

I am glad I had a stock of CapriSun in the fridge, running around, climbing trees and playing "shark" under the tree house makes kids thirsty apparently.

Mommy Meeting

Some mommies don't want to work, some think work is a necessary part of sanity. Regardless we all needed a little adult conversation. Several of us got together this past Friday and had a nice time visiting. The kids played inside because of the rain, and this went well with one minor experience. The one year old decided to see how effective Eucerin(lotion) was on her entire body, and the carpet and the dog carrier and the gate and the back of her mommy's shirt! We were so surprised and her mom was so traumtized we forgot to take any pictures of the white mess. All ended well, everything was cleaned up and the one year old....well she is baby soft!

The older children enjoyed taking turns holding the newest little friend. Emily seemed a little too comfortable holding the baby. MANY, MANY years in the furture she will make a sweet little mommy herself.

Just Kicking Back

With everything that we have been doing this summer there are times when it is nice in the evening to just kick back and do nothing. Sometimes we have to sneak a learning activity in there just to keep the kids little minds on the right track. We wouldn't want them to lose everything they had learned this year.

4th of July

This year for the 4th of July we had our family get together in our new home! It was so much fun having everyone there. This was the first get together we have had since moving in. Most everyone had not seen the house all "put together". There have been several stages of completion but by Wednesday we had most of the painting done, the yard looked nice, despite all the rain, and the new living room furniture came in on Tuesday.

My children had fun playing with their cousins in the tree house, and my grandparents, aunt and uncle and sister and brother in law just spent time laughing and talking and of course eating!