Life with boys

Been finding Buzz on all kinds of adventures here lately.  It cracks me up to see him hanging around!

To infinity and beyond...even upside down!

Scattered, Smothered, and Covered

I have certainly found a lot of pride over the years in my Icankeepitogetherness.  There is a systematic breaking down of my own independance and pride that has come with the children we continue to add to our brood.  I just can't get it all done!  I can't keep it all together.  Things are sticky and faces are dirty and we leave the house without the things we need on a regular basis. 

School starting has been a giant wake up call for me too.  It's quite a feat to get them all up and fed and (mostly) dressed and out the door by 7:50 AM.  It is such a feat actually that we've only done it once.  And that was the morning I locked my keys in the house. 

Yep, there we were all in the car, all dressed, all fed and I was feeling pretty good about myself until I went to start the car.  Oops.  I had to stop and breathe and be still for a few minutes and I knew God was showing me that the task is not always the most important.  The time is always secondary to these precious souls I get to to steward.  It's a hard lesson for this task oriented mama, but one I am willing and trying to learn!

We've had some fun scattered in these past few weeks too.  We got to spend a weekend with all of J's family at his parents house.  His sister Natalie is back from her summer internship in Germany, so we were all able to gather and celebrate summer birthdays and her return. 

11 cousins on the stairs...and no one is crying...miraculous!!!

And here is the whole clan.  The last shot we got of everyone was Christmas 2010 so it was definitely time!

Birthday celebrations abound in August, and we were so excited to celebrate with my dad on his birthday as well.

Happy Birthday Papa!!

In other, very exciting news,  Sadie Bess is potty trained!!

We made a few earlier attempts but she just did not have the verbal skills she really needed to communicate with me.  She's had a language explosion lately so we decided to try again last week.  She's only had two accidents since last week (including a road trip and lots of mornings running errands) so I'd say we're doing pretty good. 

She also insists on only using the big potty like everyone else, so we're going to need some sort of system to help her figure it out before she is completely autonomous. 

Lots of thankfulness here, eternal thankfulness that I am covered by the grace of God.  I am seeing my own need for God's hand in my life in very tangible ways.  It is a blessing to know that I do not have to try to do it all on my own!!

Transition and Tension

First of all, let me just say that I'm surprised you're here.  No really, I haven't posted in so long that I am surprised anyone keeps coming back!!  I have been downright delinquent on the blog, but I'm hoping to get back into a somewhat regular groove. 

We've had an eventful few weeks around here.  Ella is now SIX!

I am sure this is starting to get ridiculous because I say it all the time, but how did we get here??

I am finding myself more and more in transition these days.  I have TWO school aged kids.  While there are still lots of little ones with lots of little needs around the house, I can't help but feel like I am moving into a new phase of mothering.  I watch the "young" moms with a baby and a toddler and that feels like forever ago.  It's just so different parenting a seven year old and a six year old.  Amazing.  And different. 

Birthday celebrations were exciting and abundant. 

We did a small party with just a few friends. 

Pedicures and frozen yogurt.

Seriously, it was the best. party. ever!

Ella has been asking to get her ears pierced for the last 18 months so that was her present from us on her actual birthday.  She was nervous, and I know it hurt, but she handled it like a champ.

We got to have a fun birthday lunch with Aunt Maggie and Maddox and Gigi too!

And a yummy strawberry cake with purple [blueberry] icing.  She also requested a gymnast doing a handstand on top of the cake.  Due to some poor planning on my part I had to ice a cake that wasnt' completely cooled so it was a bit of a mess.  At least it was a delicious mess. 

And we capped off all the festivities with a birthday date with daddy.  They had a blast.

Today, my six year old went to school.  What?  I didn't expect to be emotional, but it was hard to hug her and walk out of that classroom.  I love where she is going to school.  It's four days a week and she's finished at noon, but it's still hard to imagine that she won't be here with us every day. 

Dang, she looks so grown up!

There's a tension here for me too.  It seems so easy to wipe a toddler's bum or nurse an infant, but now we're talking about character issues and seeing sin patterns.  Yikes! I am humbled, in almost every moment, that God allows me the privilege to be a mom to these littles. 

Paintin' Time