Labor day road trip!

I got on here the other day to update and was kindly informed by blogger that I had utilized all of my free photo storage space.  Silly me did not even realize there was a limit!  Anywhoo, I had all of 4 minutes to upload pictures and attempt to do a post and I could not recover from this unexpected information.  I simply could not process it quickly enough to come up with a solution and get a post done.  Seems to be how things roll these days.  I am shorter and shorter on brain power :)

After a few days to think it over, I opted to delete a few old photos that were duplicates from the boutique blog, and clear up space for a few more shots.  The reality is that this prompted me to do some more thinking about this space in general, and I am trying to decide where to go from here...

More space on this blog?

New blog?

No blog?

I have loved having this place to journal so many aspects of our every day and it has preserved so many moments that I know would have otherwise been long forgotten.  I think I need more time to really figure out what it is I want to do, so in the meantime, posting will likely be sparse.  At the very least, pictures will be sparse :)

I must include a few shots of our awesome Labor day weekend.  We had a blast on a family road trip.  J worked a the weekend before the holiday, so he ended up with Friday off and he already had Monday and Tuesday off, so we decided to make the most of it.  We opted to visit some awesome friends from med school and their four kiddos in Dayton, Ohio.  What?  You didn't know Dayton was the coolest new vacation spot.  Totally!

We left Thursday after work and took the "long way" through Nashville, but broke the trip up by stopping there for the night. 

It was great to see "Tappy" and meet Arthur!  Kathy was an incredible connection for us during our year in Nashville, and it was so fun to see her and be back.

She spoiled us with an awesome pancake breakfast and we got to hang out with Becca (Arthur's momma) for a little while too.  Ella was especially excited.  Even after a year away from Nashville, she is quick to remind me how generous Tappy is with her syrup portions on pancakes.

The kids and I also managed to squeeze in a few minutes at our favorite Nashville park while J visited with his old department at the hospital.  It was a little sweaty, but a nice way to burn off some energy before a long ride in the car!

The Higeys are one of those couples that J and I connected as newlyweds.  It's just hard to explain how much they have encouraged us over the years.  Jill and I taught at the same high school and the men did med school together so we were able to establish a friendship before either of us had children.  That is huge!

The Higeys have four little ones so everyone had a playmate except for Sadie.  She seemed to be okay without a friend her own age although I realize that may not be the case a few years from now!

Saturday morning we all ventured to a local park.  How about this crowd?!

Jill got some fun family shots at their neighborhood garden.  Seriously, it was so beautiful!  I would never have guessed Ohio could be so cool.

All the kids.

Yeppers, that is nine little ones ranging from 10 months to 8 years old.  The oldest six paired up and played so well together.  It was frighteningly easy.  Seriously, I took a nap Saturday afternoon and Sunday because they were playing so happily.  I never do that at home!!

We made it back home Monday night and Tuesday we got to celebrate this man...

We had a fun family dinner and cake here on his actual birthday and then I was able to surprise him with a date Saturday night.  Much needed time for us, if I do say so! 

I am more and more overwhelmed by how full this season of life is for me.  I am so thankful for our family and the many gifts I too often take for granted!!

Outside time!

This was the only shot I could get of Sadie.  She was too buys playing to smile for me :)

Helpers

Ella's favorite job is "helping."  It doesn't really matter what the task is (most of the time), but she loves being able to assist. 

Feeding Mae is an especially fun job!

Messy, but fun!

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