Flip Flop Family Fun

In. To. Everything.

2012-02-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

At almost 16 months, you dear Ryker, are keepin your mama on her toes. You are quite the climber and one of your favorite activities is emptying drawers and cupboards :) Good thing you still love to rockabye and that you are so

very

sweet,

silly, and smiley!

Not to mention, smart! Here you are doing homeschool. . .

It might be time to do some childproofing. . .or just go with the method we are currently using. . the wait til your siblings start yelling for us that you are doing something you shouldn't be :) We love you baby Ryker!

Kids are "Thrilled to the Gills"

2012-02-14T14:23:00.001-08:00

Allow me to introduce, Starburst, our first family pet

I am about as good with fish, as I am with plants, so we shall see how Starburst does :)

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T14:17:00.001-08:00

Looking forward to a special dinner of heart shaped pizza, and watchin Charlie Brown Valentine!

Operation Mudroom (or lack there of). . Update!

2012-01-29T11:21:00.000-08:00

The crew came in from playing in the snow today and there were no snow clothes laying on the floor! They have officially started hanging up snowclothes in the back of the garage without being told! Yahoo!
They even placed their mittens where daddy places them ;)Nicely done children! That calls for some hot cocoa. . .

"The Best Spot in the House"

2012-01-22T19:58:00.000-08:00

Daddy's lap is "the best spot in the house" for watching football. . .Ainsley and I both agree!

2012-01-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Phil2:4

2012-01-21T19:40:00.001-08:00

First comes wedding showers/weddings. . then comes baby showers. . .now we find ourselves in the birthday parties stage. Those 1st birthday parties are so fun, and the winter "One"derland party we attended today was no exception! Ainsley, Taetum, and Maddie made up a very sweet prayer that they said and soon after it was cake smashing time :) Ryker looked on at his buddy Benton, jealously, and pretty soon started pointing and tapping on the highchair.
So we set him up next to the birthday boy and they had a smashing good time :)Ryker didn't take that thing out of his mouth til the chocolate frosting was completely licked off :)

Project Mudroom

2012-01-20T11:44:00.000-08:00

OK, so I was feeling all proud because the majority of our kids (the word majority makes it sound like we have a lot of kids. . .well, maybe we do by todays standards, but did you know that from 1800 to 1900 avg number of children per household went from 7 to 4. . .and today I believe it's less than 1? anyway, that's besides the point) can mostly dress themselves to go out into the snow! There were days when it took me longer to bundle and unbundle them all than we actually played outside. But not now. . .so proud of my responsible children. And then they came in. . .and I was humbled by what I saw. . . I would love if some home remodel show would come build us a mudroom at the back of our garage (because a mudroom would of course make them automatically start putting their snow clothes away : )). But since I don't see that happening in the near future, I might just have to teach them to hang up their snow clothes. Can you imagine all the coats of those families in the 1800's? I guess I should read my recent post about perspective and be thankful we have warm clothes and a warm house. . . and then work some more on responsibility :)

Perspective

2012-01-19T07:58:00.000-08:00

Got a text from GooF that read, "Ryk woke up he is filthy, food on face and clothes. . . funny" To which I explained he fell asleep in the car after eating a bowl of rice and I just transferred him in. I failed to mention that this was how he was eating his rice. . . Some might say, he's eating rice on the floor out of a breakable bowl?But it's all in the perspective. . .I choose to think of it like this. . .he can feed himself, is dressed and even has a bib on, AND look at that great tactile experience he is getting by putting his feet in rice! Plus, the mother will only have to clean up him and the floor. . not the table and booster seat too :)
See. . .I strive to be slow to judge and quick to love on mothers. I strive to see things with the glass (er bowl of rice) half full. And, I strive to have a good perspective on things. Plus, the fact that rice was stuck all over his pants made it easy for him to finish his lunch on the drive to pick up Porter from school :)

A correlation between 8 yr old girls and the internet

2012-01-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

"8 year old girls are like the internet. Not everything they say is true." -GooF

Giggles

2012-01-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

As I put curlers in their hair (per their request) I listened as they giggled and shared a big ice cream sundae. EVERTHING made them giggle but this was my favorite,

Tae: We're having a blizzard

Ainsley: No we aren't. There's just a slight chance of snow.

Me: I think Taetum meant an ice cream blizzard.

Giggles all around. And then some more giggles about their George Washington styled hair.

Mommying

2012-01-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

About 9 years ago I found out I was going to be a mommy!

One thing that has been huge for me, in my mommying journey, is MOPS. I started going when I was home with a new baby, and knew no other young moms. I remember approaching another mom at church one Sunday, who also had a baby girl. We met up at Panera, and then many mornings after that at my house, and also attended MOPS together. I am so thankful for her friendship! Shortly after that, we moved and the first church we visited we chose partly because it had a MOPS group at it. . .and also I told God that if we made it through the service (with 2 small children) it would be our church home. Ainsley fell asleep and we made it through the service :) A divine miracle! I have been a part of that MOPS group ever since and on the leadership team many years. . . it is just a great place of encouragement for mothers! I keep having babies, so will probably go straight from MOPS to MOMSnext to mentor mom ;)

Another thing that has been huge for me is dates with my children. That one on one time that either GooF or I have with them has really grown our relationships! Dates for mom and dad are key too :) Even if it's just a redbox movie when the kids are in bed and I have to nurse halfway through. ha. I enjoy getting to know each individual child, even while at home. Every night when I tuck Trey in, he gets kisses "from your head. . .to your toes. . .to your nose." That's just a Trey and mommy thing.

And there you have it, MOPS and dates are important to me, while doing this thing called mommying.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

2012-01-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

Psalm 89:1 says "I will sing of the Lord's great love forever, with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. . "

The other night as I was tucking the boys in, Porter requested the hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" because Grandpa sings it at sleepovers. I remembered most of the chorus (with Porter's help), but not all of it, and I had to go pull out the hymnal I got from my grandparents so I could sing it to him. . .all three verses with the chorus in between :) I may have gotten the giggles a few times as I stood in their room singin like an old church lady and the boys were completely quiet listening :) He stopped me and asked during one of the verses, "what are courses?" I was glad he didn't ask, "what is manifold". . .which grandpa later told me means many :) I love the verse above, because not only is this a song that both my parents, and my sister Jenny, and my great grandma Emily love/loved, but it is also a song of faithfulness being passed on to the next generation in Porter. I am so blessed to have grandparents and parents who have taught me of God's great faithfulness.

Activities

2012-01-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

Activities. There are so very many to choose from. By homeschooling Ainsley and Trey,
and Porter at school only in the am, we are able to be pretty flexible with our schedule. We can still make our family time a priority, with meals together, etc and allow them to try activities. Ainsley has found many things she enjoys and does pretty well at. . .gymnastics,

dance,

soccer, Girl Scouts, and she can start "Girls on the Run" in the fall. We will not be trying any other new activities with her unless she starts to not like what she's in. The kids also take piano from Grammy, and we used to go to Wed night church activities, but they are late for Porter. Hopefully we will start up with those again soon. Porter and Trey went to their first karate class with GooF and LOVED it. He said it is right up their ally. . .yelling, kicking, punching, etc :) The instructor is amazing with kids. . .he is a Christian dad and values great character traits! He spoke at our MOPS group recently and I was hooked. It is something all the boys can do together, but it is pretty expensive for a family, so we shall see. Trey says he wants to try football too, and Porter wants to join Boy Scouts next year. Ryker seems to enoy his "sissy's" tap shoes :) Really though, whatever the kids find that they enjoy, and are able to use their God given talents with, be it wrestling or acting or whatever, we are good with. Anyway, being more free to try activities, while still keeping family time a priority, is one of the great perks of homeschooling!

Growing up, I tried all sorts of activities from show choir to volleyball. And as an adult I have many activities I like, from homemaking ones like baking, crafting, and decorating, to kid related ones, like teaching and mommying. I've always enjoyed some form of exercise, be it aerobics with a friend, or running, and I most definitely enjoy building relationships with other moms and having them in my home. We enjoy serving as a family and going on outings together. And those are my ramblings as far as activities are concerned! But please children, if you don't mind, we'd rather you not be on the debate team. GooF and I are not much for debating :) But even if you are, we will still support you. . .

Costly

2012-01-14T09:15:00.001-08:00

I hope I treasure this picture for years to come, because it was costly. Let's just say the man pulling the sled tackled the photographer, who was not bundled up. I think that means he likes her :) The photographer had a camera in one hand and a phone in the other. . .she went down in order to save her tech gadgets :)

2012-01-13T14:12:00.000-08:00

What are those you ask? Those are my feet. . .in FLIP FLOPS. . .in JANUARY. . .at a PARK! We had another beautiful January day, and took advantage of it by spending the afternoon at the park!

Mr Ryker Matthew at almost 15 months old!

Mr Trey Coleman at a whopping 4 yrs, 5 months!

I enjoy seeing the bonds form amongst the kids and with their littlest sidekick. . .

Cousin Fun

2012-01-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

January has been beautiful outside thus far, and today was no exception! My sister called and asked if we wanted to join them at the iceskating rink, to which we replied, "Is it open?" Being 42 degrees and all, GooF wondered if the ice would not be frozen. He's a smart man, that man of mine. But Steph had driven by and said it was open, so off we went! Turns out, GooF was right, but the kids had a great time finding big chunks of ice and cracking them :) Everything is more fun with your cousins!

LOVED it!

2012-01-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

That's all there really is to say. . .Ainsley LOVED her first day of gymnastics, and the next day was asking if she could go again.

Worth it

2012-01-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sure someday when the kids are grown and have families of their own, I will miss the noise and chaos, but for now, naptime is blissful. . .sweet, quiet, peace. Ryker has started to take nice loooong afternoon naps like his big siblings used to. But sometimes, in the morning, as I'm balancing schoolwork, housework, time for myself, etc, I want him to stay in one spot. And so, I stick him in the booster chair. But I have begun to realize, this usually results in more of a mess. . .more cleanup and work for me later,
But it's still worth it for those few minutes of peace.

Back to School

2012-01-03T06:26:00.000-08:00

After enjoying many pajama days over break, it is now back to school. . .both for us and for Ainsley's "doll school". . . She also has her first day of gymnastics, as well as starting Tap this week! Her daddy gave her a big smile when she came out in her leo lookin all sporty :) Hope she likes it more than I did. . .I quit because I was afraid I'd get brain damage. . that's what I told my mom :)

Porter is off to kindergarten this morning, after getting a great report on his report card! We love you kids no matter what. We pray for you, and remember, "the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

2 out of 3

2012-01-02T20:23:00.001-08:00

We took the kids bowling over Christmas break, and 2 out of 3 had a good time. My mom got advice from a wise old lady once that if 2 out of 3 are happy with what you're doing, that's good. So I guess we can say it was good :)

Limo Ride

2012-01-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

We got to go on a limo ride with our good friends from college, who also have four children. Their daddy drives limo, so he took us for a cruise to see Christmas lights. At first I felt bad that he couldn't be in the back by us, but then I started to feel jealous that he could just close himself off from the chaos :) Our children were NUTS, because they got to move around in a moving vehicle. . .plus, Ryker was sick. It was definitely a memory :)

January 2012 Update

2012-01-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Ah, after enjoying all the festivities of the Christmas season, it is now the beginning of a new year. I feel blessed. God has given me a wonderful family, and I am grateful. The trend these days is to pick one word for the new year. The first word that comes to mind for me is INTENTIONAL. I am striving to be more intentional. . .in everything from how I spend my time, to modeling Jesus to our children. There are many things I am making a point to be more intentional about. Another word that comes to mind for me is SIMPLIFY. I am also striving to get rid of the "clutter" in our family's life, in order to be able to enjoy more fully the important things. I asked GooF his one word, and he said, "Donut". . .maybe that has to do with our new years tradition of making donuts and other food in our Fry Daddy on New Years Day!
I am looking forward to many things in 2012. . .growing in my relationship with Christ and with others, continuing to homeschool Ainsley, a trip down south, and many "normal" days enjoying my husband, children, family and friends.
Am praying as I start 2012, that God will lead us as far as children. I love having babies. . .the feeling of them moving in my belly as they grow, the sweetness of a newborn, nursing them, etc. But my heart is also open to children that need a mom and dad. . .those in foster care and/or adoption. But I also feel so blessed with the ones He has already entrusted to our care! Like most things, this varies so much amongst families and GooF and I are praying that God will specifically lead our family in this area. So, maybe I need a third word, PRAYER. Maybe I'm more a 3 word girl than a 1 word girl :)

Happy 2012!

Merry Christmas 2011~ from my littlest men

2012-01-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

(Porters picture of us around the tree :) )

The Princess and the Police Officer

2012-01-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

I thought the title of the play the kids came up with was quite clever :) Last time we went to the Childrens Museum, I went "backstage" to check on Ainsley and Porter before their performance and they had completely changed out of their clothes and into dress up clothes. I informed them that at public places, dress up clothes go OVER our regular clothes. Anyway, here is a little peek at their play, "The Princess and The Police Officer". . .love the Police Officers' pants :)

Ainsley and Kit ~ Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

Ainsley wanted Kit's bed for Christmas this year. . . sweetly tucking her in for the first time :) Ainsley and Kit in their holiday dresses!

Our Little One

2012-01-02T18:32:00.000-08:00

The sparkle in your eyes, your chubby kissable cheeks, your smile when you see me, your giggle when I tickle chase you, your sweet hugs and kisses, the way you say, "whoa," the way you bring your shoes over to us and sit down so you can go outside, the way you call me "mama" just like your big siblings did at your age, the way you turn on the radio and start dancin, the way you point at things til you get what you want, we just love you, our little one!

4 kids or 7. . .not much difference

2011-12-18T18:11:00.000-08:00

Either way, we were still out numbered. We trade date nights with our good friends. They watched our kids so we could see "Courageous" and today it was their turn to go! I must say, it really felt no different having 7 kids at our house. . .we even got to lay and snuggle on the couch a bit. The big kids just run off and play. Can I say bring on the Mercedes Sprinter? Not quite, but GooF did used to joke in college that I would be driving a conversion van someday :) Here are Ryker (14 months) and Benton (11ish months). Boys, you really have no choice. . .you WILL be friends bc your mommies are. Ryker kindly fed Benton some cheerios :)

It was a beautiful December day. . .the girls changed into many different outfits of Ainsleys and put on some great shows :)

Now, it's off to wrap gifts as all kids are asleep by 8 pm. . ahhh. Tomorrow morning, this is what's for breakfast!

This Sunday Evening at Grammy and Grampas House

2011-12-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday evening we go over to my parents. . .a lot of memories have been made with the cousins on Sunday nights. . .plus, it's nice for my sister and I to not have to cook and to catch up! Tonight, we acted out the Baby Jesus story. . .I got to help give out parts, so of course I got to be Mary, GooF got to be Joseph and Ryker got to be baby Jesus :) Ainsley and Taetum were the angels( their flower girl dresses got some more use). Porter took his part as a wise man very seriously with his crown and gift of gold. Trey was a "baaaaing" sheep :) While Bridger was a "sheep dog" ha. Grammy and my sister were shephards, with my sister wearing her daughters little robe :) My dad. . .well, he's a pastor, so any other part in the story I gave him. . .GooF said I gave him all the leftover parts (innkeeper, another wiseman and such). My parents set up the videocamera. . .this one will be a keeper :)

Mary. . .pretending to be pregnant. . .see, I play the part well. . .I've had lots of experience in that area
Baby Jesus in his "manger"

The wise men bringing gifts. . .

Another Sunday evening memory made.

Weekend Festivities. . .

2011-12-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

I love the city we live in. There are so very many fun activities to do with your family, from downtown carriage rides (which we will make it to someday!) to decorating cupcakes at the local bakery!

We can't fit them all in, but the kids had a great time today. . .

they enjoyed Peter Pan with Grammy and Grampa and feeding camels at the live nativity.

We still had a little down time at home, enjoying our 14 month old!

As well as our big kids, who have been running off to play together more and more. . .I love me a couple boys in their hoodies ;)

(Yes, he is standing in the fridge. . .boys like to open the fridge door a lot I've learned!)

(and yes, this is how Porter wanted to pose :) Boys are funny, I've also learned )

Porter had his school Christmas program and he did so well (he only needed a little reminder from his teacher as they were lining up to keep his eyes on her. . .as the pics on the right show, his eyes were on the girl next to him before their songs began :) )

I am so thankful this Christmas season, for God's perfect gift, Jesus. For life, for allowing me to be GooF's wife, and mommy to Ainsley, Porter, Trey and Ryker, as we enjoy the Christmas festivities together. Thank you God.

I'd like you to meet

2011-12-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

"Emma and Emily"

They make me laugh!

Apparently, the "feeties"

got too hot, or so they said :)

And let me just say, Trey is ALL BOY, but he does play oh so very nicely with his sister :)

2011-12-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

What little brothers are for. . .

A Peek into our Christmas this Year

2011-12-09T19:01:00.000-08:00

"Christmas this Year" by Toby Mac has been blaring loudly while the children dance around. They are counting down the days until Christmas morning with an advent calendar idea I got online at www.roomag.com/advent-ornaments/

. . .each day we do something special, from writing a Christmas letter to our Compassion Child, Ivy, to going on a Minivan Express tour of Christmas lights. From acting out the story of baby Jesus, to visiting a live Nativity. From baking gingerbread men to a family game night.

From Nutcracker performances,

to a Singalong at my grandma's nursing home.

From Christmas at Grammy and Grampas house

to pulling kids through the snow on the sled

From baking cookies

to hosting a Cookie Decorating Playgroup at our home

To spending time delighting in our children, as our Heavenly Father delights in us.

A Peek into our "Christmas this year!"

You know you're raising boys

2011-12-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

when your clock looks like this. . . and when your little people nativity

ends up on the floor, and in its place are these. . .

Ah, you too, my littlest man

will soon join your big bros in "redecorating" our home. And I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Mobile

2011-11-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

Ryker is caught in the act :) and officially..........

IN............
TO.....................
EVERYTHING....................

Sunday Nights at Grammy and Grampas

2011-11-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

Playing dress up and dancing in the kitchen :)

I am so very thankful these girls have each other!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T19:11:00.000-08:00

We are starting a new Thanksgiving tradition this year, and on or near Thanksgiving, we are each writing one thing we are thankful for on a tablecloth. I am hoping to use the tablecloth each year around Thanksgiving, so we will be able to look back over the years at what we're thankful for!

This year, one of the many things I am thankful for is the schooling decisions God has led us to. Last summer, I really had to give them to Him, focus on Him, and follow His lead. Each day I am able to be home with this little guy. . .watching him learn and explore (yes, milk jug lids in a hole in an ice cream bucket make a great toy under my sink).

I am able to do "home preschool" with this little man. . .
and thanks to my mom, I can help on field trips and party days with Porter's class.
Ainsley is such a bright student and I treasure our time together.
And Porter is doing so well, learning not only his "ABC's and 123's" but Bible Verses and also that school is fun! Recess and friends are probably his favorite parts although he enjoys doing artwork too :)
Thank you God, that each individual child is having a good school year.

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving, by delivering meals to those that needed them. God has blessed us with so much and we feel called to serve others.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

The Day the Forklift Came to Play

2011-11-24T18:58:00.000-08:00

The boys were pretty excited to discover a forklift outside our house :) They spent an entire weekend playing on it, before another big machine showed up that next Monday morning and work on our shingles began!

Ballet

2011-11-24T18:53:00.000-08:00

Dreaming of being the Sugar Plum Fairy

2011-11-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

Ainsley has been dancing around the house nonstop lately, asking me to "watch this!" I have been watching a lot of twirls :) She is very excited to be an Angel in the Nutcracker this year. . .
but she is dreaming of the day that she can be the Sugar Plum Fairy :)

Taetum, Ainsley, Madison, and Grace at rehearsal (did I mention her leo is more purple due to washing it with her red soccer shirt?) ;)

2011-11-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

We recently got a pass to the Childrens Museum and plan on spending many days playing there this winter!

2011-11-24T18:28:00.000-08:00

"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children" Eph 5:1

So very much

2011-11-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

to be thankful for. . .

American Girl Mystery Sleepover

2011-11-08T19:13:00.001-08:00

Ainsley is Eight!

2011-11-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Our Halloween included. . .

2011-10-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

Star Wars,

books,

treats from Grammy,apple bobbing,

jackolantern pizza,

headlocks, and hugs!

Our halloween included. . .

mama's littlest pumpkin,

peeking,

and posing!

Our halloween included. . .

A "Kit Fairy"

wings made by Grampa and Grammy,

and 4 Trick or Treaters!

Our Halloween included. . .

traditional pizza at Grammys and Grampas,

and a cute lil lobster,

on their porch!

The glasses

2011-10-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

Boys are funny. I've learned that. I've also learned they will go out of their way just do something funny. And it is rubbing off on me. We got GooFs glasses from when he was a little boy and I had to see my boys in them. And then I had to take pictures. And post them. They definitely resemble GooF and his bros. Gotta love them boys.

GooF saw them laying on the floor dreaming over a lego catalog today and he had flashbacks from his childhood :) Fun to see my man raise these little men. And even if they need glasses someday, I still think they're handsome :)

Operation Christmas Child. . .and thoughts on motherhood

2011-10-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

The oldest two look forward to packing shoe boxes every year! This year we will be following our shoe boxes and the kids can't wait to see where they end up!! Such an awesome gift. . .we only wish we could hand deliver them. . .add that to our dream lists of travels, including meeting our Compassion Child and helping at an orphanage . Ainsley packed a box for a girl her age and the boys packed boxes for boys their age. A few snapshots of the notes they stuck in their boxes. . .

Completely unrelated, I have been doing some deep cleaning and came across this sweet card. . .some days are rewarding as mothers. . .

others have been not so much. I was chatting with some playgroup and mops moms the other day about how mothering has changed. Those days when they were all really little sometimes got long and lonely. . .counting down the hours til we'd greet daddy after work. Now the urgent demands of mothering tiny ones have somewhat passed and we've moved on to a busy with activities/friends age, but there is still plenty of family time too. As much as I enjoy myself a brand new baby and then those cute toddling steps Ryker is currently taking, I am so enjoying my kids that can put on their own shoes, buckle themselves up, talk with me, run to greet daddy themselves, etc :) Like mama always said, each age is fun. And mamas of those tiny ones, you will make it. . .in the mean time, stop over or meet up with us or give me a call. . .I always enjoy fellow mom friends! By the way, I am mom now to Porter, not mommy :) He must be too cool for that mommy talk, but he still did hold my hand on our recent date.

PS Have I ever mentioned I always use the last of the cookie dough to make a heart shaped cookie for my man? Well, I do. And I just did again the other day.

Pumpkin Time. . .8 yrs ago, today, and our lil lobster

2011-10-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

We picked pumpkins from my parents garden and carved them, but they got rotten, so we carved more this weekend :)

My friend, Annie, dropped off a lobster costume for Ryker to borrow and before she was out the door the kids were saying their dads famous quote, "Put it on!" Isn't our lobster yummy lookin ;) and I'm not even a seafood gal

Here's pumpkin time 8 years ago. . .overdue with our lil pumpkin Ainsley

soon to be a family of 3. . .
I look happy and in love. . .the daddy looks a bit worried, and the baby is screamin I think :)

I also came across this carving pumpkin pic from our first yr of marriage, at Dave and Traci's apt across the hall from ours :) A funny story about them. I would hang cute things outside our apt door, etc and Traci told me she had to "keep up with Jones' ". . .well, I didn't know what that saying meant and I told GooF that they thought our last name was Jones. Yes, about as funny as the time in college when my prof crossed out a word I'd written and wrote "trite". . .not knowing what that meant, I used "trite" in place of the word I'd origanally used there. Fun times :)

I am so thankful for our college years and those first few years of marriage in Ames, IA. I believe they were so good for our marriage. We had an excellent group of Bible Study friends (mostly all newleyweds and grad students). We grew in our relationships with God and with each other. I will always treasure those years, and the months spent travelling out east (our next big travels will hopefully take us to FL. . have never been to Disney). And then when we got back from out east I was eager to be a mommy!

8 years ago we were awaiting the arrival of this girlie girl!

I came across the Pumpkin Prayer this year and Ainsley just loved it! Not sure who it's by but it goes

Dear God, as I carve my pumpkin help me to say this prayer:

Open my mind so I can learn about You

(cut the top off the pumpkin)

Take away all my sin and forgive me for the wrong things I do.

(clean out the inside)

Open my eyes so Your love I will see

(Cute the eyes in the heart shapes)

I'm sorry for turning up my nose to all you've given me.

(Cute a nose in the shape of a cross)

Open my ears so your word I will hear.

(Cut the ears shaped like the Bible)

Open my mouth so I can tell others You're near

(cut the mouth in the shape of a fish)

Let your light shine in all I say and do! Amen.

I'm sure it will be our new pumpkin carving tradition! Tomorrow night is our annual pizza at my parents :) So thankful, God, for the blessings in my life.

Joy Tripled

2011-10-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

And I thought it was exciting when Ainsley learned to walk! You should have heard the cheering when Ryker walked across the room tonight! OK, well, maybe I missed watching Ainsley learn to walk, as her daddy taught her while I was out for a few hrs, and when I came home she was running across the front lawn. . no kidding. But I didn't miss Ryker. And either did his siblings. The JOY was TRIPLED watching him walk across the room, hearing the excitement of his big brothers and sister cheering him on. I pray that they may always be each others biggest fans. Trey had big tears tonight (as we were walking through the store of course) because he no longer wanted to be Green Lantern for Halloween and wanted to be Spiderman at that given moment I believe. And he didn't nap. But anyway, the cool part was seeing Ainsley and Porter start telling him how great Green Lantern is. . .Porter was REALLY talking up Green Lantern and pretty soon had Trey laughing and wanting to be Green Lantern again. It really is fun watching them interact. . most of the time :)

The Party

2011-10-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

We had a football themed party for Ryker's 1st Birthday!

We had fun preparing the food

and the decorations!
His girlfriend, Grier, came :)
But honestly, he seemed kinda sleepy and stunned most of the party. . .
But he got celebrated!
Everyone got to take home a sampling of some playdoh with a recipe (which I tried and I really didn't like the recipe. . oh well), a football shaped cookie cutter, and a football ornament.

Thanks to our family and friends for helping us celebrate Ryker's 1st Birthday!

2011-10-20T21:14:00.000-07:00

HappyFirst
Birthday
to one of my favorite
Little People. . ha. . it must be getting late ;)

Encourage, Encourage, Encourage

2011-10-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." 1 Thess 5:11

As a mom, I am so thankful for those old ladies when we're out and about, or the neighbor down the street, who take the time to encourage me or comment on my well mannered children, who of course don't always act that way. Well, today we were at the local breadstore, and one of my children accidentally bumped into the lady in front of us. She yelled. The cashier looked stunned. I barely held in the tears til I got to my minivan. Not wanting to judge the lady, just wanting to pray for her. And, I'm just reminding myself of the importance of encouraging one another. . .esp other moms on this mothering journey!

2011-10-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

I delight in the sounds of backyard football. . .

It appears as though Ainsley is leading them in some stretches :)
And making them huddle :)
She is the natural leader around here. . .even in backyard football. Her future sister in laws can thank her.

2011-10-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

We got photos back from Trey's short stay at preschool. . .smiling. . . AND, how he really felt about preschool ;). . .

or he's just trying to be Mr. Tough Guy. Not sure which. I had a different outfit picked out for picture day, but really, this is his FAVORITE shirt, a hand me down from his big bro. The kid loves monster trucks :)

2011-10-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

Today I was out watching Trey on his bike. He took a break to come sit on the steps by me. I felt his little arm wrap around me and his hand rest on my back. It was a sweet moment. His personality reminds me a lot of his daddy's personality :)

Dear Ryker.

2011-10-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here are you and your siblings each at 1 yr old. . .

Today you are One! Your siblings were SO. VERY. EXCITED. for you when you woke up this morning!! They made sure you got a number 1 pancake and they gave you lots of love. Porter made you some robot arms out of paper and Ainsley gave you her old teddy bear. You are adored! You crack us up! When you play peek-a-boo you don't quite get your hands over your eyes so you squish your face. . .we laugh and laugh. You say "dog" and "woof woof" often. You also say mama and dada. When I say bye bye or that daddy's coming home you start waving the cutest wave. You still like to rockabye and nurse to sleep and I like that too. We think you are OH. SO. SWEET and we just enjoy you so much! We love you baby Ryker!! My how you've grown in one short year!! We thank God for you Ryker Matthew!
love, mommy

How's School Going?!

2011-10-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I both feel so good about school for our crew this year!

Trey had a great first day of preschool and that was it. The day we decided not to send him back, he was so excited to come to the table for "homepreschool" as he called it. Although I know kids sometimes have to do things even if they don't want to, 2 yrs of preschool isn't one of those things for us. It was a battle we decided not to fight, esp since he has Sunday School and MOPPETS. He has been loving "homepreschool" . . .who wouldn't? At your kitchen table in your jammies?! :) Full of smiles.

Having him at home in the mornings provides more opportunity for this. . .

The 1/2 day kindergarten is going well for Porter. He was thrilled that he counted to 100 and got his 8 "popcorn" words (aka sight words) correct. They recently had a grandparents day program and Porter made some great artwork of him on a curly slide at my parents house.

Porter loves to make his friends laugh and he had the opportunity to do that when he got to be baby Isaac (from the Bible) at school, so he tells me :)
Having him at home in the afternoon provides more opportunity for this. . .

I feel so blessed to be able to homeschool Ainsley. The teaching part comes naturally to me, and she is such a joy to have as a student, with her kind, sweet heart that loves God and others. She made the hot soccer coach proud when she scored the winning goal of their last game ;) and she's enjoying girlscouts and ballet. As well as reading, writing and multiplication.
But those come second, in my opinion, to guiding/directing the children as they become the people God wants them to be. I read recently that all you need to homeschool is a Bible, a library card, and a good math curriculum :)

September 2011. . .It's a wrap. . .er a rap

2011-09-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hand joining, Finger pointing,

Neighbor kids around, Bicycles abound!

A peek into our days. . .

On the piano he plays.

A bike ramp in our yard,

Boys riding hard.

Brotherly bond,

Of his baby bro, he's fond.

Standing alone!

Smiles shone.

Flower weedin,

Peacock feedin,

Zoo going,

Animal showing,

Bow adoring,

Goal scoring,

Fairy and bunny,

Soaking up sunny,

Into her book,

An apple he took.

Cheering for a win!

Look at that grin!

Look who's almost 1,

He's a bundle of fun!

A lot of joy,

In our little boy!

2011-09-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

After the Sunday morning worship service at Lifelight (this was my view from my blanket. . .well, this and 4 children crawling all over me)

We had an impromtu stop at the Apple Orchard!

It was a beautiful day for apple picking

and not very busy! My 4 lil cherubs. . .

How to keep an almost 11 month old busy?

2011-09-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Put him in shoes. My babes spend most of their days barefoot. He is completely baffled, confused, and disgusted with a wee bit of interest mixed in. . .with those things on his feet. . .

Keepin it in perspective

2011-09-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day at preschool. Just when I thought Trey was a breeze. . .my easy going child cried and cried at preschool today :( Last night he slept horribly. . .that was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad nights sleep. Did I mention he was my best sleeper as an infant/baby? Just layed him down wherever and he fell asleep. Now he sometimes gets up in the night. Ironically, Ainsley as an infant liked to sleep best in daddy's arms and she turned into a GREAT sleeper. . .just a ray of hope for you other sleep deprived mommies of infants :) Anyway, where was I? Trey didn't want to go to preschool this morning and my mommy instinct said to let him skip since he slept so horribly. But, I didn't want him to think that every time he doesn't want to go he doesn't have to, so I made him go anyway. When I dropped him off, they were playing with playdoh, which reminded me of my sister, Steph (also the easy going one in the family), who was a preschool drop out bc she said she had green playdoh at home :) I asked Trey why he was so sad today and he said, "My preschool hurt my feelings" :) So, he likes home best. I guess I'm thankful our home is a safe haven for our children. . .where they feel loved. Maybe he's just not ready. Maybe he is and maybe today was just a fluke. He will be going back on Thursday for another try. But this blog isn't just to remember the good days. It's to also remember the real days. . .you know, the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad ones. Well, it wasn't that bad. We have food, clean drinking water, shelter, medical care, and the love of Jesus and family. Perspective.

2011-09-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today after church, we spent the day on the soccer fields.Coach GooF and the girls team
Ainsley got a shot on the goal today. . .it was a great shot but hit the goalie in the stomach and didn't make it in. She also did a great job defending her goal!

One of the best parts of soccer is the friends

It was Trey's 1st game today!! He has been going to games for the last few yrs, and was a tad hesitant but once he started there was no stoppin him :) He scored 6 goals. . .Coach GooF looked pretty proud!

He and Bridger worked together well!

Coach GooF and Porter's team. . .he got a compliment on how patient he is with these kids :) Porter's fav position this year is defending the goal. . .aka giving the ball a big kick when it comes his way :)

When did our kids grow up?

Such a fun time in their life though!

Today, I also was reflecting on Sept 11, 10 years ago. We were newlyweds, living in Ames on that day and I was student teaching in kindergarten at St Cecelia Elem. I got bits and pieces of the tragedy that morning as I was teaching, but didn't know much, and didn't know if something horrible was going to happen to us, but we didn't want to worry the kids, so it was pretty much kindergarten as usual. I remember thanking God for my family and the opportunity to marry GooF that previous summer.

Well, time for bed. . .better go check on Trey, who is asleep in his jersey since he fell asleep on the way home from the games :) Hard work scoring 6 goals. . .not that dad was counting or anything :) I love my family.

Trey's 1st Day of Preschool!

2011-09-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

Trey was ready. He's been riding along in the minivan for the past 3 yrs, helping drop his big siblings off at school, and finally it was his turn!! He walked right in, handed his teacher, Miss Holly, an apple he picked for her from the orchard (and got a big hug from her. . she is so sweet and kind hearted). Then he sat down in his spot and got to work. No clinging to me like a big sister I know. No needing kisses and hugs like a big brother I know. Mr. Independent didn't even so much as say goodbye :) He's off on adventures and I'm so excited for him! About an hour later Ainsley said, "I wonder what Trey is doing about now." I had been wondering the same thing! From the sounds of it, he had a great morning! When we picked him up he let out a big, "There's my mommy!!!" OK, so atleast he was still excited to see me when I picked him up :) And he was very excited to show us all that he made, telling me everything he made was for me :)

This must be a self portrait :)

Everthing I asked him, he replied, "Yes I did!" With his face lit up with smiles. This sweet boy of mine is gonna make a fine young man!

Baby Babbles

2011-08-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

Me: Say mama, Ryker, say mama

Ryker: "dadadadadadada"

Me: Say mama, Ryker, say mamamama

Ryker: "no. . .dadababadada"

GooF: daddy's cool isn't he

Ryker: "yeah. . .dadadada" We laughed when he said this one!

Such fun listening to him babble as he crawls around with a huge smile on his face, walks along furniture and sit spins himself around in circles on the floor. He definitely understands us, but mamamama must be hard to say :)

Football Season

2011-08-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Touchdown

Tackle

Penalty

Offside

Ball Carrier

Score!

2011-08-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

Growing up, there was a hanging on our hallway wall, that had a picture of a mother rocking a baby I believe, and it was those 70's colors of orange and yellow, in a brown frame, if I remember correctly. It had the following poem on it, by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton. . .

The cleaning

and

scrubbing

can

wait

til

tomorrow But children

grow

upas I've

learned

to my

sorrow.

Soquiet down

cobwebs;

Dust

go to

sleep!

I'm

rocking

baby

and

babies

don't

keep.

The Day Trey rode without training wheels

2011-08-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

(alternately titled "The post in which I brag about Trey")
This was THE DAY for the Trey! He got on a bike without training wheels and off he went, so we took the training wheels off his bike. Never mind that he rides his sisters old bike. . . This kid has got some God given natural athleticism like his dad. . .

Before long, he could start himself, and he was standing up and pedaling. Not long after, he was riding across ROCKS. . .such a boy.

As you can see, the whole neighborhood was EXCITED for him. Leading the pack. . .

Well, minus Ainsley, who was a little sad that both of her brothers can ride without training wheels before her. . .that girl would rather run. Trey also wrote his name today. . .

AND, he had a preschool picnic. I love his preschool. It's small and feels like a family. Trey can't wait to wake up in the morning and ride more bike :) I just love being his mommy. I love being mommy to all of them actually, but today was Trey's day to shine!

The First Day of Kindergarten and a Kidney Stone

2011-08-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

Porter had been counting down the days til kindergarten! He was so very excited! We decided to send him to 1/2 day kindergarten,with smallish class sizes, at the Christian School . . .and a few wks before school started he met a boy on our block who also loves to ride bike and is at the same school! We have hit the point where neighbor kids are coming and going in our house/yard and they tell me they think they can stay til the treats in my oven are done :) GooF and I were sitting outside together recently and no kids were "needing" us. You know, for so long, little ones have "urgent needs". . .food, bathroom help, clothing help, immediate love and attention. And now I feel like we're hitting this point where my to do list is long, and life is busy, but every day they are becoming more independent. Before school started, Porter met his teacher and did excellent on his eval. . she said he was ready, and he couldn't wait to start learning to read and making new friends! How many more days? Until finally, the day was here. . .
I was so proud of him! After his first day (when mom gets to stay for part of the day), he was ready for the next day of kindergarten to come so he could go without a parent and have recess and snack :) No tears from any of us. That night as he was going to bed, he asked his dad what he was doing the next day (like he always does). Not sure he completely gets that kindergarten will be every day :) Also,

The night before Porter started kindergarten, I was saying to him, "Where did my baby go?" To which Trey was like,duh "Daddy is holding him!" (Daddy was holding baby Ryker :) ) Porter may not be my baby anymore, but here is baby Ryker at ten months and toothy!

He likes to eat rocks :)

Ainsley started 2nd grade! We had intentions of sending her to school this year, but there were some changes, and she had been saying she wanted to be homeschooled again. After much prayer, thought, and discussing, we decided to homeschool her again.
She is such a good student and a joy/help to have around! When we asked her why she wanted to be homeschooled, she said because she likes to have me as her teacher and the days aren't so long.

She picked out a new backpack this year with her name monogrammed on it, and was very excited the day it arrived!
I do enjoy teaching her. The hardest part is just making sure I take time to do things that the little ones will enjoy too. Although they love when she plays with them! Ainsley started a "doll school" this year so we went shopping for doll sized supplies :) (Porter and I also went on a date for school supplies but all he wanted were skechers :) ) Here she is on her first day of 2nd grade!
So that's the 1st day of school wrap up. Later that night, after a picnic at school, I thought I had a UTI, so I went to hyvee for cranberry juice and I was pretty uncomfortable so I bought 3 bottles of it :) I started downing them on the way home. When I got home I downed another glassful and started getting REALLY bad pains in the lower left side of my back, wrapping around to my tummy. I called ask a nurse as I was curled up on my bed and she was not helpful. I called my mom to come over so GooF could take me to the ER. I was a mess in the van. . just ask GooF. . .I was curled up on my seat, pretty much sounding like I was in labor, til I decided I should buckle up. Once I was buckled up, I was in so much pain I was pressing my feet against the front window of our van. At which point, MY FOOT PUT A CRACK IN THE VAN WINDOW! At that moment, I did not even care. I think I told my husband I would call an ambulance to get us there faster. Did I mention I was in pain, and a lot of it? I walked briskly into the ER, hunched over, where the guy at the front desk asked me if kidney stones run in my family. The first nurse I saw said, "You look like a kidney stone patient." Everyone on the waiting room probably thought I was in labor as I was curled up on the waiting room chair doing deep breathing. . .he he hoo, he he hoo. After a back rub from my husband and some drugs through an IV, I was MUCH more comfortable. And then it hit me, I PUT A CRACK IN THE FRONT VAN WINDOW WITH MY FOOT. GooF and I both started laughing. I am SO thankful for my good natured husband, who is slow to anger about things like that. SO thankful. SO very thankful we can laugh about things like that. Then I looked at him and asked, "What kind of person gets a kidney stone?!" After a few tests and a CT scan, a kidney stone was confirmed. Although I could have just been diagnosed by the guy working at the front desk :) I told him on the way out that his diagnosis by just looking at me hunched over was right on! The good news? It was small enough that it would come out on its own? Wait? It has to come out? So that's good news? I guess so, after they explained the other option. Well, in all actuality, it hasn't been so bad since that ER visit. All is well that ends well, right? And I just hope I never have another one of those. But just in case, I have 3 bottles of cranberry juice in my fridge. Oh wait, cranberry juice will do nothing for what I had. And hopefully when we get the van window fixed, the car guy doesn't ask what happened. . .

2011-07-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight Ryker, you woke up and started crying and I got to come and pick you up. You nursed and fell asleep in my arms. I got to comfort you. I said to your daddy, "I just love having baby Ryker. Thank you for my baby." I'm thankful you are my son. I picked you up and you smelled like baby. Your cheeks that I kissed were baby soft. You felt all snuggly in your sleeper and blankie. I just love you! And if the look in your eyes and the smile on your face when you see me says anything, you love me right back! love, mommy

PS I am a night owl, not a morning person. . .so in the wee morning hours, daddy will get to snuggle you :)

2011-07-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

My friend wanted a family photo with grandparents for a local website, so we were happy to have one taken! and then Porter left the 103 degree heat for the AC

Memorable

2011-07-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

"Hey guys, Ryker here. I will be guest blogging for my mommy. The topic? Camping. You see, I'm only 9 mo, but I'm well travelled! I've been down to Missouri, over to Colorado, up to MN, and last wknd we went to the lake because my big sis was at a church camp on the lake. My smart mom thought us boys would want to camp too, so she got us a cabin at the State Park. But this here picture of my dad was right before he got bugs in his shorts. . .

and these here pictures are of my biggest bro hanging out on an intertube my parents got on their honeymoon. .

and me, I love the water. I splash, splash, splash!!

There was a lot of playing with/throwing rocks!

And my big bros laughed and laughed as the boats made big waves for them!!

My dada is the best creature spotter around and caught a toad!

Looks like fun, right? Well, the water was. But the heat was not. Here my daddy and brother were trying to start a fire. Our firepit was right out in the sunshine and all around it was cotton from a cottonwood tree. The cotton stuck to our wet feet and our flip flops were just covered in cotton! It looked like snow around our cabin! They did get a fire going for smores, but not until after we went into a town for supper :) Yep, you heard right. My parents decided to forget the hotdogs and instead take us to an air conditioned restaurant. I went with no shirt. Everyone thought I was so cute, but my parents felt like we were a tad 'underdressed.'

My parents say it was a "memorable" camping trip. . .a dirty, sweaty, sleep deprived one. Me? I just wanted to be able to crawl, and there was really no good place to do that with the cotton and all. My mommy took me on a long walk and it brought back lots of memories for her of camping when she was little. . .bike rides, the sounds on the lake, the chatter from campers, singing around the fire, the yummy food over the fire. But, we just might be more of a day trip family at State Parks at this point in the summer. Sunday morning we went to the church camp service since Ainsley was singing up front. My big sis had a BLAST at camp. She was tired, but wanted to stay longer. She jumped off a (nonmoving) speed boat, canoed, and learned so much about 'thankfulness' and Jesus. I'm sure there will be many more years of church camp to come!" Ryker

July

2011-07-18T13:35:00.001-07:00

July at our home means summertime smiles,
sundresses

sandy swimming trunks,

playdates in the sun,

spray parks,

and sweet sunkissed skin

It also means hours spent at the pool, cranking up the VBS songs in the van, and ice cream treats. But my camera isn't always handy when I'm watching four kids at the pool, driving, or wiping icecream off four faces :)

Girls Trip

2011-07-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

Also known as the "American Girl" trip this year! Our destination? The American Girl store. Auntie Jenny lives near one, so she hosted us this year. When we arrived at her home, it didn't take long before the girls were in her dress up clothes. . .

Saturday morning we went to the Farmers Market for the morning. . .what a FUN atmosphere!! Then it was to the American Girl store, where we were going to have them stop and take a picture in front of it, but they just ran right in :) The American Girl bistro was definitely a highlight of the trip! Kit and Kanani were served little glasses of strawberry lemonade and mini desserts. So fun!
I looked at this table of ladies and just felt so blessed to call them my sisters/mom/daughter/niece/ friends! Yes, the nursing babe was along too :)

People would look at Ainsley and say "Kit!" She loved dressing the part :)
The next day we spent time shopping /eating at IKEA! (matching dresses Grammy made for the girls and their dolls)
I came home feeling so refreshed! Maybe it was all the sleep we got or all the help I had with baby Ryker or all the girl chat. I also came home feeling very thankful for the women in my life!

9 months in a nutshell

2011-07-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

Sweet little Ryker, today you are 9 mo old!! You discovered today that you can crawl to get where you want! You light up our days with your giggles! You babble alot, saying, "dadadada" and in the middle of the day today you started waving and saying "dada". . .I think you were ready for daddy to come home. So was I :)

Happy 9 mo our bundle of boy! To celebrate, you got your first sip of apple juice and a container to put your fruit/veggie puffs in :)

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2011-07-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

I used to always leave notes in GooFs lunch box. . aka tackle box. Ainsley has now taken over :) What a sweetie. We sure do love you GooF, and appreciate all that you do to provide for our family!

2011-07-02T08:59:00.001-07:00

I had great intentions of blogging about day 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the vacation, but not sure it's gonna happen right now :) Am soaking in the sunshine, in His presence, in friendships and family and my marriage. Leaving little time for blogging.

CO vaca. . DAY 4

2011-06-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

Monday morning, we woke up to a beautiful day! Actually, most every day we were there the weather was gorgeous! The view from our cabin. . .The first few nights at the cabin, Ryker did not sleep well. . .maybe the very dry air? Grammy and Grampa were so helpful! They took the 4:30 am shift with Ryker and the 6 am shift with Porter (who hadn't adjusted to the time change). I think they enjoyed the time with their grandkids :)
They made us breakfast every day!! mmm. . .
while GooF was on bear watch. . .can you see him?

and although we didn't spot a bear (there was one at the cabin last summer), we did spot elk and coyote out this window!

We were all at the lodge to help my parents celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary! We are so very thankful for their love and commitment to each other over the years. I remember growing up, they'd tell me they were "committed." I'm so glad they were, and still are today.
They are committed to not only each other and their family,

but most importantly to God! I am so thankful I learned about the love of my Heavenly Father from my parents. On day 3, we packed picnic lunches and headed into Estes Park for some bike riding/hiking. We stopped at the lake to cool off!

Fun with Cousins! Yes, Ryker was along but he was in the moby wrap at this point :)

playing with grampas cross. . .

We ate our picnic lunch and walked around Estes Park. . .Grammy treated us all to DELICIOUS icecream!!! Then it was back to the lodge. . .

CO vacation. . DAY 3!

2011-06-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

I have a little tradition where I get my picture taken by state signs, and I keep them all in an album. I can now add Wyoming to the album!
We drove by ranch after ranch after ranch after ranch. Lots of nothing after nothing after nothing after nothing. We finally came to a little town called Lusk, Wyoming. . .thank goodness for Lusk. We found a bathroom and a Subway. . . and a long line for both (because there quite possibly is no other bathroom or place to eat between the Black Hills and Cheyenne). The kids were such good travellers! After Lusk, it was onward to Estes Park, CO!! We arrived at our lodge and were greeted by my parents, my sisters, and both of their families. The kids began "creature spotting"

and GooF was on "Bear Watch"

The cousins were so very excited to see each other!! The "girls room" sign in the lodge. . .

The girls got right to work journaling about their vacation thus far!

CO vacation. . .DAY 2

2011-06-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Unlike dinosaur park, if you haven't been to Bear Country, you are missing out! You start by driving through and seeing all sorts of animals up close. The bears walking right by your vehicle is sure to produce squeals from the children!And then you get to walk around and see Baby Bears!! We all agreed that they were so cute/playful and we couldn't take our eyes off them!
Feeding time for baby bears. . .

We made a quick stop at the Cosmos

and then headed to the 1880 train. GooF took the 3 oldest on it,

while Ryker and I drove to Keystone with the minivan so we could pick them up there. We had some time to walk around. . .watched them make taffy and bought some nasty pb fudge. GooF said the train was exciting for the first 5-10 min, but then they just have to sit there. We were eager to get to our hotel, so we pointed out Mt Rushmore to the kids and cruised on by. GooF says if you've seen the postcard, you've seen Mt Rushmore :)
The kids had had fun climbing on this smaller version :)
We had pizza at the hotel, explored and went swimming!

Dino Park

2011-06-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

If you never make it to Dinosaur Park, you really won't be missing out on much :)

Fun with Friends

2011-06-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

Girlfriends are a must in life.As are buddies, or pals, or guy friends or whatever you call them.

CO Vacation. . .Day 1

2011-06-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of vacation? Time spent with family. . .without the chores and interruptions at home. Yes, I enjoy cooking and cleaning for the most part, and facebook and texting, but there's just something about being away with my family. . .it allows me to just be in the moment! And many moments we did have :) On day one, we headed out to Rapid City, where we really enjoyed Reptile Gardens and alligator wrestling!

And then we got lost on the way to Dinosaur Park. We never did see the street mapquest told us to look for but we could see the dinos on the hill! I will put the pics in the next post bc blogger isn't letting me arrange pictures easily?!

Soaking

2011-06-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

up every ounce of this sweet little one in his sleeper!

I missed his smiles though today. . .he has two top teeth coming in and a snotty nose! Saying prayers that he wakes up feeling better!

Sweet

2011-06-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

Sweet

Silly
Summertime!!!

Sizzlin Cement,

Soarin Kites,

Sprinklers Sprayin,

Sunburned Skin from Saturday,

Swimmin,
Savoring,

Soaking,

Sand,

Snuggles and sunshine,

Sitting,

Splashing,

Sticking out tongue,

Sliding,

Sweet, Sweet Summertime. . .the smell of their sunkissed skin, the boys' cute little chests as they run around shirtless. . .summer, we're so glad you're here!

Sneak Attack

2011-06-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

Uncle Jake and Aunt Julie were in town, so we had a little get together! When we were a block away, GooF gave each of the kids a water gun so they could "sneak attack" :)It was a "top 10" day out. . .we enjoyed spending time with family, throwing water balloons,
riding around on the lawn tractor, and checking out the grass :)

Yes, babe, THEY. ARE. ALL. OURS. ;)

Ballerinas

2011-06-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ainsley was the very first one on stage at her ballet recital! They danced to "A tisket, A tasket"(on the far right in purple, with her cousin next to her)She really enjoyed performing and told me later how her teacher told her no one would notice if they made a mistake because no one in the audience knows the dance! She had both sets of grandparents there to watch her, along with her brothers, parents, Auntie Jenny and Auntie Stephy!

She enjoyed getting flowers afterwards :)

What you don't see in these photos, is that Ryker hadn't pooped for a few days as he is getting used to solids, and he finally pooped in the dressing room at the recital. Let's just say I threw his entire onesie away :)

Ainsley, whether you are in ballet for many more years or whether you turn up the radio when a song comes on that you love, may you continue to "Praise His name with dancing!"

Serving Him

2011-06-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

We prayed. We went.We prayed. We saw.And we prayed. And we served.

And after we were home, this sweet little girl

made this sign when she and her friend were selling "circus squares" at their backyard circus. . .

We prayed. And we thanked God for the opportunity to be His hands and feet.

7+ months

2011-06-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today I looked at GooF and asked if he knows how much I love having a baby around the house. . .and yes, yes he does. In particular, we love having THIS little guy. . . the cuteness of those bottom two teeth,

the way his eyes light up when he sees his mommy,

those kissable cheeks,
and baby soft skin,
we just love this "Little Brother"
At 7+ months, Ryker is crumpling his paper sign and sittin pretty
The other day we had Michelle and her crew over. . .Trey said to Michelle, "Your baby is so cute. . .
but my baby is cuter!" MADE. US. LAUGH!!

Agent Team 6

2011-05-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

Porter William, This morning you woke in the sixes and said it was too hard to wait til the sevens to get up! You are my get up and go boy though. . .you are typically the first kid dressed and ready for your day and your 6th birthday was no exception!

Your friends arrived for your "spy party," and after taking their pictures and choosing code names (you chose "Agent Team 6"), daddy sent you boys through spy training!! What a fun dad you have :) You went through laser beams (string) and ran across hot coals (rock) etc. You each received a spy badge and were ready for your mission!The mission? The case of the missing ice cream bucket! In an empty ice cream bucket in the freezer, we had a puzzle that led you to the next empty icecream bucket with a puzzle, etc etc etc, until finally you found the icecream bucket with icecream in it in the cooler! That was probably the favorite part for "Team 6!"

Each boy went home with spy gadgets and we headed to chuckecheese to continue celebrating you Porter!

6 yrs ago I heard the dr say "It's a boy!" And to think, now I've heard that 3 times in the last 6 years :) You love to make baby Ryker smile and laugh!

6 years ago we were preparing for your arrival by buying a minivan, practicing big sister skills,and moving Ainsley out of the crib to make room forYOU, Porter William!
Happy 6th Birthday Agent Team 6!

Palisades

2011-05-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

After packaging meals alongside my daughter for "Kids Against Hunger," (which, by the way, she wrote the sweetest notes on the food packages) we headed to the palisades for some serious rock climbing! Can you see Ainsley standing, and Porter, Trey and my heads at the top of the big rock? We took a path on the side of it, but it was rather steep and muddy. . .the kids rocked it!! I, on the other hand, was wondering why I was climbing and GooF was at the bottom with the baby :)

It was a beautiful day for exploring the Palisades!

But, the only creature we found in the water was. . . .a shoe ;)

Oh, and GooF got asked (by a rock climbing instructor) if he wanted to scale the side of that big rock formation. . he said no ;)

How does your garden grow?

2011-05-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

We went to the greenhouse this morning, and I let the kids choose some seeds and plants. I was so looking forward to our morning, and it had its fun moments, like when Ainsley said, "It's hard to believe you're almost 6 Porter! I can't believe I've had you that long!" -Ainsley
But on our drive home, I noticed a packet of seeds for "red warty thing pumpkins," that I didn't recall paying for, so back to the greenhouse we went. Trey must have thought planting pumpkins sounded fun ;) Sorry bro, but I had let you get a tomato plant

When we got home I told the kids that I was going to lay the baby down for a nap, so we could garden together. A child came in the room when I almost had Ryker to sleep and I was not happy. That child had a natural consequence and I asked him to forgive me for how I reacted. There are times I wonder if I'm growing in my relationship with Jesus, during this busy season of mothering. But then I think about all God teaches me through mothering. Some lessons are completely wonderful, like seeing a glimpse of the love our Father has for us. Some lessons are more challenging, like patience and kind words instead of anger. . .and humility and contentment instead of pride and jealousy (just to name a few :) ). But one thing I continue to see is that it's not all about me. It's not all about them. It's all about Him. I will keep on loving my children, asking them for forgiveness when I need to, and praying that they see Him through me.

Officially

2011-05-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Recently, GooF and I have received wisdom from a few different godly old men :), to "fix our eyes on Jesus." To "run the race, with patience, looking unto Jesus. . ."

And here we are on "Race Day!" Our first 5K. . .it was a beautiful day! I officially ran it in 37:46 and enjoyed spending the morning on a double date with good friends and my funny husband :)

After the race we headed to the soccer fields! GooF and Matt do a wonderful job coaching these girls! AINSLEY: Officially a 2nd grader now!

PORTER: Officially a Kindergartner now!

He had "preschool graduation" tonight and he did not think it was a reason to celebrate. He is sad that the schoolyear is done and is worried about missing his friends. He wanted to bring his teacher "pink flowers" on his last day, so he brought her a plant with pink flowers. I thank God for her role in our sons life this schoolyear!
TREY: Officially a bike riding, fun loving boy! He daily reminds me of his daddy. RYKER: Officially pats me on the back when I pick him up :) And he's starting to wave. If he's in his jumperoo and we walk by, he lifts his arms up to us :)

There is never a lack of children around this house

and that's the way we like it! It's official. . .I love being their mommy (even though it is not always easy and fun). . .love being wife to GooF. . .love God and am daily learning to be His disciple.

Zoo Day

2011-05-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

We awoke to a beautiful spring day, so it was off to the zoo! If you look closely, you can see my reflection :)We visited Africa, which, by the way, is somewhere Ainsley wrote recently that she would like to go (to visit Ivy)! Sweet Trey, your pants were on backwards all day but hey, you dressed yourself and atleast they were "upside up" ;)and man, you're growing up Porter. . .counting down the days til the big 6! Ryker took his morning nap in the "hip hammock" I borrowed from my mom

and then it was home again, home again. I like to call these next photos, "Beauty in the midst of boy toys" or something like that:)

Hopefully we wake to another beautiful day on Saturday, as it is Race Day!

Just for fun

2011-05-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

I love to see the similarities between our little ones. . .

American Girls

2011-05-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ainsley planned an "American Girl" sleepover! Ainsley made a code and then they had to use the code to figure out American Girl names. They also played American Girl memory and wrote down facts about the dolls. The girls made homemade pizzas for themselves and for their dolls.As you can tell, Trey joined the table with Kit, Kanani, and Addy ;)I am so thankful for the friendship these young girls have! Here they are 5 1/2 years ago. . .Ainsley wanted a "Heart Party" for her 2nd birthday :) She's quite the party planner! I pray they will be life long friends!!

For today. . .

2011-05-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

and the next few days, the GooF Troop is 7 1/2, 5 1/2, 3 1/2, and 1/2 Soon they will be 7 1/2, 6, 4, and 1. . .and I'm sure 19 1/2, 18, 16, and 13 will come before we know it ;) I am excited for the future with the GooF Troop. . .we have lots of fun planned for this summer! Starting with a picnic blanket lunch today!You gotta love wrist rolls, baby dimples in the hand, and kissable cheeks! And you gotta love how Ryker makes the big kids laugh! He always wants a drink of our water, so we gave him a sippy cup. . .whenever he drops it on the floor the kids just laugh and squeal with delight :) And, you gotta love Ryker's face when he tries new foods. . .he gobbles up baby rice and oatmeal, so i've started adding his veggies to that and he likes them better that way :)

7 and 1/2!

2011-05-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Ainsley Brielle, You

are

beautiful

the

inside

and

out!

We love you, sweet 7 1/2 yr old girlie!

(all poses are created by you :) )

This ones for you

2011-04-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

Bethany :PI am most often behind the camera, but at your request, it's flip flop mama herself :) If you could see me now though, you'd find me in my sweats, not showered yet :)

Baby Face

2011-04-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

He's got the sweetest

little baby

face!

And he gives the biggest, drooliest, bestest kisses!