Carillon in the Winter

Thanks to Brandon's new side business venture, we got to come to the beach for a mini-vacation.  

We couldn't be more thankful!

We were only wishing for warmer days because it's cold in Florida in the winter!

I have too many pictures to talk about so I'm just dumping them here for you to enjoy :)!

Day 1:

We didn't do much.  We explored(Violet really tried to keep up).  Took pictures.  Drove around for the grown-ups to look around.  We(Emma-Kate and I) went window shopping.  We went out to eat.  We went grocery shopping.  Ate alot of junk. Watched a movie.  Played on the bed.  Finally slept!!!

 

Soccer 2014

Soccer this year was crazy! Crazy because we have 5 children to haul to the games, 2 and 3 times a week, games at 6:00 and/or 7:30.  Haul because we take to each game: 2 adult chairs, 2 kids chairs, 2 sippy cups, 2 water bottles, a variety of snacks, burp clothes, blankets, coats, coffee, wipes, and a stroller(and I'm sure other things I can't think of).  Even more fun, Brandon was in Georgia for the last 90% of the games.  PRAISE THE LORD for in-laws!!!  They helped me for every single game! I could not have done it without them! I did a horrible job at taking pictures this year and when I did, my camera was almost dead and on a weird setting.  

Non-the-less..pictures of my athletes.

Noble had a wonderful coach this year who was super sweet and a great teacher.

Noble was lightening fast and was always wherever that ball was and was always so focused!

He loves soccer and is quite good at it, too!

Emma-Kate had a great coach this year, also.  He was the dad of a homeschool Co-Op friend.

Emma-Kate loves soccer and no matter what, is always smiling on the field!

Her favorite position, again, was goalie. She stopped lots of balls, too.

 It makes me nervous, though!

 

 

We had another great soccer season.  

Emma-Kate and Noble had the best cheering squad!

 

Perfectly Two!

Oh this baby!

People make comments about her all of the time. 

She's cute, she's funny, she's wild, she's sweet, she's this, she's that.

My comment is always, " well...she's 2! That's about all I can say".

I also tell people that having 5 children isn't the hard part, it's her! She needs a full time nanny!

She's absolutely non-stop.  From the moment she wakes up until the time her mouth finally stops moving in her bed (about an hour after we put her in).

She's past the stage where dumping toys and dishes on the floor is fun.  She's actually stopped dumping the contents of the pantry and bathroom drawers on the floor to watch them fall (now I only have 1 doing that!).

But, this baby is my future hoarder/bag lady.  

She bags up everything from every room in the house and stuffs the items in every bag, purse, or box she can find.  That's all fine until she wants new stuff and she empties that bag on the couch and proceeds to find more.  

She's the little mother of the house.  Cooking, cleaning, bathing (literally) everyone.  

She sings all day long (99% of the time it's The Wheels on the Bus!!!)

She loves getting into purses and chewing people's gum and wearing other people's lipstick.  

She can fix herself any snack and get herself a big glass of water.  She might spill the whole glass as she's walking to the table. She loves to be outside and is just the right height to let herself out at any times she feels the need.  She can navigate the IPhone as well as any adult.  

My list could go on and on and on!

She's absolutely the funniest person we know!

Bad (with a capital B) but so funny that it's really hard to discipline her (unless it's the 15th time you've told her no, she can not in fact play on the computer or take pictures with my phone).

She's perfectly 2! My very favorite of all ages!!!

 

 But, do pray for me.

2 year olds, well, they grow up!

The fits that she throws on the floor- I'm sure those will look much the same at 13.

She's the 3rd child, the middle child, and apparently, she acts like her mother!

Pray for me!

  ~This wild haired baby is perfectly 2, and I wish I could keep her like this forever~

Bedtime Giggles

 Bedtime around our house is more like a 3-ring circus!!!

No one can find their toothbrush (the one they said they used that morning), all are thirsty, hungry(starving), starting to have leg pains, crying because they wouldn't nap in the afternoon but somehow are "not tired", everyone wants to play a few more minutes, someone wants the hall light on, the other does not, one wants milk, the other wants her lovie.  Bedtime stories, well, that's at least a 10 minute meltdown because no matter who's turn it is to pick out the story, the other person thinks it's their turn and can't stand the book that was chosen.  I tell you, it's quite peaceful all around.  Add a fussy newborn who's ready to eat.  It's joyful!

 

But, somehow in the midst of it all (or after everyone's finally asleep), we look at each other and remind ourselves that one day, no one's going to ask us to read just one more Bible story.

 One day, no one is going to ask us to please stay in their beds until they fall safely asleep.  

One day, the giggles that somehow start when they climb under the covers won't be heard.

 So for now, I pray that I can remember that even though we are tired and weary and tired and impatient and tired and busy,  I want to cherish the bedtime giggles and snuggles forever!

Sunny, Summer Sunday

{...back at the beginning of August}