Trying to find a time to take a photo of all 4 of my kids when they are either not sick, cranky, and/or grumpy is a difficult task.
I gave up trying years ago and this is what we ended up with this year. There were few laughs and tears during this year’s photo shot.
Three out of four here. Aren’t they sweet?
My Dearest Kenzie,
Happy Birthday to my now 7 year old ball of fire. Seven years of countless adventures and laughter with you. Kenzie I am so thankful to have you by my side each day keeping life in perspective. You are the person that keeps opening my eyes to life's unexpected little joys and treasures. Where I see a mess you see a masterpiece.
You have always had this inner peace and happiness, something I have always admired about you. You never need material things to make you happy, but rather you have always used what is around you to create beauty. I love watching you pretend to be a butterfly, fluttering about with your body covered in mud, paint, glue, toothpaste, markers and/or paper. Paper… your favorite thing in the whole wide world. For a day I would love to be inside your head to experience the joy and energy you express when you freely create what you feel.
Look at those eyes… they melt my heart.
I pray that as you grow you experience God's grace and abounding love for you. We live in a world full of greed and selfishness and I pray that you would not fall victim to these things but instead pursue your dreams with an honest heart. I pray that I will always be able to support you even in times when we don’t agree. Sometimes I don't know if I am pushing too much or not enough. I don't know when to pick you up and when to let you fail. This mother thing ain't easy. But no matter what you do I pray that you know that you have a mother that will love you through it all.
Kenzie, what an unexpected treasure and gift you have been for our family. We would not be complete without you.
I love you!
-Mama
I took all 4 kids on a short hike last week, I guess I was feeling motivated and ambitious. They each took a bag and were told they could gather a few things off the trail (i.e acorns, leaves). I also told them that there may be things that they find interesting but can't be removed from the trail: 1.because we want everyone to enjoy seeing the interesting things we see along the path, 2. there are also things that you may see with your supersonic seeing ability that I don't want in my house. These things that are discovered will be photographed.
Here they are ready to go.
My girls gathering acorns to make acorn rings.
Korben’s first interesting mushroom discovery. This stayed exactly where God intended it to be.
Koah’s interesting discovery. His words when he spotted this, “That looks like gorilla poop.” Not sure how he knows what gorilla poop looks like.
Post hike picture.
Anybody else's kids as excited as mine to go to school?… ha, ha!
Notice, the 2 that aren’t going to school are much happier than the 2 that are.
Is it really only week 1? Heaven help me.
I'm from Jersey, born and raised. We bowl here in Jersey. We vacationed in beautiful Maine this past summer. We had a rainy day.Looking for a bowling alley we discovered candle pinning. Apparently it is a New England thing. The alley is identical to a bowling alley but the pins are shaped differently and the ball is smaller and without holes. And it is much, much harder than bowling. I loved the retro feel of this place.
These are pictures of Koah, my 3 year old. I had more much watching him then I did playing. After he threw the ball he would bust out a dance move.
My and my youngest boy ready.
This dancing thing gets tiring.
My baby.
Like a tornado.
As sweet as could be.
Yet sucks the life out of me.
With a contagious laugh.
At 15 months she still doesn't sleep through the night.
But daytime brings forth her drive and determination.
My oh my, I love this little girl.
Like an angel when she is sleeping.
Freya’s thoughts:
What does it take to get some ice cream around here? … I’ll just have to steal my sister’s.
That didn’t work, maybe if I cry someone will hook me up with some ice cream.
Score! Don’t even think about it doggy, I worked hard for this.
My beach baby.
I’m 4 for 4. All four of my kids are loving the beach this year. I’m so thankful.
On this beautiful summer day I managed to read 4 chapters in the book I am reading. Number four was napping and the other three were busy busy.
Korben’s passion is sprinklers. Here he is busy at work constructing his own mini system.
Kenzie and Koah were busy getting messy with shaving cream.
It was a cool, yet somewhat humid, day in late June here in Jersey that the family took a day trip the see Lady Liberty.
A very reluctant Koah on the ferry.
Couple Take Aways:
Ellis Island is not suitable for a 3 year old, especially a high energy over tired 3 year old.
Ferry boat rides are good for putting the high energy over tired 3 year old to sleep.
Pack cautiously. Security is tight these days. I had a very very dull knife that I was planning on using to cut an avocado for Freya, confiscated due to the air port type security.
Hills are way more fun for kids than a large statue of a woman that represents our freedom.
Nonetheless, it was a fun filled day with cousins. And I hadn't been to The Statue of Liberty since my 6th grade class trip.
Dear Freya,
My baby girl. I just love having another girl in the house, thanks for evening out the number to 3 and 3.
It has been quite a year. I'm not sure how we got here so quickly. You're 1 already.
There were days with you that I wasn't sure I would survive. But you reassured me with your laugh and smiles that you were perfectly placed in this family, our family, our baby.
You are a little bean. On those silly charts at the pediatricians office you fall way below "the curve". You are in the negative percentile. The important thing is that you are growing and I watch you getting stronger and stronger each day. You may be small but your lungs work very well.
You have become quite attached to me lately. And there are times this attachment drives me crazy because you want me and only me. But I treasure this special bond we share as mother and daughter.
Your personality is coming forth more and more each day. And for as small as you are you don't let that stop you from pushing your way to the forefront of this family. Your fierce and determined. And this determination keeps you on the move to do what ever it is you want to do and get to wherever you want to go.
Thank you for helping me see the beauty in the little things in life, like a blade of grass or an ant. It is so much fun to watch you explore the world around you and discover all the small things, that we as adults, look over.
You've fallen down the basement stairs and the stairs to the second floor. You also managed to stick you finger in between a plug that was half way plugged in and the outlet it was plugged into. I guess this is what happens when you’re number 4, you live and learn, because mom seems so busy with others things that she can't stop and explain the importance of not sticking your finger in an electrical outlet.
I've written this several other times to your siblings but I pray that I can be the mother you need. I know God perfectly placed you in our family because we are the perfect parents for you but we are certainly not perfect in character. I pray that as you grow you will have a desire to know our gracious God who forgives us and has saved us.
I pray you follow your dreams and you work hard to achieve them. You have a fire in your eyes and I just know that God has big plans for you. I pray you use the talents and gifts you've been given to serve a God who is so in love with you.
You're name means noble women. I looked up the word noble and found that a synonym for it was honorable. It is not easy in this world to do what is honorable and right but my prayer is that I can teach you and carefully guide you, without pushing to hard, to do what is right and noble.
I love you.
-Mama
Chaos reigns in our home. And I'm always looking for cheap (or preferably free) things to do that will keep my 4 little angels occupied and quiet even if it is just for a few moments. So when I saw that my neighbors were throwing out metal scraps, I saw opportunity, and the fun factor clearly outweighed the safety factor.
In there own words here are just a few of there creations.
And here we have three trombones:
A Mrs. Moses staff:
Weightlifting:
A briefcase:
A puzzle:
Riding a horse:
And of course a water device for the rocks:
Went exploring today with the kids, mainly because I was trying to get the non napper (aka Freya) to nap. As we approached this view my 6 year old daughter said, “Mom thanks so much, you took us to the savanna, it's beautiful.”
My very literal 7 year old son said, "It's not the savanna it's the marsh."
He was right but we pretended it was the savanna anyway (minus the tigers, giraffes, and zebras)
