the kiddos

My 9 month old Sweetie:



How 'bout a picture of all three...well...maybe not.


(william was eating a pretzel and yelling for the balloon I was holding. they didn't turn out that great, as you can see. Oh, well. )

Happy Birthday...

Happy 33rd Birthday to Justin [Hubby & Daddy]







The kids and I have some "plans" to make it a special day for Justin. We're headed out for a walk, right now. When we get home, we'll head out to go shopping and put some of our creative ideas together.

Goodbye Winter...Hello Spring!

So, the past few weeks I've been using my extra time to get organized around here. While these tasks used to take me a few days of mega organization, they now take several weeks...and I'm still not done. I have to do most of the jobs when the kids are sleeping, so either very early, very late, or during naptime. Thankfully, Mom wisked the boys away for a morning, so I could go through my scary closet and sort through tubs and tubs of clothes. I was so thrilled w/ the feat of putting winter clothes away, and taking spring/summer clothes out! It's funny that a person can get such a high from something so mundane. Oh well. I thought I was running out of storage space too, until I organized. Now, everything is in it's place, the tubs are organized, all the infant stuff is packed away. Nice! I feel like I'm entering a new stage, without a tiny infant and being non-pregnant! All the adorable infant clothes and maternity clothes are packed away or loaned to friends. There's a certain satisfaction I feel about "graduating" from that stage, at least for now. A sense freedom, I suppose...yet, at the same time I was sad about packing all the baby-baby things away. Madeline had a blast exploring around all the interesting looking things. She's my lil' sidekick. ;) My next spring cleaning project around here is my windows (both inside and out...I think the insides are worse...ha!) and finishing my woodwork.

We planted our garden about 2 weeks ago. Just the early things...like onions, garlic, spinach, lettuce, beets, and peas. Justin and I are excited about landscaping...we love to talk about future plans. I'm not sure if it'll happen this year, but it's fun to plan! Justin has to do some drainage work and grading first. I'd love to put a white picket fence around my house w/ lots of flowers! Besides doing lots of organizing and cleaning, we've been gardening and spending all the time we can outside. We tend to eat later and put the kids down a bit later, since the days are longer and the weather is so pleasant. All the boys want to do, is be outside. They love dirt and mud.



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Madeline has been mobile all month! She started crawling right before she turned 8 months. She's now standing up to things and will stand all by herself. I'm impressed w/ her sense of balance. As I remember, the boys were a bit clumsier. ;)

I suppose these pictures don't do her cuteness justice...I just grabbed the camera, so I wouldn't forget what a little honey she is. She's so tiny, in real-life. And too little to be doing this already. My baby is growing up!

She'll stand at the window for a long time and watch the trucks, cats, and other moving things or people.

She gets to bouncing with excitement, if she spots the boys or Daddy (or Grandma Bobbie)

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Gracie celebrated her first birthday on April 11. She loved her presents and all the auntie/uncle/cousin attention. The only thing she did NOT like was her cupcake. Tsk, tsk, Gracie...you come over to Auntie Meg's, and I'll teach 'ya how to enjoy yummy things like cupcakes, and Ghiradelli chocolate, and other treats. ;) (that's what aunties are for, shh...don't tell the boys!)

Gracie's 1st Birthday...lots of family to celebrate with!

Missy and Mommy [my, she's exited about birthdays, huh?! i actually think she was wondering what was plopped on her head!]

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Auntie Leah and Madeline

Easter Egg Hunts...fun, fun!

Guys, you get so little press...here you go. ;)

Justin's encouragement

"Patience is where love & wisdom meet." (he said he read that recently)

And, to all of you Mom's out there w/ young children, I thought you'd appreciate the note he left me the other day.
How apropos! He knows what I'm up against! Like...



This!!
;)
...and this...(Madeline apparently forgot that the cds are "no touch" items)

Wow! Messes happen instantly around here. I can have the whole house clean, and when I turn around, it can look like this! Justin reminds me of the Proverb that says..."Where there are no [children] the house is clean." (that's his version) :) Most days I'm running from 1 mess to the next. The kids and I do usually have the house restored to order by the time Justin comes home. Disorderliness messes with my brain, if it stays around too long. I love to organize, plan ahead, and have my ducks in a row. (good luck, you say, huh?! ;) I'm workin' on that!

My sweetie

Can't you just hear the noise??

My cool dudes...Samuel is really into his new shades. ;)

~I've been busy around here with spring cleaning, so I haven't taken time to post anything. I have some cute pictures, I'll put up of the kids. We've spent lots of time outside, since it's been so nice.~

~Samuel went to work with Justin today. They were going to pump water off of a job. Samuel was beyond thrilled to go to "work" He was even more pumped that I sent his breakfast in Daddy's lunchbox...he made sure I sent 2 of everything so there would be one for him and Daddy. ;)

Happy May Day! (My lil' night owl (guess who?!) is still snoozin', and Madeline just layed down for a nap (she was up a lot last night!) so I'm going to go crack open my Bible...wow, this is a treat!

Have a great weekend!

"Sacrifice is the ecstasy of giving the best I have to the ones I love most." a.w.

...Wholesome Words...

"A word spoken fitly is like apples of gold in pictures of silver" Pr. 25:11

"He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction." Pr. 13:3

"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life..." Pr. 15:4

"He that hath knowledge spareth his words...Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise; and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." Pr. 17:27-28

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue..." Pr. 18:21

"He that keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." Pr. 21:23

"She opens her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness." Pr. 31:26

"Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God...therefore let thy words be few." Ec. 5:2

"The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious..." Ec. 10:12~Just some verses that I was looking at this afternoon. I need to listen more, and speak less!

Intentional Motherhood...

There's an excellent talk on motherhood on www.reviveourhearts.com
It's encouraging and challenging. Just wanted to pass that along.

I couldn't choose just 1...

Pretty in Pink

I'm so thankful to have a little girl...

Boys...

When the boys break out in a fight, Justin always reminds them that they're going to need eachother, someday. And, that they best not fight eachother! I like these photos, b/c they remind me of my boys being best buddies.


"As iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17


...my such personalities! Maybe I think these are funny, just b/c I'm their Mom. :)

Oh, to have captions for each one!