.my life.

“I shall now have one mouth the more to fill,
and two feet more to shoe;
More disturbed nights, more laborious days,
and less leisure for visiting, reading, music and drawing.
This is one side of the story to be sure, but I look at the other.
Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss;
Here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery.
Here is a soul to train for God, and the body in which it dwells is worthy of all it will cost,
since it is the abode of a kingly tenant.
I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all,
to whom, while I minister in Christ’s name,
I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation,
my other darlings had left me.
Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother’s heart,
welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares,
to her life-long prayers!
Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!”
Elizabeth Prentiss -Stepping Heavenward

That quote pretty much sums up my life these days ... the little leisure time I once had seems to have disappeared ...

As most of you Moms out there are probably well aware ... the post-newborn days are busy enough as it is since I feel like I'm nursing for half of the day ... throw in a 6 year old who is begging to do school every day (I'm glad she's excited to do school, it's just a matter of find the time to get to everything ... but we're getting there!) ... a 4 1/2 year old who has taken advantage of the lack of discipline and structure around here for the past few weeks ... a 2 1/2 year old who is also a bit out of structure and routine mode, insisting on being a baby (that is refusing to wear underwear because she wants to be like baby Callie and wear diapers ... so she tells us anyway!), and coloring with markers and crayons on anything she can get her hands on (including herself) ... and well let's just say I barely have enough time to do laundry and make sure everyone is fed!

It is during seasons like this one that I am continually reminding myself that this is just a short season ... one that will quickly fade (and someday I might actually miss these days!) ... so I'm doing all I can to enjoy these moments with my little ones and to be grateful even on the days when it feels like I get nothing done (except for feeding everyone ... that I manage to do every day thankfully!). It's a good thing that Hailey and Justin can dress themselves (and that Hailey can help Sydney!) or they might not ever make it out of their pj's! And it sure is nice having Hailey around ... she is a huge help to me and the designated peacemaker when the 3 older kiddos are playing together.

Since I have the best hubby there is, I have been able to accomplish some things during the evening and weekend hours. He graciously sends me out of the house to grab a cup of coffee, run some errands, do some shopping (Yippie for the Trader Joe's that just opened up nearby!) ... or just go somewhere and read a book for a little. Of course many nights are just spent at home with my love which I enjoy even more than getting out ... but since I'm not taking all 4 kiddos out and about much these days (ok, so really only when it's a necessity!) I have to get some things done at some point!

Since it's been a little while (as some of you have so graciously reminded me!) that I've updated the blog ... here are some pics of what we've been up to over the past few weeks ...

Since we were a little busy having a baby on Hailey's birthday, we celebrated with some ice cream cake after Callie and I came home from the hospital ...

Our big girl ... 6 years old!

We got our first snow on my due date ... October 28th ...

Brian got the 3 older kiddos bundled up so they could enjoy the snow ...

And this is what happens when Daddy gets them their mittens ... notice one camo and one pink polka dot mitten on our buddy boy ...

Callie has been doing this a lot ...

And she loves to smile while she sleeps ...

The kiddos love to wear their matching pj's from last year, and keep reminding me not to forget about getting all 4 of them matching pj's for this year (they are now old enough to know about our tradition of giving matching winter pj's to them on Christmas Eve!) ...


I love finding different things to do with the kiddos, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas as we seek to draw our kiddos attention to the things that really matter and are important. Even though I don't have lots of spare time these days, this was a fun project the kiddos and I did together ...
We made a "Thankful Turkey" ... but before any of you think that I actually came up with this idea on my own ... I got the idea from a friend who made this turkey before me. It was pretty funny to see what the kiddos came up with to write on the feathers ... Hailey wrote things like Daddy, Mommy, Baby Callie, her brother and sister, clothes, Jesus, food ... Justin was thankful for hugs and kisses from Daddy and Mommy, how Daddy lets him help with jobs, friends to play with, drums, snow ... and Sydney was all about people and her most important things in life ... Gramps, Mimi, Grandad, Grandma, cousins, aunts, uncles, her buddy, blanket, milk and snacks! It will be fun to see what they come up with next year!


So there you have a little peek into my life over the past few weeks ... it's busy and crazy at times, but there is nothing else that I would rather be doing than being at home with our 4 little blessings!