Highs & Lows - A Quick Review

Every evening the kids & I take turns around the table sharing our highs and lows from the day. I have found it a helpful way to hear how my kids think about thing, to encourage them to ask questions of one another, and to listen to each other well. They often have trouble remembering all that happened within the day and have recently begun asking for a "quick review" of the day before determining their highs & lows. Funny kids.

I decided that since I have virtually disappeared from the blogging world these past six months, I'd better post a quick review of what we've been up to before heading to Montana tomorrow for what is bound to be the high of a lifetime!! :) My heart is so very full!

This post is a little long & is in backward order, so read from the bottom up if you'd like to see it in sequence.

Preparing

We have worked really hard the past few months on the "house in the woods" (as the kids call what will soon be our new home), on packing up my house, on plans for the wedding & open-house reception, but especially on trying to prepare ourselves and our families for the transition that lies ahead in marriage and the blending of families. I have been especially grateful that we have worked hard ahead of time and that this week has been low-key so that I can just be present & attentive to the kids - lots of time for snuggles, conversation & play. This might be my new favorite pic of Grace & Isaac, taken on the swings after dinner on Sunday evening. So sweet.


Work

We have worked our tails off the past six months getting the house ready - updating, painting, getting it ready for small children (again), making it feel like "ours". Eric & I have both really enjoyed this time and each of the projects along the way. Somehow I haven't paused to take a single before & after picture! We had a work-party in July and a bunch of dear friends came & helped us paint, do yard work, & generally get work done. It was a tremendous help & a lot of fun! Sadie worked with us much of the day as well and shared dinner on the deck after a hard days work.




Camp

It isn't summer without at least a day or two up at Camp Spalding. The kids & I have gone up a few times this summer to play with our buddies, hang out on the beach and visit Drew & Sadie who are both working up there this summer. Dog-pile pictured below with Ben & Betsy Sonneland. :)



Priest Lake I & II
Our favorite summer tradition is camping at Reeder Bay with Grammie & Poppa. This year we went up and met our small group friends the first night and then met up with G&P the next day. The first few pics are with the group and the last few are from Reeder Bay. We love Priest Lake!









Home
Though our summer has been pretty full, we've made sure to leave space for those simple summer afternoons at home. Can't beat running in the sprinklers, popsicles and playing make-believe with your siblings.


Fun with Friends
My sweet friends took me out to dinner & we spent an evening together celebrating my upcoming marriage to Eric. I am pretty sure I have the best friends in the world. I am so very grateful for each one (pictured here or not!).



Holmes Family Visit & Eli's Baptism
Lindsey & her kids came to visit in early June and we were able to celebrate Eli's baptism while they were in town. We cherish our time with our cousins & look forward to welcoming them back tomorrow! A few of my new favorite pictures are in this series. :)







Hikes
My kids love to be outside! We haven't ventured out on many new hikes this summer, but have returned a couple of times to our favorite local spots - Riverside State Park and Indian Painted Rocks. I had to take a picture of our feet, apparently we are a walking advertisement for Keenes.



Trip to Flathead
Eric & I took the kids to Montana for a few days, to spend time with his family & help get the kiddos acclimated at Flathead before the wedding weekend. We had a great time boating, playing in the sand, enjoying Jan & Eugene, and we even managed to sneak in lunch at Eric's favorite dive of a place - Moose's Saloon. Apparently they let minors in saloons in Montana...but don't worry, Isaac is drinking apple juice.




Dentist Visit
All three kids to the dentist at once and no cavities! This dentist office does an incredible job with kids and I love how Grace is just hanging out. Ha!


Preschool Program
Grace & Isaac loved preschool this year and were sad to see it end. They had fantastic teachers, made new friends, and would often sing new songs or tell me about what they learned on the way home. This is the only picture I was able to take of the end of the year program. Grace decided she did NOT want to be up front, so she sang along from my lap with Eli. We're looking forward to another year of preschool at Colbert!


Drew's Graduation
Drew graduated from Whitworth this spring and I so appreciated getting to join in the festivities. Well done, Drew!



Wednesday Night Dinners
Wednesdays are just about our favorite day of the week, because of Wednesday Night Dinners. This group has gathered to share a meal once a week for the past few years and has almost come to feel like an extended family. Here the kiddos help "Coco" celebrate her birthday.


Tuesday Mornings
Tuesday morning (during the school year) is my time to spend just with Eli. He is such a delight! I'd often take him on a run, then we'd just play until it was time to pick up Grace & Isaac from school. I love one-on-one time with each of my munchkins!


Chicks
We bought seven baby chickens this spring so that we'd have fresh eggs by end of summer and so that the kids could learn about caring for animals. Well...we're down to two. Some sort of bugger (the kids now think there is an actual animal called a bugger) has killed the other five and so far, has outsmarted us. It's been weeks now since the last slaying, so we may have resolved the problem. They were sure cute & tiny when we picked them out!


Sleep
Sleep has finally improved. It took some serious training, but everyone now sleeps ALL night in their OWN bed, AND they have to stay in bed until 7:00am every morning. This may have been my best parenting move yet in terms of self-care. I now have an hour every morning of quiet to prepare for the day however I choose. They just look at books or lay quietly until they see 7:00 on their clocks. Love it! And, I love this picture of my sweet boy sound asleep.


Wet Spring
We did have a wet, cold spring! Even our puddle-jumping adventures had to be followed by a warm bath & hot chocolate.


Easter
Easter was a highlight day, for sure. Sun-rise service celebrating the ressurection of Christ, followed by an Easter egg hunt & brunch out at the Sonnelands, then dinner and another hunt with the "big family". I'd like to make each of these tradition!

Dates

I've been trying to be more intentional with one-on-one time with each of the kids. They thrive on the focused attention and it is so much fun to just soak up each of their little personalities. This past week I was able to sneak in a date with Grace. She really needed a haircut, so we made a date out of it. I gave her a couple of choices in the Garland area for lunch (near the hair salon, Missy's on Post, where my good friend Andrea works), and she chose the Milk Bottle. I had never been there & we discovered it has as much character as it appears. She's not much of an eater most of the time, but inherited her mother's sweet tooth and happily sucked down most of our milk-shake. 'Atta girl, Gracie Belle! I loved listening to her sing, tell me stories, and just talk with me as we shared the morning together.






Eli spent the morning with Coco, playing at her house & having lunch at Whitworth with Landon, Sarah & Nicole. He was eager to tell me all about it.



We've also been enjoying time recently with our new little buddy, Sydney Smith! Sydney was born to our good friends Kyle & Mindy at the end of January and has quickly become one of our new favorite people.


And, I had to throw in this picture because it captures some of the fun of sibling play taking place at home these days. All week last week the kids decided they wanted to trade jammies. Here we have Eli wearing Grace's pj's, Grace wearing Isaac's, and Isaac wearing Eli's! Funny kids.

Jungle Fever!

It was a festive weekend around here with Grace & Isaac's birthday party. Our little buddy AJ's party was at the church last month and I thought it worked so well (preschool tables & all) that I ran with their idea. The kids looked through my cupcake book and chose a jungle theme, in part because they love animals and in part because this way Grace could have pink cupcakes and Isaac could have blue & green cupcakes. Funny kids, gotta love their logic! We had about a dozen little friends there to celebrate with us and spent the morning decorating binoculars, playing jungle games, going on a lion hunt, listening to Henry Explores the Jungle, dancing to jungle music, playing outside & of course, eating cupcakes. It was a great time!



Proud Mama with my two FOUR year olds!!


Grace & Addi

Belle checking out her binoculars


Pretending to be elephants pushing peanuts with their "trunks." This game was a riot!


Our good friends, brothers Adam & Colin. We had these "pith helmets" for everyone, but it wasn't until the end of the party that Adam wisely pointed out that the rims should have been flipped down - instead they looked like sombreros! :)


They're a little hard to see here, but my mom AND dad made these awesome animal print placemats for each child, laminated & with their name on them as party favors. They were a hit, as were the jungle cookies they made. Thanks G&P!


And, the cupcakes. We had a ton of fun making these the night before. Flamingos, hippos, and aligators. No, I'm not this creative, the book tells you exactly what to do. I am discovering Eric has secret talents even HE doesn't know about. :)


A few friends have shared the idea of interviewing kids each year on their birthday in order to capture who they are at each stage. This is our first year of birthday interviews and it was pretty funny to hear some of their (unexpected) answers. Grace went first, which may have influenced a couple of Isaac's answers.

Grace
Favorite color: pink
Favorite food: pizza with pineapple
Favorite drink: smoothies
Favorite song: Jesus Loves Me
Favorite book: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Favorite thing to play: princess (has she ever played princess?!)
Favorite thing to do with Mommy: play games
Most excited about turning four: opening presents
Favorite thing about preschool: friends
Favorite place we went this year: ocean
One thing you want to learn before you turn five: Count to 100 and write every letter
Place you most want to go this year: camping

Isaac
Color: Blue & green
Food: rice & beans
Drink: ice in juice
Song: Jesus Loves Me
Book: Berenstein Bears Lend a Helping Hand
To Play: whole world (?), or trucks
To do w/Mommy: projects
Most excited about turning four: going to kindergarten (sorry buddy, not yet!)
Preschool: friends
Place we went this year: camping
To learn before turning five: Count to 100 and to read
Most want to go this year: Costco (ha!)

I sure am proud of you Gracelynn Isabelle & Isaac Justice! I am excited to see how you grow in the year ahead. I love you!

Just Plain Fun

These three have been so much fun recently. Yes, we still have our moments, but in general they are in a really enjoyable stage and I am soaking it up! I don't take this lightly since we're border-line cabin fever around here. We've managed to get out in the fresh air at least a bit each day, snowshoeing over to Whitworth in the 12 degree weather last week (maybe not my best parental judgement) and going out for a night walk with flashlights in hand last night, among other adventures. Come on spring, I'm running out of ideas!!!

As you can see above, Grace, Isaac & Eli are finally having a lot of fun playing together. There are afternoons when I pause to just take in the fact that they are in the other room playing together without me, for more than five minutes. Can I get an AMEN?! Dress-up, coloring, painting, racing cars, and playing preschool have been their favorite activities as of late.

I know I've mentioned before, but I find it fascinating to watch each of them grow & develop their own personalities. I really think the boy/girl twin bit is especially interesting - same age, same upbringing, same environment, circumstances, etc, but different gender, statures, features, and and VERY different personalities. It has also been fun to watch Eli become his own little person these past few months and begin to enter more fully into the world of play with his brother & sister.

A few things that stand out to me about each of them these days:

Isaac is still very energetic, strong & intense, as I think he always will be, yet he has grown tremendously in his ability to manage his emotions, and in his consideration others. His sharp mind continues to amaze me - he seems to be on the verge of reading and is really interested in letters, sounds, numbers, and patterns right now. He is so busy and on-the-go that I am often surprised with how much he is thinking about and taking in while expending all that energy! And boy, he gives the BEST bear hugs.

Grace is just so dang sweet and a little mother-hen to Eli already. She can definitely put up a fight when she knows what she wants, but she melts my heart with her thoughtful, gentle ways. This girl can sing and she makes up multiple songs each day (think Phoebe from Friends, but Sunday School style and a much sweeter voice). Her recent interests have been particularly girly - clothes, accessories, and more clothes. I credit Coco and Aunt Lindsey for this, but so long as they teach her where I lack, I won't "blame" them to much for adding to her girly-girl flare! ;)

Eli is becoming the comedian of the family. This kid cracks us up daily! Even Grace & Isaac comment on how funny and happy Eli is. And, he is all boy, really into trucks, growling, blocks, and getting dirty. One unique thing about Eli is how aware he is of his feelings at such a young age. He'll often tell me that he's sad or scared, or he'll just start listing off the people he loves. It is adorable to hear him talking about who he loves and helpful for him to be able to tell me how he's feeling. Now if only he would start eating & sleeping better.

I love these three and often still can't believe I get to be their mother. There have been days when I've wanted toss the three of them in the backyard for awhile, but as most any mother knows, they are my deepest joy.

Their big question right now is "how many days left until we get to live with Eric, Mama?!" I know, little buddies, I know...we just might have to make a paper-chain countdown for this one.

Immeasurably More

Why yes, it's true (I keep having to remind myself), that beautiful new ring really is mine and better yet, given by one of the most remarkable men I have ever known. How does a girl get to be so lucky?! Eric asked me to marry him last week and I, of course, said yes! I have had these pictures uploaded for a few days now, but have lacked the words to articulate what is in this full, grateful heart of mine.

Ephesians 3 keeps ringing true in my head, and Paul says it better than I could anyway:

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...to him be the glory forever and ever. Amen"

I am still awed by the immense gift of this love and the faithfulness of God who gives abundantly more than we can even imagine.

Isaac, Grace & Eli adore Eric and were thrilled when I talked with them about Mommy marrying Eric. I know their young minds cannot comprehend all that this will mean, but the conversation was pretty priceless nonetheless.

What a journey it has been already and the next chapter is just beginning....