We've had a busy week--but it's been good--much better than last week! I was nearly ready to turn in my Mommy Card. We've been going for lots of walks and playing at the park and enjoying the sunshine. I caught a glimpse of my future when Ezra skipped his nap one day and I did not like it. =) He's back to normal though--thank goodness! 

The kids have been a little obsessed with blowing bubbles...

And watching their new-old-favorite Elmo in Grouchland.

That's about it though! My husband already directed one concert this week and has another one tonight--I'm excited to go and also excited that this is one more thing we can check off of the busy end of the year list! Happy Thursday!

Amelie looks and usually acts like a very grown up girl. I just. can't. believe. it. She is so lovely and sweet and funny almost always. 

She is a peacemaker

A game-planner 

crafty crafter 

dance-y dancer 

high singy-singer 

piano player 

cuddly cuddler 

sporty spotsgirl 

 serious reader 

and so much more.

I love her so...and even though she's getting big I'll always think of her as my

 teeny tiny

 non-night-sleeping 

5 pound 

dark haired

wide eyed

baby 

My Mom is here visiting this weekend! I can't believe how quickly her visits always go. Amelie is already crying that she has to go home tomorrow. Oy. Today I got to sneak out with Mom a bit and we went to see Mirror Mirror. 

I wasn't sure what to expect but it was really cute and 99.9% clean. I think Amelie and Maeve and I will have to have a movie night when it hits dvd. The girls also got to bake cookies with Granny and had lots of fun blowing bubbles with the bubble machines she brought them. =) Granny and the Girls! Ezra was not game for pictures.

A few pictures of Bubble Boy:

 And giving Granny a kiss!

Can't believe it's already Sunday night! Where did the weekend go?

Yesterday....

Yesterday was plain awful! 

The children were grumpy-sauce all. day. long.

And then, as the day went on, so. was. I. 

I think, a lot of the times, that they are grumpy I'm not sacrificing my own wants & focusing on them enough. I wanted to make a really nice dinner so I spent a lot of time working on homemade soups and bread instead of just sitting them them and getting out books and puzzles.

I don't know. Can't win 'em all--but I can definitely pray for a better attitude!

I'm so thankful for these guys--
...Even when they are super naughty. =) HA! 
Today we are looking forward to an outing with friends and Amelie is singing a solo in the Gifts & Talents Chapel at school. I am always soooo nervous for her--but she doesn't seem to get nervous so I keep it to myself. I'm sure she'll do well--especially since Daddy is there to play piano for her! We have spent many years sacrificing so that my husband can continue to teach in a Christian school--and it pretty much feels like the best decision ever now that Amelie is in school with him and he can check up on her and support her. Love. it. 
That's it for now! Happy Thursday--these days sure do go fast!!

As I type this *the* most delicious breeze is blowing through my back door-feels like a little bit of Heaven! I just finished giving the girls their baths (Mr. Wonderful is out taking a walk with the little man) and painting their fingers and toes hot pink. 

I built a bunny fortress around the garden last night (baby pool + bricks + broom = bunny proof). Success. Woot. 

Had our friends over today for a little birthday celebrating and hair-cutting extravaganza. It didn't seem like my clippers were cutting PJ's super thick and beautiful hair so I set the clippers 1 notch shorter and then....his hair was SHORT. He looks soooo handsome and grown up but I feel like I scalped him. Ahhhhh--good thing his hair grows fast!  =)

Before, During, After

 I forgot to post these pictures of the kids that I took before church on Sunday:

 In other news Ezra has been glasses-obsessed lately so he was rocking a pair of pink shades from his sister on Sunday. Little Elton!

 

We had a happy day! I hope you did too!

It's been a long few days with lots packed in--I am thankful, even for Monday, for life to relax its pace and for things to calm down. 

I can't even remember the last thing I blogged about but we've had--

*the last day of Bible study for the spring. sadness.

*a bunny make its nest in my beautiful-new-growing-garden. now it's a beautiful new-growing-garden with a giant bunny butt print. gah. i don't know how to solve this problem. 

*my husband's friend was here for the weekend so we had a full house and i was a third wheel. he was an excellent house guest though and it was good to see my husband enjoy his friend and relive his youth. =)

*we had a ladies brunch on Saturday and it was so lovely to spend some time with dear friends and listen to the speaker (whose job I took over teaching art before Maeve was born--it was good to see her too!).

*before that I was able to go to the coffee shop with my friend Brie. with NO children. it was kind of amazing. i forget what it's like to not be correcting, chasing, consoling, feeding etc... in public. 

*my husband's music team ran the service at church sunday and that was super enjoyable--great music and my dear in-laws came and treated us to lunch after. what a treat. love them!

*and now...it's monday--we were able to spend some time at the park with friends and took long naps. i don't understand why more people don't nap--it makes me so happy! 

* i cut ezra's hair today-it doesn't grow long it grows FLUFFY hahaha-before fluff/after sleek:

 anyways...not much else is happening. i have been faithfully running for the last three weeks and did a little over 2 miles saturday and 2 miles this morning--making slow but sure progress!

hope you had a happy monday!

Amelie Says:

As a bug buzzed by her ear outside.."Ahhh! Was that a quesadilla? The bugs that make loud noises with their wings?" (quesadilla = cicada)

 Maeve Says:

"I'm going to go to bed and have some dream adventures!"

"I'm so tired. I burned up all my energy." 

 Ezra's starting to speak in more and more sentences but mostly only Mama can understand him. =)

I've been trying to write a new blog all day but I'm not smart enough to figure out Blogger's new format. =) Anyway....I just sent my husband off to Ohio. His Pop-pop passed away and the funeral is tomorrow morning. I'm sad that I can't go myself but very happy that he can go! Although, he's only been gone for an hour and I miss him so much!!! 

Love that husband of mine!!! 

It's been a hard week for me emotionally getting Steve set to leave-I have massive anxiety about traveling in general....and that's really thrown me for a loop. So I had to work my anxiety out through cleaning and scrubbed my house top to bottom and felt marginally better. That's it though--I'll just be holding my breath until my husband gets back and trying to enjoy every moment with my most precious children. =)

I have some videos to post if I ever figure out this new blogging format too! Ha! 

Happy Friday--squeeze your loved ones extra tight!

We've had a great week so far--the weather has been unseasonably warm so we've spent a lot of time outdoors! The kids have even been swimming in their baby pool and loving it! =)

I forgot to post a picture the other day of the girls after their shopping trip with Granny--they're so funny and are so lucky to have one set of grandparents so close by!

And another picture--of all my favorite people--even though mostly Amelie is all feet in it. =)

And last but not least, Ezra boy in the stroller at 7am demanding we go for a walk. =)

We ended up heading out to the park very early and since it was so lovely walking a bit further to the lake and walking the mile loop.

Ezra walked the entire thing while Maeve rode in the stroller. Ha! We had a great time looking at all of the baby ducks, a pair of loons (which I've never seen there before), tons of turtles and lots of fish! We walked back in time to have a play-date with some of our favorites. With long naps and pool time after dinner it was a full but great day!

Today Maeve has preschool so I have to finish rounding up the littles--she only has 6 days left (spread out throughout the next 4 weeks). I can't believe the end of the year is nearly here and that soon I'll have a Pre-K girl and a 2nd grader! Ahhhhhhhh I can *still* clearly remember 2nd grade--how can I have a daughter going into it? Time. Flies. I need to enjoy every moment! Happy Wednesday!

What a wonderful, relaxing, boring (in a good way!!), lovely week we've had together!

I just LOVE spring break--I can't remember the last time we had such a long stretch of days with no set plans and wide open days! Last year at this time my husband was doing a show that took a HUGE commitment so this has been as awesome break! 

We did some projects around the house--planted my garden, set up a new spot for our outdoor furniture and spent lots and lots of time at parks, and taking walks and just enjoying the outdoors. 

The girls get along so fantastically--it's been a joy to have them together playing all day! They are best friends! They decided they wanted to rearrange their room so we worked on that for a few hours the other day--I was so proud of them--throwing out things and stowing away their toys so nicely. Yay for organization! 

I also worked seriously on my running this week and am back up to running almost 2 miles, almost comfortably. =)

 I still have a ways to go but I hope to be in shape to run my first 5K this summer! 

Another thing I did was make this awesome recipe featured on Pioneer Woman--

I've been in a bit of a recipe rut so I did some searching for Chuck Roast recipes so I could use the one we had in our freezer. This is called ***Drip Beef--which I've never heard of but LET ME TELL YOU--it's pretty much amazing. We got some delicious rolls from Wegmans and I substituted the sherry for 1/2 white wine vinegar/brown sugar mixed. Divine.

Another fun thing that happened was that I finally got my Ipad! I've been saving money since Christmas and wanted to wait until it went down in price and finally finally got one! Oh my word--I am not disappointed--pretty much the funnest gadget ever. =)

We really enjoyed church today and are getting things geared up for school tomorrow. Just about 8 weeks left and summer will be here! 

*************

In other news, please pray for my husband's grandfather and grandmother. Pop-pop is doing very poorly and is in the hospital. Mom-mom is confused and worried. Please pray for them--they are the absolute sweetest, kindest, most loving people in the whole wide world. Jesus hold them close!

Good night friends.

Our Week So Far

I've been so camera-lazy lately!

Saturday we went to a local town's Easter Egg Hunt and I brought my camera but it was too crazy to take pictures! The kids ended up getting a nice amount of eggs but it was a little wild. =)

After the egg hunt we dropped the girls off at Granny and Pop's house--they helped clean and then went out for ice cream and a little shopping at the mall. They had a WONDERFUL time! While they were having a wonderful time Mr. Wonderful and I took Ezra to Applebees for lunch! It was so fun and easy! It's amazing how much easier just 1 kiddo is than 3! 

 It's also amazing how well behaved Ezra is when there is no one else around to inspire his dramatic tendencies! 

Sunday we really enjoyed church and celebrating Easter with our NJ family--a picture of Granny with some of the grands (Ezra was playing cars inside!).

Pop set up an egg hunt and the littles all had fun finding their special eggs!

 Xander proudly showing off his eggs!

 Ryleigh enjoying the spoils:

***

These past two days have been spent with lots of park playtime, outdoor work and long runs for me. It's been a GIGANTIC blessing to have my whole family home. The kiddos have been getting along so well it's been pretty awesome.

I love spring break!!

Happy Ressurection Day!

So thankful for the family God has given me.

We have enjoyed our Easter morning with eggs and baskets and new books for Amelie and new toys for Maeve and Ezra. 

We went to church and really enjoyed the Easter cantata--soo soo lovely!

Anyways, I like to take pictures of my little people because I love them.

Some of my little people (ahem...Ezra) don't like getting their/his picture taken.

Wailing 

and

Gnashing of teeth.

The other people? Perfectly happy to be photographed:

Hope you a enjoyed a happy day with your family! We're looking forward to Easter egg hunting and *ham* (yum) with our Jersey Family. 

A kind lady, riding by on her bike, stopped and asked if she could take our family picture! What a treat! We rarely get pictures of us all--yay! Just ignore the fact that I'm too smiley and Maeve and Ezra are un-smiley. =)

It Should Be Called Great Friday....

Things that will NOT save your soul:

Going to church

Being a good person

Charitable deeds

Doing good things

***The ONLY thing that saves is***

Grace. 

The grace of God covers our sins and our faults.

***The Only One who saves is Christ***

--(John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.)

and all it takes is:

1. Belief that He is the Son of God

2. Confession of sins

All of the "work" of salvation has been done for us--ours is just to accept the gift that has been freely given. Isn't that wonderful? I'm so thankful for grace and peace and HOPE wrapped up in my future in Heaven with Him! What a miracle! 

So thankful for Christ's sacrifice for me!

We've had a lovely couple of days filled with playdates and friends and having my husband home at night! yay!! Monday Mr. Wonderful took the kids to the park after dinner and didn't come back until bedtime and last night we did the same thing as a family! I love our home and that we can easily walk to a few different parks--what a treat! 

Not much else is new--we're just counting down the days until spring break! It will be so nice to have everyone home! The kids are really looking forward to Easter! Granny of the East got them so really cute outfits (the girls picked out their dress this year--so sweet!) and Granny of the South got Ezra's shoes! Now we're all set except for Amelie's shoes--that girl has hit a growth spurt and needs a new shoe wardrobe. =)

Happy Wednesday! Looks like rain today which will make my baby grass happy! =)