Grateful

I have been richly blessed. Sometimes I am in awe that all my dreams have come true. I have everything I ever wanted. And I am content. Truly content. I love where I am at in life right now.

Years ago, I didn't know that this kind of happiness would ever happen to me. I hoped it would, and I worked my tail off to be deserving of it. And now I am enjoying the family I always wanted and security I never had.

I am so blessed.

Katie started Kindergarten at the beginning of the month. She thinks it is the best thing that ever happened to her. No tears. No anxiety. No apprehensions. Just so ready. I miss her when she is gone, but I am happy she loves it so much.

Grace was determined to go to preschool. I had no desire whatsoever to send her to preschool so we compromised, and she does a little music program once a week called Music Makers. She liked it at first, but now she is feeling it is too baby-ish. I don't blame her. Most of the kids in the class are 2 or 3, and Gracie is 4. Oh well, if she doesn't like it that much, we will just stop going.
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Amelia is spouting off whole sentences and acting so grown-up. Never to be left behind or left out. She has such a fun personality, and keeps us laughing.



Justin and I have been trying to be more active and fit. Justin took up cycling last year and loves it. He set a goal to complete a century ride this summer and trained through the spring and all summer to do so. A century ride is at least 100 miles, and it's the equivalent of running a marathon. He completed a 50 mile ride in May, a 70 mile ride in June, and the century ride which was 104 miles in August. He decided to fit in one more century ride before the weather turned bad, and he did one last century ride last weekend. I am so proud of all his hard work.



I have been trying to stay fit through this pregnancy, and this summer, I set a goal to walk 100 miles. The girls, especially Katie, enjoyed watching me mark off my chart each day. Katie made her own chart, "Summer of 100 miles" just like mine, except she wanted to ride her bike 100 miles. Her definition of a mile changed each day. Some days she rode 60 miles, and other days she rode 1. So funny. Now I am doing 50 miles of Fall. My body is slowing down, and I didn't think I could do 100 miles before baby comes, so I settled to 50. It's been a great way to keep me motivated to keep moving even though I am huge these days.

Make Some Magic

Remember the calendar I made for myself? Well, this month is make some magic. And whiel I had big plans to make magic this summer (some we have done aka lemonade stand), I am discovering that most of our magical moments are unplanned. Today I was trying to get a dresser painted while I kept an eye on the girls playing outside. 

Amelia came and grabbed my hand, "COme see. COme see." I followed her to the little table in the shade she was playing tea party at. It felt so good in the shade, and I was really enjoying watching Mia pretending to set the table in great solemnity that a toddler adopts when they are trying so very hard to imitate real life. Then I glanced around to check on Katie and Grace. Up in a tree. They are really into climbing trees these days. 

My blood sugar was telling me it was time for a snack so i called to the girls to come join Amelia and me in the shade, and we could have snack time outside. they got really excited, and Katie insisted on preparing the snack. She brought out a plate of cut up bananas, carrots, celery, wheat thins, and almonds. She was very proud of herself for hosting. 

Grace used her best company manners and Amelia continued with her serious pretending.

And that's all there was to the magic. we hadn't scheduled anything. i hadn't prepared a creative snack that resembled an owl face. we didn't have any friends over. And you know it was the best kind of magic.

I am finding out that making magic for our kids is as simple as saying yes when they ask you to come play in the fort or snatching them up in a hug when they are passing by. It's whispering a joke in their ear when they least expect it or putting a band aid on an owie that doesn't really need it. It's letting them have unstructured playtime. It's letting them snuggle in your bed in the morning. It's smiling at them for no reason except you love them.

And it's just as magical for me as it is them.

Summer Days

Forgive the super blurry picture. I was trying to take a picture on my phone while two children were climbing around me. This is the outfit Katie came out wearing after I told her to go get dressed for her first day of soccer. Not only is that a skirt, but she had flip flops on too. (We're new to this sports thing.) But after I did a little explaining, she found some suitable shorts, t-shirt, and tennis shoes. And a rain jacket. It was pouring, but Oregonians continue on in the rain, I have learned. She LOVED it. She honestly enjoyed every single minute. I am so glad we decided to branch out from dance for a little while. 

Nothing says summer like eating fudgesicles on the back step.

Oh, these two. They make quite the dynamic duo. I always find them off giggling together. They squeezed into this contraption at the park today, and were having a blast rockin' it like crazy.

I had a yard sale last week, and I promised the girls they could have a lemonade stand....a lifelong dream of Katie's. They also sold cookies and brownies. I think they made just as much money as I did on the yard sale. 

Katie lost her second tooth tonight. You can see the permanent one already has come in behind it. We've been working on that stubborn tooth for weeks. 

 

I didn't get a picture of Gracie, but she started princess dance yesterday. She was so happy to be in the big girls dance class. Last fall she did the 2-3 yr old session, and loved it, but she was the oldest one in there. She was a little intimidated by her teacher yesterday, but she did great, and has been studying her little positions diagram faithfully. 

I don't like having to be busy with lessons, so we don't do them year round. This summer they each got to pick one activity, and then we'll be done with lessons until next spring or summer. I have found we are much happier as a family when we keep our schedule open. 

Amelia is talking like crazy. I don't think she is ever quiet. She repeats everything we say and picks up songs so quickly. She goes around belting out "Let It GO" and "Happy Birthday"  and "I am a CHild of God." On our way to church, we sing songs to warm up our voices ( a tactic I employ to limit the number of arguments in the van on the way to church), and I let each girl pick a song. Grace almost always picks "Away in a Manger," and this time while we were singing, Amelia joined in. I was so surprised she had learned it and was singing along, and it was so gosh darn cute, I almost had to pull over. Hearing a 19 month old sing is the cutest thing in the world. 

Amelia started nursery in May, and LOVES it. Well, she loves snack time and singing time, but then she's ready to go take a nap. Who cares about toys? She'd rather go snuggle down and go "night, night."

We are pretty excited (and still a little surprised) to announce that our sweet bundle will be a BOY. I am not sure we will know what to do with him after being in a girl groove, but I guess we'll figure it out as we go along. Katie is beyond excited. She was literally praying for a brother. Every day she asks me how big the baby is now. 

It's been awhile

I am trying to treasure these few years I have when my children are young and underfoot. With Katie going off to kindergarten in the fall, I feel the need to enjoy them while they are young even more intensely. I am so grateful for these simple days of preparing snacks and loosely supervising unstructured playtime. My heart fills to the brim watching an elaborate game of pretend taking place in my living room or in the privacy of a bedroom closet. I get such pleasure out of watching little Amelia being ushered into the world of make believe and get such satisfaction out of seeing the three of them traipsing around with their very serious job of pretending. Oh how I wish these days could go on forever....

And yet life is never perfect. I lost my temper at bedtime to tonight and turned into monster mommy. Now all the wee ones are sleeping, and I'm wiping away tears of regret. Not much to do but ask for forgiveness, pick myself up, dust myself off, and start over tomorrow. Luckily I have the most forgiving little souls to wake up to. For that,  I am ever so grateful. 

Reach the Beach

Justin trained hard and participated in a 55 mile race as part of a fundraiser for the American Lung Association. We were proud of him, and are looking forward to supporting him at the Century Ride in August.

Happy Belated Easter

We had a lovely Easter. We made our Resurrection Garden on Friday, a tradition we started last year. I guess I didn't take a picture of this year's so here is last year's version. We used a potato for the tomb. 

 Saturday, we had our own egg hunt in the backyard.

 Sunday, we went to church, had our Easter Feast, and watched some videos of the Life of Christ found here.

My girls looked so pretty in their little Easter dresses. I am so lucky to be their mom. We had such a lovely day celebrating our Savior and spending time together. We are so blessed. 

A few other spring happenings: 

 Last weekend we attended the Tulip Festival, one of our favorite springtime activities.

 I love how Amelia's hair matches this tulip, we didn't notice it at until we got home and looked at the pictures.

Justin used his mad photography skills to document the Lunar Eclipse. This was a few hours before the eclipse. 

About 15 minutes into the eclipse.

This was about 40 minutes into it. It's hazy because some clouds had moved in front of the moon. Unfortanetly, right after this heavy cloud cover, prevented us from seeing the full eclipse. Still neat though.

Moments

There are moments in motherhood that give me butterflies. Anytime one of my little ducklings comes to me with a book in hand and climbs into my lap, my heart melts. I love reading to my kids. It's one of my very favorite parts of being a mom.

Amelia toddled up to me last night with Winnie the Pooh tucked under one arm. "UP!" she shouted at me. I pulled her on my lap, and she wiggled down into a comfy position, and grunted for me to begin reading. I don't think that will ever grow old to me. I always will treasure my little reading moments with my kiddos.

March Madness

Ok, I am really trying to lose my baby weight. (Just 8 pounds and I will weigh less than what I did when I graduated high school!) Really I just want to be a healthy, fit weight. RIght now, I am a healthy weight for my height but I want to get toned up and be at an ideal weight. So for March I am really targeting my two weakest areas.

1. I am not going to eat after 7pm. I am notorious for sneaking back in for a snack or a treat after dinner...which leads me to my next goal...

2. Only one serving of one treat a week. AHhh! I have such a sweet tooth. I did read a book called the hunger fix, which helped, but I only got halfway through it before having to return it to the library, so I have slipped back into my sinful ways.

So far I've noticed a difference. I go to bed almost hungry which means in the morning I am READY for breakfast. I end up eating a bigger breakfast, and end up eating less at dinner. It's been going well.

And I've been doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I don't like her work out personailty, but I do like the workouts. They are really effective. Last fall I did her Trouble zones workout, and went down a pant size in two weeks (granted I was still nursing). But Thanksgiving and Christmas came and I indulged in too many sweets, I stopped nursing, and didn't work out much so I have to regain the ground I lost. But I know March is my month. I can do it!

because I never posted pictures of the girls in their CHristmas Finery

yes that is a remote that she is holding