this seems to be as close to fall as we're getting so far ... pumpkin frozen yogurt : )

amie says she's burning good smelling candles while it rains outside & all you're blogs are full of jackets & fall leaves changing colors....

i am looking out my window right now & see benny with his shirt off : ) i do have to say though, it is actually overcast and looks like rain.

rex is unusually late getting home tonight - he told me before he left this morning that he would be. i have a killer headache & have ditched the jeans for flannel santa pj pants .... and found some advil.  the kids are playing hide 'n seek. we poured some bbq sauce over some chicken and stuck it in the oven. there are also artichokes boiling on the stove. 

really besides ben being shirtless it feels like fall - it being darkish outside & lights already turned on inside helps.

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saturday night we were really in the mood for a date. but go to babysitter, plus back up babysitter, plus grandma were all unavailable ....

we still went out.

they all just came with us.

one of our bum dates is frozen yogurt & downtown street browsing ... where we half dream what it'd be like to live in town on a tree lined street surrounded by old home after old home -

we usually end up driving past this place .... its the half of a shoe box we first lived in for a few months after we got married before moving here.  the tacky plastic pink flamingos were not there when it was ours : ) and its several streets over from all of the above.  the only thing that still says us is that screen door - rex built it.

but where were we .... yes on a 'date' with kids. ben wondered why we were driving so slow, molly didn't think the houses were beautiful ... and they were covered with sticky now dried frozen yogurt.

now let's talk about the hair do. the flip flop on the table next to her food needs no explanation : ) 

this is how she walked out that morning.  her own version of what she saw sailor do the day before in an attempt to have fancy nancy hair. the only difference was we never went out the day before & we did on her go at it : )

some issues are not meant to be made into mountains .... my only words were 'you look beautiful, lets not loose any of those.' and we carefully turned her shirt around the right way!

as proof of her public appearance ... the girls in a target cart : ) the comments i/she got were numerous. once rex got home and saw her he could hardly look at her with a serious face. she however was pretty good at rocking her own look with complete confidence!

and that's the sister friend for you -

and speaking of beaming confidence ... she spent most of her time crawling on hands & knees around this planter after the other kids. 'til she got brave and stood up.

'mum! mum! daeee! daeee! mum!' she shouted just to make sure we saw it too.

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happy fall, friends. and happy monday. happy chicken baking. happy drugs that kill headaches. happy new little baby whose a busy mover. happy husband whose almost home.

i'm going to go light a candle ......

this is how molly counts for hide 'n seek -

this is saturday morning muffins for the second week in a row -

this kinda shows ben's latest bald spot haircut - it was in his eyes, he said ....

this shows her newly mastered spoon skill -

this is kid happiness -

this was ben's idea of how to be royal for royalty night -
 

this is how we transport princesses around here -

this is how jack cuts an apple -

this is not one of their better looks : )

this is sweetness -

this made me laugh -

this is priceless -

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she totally had the hang of blowing out her own candle & started working on it as soon as we started singing

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it's saturday.  two weeks into the school year & i have realized two things: first i should have bought 50 boxes of crayola crayons when they were 40 cents each instead of just 5 ... next year!! second free saturday's are glorious!

rex is working. the little girls are napping. the boys are playing ... i love how brothers plays. there is always noise. something is getting shot & blown up. we're making use of their sub-conscience & playing their awana book on the ipod. sailor is out with my mom.

the forecast said it might rain - with a major emphasis on might - the boys are really hoping it does.  we made muffins this morning. they watched a movie. legos are all over. the laundry is nearly conquered. there are clean sheets on most of the beds. plenty of pumpkin pie left over from last night. sailor's little mobiles are gently swinging in the breeze from the fan. regan's new birthday toys are scattered around. molly was not so sure she liked little sister birthdays .... or at least she wished she got a new toy cash register too. 

i'm pretty sure the fly that's been sitting on my desk in the same spot this whole time is actually dead .... never mind, its not.

something slightly more worthwhile .... this week over & over i've been reminded how i will not have what i need for next week or 4 months from now or even tomorrow - today. i will have what i need (grace, wisdom, strength, wisdom, joy, etc) for today, today. and there is peace in that.

saves a lot of stressing out .... or it should : )

last night 12 minutes before the cousins were suppose to arrive - and the cousins, thanks to their beautiful mother are always on time - i thought i should have taken a few pictures of regan. so we gave ourselves 8 minutes and went out to take advantage of the last fading bit of light. there was a hot/humid/muggy feel in the air still. amie said she wore rain boots & a sweatshirt yesterday .... we're still in sandals with the a/c running.

regan is 2.

if you ask her, her answer will sound a lot like 5 as she holds up 1 finger - i'm not sure what she means by that : ) i've realized in the last little bit she actually 'talks' more than i've given her credit for - daddy being her best word. no & mine are pretty clear too! with water & mom getting a fair showing too.

drawing in the dirt was her idea .... after i set her down.

and then our 8 minutes were up.

- - -

back from breakfast & the birthday card rex left her at her spot.

by the end of the day the poor caterpillar was all picked off : ) but she took it with her blankie & purse when grandpa took her out on a date.

- - -

 ~ ~ ~
  alli

happy 1st day of fall ~

- - -

& sort of going off the friday this moment post -
i know there are only a million things that happen just once in a lifetime .... birthday donuts 'cause you're 2 today is one of them!  we'll be back soon with more on her  : )

- - -

this is how we ended the first week of school - i like how the kids all described it, something like .... 'mom was celebrating that we finished ....'

: ) true, i was.

- - -

benny's new favorite thing to do in the pool - wave making.

- - -

pictures i found on the camera that jack said he took of molly & regan -

- - -

she was pretty proud of herself for walking all the way down the hall like that : )

- - -

another proud moment .... the bonus of old heavy kitchen drawers, they make the perfect steps & she figured out how to climb them.

- - -

on your mark, get set ... here we go again!
i'm going to buy fall-ish smelling soap for my sink in the kitchen ....
happy new week.

& two more just because : )

- - -

it must be my pregnant hormones .... 'cause the comments i'm reading to him from facebook are not nearly as hilarious to him as they are to me : )

i'm also typing one handed 'cause i'm here on the bed & i just can't lay on my stomach too well anymore. yes i could just sit up, but where's the comfort in that : )

welcome to school nights! where the kids are in bed by 8:02 & we say oh my goodness! its only 8:02pm. 

earlier today i wished for one of the first times that i liked caffeine ... i could have used some major pick-me-up.  coffee, coke, something!

its cooler tonight. sailor even asked for a sweatshirt. we opened the windows before nine.

i don't feel like washing my hair tonight ... but i didn't feel like doing it last night either, so feelings don't matter tonight : )

a few shots from the week so far -

that's dust - hello harvest : )

my view looking down -

sailor & regan went walking with me the other night -

until the part where we ran to make it passed that orchard row before the sweeper came out.  they're almond orchards, someone asked a bit ago i just remembered & i forgot to answer.

regan, getting a car seat free ride in the back of the truck while we made marks on the road for the kids p.e. class : )

so far he likes math the best, he says.  i like this because it shows his right hand - he's the only one in our family that's right handed ... except for maybe.maybe regan.

she made up her own song on the piano this week -

the sister friends hair salon : )

- - -

see ya later -

i'm telling myself i have 26 minutes to be in bed : )

so that is all the time we have tonight for a first day of school 2011 post.

i had more i was going to say about school, but tonight is not turning out to be the night to do that.  i will say this is the first year i have really actually put a decent chunk of my summer into preparing for school. i have moved passed the grass is greener mindset of other school options & choices.  wanna know something? homeschooling is not my most favorite thing ever. i don't have a passion for it. i don't believe it is the end all & that every one and their brother should be doing it.

i do however have a major passion for my kids.

does it seem crazy to 'teach' 3rd grade, 1st grade & kindergarten all at the same time plus have a 3 year old and almost 2 year old around at the same time plus make sure everyone has clean underwear to wear & dinner to eat and wait! plus have a baby in 4 months ???? ?????? 

lol.

wanna know something else?  here is why - for this year - its not 100% crazy.

matthew, mark, luke & john all have this verse that comes from the old testament that goes like this .... 'love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind & with all your strength'

it is a huge priority of ours in education to teach them to love the Lord their God with all their mind.

'your word is a lamp to my feet & a light to my path' was one answer i got to the how in the world am i going to do it question.

'for I know the plans I have for you ....' was a reminder to me that this will take work, thought & preparation.

' .... give them the best of my life .... ' was a convicting line from a song that urged me to do just that.

i do not pretend to do it all. evidence a. the washing machine never once was used today. evidence b. i did not cook dinner : )

i am a huge fan of tutors, co-ops, lessons of dvds & ipods, cover schools that keep records & supply field trips ... we do all of that.

and today .... today went beautifully well. in spite of the two dozen little whatevers that went on - because that's just life!

i guess you could say the little sister friends went to preschool - we call it school class : )

sailor jane started 3rd grade - she said her favorite part were the history sentences & she is now friends with sarah.

jack boy started 1st grade today - and if i'm being honest i'd have to say his favorite part did not come from his mom & her super great phonogram explanation but instead came from seeing the swords & hatchets some of the other boys from class brought to the park afterward : )

benny .... he started kindergarten today. he got a sticker on his hand for being a good helper & then he went to the park to play : )

- - -

'guys! i had so much fun!' - jack ... as he climbed into the car on our way home.

day one down, 179 (give or take!) to go - it's going to be a great year : )

if God is for us, who can be against us!
i went passed 26 minutes : )

my favorite people -

- - -

we absolutely over slept this morning - i thought it was 7am but a closer look at the clock said it was really 8:13!

what we got done:
wash suburban
iron clothes
take shower
shave legs
feed kids
comb hair
start dishwasher
remember sunday school lesson

what we didn't get done:
make bed
wash hair
any type of clean up
feed ourselves

we were however perfectly on time for church at 9:30 - all in all quite impressive : )

we took one set of grandparents to lunch today & now are swimming at the others.

we've watched tv specials of 9/11 events. we've answered constant questions from curious 8, 6 & 5 year olds about airplanes, twin towers, terrorist attacks, hijackers, the pentagon & president, fireman & hero's.

where were you?  we'd been married barely 6 weeks ... rex called me in the morning after he'd already left for work ....

- - -

yesterday started nice & lazy with rare games played on dad's phone : )

and family pictures ...

then the marathon training schedule said saturday meant 4 miles ... which we walked. it was hot. like 100 degrees hot ... the kids made it for the first mile, regan came the 2nd & third till the stroller tire went flat, bucket made it the whole distance, though he swam part of it! 

we forgot to get us - just picture rex in black sunglasses, me in aqua sunglasses, both with dusty tennis shoes but just me sweaty - rex never broke a sweat .... he claimed : )

today its 20 degrees cooler but they are in the pool just like yesterday.

- - -

excited over grammy's school surprises .... you'll see them tomorrow.

regs is a huge fan of hers!

- - -

 
and molly supplies our family picture of the weekend!

this was a beautiful thing to wake up to this morning - i love mom. she knows i prefer communication to start after the sun is up & i rolled over to the sound of this text .... it was well after the sun was up : )

molly's own hair fashion - most of today the head band has been half an inch above her eyebrows : )

the sister friends - in their play world of dolls this morning.

remember how i said rex saved the school year with a white board? its now on paper : )

school starts monday!

hanging out waiting for sailor's piano lessons to finish -

she turns two 2 weeks from today -

- - -

we had a date last night.

we 'stumbled' upon season 7 of the office on dvd .... it was on sale : )

the kids can't keep the back door saved to save their life, or mine! and harvest has brought the fly population to untold numbers .....

the little girls are actually napping today - rare as of late.

i have joined a yahoo group & have printed coupons - 2 very modern things for me to do!

thank you for your kind comments from the last post - rex made some comment how the post sure brought lots of paragraphs & books for responses .... at least reading them on his phone they seemed extra long : ) 'they're good girl friends' i told him. thank you.

grammy has invited us for dinner tonight - beautiful lady. she has before school starts treats for the kids & i think not so subtly they are wanting to know about baby : ) even though they said from the start they wanted to be surprised .... not any more, i guess!

rex is home early & is blending me something sweet.

happy weekend ~

its quiet here tonight ....

quiet as in there are no kid noises.

i hear the fan in the girls room, the flag outside blowing in the wind, the cows, the shaker in the orchard - its harvest. bucket's barking at something. even the radio is on and yet it's quiet :  )

the couch was cleaned today - by a professional. the pen, the markers, the crayons, the silly putty, the dirt, the oil, the chocolate - it's all gone & i'm tickled.

so instead i'm sitting in the leather chair - the desk seemed too hard.

and i thought with all this quiet i'd sit here and talk about .....

this week marks 20 weeks.

it seems almost weird to me to be half way through this pregnancy & this is really the first time here to actually be talking about it.

goes to show that there is way more to our life than what is talked about here :  ) 'cause in real life this baby has been a big deal.

back in janurary the night we came home from the hospital after the miscarriage on facebook there was news of a sweet friend who was just pregnant. a few days later another & another and honestly another. and a few more after that.  and i thought 'really God, every last girl i know is now pregnant & i would have been too & i'm not now and i'm not sure how ok i am with that.'  so the every last girl i know part was a bit of an exaggeration but you get the idea. i'm convinced that God was going to help me be ok with that because it wasn't any longer after that that i got a phone call & then a text and two more babies were on their way.  these weren't just any girls they were .... they were .... well it was different and ....

i was going to need to be ok .... and then a really amazing thing happened ....

 i was ok. in fact i could really seriously be excited about that phone call & ecstatic about that text. 

crazy excited actually.

and while i thought selfish things like they can all be huge this summer : )   i began getting comfortable with where we were. i was content. really truly content.  and it absolutely amazed me 'cause it wasn't a fight or a struggle. the wish, the ahhh, the but's .... God just took. isn't that what He is so good at? taking our burdens.

maybe we were actually done with the little baby phase of life & i'd have to agree with all the ladies who've told me how it really does go fast ... those first years. we really were done with highchairs & infant seats & it wasn't the absolute end of the world if a kid missed a nap & i liked shopping for 'skinny' clothes & we'd have more kids in school this fall than not & ....

we were where God wanted us. and i was so overwhelmed at really how content i was. and i could go to the baby showers & the hospitals and genuinely congratulate my new mom friends again. i didn't leave wishing, hoping, wanting. honestly it was all quite the opposite & i thought wow how good is God. He knows what is best way before we figure it out & when we finally catch up there is such sweetness & peace at that place.

fast forward  : )

i was convinced my period would start. rex was convinced it wouldn't. he said two blue lines were two blue lines. i said one was pretty light so it probably wasn't a real blue line. after the 3rd set of blue lines he thought maybe i should just concede a period ever starting .... at least for the next nine months anyway.

we were pregnant again. again! but what about where we were? what about that sweet place of being content? what about the next 'phase' of life? what about being all done with infant seats, etc. you want to know something ..... i was kind of back to that same place of needing to be ok with it.

i wasn't. every other set of two blue lines before that was met with an excitement. a wow. a really! a yes. this set was met with a really? really! really?

rex was excited : ) he's always been .... why do you think there have been so many sets of blue lines ; )

without seeming too abrupt i think we'll stop here & retype the line from a couple paragraphs earlier ..... 

& i thought wow how good is God. He knows what is best way before we figure it out & when we finally catch up there is such sweetness & peace at that place.

'cause that's finally where i am again.

before regan was born we'd kind of figured out our pregnancies - extreme tired meant a girl/throwing up sick meant boy. we never officially found out regan was a girl but we knew. we didn't really have boys name. i only brought girl things to the hospital.

she was a girl : )

so this time we figured we had the whole boy/girl question in a bag. 

tired? vs sick?

i love God. He is not ok with comfortable : )

maybe it's twins .... i wasn't just tired. i never threw up. it wasn't like i felt fine & could just fall asleep. to say i had 'morning sickness' wasn't really true either.  i was just shot.

even now it makes me laugh & in spite of the difference i had my guess. my pretty confident guess.

rex practically fell asleep during the sonogram. you know how they make the room all nice & dark & i was convinced he'd start snoring any second & what would that look like to the tech ..... he's real excited, ha!

we have to decide if we're telling the kids - they are begging to know what our baby will be.

january can't come fast enough  ~

for the record - its not twins ; )

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