A Fond Farewell

Really this has been a long time coming & finally I am putting the nail in the coffin.  Me & my blog are saying sayonara to our lovely followers. Yes, you Ben! I just wanted to give one last official post to keep anyone from having to do the sporadic check anymore.  Things have been super lovely these last 6 years of blogging & I have really enjoyed hearing & communicating with old & new friends.  Blogging really has helped me document so many wonderful experiences in our lives & the lives of our children.  It has also helped me to clear my head on plenty of issues & plenty of occasions.  Thanks for being awesome!
 Keep in touch & peace!

And here are some lovely photos Ben's mother took of everyone on their recent trip here...

Today

I wrote this post several weeks ago befoooore 2 of my children began new phases. I can't lie... my feelings are a little different today.

Whoa Whoa Whoa.... where has the time gone? I'll tell you where it's gone.  It's gone to wonderful things.  Okay I am sounding annoying to myself already.

Bare with me though because seriously I am really in love with my life right now.  Very happy.  I am really loving being a mother to 3 (didn't expect to say that) great little people.  Last year was a whole lot of frustration.  Not huge trials, but trying times.  But as usual, things changed in a way we didn't expect when we least expected it & the result is good times.  We are feeling like ourselves again.  Like our little family again.  Surely all this ease & goodness is just a fluke. Right?  I don't know but I just want to drink the crap out of it for as long as I can.

As I look at these 3 beautiful children laughing, fighting & giggling through stuffy noses I can't help but think how lucky I am.  I've done something right in life to deserve this fullness in my heart.

So peace!

Tuesday Skills

The clothes line was getting a little crazy in our back patio as it zigzagged all over the place, so Ben decided something had to be done.  Of course.  So he thought & thought & then went to work developing this.  It is 4 clothing lines on 2x4s with some hinges that can be extended out when needed, but laid flat on the fence when not (ben would not appreciate my descriptions of his workings i am sure). When I put it up I just had to put in the screw on the sides to secure it & we were in business. Worked ingeniously until we had another baby & I said it was time for a dryer.  

 

A look at today

I am trying to be better at documenting what the little guys are up to & when, so here's a start.

 

Taj is at an awesome age. He is 6, in first grade and maturing so fast. He is the best big brother. He loves to kiss & love on Wren & is always more than happy to help Lotus. Unfortunately he has more energy than he knows what to do with & often ends up making Wren cry rather than smile. He loves to read & is pretty amazing at it. And he is quite the thinker, constantly asking questions and saying things we haven't thought of.  Like yesterday when looking at Wren he said, "someday she'll be pregnant." What??

Lotus is her own woman for sure. Whether it be refusing to put on her seat belt after dark because she is sure the policemen are asleep, questioning John Sniff's silly name on Pocahontas, perfecting her stink eye, changing her name to Zianna or emphatically using her own made up swear words (not sure how to parent this one).  Several weeks ago she started preschool.  Perfect.  I never felt the need for Taj to go to preschool, so he didn't, but if ever there was a child that needs it, it is Lotus.  It has made her a saint & now she is obsessed with learning everything.  And it may be too early to say, but I think her mean stage may have come to an end!  Holla!

And Wren.  Oh Wren.  Our little bird.  I had forgotten how happy babies can make you just by existing.  She is so eager to laugh & smile.  Always watching you expectantly waiting for you to look so she can give you a big cheese.  And I do believe she too has passed a stage.  Thank goodness the grumpiness is fewer & farther between these days. She has found a new love in her hands & adores sucking them raw & staring at them intently.  She is a bit of a wild card in the looks department as her light eyes & red hair remain & she is in the 70% for height & 12% for weight!  She also has decided sleeping through the night was just something fun to try, but would rather see us every 3 hours instead. Lucky for her she melts all of our hearts & we forget in an instant.    

Have I mentioned

we have a redheaded baby that appears to have really blue eyes?  Seriously??  It is really odd to see her with her siblings.  I guess we always knew our moms' blue eyes & my grandpa's red hair would show up somewhere.

 

and these guys are pretty cute too...

Happy Thanksgiving

This year Ben's family came to us to meet baby Wren.  So we went up to the mountains a couple hours away at Lake Arrowhead & celebrated thanksgiving in a nice, cozy cabin.  It was perfect.