Summer Days

We love summer! It is a busy season, but it is by far the best time of the year! Our days are often full of spontaneous fun times, lazy moments spent with a book, sleeping in late, going on picnics... So much to do, but it's all good!

Here are some pictures of our summer so far. We already know the high-light of our summer! Seeing my cousin Brian.

We were so happy to see him after he was released from jail after his terrible ordeal. He and his younger brother, my cousin Jacob, came up here to visit us for a weekend. Here is Jacob, my mom, Brian and me. Don't we look happy?!! God answered our prayers in such an amazing way - so suddenly at an unexpected time. I felt like Rhoda in the book of Acts when I got the phone call that Brian was released!

Our vacation in the Adirondacks of New York was very relaxing and we really enjoyed our family time. We stayed with Mark's parents and had a great time visiting with Mark's sisters and their families. The cousins don't see each other more than once a year so those times are precious. Lots of time was spent out on the back porch - what a beautiful view they have!

This beautiful rainbow picture was taken from their back porch!

Joel and Ivy with cousin Jaime and Uncle Chad out on the porch
Jaden with his cousin Jonathan

We also visited some educational sites like all respectable homeschooling families would do! We've always wanted to go to Fort Ticonderoga and this year marked the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian War so it was the perfect time to be there. We'll be studying colonial America in school this coming year so this field trip was a great introduction to the year!

Jaden thought the fife and drums corps were pirates!

Ivy would have been tall enough to join the Continental Army!

We also visited the beautiful King's Gardens

Jaden loved the school's playground near Nana and Grandpa's house. He even found a snake there in the grass!
Joel spent lots of time playing tennis with Mark and Uncle Chad and the cousins.

Here are some other pictures of our summer closer to home.

We love to go to Long's Park

We had a picnic lunch

The petting zoo was open that day so we were able to see the animals up close



Mark's big summer project has been re-doing our shed. He took off the old roof and put on a new one.




Now that the roof is replaced, he will replace the doors and paint the shed so it will look as good as new soon. My wonderful husband is always working hard for us! I am so thankful that he knows how to do everything - he's amazing!

Happy Summer everyone!

All the Last Times

At bedtime on Sunday night, I gave Jaden a kiss and put him in his crib to sleep. Just like hundreds of nights before. What I didn't know is this: it was the last time I would ever put my child to bed in a crib!

Granted, he is nearly 3 and a half years old. Our other two children were out of the crib before his age and into big beds by age 3. We knew we really should be getting a big bed for Jaden, but we didn't feel rushed. I had slept in a crib at three years old - I still remember it! But Jaden is already 3 feet 3 inches tall and the crib was starting to get cramped. So when I was walking around the neighborhood yesterday at all the yard sales (it's an annual thing here on Memorial Day) and I spotted the perfect bed for Jaden, we bought it!

Mark went to work taking the crib apart and assembling the new bed in his room. It is a very nice bed - big storage drawers underneath for all his toys, a bookcase headboard. Just right for his little room! But seeing the crib dismantled and ready to be put into storage made me have a strange little lump in my throat. Good-bye crib!!! That piece of furniture and that stage of life has passed for us now.

Then I began to think about all the other things that I unknowingly did for the last time - all those times that passed un-noticed and unaware. All the first things are celebrated and recorded - first smile, first teeth, first steps... But the last things slip away silently and it is not until afterward that we notice they are gone......Like the last time I ever carried Joel in my arms. There was a last time, but who knows when that was? The last time I ever washed his hair... gave him a bath... helped him brush his teeth... wiped his nose...put him on time-out... walked him in a stroller... exchanged Eskimo kisses... buckled his seat belt? All those times have long passed. I never knew when I did any of those things for the last time.

When was the last time that I did all those things for Ivy? Rocked her to sleep... Held her on my hip... Fed her in the high chair... Kissed to make it better... Sprayed "No More Tangles" spray in her hair... Held her hand as we crossed the street... Let her stand on a chair in the kitchen so she could help stir... Played "hide and seek" with her? All those last times have all happened and I didn't know at those times it was the very last time!

One of the advantages of having a baby again after the other children were older is that I've realized more and more how quickly the stages pass. I've learned to treasure those moments along the way, all the "ordinary" times that later are looked at as being so tender and sweet in the memories. I've also experienced the blessings of having older kids and know that I have much to look forward to with Jaden!

Here are some pictures of some of those things that passed by seemingly unnoticed:

Holding Joel in my arms

Changing Joel's diapers on the table

Making Joel laugh with his favorite cow puppet

Joel riding horsey with Daddy

Our little family of four with toddler Joel and baby Ivy

Carrying Ivy in the sling

Mealtimes holding Ivy and Joel in the high chair

Giving Ivy a bath on the table

Ivy wearing an Easter bonnet!

Ivy snuggling up on Daddy's lap

Joel wearing a Cowboy hat and boots

OK - you get the idea! I could add about a hundred more pictures illustrating these things that passed by so quickly, but I'll stop here. Instead of grieving the passing of those things, I will embrace the moments today and look forward to the future memories that we will make!

Our busy month!

For our family, May is the busiest month of the year! I have been so busy that I haven't been able to keep up with this blog very well, although there have been so many, many things I have wanted to write about!

This month included choir concerts, a wonderful Mother-Daughter weekend retreat, Mother's Day with my mom, and my mom's birthday, Track and Field Day, our anniversary, visits from friends, Mark's parents visiting from New York, my Dad and his wife visiting from Arizona, yard sales at our house, several dentist apointments, completing the painting of the kitchen, putting away Jaden's crib and getting him a "Big Boy Bed" and next weekend will be Joel's missions trip to Philadelphia!

These are some pictures from this month.


Jaden loved helping Daddy and Ivy plant the flowers this year!

Ivy and I had lots of fun on the Mother-Daughter retreat! Here she is with some friends in the rowboat. Later, Ivy and I went out on the canoe together. We had beautiful weather and a great time.

We ate s'mores after roasting marshmallows over the fire in the lodge.

We went on a sunrise hike - a very early morning, but it was nice.

My beautiful daughter

Grandma reading stories to Jaden on Mother's Day

Mark cooked lunch for us on Mother's Day. He grilled chicken and made everything to go with it too! Yum!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Jaden loves to help me make pancakes on Saturday mornings! I also wanted to show the kitchen door before it was painted.

Ivy found baby bunnies in the backyard. She kept them for a little while, thinking she and her friends could "adopt" them. They had them up in the clubhouse, fed them milk from an eye dropper and named them all - until I found out about it and insisted they be taken back to their nest and their mama!!!! Thankfully everything worked out well and the mama rabbit was happy to see them again.

Pictures of our completed kitchen! Everything painted, new floor, new ceiling, new tile board, new trim, crown moulding, etc. I love it! Thank you Mark!

My Dad and his wife Ginny from Arizona.
Daddy reading Jaden some Bible stories before bed - on his brand new bed!
Jaden's first time going to sleep in a big boy bed!!!! He told me he thought it was very nice, but he liked his crib better! Silly boy!