STRUM

 She walked in the door after school, made nachos & then STRUMMED.

Mozart

A new family member-

MOZART

MOZY

MO

An 8 week old sheepadoodle.

He is adored by 5 females in this house and tolerated by 1 male who adores us.

<3

time to get up

I wish she loved this cozy spot when I say "time for bed" as much as she does every morning---

"just a little longer" she pleads every morning...
"it's too cold" she complains as I gently tug on her covers
"5 more minutes" she begs

She takes after her Mom :)

STRETCH!!!!!!!!

It is Friday!!!!

Hooray!

lights poured out the windows

Danny and I jumped in the car one evening this past week.  We were welcoming home a friend who had been away on a mission.  We knew we wouldn't be long.  Dinner was almost ready.  Each of the girls had an instruction...one was practicing music...another finishing dinner and another setting the table.  Nothing is perfect around our house but as we pulled out of the driveway, the sun was down and the lights from our home poured out of the windows.  Our daughters were inside- being crazy, silly, distracted but also really really really good.  Their goodness fills our home.  We both reflected on what it would have been like had we not had the privilege of being their parents.  They truly bring us so much joy.  Life isn't easy...and far from perfect.  We have challenges and trials...hard days but really really good days too.  We are grateful that we get to grow, work, try, fail, and triumph together.

A couple of Saturdays ago...the weather was GORGEOUS and fall was in the air.  I had a new lens to play with (the 50mm 1.2) and about 1 hour to spare (before we had to leave for the football game).  I asked the girls if I could take their pictures- we put outfits together in about 10 minutes.  As we were about to leave Danny was finishing up a day of working in the yard.  We grabbed a shirt for him and decided to all go to a hillside in our neighborhood.  This photo shoot was the most PAINLESS attempt at family photos- completely unplanned, I didn't even change, I didn't buy one article of clothing- and I don't think Danny had even showered.   As we got there we realized that my mother in law had just come for the game---so she even took some of all five of us.  They were the least planned and organized photos we have taken-but may be my very favorites.

Halloween 2014

trunk o' treat

become as a little child...

How readily they trust...

how freely they love...

how generously they forgive...

how effortlessly they seek joy...

What a privilege it is to love a child...

I am reminded so often Jesus' invitation-

BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN

the last day of summer break...a hike

There is a special spot close to our home...that truthfully we don't visit enough.

We put on our shoes this morning, ate a great breakfast, called Sharon and Jason...

and headed to the mountain.

As I watched our girls hike, climb, explore and even run...

I realized how much they thrive by moving in the outdoors...

fresh air and exercise.

I really need to do better creating opportunities for us to enjoy the outdoors as a family.

Our last day of summer vacation was a perfect opportunity!

Thank you Sharon, Jason and sweet Sage for joining us today!!!!!!!

10 days of summer

We have 10 more days before school starts...

I felt a bit sad today...

I wasn't sad that my girls are going to school---

(they can't wait...and a little alone time wont hurt me either)

I just can't believe the summer is over,

and I am left wishing I had spent it differently.

There weren't enough hikes.

(We had hoped to complete at least one a month.)

There weren't enough bike rides, movies in the back yard, or walks in the evening.

There wasn't enough homemade ice cream, game nights and home cooked meals.

If I could do it over again...

our "to-do" lists would be shorter

and the only school work we would have done would be

reading great books (the girls did do this!) and journal writing.

We should have had more art time and less math.

I should have recycled every work book in my house.

We had wonderful reunions with friends we hadn't seen in a long time...

We enjoyed wonderful days poolside!

We played tennis in flip-flops!

I should have worried less about what the inside of the house looked like--

and spent all day in the backyard!

We have 10 days left...

I can't wait to see what memories we can make in these last few days of summer!

Tonight---we went on a long walk~

a note for the tooth fairy~

It was her first loose tooth!!!!

(lost naturally anyway...there was that one the dentist pulled...oops)

On Thursday night Sharon was here and I showed her Kate's loose tooth.

Danny is the "tooth puller" for all of our nieces and nephews...but not his girls.

They wont let him near the wiggly pearly whites.

 I pointed out that her new tooth was growing behind the tooth that was finally loose.

Sharon decided that it was time.

She grabbed a long tootsie roll from her purse.

She handed it to Kate under the condition that she bite and chew every bite on her loose tooth.

Sure enough, once the tootsie roll was finished it was REALLY loose.

Sophie, Ellie and I tried to distract her...Danny stood close by with a clean dry hankie...

and Sharon grabbed a hold of it------

She lost her first wiggly tooth!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Aunt Sharon!!!!!!!!!!

When it was time for bed we placed the tooth in a little "doll tooth fairy" that holds the tooth in a little pouch.  She carried it to her room so carefully.  She has been waiting for the tooth fairy FOR YEARS now.  She was NOT going to mess this up.  Before she placed it under her pillow she wanted to take one last final peek at her lost tooth.  It was gone.  She noticed a small hole at the bottom of the pouch.  She was DEVASTATED!

We looked and looked.  We retraced her steps.  No tooth.  To console her I suggested she write a note and leave it in the pouch.  I was sure the tooth fairy would understand.

She found the tiniest paper I have ever seen and wrote a note:

translation:

"I dropped my tooth down the stairs. Can you look for it?"

The tooth fairy understood and left two dollars.