Family Fun

My brother and his family spent a few days with us last week. My boys adore Uncle Jeff and Aunt Laura and their 4 kids: Morgan (17), Zack (8), Grace (6), and Lillee (3). The kids rode bikes, played trains, pretended to "cook" many meals, ran around inside and out, played hide and seek, and had some serious fun. Can you imagine the fun with one teenager and 7 kids age 8 and younger all under one roof? :) We had a blast and my boys fell into bed each night from exhaustion! Woot!
Morgan celebrated her 17th birthday with us - so fun! We had a little party, complete with cake, candles, and ice cream. She is a lovely young lady and we all love her a bunch. Hard to believe that she is 17 already. She is not your average teenager ( well, she is attached to her cell phone at all times, she never leave home without her music, sleeps late, never cleans her room, and she must check her e-mail daily) - she is super cool. She plays with my kids and even makes time for her not-so-hip Aunt Tina from time to time. Wow! Love ya, girl!
I'll add some of the pics from our family fest later today.

Summer Fun & Camp Jamie

The pace of daily life around here is fast to say the least. There are daily things to be done: making beds, cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry, changing diapers, cooking, etc... If I neglect these things for too long - it gets out of control and I get overwhelmed. The mountain of laundry and overflowing sink full of dishes make me want to run and hide. I struggle with finding balance between daily responsibilities and fun! I don't want my boys to remember the "spotless home" of their childhood (ha! fat chance!) - I want them to remember me playing with them...not just cleaning things and running errands. So, I am making time and creating energy for playing each day - and it's been rewarding! We've been tickling, wrestling, chasing one another around the house and baking treats together. It's hard work to have fun - but, so worth it!

Last Tuesday, we decided that it was time to mix it up a little. We arranged for Miss Phyllis (babysitter extrordinaire) to come over to care for Caleb and Matthew while we headed out on a "family date" with the big boys. We put on our suits, grabbed out towels, packed some snacks and juice boxes...and then we were finally ready to go to the local pool for some fun! The water temperature was FRIGID!! We couldn't get Sam into the water and we couldn't manage to keep Luke out of it. Sam allowed me to carry him around a bit - but nothing other than his feet got wet. Luke, on the other hand, was a wild man! His body was quivering with excitement when we arrived...and shivering from low body temperature when we left! :) He had a blast and didn't want to leave. We're making plans to go again soon. Brad and I feel like it's important to create some "big boy" time for Sam and Luke - and they LOVE it! My only regret? I didn't take the camera!! ugh.

Sam and Luke have been enjoying "Camp Jamie" for the past couple of weeks. No, we haven't shipped them off to summer camp - they are a bit young for that! I have not found a way to get all 4 of the boys outside to play with great success. By the time I get babies loaded into the stroller, sunscreen applied, shoes/sandals on, and everyone outside - a baby is fussy or sleepy, Sam has to potty, etc... Luke is only 2 and still fairly unpredictable - certainly can't be left unattended outside (our yard isn't fenced in). So, if one of us needs to come inside - we ALL have to come inside. It's labor intensive, to say the least. The boys need to be outside enjoying the sunsine, fresh air, riding bikes, and playing baseball. I prayed like mad, asking God to help me be creative and to provide the help I needed in order to meet each boy's need. God has provided and I am learning to think "creatively" and "let go" a bit. That's how "Camp Jamie" was born. Jamie is an amazing 13 year old boy who lives next door to us...he loves Jesus, loves his family, and he loves playing with my "big boys." We've hired Jamie to play outside with Sam and Luke twice a week. "Camp Jamie" is a huge success! Sam and Luke LOVE Jamie - and jump and squeal with delight when they see him coming to our door! God is so good to meet my need!

So, I am learning to "let go" a little - and allow God to bring some other folks along to help me from time to time. My boys will be richer for it and I will too. God is so good.

A Work in Progress

While Luke napped this afternoon, Sam and I were chatting. While I nursed Matthew, we pretended that we were superheroes and we were saving people from "super bad villians." After we had saved enough people...he moved to the toy basket and found our "baby doll" (another story for another post!) and bottle. He began to feed his baby and talk to me about being a daddy. I told him that I hoped his baby was as sweet as Caleb & Matthew...without a moment of hesitation, he responded with, "They are a work in progress." Then he just grinned. What a kid!

Picture Perfect

Hard to believe it, but Caleb and Matthew are 3 months old now...so, it was time for a "photo shoot" with our friend, Carissa. She came to our house last Saturday morning and we had a great time. She is a new "mommy" herself, she and Scott adopted a little bundle of joy just 2 weeks ago! Her little Evelyn is so tiny and precious...I keep telling Carissa that surely her daughter can find a suitable husband among my 4 boys!

She was able to capture each of the boys unique personalities in spite of the madness of trying to photograph 4 boys who are all under the age of 5. We started by taking pics of the little guys first, and it was a challenge. Matthew, who is normally a smiley little guy, was very somber and would hardly crack a smile. Caleb smiled a little bit, but not enough to catch his little dimple. They are just precious!

Sam was a little jealous and feeling the need to be in the spotlight for a bit - so, she took a few shots of him. He is growing up so fast...both physically and emotionally. He is a very tall 4 year old and people often think he is older than he actually is. He wears a size 1 shoe - the same size as his cousin Zack who is in 1st grade. My Sammy Boy is becoming such a little gentleman and so incredibly handsome.

Luke was totally uninterested in participating in the picture taking. He really preferred to watch "Larry Boy" cartoons and relax in the living room. We finally coaxed him into his bedroom to play - and Carissa was able to get some terrific shots of him. Luke has the sweetest cheeks and these amazing long eyelashes. What a cutie pie!

Wow - these pictures are such treasures. I am so thankful to have this time in our lives documented in a permanent way - so beautifully. These are sweet days. The sounds of barefooted little boys chasing one another through the house while giggling uncontrollably, little babies cooing and sometimes crying, and sweet mealtime prayers being shared around our table. It's absolute madness, also. Lots of little boys needing a lot of help with a lot of things! Being "momma" to Sam, Luke, Caleb and Matthew is a demanding job - but, one that I am so blessed to have. :) God has been so good to me.

The Great Outdoors

Living with these little boys of mine is an adventure to say the least. Watching them play outside is one of my greatest joys - they enjoy it to the fullest! Last weekend, my parents came to visit us. This is always a thrill for the boys. Sam and Luke watch for hours out the window in anticipation of their arrival...and Caleb and Matthew are grateful for some extra arms to hold them. My mom is the queen of gift giving. She always brings the boys something, usually something small like a favorite snack, candy, or a fun little trinket of some kind. This time, however, was different. Pa and Gran brought a "sand and water table" for the big boys. We got it assembled quickly and poured in 50 lbs. of sand - and the fun began! They played for hours that day and didn't want the fun to end when it was time for dinner and bedtime routine to begin. So, I am looking forward to bikes racing down our driveway, picking up worms after the rain, playing in the sand, swimming in our little pool...it is going to be a great summer.

Twin Shock

Three months after delivering twins, I still find it hard to believe that I actually had two babies at the same time. That sounds so silly, but it's true. Clearly, I know that there are two infants in our house - afterall, I change the diapers around here! Most of the time, I am just going about my daily "mom" business and don't give the "twinnyness" of Caleb and Matthew much thought. However, from time to time...I am overwhelmed by God's goodness to our family and His amazing sense of humor! :)

I am in awe of the way God gives just what we need - even when we don't know it! Had you asked me a year ago if I would like to have twins, I would have never answered "yes." Yet, here I am loving these toothless, grinning, chubby little boys who keep us up all night! I wouldn't go back now if I were able to. Adding Caleb and Matthew to our family has been so good for all of us...Brad has mastered multi-tasking, Sam has discovered the joy of making them smile and he loves it, Luke likes to touch their little toes and smile, and I am remembering to ask for God's help with my mothering and am amazed at all that I am capable of because of His faithfulness. God is good.

Freedom

I finally did it...I left the house with all four of my children by myself. Well, sort of. :) Sam attends preschool on Wednesday mornings at a church near our home. I dropped him off at 9:00 am and got some much needed "alone" time during the 12 minute drive home...I even splurged for a fountain diet coke for the ride. I arrived at home and Brad left for his office. So, this meant for the first time I was to pick Sam up with the 3 little ones in tow. I was only a little anxious - you just never know what might happen around here. To add to the drama, Luke isn't feeling so well. He has got it all: runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever, not sleeping well, and miserable. I got everyone loaded up and arrived at the church a few minutes early. YAHOO! Sam's classroom is on the second floor of the building and there is no elevator. It's simply impossible for me to tote the twins in car carriers and Luke upstairs to get Sam. Thankfully, his teacher was willing to bring him down to the van for me. What a blessing! It was really exciting to think that I could actually do this - I am no longer a prisoner in my own home! Before I claim total victory maybe I should remember that it was a 12 minute drive and I didn't have to actually go into a store or accomplish anything - simply to bring everyone home again. :)