Sunday Photo: 7

Today's Sunday photo is a Suday Selfie.  Eli loves to take selfies.

I found 50 or so if these pictures on my phone tonight that he took sometime today.

Silly kid.

He cracks us up.

This week he was quite the little hero.

I was at the school Thursday and Wade was downstairs putting Lucy down for a nap.  Avery and Eli were outside playing.  We have all been so excited to play outside lately!

Right as Lucy was almost asleep Eli came running downstairs saying he needed Daddy.  Wade shooed him away quietly saying Lucy was almost asleep.  He disappeared upstairs only to quickly return again saying, "daddy!  Avery really needs you!"

This time Wade said bells went off in his head and he ran upstairs and outside to find Avery stuck in the rope swing!

The rope swing has been around forever...years and years.  We've never had problems but we've always told the kids to be careful with it.  How Avery got so tangled up we'll never know.

Wade said she was twisted up and could only reach the ground with her tip toes and the seat was choking her.  Her hair was also all tangled up in the ropes.  She must have been twirling and slipped?  Who knows!

Wade quickly picked her up so the swing wasn't against her neck, but then he was in a bind.  He couldn't put her down without it choking her and he couldn't  hold her up and untangle her.  So he told Eli to run inside and get sharp scissors.

Wade said he was so glad Eli listened!  A three year old running with sharp scissors was such a site to see, but Eli saved the day!! Wade cut Avery down and brought her inside to untangle her.

Long story short: 

The kids favorite rope swing is gone.

And we are perfectly ok with that.

The what ifs....well it could have been a lot worse.

We are so glad Eli saved the day.

Sunday Photo: 6

Hallelujah!  We could finally send the kids outside for a few minutes of play time today.

It was a busy day:

Meetings this morning and some visiting with women in our congregation.  Then church.  Church was great.  We talked about the importance of families.

I love my family.  I believe in families.  The traditional dad, mom, kids kind of family.  My family is a lot of work, a lot.  But, I have good kids.  I need to remember that sometimes.  They are funny and creative and challenge me to be a better person.  I wouldn't trade them or my work for anything.  They make me happy.

After church the kids played outside, we had a yummy dinner and then had a couple families over for treats and visiting.  15 kids and they all got along!  We planned on playing a few games but instead we all chatted and had a great time.  I work with these women at church and it was fun to get to know their families.  They amazing sisters!

Bedtime was a little late tonight, but we don't have school tomorrow, so we are looking forward to the relaxing Monday morning.

Add to that two loads of dishes, the normal daily cleaning, meal prep, cooking and clean up (x3), getting everyone dressed and ready church, and all the other daily task it was a pretty busy day.  

I should be tired.

But I am not.

Just like that my bucket is full.  

I am blessed.  

I have trials and problems.  

Yes those are still there.

But they do not define me.

They are not who I am.

I am a woman.

I am a wife.

A mother.

I can love.

Nurture.

Teach.

Serve.

I am a daughter of God.

And that is amazing!

Happy Sunday.

{Five!}

 

Avery Ann is...

 

 

Five!

 

Avery turned 5 on the 12th this week. 

Five seems so old! 

I can't believe she is five, and she has been waiting for this day for such a long time!

 

 

On her big day she got to spend some time at her favorite Aunt Pam's house. She loves going there to play.  They made a pink birthday cake together.

 

 

For her birthday dinner she picked Ihop and she was so excited for her funny face chocolate chip pancake!

 

 

After dinner we came home and she opened her presents.  She got a teaset from her brothers and sister and table and chairs from us.  She couldn't stop squeeling!  She is always trying to put together play tea parties on old boxes with different toys, now she has all the right stuff!  She went right to work and set up a tea party that night!

 

Avery is such a fun girl to have in our family.  She loves to help with anything.  She loves to cook and be a mommy.  She loves to pick out different outfits and play dress up.  She loves preschool and is starting to read!  She is very excited for kindergarden next year!  She cannot wait to start school like her brothers!  She loves to draw and color.  She is the best eater in the family and loves to eat anything we make for dinner, she never complains!  She loves her Grandpa, her aunts, uncles and cousins.  She is such a joy!

 

I asked her what her favorites were and these are her answers:

Color: pink and purple

 

Song: I Love to See the Temple

 

Game: SneakySquirrel 

 

Book: 

Pinkalicious

 

Food: everything

 

Drink:everything

 

Toy: Girl toys - and ponies

 

When I grow up I want to be: Ballerina

(she told me ballerinia, and then an hour or so later after we put her to bed she came out and said to me that she didn't want to be a ballerinia anymore, she wanted to be a mom like me!)

 

Favorite thing to do: tea parties and dancing

 

Favorite animal: pig and bear

We LOVE our spunky five year old Avery Ann! 

 

Sunday Photo: 5

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!  We are Seahawk fans around here.  We have to support Washington!  

We wore our best green and blue to church.

And right before the game...ready for the food...I mean the game.

My mom sent Wade and I shirts, and I made the kids some.  Gage has had a great time watching the game and cheering the team on to their win.

It's been a fun, loud night.

Everyone needs to go to bed now:)

Good things are happening.  

Good things are coming!

Happy Sunday.

{January in the Books}

I read 12 books in January.  I've found that my local library has a great collection of the "Time Out Classics" series and have really enjoyed reading through them on Sunday's this month.  They are short books and make great mini devotionals.

After looking back at my book list from this month, I picked my top six books:

As You Are, Sarah M. Eden
Sarah is my new favorite author and I have loved reading her books.  This  is the fourth book about the Joquil brothers.  I enjoy how they are connected, but not necessarily a series.  I hope there are more to come!

Longing for Home, Sarah M. Eden
I was saving this book to read this month because the second book would be coming up shortly after I read it.  I really enjoyed this book!  It is much longer than Sarah's other books and not regency, but I did find it kept my interest the whole time.  I couldn't wait for the second book as soon as I finished it!

Longing for Home, Hope Springs, Sarah M. Eden
I don't think this book has been released yet, but I was able to attend a book signing that Sarah did and got a copy to take home!  I was so excited!  I think I loved this book more than the first, which I think is a hard thing to do in a series.  I was very happy with the ending, but I do hope that Sarah writes some more books with some of the characters!

I have now read every book by Sarah M. Eden, with the exception of some of the Romance Anthology collections.  (Although I did read the Regency one and enjoyed it).  Those are fun books and I might have to read all of those sometime this year too.

Here we are at the book signing.  Wade had some work to do that night with his Dad and brother, so in a moment of weakness, I lost my mind and thought taking 5 kids would be easy.  Lucy was a compete mess. She is staring Sarah down in this picture.  She was ready for bed and couldn't figure out the hype. She wanted me to let her down so she could crawl all over the store and make a mess.  It was worth it to get a copy of the book though.  But next time I am going to leave the kids at home!

Head Mistress of Rosemere, Sarah E. Ladd
I read the first book by Sarah Ladd late last year and was very excited when I found out that she was releasing another one at the beginning of this year.  This book was a good clean romance.  I think they are interesting and not completely fluff like some regency romance.  I hope that she continues writing, I would love to read more books by her!

The Early to Rise Experience, Andy Traub
So I totally know and believe that my days are better when I get up early, but I really struggle. I saw this book on Money Saving Mom blog and she recommended it. I thought I would give it a try.  I have enjoyed reading the small entries every day.  I have not been successful at getting up every day on time, but I think there is some wisdom behind this book.  (But there is also wisdom behind getting some sleep when you are up half the night with a teething baby too!)

Believe, Hilary Weeks
This was one of the Time Out Classic books I found at the library.  It's very short and can easily be read in one sitting.  It felt down to earth and really inspired me, it just left me feeling good.  Each chapter could easily be a short devotional of it's own.  And while I got it at the library, I really want to add it to my own collection someday.


~~~
Two other that I enjoyed reading this month - but not my absolute favorites were:
Mrs. Mike, by Benedict Freeman
If you like Bess Streeter Aldrich books then I think you will enjoy Mrs. Mike.

and
Into the Whirlwind, by Elizabeth Camden
This is the second book I've read by Camden. She has a couple other books out and I look forward to reading them too.  The book was good.  I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book I read by her, but it was far from bad.  I learned a lot about the Chicago fire when reading this book.

I am almost finished with Women and the Priesthood by Sheri Dew.  It is not a book that I can just sit down and read in one setting.  It is something to read and think about and ponder.  I am enjoying it so far.

February is a short (and busy for us) month, I don't know if I will be able to read as many books as I did in January, but we'll see.

What have you read lately that you enjoyed?