here goes...

Here goes the mass update. I apologize in advance because the pictures bounce back and forth all over the place and the picture quality is lacking but the shots are meaningful.

 

 

The girls were butterfly fairies for Halloween! we played it very low-key this year and it was very enjoyable!

This was a huge highlight for me! We made te drive to Nampa to visit NNU and catch up with friends from the good old days. So fun to see how everyone has changed and to meet all the little people that are now on loan to us!

We hit the pumpkin patch the first weekend in October this year. I definitely thought it was a bit early. On the plus side we didn't have any crowds, the weather was gorgeous and there were plenty of mall pumpkins to choose from!

 

Christmas morning. The girls both got princess dresses and harmonicas from Santa.

And Santa brought this GIANT bear. Not sure what had come over me, ahem, him. but seriously the girls love it. It has turned out to be a helpful tool when my hands or other parts are busy with HENRY and they need extra snuggles!

One of favorite holiday traditions, hunting for the perfect tree, was a bit lonely this year. We went up by ourselves and had our tree chosen, cut and loaded withing 30 minutes of parking. The girls enjoyed playing in what little snow there was and I spent most of the time in the truck nursing Henry (hence the reason for the lack of time spent on choosing a tree!)

This is from the first few weeks that Henry was home with us! Ellinor was wondering when she would get a chance to use my "nursur".

Terrible picture I know, but this girl seriously loves having earmuffs, headphones or earplugs. She just gets all goofy and has to have a set on whenever daddy is wearing his.

 

Again, terrible picture, but happy memory. This is again from the early days of Henry being home. The girls made all sorts of things with  foil and yes they have suckers and it is only 10am! Again Ellie is in her undies, we have a very loose dress code!

The girls are finally letting me braid their hair. I have always dreamed of doing fancy and creative things with their hair. They mostly love when they take them out at the end of the day and they get crazy hair!

I am very strict about not letting them try the batter if there are raw eggs in the mix. This time though I made a chocolate mousse pudding dip. I wish I had a picture of their eyes when the heard me finally answer that yes, they could lick the beaters! We have been baking one day a week together. I know it is so beneficial for them and it helps to have all the mess on the same day. They have also started helping with dinner more. Again, a process of letting go...

Both the girls are great with Henry, but Olivia has just the most special touch with him. She is a natural little mommy and I would be shocked if she didn't grow up to have a large family of her own...many. many, many years from now. She is often asking in the morning to have some special cuddle time alone with Henry. He lays next to her in bed and she talks to him, reads him stories and shares her blanket.

Another new tradition we have started is a PJ day. One day a week we stay in our pj's all day long and the car never leaves the driveway and no visitors are allowed! Most days the girls are dressed before heading downstairs for breakfast so this is a special treat! They really seem to play well together and I love how creative they can be when playing. It is a great way to detox from our busy weeks and weekends.

 

 

The church has orchestrated some park days over the summer. It usually ends up being the same two or three families and it is sure nice to have a specific destination to let our kids run and shout. I want so badly for my kids to have solid, life long friendships with kids from families we respect, parents who discipline similarly, and have the same morals and values we do

 

Our carrots did well this year. I am always amazed at how well our little garden grows despite our lack of consistent attention. The girls continue to be interested in digging in the dirt and rounding up the harvest.

 The girls were both tall enough to ride a few rides at the fair this year. Olivia is a bit more timid so having her sister along  for the ride helps her feel more comfortable.  So cute to see them on the rides together and nice to give and daddy and myself a break!

Those first few weeks when the little man would fall asleep milk drunk on your chest and curl his little gumby body up on your chest. I tried hard to enjoy all of those moments and let my to-do list go before this fleeting time passed me by.

 

This picture tugs on my heart strings. it is one of those moments I will never forget. Here he is making the call to his dad that we just gave birth to a son!  Hidden within this picture, in that vulnerable pose he is giving, one which is not often seen, a small tear welling in his eye, his heart is humble, giving praise to God for his goodness which we never deserve!