father-son camping trip

a few weeks ago, adam and a friend took their oldest sons on a camping trip to a nearby peninsula. it may have been the best 24 hours of graham's life. not only was he with his best friend, but he was outside with an abundance of creatures and nature to observe and touch. he caught 18 fish and that fact will come up in conversation if you talk with him for more than 30 seconds or so. mr jason did a lot of the leg-work and planning and it truly was a big hit.  marit and i had a mama/daughter duo over for a lovely time of nails, chic-fil-a and heidi, but the menfolk had the camera (being a low-tech family you know).

the shirts came off upon arrival and remained off most of the trip

boys and a bonfire

lovely sunrise

the rest  of us joined them the next day for some swimming, but they really just wanted to sit in the mud-puddle beside the beautiful lake...

around the house

i have not taken enough pictures of the busy last couple months, but i wanted some here of us settling into our new season with a new person and living in a rancher in a regular neighborhood. we feel grateful for God's goodness to us in this season. and tired, but mostly thankful. we have had some visits from family and that has been lovely. my sister and her husband are headed to join abe and bethany in india for a couple years, so there have been goodbyes too. i guess the old bloggy is mostly to keep my far-flung family in the loop as the kids grow and change.

brownie helpers

g is so gentle with o and often gets him to sleep

the kids have thoroughly enjoyed having a few trees to climb in our yard

we are always wet around here

another novelty for us: a driveway. marit lost a toenail due to scooters this week

our carport is mostly a patio.  we eat out here all the time.

we play games and do school in the den

this girl is so joyful...a true gift

sharing the morning sunshine

on our tenth anniversary.  what a lot of life in a decade!

your 3 yr old doesn't sleep in the doorway?

sweetness

grateful for many moments like this

we don't have toys in the living room this time...how lovely!

1st lemonade stand with cousins!

auntie char trying to look like a stranger to give the kids some new customers

owen meets uncle j

kelly tames the masses

4th babies unite

super dad.  we have enjoyed walking in our quiet ,but hilly neighborhood

see you in a year or two sweet sister

miss these neighbors, but glad we aren't too far away

there is some resemblance i think

morning snuggles

this crew is wild and crazy.  owen is doing so well...easiest baby i've ever had, or maybe babies are just ultra-simple relative to the rest!

we have tree frogs, bluebirds, hydrangeas, and fireflies in our yard. oh joy! (and lots of anoles and skinks to graham's delight)

miles chatting it up with one of our precious neighbors...there are a bunch of kiddos nearby.  hurray!

soaking

i've been listening to a couple new to me ladies and have been playing these songs over and over when i'm in the kitchen, soaking in the timeless truths of which they sing.  

spring sports and song

marit and graham both played soccer this spring and finished the violin year. i had a moment of panic when i realized we were moving in addition to having a baby this spring about signing them up for all that....what was a thinking?! but it actually turned out great to have many evenings outside at the soccer field, chatting with friends while the kids had a blast getting exhausted. when you homeschool, extracurricular activities don't feel crazy busy, but rather a nice change from the casa.
 
graham was the youngest in his league and on a team with friends from church and he loved it so much, though it was quite a challenge for him to keep up with the big boys. marit was on a team of total strangers, but she made friends and they managed to win one game! girl soccer involves a lot more frolicking and skipping:)

the spring violin concert was so lovely...i'm thankful for their wonderful teacher and all the progress they have made this year. adam was not able to make it and owen was just a few weeks old, so we sat in the back and managed things from back there. maybe i will get it together to post some videos for my parents and sibs of the concert and their solo recitals. graham was sitting with his little pre-twinkle class and fell completely asleep in the pew during the concert. when it was his turn, he had to be reoriented about where he was...so funny! owen was a champ and slept through the whole thing, while miles hung out with grandpa dave (thank you!).
 

siblings and a smile!

it has been such a busy spring and there is so much i want to document. i feel like i'm drinking out of a fire hydrant. mayhem. abundance. mamas, go read this rachel jankovich's new book. it was a perfect nursing read for me in this whirlwind i find myself in lately and while trying not to drown. grace for the moment. whew! we are starting to find a rhythm, fighting spring colds (still!), settling into our house. and just looooving baby owen (or ohwee as miles calls him). i don't know if he is really the easiest baby i've had or if we are just to busy to worry about anything. he is so sweet and this week he started to smile. we finally caught one on camera. the big kids love to snuggle him with the ever present reminders not to cough on him or get all in his face with snotty noses and such. we are grateful.