Around Here: Week 22

{Josh's brother, Samuel; his dad Carl; and Josh}

{Carly, Jack, Wyatt, Milo, Ferris, Logan & Annie}

{Annie & Carly}

Hosting... Memorial Day weekend at our house.  So much family & so much fun.  What a blessing to have so much family come visit and love on our kids!  It left me feeling so grateful for our sweet little house and our awesome backyard!

Finishing... the twins' baseball season.  They had such a great team, with an awesome coach (plus Josh, who was the assistant coach) and it was all around a great experience.  They grew so much.  I feel so proud of them. (Plus, okay, I'll admit it, I also love (!!!) when they are dressed in their matching uniforms. Ha!)

Reading... Bear Town and The Mountain Between Us after finishing Anne of the Island, The Tailgate and Into the Water.  Into the Water was far too dark for my taste, and The Tailgate was not a Hildebrand favorite.  I thoroughly enjoyed Anne of the Island (and can't wait to start #4 of the series).  I am sorry to say that I've thus far been disappointed with Bear Town because it reminds me so much of Britt Marie Was Here.  Small town, obsessed with sports. We'll see if it gets better.  As for The Mountain Between Us, I'm hooked. It's really good!

Wrapping... up May with 28 books read!  My goal for the YEAR was 24, so I am very pleased to have read 28 in just five months.  The introduction of audiobooks in my life has been monumental, as has sending the kids to school!

I can listen to a story every day as I go about my chores, and I also listen as I walk home from dropping the boys at school and on the way there again to pick them up. Winning at reading, I tell ya!

Watching... the rest of Anne with an E and wishing there were 100 more episodes!  I know it varied (greatly!) from the original story, but I still really enjoyed it.

Planning... on daily gratitude in June (I have been in a "we're broke" funk and it's been stealing my joy); clearing my blogger dashboard (so close to summer and I really want all those drafts published!); and the boys' birthday party (the twins turn nine on June 6th & Wyatt turns six on June 15th and I'm letting them have their first "friend party").

Making... a summer bucket list, as well as goals for June including what books I want to read; trying meditation everyday for a week; and looking at my 100 small things to see what's left to accomplish before August.

Growing... plants from seed with Wyatt for our backyard garden.  He's so excited to watch them grow, and I can't wait to see what the harvest will be!  We have corn, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, peas, rhubarb, watermelon and dill.  He got his green thumb from his Grandma Carol.

Encouraging... Carly in her first adventure in baby wearing.  Her baby seems to tolerate it well, which is good cause Carly really needs to start getting things done around the house.  ;)

Enjoying... new bikes from my mom & dad for our boys.  They are all overjoyed to be riding their new bikes these last few weeks of school, and I'm happy to have such lovely gifts that will keep on giving all year long.

Feeling... inspired by this post on Clover Lane about summer.  I love the freedom and permission it gives me to create the summer that will work for my family, not the one that looks like everyone else's Pinterest board.

I also loved this quote:

I had spent the morning Wednesday barking orders at the kids, worried when we were running late, then lost my temper when Logan made a bad decision, and I was starting to really beat myself up about it after taking them to school when I saw this on my Instagram.  I decided then and there to forgive myself and remember that what I'm doing (raising four kids!) is hard (hard!) work, and I deserve a little grace.

I bet you do, too.

***

Around Here: Week 38

{Photo credit: Logan}

Daydreaming... about a yard with no pokey weeds!  Josh is working this week to make it happen!

Feeling... grateful that my boys have such an awesome dad.  Every day after work he comes home and plays outside with them in the huge field next door.  The boys love it, and so do I.  Melts my mama heart.

Hating... my tiny mohawk.  Every time I have a baby, I lose tons of hair, and about six months later, it starts growing back.  I have shoots of one inch hairs everywhere.  Along my hairline, where my hair parts and by my ears. It's just the worst. Luckily Miss Carly May was worth it.

Thankful... that while Wyatt has been sad a few times at drop off, he hasn't screamed or refused to enter the classroom since that first time. Baby steps, baby steps.

Settling... into a new routine with the boys gone. A nice mix of work, work, work, and doing what I enjoy.  Hoping to get more blogging done as I continue adjusting.  Meanwhile, I am baking all the things-- homemade bread, zucchini bread & cookies. Yum!

Jumping... on the trampoline everyday after school with the boys. We all laugh and I cherish those moments.

Falling... in love with the sky here. Even Logan took notice of the sunset last night and used my good camera to capture it. I love that I'm passing my love of nature on to my kids.

Making... the most of the nice weather.  It's crisp in the mornings, but not yet cold, so we're still walking to school and I'm so glad.  I think it's good for the boys, but I also know that I feel more alive after our walk.

Enjoying... Josh's parents visit last weekend.  It was such a nice, low key weekend.  We really had a great time.  I am also enjoying the twins' love of reading.  Part of their homework is twenty minutes of silent reading every night.  They are zipping through chapter books and really loving it.  I couldn't be prouder.

Looking Forward... to my parents' visit.  They get here today, but my kids don't know they're coming.  We are hoping they'll make it in time to accompany me to pick the boys up at school & surprise them there! I can't wait to see their faces.

Sleeping... very little.  Sister is up at least every two hours in the night, and I.am.exhausted.

***

Mommy & Me

My baby.  My sweet, sweet baby.  Oh how I love her. She is exactly what I had in mind when I got pregnant oh so long ago.  I wanted another precious babe to love and feed and hold and care for.  And that's exactly what I got with her.

She has a piece of my heart now & forever.

Five Favorites

My friend Ashley over at The Big White Farmhouse has these awesome posts about her favorite things, and she's invited all of us to link up our favorite things in the hopes of winning her giveaway.  This is my first attempt!

My favorites are all over the map this week, but here they are, in no particular order:

1) Dr.  Cocoa

Dr. Cocoa is a chocolate cough medicine I got from the doctor as a sample, and it has saved my life twice now.  Last time Wyatt got sick, it turned into a nasty cough and true to form (he's a four year old with a mind of his own) he spit the medicine back at me when I tried to give it to him at three in the morning.  Since the arrival of Dr. Cocoa in our lives, Wyatt takes his cough medicine willingly & even asks for it once he's well.  (Thank you, Lord!)

2)  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Jojo Moyes is a fantastic author, and my favorite book (so far) that she's written is Me Before You.  It's an emotional and thought provoking book about a quadriplegic who wants to take his life & the caretaker whose job it is to convince him to want to live.  I read Me Before You long ago, but recently picked up After You (its sequel) and wanted to re-read Me Before You before jumping into the second book.  Me Before You was just as good the second time-- I couldn't put it down.  Now I can't wait to start After You.

3) Tervis water bottle

I adore my Tervis water bottle.  I had a peacock one from my friend Kari in Alaska and when I saw this one on Clearance at Home Depot, I snatched it up so I'd have one here too.  They keep drinks warm or cold, and can hold a lot of liquid, which is vital for me breastfeeding.  If I was in the market for another one, I'd order the flamingo one in the link above.  It's so cute!

4)  iPhone 6 with unlimited memory

I am in love with my new phone.  I love the color, I love how thin it is, but above all, I love the memory!!!  I have every app I want on it (even a bunch for the children!) and all the music I want, as well as all the pictures I want.  I love that I don't have to delete my pictures immediately to make room for more pictures and that I can take video that's longer than thirty seconds without my phone warning me about a lack of storage.  It's a dream, I tell ya!

5)  Ring Sling

My most fun favorite this week is my ring sling.  This exact ring sling is one my friend had made, but you can find similar ones on Sakura Bloom's website, and if you are expecting your second, third or fourth baby-- I'm telling you to order it now!  Being hands free when you have other littles to care for is amazing!  I wear Carly so I can cook, homeschool, eat and even blog!  She loves it, and honestly, so do I.  

Ring slings are great for small babies (up to about six months) who don't quite fit yet into the larger baby wearing packs (like an Ergo).  It keeps her close to my heart and away from brothers when I need it.

Be sure to check out Ashley's Five Favorites this week & link up to your own if you'd like a chance to win this week's adorable giveaway.

***

The Last Three Weeks

For the last three weeks, I've gotten to be this girls' mama.  Her brothers have gotten to experience a sister, and her daddy has experienced a daughter.  It's been beautiful.  And I've captured a whole bunch of it on camera.  (If you'd prefer to see the pictures one by one as I take them & share them on Instagram-- follow me here!)

{Cousin Gustav, Logan & Carly}

{Thinking hard in daddy's arms}

{Snuggling Wyatt}

{Babywearing is my favorite! I've missed it!}

{Those lips!}

{Dressing her is so much fun!}

{Of all the pictures I have of her, I think this looks the most like her}

{Mitten baby hands are Daddy's favorite!}

{All four kids during afternoon quiet time}

{The older brothers are smitten}

{They love her so very much!}

{Priceless}

{Josh and I watched a movie and I held our girl the whole time. It's the best feeling in the world!}

{Test driving a van...}

{We liked it so much, we bought it!  I'm in LOVE!}

***

I am just so in love with this girl.  Holding her, feeding her, loving her... It all feels like some prize I won.  I had no idea that the miscarriages would make my love so deep, and the miracle of her so magical.  Every day I am in awe of her presence in my life.  Watching Josh and the boys with her makes it even more so.  We're all just head over heels for her.

The boys get to hold her at bedtime prayers, and every night Logan says, "I just wish I could sleep with her."  He never wants to let her go.  (And how precious is her hand on his arm? I die!)

Jack wants to know when he can carry her around; feed her and play with her.  They're all anxious for her to interact with them more.  Their excitement is contagious.

And Wyatt, whom I was most worried about, is very careful with her and enjoys trying to make her happy when she's upset.  He'll talk to her, sing to her, or turn on the music on her bouncer if she's fussing.  And while I was gone the other day, he dressed his favorite stuffed bear in a onesie and fed it a bottle we had.  He is pretty much the most precious tiny daddy you ever did see!

***