7 months

I'm late with this, again. You'd think I was taking care of 13 kids or something... I'd be lying if I said it's because Zane was demanding, because he's not. Ever. He's happy, fun and sleeps great.

You know those dream babies?

Yeah, he's one of those!

 He's perfecting the one eyebrow raise. I'm thinking this boy is going to have a quirky sense of humor. He laughs at things babies his age shouldn't "get". 

I love that about him...

 He's a total mover! He's everywhere and into anything he can get to. He can get up on all fours, but then drops to the army crawl for forward momentum. He loves playing on the floor!!

He weighs 20 lbs. 14 oz. A big, healthy boy!

 These are the best shots I could get of my littlest. He's all about moving, not cooperating! Hopefully next month's will be better...

and on time...

Maybe...

 

sarah's ballet recital

With beauty and grace, Sarah danced in her 9th ballet recital this past weekend.

 All her hard work was obvious as she danced on stage.

Many were moved to tears (including me!)

 It was beautiful,

 and stunning. Sarah's an amazing ballerina. 

I'm so proud and happy to join her down the road she walks with love.

 

my silly anna

A recent conversation with Anna, 2 yr 7 mo:

Anna, studying herself in the mirror says- "What happened to Annie's nose??"

 Me- "You hurt it when you fell face-first off the swing!"

Anna, thinking, studies herself in the mirror a bit more, then says (in her most sympathetic 2 year old voice)- "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww......, poor Annie....."
 

emily

Happy Birthday, my daughter!

 (pictured here with her bestest friend, Aliia)

It doesn't seem possible that it's been 20 years that we've had together as mom and daughter. I love you dearly and wish for you all the best! May you be blessed all your days, my Emily!

 

6 months, a little late

This little mancub turned 6 months back on the 14th. 

We've been pretty busy, (Wait! Isn't it summer??) but I still got pictures taken. 

 Zaney is a ridiculously happy guy! He sleeps great, loves to play and is totally easy-going. About anything!

He's teething! Can you tell? He got his first tooth last week! Yay!

He chews on EVERYTHING!

 He can sit, but prefers to army crawl/roll all over the place.

 This allows him to explore his surroundings, like sun patches on the floor. :)

Which taste just like regular carpet, apparently! ;)

 6 months have flown by with this happy soul! I'm trying to soak in every moment with this amazing baby boy. We couldn't love him more!!

hurrah!

It's summer!

Relaxed mornings.

Outside play.

Adventures to be had.

Wonderful family time.

 I love it!

Some of the kids had some water balloon fun to celebrate:

 I love Annie's squinched up shoulders in anticipation.

 She dressed herself! Can you tell?

 Funny how water balloons take half an hour to fill and 20.5 seconds to be emptied...

 Water balloon clean-up! Not quite as much fun as the playing!

 A great start to summer, I think!

Here's to many more fun-filled days ahead!

baseball

With spring fading into summer, baseball comes to an end. 

I love baseball...

 I'm so thankful that we have some baseball players in our family.

  Ethan played on a AAA team this year.

(I'm thinking this is his face of concentration)

He did great! His batting has really improved this year and his knowledge of the game at ten is amazing!

 (there's that face again!!)

It's obvious this boy loves playing this game and he's hoping to continue as an all-star!

 And he should have a good shot! He's a really good catcher!

 As a freshman this was Seth's first year on Varsity. We love watching him play!

 He batted .395!

 And he scored 15 runs!

 He was the team's utility player and played in any of 6 positions! His favorite though? Still first base where he should be the starter next year. 

Both boys had a lot of fun playing this year and both did great. I'm glad they both share a love for this sport. Determination and hard work are important traits to develop in young men. I guess it doesn't really matter to me what they play or work hard to do, I will always applaud their efforts. Because the one thing I want them to always remember is that I was their biggest fan!

brothers

This past week was filled with small and big celebrations. The small was Zane turning 5 months.

 And who could possibly resist that giant, toothless grin?

 He's all about grabbing his feet these days. Don't you love that? I think it's just the cutest!

 We are trying to decide what his hair color is going to be. Blonde, strawberry-blonde, turn dark later? Not sure, but those eyes are definitely blue and look to be staying that way! Yay!

 He weighs a healthy 17 lb 11 oz now. Not our biggest or our smallest, but perfectly sized to snuggle, that's for sure! 

 We love this happy, easy-going boy!

And just for fun, here's how most of the photo shoots end! "Take my picture too!!" Haha!

Our bigger celebrations this week were for two birthdays.

 Josiah turned 4! He loves all things Batman and has an amazing imagination. He loves wrestling with his brothers and playing with his sisters (except when Anna doesn't cooperate. Did I mention she's independent and spunky?). He's a cutie, and will talk anybody's ear off!

 The day after Josiah's birthday was Seth's 15th birthday. I can't believe how grown up Seth has become. He is hard-working, strong and reliable with a quick wit and an easy-going temperament. He plays multiple sports and loves animals and his siblings. He's a great guy and we love him so.

I am thanking God this week for the privilege of mothering these three boys as we celebrate them. All three at different stages of life, but tied together forever as brothers. 

anna's style

My beautiful girl is officially 2 and 1/2 today. She is independent, strong and sassy. She really has us all wrapped around her little finger! I mean, who can resist this sweet redhead and her individual sense of style? Here's some of what she treats us with:

 Underpants on her head (not to worry, they are clean!)

Two skirts over pants

 Leotard, skirt and rain boots

 Time has taught me that this phase will eventually pass. Little girls grow into big girls that care about hair and fashion. Rather than wasting time arguing about clothes, we let her be, at least when she is home. What a blessing she is! We are loving this time of her life, despite all the laundry she produces with her five outfits a day! :)

just because

With a warm weather blast last week we broke out the summer clothes.

 Then we had to document it, because, you know, who can resist chunky baby legs sticking out of shortalls?

 Oh this boy. He is such an easy going guy! He sleeps great and hardly ever cries. We've been dragging him all over the place to go to baseball games and he never complains. If all babies were this easy, people would have a lot more, I think. (insert winky face)