Phases

Jeff and I will have been married for 8 years in April, and for 6 years we have been in the baby phase. Diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, baby beds, pacifiers, diaper bags, and baby food have been a constant companion. For close to a year we have been bottle and formula free. I'm not sure wipes will ever go away, but in the last few weeks we have moved from diapers to pull-ups for the last time, sold the baby bed and let Caity eat peanut butter(one of the last things we give in introducing new foods) As of today we are a pacifier free house. It wasn't so much a decision we made as a natural depletion of availability. In other words, she lost the last one last night. She isn't very happy about the transition. She loved those pacies! In order to make up for losing her pacy she decided to improvise a replacement. It is a toy ring Edana uses for playing dress up! She wasn't very happy about me trying to take it away either. She finally gave it up, but we'll have to watch her.She isn't the only one transitioning. Aidan turned five in Sept and I went to his parent teacher conf. this week. He can write his first and last name and is starting to recognize words. He works the computer as well as some adults! Last night he was looking at transformers, and Jeff thought he'd clicked the wrong thing. He said, "You need to let me help you. You're on the shopping part not the games." Aidan's reply was, "I meant to look at the ones you can buy, daddy!" Edana is really growing too. School hasn't been as great for her, but she isn't too concerned as long as it doesn't mess with her social life. (She has officially learned the frustrations of getting grounded) She thinks she is a rock start, or at least is supposed to dress like one. She has asked numerous times about dying her hair. We compromised and let her wear it pink for crazy hair day. **Note** If you ever need to color hair some crazy bright color and don't have time and/or money to buy the spray-in kind, markers are great and was out in one wash!

Declan will be three next month. He'll be starting school after his big birthday. I have to admit I'm ready. He is so energetic and smart. Life is definitely not dull with him around. If he is ever quite in means he is reading, coloring, or playing with playdough/clay. The question is, what he is coloring on or where he is sticking the clay! As I am writing he has dumped out the blue sand where the kids are doing sand art and is spreading it over the table. However, I can strap him in his seat and he'll spend hours, literally, playing play dough. I feel a little sorry for his teachers. He isn't Aidan, and I hope they aren't thinking he will be! He isn't a bad kid, he just has to be redirected ALOT! He is so excited about being able to play with Aidan and his friends during the day.

It really is official. I have no babies left. I have a little girl, two preschoolers, and a toddler. The final remnant of our baby days is the hand-me-down tandem stroller that we use everyday. I will use that thing until Dec just absolutely can not fit and his feet drag the ground! I love my big kids and am so glad we have two of each. It is the perfect family for us. I'm excited about this next stage in our life and pray we will be God focused parents that can train our children in the way(their own specific way) that they are supposed to go!

My BIG Boy

aidan's lion. not sure why he drew it sideways

My little flame (that's what Aidan means) turned five last Tuesday. I'm not sure how he got to be that old overnight. Time has flown! I believe we named him well. At times he can be the calming factor in our rambunctious clan, then he turns around and heats things up. He has become an extremely imaginative artist. The picture above is one of his many from the paint program on our computer. My favorite thing with him is to sit and watch him draw on Jeff's dry erase board. He doesn't just draw a picture. He draws a story and the whole picture comes to life. Its so much fun just to let him go at it for about 15-20 minutes. He'll have the whole lower half of Jeff's board covered from one end to the other! Here is a little picture tribute to my 5 year old!He is pretty proud of his #14 Sam Bradford jersey!

1st birthday! I believe the boys still play with that truck and car!

Aunt Shelly giving him his first haircut. 1 year old.

Christmas 2005 - 15mos. old

New year's day 2006- 15mos old

Easter 2006- 18 mos old

Summer 07- 2 years old He is Pawpaw's boy! he's going to hate this picture some day!!

A little too big for the sing, but a 2 1/2 he just didn't quite have the balance for a regular swing.

I think he was getting ready to throw that grass clod at his sister.... SUPERMAN!!! Halloween 2008- 4 years old Thanksgiving 2008- 4 yrs old 5th Birthday- practicing his end zone dance.

I wish I had pictures to show from infant to now, but I didn't have a digital camera until Aidan was two and a lot of them are on my mom's computer up north! (I've officially lived here too long if I'm referring to northwest Arkansas as up north) This is what I did find of my Big guy. I say big because he is. At nine months Aidan wore 2t clothes and was the average size of a two year old. Its slowed down a little. At age five he was only the size of a six year old. He's bigger than most of Edana's buddies at school. She only has maybe a half inch on him! He is consistently off the chart for height and at the 95th percentile in weight. He's a gentle giant though. Not as laid back as his daddy, but he loves to cuddle and take care of people/things. He is so sweet and when he looks at you with those big brown eyes you kinda forget that he could ever do anything mischievous.

Riddle me this....

mommy studying while kids are awake will result in.....

Caity may be the closest to the camera, but the brains(and brawn) of the operation is in the back ground. She just got caught enjoying the ride. Is this a foreshadowing of life with Dec and Rileigh? Hmmm???

On Feelings and Foundations

I sit here in my mom's living room, clothes stacked and waiting to be packed, and thinking. An hour or two ago, I was ready to be on our way, with images of my king sized bed and velvety bedding awaiting me. Telling Jeff about new thoughts and ideas for ways to reach our community. Now I'm assailed by emotions I would have thought had been overcome by now. I'm homesick and we haven't even left yet. I realize its only been one year. What is a year compared to 17. I'm not sure time really matters totally. I have an inexplicable feeling of coming home as we round the curve into Westville on hwy 62. We haven't lived there in 20 years. Most of the people we knew have changed and/or moved on, but still I feel the connection. I guess because that is the place where my faith was formed and my family is founded...well, my mom's family. All that is to say, I think the writer who stated "you can't go home again..." was wrong. Maybe its hard. You change when you're away, but home is supposed to be there waiting, even if its just for a visit. In some cases, maybe visiting is all that will ever happen, but visit we will. Although, our two week visits seem so long, in the end, they are never long enough. I am ready for my bed, ready for my space, ready to see our youth and church family, but I leave here wishing I had more time. I will be home again, for holidays, summer trips, and "just because." I will be homesick at times, as well, but God used a new friend at camp to speak into my life about that too! So tomorrow morning when we get the kids around and have to drag them out the door, I will remember the joy of the Lord is my strength. I do not serve him based on my feelings, for they are fleeting and changeable. I serve Him because He is Lord of all and Lord of my life. I will follow the road He puts before me, not because it is easy and desirable, but because I have lived with His presence in my life and I have life without it. I never want to be in that place again. My life is truly not my own! In my own hands it is simply folly, but in His hands He can use the "foolish things of this world to confound the wise" To God be the glory!!

How Time Flys

If there is one thing that can't be missed during a trip Meemaw and Pawpaw's house, its playing at the mall! My kids think it is the best thing ever. Yeah, their experiences are limited, but Hey! they're easy to please!!

I remember teasing Jeff about his ten year reunion the year we got married....he was SO old! Ha! That was until mine came this summer. I didn't have any gray hair for mine, and if i had, no body would have seen it! I'm just teasing Jeff. I actually like his gray hair, and he isn't going to dye his...hopefully! We had a great time at the reunion. We met at P.G. for family time. It was great to see all of their families. I have to say our class has some cute kids. Unfortunately, I was too busy socializing and keeping up with Rileigh Cait to take pictures. this is the only one I actually took. Jessica did an excellent job taking pictures, thankfully!

That night was for adults only. We rarely have actual date nights, so it was extra special spending it with my old school friends!These were my girls, Amanda, Kristen, me, Tab. We were missing Amanda and Tania

me, Melissa, and Jessica.

Jarrod, me, and Jessica. Jarrod was my hero in high school, but I think he must have gotten taller...I don't remember being that short!

Tab and I had to relive our typical Sat night activity! It was so funny. Neither of us have gotten any better, but it was still hilarious! I think Jeff and I won because her or Heather knocked the eight ball in the wrong pocket! We also had a great time getting to know Heather's husband Matt.

Jeff had fun too. Kristen's husband, Steven, and Matt made for great company. It was a wonderful time. I hope we see them all again before the next ten years!

Pictures

I haven't really posted since Christmas, so I thought I'd share a few new pictures! Papa time! Jeff and I were having as much fun as the kids!

NO! I didn't slide. I just sent Rileigh slowly down to Jeff.

Now for the important part....the Kids!

Edana isn't a baby at all anymore. She is a beautiful little girl, stubborn and independent but vulnerable and attached at the hip.

I love watching her paint. She "lives for crafting" Oh the emotions of girls.

We chopped her hair. Back to the independent thing. She wanted to do it herself, so I gave her hair she could do herself. Well, I didn't the hairdresser did. She really is beautiful!

Aidan is such a sweetheart! And a fireball at times. Guess it goes with the name! Not to mention Edana can talk him into all kinds...

He is also very creative! His imagination is crazy! This painting ended up being Mr. Tumnus.

Declan is growing so much and learning like crazy. He knows his colors at 2! It makes me very proud.

He loves painting too. If possible I think he may be more active than ever!

He's super cute and super ornery!

Rileigh Cait turned one in Feb.!

She was reaching for her pacifier. She REALLY likes that thing.

I must have a hunderd pics like this. I never get tired of seeing all the kids piled on top of Jeff reading their bedtime story!

They ae so awesome! And they are all getting so BIG!!

Jeff cleaning fish, still flopping in the bag, straight from the river that a neighbor brought us one night. Finally ate them they other day. They were great!The kids were fascinated, of course. It was probably 70degrees that night. We ended up having an unexpectedly silly, fun night.

She wanted out with them so bad!