Weekend Photos

Our weekend was made even better by Stephan's cousin. He came out Monday and fixed our air conditioner....for free. What could have been quite the havoc producing disaster turned into a series of lovely blessings.

Family Fun

We hit the children's museum a few days ago. The kids (and Stephan) had a blast. This is the first time Sophia has been able to get in on the action. 

You could just see the wheels turning in that head of hers. I do believe we're in for some wild times with this one.

And, yes. She is barefoot. After all we don't call it Barefoot Childhood for nothing.

Work Day

My mom, my sister, and my cousin's two boys came over yesterday to help Stephan clean up our yard. We have about 30 trees on our lot which means a whole lot of leaves and limbs. Not to mention everything has been overgrown since we moved in.
The little ones mostly did this....

They tried to convince us that their job was truly important  because they were "cleaning" the sandbox. :) To their credit, they also picked up quite a few sticks.
The rest of the crew worked their tails off. Seriously. I wouldn't be surprised if they all woke up minus a few pounds. They raked, mowed, cleaned the roof, hauled off sticks and giant bags of leaves and cut back overgrown bushes.

Sophia and I sat on the sidelines and watched. We also cooked...a lot.

The final result....I'm no longer scared of my own yard. Yippee!
I probably should of taken pictures of that part too, huh? Oh. Well. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Sweet Dreams

The kids and I hit the road Friday with my sister and parents. We're back now, and attempting to recover from a 24 hour round trip done in 3 days. It was 100% worth it though....more photos to come. Until then, I couldn't resist posting this shot of Levi cuddled up to his Aunt Annie.  She might hate me now, but really? Is that not just the sweetest?

Full of Thanks

Looking back at last week's photos makes me thankful

for my husband and my best friend...

for being a witness to this growing bond...

for a wonderful uncle....

for a big hearted Mimi...

for my parents...

I love watching them become grandparents...

and, for a doting aunt...

I feel blessed beyond words to have such a wonderful family.  To love and be loved so much makes for a very full heart.  I'm a lucky mama.

What are you feeling blessed by today?

About That Bit of Quiet

Those few days of quiet seem to have stretched out a little.  I am so appreciative of all the lovely comments and emails that I've received from y'all.  Your concern and kindness brought me much cheer over the past week.  Thank you.

Tuesday night has been the hardest so far.  When Stephan got home from work he thought I was going to send myself into labor.  I didn't expect Tuesday to be so hard, but it all dawned on me then....that cuddling my little fella' to sleep, waking up to the morning pile, and our general adventuring were all going to be missing out of the next two weeks.  Not to mention, all that mama guilt over how Levi would handle two whole entire weeks.  That's such a very long time for a little fella.

In the midst of all of that, there is still a lot to be thankful for. 
Levi's dad and I were able to come to an agreement about me seeing Levi during the two weeks.  This has lifted such a weight from my shoulders.  Laying eyes on him and knowing that he is okay and that he knows mama hasn't abandoned him makes such a difference.  Stephan and I picked Levi up yesterday for half the day.  I got to cuddle with him and squeeze him.  He got to see his favorite people (even his Aunt Annie who just got back from a month of backpacking through Europe).  And, he got to go fishing...

Levi did indeed catch a few teeny tiny brim which he dubbed, "dragon fish."  I think that's a much better name than brim.

While we're on the subject of things to be grateful for, I'm convinced that I have the best husband in the world.  He was off of work the past few days, and was so very sweet.   He knows when distraction is the best tactic, when I really need to talk, and even when I really, really need some ice cream. 

Hopefully, the weeks will speed by.  I'm trying to keep myself busy and am finding that the hum of my sewing machine is very therapeutic right now.  

Thanks again for all of your sweet and encouraging comments and emails.  I feel very blessed by them.

Easter Happiness

Our Easter weekend was full of...

Egg painting...

Egg hunting...

Family time...

Hop, hop, hopping...

Horse petting...

And, of course, a little flower smelling...

How was yours?  Beautiful, I hope!

Double Oh. My.

My wonderful uncle who just finished installing my beautiful bedroom floor decided to fix my roof as well.  He found some messed up patches while he was blowing leaves from it yesterday.....
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He went outside and onto the roof. 

I unloaded and loaded the dishes.

Levi sat by the living room window watching. 

There was clattering and thudding...but, I didn't think anything of it.  I've heard clattering and thudding all week.  Then I heard, "Madeline!!"  Still unconcerned, I walked to the door.  My uncle is known for his pranks, so, quite honestly, I wasn't at all startled to see him lying on the ground.  He didn't look hurt.  Even when he told me he'd fallen off the roof, I still thought he must be joking. 
But, oh, no.  He wasn't joking.
He fell feet first and broke his leg.  He also hit his head.  Luckily the head injury wasn't too bad...other than producing quite a knot.
He wouldn't let me call 911 which was of course my initial reaction once I realized this wasn't a big prank.  Instead I got him ice, got Levi dressed, and hunted down a neighbor to help me get my very bummed up uncle into the truck.  What a way to meet the neighbors, huh?  I think a batch of cookies is in order!
I finally got my uncle to the ER.  They were very quick about getting him checked in and seen to.  Falling off the roof pretty much guarantees prompt service.  After an x-ray, they determined that surgery would be necessary, but the swelling has to go down first.  He is currently on his way home to rest before the surgery.  So, prayers would be appreciated.  It sounds like he has a pretty rotten few weeks ahead of him.  We are all just so glad he's doing alright.
And, just because I'm a proud mama:  Levi was such a trooper through the whole thing.  He was so calm and did everything he was asked to do.  I was, quite frankly, a tad surprised...especially since it was lunchtime and he hadn't eaten yet when we hit the road.  Not to mention nap time was looming.  But, there were no meltdowns...just sweetness...exactly when it was most needed. He kept asking about Uncle Larry the rest of the afternoon..."He fell?"  "He had go to de hospital?"

Oh. My.

We're renovating.
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Sarah from Pea Pilly Bean recently described moving rooms as being "a bit like placing all members of the family in a blender and pressing ON." 
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That is exactly how I feel.  We've pressed ON, people, and now I can't seem to find the OFF button.

Luckily for us, my uncle is in town for the week.  He is an awesome and generous fella who has decided to bless us with his incredible handyman abilities.  I wish I could show you my new bedroom floor because it is looking truly fabulous.  However, in all the moving and renovating I can't find the little gadget that goes into the computer and loads your pictures onto your computer.  Yeah, I should at least know the name of the little gadget, but I don't.  That makes buying one online a tad difficult.  And, since I am without a car for at least another week, then this blog will be pictureless for a while. 

Sigh. 

I am so looking forward to having at least one room finished.

Note to those of you considering renovations...be organized.  Don't attack the entire house at once.  One room at a time is much, much smarter.  Ah, well, live and learn.

P.S.  If you want a good laugh, imagine me at Best Buy explaining what "gadget" I need.  I'm sure I'll have them rolling their eyes all the way back in their heads as I "describe" what I need.

Thanksgiving Recap

We are slowly but surely coming out of our food induced comas.

Yum.

It was a very happy Thanksgiving.
We ate.......a lot.

However, Levi was thoroughly unimpressed with the food...
The food we spent ALL day cooking.
He didn't even want dessert!
He was way more into playing...

Besides being grateful for all that yummy food, we were extra thankful to be surrounded by family.

Can you tell we're sisters?

Levi was crazy about his Great-uncle Larry...

Especially since Uncle Larry kept him entertained with photos of fish.In between cooking and eating we played Mexican Train Dominoes...my new favorite game.
Seriously, I'm hooked. I could play this one for hours on end.

Do y'all like playing board games and such? What's your favorite?

Can You Photograph Lightening With A Run Of The Mill Camera?

So, we did eventually get around to taking those fall family photos. It turns out, though, that two equals...ahem...well...how shall I put this?...difficult. It's become a little like trying to photograph lightening...bipolar lightening. No, ladies and gents, the following photos are not the out takes. They are the best of the bunch...I kid you not.Hmmm...I think I need a new photo op strategy. Maybe a faster camera is in order. I mean there were moments where he was facing the camera and actually near us all at the same time. I think my camera just isn't fast enough for him. I so think Santa needs to bring me a new one...a new camera that is...the kid is pretty cute, so I think I'll keep him.

And, Where Were The Presents?

Okay. I admit it. I'm one of those mothers. Not only do I toss Halloween candy and not have a television...I also request no presents on birthday invitations. Gasp! I know...I've been told already.
No worries though...Levi is not entirely deprived. Sunday we had a special, family present party. This little outdoor bash was just what our day needed...
Cars and trucks (of course), a race track play mat made by mommy, wooden puzzles, fire truck jambies, a set of blocks, and books were wrapped up under brown paper and ribbon. It was just exactly enough...not too many and not too few.

Picture Day

This weekend we had our pictures taken for the church photo directory. (Think school picture day just in the church fellowship hall instead of the school auditorium.) To be honest, we weren't bowled over by the results. I mean, how is it possible to walk in a place thinking you look pretty darn good and walk out feeling like you've gained thirty pounds and bad hair to top it off? But...since we were all gussied up anyway, we snapped a few pics of our own. Call me crazy, but I totally prefer outdoor, all natural, snapshots to stiff, staged "portraits". I may not have a swanky-danky camera or any roll down backdrops, but I'm really liking these anyway. They show us doing whatever it is that we do--albeit a little more dressed up than usual.
I just have to say, I think I have quite a beautiful sister. Not only is she beautiful and a fabulous Auntie, she's pretty dang talented to boot. She made the dress she's wearing! :
So, there you have it, our non-professional but beloved family portraits.