This photo courtesy of the LC, using her Granddad's phone.
I wouldn't mind a turn at skiing of some sort, but decided that with my condition (wink) and all, that I'd best pass this time around...
Cliff jumping. Pregnant or not, I will not take a turn at this kind of "fun." To each his own.
But the photo - gorgeous. Credit for this one goes to BB (not my husband BB - the other BB - the kids' grandma).
And, thankfully, all participants are each still in one happy piece.
And, thankfully, all participants are each still in one happy piece.
From the photos I've received, it's obvious that this was a memorable, exciting, exhausting summer blast for all involved. Thanks to Granddad and BB for hosting everyone!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, as they say, the two littles and I had a just-the-three-of-us weekend.
I took advantage of the change in dynamics and set to work on a couple of spaces in the house. I decided to get my bathroom clean, organized, and cute, if possible.
A note: with this move, we decided to try an idea we'd been considering for some time and do a bunkroom approach for the girls' sleeping arrangements. As with many homes built in the past 20 years, the master in this and our last house were just huge - way bigger than we needed for the two of us, for sure. So, for now, the five oldest girls are in the master bedroom with its corresponding ginormous bathroom and oversized closet. CJ will join them in the bunkroom in coming months.
BB and I took the largest non-master bedroom. BH and CJ share the nursery, and for the first time in many years we have an extra room, which will function as BB's work from home office and a guest room, hooray!
My point in this aside was just to say that now I have a hallway bathroom, which CJ is quick to remind me is also hers. She comments frequently that we share the bathroom. One big difference between our Texas house and this one is that we had a lot more closets and storage space in our old home. The houses are actually exactly the same size.
So, I've been working out creative and simple (preferably) ways to occupy the different spaces. This weekend, I gave attention to the hallway bathroom. It now has a snappy rug and some ka-pow orange hand towels. See?
It felt good to get a space looking and feeling more homey and orderly.
The two little ones and I also took care of other errands. We procured a birthday present for our next July celebration (that would be Baby H, who's turning 2). Using the God-given blessing of Google Maps, we found many new places such as the post office, where we bought fun stamps and mailed important letters.
Friday night, I took Mr. and Miss Dimple Wimple to the mall nearby during a dreadful downpour. You know, we don't own umbrellas. Never needed them in Texas, sadly. We just ran for it and entered the mall a bit damp.
The two little ones and I also took care of other errands. We procured a birthday present for our next July celebration (that would be Baby H, who's turning 2). Using the God-given blessing of Google Maps, we found many new places such as the post office, where we bought fun stamps and mailed important letters.
Friday night, I took Mr. and Miss Dimple Wimple to the mall nearby during a dreadful downpour. You know, we don't own umbrellas. Never needed them in Texas, sadly. We just ran for it and entered the mall a bit damp.
Here the kids enjoyed their first carousel ride. CJ loved it and wanted to do fancy tricks on her horse while we were in motion. BH was over it and wanted off the ride before it was over.
This morning, we enjoyed a visit to the farmer's market, which sets up each Saturday at the park two blocks from our house. Sweet!
CJ had her heart set on having lemonade, which we'd seen during a previous visit, but had not purchased. I told her we'd have some.
Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. No lemonade. But we did find a fun little homemade-ish popsicle stand, boasting rather gourmet flavors. CJ had a lemonade pop.
You can see how much BH loves a good popsicle...
This morning, we enjoyed a visit to the farmer's market, which sets up each Saturday at the park two blocks from our house. Sweet!
CJ had her heart set on having lemonade, which we'd seen during a previous visit, but had not purchased. I told her we'd have some.
Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. No lemonade. But we did find a fun little homemade-ish popsicle stand, boasting rather gourmet flavors. CJ had a lemonade pop.
You can see how much BH loves a good popsicle...
Mine was peach julep. Fun.
Last big fun of the day was pulling out a tiny pool and letting the little ones go to town with water and mud and the garden hose and cups, ice, spoons, you name it.
Oh, and ice cream sandwiches.
Doesn't he look funny with flat hair?!
Photos of him are never clear because he never.stops.moving. Ever.
One last photo - another one of light. The laundry room is upstairs, has a window, and is tiled (as in, the floor and walls are tiled. Weird.) But the sunlight. Mm-hmm. And natural light in a laundry room? What a treat! My last one was rather cave-like, and while laundry gets done in whatever space it can, I am loving this cheerful change.
It's been just over three weeks since we arrived to our new town and home. I am happy about all that we've gotten done in the settling-in department.
It's alternately energizing and draining to work at the unpacking and home-making.
I find myself on my own roller coaster of ups and downs: confident, then insecure; content, then lonely; capable-feeling, followed by overwhelmed into paralysis; happy, then sad; fearless and fearful.
It's all a good reminder to have compassion on the children as they navigate their own adjustment to this new adventure.
And when fear in particular begins to take hold in my heart over things big or small, one great comfort God has stamped in my thinking is this: That nothing can separate me from His love. It's a much-quoted scripture that for me has become very personal over the past six weeks or so.
Even if my fears are or were valid or came true or not - none of that will change God's great love for me. And that's everything.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or famine or persecution or nakedness or danger or sword?
....For I am convinced that neither death nor life, or angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:35, 38-39
Last big fun of the day was pulling out a tiny pool and letting the little ones go to town with water and mud and the garden hose and cups, ice, spoons, you name it.
Oh, and ice cream sandwiches.
Doesn't he look funny with flat hair?!
Photos of him are never clear because he never.stops.moving. Ever.
One last photo - another one of light. The laundry room is upstairs, has a window, and is tiled (as in, the floor and walls are tiled. Weird.) But the sunlight. Mm-hmm. And natural light in a laundry room? What a treat! My last one was rather cave-like, and while laundry gets done in whatever space it can, I am loving this cheerful change.
It's been just over three weeks since we arrived to our new town and home. I am happy about all that we've gotten done in the settling-in department.
It's alternately energizing and draining to work at the unpacking and home-making.
I find myself on my own roller coaster of ups and downs: confident, then insecure; content, then lonely; capable-feeling, followed by overwhelmed into paralysis; happy, then sad; fearless and fearful.
It's all a good reminder to have compassion on the children as they navigate their own adjustment to this new adventure.
And when fear in particular begins to take hold in my heart over things big or small, one great comfort God has stamped in my thinking is this: That nothing can separate me from His love. It's a much-quoted scripture that for me has become very personal over the past six weeks or so.
Even if my fears are or were valid or came true or not - none of that will change God's great love for me. And that's everything.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or famine or persecution or nakedness or danger or sword?
....For I am convinced that neither death nor life, or angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:35, 38-39
orange towels, orange popsicle - I remember you said you fav color is orange :) And what fun you made with your littles. Simple and yet totally delightful to a kid. It really cracks me up that you don't own umbrellas. . .
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