Growing

He's kicking right out of his seat.  Time to get rid of it!!

Hanging chads

If you remember the 2000 presidential election, the following photo needs no explanation.  Morgan had my camera the other day and I was busting out laughing when I saw this picture she got of Jeremy.  I'm calling it his "hanging chad moment."

Buds

These 2 have so much fun together.  Here they are building their homemade shape-n-race.

Apparently her love for raisins is waning...

5 months

I think he looks just like Steve here.  Except Steve doesn't drool quite so much.

Learning

I love the stage Aaron is at where he is learning to read/write.  He is doing super well with his reading and had begun writing me letters for things, it's so cute.  Here are 2 of my recent favorites.

Notice his use of the line over his vowels.  In the reading curriculum that I use, that is how he knows a vowel has a long sound.

"Mom, can you play with me?"  

"Can we watch AFV please?"  Notice the spelling of we.  Ha ha.

Laundry

I have this ongoing conversation with a few friends about our laundry strategy.  Most people I know seem to like to do a load or 2 a day to stay on top of it.  I personally don't like that b/c then I feel like I am always doing laundry, always putting it away, etc.  I prefer to have a laundry day in which I do 6-8 loads in one day.  Days like this certainly have me rethinking that strategy!  This pile is way deeper than it looks.  It goes the whole way to the back of the closet.

Easter

Just a few weeks late in getting these posted!!

This is the second year in a row that we did a Easter breakfast on Saturday.  The kids all seemed to enjoy it and there is just not time for that on Sunday morning.

This year Steve made each of the kids a riddle that they had to solve to find their hidden basket.  I wish I would have saved them, they were cute.

Greta on a mission to find hers

Spotted!

Aaron thinking very hard about his rhyme...

Yes, Claudia's was on top of the shed!

And everyone had to climb up for a picture!

 And now for Sunday.  This is a bit funny.  Claudia got Josiah dressed for me and she told me that his boots would not stay on.  I tried and they went on, though a little tough.  You can see them falling off here in the pictures.  That's as long as they lasted. He went to church in his socks.  Later in the day Claudia told me why they wouldn't stay on.  We forgot to take the tissue paper out of the toes of the shoes.  Oops.  Guess it was a crazy morning!!

Greta was thrilled to be wearing her hand-me-down dress from cousin Afton

My little Don Johnson in his white pants

After church we headed down to my parents for lunch and an egg hunt.

As you can see from the almost collision in this picture, the competition was fierce this year.

Even Grandma was getting a bit competitive.  Not that that is a new thing...

I love this shot.  My dad was thrilled with the technology that allowed him to watch the Master's outside on Steve's iPad while the kids hunted eggs.  A little obsessed, ya think?

Stretch!

Jump!

My G

I've been thinking a lot about my precious Greta lately.  Her disposition is quiet and reserved.  For that reason she is somewhat of a mystery to me.

As long as I can remember I have been an extrovert.  Apparently I had a shy bone when I was a kid but that is long gone.  Being married to an introvert has taught me many things about people who are different  than me.  I always assumed that if someone was quiet when around me it was because they had some reason not to like me.  Otherwise, they would be talking to me, right?

So anyway, back to Greta.  Her pregnancy was my only real "surprise" pregnancy.   Aaron had just turned 1, we were living in Maryland while attending the Pastor's College, and I was not thinking to get pregnant any time soon.  Her pregnancy brought on my worst case of morning sickness.  If I remember correctly, I threw up almost every day for 20 weeks.  She was born in the midst of a super crazy summer (returning to our home that had been rented for a year, Steve starting his new job at the church, and tackling the girl's new school curriculum.)

I feel like she was my whirlwind baby.  I don't have a lot of detailed memories of my first couple of years with her.  Greta has always been a bit of a mama's girl.  Unlike little Josiah, she did not prefer to be the center of attention, surrounded by adoring fans.  She just wanted to be held...by me.

The last year and a half have brought much independence for her.  Sometimes I miss my moments with her.  Much of the time she flies under the radar around the house.  I've been trying to make time for just her.  Little moments here and there.  Doing her hair pretty, painting her nails, having a big long snuggle.

Don't get me wrong, she certainly knows how to make her wishes known and she has strong opinions about life.  But she's quiet and simple.

Having my 2 older girls first was a very defining moment.  I had two daughters.  Sisters.  We have always have and still do refer to them as "the girls."  What's been striking me lately, as obvious as this is, is that little Greta is also my girl, my daughter, the sister.  She is the sister sandwiched between the brothers.  She's the only sister with an older brother.  She will have a different relationship with the older girls b/c of the age gap.  They are growing up caring for her, doting on her, not fighting with her!

I am loving her place in our family.  She is a joy in so many ways and it is so good for me to have daughters that are different than me.  What a blessing from God.

Unlike some of her um...louder and more talkative siblings, Greta loves to be with us but doesn't insist on being heard.  One of my favorite things that she does is whenever I am feeding the baby, she will grab something, usually a coloring book and crayons or a puzzle, and sit of the floor completely happy and play until I am finished feeding.  I love her presence, it's so sweet and comforting.  If I leave the room and don't tell her, she cries because I've left her alone.

Such a dear girl you are little G.  So happy to have you with us.