Today

 

Step 1: Find Henry's favorite dog in his favorite place to play.

Step 2: Sigh

Step 3: Repeat 3 times "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Step 4: Hug Henry
Step 5: Lather, Rince, Repeat

Summer Fun

It's been a fun summer with the kids.  Admittedly, I had high ambitions for our sunny season.  Last summer we were at the hospital nearly all day, every day, so I was determined to enjoy all that this year had to offer.  Here's a glimpse of the fun we've had over the last couple months. 

Enjoying the lake.

Henry is climbing, and more recently walking, all over the place!

Claire loves to spot the butterflies whenever we drive past the Veteran's Home,

so we decided to take a walk there and see them up close.

Claire gives Henry a check up after a minor bout of the flu.

Claire proudly displays her 4th of July craft.

The library ran a program this summer where kids could read to a dog.  Both kids loved it!  And is it just me or is that dog smiling in the top right picture? 

Henry hanging out with second cousin, Nolan.

The first and last time Claire offered to change Henry's diaper.

Family date night in downtown Rockford.

Cuddling with Daddy.

Happy Henry!

Claire eating raw corn on the cob she grabbed off the kitchen counter.

Claire enjoys caring for her vegetables that she's growing in her greenhouse.  Now the trick will be to convince her to eat them!

Henry's first haircut. 

This picture captures well how he felt about the situation. 

   My baby growing before my very eyes!

Hope you all are enjoying your summer as well.  Sweater weather will be here before you know it, so get out and enjoy that summer sunshine while you can!

My Messy Life

Before I had children I expected that a stay-at-home mother should have the cleanest house on the block.  I mean, you're home all day with the kids.  You have all the time in the world to clean, right?

Well, after three years of life at home with the kids, I just need to vent that it is nearly impossible to keep our house clean.  Especially when the weather doesn't allow for much outdoor play, it seems my days are spent trying to keep our home from drowning in a perpetual wave of toys and clutter. 

Our kids are cute, but they are chaos in motion.

Henry is the cupboard king. 

He loves getting into the cupboards, especially those he's not supposed to be in.

Claire, in the background, is "baking a cake". 

She loves to get water from the sink and concoct her own recipes.

Part of the problem is that Claire doesn't see a mess.  She sees art.

And for Henry, a clean room is a blank canvas. 

He doesn't see a mess.  He sees endless entertainment.

And then we have the problem of what I consider to be well-intentioned messiness.

Claire shows off the "make-up" she put on with markers all by herself.

And, of course, her fingernail and toenail polish.

Here she colored me a picture on the bathroom door.  I couldn't possibly get upset, though, because she was so proud and said it was a Mother's Day gift for me. 

Well, it's the thought that counts, even if it's 3 months late.

This, however, was the final straw.  After Claire's naptime art explosion, all markers were placed out of reach, only to be used under adult supervision.

Truthfully, I'd never trade my kids for a clean and clutter-free home.  They can be a lot of work, but at the end of the day, I go into their bedrooms and peek in on them while they sleep. And I am reminded once again of how much I love them.

Yeah, they're totally worth it!