Savoring The "Moments": Bits and Pieces...

I have so many pictures that need to be documented, I could probably divide them into separate posts...but instead here is just one whirlwind of a post.

I found my nearly 4-year-old Hannah asleep...with her blankie and sucking her thumb in baby Claire's carseat.

This is way old news...but Claire found her toes. One of my favorite passages of babyhood.

This expression isn't exactly the most flattering...

pumpkins.

Pumpkins after Hannah and Lily snuck them and some watercolors into their closet and gave them a makeover.

The last day of irrigating the yard for the summer.

I just let them frolic and play in their dresses....I must have been a pushover that day.

I think the pictures with wet dresses are cute!

They even had a stuffed bunny and doll in the water, I really must have been a pushover. The battle just wasn't worth it.

The reflections in the water were fun too.

Mealtime would not be complete without something like this. Every. Day. :)

Madelyn finally lost that stubborn ol'tooth in the front. It was hanging by a thread for the longest time....sick. She wouldn't let us touch it. Actually I don't think that I offered to, but I did offer Drew to try to pull it out for her. I can't even watch them wiggle those hanging-by-a-thread teeth. It makes me sick.

Now if we could just get a tooth fairy who is on top of it to put our house on her route...ours is usually a little flighty..... :)

Claire was giving Madelyn some great smiles while I was cooking dinner, we attempted to capture them...

Claire is loved so much!! I found Lily hugging her while she was on the floor and I tried to catch it with the camera. She moved away before I did, so I tried to recreate it...but it looks more like she is tackling her.

Hannah loving on her little baby sister.

It is hard to shop for food storage along with regular grocery shopping now that shopping for our family completely fills a large cart up to the brim. Our food storage was whittling away.

So, for an FHE we learned about work and self-reliance and hit a case lot sale with the family. Four carts later, we had this. Then when I took it down to the storage room, my project snowballed from there and now the storage room is re-organized and nice. That feels good!

I love notes. My children write me SO many of them. I do my best to keep as many as I can, but lest I lose these pieces of paper gold, I have some visual record too.

Hannah's notes. I love that she writes her favorite letters over and over. "H" "N" "A" "Q" and "O." Then she will "read" me what the notes say to me. Usually something along the lines of: Mom I love you so much. This is the best day ever. I love you so much. For mom. From Hannah.

Madelyn's notes. She is definitely a note writer. I get one probably more than once a day from her. I love her "cursive" name and how she loves to decorate her notes with hearts or whatever else.

Claire all tuckered out from playing. So cute. These are my favorite pj's that our YW president made for her. They are so snuggly and warm!!

The girls were playing with blocks and created some violins. They came and serenaded me. Too cute.

Drew had a talent show for scouts where he displayed some of his k'nex creations. He also participated in a skit--as pictured above. Knowing how hard doing anything public is for him, my little heart just swells with love for that guy when I see him do something tough!