OUR OWN WINTER WONDERLAND

You may have heard about the winter snow storm that has hit the Northwest...

 Well around here it has translated into three days of no school, appointments,lessons or running around.

 It means a good hour of properly outfitting four kids with boots, socks, sweats, snow pants, sweatshirts, scarves, gloves and coats.  And then putting all said outerwear in the dryer when they come back in.

 It means exploring on all kinds of levels...

 And a LOT of fun for almost 10 year old boys!

And seven year old ones too!

 I means the crunch crunch crunch of boots on snow and a steady pot of hot chocolate on the stove top...





 It means seeing our new yard with all it's trees in a whole new light.

 It means snow ninjas are out in full force in our neighborhood.

 So watch out!  Here they come.

 It means afternoon snack may be something cold and wet.

 Can you catch it with your tongue?

 It means magical walks in the forest in our own back yard!

It means a whole new way of seeing the world with it's beautiful white blanket. 

And we love it!

AN IMPORTANT PART...

Connor,
You are an important part of our family.  You help us remember that Heaven is real and we want to be with you there someday.  You help us remember that our family is eternal.  We miss getting to hold you, and watch you grow and learn. 
Thank you for how you have touched and changed and blessed our lives by helping us lift our eyes to God.  Happy Birthday.
Love,
Mommy

TIME IS FLYING...

How did this little duo...

 Grow into this one?



EWAN TURNS 7...

Yesterday we celebrated Ewan's 7th birthday.  He is such a wonderful, loving and fun little boy.  He has  grown up and matured so much in the past year.  He really is coming into his own and gaining confidence.

He even invented his own idea of a perfect birthday cake...

Chocolate Cake,

Chocolate/Peanut Butter Frosting,

and Reece's Pieces all over the outside!

Why did I never think of that?

With a little help from my dream team, we made the requested cake!

Then we survived three hours at the (other) land of the Mouse.

I love, love love this little Monkey Boy and am so blessed to call him mine :)



Mystery Baby...

After Kathryn Anne was born, I decided that with the next baby we would wait until it was born to find out the gender.  Right away when we told the kids we were pregnant they wanted to know if it was a boy or a girl, and I told them that that was going to be a mystery until the baby was born.  So Heather started referring to the baby as "Mystery Baby."  The kids began saying things like "How old will I be when Mystery Baby is born?" or "Which room will Mystery Baby sleep in?" or "Where will we put Mystery Baby's car seat in the car?"
I took a short trip with the kids to visit my parents in Montana this month and started miscarrying on the drive home.  Spent all of the next day in the ER.  Spent the next three days laying around cramping and bleeding and crying.  It's all over now and somehow "Mystery Baby" seems an appropriate name for the short life that entered our family and our hearts and is now gone.
Interestingly, I come away from this loss with an increased joy and sense of wonderment at the miracle that is life.  I am in awe of the process, and so much more in love with the children who made it all the way into my arms.  I find myself watching them play, eat, interact, talk to themselves, try something new, look for my approval and I am keenly aware that life is miraculous and wonderful and fragile. And so, so precious.  Thank you for that, Mystery Baby.

AGAIN...

Once again,

 I'll get to have one of these...

                                                                      or these...

Snuggle one of these...

or these.

Yep.  We've got another bundle of love on the way!

my babies...

Today I will drive in my car for 8 hours to go and get my babies whom I haven't seen in 18 days. It was way. too. long. I cannot wait to wrap my arms around them and smooch all over them and hold them and listen to their stories and smooch them some more. And then smooch them a little.  And maybe kiss them too.