Bit by bit.

Learning to be grateful for the mundane.

Mother's Day with my sweet boys.

Late spring garden...and a cute baby.

Joy is dirt for a little boy.

Sweets and gifts are one of his love languages.

Early summer garden- just got the tomatoes in here.

So proud of his first carrot! 

Kitchen project phase one.

I love subway tile.

Books and Legos..all day, every day.

This summer has been good to us...This was our first summer in our new home here in Franklin, and everywhere we turn, there is a project to do. We had our first real garden here, and loved it, and dreaded it. It is a lot of work to save all those vegis once they started coming in, but so worth it. I want to do a separate post on this--Eli has LOVED having a garden, and we have learned so much already!


Matthew started another new job this summer- same company, different position, and that has been a learning curve for us...different hours, and almost a "demotion" to gain a "promotion" in the future. Being a grown-up comes with a lot of decision making, but we have been having lots of great discussions on praying that God is leading our lives, and not the lure of promotions, more this, or more that. What is God's plan for our family? What do our steps now show our children later? Who are we serving? Lots of good talk!!

I have been trying to have a "just get it done" attitude with projects. There are so many great ideas out there, that I can spend way too much time looking at what others have done, and then there are just too many options for me to choose a path. I want to just do it! Paint the trim (again), hang those pictures, donate all the stuff, sew the outfits, etc. Right now I am focusing on taking our bathrooms from 1976 to present--I've been paralyzed by finding the "perfect" mirror and "perfect" lights..and frankly, now I'm just buying something that works and moving on! :) It feels good to get some stuff done around here!

Playing Catch Up

Life is much busier than this little space here, but I'm determined to not totally give it up yet! Here's our life in pictures from the past oh, four or so months.

 Shepherd turned ten, eleven, and then twelve months old! :) The nerve. I can't stand how fast these months are flying by these days...I SWEAR I just had him. We celebrated his very first birthday with a small family party at home (and took blurry pictures) and then a big "friends" party a week later, Peter Rabbit style. He kept his usual serious face on the whole party and Eli ate all the extra cake for him.

 Eli would take out a spatula...Shepherd takes apart the whole dishwasher.

 He is a total, complete, whole-hearted stinker. He gets into so much more than Eli ever did. He loves to see just how far he can take things before he gets in trouble. And then he laughs and does it again. He. wears. me. plumb. out.

 Eli was laying on the kitchen chairs with his lovey one day and I had to snap some shots of him with his sweet security blanket. I've never had paci and thumb sucking babies, but Eli has just about sucked his lovey to rags. He also still has his daddy's big mouth and I love how huge his smile is when I make him laugh.

 Getting into our pots and pans cabinets. Pulls them all out and bangs them together.

 Then heads to the pantry to pull all the food he can reach down.

 Then he tries with all his might to dump all the chips on the floor.

 Eli said, "Mama? I think you better come look at this..."

 Pouring the comet out all over the place, probably while I was busy cleaning up his pantry mess.

 Again, total trouble. I could just walk behind him most days cleaning up his trouble.

 Eli hardly ever naps anymore so I love to take pictures when I catch him snoozing.

 Another day, another bag dumped on the floor...except he had help this time.

 Those four little feet crossed under cute little bottoms- love it.

 When they are this far in to their mischief, it's best to just grab the camera and document.

 Happy Birthday Eli!! Four??!!! We'll have to stop here, because five sounds just impossible. He loved his special request cake: chocolate with marshmellows, worms, and bugs. Such a boy!

 Matthew got new glasses. The pair he's been wearing were from EIGHTH grade. That's just silly.

 FOUR!!!

 Show me your muscles! Eli loves to ask if the food he is eating will make him big and strong. "When I'm big like daddy, I'm going to carry babies around on my shoulders."

 Happy very first birthday Shepherd!!

 Shepherd is teething, and has been pretty miserable for the past MONTH. Last night I counted four molars and three other teeth trying to come through, poor baby. His hands are always in his mouth. And...I have crazy new hair growth after having Shepherd. Baby hairs are everywhere.

 Cousins!!

 Precious, precious, precious boy. Four is such a fun age.

This is a busy busy season of life, raising little ones at home. I am trying to really be present and enjoy my babies while I'm at home with them. I find myself more and more wondering where the days are going, and I pray I am taking advantage of this sweet, but just plain exhausting season of life!