A Look Back at June...

Now that we've reached this last week of June, I'm looking back at the busy full month behind us! We had lots of "big" days, and fun times, but the most precious memories are usually the little moments that happen on random Tuesdays...

Such as helping a friend with a sewing project...

Or playing with activity bags while Mama makes supper...

Or bulk shopping with the family...

Making a new friend, a millipede named Squiggles...

Napping with Mama...

Playing with play dough...

Organizing canning jars...

Falling asleep mid play...

Going to Mass..

Enjoying a play date with good friends...

Sharing a delicious berry smoothie...

Or playing Bible Trivia with Daddy.

I've become almost obsessive with wanting to take pictures. But, these little moments really mean so much to me. These little moments shape who we are. When I think of life, these are the things that I think of. When I think of family and home, it's these moments that warm my heart.

 

 June has been a special month of watching my baby leave behind the newborn era, and begin to transform into this mobile, chattery, playful fellow. He's growing up before my very eyes!

 I made this table runner as an anniversary gift for friend's of ours. Our family attended their celebration of both their 25th anniversary and their daughter's high school graduation. 

Thank you Father, for the many blessings that June brought with it. I know all good things come from you!

Pax Christi,
 

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October Blessings

October has been a month full of many blessings. Fall has brought with it a pleasant change in weather and scenery. Fields have been harvested and turned into golden and black plains once again. Green leaves have changed color and many have already fallen. Warm weather has turned into breezy chilly days...well, most of the time. Occasionally Missouri shows her spunk with random spikes and drops in temperatures. :)

Our washer and dryer bit the dust, and we decided it was finally time to invest in decent machines! I was a little (ok, a lot) hesitant because I can be a bit cheap, I mean, frugal, when it comes to things like that. But, I'm so glad we bought a nice set! I'm amazed at the difference! We can wash about twice the amount in one load, and it's so much faster and quiet, too!

We took a little trip to the pumpkin patch and the boys loved being able to play on a combine. They love watching all of the farmers working around us, so it was an extra special treat for them.

October has been a busy month of sprucing up around the house. We have repainted the living room, dining room and master bedroom, as well as various rearranging and organizing projects all around. It has been so neat to see this old farmhouse really come to life!

Recently we were talking about what toys I had when I was little, and Jacob asked if I still had any of them. It occurred to me that my special Molly doll was in a box in the basement. I pulled it out to show him, and now she's become loved once again! Both and Jacob and Joshua thought she was the most beautiful of dolls and want to take special care of her. It's so sweet to see one of my most special childhood treasures being treasured by a second generation!

We've been enjoying the local library. Boys who love books tend to love the library! I think we could spend hours looking through the books. I'm so thankful for children who love to learn!

One of my favorite things about changing seasons is decorating! I love the colors and smells associated with Fall. Little touches make a house a home, and I love being able to create the little touches!
I think it'd be nearly impossible not to enjoy this Fall weather! It's not yet too cold to be outside most days, and there's an almost constant breeze. The air just smells like heaven! The sun's light reflects beautifully off of the golden fields. It just feels good to be outside!


Somehow we managed to go the entire Spring and Summer with only wearing "real" shoes to church! It's kind of embarrassing! When the weather changed we suddenly realized that we couldn't find shoes to fit the Bear! It was clear that we needed to sort through shoes and get organized! I can't believe Jacob and Joshua are only about a half size difference!

Yesterday we enjoyed a yummy Fall treat of caramel apples with our friend Linda. The cold windy day was a nice break from the fiercely hot salsa being canned in the kitchen!

All in all, October has been a busy month, but one full of blessings. I look forward to seeing what all the Lord has in store for us the rest of this year!

Love in Christ,

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September Happenings

I finally finished a project that's been on my "to-do" list for nearly nine years. Yes, nearly nine years! When we bought our dining room furniture, I loved the furniture itself, but didn't like the white upholstery on the chairs. White plus dining room chairs equals disastrous as far as I'm concerned! (not to mention a house full of boys only multiplies that!) A few months ago I was so blessed to be invited to an estate sale with two of my favorite ladies. The sale was all sorts of fabrics and notions from a man who'd been a tailor for many, many years. I found a roll of upholstery fabric for $10. As soon as I saw it I just knew it was perfect for the dining room chairs! I was even further excited when I saw the original price...$29 a yard! I figured out that I had well over ten yards on the roll! What a deal! I had never actually recovered chairs my self, but I remember watching my mother do it when I was a little girl. I just knew it was something I'd want to try! I'm so glad I finally can cross this one off of my list. I love the finished result!

We were so blessed to attend the birthday party of a friend's little boy. We'd been at his first birthday celebration as well, so it was extra special to be there for his second! I'm so blessed by all of the friends that God has placed in our lives!

Our friends sent these tool belts home for the older boys. So fun!

This beautiful girl wandered into our hearts this month. She showed up mysteriously on our road and we were never able to locate her previous owners. We decided to let her stay and she has made herself right at home. She adores the boys, and his such a little "mama" dog. She loves to watch over them as they play outside. We had wondered where she came from, or how she ended up here, but the longer she's been here, the more I've come to believe that maybe God sent her to be a part of our family!

My little boys are getting big! Where does the time go?

Blue tongues! We had some fun with blue slushy drinks. The boys thought their "polar bear" tongues were quite cool!

We've been hard at work on painting and decorating projects around the house. Now that we have been in the house almost a year, it's about time to start making it truly a home!

This month little Jamie has been busy with becoming big Jamie! He's been eagerly watching how his brothers do things and jumping in to do it, too. He seems to be growing by leaps and bounds right now.

Love in Christ,

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The Last Days of Summer, The First Days of Fall

We've been cherishing these last warm days as Summer draws to a close and Fall's door opens. Since moving to Happy Hearts Farm, we've really discovered the simple joy of just being in God's creations. The smell of the earth around us, the sounds of the birds and breezes, the beauty of this land He created. It's hard not to be joyful!

Joseph has learned to ride his big boy bike and he's quite proud of himself! He can keep up with the other two, now! The boys new favorite thing is to race their bikes down the gravel driveway (and give Mama a small heart attack!)

I think we could just about live outside when the weather's nice. We are trying to savor every minute of it before it gets too cold and snowy!

A picture of brotherhood...Joseph scraped his ankle on his bike pedal. Jacob immediately offered to run get him a band-aid, and Joshua got into the chair with him to hug on him. It was precious to watch his brothers show him such kindness. A little while later, Joseph was trying to ride his bike back up the hill, but was struggling to make it. Jacob got behind him and helped to push him up the hill. It just made Joseph's day! Yes, my heart felt very full!

In His Abundant Joy,

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