what we've been up to...

since i haven't blogged in over a month i'm using my iPod photo album to give you a glimpse of what we've been up to in brief...

a little bit of crafting (jilly LOVES glue!)


an ice cream date with kate...she downed the entire cone!


lots of clothes sorting...this is ALL boy stuff...we been SO blessed...some given to us, some great garage sale finds (we're talking gymboree, children's place, gap, etc. for $.25!). luke even has some 5T stuff in the closet (and TONS of 2T, 3T and 4T)...BLESSED!

yeah...this is all luke's stuff.

we've also been giving girl stuff away...its a bit bittersweet.

the girls have discovered my old barbies...hours of fun!

we've been slowly seeing "boy toys" (whatever that means since my girls have never been super girlie and love trucks, cars, balls, etc.!) enter our house...and since luke is too little the girls have been kind enough to test them out for him ;)


a few family walks


sometimes daddy has to take a turn on the scooter ;)


loving on daddy when he arrives home from work (jilly wasn't too happy to share daddy's lap with her sisters--lets just be honest...being nearly two (and working on molars!) isn't always easy or happy. ;)


some math by libbers


what makes jilly happy these days? well, anything involving other family members' shoes, hats, accesories, etc. is a good start. i even bought her some flip flops of her own...nope, she still wants to wear her sisters' everywhere. {sigh}


see...she is getting big like her sisters...what a proud moment when she climbed up on the fence to talk to gracie just like they do :)


and our most recent new thing to do is hang out at the YMCA...they just built a brand new branch near our house, and we joined. it is fabulous! i've loved being able to work out without always having to get up at the crack of dawn to run before mike leaves the house for work at 6:15. and we have a blast in the playroom...its like a super-sized chick-fil-a playland that we often have mostly to ourselves...and we can pack lunches or dinners. and then, of course, there is the fun of the pool...and the kids actually really enjoy going to childwatch. true confession, jilly often cries when i come to pick her up to go home...yep, my child likes the Y better than momma some moments! lol we also love that some of our friends go there as well...which means mama and miss holly get some mama chat time sans kiddos while the kiddos play and have a blast! it is a win win!


keep reading for more new posts...

old school

these are terribly blurry...i took pictures of photos in a scrapbook with my iPod...but they are better than nothing. now that the kiddos are getting a bit older i am really starting to see how each has some of my features, etc. i think elizabeth still takes mostly after mike...but she does have a few of her aunt shell's expressions down pat...the smirk...the annoyed look....hehe...it must be an oldest child thing. :)

me around 4 or 5 months--i see lots of luke in this pic (i have it side by side w/ a pic of him in the next post)

me around 4 or 5 years...i'm totally starting to see how kate has some of "me" in her (both personality and appearance)



my sister, michelle, at various ages...i think jillian looks SO much like her!


me 8 1/2 months, my sister 3 years...i'm imagining a pic of luke and jilly in another few months...well, except that luke won't be wearing a dress. :)

keep reading for more new posts...

featuring luke

would you believe that our baby boy is already four months old (well, four and a half now!)?! not only that, but just the other day i realized a tooth had popped through his lower gum...and now a second tooth is following suit--i didn't even know he was teething (if that tells you anything about his laid back, happy demeanor!). this pics and the video are a pretty accurate portrayal of him...smiling, laughing, sleeping lots and lots. i am completely smitten. :)


hey there cute little fella


hand-eating is one of his favorite pasttimes (along with blanket eating!)


kate is especially fond of luke...she is so sweet to him :)




luke at four months and me around the same age...i see a lot of me in luke. and, yes, i see lots of jilly and some kate too...which makes sense...jilly is a little replica of my older sister, and i am starting to see many of my features in kate.


he also had his first taste of rice cereal...not so much yet. ha!

and this video...i just happen to think it is precious beyond words! but i do suppose i'm a bit biased! :)


keep reading for more new posts...

EAT MOR CHIKIN

yep...annual cow appreciation day. our fam showed our appreciation of cows by dressing up and joyfully chowing down on lots of free chicken and then enjoying a few trips through the bouncy obstacle course. sorry, our "herd" had already shed their ears, noses, tails, lower half spots, etc. by the time i pulled out the camera. (and, yep, mike and i dressed up too...but we didn't make any pictures!)


our pirate cow...ARGH!



"i don't wanna be a cow anymore!!"