ten smile tuesday

1. three whole months...as i blogged about here (with some pictures of our three month old!)...jillian is three months old today. i really and truly cannot believe it...where has time gone?!

2. daddy dates...mike has been really struck lately with the importance of spending individual time with each of the girls, time to simply connect with them, to laugh with them, to treat them like princesses, and to make sure they grow up knowing just what kind a man they should someday marry...i might be crying as i type this...because, truly, he is such a fabulous daddy to his little girls, and my heart is beyond touched by their excitement and delight in spending time with him. he took elizabeth to the children's museum on his friday afternoon off...they had a blast, and, surprise, surprise, spent 3/4 of their time in the "science works" room...so elizabeth! when he asked kate what she wanted to do, she said, "see animals!"...since it was a little cold and many of the animal are gone for the season they headed to the pet store instead of the zoo...and then to a bookstore. jillian didn't get an official "date" out of the house...but she gets lots of love and attention from daddy all the time. (she might just have him wrapped around her finger in a way the other two truly didn't yet have at this age!)

3. mommy time...while daddy and elizabeth took their museum date, kate and jillian cooperated by taking 2 hour naps at the same time...meaning i had LOTS of uninterrupted sewing time. i was able to finish up a few stocking stuffers (crayon totes and baby doll slings for libs and katers), matching flannel PJ pants for the girls (we have a Christmas tradition that they get to open one present Christmas eve...their matching Christmas PJs), and some knit cotton pants for kate for potty training (figure it won't hurt to have extras on hand that are easy on and easy off!).

4. my first venture in applique...and it was a success (well, by my standards...no means professional quality...but i like 'em!) here are the Christmas PJs...they have matching flannel pants and then white shirts with their first initial appliqued on...you will have to wait for live models...since they can't put them on until we're at grandmommy and poppy's on Christmas eve!

5. speaking of daddy dates way back in smile #2...i got to have a daddy date this week as well. daddy, jillian, and i enjoyed some tasty Panera and chat-time...and then being the good sport that he is, we just might have finished the evening at jo-ann's buying the flannel for the PJs. :) have i mentioned lately that i LOVE my husband. i am so thankful for his hard work and long hours providing for our family, especially in the midst of the LONG project the past three months. we are so thankful to have him home more these days!

6. cutting and pasting...seriously, these two could cut and paste ALL day long! kate is especially fond of glue...frequently asking, "i do goo, mommy...PEAZ...i do goo!"

7. new schedules. i was increasingly frustrated the past few weeks with jillian's lack of interest in eating and the fact that i was often needing to wake her from a nap for eating. but i felt like surely at just three months she couldn't/shouldn't possibly be ready to only eat every four hours...and, i'll admit it, i was terrified that a shift in schedule might interrupt her sleeping through the night...but it didn't. hooray! she is still sleeping TONS...but is much, much more interested in eating. and, though we never did the sleepsack thing with either of the other girls (they were always plenty warm all swaddled up on their backs)...we gave in this time around. since j sleeps on her tummy and moves all over the place i needed something to keep her warmer (and to keep her from scooting and getting caught in the crib rails or flipping herself over). i found these grobags on mamabargains for a steal and decided to try them. fabulous! anything that helps my baby sleep, sleep, sleep brings a smile to my face!

8. an impromptu evening out with amy. even though the original plan--seeing a sneak peek of "the blind side" didn't work out, it was great to have a chance to see amy (and her friend shelley)...and to have some time perusing the aisles of united art and education afterward.

9. fresh paint. i've decided the only way our downstairs will ever get painted is one wall at a time, one naptime at a time...and yesterday was a productive start...i finished the play/living room and started into the kitchen. hooray! i'm including the pic for those, like my mom (smile!), who will be wondering what color it is. :) it is a greyish tan. love those productive days...though, i'll admit it, most of them aren't so productive! :)

10. winnie-the-pooh. elizabeth and i were running a quick errand saturday and popped in the library. i checked out the original "winnie-the-pooh", and i've been reading it aloud to the girls the past few days. elizabeth is enthralled...she will sit silently for three or more chapters/stories at a time, interrupting intermittently to ask a question or share some little detail she liked. priceless! next on our read aloud list is "charlotte's web"...but it has an amazingly long hold list at the library!

we are so blessed and have so, so many things for which we are thankful. i'm hoping to work on a post tonight filled with some of my thoughts on what makes us rich...come back for that. we will be heading out thursday morning for a quick trip to mike's parents for thanksgiving and an early Christmas celebration with them. we're looking forward to having some time there and then hopefully having a relaxing Saturday at home putting up Christmas decor and getting ready for the start of advent. :)

ten smile tuesday...on wednesday

a few hours past tuesday...but here are some of our smiles from the past week.

1. had to share a pic of jillian smiling...she gets more and more smiley every day. AND this incredibly thoughtful little girl decided to sleep for 10 straight hours last night...and her mommy is extremely grateful, especially since i seem to be coming down with some kind of icky-ness. anyway...i know her eye seems to be doing some kind of strange squinting in the second pic, but the smile says it all--priceless! savor and take her in, the rest of the pics are of the big girls.

2. scooter fun. way back on her birthday elizabeth received a princess scooter (or "shooter"....or "motorcycle" as she likes to call it) from her great grandpa and great grandma ethel. well, the weather finally took a turn for the warmer, so we assembled it and showed her the ropes. and, of course, kate had a go at it as well.

step one: finish her snack

step two: "is this the right way?"

step three: she has it figured out

step four: take a break and give kate a turn!

3. FREE pumpkins! thanks ed! my aunt janeen messaged me saturday morning that my uncle ed's office was having "the great pumpkin giveaway"...so we quickly got ourselves dressed (since we were all spending the overcast, chilly morning lounging in our PJs) and headed over to pick up pumpkins and balloons and enjoy some cider and donuts. hooray! we are looking forward to carving our pumpkins on saturday...we figured we would wait until the last minute this year since our carved pumpkins got a bit rotten by halloween last year!

kate loves her pumpkins...really, she does...but the 1st pic is proof that it isn't all smiles all the time around here. and, call me cruel, but really, sometimes the teary pictures are the cutest!

4. a fabulously fun visit from grandmommy...and between playing with the girlies and loving on jillian, we did manage to squeeze in some rounds of canasta, as many of you suggested we would! most of the rest of the smiles can show what a great time we had....and oh my, to hear miss kate strutting around all week talking about "dah-ma"....it was "dah-ma" this, "dah-ma" that. she woke up from her naps asking, "dah-ma here?" but we did definitely miss poppy and GG...hopefully we can get up that way to see them soon!

5. my dinner helper. grandmommy captured a better shot of this, but seriously, kate loves to help me cook. anytime i am at the kitchen counter, she pulls a chair over to help me. this time she was using her plastic alligator knife (and calling this a knife is definitely using the term loosely, since it barely cuts through bread) to chop celery for pasta fagioli soup.

6. speaking of pasta fagioli soup...it definitely makes the cut. this was my first time trying out the recipe (thanks for being the guinea pigs, jake and carrie), but it will definitely be entering the recipe rotation at our house!

7. a game night with friends. you all know i love me a good game night, and it had been a LONG time...but we had a blast playing ticket to ride and enjoying some good fellowship with friends. jillian was thrilled to hang out with her little buddy maureen...okay, so maybe she didn't quite get it yet, but really, they will get it some day!

8. i digress from my "with grandmommy" smiles though...but here i am, back on track. we made these scrumptious cookie bars...oats, fudge, deliciousness...thanks for the recipe jackie!

9. oh my, too many smiles...i must condense...snuggling under elmo quilts to watch a movie, rocking rag dolls in the cradle ethel sent, our little picasso-kate....and so many more little moments!

10. another delightful date with my hubby....this seems to be a regularly occuring smile, which is a huge blessing! this was our first date without any kiddos along since jillian was born. grandmommy stayed with jillian, and the big girls went to our normal date swap baby-sitting. mike and i enjoyed a tasty, tasty dinner at buca di beppo, and afterward my husband treated me to a surprise some new perfume, while we strolled through the mall. i love my girls....i really do...but oh how i love getting to spend time alone with my hubby....it most definitely does a marriage good!

11. well...ten smiles just won't cut it this week...we also enjoyed a nice visit with mike's parents on sunday. lunch, hanging out, even a bit of halloween cake!

ten-ish smile tuesday!

smiling...smiling. not a lot of pictures this week....but lots of smiles in the little things, and there are a few pictures toward the end of the post!

1. the gorgeous changing of the leaves...i have been purposefully taking "the back way" more often so i can soak in the beauty of autumn in indiana...brilliant reds, vibrant oranges, seasonal browns, mellow yellows, and the lingering greens splashed in. what a time to savor the magnificence of creation!

2. an extremely encouraging MOPS meeting...see my thoughts on it here. thanks for your lovely thoughts ladies!

3. some girl time with my MOPS table ladies. we had a "my life in a bag" getting to know you evening at our table mentor's house...tasty chocolate mousse for dessert, fabulous conversation with delightful ladies...it was great. i am so looking forward to diving more deeply into relationships with the ladies at my table.

4. two chock-full freezers...i inventoried and organized both the garage and inside freezer yesterday, and wow, we have a lot (i mean LOT) of food in our freezer. what a blessing!

5. sleep, glorious sleep...jillian is doing 7 hour stretches fairly consistently at night (and doing 12 hours total at night!)...i feel like a new woman!

6. my hubby bought me the wii active for our wii on sunday...i've done two workouts, and oh my, it is kicking my bootie (but in a good way!). i'm so excited to have something to motivate me to get moving on getting into shape....especially something i can easily do in the comfort of my own living room...because realistically this is not a phase in life where getting to the gym is a reasonable/feasible option!

7. watching jillian smile at her daddy...i mentioned her very first smile in last weeks "smiles"...and really, the only thing greater than catching my first glimpse of her smile was watching her gorgeous blue eyes look at her daddy and then seeing that mouth open in a massive, toothlesss grin AND hearing her let out a little squeal-y giggle. precious! she is starting to "talk" to us much more as well...oh how i love hearing that little cooing...

8. a freshly bathed baby...lightly lavender scented...smooth and silky skin...snuggly warm. she is also starting to love the bathing process. but really...what could be more smile-worthy than her itty-bitty mohawk. jillian seems to be losing hair in a ring around the middle of her head...however, she still has a healthy tuft of fairly long hair on the top...and it just so happens to naturally curl into a little mohawk at the top. LOVE it!


9. miss elizabeth and i had some special "beauty shop" time saturday evening. jillian was in bed and libs and i were waiting for daddy and kate to come home from a quick visit to a friend's house, so elizabeth decided to take a bath without kate. she lounged in the "spa" (a.k.a. bathtub), soaking, floating, enjoying...and then, after she was sufficiently "pruny", she hopped out, snuggled into some fleecy warm PJs (since it felt like january here!), and we went to the salon (a.k.a. mommy's bathroom) where i blow-dried and styled her hair (nothing more than a pony-tail, but she was thrilled)...and then she insisted on a pony for church sunday morning. she wasn't feeling real photogenic, but here she is with her pony-tail...and though she isn't "smiling" per se i really do think these pics are beautiful...i think the ponytail makes her look even older than she is already looking....


10. and, of course, i would be remiss to include photos of jillian and elizabeth and not include kate...so here she is, for your viewing pleasure. no really, this girl is a card...she is getting more and more verbal every day...and with the words comes humor...seriously, this girl is hilarious...and charming. where elizabeth is quite clever and tries to use that to her advantage (ie....tries to manipulate at times...this girl has fabulously reasoned arguments for why we should allow her to do whatever it is she thinks she should)...we are realizing quickly that kate is going to be the one who uses charm to her advantage....busting out that big grin and giggle...and, Lord help us, mommy and daddy find it quite hard to resist. shot number one makes me see the resemblance in she and elizabeth quite clearly (i now see what others see when they ask us if they are twins...and we get asked that a lot, which sometimes surprises me, as i don't really think of them as looking that alike...perhaps since i know so closely the stark difference in personality)...shot number two is her running around the kitchen with her squeaky shoes screaming "squeak" at the top of her lungs...and shot number three...she loves to stand right on top of you and say, "picture" while you are trying to take a picture...oh how i love this fireball!


11. a pink bundled baby. and can i just ask...just putting it out there...upon seeing this child in this carseat with the pink hat, pink blanket, pink paci, pink elephant toy....pink, pink, pink...would there be any doubt in your mind on gender?! just curious...because at least 4 times on this outing i was either asked, "oh, is it a boy or a girl?" or heard, "oh, HE is adorable...how old is HE?"...that aside, really love the look of her all bundled up with just her eyes peeking out...and i'm so happy that her little pink hat fits...hand-knit by grandmommy and worn by all three of the girls now...i love little things like that!


12. double chocolate mint cookies...YUM!

13. a date with my hubby last night...to the Gideon's pastor appreciation banquet...a delicious dinner and a nice break from the norm. jillian did a fabulous job throughout the banquet, thanks to the moby wrap...seriously, i've mentioned it the past three weeks...but seriously...it is fabulous since she enjoys being snuggled close!

14.....and finally, the anticipation of knowing my mom is coming to stay with us for a few days starting tomorrow. HOORAY!

ten smile wednesday

i was dreaming of snuggling up under some warm blankets and snoozing away on this rainy afternoon...but since a certain four year old (not to name any names) decided going peacefully and quickly into rest time wasn't her cup-o-tea this afternoon that plan went out the window. so, instead, i'll take these last 15 minutes before miss jillian wakes up and hopefully finish "smiling". as a note, that certain little four year old is now resting quietly...and this mama is thankful she took the time needed and used the experience as a teachable moment...but, wow, nothing wears out an already worn out mama more than the defiant will of a four year old...can i get some amens ('cause i know MANY of you reading this are right there with me...or will be soon enough!)!? anyway...here are some smiles!

1. this morning jillian smiled for the first time...HUGE and intentional and right at her mama! can't beat that! she's had a few little maybe-smiles in the past week, but i'm counting this as the first REAL one. and, oh my, it was gorgeous. i simply basked in the beauty of it...so no pictures, but perhaps soon!

2. a fabulously fun family photo shoot at the park yesterday afternoon. a friend from church was our photographer, and she was wonderful (if you live in indy and need a photographer i would highly recommend her!). kate and elizabeth smiled and giggled and cooperated...the park had several scenic opportunities for pics...jillian cooperated. how fabulous to be able to say we not only got pictures but had a blast. can't wait to share some of our favorites in a couple of weeks!

3. a bathed beauty...who incidentally is now seven weeks old. (and these were actually taken on the day she hit that marker). as a sidenote...she is changing more and more everyday...and i honestly have no clue who i think she looks like/takes after now...she looked like my baby pictures as a newborn and yet also had a strong hint of elizabeth's baby pics...and now she has taken on a look all her own....a very precious look though...if i do say so myself!

the lighting isn't great...but i just really like this pic for some reason...she is waking up and so much more aware every day...i need to get on our desktop computer and find the pictures of kate and elizabeth wearing this same outfit, posed in the same way around this age....maybe then we'll see some resemblances...and actually, i think looking at this particular shot she might just be a spitting image of elizabeth. but looking at the bathtime ones above she looks so different.

5. the blessing of friends...who are really more like family. jill, nathan and brennan came to celebrate elizabeth's birthday with us. have i mentioned lately what a blessing this sweet girlie pictured below is...if not, i said it now. and do you see the fabulous moby wrap she made for me...both jillian and i are definitely enjoying it...by far my favorite baby carrier i've owned!

6. beads and markers and all other things entertaining. i'm enjoying that kate is getting old enough to participate in craftiness with elizabeth and me. she definitely enjoyed stringing beads...for awhile...then she got a spoon out and pretended to eat them...whatever floats her boat.

7. "squeaks"...aka kates new shoes. they just so happen to "squeak" when shes walks...which is cute and also a wee bit annoying in the wrong sistuation or place....BUT they also were almost half the price of the other option kate's extra wide feet. and, seriously, she loves them...and really, you can only own and wear shoes that squeak when you are two...so you might as well live it up! not only that, but we were also able to pick up the next size up tennis shoes for later this winter on the clearance table....woo-hoo! gotta love a good deal on shoes...especially when our only real option for kate is pricey stride rite (which are so cute...but really, so pricey!)

8. our four year old...who just so happened to celebrate her birthday last thursday...with a bug cake, her honorary aunt, uncle and cousin (aka....jill, nathan, and brennan), pizza, and a couple presents. click here to see a more complete run-down of her big day!

9. our MOPS fall cookout...roasting hotdogs over the fire, pumpkin painting, lots of good eats and good fellowship...capped off with tasty smores (or perhaps cheetos...because that just might be what i had for dessert (i'm just sayin'...maybe...)....good times, good times! by the way, elizabeth was SO into pumpkin painting, but the picture of kate was better...seriously, i think libbers could have painted her pumpkin ALL day!

10. this probably should go with the beads and markers smile...but i don't feel like dragging the pictures up there...so here it is...painting with water. my sweet friend cortney sent a package that included some of these fabulous books for libs and katers...and oh how they are enjoying them. as for jillian, well, she is enjoying watching... :)

11. and i could go on and on...godly counsel from godly women who are willing to take time out to love younger women, a baby who is consistently sleeping 6 or 7 hour stretches at night and settling into a bit of a routine, a date night with my hubby, a great flock group from church, dinner with one of our flock group families...and so many more.

ten smile wednesday...

as many of you noticed if you came to visit on tuesday...i decided to delay my smiles a day and share what we have been learning about training/discipline. if you haven't checked out that post, please do...and i would love to hear your thoughts...or any ideas, books suggestions, etc. you might have! :) also, and this is so random, but i would also love to hear any input or suggestions on potty training (mostly the pooping in the potty part of it...we have gotten the staying dry part down pat...just need some work on the "clean" part of the equation!). anyway...here are some smiles from this week!

1. sisters...no matter how a day might go, at least at the end of it i can be reminded that i gave them each other! one of my friends said this was a huge consolation for her at the end of some rather "rough" days when her two girls were little. i must say, it brings a huge smile to my face to see elizabeth interacting with her sister these days...and to see the smile elizabeth can bring to kate's little face!

2. daddy coming home in time to sneak in before elizabeth fell asleep and surprise her with some extra bedtime stories. mike has had to work late this week and didn't get to see libs monday night...so it was a treat for both of them when he snuck in for some bonus stories. what a treasured sight, seeing daddy and elizabeth all snuggled in her little bed...flipping through the pages of her "little loon and papa" book...the grin on her face a mile wide...and daddy's even bigger. this, dear friends, is what life is made of.

3. watching elizabeth lovingly tuck her dollies into bed (especially since that bed is the same crib my mom used to tuck her own dollies in at night--thanks to poppy, who fixed it up so it could be a special christmas surprise!). libs is such a little mama these days...going through the whole routine, surrounding her dolly with some animals, praying with her, singing songs, and then, of course, hugs and kisses! too sweet!

4. my new cleaning lady. yep, while i was wiping down the kitchen, elizabeth was scrubbing down her own kitchen...one of her new favorite activities. now lets just pray she can keep this love of cleaning as she gets older!

5. dry, dry, dry! holy cow...this is huge...we've been successfully dry and using the potty for over 3 days now! like i said in the intro, the "clean" part is another thing...but i know it will come as time goes by.

6. the blessing of friends. i feel like i mention this one again and again and again...but it bears repeating. we are blessed with the most incredible family of friends in the world. sunday after they all "invaded" our house (my parents joined us as well...which was so fun!--i simply love that my parents and friends know and love one another!) for some soup and togetherness. we have been trying to make it a habit of going to each other's houses for sunday lunch...much cheaper than a restaurant, more room to spread out and really have good conversations, and far more kid friendly. and you all know me...i love a house filled to the brim with friends...that's what a house is meant for...right!?

7. victory in the "bow" department. yep...elizabeth has decided to surrender in the battle of the hairbow...she has loved carrying them around and talking about them...just wasn't a fan of actually wearing them. apparently a side benefit of our new approach to training is a much more compliant peanut when it comes to her hair. since monday she has been proudly sporting the bow...and even asking for it when she wakes up in the morning! she's such a rough and tumble little girl, so i just love the touch of femininity.

8. clearance...clearance...clearance! i picked up some super cute clothes for the girls (for next winter) at a great price....75% at old navy...gotta love a bargain (especially when its A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!)...oh yeah, also the clearanced diapers...and homemade baby wipes (see monday's post for the "recipe"). saving money...isn't it great!

9. kate. she's a smile in an of herself. her giggles. her smiles (the kind that simply light up the world!). her newfound love of grabbing and holding. her recent graduation to sleeping without any swaddling. her wonderful sleeping habits...both napping and night-time. her facial expression when she encountered green beans for the first time (a quite disgusted one i might add...though squash did go over a bit better!). these are priceless moments!

10. watching elizabeth eat dry kix cereal from her suitcase (i can't make this up...really!!!). she dumped her baggie of cereal into the suitcase...then proceeded to scoop it out with a plastic spoon...she finished the entire suitcase full. what a card!

**bonus! 11. a renewed pug dog. yep, mugho is back to his playful, barking, loving self...he had dental work done friday...and we discovered the true source of his pain and "un-mugho-ness"...two rotten teeth (yuck!--no wonder his breath smelled like a sewer). poor guy...with a face so smushed in, it's no wonder he has such problems in his mouth! but he is SOOO much better!

i know this post has been somewhat "elizabeth heavy", but seriously, she has been a source of so many smiles in the day to day these days. if you haven't already...check out the last couple of posts...yesterdays is long, but i do think it is worth a read...for it is truly the "reason" behind many of the smiles we have been showered with this week! of course you all know how much we love our little kater-alligator...surely there will be many "kate heavy" posts in the weeks and months to come. apparently elizabeth is just the "star" of this one.