The Zoo!

We finally bit the bullet and got a family zoo pass.

We hope that it will provide many fun memories for our family.

Smiles and laughter all around.

While we were there  I remembered why it is so imporant for our children to experience real live animals.

Books are great, but nothing beats touching the animals.

Feeling the animals on your hands. Smelling the smells.

Oh the softness. Olivia couldn't get enough. She kept chasing after him, poor thing!

Observing animals up close and from farther away. The zoo had six giraffes (I think). We were able to get particularly close to one. Words cannot describe Olivia's look of awe as she looked up and up and up at the tall giraffe. Frankly, I was in awe myself. Later she asked to go back and see them. She giggled in fascination.

Family times. God's creation. Warm sun. A lovely day.

A Day In Our Life

I haven't completely forgotten this blog, and I actually have taken quite a few pictures, just seem to get slowed down in the process of getting them uploaded in on the blog. Here are a few shots from one day this week.  (I can't even remember which, isn't that horrible?)

I walked in our room to find Olivia 'talking' on the phone. Couldn't resist grabbing the camera.

 

Then she was texting.

We are outside a lot these days. It is hard to get the kids to slow down enough for a picture, but every now and then I try. :)

I'm in love with this shot. The perfect  combination of girgly-girl and tomboy, and so completely Olivia! (And yes, that is a 'boo-boo' under her nose...she did a face-plant.)

Sweet little Silas Ridley has been enjoying the grass these days.

Little Christmas Joys

Candy Canes and Christmas Trees

Extra reading time with Daddy.

An anniversary date by the Christmas tree.

 

Experiencing the world of food for the first time. 

Dressing the kids for bed as if it is a normal night, then surprising them with hot chocolate in their sippy cups, a cookie in hand, and a drive around town to look at Christmas lights.

Learning that to give is better than to receive. Stefan picked out his gift for Olivia and wrapped it. Of all the paper he could have chosen, he decided on pink tissue paper. Don't worry though, we dressed it up! He decided to make an 'O' with buttons so we would know it was for her.

Beautiful Weather!

Today was one of those gorgeous days that you have to pinch yourself to remember that it is actually December. Weather in the 60's. Really? While it doesn't help in reminding you that Christmas is less than two weeks away, it is perfect for getting outside with the kids. And I found out there is a lot to learn when I'm outside.

One lonely leaf, hanging on for dear life

I saw this leaf and immediately thought about how sometimes I feel like this leaf. It is easy to think that we are self sustaining. We don't need anybody and can function all on our own. What we fail to realize is that this leaf isn't functioning by itself. A host of branches and roots are giving it life. As soon as it falls to the ground (or more likely one of my children pulls it off!), it will start to turn brown like the other myriad of leaves already on the ground. I too, cannot function alone and thankfully I don't have to. And my lifeline is not so precarious as it may seem. I have an amazing God, a supportive husband, a wonderful family, and the list could go on.

Two things that I experienced in the last few hours made me realize how we can't function alone. My husband, who saw last night that I was beyond exhausted. Suffice it to say sick kids and sleepless nights had taken its toll. At eight o'clock last night, Brian looked at me and said, you need to go to bed. Did I mention it was only 8? I did and went right to sleep. He brought Silas to me to feed around 11 and I had been sleeping so hard I hadn't even heard him cry which never happens. While I still had to feed Silas a few times, I can't tell you how much better I feel after getting the rest I did. And you know what Brian did, of course? While I was sleeping away, he was being an elf and washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Love that man! I need him.

The other thing was a simple call I had to make to a friend from church this morning. We ended up chatting for awhile. It wasn't a particularly meaningful conversation in regards to what we were talking about, but it was very meaningful to me. My heart was light when I got off the phone with her because not only had I enjoyed a good conversation, but I had a friend. A friend here in Louisville. A friend from our church. We need friends. It's important. It's vital to our lifeline.

God has blessed me

All smiles in the sunshine.

Then there is my daughter. I love how happy she is. Really, she can find joy in just about anything. I want to be like her when I grow up. Today it was specifically the tricycle, and mud and leaves that she was mixing up.

Oh, and my girl who doesn't talk? When the neighbor boy started riding the tricycle she yelled, clear as day, "MY BIKE!" Ahem.

Fascination with details.

Stefan makes me smile. He can be running or riding around like he's fleeing a fire, and almost as suddenly stop dead in his tracks to observe something. Like this moment. He was speeding across the lawn on his bike, and almost in one motion jumped off the bike and picked up those leaves and sat there and observed for a good five minutes. I have no idea what he was trying to see in those leaves, but he was captivated. He loves details, yet he loves running around and being crazy just as much. You never know what to expect. I hope I never get to old to enjoy being carefree, and yet be fascinated with the most mundane of things. Like a dead leaf.

Outside!

Our kids, like most kids, love to play outside. We have been blessed with extremely mild weather and unless it is raining we are outside for at least an hour almost every. single. day. I really believe that it has helped us be more healthy and the kids have enjoyed everything from wagon rides, bike rides, walks, picking up sticks and acorns, playing with leaves, playing with friends, and even a few soccer games with both Mommy and Daddy (and Silas in our arms!).

I thank God that even though we are in an apartment we have a back door that goes right out onto a lawn. If it weren't for this, it would be much harder to get out as we would have to time it around Silas' sleeping schedule. Thanks to the easy access, though, unless we are headed out on a walk, we can always go play. It has been an unexpected blessing that I didn't know I would have in apartment life.

I've found that if the kids are getting extra whiny, or temperamental, the fresh air does wonders.  Really, though, doesn't it do that for us adults?  For me anyway, just going outside and breathing in fresh air and soaking in some sunshine lifts my spirits and, in general, helps me have a better outlook on life.  

I also love that when we're outside our kids need very little to entertain themselves.  Sure, we have bikes and a wagon, and sometimes we bring out a ball, but for the most part it is leaves, mud, grass, flowers, rocks, and whatever else they can find that provide the fun. That, my friends, is a beautiful thing.  We don't have to worry about sharing toys, because there are always more than enough leaves to go around.  Their imagination is able to run wild because the "toy" does not dictate a specific kind of play.  It is such a part of our day now, that our kids wonder what is wrong when we don't go outside.  I am thrilled with that.  Going outside is normal for us and that is how I hope to always keep it.  

For awhile I was worried about the time I was "wasting" outside, but then I realized, it wasn't wasting at all. This is part of raising my kids.  This is good for them.  With the ages of my children and our current living situation I can't just "send them out" to play. I have to be present, but I have learned to just plan on it as part of our day and make sure everything I need to get done gets done at other times.  It is worth it to me.  My kids are happier, they sleep better, and really I benefit from the fresh air just as much as they do.  

I am actually sad at how little kids play outside these days.  (Listen to me, I sound so old. Can't you hear me now: "Back when I was a kid..." Ha!) It is unfortunately not part of our culture to spend hours playing outside.  I think that is why I have been conditioned to think that it is wasting time.  But I am working at adjusting my own thinking and realizing that this is just as much a part of raising my kids, as feeding them nutritious meals, and making sure they get adequate sleep. 

So if you see me outside kicking a ball with my kids, or pulling them in a wagon, or sitting and watching them play with leaves and rocks, 
I'm not wasting time.
I'm not neglecting my duties.

I'm raising my children.

Papi and the kids

I discovered these pictures I had never uploaded on a camera card, so here you go! Sweet memories of Papi and Mimi's visit last August! Most were taken at a lunch at the Cracker Barrel!

The ever moving target Olivia made these a scream!

Aaahhh! It kills me that this is fuzzy, because it is SUCH a darling picture. So, I shared it anyway. Fuzzy or not! Stefan LOVES his Papi.

A typical day playing outside...

Zooming by with his sister following behind.  Yep...pretty much sums it up. Oh, and the snack in hand. Got to have a snack...  To describe how much Stefan loves riding his bike would be impossible so I'll save myself the agony.  He loves it. Oh, and he calls it a motorcycle. Don't forget that, please.

She's a sneaky one...take your eyes of her for a second and she runs back inside and comes out with bread.  Goodness...she keeps her Mama busy! 

I bet you don't have this cute of a door stopper at your house? Okay, okay...truthfully he was just watching his brother and sister play outside;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Sorry, Mom! It can go in the wash."

It has been unseasonably warm this week. It's hard to believe that last Saturday we were at the Pumpkin Patch with weather in the 50's, and this Saturday it was in the mid-80's! Knowing that this kind of weather is coming to a close we decided to take advantage of it. This afternoon after the kids naps we headed out to a park very close to our house. We "hiked" along a trail by the water. I say "hike" simply because it was a rough trail, not because it was long. Ha!

It was perfect, as was evidenced by the smiles and dirt on our kids faces!

A girl and her Daddy


Contemplating getting over to the other side to climb those rocks!

Showing off a find from nature!

A stop for a picnic supper.
Side note: Do you know how hard it is to get two kids to eat when there is water to play in?
I'll leave that to your imagination.

They could have played here for hours.

When one plays in the water and trips, this is what happens!

He fell, got up, and said good naturedly, "Sorry, Mom! It can go in the wash."

Yes, Stefan, it can. And truthfully, I was thrilled.

I loved hearing in the car on the way home, "Daddy. Mommy. That was soooooooooo fun. We needs to do that alllllllllll the time."

Family Fun

Lookin' all grown up playing on the floor.

Three kids. Playing together. Nobody is crying. MUST grab the camera:-).

They thought Silas needed a hug from Tigger.


Stefan was very proud to stay up after Olivia went to bed for popcorn and a game.
(Special thanks to Papi and Mimi for the awesome Curious George memory game. It was a winner!)