First Day of School

Fearless, Skater Boy and Sunshine had their first day of school just before Labor Day. They were all actually willing to head back to school this year, eager to have a change of scenery I think. They all went back to Prince of Peace and two of the three have brand new teachers. Once again I have to express how grateful we are that the children are able to attend a Christian school and learn more about Jesus and his saving grace!!! Oh, and I just had to post this first picture, because frankly, I find Fearless hilarious in it. And yes..he made that face on purpose...that boy!!!

Sunshine and her BFF Abby...they are so sweet!

Again with the face Fearless...seriously:)

Summerland Fun

Just before summer break was up for my sweet little ones, we took a break and headed to Summerland for the day. Grandma Carole had won a whole mess of gift certificates and generously sent them our way. The kids were beyond excited, since we had never all been there before. When you have a family of seven, it's never cheap to do things like this...so it was A BIG DEAL. Daddy came with Louie for about an hour so he could ride on the bumper boats and such. After they left, the older three hit the water slide like it was nobody's business. I think Sunshine would have gone down that thing all day long if we had let her. They did bumper boats a couple more times, and the big boys had a chance to drive the go-karts....something they would have done all day long. Little T was kinda small for everything except the bumper boats and the bouncy house. But, she quickly discovered that she loved the bouncy house (when nobody else was in it) and spent most of her time in there. We also treated them all to some ice cream sundaes...yummy! It was a great day...thank you so much Grandma Carole!!!

Really boys...a zip line???

I don't know if this is normal boy behavior, but it is definitely normal for my boys. They were busy playing outside today while I was busy inside. Daddy was out, building something, so I guess they reckoned they should too!! And what did they build....a zip line. Yep, that's right, a zip line. Fearless had found some old rope that the previous owner had left and he tied it to two separate trees. Then, Daddy found some old handles for them to clamp together. At first they used Daddy as the ladder, but they quickly determined they would be able to work much more efficiently with a real ladder. They climbed and zipped, climbed and zipped, then the neighbor boy came and climbed and zipped with them until dinner time. Seriously, have I said that I pray that I survive my boys...they are true boys in every sense of the word. Sometimes I just look at them and say, "I do not understand boys." When I say that, I'm not lying! I have Dr. Dobson's book "Bringing Up Boys" permanently placed on my bedside stand and I read it over, and over, and over again. I do love them though, and all their energy. So...zip on boys...zip on:)

Little Louie is 2...and cute:)

Ahhh, my sweet, adorable, blond, blue eyed little Louie...how I adore her so. Oh, and did I mention that she dared to turn two today. Clearly she has not heard me lecture the other children about the ramifications of getting older every year. Seriously though...I can't believe that two years have flown by since we welcomed our fifth and final child into this family. She has been such an incredible blessing for all of us. At least once a day, one of the other children tells me how much they love having a baby sister, how cute she is, or how blessed we are to have her. I couldn't agree more...with all of the above:) All of you know that she arrived smack dab in the middle of a storm of unemployment, schooling, financial hardships..just to name a few. We didn't know we needed her, but God surely did. I have to say, she can be a great distraction. As her mama, I have learned to sit more, watch more, enjoy more, and let the rest of life just wait a bit. Why in the world did it take 5 children for me to learn this?? I remember after we first had her and my parents came to visit. The house was a complete disaster and I was really stressing out about it. My dad looked at me and said, "Jes, I think God gave you five children so you would have to learn to let things go a bit." Gee...I mean I knew my dad was wise...but he was really on to something. So...yes, I have let things go (more than a bit in my opinion) and I can honestly say that I have truly enjoyed my children more in the past few years. I am really feeling the reality of the fact that she is my last and I don't get to enjoy another baby learning to walk, talk, etc. I am sad about that, more than I thought I would be. I know we can't have babies forever, but I do wish I could freeze time just a bit now and then. So, we will continue to celebrate Louie and the wonderful gift that she is. I will continue to be amazed by her beautiful blue eyes, marvel at her wispy blond hair, and soak in her sticky hugs and kisses.
We love you so, so much Louie. My prayer for you is that you grow knowing just how much we love you. We pray that you grow to love Jesus and know Him as your personal savior. I also pray that you are blessed with true friendships and enjoy every moment of your life, good and bad! Oh, and did I mention that I just love you so much it makes my heart ache...happy birthday Louie!!!!!

BFF's!!!

Sunshine has been so fortunate to have one of the sweetest little girls live just around the corner from our new home. And, they just happen to be in the same class at school. These two have spent lots of time together this summer playing dolls, swimming, going to the park, and doing crafts. Sadly, she is moving across town so it won't be quite as easy to spend time with her. However, I have promised Sunshine that we can still have playdates, we just can't walk over to pick her up. Friends are such a blessing, and Sunshine has certainly been blessed by hers.

Little T, Lou and the Birthday Party

Little T and Lou had their family birthday parties together this year. We have recently moved into our home, and mommy was no where near ready to host a part in mid July...so share they must! It was a great night for family to come together, and help us celebrate our two final born children, they are such a blessing (have I ever mentioned that before...I doubt it;) Anywhoo...the family all came over and blessed the girls with gifts, hugs and kisses. Little T received a Tangled barbie which she is just over the moon about...she has been playing with her pretty much ever since she opened it. T also got lots of Dora loot and a cute little dress up outfit, along with wonderful school clothes and a sock monkey. Louie received lots of building blocks, which SHE JUST LOVES!! Seriously, this girl is either going to be an architect or an engineer...either one is fine with me:) She also received a Tangled doll and lots of clothes. Now Louie also received a sock monkey, but I don't think she was very thrilled with it. Everytime Daddy would hold it up to her, she would scowl and push it away...it was hilarious!!! Finally, time for cake..times two...yeah us:) It was a great night...I love you T and Louie!!!

Como Zoo

Last week, we were fortunate to be able to head down to Como Zoo with some wonderful friends of ours. The kids were so excited about it, they remembered how cool the butterfly gardens were last year. So, all 12 of yes, I said 12, (soooo glad we bought the big bus:) piled in our van and headed down to St. Paul. First we stopped at the park for a picnic, they finally made it into the zoo. First stop...Butterfly Gardens. Screech....wait, where are the butterfly gardens. The kids were absolutely mortified that they had been replaced with The Incredible, Edible Garden. Yep, that's right people, our backyard garden was there instead of the beautiful Blue Morphos and other beautiful creations. Now, I know gardens are great and all, but seriously, we were all disappointed that we didn't get to experience the butterflies again. Oh well, no use pouting...there were animals to see. We made it all around the park and enjoyed seeing lots of great creatures. On the way out, Fearless asked if we could go into the Conservatory. Now, we had never done that before, don't ask me why. So, away we went, and so glad we did. They had exotic fruit trees, huge palms, things right out of the jungle. It definitely made up for the lack of butterflies...well almost! This was the kids favorite part and a great way to end our trip. We headed back home, stopped at McDonald's for ice cream cones and dinner with our wonderful friends. It was a great day..filled with great friends! God is good:)

The Makeover

Yep...makeovers are becoming an everyday occurence around these here parts. I thank God that our youngest three are girls, they truly enjoy each others company. I know it won't be long and they will be putting on makeup to impress the boys at school. So, right now, I am going to cherish the sloppy, gooey, and glittery makeovers that occur here and continue my quest to freeze time:) Love you girls!!!

A good day to stop and smell the roses!

So, this morning as I was feeding my little ones breakfast, I was trying to think of something fun to do for the morning. Something fun, and something cheap...cheap was key here!!! Then it hit me...duh...Munsinger Gardens. We usually go there at least once, if not several times a year. However, this year with all the moving, and unpacking and projects...oh and did I mention PROJECTS, we haven't gotten over there yet. I mentioned it to the kids and they were slightly excited, something to do I guess. But, when we pulled up they quickly remembered how much they love, love, love walking around the flower gardens. Skater Boy quickly got a map of the garden (just in case we got lost like at St. John's I guess;) and he began to lead the way. It was so sweet, he would announce which garden we were in and what flowers we could expect to find there. We walked every square inch of the place, maybe twice. They love going there, I mean really who doesn't. As I was walking through the gardens, I was just marveling at the beauty in the colors. Take a look at the flower in the picture above, it's two toned and it was amazing! I even stopped the kids and said "look at all these different flowers, God loves us so much he created these so we would have beautiful things to surround us." Sunshine's response...."yep, he's a really good artist!" SWEET!!! So, it was a great way to spend our morning, me surrounded with the things I love most...my children. And all of us surrounded in God's beautiful creation, created for what he loves most...HIS children!!!

My naked little hitchhiker:)

This is Lou's favorite mode of transportation lately. I can't do anything on my knees without her climbing aboard for a lift. Last night I got home from a run and was TRYING to stretch on the ground. She had just gotten out of the tubbie and saw her opportunity. Again...if she wasn't so cute and all. So..you will find me most days scrubbing my floor (as most of you know I do several times a day) with a cute little hitchhiker. Although usually she is not naked...just today:)

THE BIG SURPRISE!!!

A few weeks ago, Michael and I decided that we would surprise the boys with their very first trip to Valley fair. He was lucky enough to get discounted tickets through work, so it sounded like a great idea. He had the cooler and van packed the night before the big surprise. Then, the next morning he woke the boys very early and told them he needed help picking something up for me...a camera I guess. Fearless did confess that he was a bit confused as to why Daddy would need help picking up a camera:) They drove all the way to the Cities without a single clue about the whole thing. Even when they pulled into the parking lot, their reaction was this..."Wow..Valleyfair is right here, can we at least get out and look at it Daddy." Imagine their surprise when he told them they were going to be spending the day there. They returned home about 8pm that night, with plenty to talk about. They talked about the rides, and the fun, for days and days and days. Even Michael had a blast and couldn't stop talking about it. It was a great trip for the boys and I'm so glad they enjoyed their time with Daddy. In the meantime...Mommy and the girls went to the DQ for a dilly bar. Not Valleyfair, but still a treat to us:)

Ummm...Lou, you're supposed to EAT the yogurt!

Yep...in true toddler style...Little Louie decided to WEAR her yogurt the other night instead of completely EATING it!! If I didn't think she was so stinkin' adorable and one of the most precious souls placed on this earth, she would have been in big trouble..believe you me!!! Well....probably not, but I am the Mom and I should not condone this behavior:) But seriously....look at her, can you blame me? Love you Louie!!!!!