Pumpkins...

We are still alive!

I don't think I've ever been such a terrible blogger before!

I simply get busy with other things...

I only blog at night after the 

little ones are sleeping...

and lately I've been doing other things

like sewing and making lists and plans 

to make the next day get off to a good start!

 

It's shocking that Halloween is next week already!

We have been busy making 

Halloween costumes,

and doing plenty of Halloween crafts!

The kids have been begging to carve their huge pumpkins

for the last couple of weeks...

Last week I finally brought them up town and let 

them each pick out a little pumpkin to paint!

Since my last post,

baby girl turned 1!

We had a little birthday celebration for her...

and she got her first cupcake...

Perhaps someday I will post all the pictures! 

Fall is almost over...

winter is almost here.

Not sure how I feel about that!

On the up side,

right after Halloween is 

Thanksgiving...

then on to the 

Christmas festivities!

I love, love, love 

this festive time of the year!

Road Trip...

We have kinda been in the middle of 

little baby boom last month...

2of my sisters had babies born about 

2 weeks apart...

both boys!

Kinda Fun!

My one sister lives over 4 hours away in 

BlueEarth...

home of the jolly green giant!

The weekend after little 

Henry was born,

we went on a little road trip to meet the baby.

 

I was proud of myself...

I shopped, packed, loaded the van and 

drove the first two and a half hours

by myself...

We picked Jon up at work on the way.

The kids road super good...

the Dvd player is my Bff!

{as are McDonald fries!}

We got to BE late...
Jon, James and Angelina
were all sleeping by the time we got there...
don't worry though, as soon as the car turned off,
they were wide awake!
My sister, Ana, was kind enough to make some cute
little fruit and veggie platters
when we first got there...
Angelina repaid her kindness by 
promptly choking a piece of watermelon
and puking on the floor.
We know how to leave an impression!

The kids had fun playing with their cousins...

we swam in the pool,

went for a walk,

visited the jolly green giant,

went on a drive to see the farm country,

and

cuddled with little baby Henry...

Oh yes,

and zoned out in front of some cartoons!

They kids were pretty pooped out from staying up so late...

James stood in that exact position 

with the phone up to his ear,

for the length of an entire cartoon!

We thought maybe he would fall asleep,

but no such luck!

Elsie is the remote keeper!

Jon has a hard time with that one!

I only took a few pictures of Henry...

we were always so busy with kids and talking,

that taking the big camera out kinda slipped my mind!

He sure is a sweet little guy...

Wish we would've snuck him into our bags and 

brought him home!

We had a fun little trip...

Can't wait to cuddle little Henry again at 

Christmas time!

Sewing Lessons

We have been keeping busy this fall...

On the few chilly days we have had,

we have found ways to keep busy inside...

Like teaching Elsie how to sew!

 

Jon's grandma, Ardis,

always gives Elsie bags of all her fabric scraps...

so Elsie's goal is to sew them together into a 

little quilt for her doll.

Elsie is doing so good sewing...

she is very sure of herself 

and does some pretty good strait lines!

She is now good enough that 

after I help her get the fabric lined up,

I can walk away and she will sew the pieces together,

raise the needle and foot and cut the threads

all by herself!

She is slightly proud of herself!

James has also been trying to learn how to sew.

He loves to do anything that his sister does!

James has incredibly strait lines...

because he pretty much floors the peddle 

and goes so fast there

is no time for the fabric to slide around!

Elsie is now asking for her own sewing machine...

I have visions of the two of us sewing projects together...

Love their learning spirit...

My Girl...

Elsie is almost 6!

Yes that is correct...six!

It's shocking.

I remember when she was a little bitty 

six pound baby...

6 years old, seemed like a lifetime away...

now...boom...

she is almost 6!

I hope the next 6 years go by a little slower!

Elsie is still my 

quiet, thoughtful, sensitive girl.

And such a girly girl.

She is a true Diva!

This girl is rarely seen without makeup on...

her favorite is bright turquoise eye makeup with 

plenty of sparkles!

No shopping trip is complete without 

looking at the girls clothes, shoes, accessories and makeup.

{she kinda exasperates her daddy sometimes!}

Elsie's favorite thing to do is still colouring, drawing and writing.

She is never far from

a notebook, pen and coloured pencils!

She is a perfectionist though...

so she usually crumples up several pictures in anger 

because something isn't quite right!

But she never gives up...

she will keep on working at something till

she finally figures it out!

Dolls are still Elsie's favorite thing to play with!

Her Christmas list is full of 

American Girl things

for her bitty baby.

Her doll has more clothes than a real baby!

 I will be sad when she is suddenly too big 

to lug her doll around with her.

~

Elsie is very proud of the fact that she is 

Home educated...

she always tells people,

"oh, I don't go to school!"

Her favorite subject is reading.

She has some new reading books for school...

and I catch her trying to read them all the time 

to her brother and sister!

~

Such a sweetheart.

Love my little Elsie Jane girl!

I wish she would stay this age forever...

I am a Mother...

Sometimes I still feel 

shocked,

when I realize I am a mother.

Sometimes I feel like I'm still too 

young and immature to be a mother...

shouldn't I be older and wiser,

if I am a mother!?

 

I remember struggling for a long time 

with going to college or not.

I thought I had to 

"do" something to "be" someone.

How wrong I was!

In the end discovered my calling, passion and dream was 

simply to be a mother.

Being a mother is what I am meant to be.

I am a nurturer.

a giver.

I have true fulfilment and contentment.

I get frustrated often.

I loose my temper far too much.

Sometimes I just want to run away, by myself.

But at the end of each day,

I go to bed with a happy heart.

I struggle with keeping a happy heart.

I let little things bother me.

A messy, unorganized house

is my biggest pet peeve.

I am far from perfect,

but I am working on it.

It amazes me how fast my negative spirit is picked up by the kids!

My kids are my biggest 

inspiration and teacher...

they push me to better myself...

simply because I know I am their model!

This year,

we have added the role of 

Teacher

to my mothering duties.

I always said I would never homeschool.

Never say never!

We simply feel this the next natural step 

for our family. 
Our goal is to have children who not only thrive but who
soar!
Who are creative, well rounded,
secure people
who can stand up proudly for their beliefs...
we feel home school will best help us 
instill those strong qualities.

It makes me happy to watch 

my children become little nurtures.

Elsie already dreams of 

becoming a mommy.

Sometimes its a scary thought to be molding the 

people and minds of our future...

so when I see my children already 

exhibiting such tender qualities...

I cant help but get excited for where their 

lives might take them

and for the unique people they will become.

Being a parent,

a mother...

is simply the most rewarding job.

When I get annoyed and overwhelmed,

I've been trying to remind myself that 

God chose to give me 

3 incredible kids...

Our children are our priceless gifts...