Future Plans

Melia says she wants to work in a coffee shop when she grows up so she can make yummy drinks for people like "chai tay layttays." 

That's the best part.  Ask her what her favorite hot drink is and see if you can get her to say it for you!  Hilarious :)  But don't correct her- we don't want to ruin the fun for everyone else heeheehe!

Caleb's New Word

I'm rocking Caleb, trying to snuggle with him a little before putting him down for the night.  I still hum to him, relishing in the warm softness of his cheek against mine.  Right up until the moment when the dwarf creton turns his head towards me and says...

 

"Dop." 

 

That's right.  His new word is Stop.  As in "Stop humming Mom."  

 

Sigh. 

Sweet Esther and A Kerzon Story

Esther finds the funniest places to curl up :)

 

And then there's Kerzon...  When we came home from Long Beach in early July, we didn't see Kerzon for a week.  We asked Emily, who housesat for us, if he had been hanging around regularly for her.  She said she'd seen him everyday.  We were very worried.  I was prepared for Leo to die; he's thirteen, and has a horrible tumor on his head.  (We have discussed putting him down, but are kind of hoping that nature will just take it's course because he truly hasn't seemed to be suffering.  He's still very affectionate as he's always been, and eating and drinking normally.  But his time is coming.)  However, missing Kerzon was a constant stomach ache. We were so thankful one night when Gabe heard a familiar yowl on the front porch, and hurried outside to welcome our dear Kerzon home.  He was very thirsty, so we assumed he's been locked in somewhere he didn't belong.

 

But now here in August, Kerzon has again been gone.  This time it's been two weeks.  Again, completely heart-wrenching.  But again, Gabe found him outside as he went out in the dark to close up the barn for the night.  No worse for wear, he's SO happy to be home :)  We wonder if someone is trying to adopt him...  Or he's turned into an Australian cat, going out for walk-abouts...  Either way, it is teaching us to treasure our Kerzon even through the drool and shedding.  :)

You just keep telling yourself that...

This weekend I had the kids signing their names to Great Grandma Elliott's birthday card when Isaac's excuse for not being able to write his letters had me in tears...

Kiera:  MOM!  Isaac just keeps scribbling!  He won't write!
Mom:  Kiera!  Isaac is FOUR!  He can't write his letters yet. His fingers don't know how to make the pen do what he wants.
Isaac:  Yes I can!  My fingers know my letters.  But the pen doesn't write berry good...

Our Volunteer

A volunteer popped up under our porch this summer, quickly showing it's exuberance!

 

 

After camping last weekend, I had to cut it back- a LOT.  It had completely overgrown our steps so that we couldn't even get to the door!  I thought I should take some pictures since the flowers were so easily visible and cheerful after the chopping.

 

What do you think it is?  I wasn't sure... It looks like a squash plant, but it also has the curly tendrils of a melon...

 

The bees like the flowers as much as I do!

And here it is... we have a mini-pumpkin plant!  They are SO cute!!!

Such good girls...

 

This picture just makes me happy :)

Funny Caleb

Caleb likes to climb in this "big boy" chair.  I thought I would capture some pictures of him maneuvering around... and managed to capture some funny little faces too! :)

This one is priceless!!!

 Here (above) he is trying to say "down" with his hands... Then he proceeds to get himself down- for the first time!  Before he has needed help, thinking he was stuck.



 

Juvenile Praying Mantis

I found this little fella when I was weeding the other day.  I actually found two, but only put one in the jar to show Gabe.  These babies were about half the size of a adult praying mantis- SUPER cute!  For some reason though, Kiera took it on herself to take pictures for Daddy and then let him go.  Here's the in-focus ones :)

 

For Sale

The girls and I have been working hard coming up with some NICE things for them to make and sell as a way to earn money... We finally found a few good ideas. 

Trying to paint rocks... I've painted a few rocks as ladybugs and such.  Kiera especially is my little painter- but the patience to really do a good job is still developing!  She'd rather have quantity over quality... But we are working on it!  Annoyingly enough, we got a good dozen done, but with a new bottle of paint (different that the ones I had practiced with) which washed off when the sprinklers hit it... I wasn't exactly thinking ahead. :(

Lavender Sachets...  One day I posted on Facebook that Kiera was valiantly trying to sell lemonade and lavender sprigs on our street, and Aunt Rebecca from California sent the girls a check in exchange for some lavender sachets!  Yesterday the girls ordered some DARLING purple organza bags with butterflies on them using their own money!  Yay for true-to-life business practices!  (Now, when do we introduce taxes? LOL!)

Glass marble magnets... Still working on this idea, but thinking it is do-able and cute!!!

The Farmer's Market Kids Day is the last Saturday of the month; Gabe and I are working out the details of taking the girls!

Who is the artist?

Fun with the Man Child

 

Making a marble tower with two tracks seriously stretched my brain.  TWO TRACKS, people!  For this non-engineering chica- that is nigh unto impossible...  But for him?  Joy- boundless joy!

What's it worth?

 

 

Cleaning up:  a little work

 

Making memories with Isaac:  Priceless :)

Where are all these page views coming from?

I really want to know... So someone please comment and tell me.  Why are my page views suddenly up 4x's what they normally are?  If you've never visited this blog before, please tell me... why are you here?  I don't recognize the site from which blogger is saying the traffic is arriving...

Seriously.  I'm wondering if I need to make my blog private.  Anybody else's blog count freaking out?

Life.. Moving on.

Hmmm... So much happens each day that choosing what to blog about is sometimes difficult. 

Right now, we are in the middle of spring-summer-now spring again!  Last week was BLOODY hot, with the local bank thermometers hitting 100*!  But now we are back to a cool 60s day, and of all things, I find myself missing the warmth of the sun.  *sigh* Appreciate appreciate appreciate where I'm at Today!  :-)

One very difficult life lesson we are working through right now is the choice to leave the church we have called home and family for the last 11 years.  There were some decisions made by the leadership that we disagreed with and our hearts broke over.  We just couldn't continue to support the path that the church is taking, so we've begun our search for a new home.  On a positive note?  This is a completely new journey for Gabe and I.  We've had several meaningful discussions about what happened and what we are looking for, our priorities and aversions.  I'm so thankful that God has been faithful to continually work on each of us to bring us closer to Him, resulting in us being more of one mind than two.  He has shown us that His way, His model for marriage- He gave this example to us because it really does matter.  When we choose to submit to His will and design, it glorifies Him through our lives and we are blessed by obedience.  Even through the trials and valleys, we thank God for His love and protection, His peace and guidance.  We know that His plan is better than ours, so we choose to follow Him.

Happy Friday!

Aprils Fools!!

The girls and I made some scrumptious Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream for April Fools this year!  YUM! 

 

What do you think?  Would we have fooled you?

Resurrection Day 2013

Here's some joy from our Resurrection Day!

Our handsome man-child!

 Isaac loves running on the little concrete path next to the building..

 Smithy cousins  (Caleb was sleeping :-) 

Oh, and I have to share my fun story of how God provided baskets for our kiddos.  I think we maybe have one that has survived through all the torture play over the years... But I really didn't want to go buy more.  Saturday we were at Grant Road Hardware picking up chicks, and they had this display of darling little egg baskets.  The sign said "Buy 3 bags of Purina chicken food and get the basket free!"  I wasn't planning on buying food, but for the basket?  Yes sir- I would have!  But all three kiddos  wanted a basket... So I asked how much to just buy the extras... And the workers were so kind!  They GAVE us the baskets!  Not just one,but Three!!!  Here's my shout-out to Grand Road Ace Hardware- Support our local hometown store!!

 Stretch Kiera!!!

 Boys on a hunt....

This picture cracks me up- she's like a little dog guarding her bone...  

This is Isaac's life right now- Everyone loves to feel his head :-)

 

 

Melia, trying to do her part of the Scripture puzzle portion of the egg hunt. 

 Caught a glimpse of his tongue gymnastics that so many people comment on!

 

Loved this- Our friend Don just showed us the picture he took of me trying to photo bomb the shot Gabe was trying to get of himself and Caleb- it was Hilarious- and less than flattering!  But it resulted in this fun one!

What Schweitzer is All About

It's about lots of driving....5+ hours with kids, but it went really well!

It's about Games... Pool, Air Hockey, Catch Phrase, Dutch Blitz, Go Fish, MAFIA, and many more...

 It's about Make-up... Lots and Lots of make-up....

 And learning new things, like how to knit by the European or Continental method! 

It's about exhaustion...  So exhausted that she couldn't make it through worship and prayer time!

 

Of course, it's about Skiing... and Snowboarding!  With great family!  Enjoying God's amazing Creation!

 

It's about the all important Daddy-Daughter time!

It's about new discoveries... 

In the end, it's about being so thankful for this opportunity... and looking forward to next year!!!