around the house || feeling loved

*****

To my sweet girl:
I love you, too. Always have. Always will.

XOXO,

Mom

Jace, da'Top Dog

Jace is still loving preschool, which makes this mom happy. Funny thing though, Miss Lori reports that the kid never says a word. Like, ever. She claims he can go the entire two hours of preschool without uttering a single sound. Ha! Oh well, I figure the less time he spends talking the more time he spends learning and observing {it’s the cup half full kind of approach, if you're unfamiliar}.

But don’t you worry - his little voice box isn’t going to shrivel up and die. It gets used. Honestly, I think he puts all the things he wanted to say during mute preschool hours into a brown paper bag, shakes it up for good measure, then unloads it all after he gets home. That kid, he can talk your ear right off if you’re not careful. Not literally, of course, but still. He talks. A lot. It’s just that most his words are spoken to those that he loves the most.

Anyway, for the last two weeks Jace got to be the Top Dog of his preschool! It’s a highly regarded and coveted honor. And Jace wore the title proudly.

Here are a few of the photos we posted on the Top Dog board:

And here’s what Jace’s classmates are saying about him:

Chelsie: I love him.

Jaxton: I love him.

Maleah: He’s kind.

Shep: He’s kind and we love each other. {ha, that one makes me laugh}

Kambri: He’s awesome.

Libby: He’s nice to me.

Olivia: He makes good choices and he’s kind.

Emma: I think he’s funny.

Luke: He’s so awesome.

Prestyn: He’s funny.

Ms. Lori: Jace, you are such a sweet and kind-hearted boy! Thank you for always being so helpful and a good listener at school. I think you are terrific!!

I love you my sweet boy.

XOXO

At our house.

Right now, Spence and I are watching the new Spiderman.

Well, Spence, I and our baby sidekick.

She’s giving it rave reviews, in case you were wondering.

And while I am at it, a couple more of her in the hat. Because I think my mom would appreciate them.

 

Also, I took my usual 12 on the 12^th photos, but haven’t gotten around to posting them. Expect them, well … whenever I get to them.

Night.

Post six hundred and fifty.

Somebody stole our garbage!

No kidding.

We had about a half dozen big black yard bags full of leaves sitting on the curb for garbage pick-up the other morning. I noticed somebody pull up in front of our house and expected a knock at our door. But nobody ever knocked. I looked out the window a little bit later and noticed that the car was still there, parked perpendicular to our driveway. Weird. So I watched out the window, looking just in time to see the leaf thief {as Spence and I have appropriately named her} stuff the last of our lawn bags into her little car, which was now full - floor to ceiling, passenger seat included - with big black garbage bags. She suspiciously looked around, wiped her hands on her pants, jumped in the driver’s seat and took off. WITH OUR GARBAGE! In the backseat OF HER CAR?!

Did you follow me there?

A lady in a little car pulled up to our house. Filled it floor to ceiling with our black garbage bags. Then rode off into the sunset.

What. In. The. Heck!

I think the idea that she was using it to compost seems to make the most sense {and grosses me out the very least} so we are going to go with that.

I really hope she was using it to compost since the bags were filled with two week old mulched leaves, wood chippings from cutting up a tree for fire wood, and deer poop that we cleaned up from our backyard. Lots and lots of deer poop. If not compost, I’m not sure what that recipe mixed together in a big black garbage bag would be good for.

Anyway, in other news:

• On Election Day Brynlee said the prayer at dinner time. She thanked God that Spencer and I were able to vote. Made me smile.
• Jace is Top Dog at preschool this week. So very, very exciting.
• It’s our primary program this Sunday and the kids have both mastered their parts. I’m excited/nervous to see if Jace will say it in the microphone when the big day approaches. But either way, he melts my heart saying it all memorized and so grown up when we practice at home. I think it’s about four words long. J
• Marlee is just as adorable, and lovable, as ever. I’m not exactly sure what it is that draws my lips to her little neck and checks, but I could kiss on her all the live long day. And I do.
• Jace’s favorite part of waking up in the morning is seeing his baby sister. It’s the happiest/cutest sibling reunion every single morning.
• We had corndogs + french fries for dinner last night. You know, the frozen kind. Because sometimes mom’s just need a break, that’s why. Spence and I had a good laugh reminiscing over another time that we had eaten frozen corn dogs for dinner. It was the day that we’d brought Jace home from the hospital. Since I had done all the work to get our new son here Spence so kindly volunteered to make something for dinner. Enter frozen corn dogs. My neighbor happened to show up to congratulate us on our new addition just about the time we were getting ready to dive into dinner. And, oh my gosh you guys, she was quite verbally disgusted that we would be eating such horrendous and dreadfully atrocious food.  What kind of low life people would eat such crap? Um, we would. Mainly because I’d spent the last few days busy doing stuff and hadn’t had time to prepare dinner. And that stuff is called HAVING A BABY, forcryingoutloud.
• And speaking of having babies, congrats to my sweet friend Erin on a just arrived baby Sophia! I hear from facebookers, Erin, that she is beautiful. Can’t wait until her picture makes your blog.

And I think that’s about all for this late Thursday evening. This is my 650th blog post. Obama is still president. The weekend is almost here. And the weather report says snow.

The end.

Well except for a few hard at work fall pictures, just because.

 

whole lotta exciting

I tell you what people. Big things are happening right now at our house. Really big things!

I got all the laundry caught up today. And even made it to the grocery store to buy milk.

The kids had another cavity free dentist appointment.
Spence has taught Jace how to play Fruit Ninja on his phone.
And … wait for it … Brynlee was COUGAR OF THE WEEK at her school!

Hot dang.

My Photo Album: October's End

My little sister brought her kids and Aunt Marieski for a quick visit this weekend while Zeb was out hunting. As it turns out Spence and my little family was in charge of cleaning the church building on Saturday morning. A bit of a weekend suprise for us folks that forgot to check the Sunday program. So we loaded up the gang, cousins and all, and found ourselves tidying the church. Brooke and Bryn made the rounds emptying trash cans and cleaning chalkboards, while Marie cleaned glass entry doors and Jace and Zayne played a game of monster vacuum vs. screaming hellion boys as Spencer + the vacuum villain cleaned the carpets. They weren’t one bit reverent, those boys.

 

There is something about little cousin bonds that makes me smile. A certain someone tends to be bossy. Sometimes the noise level … {shudder}, like fingernails down a chalkboard. Occasionally feelings get hurt. Or the big girls hide or tell secrets without including the little girls. Or exhaustion sets in and there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth. But the kids, they always work the kinks out. And it makes every single bit of the crazy worth it. Those sweet cousin bonds - I hope they last forever.

 

Mom sent Halloween gift bags for the kids, per usual. Pajamas, socks, an adorable panda hat for Marlee and a new dress that Brynlee was certain made her look as beautiful as the morning sun. Grandma’s grab bag gifts are a favorite around these parts.

 

It’s Monday. And I have a feeling that November is going to disappear just as quickly as October did. And then it will be December. And Christmas. And then the New Year will bring new life. Baby Maycie. We pray for her and her sweet parents on a daily basis. Kate has posted a medical update for those of you that have asked me for the most recent Maycie info.

 

Anyway, I’m wrapping up October with photos.

 

XOXO