Some regular life shots

I've tried to have my camera a little handier in the last few weeks.  The days and weeks are moving so quickly, I can hardly remember what I did yesterday - or even this morning.  Life is so full!  Here are a few shots of our regular life these days - 

Our homeschool curriculum this year is Five in a Row, in which we read a book five times during the week, doing various lessons on it throughout the week.  This pic is from reading Salamander Room.  Here, we are painting the clay salamanders we made for our own little salamander room (in a box, full of things gathered from outside).

A few weeks ago, we did the American Heart Association Heart Walk in honor of Noah.  Our friends, the Kueckers also have a nephew/cousin w/ HLHS, so we raised money and walked in honor of him (Luke) and Noah.

Date nights!!  Luke and Isaiah went to a science/comedy show at LeTourneau called "Beakman on the Brain."  What a treat for Isaiah!  No pics of that... But, then Noelle and I went on a mother/daughter date night at church.  We ate at Newk's and went to the Natalie Grant concert.  We'd both really looked forward to it.  I think Noelle's highlight might have been the brownie w/ white chocolate swirls on top that I let her get.  My highlight would be holding her in my lap, listening to the beautiful, powerful, worshipful voice of Natalie Grant.  It's not often I get extended time just to focus on my precious Noelle.  It was such a treat to be all about her for the evening!  She was pretty tired (this was the same day as the heart walk), so we didn't make it through the whole concert.  She fell asleep during the 15 minute drive home and I carried my date to bed.  Sweet night.  

Oh, Lucy.  She is in the stage where Luke and I just wish we could bottle her up.  We love this stage!! She says such funny things and is so animated.  She's really enjoying helping with all sorts of things - like unloading the silverware into the drawer - 

"More color, more color!"  She's loving coloring (with markers) these days.  She usually does quite a bit of coloring during our school time.  She's not patient enough for crayons and colored pencils, but she has a great time w/ markers.  She often asks me to draw monsters for her.  She also has her paci in this pic.  The girl is addicted.  She always has it to sleep, but she's also really liking it all the time.  I really try to take it when she's distracted and happy.  But, whenever she gets hurt or feels tired or is sad, she cries for "(P)aci back!  (P)aci back!!"  We'll wait until after our Christmas travels to start weaning, I think.  

The house is still in marginal chaos.  Here's an honest pic of our back door.  The closet still doesn't have a door, since we took it off to paint it... which also hasn't been done.  This is where we keep our shoes as we're trying to make this a no-shoe house, for the most part.  There is artwork waiting to be hung and sunlight shining through our new windows!

Projects everywhere - this is the air compressor nail gun waiting for the next installment of installing shoe molding.

Loving kool-aid playdough - with glitter and pasta and beans - 

My coffee is heated many times during our morning routines. 

Last week, we took a pass on Five in a Row and did a week on science.  Isaiah LOVES putting together experiments.  Here he is making an electro-magnet. 

By lunchtime, the sink is full of morning dishes, but the kids empty to dishwasher before school starts.  It just takes some time to get it refilled!  

This is Lucy's favorite spot.  She really likes to keep an eye on me.  She still says "hold you, mom" when she wants to be held.  When she's looking for me, I hear "are you, mom??" as she wanders through the house.   She has been talking on "phones" lately - "Hello?  Hi.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.  Okay.  Bye."  Isaiah tells me that it is pretty much what I sound like.  My favorite thing she says is "Thank you, mom."  Saying thank you has been something she has picked up early and is pretty consistent with.  So, so sweet.  The other day I told her how sweet she was and her response?  "Thank you, Mom!"  

Taking care of babies - 

I didn't realize I had a photographer during a trip to the grocery store.  Here I am deciding what to make for our Saturday night babysitter and our Sunday lunch guests.  We got to go out to a local Italian restaurant w/ all of our St. Andrews friends.  It still blows my mind that we are here w/ the Kueckers, Liebengoods, and Masons.  So, so, crazy and sweet!  The other 3 families go to church together and of course the husbands work together, but we don't get much time all together.  We really enjoyed laughing and talking together the other night.  So, so thankful to have people like them in our lives.  Then Sunday was full.  Our small group helped w/ preschool childrens' worship (Luke and I are the song leaders).  Then the Kitchens fam came over for lunch and a photo shoot.  Then in the evening, I went to the WINGS (women in God's service) dinner  (inspiring and sweet!) at church while Luke helped w/ a guys "Turning 13" blessing for the Liebengood's son.  A day full of goodness.

I was glad I had my camera a few days ago when I realized I was at Sam's Club w/ Fancy Nancy.  

We are scrambling to get on top of house projects, deal w/ our budget, catch up on grading, etc, but regular life continues.  These 3 are thriving, growing in wisdom, stature, and joy.  We are healthy, getting folded into our communities  - homeschool/church/neighborhood/LeTourneau - and enjoying God's grace to us.  These full days are very good days.