Happy Halloween 2011

We had a fun night. And you?!

Hope it was grand!

Gold All Around

You know when G's run, we run for the GOLD...
We have faithful supporters and fans...
We work our hardest and emerge from the crowd...
To surprise ourselves with a job well done (2nd place!)
This year's Golden Shoe race in gym class was yet another year of fun and excitement for our M. Runner mama can't help but go watch and cheer and he never disappoints. As you can see from the start, there were over 40 kids in his race and our little man placed second behind another classmate from his room. He's hoping today his class' meter average will give them enough to win the coveted 1st Grade Golden Shoe. We can only hope!! He now cost mom and dad 12 cans of food to be donated to the school's Thanksgiving food drive... 2 cans/lap! We're going to have to watch it in future years. :) Great job, buddy!

Later on this week, MG and I had the chance to celebrate the fall party with our J...
Mama cooked up a pinecone owl craft (ask me if can I feel my fingers after all that felt cutting?)
Overall, we had one happy J, who loved the party and especially loved having mommy there!
Today, it's onto fall party #2 for T's class. The owls are making a reappearance (poor scissor hands!) and mom is thrilled to get my classroom party commitment checked off the list so early in the year!

God bless,

Ahh... Coffee at 6pm.

If that's what it's going to take, then I'm going to do it. Brewing coffee pot at 6pm. Here I am.

While cooking dinner tonight, I felt that familiar evening lag. It's the one that leaves me hanging while finishing the evening responsibilities. I am breathless as I muster the energy for baths and bedtimes and reading. I am spent as we say prayers and wander out into a home needing to be re-vamped for the next day. I crash on the couch, or on top of the covers, or on the floor of the hallway (really) only to awaken in the morning with fuzzy teeth and old clothes. Ugh.

Enter coffee.

Hello laundry basket, overflowing with clothes. Nice to fold you.

Hello husband, home from work and seeking smiles. Nice to love you.

Hello blog, sitting idle and untouched for days. Nice to write you.

Hello coffee, abandoned for some time, but now revisited. At 6pm. In the evening. Nice to imbibe you and feel your caffeinated wonder. How I've needed you.

Welcome back, old friend; even the 6pm version of you.

Here's to hoping I sleep okay tonight! ;)

Sugar and Spice

A post from over at Building Cathedrals...

When I first spoke to my mom following the delivery of our fourth, our only girl, I remarked, "Mom, she's taking to nursing right away; I can't believe it!" My mom, mother of two daughters, replied, "Oh honey, that's a girl thing. Enjoy it!"

Never before had I truly recognized gender differences until having my own children. Three XY children in, I thought I had children figured out or at least generalized in some pattern of growth and development. Then came along our little lady and wow, has she blown my parental expectations out of the water!

Not that I don't love my boys in all of their scrappy, scroungy, loud, aggressive wonder. They are full of life and energy and bursting with creativity these days. It is a joy to be their mother. They help me sleep well at night!

But there are different aspects of parenting a daughter that I never expected. Here are a few of my recent favorites:

1) She's a sweetheart. Most queries and glances in her direction are returned with a smile. She's my doll face and makes happy people wherever we go.

2) She's an organizer. I use this term loosely because often these days it means she's rearranged a cabinet of mine or carried some item and stored it in an odd location. In the midst, though, I see her wheels turning and can tell she's attempting to create something new and improved.

3) She nods a lot as if she's got it all figured out. I don't know if this is a girl thing, per se, but it's cute and we all get a kick out of it. She seems very on top of things.

4) She's aware, especially of her clothing. Donning new long-sleeved PJ's at the start of fall, she examined every square inch of her arms and legs before deciding these new clothes were acceptable. She was 14 months. I don't think my boys stopped for a minute to consider details at this age!

5) She enjoys sitting. This is monumental. I'll leave it at that.

6) She's a caretaker. Whenever there's a stuffed animal or baby doll lying around, she immediately scoops it up and carries it around. I especially love watching her love her pink elephant "Na Na". She takes such care to have it with her at all times. She also offers Na Na to me in the morning for a early hug and snuggle.

7) She adores her daddy. Granted, this seems to be a gender-universal quality around our home, but to watch a little girl light up in the presence of her hero dad is about as good as it gets for a mama.

For our boy-laden readers out there, rejoice, for you have a vibrant home! If God so happens to have blessed you with a pink, welcome your girl with open arms, for the satisfaction she brings is truly the sweetest. Praise God for puppy dog tails and a little sugar and spice!

Good morning, dear ones.

It's a Tuesday morning and quiet here... MG is extending her morning sleep because of a 4am wake-up thanks to her incoming eye teeth. They are toughies! Fortunately she is back to rest and giving her mama a few spare minutes to breathe deeply. Fortunately, this means the opportunity to blog arises in the midst of the busy whirlwind of life. Thanks be to God!

We've had great fun over the past week, which is why I was even more challenged than usual to get on here and report on our lives. The good news is G-Ville is thriving and bustling and full of love and adventure. We've been finding pumpkins and cherishing friends. We've been hosting and toasting and making the most of our autumn.

This past weekend brought in two wonderful families (Happily Ever Johnson, to name one!) to our home, friends of ours from Princeton and their delightful children. The guys took off to Crozet for their annual mini-reunion, while 3 of us, moms, and kiddos stayed behind. We had nine children 6 and under here at our home... and it really couldn't have gone better. Being with two sisters in Christ who absolutely adore and celebrate children (and not just their own) was such an inspirational treat for me. Our days ebbed and flowed; the kids played and rested. We frolicked outside and to the gym and to a soccer game. Our weekend was only enhanced by the *gorgeous* fall sunny weather which allowed us to drink in fresh air and celebrate life to the full.

To bottle this weekend and sell it would be priceless! Such a fantastic time. The daddies returned refreshed and encouraged on Sunday, when we greeted them with youthful enthusiasm and cheer. When the last car pulled out of the driveway around 8pm Sunday evening, we all sighed deeply for the weekend had been even more satisfying than we had ever imagined. The most telling detail is that we haven't been that tired! God is blessing the goodness of friendship and encouragement. Alleluia!

On top of all of this goodness, we celebrated the return of our friends from their honeymoon to France. They had a blissfully wonderful time. We've also just learned great news of a blogger friend's engagement. Praise God for His awesome Provision! Congratulations, dear Shannon!

Blessings to you today,

MG Antics

Our little MG is growing and maturing before our very eyes...

and boy does she melt everyone around her! Papa/Mimi, Pappy/Gramz, and Daddy are all putty in her sweet, chubby hands! :) Throw in her mama and she pretty much has us all won over!

She was pulling some pretty adorable antics today that I wanted to record for posterity...

*She brought me goggles from the bathtub bins and wanted to try them on. She let me put them on her sweet little face and proceeded to grin from ear to ear wearing them around!

*She then brought me her cup and indicated she needed a drink. After walking away with it, she came back without her cup and I asked her if she wanted a drink. She signed please and we walked toward the kitchen. There sat her cup right next to the pitcher of lemonade on the table. Smart little girl! :)

*After finishing some pretzels, she brought me her empty bowl and said "bebel all gone". I asked her it she wanted more and she said, "more" and signed please before leading me back into the kitchen to the pantry for more pretzels.

*She was rubbing her eye and said "eye" and then I asked her to point to her nose, which she did brilliantly (isn't everything a baby does for her mama, brilliant? :)

*She started whimpering tonight when GG closed the fridge, so he opened it back up. She then took her sippy (in hand) and placed it on one of the shelves of the fridge. Before he closed the door, she went back and retrieved her cup and then reached back to close the door herself.

Small steps... But watch out G-Ville, pretty soon this little girl is going to be running the place! :)

TGIF,

Congrats to J and A!!

GG and I had a lovely weekend getaway to celebrate this friend's absolutely gorgeous wedding. The day was so blessed and the couple couldn't be any cuter or more in love. With many of our beloved Princeton pals in town for the wedding, GG and I were in a wonderful whirlwind of encouragement and laughter. At one point I remarked that "this is what heaven is going to be like" with so many brothers and sisters around us. Alleluia! I know a gathering like this brings a smile to God's Mighty Face!

The bride, J, at our Friday bridesmaid's tea (we were actually all brides' matrons! ha! :)

J getting her veil and almost ready for show time!

A (horribly dark) photo of the happy couple

Building Cathedrals girls

With fellow blogger, Shannon, from A Friend of Gianna

GG and I always forget to have a shot taken of the two of us--finally, here's a keeper!