Josiah is 7!

Seven years ago today, our family was heading into one of the scariest events we've had to deal with, but in the end, we got our sweet Josiah out of it, and I'm so very grateful! This little guy is my special bud. And while he's definitely growing up and doesn't seem to need me quite as much as he used to, he still had to sneak in some snuggles the day I came back from being out of town last week, and it thrilled my soul, haha.

Josiah's biggest accomplishment lately has been learning to read so well that he got his own bible for his birthday this year, a special request he made :). He's a knowledgeable little man, loves taking things apart just to look at them, especially if they have batteries and buttons. He's has a good birthday, I think. He and the other little guys were happy to get to go to the store today, a special treat during this pandemic crazy world, and pick out some fun things, I know they enjoyed it!

Happy birthday, Siah!

 

Noah is 5!

Five years ago this little imp joined our family! 

His birthday celebration is not going to be quite the same as we've done many years. Daddy's job is running him through the wringer, and covid regulations are still pretty intense where we are, so there won't be a trip to the zoo or anything, but he enjoyed playing with the new sandbox, and we made this little paper rocket craft. It's so cute! I did it with the kids at school, and now with our little guys, and it was a hit with everyone! https://inspirationlaboratories.com/make-straw-rockets/ And of course we'll be doing his cake and presents in just a bit :).

Noah is my self-proclaimed "snuggle buddy". Don't let him fool you, I think he just likes that I always have a blanket with me, but I enjoy it regardless ;). He's a mischievous hilarious little guy, right in the middle of all the little boys, and a wonderful blessing to our family!

Happy birthday, Noah!

99 Life Lessons from 21 Years

Hello, all my wonderful readers :)!

Today is a little bit special... it's Wednesday, which means a new blog post, but it's also my 21st birthday. Sooooo, I thought I would do a special little post of reflection :). The lessons included in this post are NOT extensive at all, and they range from super serious to rather humorous.... but I didn't want this to get too long either, so I just included some of the best things I thought of first, and it's really not very organized, either... but that's kind of like life, isn't it? Hmmmm, that sounds like another life lesson ;)! So, here are 99 lessons I have compiled as I look back a bit...

 

1. Resting is, ironically, a verb - it takes effort.
2. You may fail. Don't let it discourage you.
3. You may fail again. But it doesn't define you.
4. People who make a point to go out of their way to make sure that you are really okay are the best people. Cherish them.
5. The instagram app is so much better than using desktop.
6. Hymns and sermons are a great accompaniment to baking and crocheting, but know when enough is enough. Sometimes your brain needs a break from all the words.
7. Love the small things in life and you will never be disappointed.
8. No matter all the good intentions you have or all the care you give, if the soil is not ready for the seed, there will be no harvest (yes, this is a metaphor that goes much deeper than our sad garden of late years).
9. Be the first one to introduce yourself. It's hard, and can be awkward. But you never know what blessings may come from it.
10. Find someone to invest in. It doesn't have to be much; just making sure to say hello to the lonely lady at church each week will brighten up her whole week.
11. Read more - you won't regret it. And it's okay if you are reading fiction or re-reads. Not every book has to be a learning opportunity. Just keep whetting your appetite for books.
12. It is very true that what you sow is often what you reap.
13. My identity is in Christ, and in Christ alone.
14. Homemade cookies in ice cream while laughing and sympathizing with best friends and ignoring the movie you are supposedly watching is one of the most refreshing things.
15. Baby pictures are really. hard. to take - especially when you aren't a photographer. (Okay, but pictures are hard to take when you aren't a photographer ;)...)
16. Practice makes better.
17. Better is okay; nobody becomes a professional overnight.
18. Walks and coffee are still the best ways to connect with others.
19. Don't be afraid to say yes to a spontaneous meeting with friends, even when it's difficult; it will be a blessing.
20. Learning to speak up in the face of confrontation is a good thing, but don't take it further than you should.
21. Know your limits, but never stop dreaming.
22. Being needed is still what gives me purpose, but it's okay to be needed in different ways now.
23. The Lord has placed so much beauty in this world, and it is a wonderful privilege to get to see it.
24. Take the time to notice the way change is effecting the people around you. Sometimes, you have to slow down to move forward.
25. Take the time to notice the way the people around you are changing themselves, too. And don't forget to encourage them when you see growth.
26. Learn to wait like a sane person when you feel like panicking disproportionately.

27. Make time for the things that matter to you, because time will never make itself.
28. To help with that, don't wait for the perfect time to do something before you do it. Use the moments you have.
29. It's best to say no if you really need to, instead of saying yes when you can't or don't mean it.
30. But try to put others first as often as you can when you have a choice; it's so rewarding.
31. Playing pretend with a whole lot of little boys (and an exuberant little girl) is more fun than you may think for someone with only half an imagination. Don't let your lack of creativity stop you from investing.
32. Social marketing isn't as hard as it feels. (But blogging is still so much better.)
33. Sometimes, you need to put your phone on airplane mode, put up your laptop, and enjoy life, no matter what it takes.
34. The hammered dulcimer is a beautiful sounding instrument. Also, celtic music is gorgeous. Musi .is a gift in itself. Enjoy it!
35. I cannot shield any heart from the consequences of sin, or break any heart over the impact of that sin, but I can pray and confront. Just never forget that with confrontation must always come love.
36. No matter how much it hurts to feel helpless, do your part and then lean on the Lord. He is the only one who can use our words or actions for any good.
37. When your world is falling to pieces, whether in actuality or just in your emotions, cry out a prayer to the Lord. When fear or pain is deep, lean on Him.
38. But don't forget, when you are crying happy tears, to come before Him again. He deserves all our praise - especially because He is so ready to comfort in those hard moments.
39. Do that thing you should do BEFORE it becomes annoying to you that it still needs done. It will be much more pleasant.
40. When your mind is spinning and you feel like you just need a break, go ahead and take one as soon as you can; but take it wisely. Don't sit on the couch and scroll through Pinterest. Go for a walk, spend some extra time in bible study, maybe even take a nap. It seems counter-intuitive to do more "work" at that moment, but the truth is, usually, you need refreshing more than "a break".
41. The memories a handkerchief can invoke are amazingly many. Cherish those you have while you have them.
42. God's plans are not our plans, but we can trust Him. Sometimes, the hardest things we face are for God's glory. (And sometimes, the most unexpected changes in our plans are the best.)
43. Sleeping by yourself is literally one of the loneliest things every after sharing your room with four sisters and a baby. But use every moment to the fullest... it's a great time to eat chocolate to make yourself feel better ;).
44. Sometimes, God gives us situations that are similar to those in the past to bring healing through their differences.
45. Every one should read "Woman of the Word" by Jen Wilkin. And "The Valley of Vision".
46. "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard" is still true.
47. Lessons and reminders can come in literally any shape or form.
48. It's incredibly fun to have an even number of boys vs. girls in your family!
49. If you are ever unsure of what your favorite color is, just compare the items that you and your mom put in the amazon cart (without consulting each other first) for you to consider between. #obviouslyblueforme
50. Simplicity is best, but don't be afraid to make that moment, event, canvas, outfit, plan, just a little more than bare-bones. Let your simplicity carry personality.
51. Keep a running list of gift ideas. It makes the last minute decisions so much easier.
52. Homemade caramel macchiatoes are just as good as Starbucks. Enjoy them. But don't make too much of the syrups, because you will use them until they are gone, no matter how much coffee it takes.
53. Ice cream from the church freezer can create a great spontaneous bonding time.
54. Don't be so busy wondering what people's opinion of your life is, that you forget to continue perusing God's plan for your life.
55. Try not to ever let a chance to celebrate with or thank some one get away from you. You will regret it.
56. Shower kindness on others, and you are bound to find your own rainbow.

57. Our parents have a huge respectability to teach their family the Word of God, but they can not embrace that Word for us; this is something we must do ourselves.
58. Curly Girlz Font is used e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e, y'all. As someone who works with fonts regularly,  and that font frequently (I created my custom canvas years ago before I realized this last December), I can say that with certainty.
59. Dependence on Christ is joyful freedom.
60. Night vision is apparently a good thing to have, and I 10/10 recommend taking someone who has it with you when you are walking through the woods at 9 o'clock at night. (Or driving...) But seeing the synchronized fireflies in the trees is totally worth the panic that not being able to see your Dad three feet ahead causes.
61. There is nothing like having best friends for your siblings. Don't neglect to foster those relationships, they mean the world when they are developed <3.
62. Pray about it before you talk about it.
63. Calculated shipping is wonderful for someone who has a fear of overcharging shipping and so tends to undercharge. (This will always be my first tip for online sellers.)
64. Nothing is more beautiful than someone who is walking through their own valley reaching out to make sure that others are being taken care of.
65. You do not have to know a person for their life to change your's. God places each person on this earth for a reason, not matter how short (or long ago) their life may be.
66. God has placed us in the context of family, both personal and spiritual, for a reason, and it is such a blessing to be given a helping hand in life's trials.
67. Tears are a blessing in the midst of pain, but your journey can't end there; in the midst of the rain, trace the rainbow, turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His goodness and grace.
68. Friends can be made in the most un-looked for places, and serving the Lord together creates such a strong bond.
69. Consistency in the small things is better than a lot of effort for something big now and then.
70. It is so fun to blog with other bloggers. In the past I have blogged "by myself"... but several of you have joined me here in the past year, and it has been so much more fun!
71. Planning ahead is exponentially more more important each year, I am convinced.
72. Virginia really is beautiful. There is the cutest cul-de-sac in our neighborhood that reminds me of our VA neighborhood, and Bethani is 99% sure I am obsessed since I found it. I miss it more than I realized.
73. Things don't get easier the longer you wait. Trust me on this. Prepare, yes, by all means. But sometimes you just have to do the thing before you feel prepared.
74. Even if it doesn't work out, at least you tried and you won't have to wonder.
75. You never know when you have been given a path to walk so that you can encourage others in the same path down the road.
76. When everyone you trust is telling you the same thing, you just may want to listen, no matter how hard it is.
77. If you want a great bonding experience with your siblings, I honestly suggest watching a meteor shower at a windy lake. But I would suggest bringing more than one blanket.
A lot of my favorite memories take place at night outside, actually.
78. Circumstances can change us to an extent, but God made us who we were meant to be, and we can't deny the gifts and work He has given us - or the weaknesses He has given us so that in Him we may find that His strength is bigger than our own.
79. Never be content to stop learning; pursue the things you always thought of learning "someday", now.
80. Lemon water is great for headaches, and you CAN acquire a taste for it (I literally crave it now, and a couple years ago I wasn't a big fan, so trust me on this).
81. Learn to take notes on anything, but organize them frequently or it doesn't help.
82. Don't keep the clothes that are cute but you know you'll never be comfortable in for one reason or another, or you don't know how to style. It's just useless stress to try to find some way to make them work.
83. Don't hold on to your routines at the expense of people, but they make life so much more comfortable, so try to have some where you can.
84. Learn to take a compliment graciously. Not with entitlement, not flippantly... but realize that you don't have to always explain to people that they don't see it all. It's a trap that is easy for perfectionists to fall into, and there are times you will see that the compliment-er needs to be reminded, for their own sake, that everybody slips at times, but for the most part... learn to say thank you. And let that be enough.
85. Be transparent. Be raw. Be honest. Be encouraging.

86. Give grace. And more grace.
87. But help others grow, too. Don't give lazy grace that shields them from learning.
88. When you don't feel like enough, remember this: you aren't. That's why you need (and have) a wonderful Savior who is.
89. You become what you brush shoulders with; in social media, conversations, relationships, books, whatever, seek out what is true and pure and noble and convicts you to become what you should be.
90. Being present is important, but don't be afraid to document, too. A goal of mine is to take more pictures and videos - especially videos - of the little things that my siblings do that I love. They will be cherished to look back on when they pass these phases they are going through.
91. Take the time to organize often enough that it saves you time in the long run.
92. Work for your dreams, but don't miss what is going on right now.
93. Close friends don't have to talk all the time, but make sure you talk SOME time.
94. "When you're tired of fighting and chained by your control, there is freedom in surrender - lay it down, and let it go."
95. What you thought at first were weeds may turn out to be flowers, but learn to tell the difference. You can't let all the weeds grow just to test them. Learn each plant, and tear out all that might hinder growth of the right plants.
96. Stretch yourself. Not to the point of being miserable, but enough that you don't get stuck in a rut.
97. Notice the people around you that make you feel cared for. Thank them, and learn from them; take those things they do for you, and try to share it with someone else.
98. Keep an extra bible study or edifying book on your book shelf for those times when, despite your daily time in the word, you feel starving for more.
99. Rest in Christ - lean on Him. Trust, surrender, obey and praise. He is worthy of it all, and gracious enough to accept our humble offerings.

What is one of the most important lessons you have learned? What do you have planned for the week :)?

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri <3

Happy 15th birthday, Tori :)!!!!

Tori is a talented, beautiful blessing in our family :)! She is witty, goofy, and knows when a punchline will best fit, but she also knows just when someone might need a little extra love, and makes sure they get it in some way or another :). She loves to sit down and get "deep conversations" out of the little boys. We benefit from this by hearing them later :). As she surmised recently, "Peter is just easy to get cute stories from. But Mama's best at getting stories from Emmi, Bri gets good stories from Abbi, and I get good stories from Josiah!" She loves poetic and mythical things: red umbrellas, dragons, the color green, medieval dresses, the sea, and books such as "The Lord of the Rings" (Tolkien is still one of her favorites!). She also loves to play Monopoly :).

Tori is passionate- everything she does, she goes all out, right away. I've seen her countless times draw an awesome picture, and love it so much, then draw another one and realize it's better, and instantly want to throw the first away. Mama and I are constantly saving some of her drawings from an untimely demise, just to hear her later say that she "loves this drawing so much, even though she hated it for a while!", haha :). Once she hears of something she wants to try, she goes and tries it -and usually does it well. One time, she sat down and said, "Alright, time to do this for real"... and then she did it. Perfectly, And I was like, "HAD YOU EVER DONE THAT BEFORE?!", and she was like, no?.... and all I could say was, that is so you... haha :).

Her art is so impressive (she shares some of it here on her blog and here on her pinterest)! She started getting serious about it a couple years ago, and she's continued getting better by practice, tips from Daddy on things to tweak to bring out the best of her work, and online tutorials. She's never had a real lesson! I think one of her favorite phrases might be "you can't rush art", and yet I've seen her do drawings in fifteen minutes that far out placed mine that may take four hours, haha! She is also a wonderful pianist! While she can play by note, she prefers to play by ear, and it's beautiful! And, once again, she's self taught! It's amazing!

She recently challenged Bethani to read through the bible with her, and I have loved to see them keeping each other accountable to keep up and make it an important part of their day :). They are even doing so good, that they have decided to bump up their daily quota, and finish early :)!

One thing that people may not know for a long time after meeting Tori is that her voice control is amazing! She has a beautiful singing voice, but the most unusual thing about it is, as she loves to say abut her range, "I can sing from Thorin to Snow White!" And she's a great voice impersonator! I remember when she was just eight or nine, she found out she could do Dori ("Finding Nemo") and Ellie ("Up"), and then for the next several years she would just bring out new voice impressions whenever she wanted to make us laugh. She doesn't do it as much anymore, but she still pulls it out just enough to let us know that she's still got it ;).

I love you Tori :)!!!! Happy birthday!!!!

Abbi-girl....

Happy birthday!!!!!!

Abbi is eight years old today :)!!! She had a very full day planned, with lots of food, and a lot of shopping with Daddy, haha :). When we found out we were moving from VA, Abbi was sad that we were leaving behind Five Below. She had first went to the store when a friend took her for her birthday last year, and she has talked about it constantly since then! During our house hunting trip, we discovered that one had recently been put in here! So that was definitely on Abbi's list today, haha :).

Abbi is very sparkly, or, in her terms, "colorful". It was cute, because she and Emmi got Mama cards for her birthday... Emmi's had sweets on it, and Abbi's sparkles. Today, Abbi brought back a coloring book for her, and one for Emmi, and Mama leaned over and whispered to me, "Once again, Abbi's is sparkles and Emmi's is food...". Heehee :). We went outside the other day and I helped Abbi and Emmi put glitter on some pictures for our Aunts, which was fun :). My Aunts used to do that with me all the time, and so it was nostalgic and yet a little different to be doing it for them, but not with them, and as the responsible person, hahaha ;). (The responsibility factor was why we were outside; my aunts were brave, I'm not; the deck looks as gorgeous as their pictures now, hahaha!) Abbi also recently discovered that she's a very good artist. We've seen it for a while now, but it was definitely confirmed a few weeks ago when she took especial care in her art because she wanted to see if maybe she could put it in the fair, heehee :).

Many people say that Abbi has a "mischievous twinkle", and her grin is adorable (and Noah seems to have inherited it) :). She's very passionate about pretty much everything, and loves people- and frogs. It didn't take our pastor in VA long to figure that out... she even talked about them in children's church, haha :). She got her first bible this year, and it's sweet to see her bring it to family bible time and read along :). The other day she even learned how to read a bible reference and then find it :)! She was so excited!

Happy birthday, Abbi! I love you, sweetie!!!!

Happy Birthday, Emmi Joy!!!

Emmi is six years old today :)!!!

While we're being packed up today and can't do much, we plan on celebrating her birthday later, and we threw a double party for Emmi and her friend Elise when she was here last week, per Emmi's request. It was sweet for them to get to do that together :). They've loved getting to know each other while Katie and I have skyped, but this was the first time that they got to meet each other :). They had a Little Pony themed party, because that's their main topic of conversation when they've talked before, heehee :).

Emmi is a very dramatic little soul, haha :). She lives life very enthusiastically, but has been dubbed our little "Sadness" (incidentally, she's watching Inside Out haha :) ). She just... *is* that character, haha :). Andrew dropped some spaghetti noodles on the floor a couple weeks ago, and Emmi thought it was so funny for some reason. Tori said something about them being "squiglets", and now every time we see spaghetti noodles, someone will say "Squiglets!!!", and Emmi laughs so hard she gets red in the face, haha. She cries at the mere thought of someone leaving, and tells stories like her life depends on it. She uses such heart in everything! She's a strange mix of thinks-of-every-way-something-could-be-dangerous and a complete daredevil. She has become a very good reader this past year, and she and Abbi got their own bibles a couple weeks ago :)! Usually Mama and Daddy wait for their birthday, but the girls were so scared that they wouldn't be able to find the ones that they were eyeing in SC that they let them get them early :).

Happy birthday, Emmi :)!!!

Happy Belated Birthday, Bethi....

Although Bethi's birthday was, actually, on the first, I still wanted to share her birthday post, haha :). I ended up writing it on her birthday, but got called away and never came back to add pictures and edit it. It was a busy week, as we'd just gotten back from a trip to SC (I'll try to share more about that later this week!), and I had an Etsy shop order for 22 bookmarks! After that... I don't know why I didn't post this. But here it is now :)!

Bethi is eleven years old :)! Bethi is very bright. Those neon sort of colors? They perfectly fit her. They also look really good on her, haha :). But whenever we see a neon pink/purple/green, pretty much everything, one of us sure to say "That looks like Bethi...", heehee :). She's also called our little chipmunk, because, especially when she was littler, her laugh just has a chipmunk quality that is really cute :).

Bethi reads, and reads, and reads, every spare moment spent inside! History books, fiction books, how-to books, she loves them. She also really loves gardening, watering her little potted plants and pouring over flower books all the time. She tried to plant a garden down in the one area of free space we have in the backyard, but the squirrels had dug up the seeds and eaten them within a week, so she's had to settle for the pots until we get a more plant-friendly place. She chose to spend her birthday afternoon browsing the bookstore gardening section with a coffee in hand :).

Bethi enjoys making more "uncommon" dishes, like homemade donuts or breadsticks, and holding babies. She also enjoys laughing -and making Tori laugh. When she was about five, she would make up the most un-understandable "jokes"... things like "Why did the pizza cross the sea? Lobsters!", lol.... and, given how random they were, we would laugh, so she would make more. Even now, although she won't make new ones, she repeats some of her old "favorites" just to get Tori to laugh, haha :). And she LOVES making lists- for everything. And I mean everything, heehee :).

Happy birthday, Bethi :)!!!! I love you :)!!!

Happy Birthday, Josiah!!!

That smile is his "handsome face" :)

'Siah is two!!!

Josiah is consistent, perfectionistic (which leads to a bit of bossing ;)...), and very thoughtful. He makes sure everything gets done that needs done -if we call the little ones for lunch, he stands at the bottom of the stairs giving them reminders until they make it down, and he fusses at people for leaving stuff out, haha! A while ago, Tori walked into the living room to tell us that, while some children have to ask that you will watch their stuff so that nobody uses it, Emmi was asking that her stuff be watched because JoJo kept putting it away ;). But he definitely holds himself to the same standards! We've joked that he's either going to become an electrician or a furniture mover, because he is our self-proclaimed cord police ("Oh no! Oh no! Unplugged!!!!"), and he went through a phase where he rearranged the living room and dining room furniture c.o.n.s.t.a.n.t.l.y. He has some strong little muscles!!!

He will sit and play for hours by himself with a box of cars, or some of the Melissa and Doug toy sets we have. But the instant that he decides he is done and comes to ask us to take him back downstairs (or up, depending on where he is, of course ;) ), he will pick up all the toys again, hand us the box, and lead us to point to the spot it goes on the shelf, before he grabs our hand and walks down the stairs. It is soooo predictable, that when I walked into Mama's room yesterday and saw the cars on the floor with him nowhere in sight, I said "I am in shock. He actually left his cars out!" To which Mama answered, "Peter had them out this time..." haha!

He was a little stand-off-ish with Noah when he first met him, wanting nothing to do with him -until I said it was nap time, when he HAD to see "Geo" THAT minute, haha! But by the end of the day, he was completely in love with him, and now multiple times a day, he'll come to Tori or I, "Upstairs? Mama's room? See baby?", or run to listen and say "Noah crying!!!" He has a precious little giggle, and he loves to play with his ball outside. And, while it's true that he has a strong personality, he seems to know when and how to help those who may need an extra bit of love, and be dedicated to doing it. And he is very polite :). "Open this pease?! Open this pease?!"

Happy birthday, Josiah! I love you, buddy, and I am so thankful to have such a sweet little guy for my brother!

Happy Birthday, Emmi :)

Emmi-Joy is a WHOLE "hand" today :)!!! She has been looking forward to her fifth birthday since... well, her fourth, heeheehee :).
Compared to some of the rest of us, Emmi is pretty quiet... but nevertheless, she is quite the talker! She recently memorized the Lord's prayer :)! She is also learning to read, and does awesome at writing words the way they sound. This really doesn't shock me, because she is *such* a book/word lover, and always has been. When she was a toddler, she would sit spell bound watching Mama every time she read a book to us, and she LOVES to learn new words. She shocks people sometimes by the random words she knows, and I have heard her before, upon hearing me use an unusual word, walk away slowly repeating it to herself, I suppose to make sure it "stuck" :). I call her my little owl... haha :). She planned a busy day to celebrate her birthday- full of shopping and lots of food... LOTS of food... haha :).

I <3 you, Emmi! Happy Birthday :)!!!

Bethi has reached the Double Digits :)!

Bethi-boo turned ten years old today :)!!! Though Daddy couldn't work his schedule out to be home all day, he was home this morning, and we enjoyed a special breakfast. Now Mama is taking her on a fun outing, and we'll do some more celebrating in a few days :).

The birthday girl in the kitchen this morning! For her breakfast, Bethi wanted homemade maple glazed donuts. Mama has talked for years about some donuts she used to love when she was little, but hasn't seen in years. My Aunt heard her talking about them, told her that these tasted just like them, and very sweetly made her some, with the help of Bethi and Andrew a while back. When Bethi was deciding what she wanted to have for breakfast, she thought these would be the perfect choice, and wanted to be able to help make them :). So, make them we did, and come out with about 3 and 1/2 times as many donuts as the recipe said we should?... Haha! We baked them in this cake pop maker that my Gramma gave us a couple years ago, it said it could be used for donuts holes as well, so we gave it a try. It worked perfectly :)!

 We had lots of helpers, and LOTS of donuts, haha! We never would have bought that many at one time, haha. Two batches many have been more than enough...

Peter's face says it all, haha. I may or may not have been experimenting up until like the last dozen as I baked them... haha. The little ones loved eating the "fishtails" off the donuts, haha... I kept overfilling the iron, and they thought the rings that resulted around the donutholes, looked like fishtails for some strange reason, haha. But I think it went rather well, and we had a great time together :). I would say Bethi's breakfast choice was a hit all around :).

Bethi is often attempting to take on big projects like these, and loves to do it with lots of people. Watching her in the kitchen as she stays relatively calm with multiple siblings younger than her around her, while letting them help her with something she herself has never done, is very inspiring to me, actually, haha :). I often find myself very impatient in like situations, but she handles it like a pro! She loves gardening and writing (one of her milestones for this past year was the launching of her own blog, "Gratefully His"!), and she loves to straighten the attic and the garage with Andrew during their free time! She has been diligently studying her bible lately, and it has been sweet to hear some of her insights into what she has read :). She can be blunt and goofy, but also loves to help those around her when she notices a need. I love you, Bethi :). Happy birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Peter :)!

Happy birthday to Peter-bug :)!

Peter is a goofy, random, lovey little guy. His favorite cookie is a monster cookie, and he loves to look through Tori's sketching book. He has started doing some awesome little drawings of his own, which are just adorable, but also bring out a perfectionist side of him, as he compares them to his much older "bestest buddy's", haha. He has very definite fashion opinions, telling Tori without reserve that she should not curl her hair, but braids are a must, and I hear Mommy was instructed to "never buy" a shirt they saw in the store the other day ;). He loves music, and has since he was an itty-bitty baby. He also *loves* sandwiches from a fast food restaurant. It doesn't matter what kind it is, and he doesn't get them often; but hand him one, and he tears the wrapper off, gasping, "A present sandwich!"

Happy birthday, Peter :)! I love you!

Happy Birthday....

To 'Siah :)!!!!

This li'l guy is one year old now! With his several adorable tufts of hair that are about twice as long as all the rest, and his love for multiple people singing together, he loves chocolate (his first voluntary steps were to take some of Tori's ;) ), he is soooo very smart (while opening his gifts this evening he was extremely excited when he noticed that one of his toys and the character on his new cup were one and the same, so sweet!), and I don't think that there is anything much sweeter than when he walks up and reaches out his chunky arms to be picked up! He is affectionately known as Winnie-the-Pooh around here, due to his round tummy, big smile, and general Winne-the Pooh-ness, haha :). Josiah is so precious... he is such a gift to our family, and we are so thankful that he is here with us today!

Happy birthday, Josiah :)! I love you, baby boy!

Happy Birthday, Tori :)!!!!

 Close friend, goofball, my personal grammar- and spell-checker, "Bubby" to Peter, and lover of everything Lord of the Rings (except Frodo...)... a.k.a., Tori. Who turns thirteen today :)!!! And we can never hear again that we just have to wait until we're both teenagers to become fighters, because we woke up this morning pretty good friends, like always ;). In fact, she just accepted my friend request ten seconds after it was sent. Heeheehee!

Tori loves to read, and can make some yummy, yummy biscuits. I could really eat them as dessert, haha :). She lets me know when she thinks that something I've done could be done better... and is usually right. She has quite the artistic eye. She is also so good at playing the piano. She can hear a tune, and go pick out the notes right away... and she doesn't even have to be sitting at the piano to do it, it is amazing! I love to hear her play, and so does her buddy :). They can often be found listening to or playing music together, it is so sweet :). She's a wonderful "little" sister... who is only an inch shorter than me... haha :). 

Happy 13th Birthday, Tori :)!!!! I love you!

Happy Birthday, Andrew :)!!!

Andrew is eight years old today :)! That seems like an "old" number, haha!

Andrew has grown a lot in the past year... he is less than an inch shorter than Bethani and gaining on her steadily, and has made such big leaps in his reading that he can now read a book that Peter brings to him quickly enough to keep even Peter's attention, which is not exactly the easiest thing to do, since Peter still walks out on me every once in a while, heehee :). He loves to build things, and told Mommy a couple of months ago that he wants to build his own house when he gets big :). He has a current obsession with Narnia, much like the one Tori went through at his age, before LotRs became far more appreciated, haha! He loves to get out to the garage and straighten and sweep it, which is a wonderful help! He is currently enjoying a birthday outing with Daddy, and we're busy getting ready for his family party when he gets home :).

I love you, Andrew, and I am so thankful that you are in our family :)!

Happy 8th Birthday, Andrew :)!!!

Happy 6th Birthday, Abbi :)!!!!

 

 

Abbi... bouncing, thoughtful, yet scatterbrained, talkative, extroverted, frog loving Abbi... heehee :). She is such a joy! She is a very people-person, and she quickly wins the heart of just about every one that meets her :). 

 

I was able to teach her to chain stitch crochet a couple of weeks ago, and she has amazingly neat stitches and a good focus when she's doing it, which is so funny since she normally can't sit still. Hopefully soon, I'll get to teach her single stitch, because she wants to make up a scarf to send in to Knit Together in Love's ministry when I send mine in this year :). She has such a sweet heart for giving to others... and also loves to receive from others ;). She's also going to go out with Daddy today to look for her own aquarium frog :). Hopefully they are able to find one, because she has been looking forward to this outing for a while!

Happy birthday, Abbi-girl :)! I love you!!!!

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday!!!

 Happy birthday to our wonderful Daddy...

and our wonderful Mommy :)!!! 

I am so thankful for both of you :). In all the ways that you train us, lead us, and love us, you let God be your guide. You are both open to the word of God, always carefully learning and then laying out your reasoning for all the decisions that you make for our family, and are always supportive of those things that we children undertake to learn or accomplish :).

Mommy works so hard to make our home a place of refuge and learning, and, though it is hard, she does an wonderful job at it! Daddy faithfully provides all that our family needs, and after he has been working all day spends time interacting with us and helping us where needed. They both take time to make life special, and we are all so thankful for them :).

I love you, Daddy and Mommy!

Happy Birthday, Daddy and Mommy!!!

A post full of Bethi!

Blogger is sending me error message after error message, but I refuse to let it stop me. And since I tried in desperation to type while my screen is watered out and Blogger says they don't know what I'm doing (blogging... um... duh.) or what issues I'm having (me either... oh, that's right, nothing but the error message!), and it worked, it should go fairly smoothly. I hope. But without anymore chit chat... here are some pictures with a bit of commentary from Bethi's birthday :)...

Bethi chose a yummy breakfast of french toast for her birthday. We don't make french toast much (Mommy said the other day that it will be odd when most of us are moved out of the house and she can start making french toast for breakfast without someone having to be standing at the stove for at least two hours ;)!). So when we have it, it's even more of a treat :)!

 After breakfast, Bethi and Daddy headed 

out for a special time together :)!

 I love this picture :). 

I hear they saw ducks...

 And held inch worms. Tori was glad she stayed home ;). 

They also went out for lunch and stopped at the dollar store so that Bethi could get gifts for everyone- she buys gifts for others every birthday, she's so sweet :). 

While they were gone, we decorated the house, cleaned up, had our own lunch and ruined I mean made her birthday brownies. I didn't really ruin them (the edges were a little overdone though), but they did cook a little funny for an unknown reason, and I used special dark cocoa in them instead of regular cocoa, so they can out WAY darker than I am used to. I opened the door to check them, and about panicked at how burnt they looked because of the darker cocoa, haha! 

When they got home, we ushered her in with a  birthday song, and, after she and Daddy had cleaned up, she got to open her gifts and cards!

 Tori must have written something funny in her card ;). 

This gift was a cup, one of those tumblers with a straw. As she was unwrapping it, Mommy was calling out, "Something (the straw) could break in that, be careful, careful... how about you unwrap it upside down? No, don't set it down on the point..."... haha... 

Supplies for making a card set, with a flower press :)! While they were out Daddy helped her get some seeds, that they planted today, so she could grow flowers to use with the press :). 

Bethi's handing out gifts, Peter is first :)!

She and Daddy chose well, everyone was thrilled with their gifts :)! 

I love my new note cards, and Emmi especially talks about 

hers all.day.long. Haha :). They were some little grow-in-water fish :).  

Ready for dessert!

The candles were cool, the flames burned different colors :)!

This was funny! Andrew hadn't used a whipped cream spray can before... He was shaking it, shaking it, trying to get something out! Haha :). 

Cutie Peter :).

Daddy worked on our fan while we got ready for bed (it's actually doing some good being on now, yay!), and then we enjoyed family bible time... then Bethi kicked us out and stayed up to watch a movie with Mommy and Daddy while we got to sleep ;)!

The birthday girl :)...