sisterhood.

 I love watching these girls be sisters. Hope and Sarah just recently started sharing a room and though frustrating at times I love hearing them giggle and talk at bedtime...telling stories to make each other laugh. And Sarah loves Eden, holding her and making her smile. I pulled out Sarah's baby pictures and oh my these girls could be twins. It was almost scary how similar Sarah and Eden look.

My three girls have spunk and strength and beauty. They are each different and unique but somehow similar. I love them all dearly and pray daily for wisdom on how to raise each of them to be the women they are called to be!

getaway.

In August we took a little weekend getaway to the beach. It ended up raining a lot of the weekend but we still had a good time playing on the beach in the rain, surfing the waves, riding the boards, watching the Olympics (a special treat since we don't have television), eating pizza, and playing mini golf.  One of the highlights was it rained so hard our street flooded so the kids loved playing in the little river that formed right outside our house. Moses especially loved riding his bike off the boardwalk right into the water.

We had fun although I feel like more and more "relaxing" does not so much describe our vacations...part of our reality of being a family of seven our maybe I just need to redefine the word "relax". I am realizing though that what matters most is that we were together and spending time making memories.

Here a few snapshots of our weekend...sweet times together.

she calls me mama...

Little Eden turns four months this week...hard to imagine our lives without her sweet smiles, coos and snuggles. Eden has started to giggle out loud and she smiles at you like you are the best thing around. She gives her affection freely and loves to be held. She is oh so close to rolling over and I think she might be working on her first tooth. My little baby is not a newborn anymore.

We love her dearly and I am blessed to be called her mama.

so long summer...

Yesterday there was a few moments of panic filled with regret as I anticipated the first day of school today. Did I make the most of this summer? It went so fast. I regret being short tempered at times, annoyed with the chaos, frustrated with the fighting. How can my children be going into fourth grade, second grade, and kindergarten already? 

I had myself a good cry, released my regret and then begin to remember this summer...my busiest fullest summer yet but overflowing with memories. So when I look back on the summer of 2012 this is what I want to remember...

*lazy summer mornings

*red light green light in the yard

*picking cherries

*trip to petting zoo

*moses reading three chapter books in one day

*sarah spending her days at the craft table making art

*buckwalter beach trip

*making memories with cousins

*brown's donuts

*silas practicing for months to be able to ride on the boardwalk

*staying out till 11 on the longest night of the year

*legos, legos, legos

*vacation bible school

*bible verse pillow cases

*eden learning to smile and coo

*cookouts and more cookouts

*picnics

*pine view icecream

*american girl sleepover

*family weekend at the beach

*the flood at the beach 

*watching the summer Olympics at the beach

*visiting Grandma and Grandfather at their "hotel"

*silas getting his "faux hawk"

*library trips

*swim lessons

*soccer camp

*aunt liz camp

*date nights

*work days at the farm

*water battles in the yard

*sleepovers with the cousins

*train museum

*family campout...even mommy and eden slept in the tent! :)

*barnstormers game

*silas praying for a foul ball

*silas getting the foul ball...could not be a bigger smile

*lunch...party of six every day

*afternoons at the pool

*tan little bodies

*adventures at Darrenkamps

*so many helpers

*pool parties

*playing in the creek at Matt and Naomi's

*moses, sarah, silas and zion taking all the furniture out of sarah's room...an impressive feat.

*redoing the girl's rooms

*taking five kids to the doctor's and being so proud

*date with sarah to the pottery works and market

*date with Silas to kindergarten day, McDonald's and Target

*back to school shopping dates with Grandma

*trip with the sister in laws to Anthropologie and terrain

*running into matt and the kids at Son's for icecream

*pizza at Rosie's

*crafts

*hope getting her hair done

*boys painting their go carts with Grandpa

*visiting Millersville market

*fireworks

*birthday parties

*moses doing the zipline at the Kings

*crayola factory

*watching the boys be buddies.

*sisters playing Pollies.

*movie nights on the couch

*air conditioning when i thought i just might not make it.

*east lampeter park

*daniel's den

*popsicles...lots of popsicles

*sarah and eden

*moses's trip to king of prussia to the lego store..."best birthday ever".

*bike rides out the lane

*chilling on the porch

So long summer. I will not look back with regret but with a smile. 

for some highlights of the summer for Mark check out this !

-

another day in the life.

His mercies are  new every morning.

I started the day off remembering I had doctor's appointments for the two oldest at 8:30 am. I was not looking forward to taking all five kids to the doctor's office. On the drive over I gave myself a pep talk. I reminded myself of grace and the importance of being at rest. As I drove my perspective changed and you know what, the visit was a success. I love when that happens.

Perspective changes everything.

At the appointment the doctor told me how puberty can begin as early as age 11 for boys and around 9 years for girls. That means in two years we could be hitting puberty here in our house. Crazy. As I was still pondering this Sarah came down the stairs with two pairs of underwear rolled up under her shirt and laughing hysterically about her newly grown body parts. I am not ready for this. Thankful I still have a few more years. :)

And at the lunch table Sarah was giggling outloud.  "Mom, look, Silas's sandwhich looks like Mary and Joseph". It does kind of. I am not even sure what to do with this. :) But it gave us all a good laugh.

It's another day in the life....and I am loving today!

raising a princess.

i think the key to raising a princess lies within this picture.

Three simple words: TRUST in GOD.

During worship this morning at church I was convicted on how much I am still trying to do this thing called mothering on my own strength a lot of days. Honestly I am sick of my own lectures.  I wear the responsibility of my children's lives like it is a cross to bear at times. I too often feel like it is all up to me. But when I am weak God's strength can work in and through me. And God loves my kids so much more than I can imagine.  I want to let go and trust God and watch Him work.

Miss Sarah is seven...going on twelve. All of sudden I see her growing up before my very eyes. She is beautiful, creative and strong. She is very perceptive and she is always watching me. In September she is going to be a flower girl in a wedding so she has been asking me all sorts of questions about love and marriage, weddings and modesty. We have had some good talks and a lot of times I come away wanting to be a better mama to this princess God has called us to raise.

 "Little girls want to know, "Am I lovely? " The twirling skirts, the dress up and the longing to be pretty and to be seen-that is what it's all about."  

(John & Stasi Elderidge)

 "A little girl longs for romance, to be seen and desired, to be sought after and fought for. Girl's hearts flourish in homes where they are SEEN and INVITED to become ever more themselves."

(John & Stasi Elderidge)

"The relationship between mother and daughter is a holy, tender, fierce thing fraught with land mines and umbilical cords that stretch and sometimes strangle. The desire in a daughter to please her mother is matched only by her desire to be separate from her....
...Having a child is like having your heart walk around outside of your body. How a mother aches to protect her child. And yet all the while, from infancy to adulthood a good mother is training her child to move more way from her..."

(John and Stasi Elderidge)



Lord help me to let go. I want her to know she is lovely, that she is seen and invited to be herself. I want to mother with your heart. Thank you that is not all up to me. Amen.

savor

 It has felt like a long day...a long week really. Not sure why there has been so much fighting and attitudes...and unfortunately it has not just been the kids :(  Looking through pictures is always good therapy and tonight the kids wanted to look through their baby books before bed. Looking at them together on the couch I was reminded of how fast they grow up and how much I love every single one of them. Extra hugs and kisses at bedtime for everyone. And I cannot get over how cute this little girl is. She is three months old and so lovable. Just want to savor the moments....

poolside.

Swim lessons turned into a pool membership and we are taking full advantage of this summertime treat. We have been spending many afternoons and some evenings poolside soaking in the rays, splashing in the water, diving for rings, practicing our swim moves and staying cool. Memories in the making.

laughing my fears away.

“Trouble knocked on the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away”  ben franklin

Fear is like a little nagging voice in my head. Sometimes when I hear it I think I should listen to it. Why else is it in my head? But like an annoying fly you need to swat at it. Shoosh it away. Laugh at it. And watch it fly away.

I'm gonna laugh my fears away. 

"For my God has not given me a spirit of fear but of POWER, LOVE and a SOUND MIND" ~2 Timothy 1:7