Thankful Round Up

Here are a few instagram moments of thankfulness since we moved...

I'm so thankful for a girl that wears (certain) pants without fussing,

(certain) socks without complaining

and (certain) shoes without grumbling.

I'm thankful for a family that can go to the Farmers Market and make it feel like a new event.

We didn't even lost track of the littlest one.

I'm thankful for the art of painting your back during watercolor time.

I'm thankful for a safely delivered letterpress...

I'm thankful for wide, open spaces...

for rainboots on sunny days and the ability to climb this thing...

for special gifts after special trips....

and for priceless new jewelry...

1059.  the clothes, shoes and long sleeves on her

1060.  new, free rainboots 

1061. the right sale on the right day with the right stuff

1062. fairy tree magic

Halloween Prep

Grandma and Papa had the kids during the day a few weeks before Halloween and I came home to photos of Spider Man and Ariel surrounded by festival activities.

Look at him, sitting so still, little hands on his legs, girly headband in the unruly hair...

Decorating his pumpkin with Grandma...

And Abbs getting Ariel on her face...

And we ushered in the (surely) annual Halloween school party. 

We were busy getting ready for the Trunk or Treat ("make it fun, but no candy!"), the Cake Walk ("enough for a whole family") and of course, Halloween Night ("I want to be Rosetta the Fairy, not Tinkerbell!" "I want to be Tigger, not Peter Pan!")

And so - Rosetta got to make the Cake Walk cupcakes as long as Tink showed up on the big night.

And we even got to see Papa during our hard work.

1055. a dishwasher that truly cleans

1056. praying from afar

1057. facetime with Belle & little brother

1058. dreamy, inexpensive calendars for 2014

Down By The River

When we'd been here a few weeks, we got together with one of the few families we know around here and walked across the street from their house to go to the river. 

It was a glorious day, the tide was low and there was plenty of imagination going on.

Sand toys for days. Ford was in heaven (I think we own one shovel).

These adorable triplets we were with are super duper ingenious kids. They build things left and right, "practice" fishing, catch skunks... they are a great imaginative influence.

And soon, a fort began to form...

Ford collected rocks to stabilize the bottom logs...

And added stick decor...

And "helped" Parker start to make the roof...

It was amazing watching them work -- which their mom is very used to.

Abbs got pretty soaked -- digging and searching herself.

It was so novel to us- this "river day" -- we loved it and the absolutely beautiful surroundings. I know that next spring we're gonna be floating down the river!

Thanks, Kapics, for an amazing afternoon!

1051. inspired imagination

1052. a decaf latte on the way to bible study from my dad

1053. the speakers working

1054. a run while they watch the kids

Thumbs Up!

On Abby's second week of school, there was a deer just feet from the front door of the school. Not sure if you can see it here.... but it was pretty cool.

This is before we realized that deer are in our yard every single day eating the olives from our olive trees. (But we still find it pretty amazing.)

As we got a bit more settled, we did some baking. It was October, after all and pumpkin infused something was in order. Here are my crazy bakers...

Ford fell and got a nasty scrape over his eye (which, weeks later is still red) and here he is "showing it to me" while walking home from the park. Recently, he's taken to saying, "One day, (and from here it always deviates) a serpent came along and ate my bar off the ground. And I told him it was mine but he ate it. The End!" This kid is already a writer. 

He's also big into making up words. "That's Li-Li-La-Loca!" 

"Who?"

"Li-Li-La-Loca!"

"Grandma?"

Yes! "Li-Li-La-Loca Grandma-Loo-Loo."

There you have it.

And since we seem to be off by about 2 months in our calendar (I swear it should be September with the weather we're having now), on October first, it was 80 and time for some splash pad fun. This is at a local park, just a few minutes away from our house. 

This rainbow gyzmo shoots water out...

And these bucks throw a ton of water down, one at a time...

And the kids absolutely loved it.

And they drove home naked seeing that we didn't have a towel and fresh clothes in the car. They thought this was particularly fun.

We seem to be finding new things every day and it's definitely making it more fun to come home and keep on unpacking. So far, EDH is a thumbs up!

1045. impromptu soaking

1046. getting along, them having one another

1047. a pile of boxes we've unpacked

1048. the list getting shorter

1049. the unexpected return and rebate

1050. honest soap at costco

CS Lewis Rides Again

After that last post, I realized that it's been so long since we moved (6 weeks!) that I'd forgotten how really tough those first few days were.

Little things like this made me crazy:

A tire on the stroller going flat, a 45 minute conversation getting disconnected just as we were fixing the problem, toys everywhere, everyone bored....

And as I tried to get just one thing done, I found my anxiety (actual anxiety!) mounting with boxes surrounding us. My voice was raised more times than I would like to admit. I'd never before realized how much i need things in their "place." Wow.  God started revealing some really sad and ugly things in my heart--selfish things that reveal how much I need God. Oh, how I do. But you all knew that, already.

And then I read this.... exactly on the day i needed it...

“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one’s ‘real life’ is a phantom of one’s own imagination. This at least is what I see at moments of insight: but it’s hard to remember it all the time.” - CS Lewis

And that's it. 

The attitude adjustment that I needed.

And a few days later, it was Abby's first day of schoool.

.......

It truly was ... perfect.

She's just a tiny bit excited.

And here's Ford's "huh?!" face. I see this face a lot.

After we dropped her off to a room full of 11 other girls, Ford and I headed to the park.

Where he went to the tippy tippy top of the slide, just a few minute walk from our new house.

And when I picked her up, all smiles, she had 11 other friends. Just like that.

And so, we celebrated with ice cream.

And Ford wore his pajamas.

At this point, there were only so many battles I could wage in a day.

And I just want you all to notice the pants.

And the socks.

And the shoes.

And no complaining. 

It feels miraculous.

And also over the next week, she mastered this climbing thing.

Ford can also do it, but Miss. Reticent can now rock it out.

No problem.

1041. overcoming fear

1042. preschool being spectacular

1043. God leading us to the right place immediately

1044. a high washing machine

Clarmeya Finale

And suddenly, it was moving day. 

Grandma and Papa came to help us finish up...

and Ford managed the packing of the truck. Tetris at it's finest.

Thank God for cold beer and helping hands.

I can't even remember now 1/8 of the things I wanted to tell you about moving.

Truly.

But I know that one dear friend (thanks, Diane!) made the grandma/ford/abby/mommy car ride much, much better. Surprises from Target rock.  

Grandpa drove our other car (a God-send) and Daddy drove the second massive truck and spent the night alone, in our empty house without even a pillow or blanket. 

With Red.

I wonder how much sleep he really got. (read: none!)

Our stop mid-sunset in the 95 degree heat on the 5 freeway. Shakes, fries and happiness with lots of hope ahead.

I seriously have one picture of them moving us in. 

Abby's bed going up the stairs. 

It's ridiculous!

But in a matter of moments, cousin Katy was here and life was good.

Patio lunch. An instant hit.

And long nature walks with stops for water. 

And the promised Fairy Tree delivered. Lots of shade and imagination to be had under this lovely tree. Grandma took the kids out to have a snack -- and those little breaks saved my sanity. 

And since we've decided we may never make it to Italy, this will have to do. 

And we are thankful.

So far, Grant and I both acknowledge forgetting just how unbelievably beautiful Northern California is. Every day we say "look at those trees!" and "wow, the open space!" And already, to the kids, it's normal. And this makes me so happy.

1037. hooks instead of a bar

1038. that shower head

1039. feeling like home because we are together

1040. kids sleeping together with zero issues until the stairs are safe

Birthday Party Finale

And finally.... as God would have it, just days before we moved, we were able to go to Grace's birthday party. A pink pony birthday party. Yep. Amazing.

Here are these two miracles babes (Grace was given a 1% chance of being born healthy. And there she is. Perfecto.) And our girl.

Can I just say, please look behind them at the awesomeness... in prep of ....

Pony rides, people. PONY RIDES. You  heard right. Thank God Ford wasn't there. It would've been tears and more tears if he ever had to get off. 

And inside, things were even cuter. Cake pops, a ruffle cake and boys dressed in pink. (love those two...)

And honestly, one of the most delicious cakes I've ever eaten. 

We love you Gracie!!!

1033. party day before we moved
1034. not saying goodbye
1035. pants with no fussing
1036. packing with joy and no complaining