well Hello again

After our move to CO I pretty much stopped blogging, life got hectic, the computer was in an strange place and I just let it go, pretending like Facebook was enough. But now that we have been in WA for almost a year, the baby is almost two and the computer is accessible, I though it was time to start keeping track of life again.  I can sit in my bedroom, next to the window, watch the wind blow the trees in our backyard and spill life onto the page, what could be better then that?

Life with four little people is so much fun (crazy, challenging, hard, nutty, but fun).  They are at the age of wonder and joy in life, in the world, in God. Its amazing to watch and hard to answer all the questions.  It seems we are constantly on the go, mostly forget to snap pictures and trying hard to please and help so many little people all the time.  Things (and sometimes people) slip through the cracks but out kids have become good at reminding us that they aren't happy in said cracks, lol.

Christmas this year was magical and holy.  The kids believe with all their might, they love the stories of baby Jesus and St Nick and they love keeping and sharing surprises.  I could not have asked for a better Christmas and I think Matt would say the same.

As we adjust to life here in the Pacific Northwest, the mountains and beach call us constantly.  Orson loves to visit the city and every one of us love having Grandparents and family near by.  Matt and I even got away for an overnight on our 10th anniversary.

Our new house is big enough for me to craft and bake in and I am loving exploring sourdough and gluten free baking, creating blends with essential oils and making Christmas/Advent crafts and Catholic Saint peg dolls.

Matt is with a new company and spends quiet a lot of time commuting all the way out to Nike headquarters most days but he loves the job and enjoys all the new challenges it is bringing him.

Orson is in 2nd grade and the middles are in pre-k together at an awesome outdoor school.  Jo Jo wants to go so bad but she has another year till she is old enough.  We have settled into routines and adventures.

Its been so long that I decided to upload random pictures from the last year and not even try to make them fit into the narrative.  Its so amazing to watch these little people grow and flourish.

Its been a long time!

I was looking at old posts today and realized that I haven't updated since Josephine was born! Life with 4 seems to just float away.  Being present for the kids at home means that I spend less time here.

What can I say, the kids are all bigger and crazier and more loving and more everything.

Orson is half way through 1st grade at Douglas and loves it.  He is starting to really get letter sounds and reading, he is great at math and wants to be an engineer, he loves everything outside and fast, art, music/rhythm and is figuring out swimming.

Ferdinand started preschool at St Louis this year.  He comes home with something new every time he goes, letters, numbers, potty language, friends, art, you name it! He is such his own little person now. Full of wonder, delight, emotions and attitude.  He has learned how to ride his bike, hiked over 5 miles on his own two feet and loves music.

Theodore is getting so big, he has had his first hair cut, is jealous of Josephine, loves to cuddle, copies his brothers, using complete sentences and sometimes paragraphs to tell us stories, still screams like a daemon but is so very, very loving. He is figuring out his tricycle, loves to go on hikes as long as he doesn't have to walk, swimming and starting to get into coloring.

Josephine has grown like a weed.  She has brought so much joy into the house.  The boys all love her and Matt is smitten.  She is crawling and cruising, eating solids, has 6 teeth and more on the way, been in the water and loves it, goes for hikes with the family, played in the snow, been on an airplane and brings smiles to everyone she meets.  She is super chill and loves to just watch.

And some family shots from this year

I'll be back just after Christmas with an update, I promise!  Should have lots to talk about by then ;)

Halloween and Ferdinand's Birthday and everything else!

Some times I feel like all I ever do is play catch up! And the last few months are no exception.  We celebrated Halloween and Ferdinand, went to find fall color, visited the pumpkin patch, traveled to OR for Thanksgiving and have been doing the everyday family thing to boot.

Halloween was super fun.  Orson wanted to dress up as a knight again (yeah for recycled costumes), F wanted to be a fireman and T went as the owl.  They were all three super cute.  There was also a party at Orson's school that I helped with and we had friends over to our neighborhood (which takes Halloween very seriously).  

Keeping with the Fireman theme, Ferdinand wanted a fire truck birthday.  So Sunday, we decorated the house, made some firetrucks, printed out some coloring pages and enjoyed a firetruck cake.  He had a ton of fun and it went very well.

 An Orange Fire Truck!!!

 As you can see, we apparently need to get T some boots too

We have also spent the last few months fending off colds and coughs.  I started using doTerra oils with the boys and they have made each infection last a shorter time but it has still been a slow process or recovering. We've been exploring, hiking, making new friends and just having fun.

Matt and I even got to go on a date!

We made a short trip to Texas in September, it didn't go all that well but we still had fun getting out and seeing new things and seeing family.

Osron's class made a field trip to the Fire Station around  the corner from his school.  The boys and I helped out :)  He has also started "reading" to the boys which has led to some pretty cute cuddle times.

Ferdinand and Theodore went to Urgent Care for head injuries in ones week...F's were definitely much worse and I think Matt and I suffered the most :)

For Thanksgiving we decided to drive to Oregon at the last minute.  We had a nice time, not too bad drives and even got to enjoy a day at the beach....Who could ask for anything more!

Now we just need to settle into Advent, decorate, plan gifts and catch up!  Keep us in your prayers as change is always just around the corner it seems.  

Baby Bump is growing!

 And let me know if you want some festive nails for the Holiday Season :)