Visit's Pumpkins And Sisters

My sister came!!!!!

We haven't seen her since leaving the East Coast exactly one year ago.

When Danielle spontaneously, surprisingly, spur of the moment was able to have a few days off from her hectic, time consuming job she jumped on a plane to visit!!!! My boys missed their Aunt very much, Clarity informed Aunt Danielle many times that "I Wuv You" Tristan didn't let her out of his sight and Dagen snuggled right into her arms. Dagen was also sick(again) and T. was just getting over strep throat.

However we were determined to go pumpkin picking in a HUGE, pumpkin patch. Despite the cold it was beautiful, open and muddy. This place also included a hay ride, feeding livestock, and a corn maze.We had a blast! Then Danielle and I also went shopping one night,(alone) plus we went to church as a family where I showed off my sister. In between we watched some favorite chick flicks like "Little Women" and Shirley Temple's "A little Princess". (such dorks we are)
We also went on lots of walking expeditions all over our land, drank tons of coffee, baked lots of home made breads, cookies and ate many good dinners when we were not eating lunch out. I think my sister had a good time and we hope she will visit again.

Tune In Tuesday's

Whew!

We have been very active around here, everyone is on the move it seems! Baby Dagen has officially begun to crawl, at seven months he has been my earliest mover. Of course around here it's run or get trampled!

Also my sister came to visit!!!!!

We haven't seen Aunt Danielle for a whole year, she met our newest for the first time, and we had so much fun I will write about her visit to our newest place in another post.

We ordered our boy's bunk beds, we also painted the children's room and Tristan repurposed his blue toddler bed for Clarity.

The children's room is a slow process of redecorating, mostly due to time and funds. The room is a huge improvement from how it did look when we first moved in several months ago. I'm still not satisfied with it yet, when it's finished pictures will be posted!

Dagen is out of his beloved bassinet, we attempted the play pen but he thinks it's way better to sleep in his parents bed!

Dagen also enjoys tractor rides and back carries while I ENJOYED my chocolate covered strawberries sent by a friend for our wedding anniversary!!!!

We met up with a friend at an awesome indoor gymnasium for kids! It's free, clean, run by a church and my three tots thought the game room was the best part. Here are Clarity and Gavin driving an arcade like game and Tristan with his friend Luke playing air hockey.

I like how Clarity is crashing into the wall while the boy's faces are so intense while competing!

I've been doing a lot of baking in this crisp, cozy weather. These cinnamon bars are phenomenal! They're easy and my family loves them with a hot cup of coffee.

I am addicted to English accents, this video of a girl with a hair pulling disorder intrigues me and has me second guessing my own compulsive hair tugging. Check it out here.

My husband is preparing for deer hunting season. Staking out in a really high tree is essential if one wishes to bring bambi's mommy home for dinner.

Finally the last picture is T. with his first tooth! He hit it for the final time and it had begun to change color, we visited the dentist who recommended we just tug it out after a little numbing.Tristan was so BRAVE. He took the tooth with the next day to show his friends at Bible study and then took it back to church on Sunday. He says he is also bringing the tooth to co-op.

Oh dear.

Until next time......

This Little Light

October 15th we lit a candle for a baby girl.

Her name is Klara, she played with my own Clarity, they were both named a variation of the same thing, light, or to clearly see. They were three months apart in age.

I watched baby Klara, babysitting her while her mother worked.I fed her, changed her, put her down for naps, and then I went to her funeral, I listened to her eulogy, hugged her mom, and I stood next to the tiny box, in the cold, with three roses in my hand, one from each of my own living babies. I covered the tiny, white casket with those roses, the day was cold, cloudy and grey. Klara you were so small to be left by that pile of frozen dirt.

I went home that day and held my Clarity, unable to fathom that my baby was breathing, heavy and warm in my arms. Klara will never be bigger than the age of one, while my daughter continues through the ages and stages of baby to toddler hood.

SIDS affects many children from one month to a year. The statistics are here and Klara is one of several I personally know who has been taken, suddenly as an infant without a real physical reason.

I don't need to light a candle to remember this baby.

Someday I may write more of Klara, her story, her touch on my life and my daughter's.

Until then I will remember you baby girl.

And I will tell Clarity about you someday, when she is older and I am ready.

Seven Year Itch

Our seven year anniversary gave us an itch to go out!

It's been two years since we left our home completely baby free!!!!( No, going to the hospital to give birth doesn't count!!!! )

We left our brood in the capable and amazing hands of a babysitter for a dinner date and some small errands we wanted to accomplish without impatient children.

Can I tell you how shockingly weird it felt to eat at our own pace, have TWO hands for our food and plenty of moments for our own hand holding? We really didn’t know what to do with ourselves, so we ordered appetizers, splurging on a toast with fancy drinks.  


We took silly pictures, we took our time, we didn’t spill and I can bet that no one guessed we had four small ones at home.

I cannot believe I have been married for seven years, and yet still so eager and ready to return home after our little date child free.

It was very quiet, very mess free and missing four little people that have fit into this seven years of our marriage history. Our going out alone itch was scratched.

September

This has been our September; beautiful autumn days spent outside playing imaginative games. Above I caught Tristan and Gavin attempting climb a tree, Clarity has mastered the art of swinging. I only have to push her once or twice and she can do the rest all on her own.

Tristan has really enjoyed a Lego class with a group of a dozen children ranging in ages from five to nine. They play Lego games, build specific things as a team and then have Lego free play. I am always amazed at what the children construct!

We were also blessed with Gavin's fourth birthday!

We celebrated and went out to dinner, then these crazy kids helped me make cupcakes at home. Everyone helped frost cupcakes before we sang happy birthday. Gavin had many packages in the mail too.Most contained candy, anyone who knows Gavin is very aware of his love for all things sweet.

Happy birthday Gavin!!!!!