front row parents

I'm certain I've mentioned it before, but we're lucky to have a small private school for the kids to attend in our small community. I love all the activities they're provided, and I think the kids do as well. I sure miss the Christmas concert in the beautifully renovated church, but they do a really nice job in the gym as well, just a packed house! Lucky for us, our good friends saved us a seat right.up.front! we have great friends :)

Lia - sitting, closest to the camera

Nash - ringing the blue bell

Tayt - back row in the plaid, big smiles for the camera

Austyn - front, dead center

Austyn has always loved to sing and it's always a joy listening to her. Excuse the proud mom moment and terrible recording skills, but she really did amazing. Best of the night if you ask me ;)

Austyn - on the left

Lia - middle row with the scarf

the entire group, focusing on Nash, hiding in the middle :)

kudos to the schools music teacher for doing another great job. keep up the good work!

missing November

playing a little catch up. and missing the unseasonably warm weather we had in November. and now it snows! reminiscing...  and sharing some photos :)

sibling love

It's been nothing but quiet around the blog. I wish I could say the same about our house. So much happening, I'm not sure where to start! baby cousin was born. lice. Thanksgiving. my grandma passed away after a 10 year battle with Alzheimer's. photo sessions here and there. and now we're just getting over a quick flu bug. all while preparing for Christmas! thankfully, the illness missed the little ones. so far... 

I've been attempting to clean out and organize photos and videos on my computer and ran across this one today. these kids... they're honestly our own little hilarious tv sitcom! enjoy... and yes, I had to stop recording to explain to her the fine line of abuse and play. I still giggled quite a bit ;)

also, feel free to donate to our Walk to End Alzheimer's team!

road ready

Today was a first for me. There are many firsts in life. Many more when you have children. Today's first may have topped the charts for me so far. 

Peyton, our baby... kidding, he's the eldest :(  has his temporary permit for driving. I made up that title. I don't even care! He can drive! Legally! Not alone. Thank you, Jesus, not alone! Even Jesus has rules, and for that, I am thankful! 

Nonetheless, he is right.this.minute. on his way with Dave's brother to a city not within walking distance to our home to get Casey some ice cream. Because for reasons I do not ask a woman on her due date the ice cream was again, not within walking distance to our home!

Where am I going with this blog post? I'm not entirely sure. Oh yes...

do NOT allow your children to leave the house. ever. ever again. 

The End.

okay, okay. I'm kidding... a little.

today was so good. Peyton is *so* excited to be driving. and I'm excited (no, that's not the word... but a word will come to me... someday) for him!

first he passed his vision test. darn it.

then he went ahead and passed the "written" test. darn it! 
confused him because they now do it on the computer ;)

and then they took his photo for a license some day, and there was this awkward woman taking photos and crying in the waiting line. she was weird.

congratulations, Peyton! you're one step closer to being an adult. and me kicking you out to live on your own. I'm kidding. I'll never kick you out, Peyton! We can cosleep until you're 33... wait... 

also, I'm tracking you ;)

brothers

nothing warms my heart more than watching my kids get along. this week has been beautiful November weather, unreal really. Tayt and Will walked around the yard for about an hour and ended under the pine trees, likely throwing pinecones. I can only imagine the conversation happening :)

baby talks

currently: cleaning out my iPhoto on my computer and reminiscing. 
time, you're a jerk! he's killin my ovaries!

the usual

as usual, I'm struggling at keeping up with this blogging thing. recently we had family photos take, and I'm in LOVE! 

things are slowing down a bit. less photos. less school activities. less illness. but I'm sure all of that is about to pick up as soon as I post this. such is life. never slowing down.

hope you're all enjoying the autumn season!

rowdy rocks 4K

Drew has successfully completed four classes (2 weeks) of her 4yo kindergarten program. Her classes are 2 days a week for 2-1/2 hours. I had absolutely *no* doubt she was going to love school. She is the most outgoing of all the children. Loves everyone. Friends with everyone. She's quite the lover, this one :)

every morning I drop her off and she beats me to the door. she has her folder out, backpack hung, and is in the door before I can throw out a quick hi to any other mothers dropping kids off. she gives her teacher her folder, grabs her name off the table, and never looks back. kisses and hugs and goodbyes never happen cause she's gone before I know it! this is probably easier for me :)

day 4 * just as excited as day 1

Duke patiently waits for the kids to get off the bus almost every afternoon.  

makes sure they do actually get off the bus

and then we repeat it all over again the following day :)

bright smiles and mean mugs

occasionally all three of them take naps. at the same time. and it's like Heaven. but even better is when they wake and are in the best of moods. I'll let these videos speak for themselves. 

uncharted territory

other titles considered for this post:
if you need anything, check the office
The Office: The Point of No Return
the place that makes me cry every time I see it
company is here. quick! shut the door!
mom! I can't find my...   okay, I'll quit now ;)

where to begin. where to begin! I feel as though I've done this post before. Oh yes, I have... my office was clean in 2011 and then again 6 months later, still 2011. I'm quite convinced it hasn't been clean SINCE. don't judge.

side note: I'm reading this book currently, and I'm happy to report I'm sorta kinda almost thinking about cleaning the.entire.house. 

back to the point. my office. I dread going in there. what was supposed to be the 'organization of our home' has quickly turned into the place we put everything that doesn't have a place. in this home, that's about everything you can imagine. beads. scissors. old folders. old bills. broken anything that I thought I'd fix but never will. you name it, it's in there. the worst part about it, I have a beautiful desk that I absolutely love and never use. some would question how much I actually love it then if I don't actually use it. I know, I know. I'm working on it. okay, I'm not really working on it. I'm living and thinking about working on it.

again. back to the point. my dream office space. I'm SO indecisive. I like so many things. I guess you could say I like the vintage look. I like color. I would love to be organized. and lastly, I'd love to have.less.crap.

someday when we build, I would *love* this room in our home. absolutely the best!

Traditional Kids by Dallas Home Builders Ellen Grasso & Sons, LLC

these vintage storage thingies are unique and colorful and everything I want but have no idea how to make work :|

this seems like a no brainer for our home. I might actually need to do this in the kitchen. keep the kids busy while I'm cooking. or any time really! 

bright. clean! those chairs. sold! I currently have a desk similar to the one in this photo. you can't see it. it's buried. but I know it's there ;)

our office space has a huge closet with no doors. I think something like this would be perfect for this spot!

mostly, I want my office space to be inviting. and relaxing. and clean! that'd be really cool. we're fortunate enough to have an office space solely for that purpose. we really should be taking advantage of it. and by we, I mean me. 

someday office goodies (click on photo to take you source):

I could browse all things office supplies forever. Pens. Notebooks. Journals. Pencils. Paper clips. Neat, old chairs. Neat, new chairs. Shelving. You name it. It's my beef...as my teenagers would say ;)

for those few of you not fortunate enough to have a designated space just for working, I was informed of these really neat shared office spaces via wework! let us go to Portland. bee-E-you-tee-full!!! Sarah, we're comin for ya!

ten. seven. five. three. one. all the tears.

unfortunately, I *still* haven't found a way to stop time. I'd even settle for time to ssslllooowww down! but alas, another school year has begun. 

in summers past, I haven't been ready for the kids to go back to school. this year... they were driving me bonkers the last couple   few weeks   month. goodness! I haddd to pack them up and head to our best neighbor evers pool a few times in the last few weeks in hopes of not locking them all in a room together and leaving!

and now as I sit here in the middle of the day. Will napping. girls snacking and watching Sophia. I miss them. it's quiet. too quiet. this is most likely preparation for the day when they're out of the house, but I don't like it one bit.

enough rambling. photos!

first, the 'school age kids.'

from left to right: 

Tayt (7) - 3rd grade

Lia (12) - 7th grade

Austyn (10) - 5th grade

Peyton (15) - 10th grade

Nash (6) - 1st grade

and now I'll cry myself to sleep for a nap instead of anything else that needs to be done around here :(

shockingly, I only took a total of 14 photos. and of course Dave drives by in the butcher truck just a honkin' at the kids. had to laugh at this one :)

get serious kids!

and then we added em all in :)

a couple things about this photo... Will may or may not have just nose dived into the gravel. finished drive way, yay!!! and Peyton may or may not be patting Tayt on the shoulder. nice and gentle. looks can be deceiving people. ;)

this one on the other hand, they are, in fact, being nice.

Drew (Rowdy) starts a 3yo preK program this year, twice a week, and she is *beyond* ready and excited to go. imagine the sheer terror.disappointment.sadness when I told her she was not riding the bus yesterday. or ever actually. glad I caught this photo before I broke the news to her.  :|

and this one just because. come on! none of my kids had curls like this!

we cleaned. we ate lunch. we did laundry. we played outside. we went to the park. we napped. we watched them get off the bus! not a bad first day at all :)

and I'm still sad today that they're all back to school :( wishing all of you and your kiddos a happy first week of school. if you have little ones at home, enjoy it! before you know it, they'll be gone!

for the record, Drew and Meg dressed themselves. a nice break from tutus, pjs, and yesterdays dirty clothes :)