Let's celebrate the first snow!!

The littles. And me.

• Lyla's newest. She has to have everything whole...bananas, bars, fruit leathers. Everything. If I break off a part, or bite off a part, she falls apart. Looks like a little training is in order!
• Ethan says our house is cold. He said, "I'm touning to ice!" I told him to put some clothes on. He cried.
• I tried this http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/ . Elijah cried. He thought I was mad. I laughed so hard I cried. Now he thinks I'm crazy.

It's a Lightning McQueen, prince, happy kind of day!

Today is the big day! My Ethan Landry is 3. I. Can't. Believe it! Has it really been 3 years?! We lost our Cars movie over a year ago. But Ethan still loves Lightning! He said, "It will be my bewthday. You all will sing happy bewthday to ME! And I will eat a why keen {lightning mcqueen} bewthday cake!" He was so excited about this for the past 2 weeks :) Seeing him smile makes my heart melt. So today he is a prince. He gets whatever he wants. All day. He gets to be spoiled. Rotten. For 1 day. That is what I would want. He wants oatmeal for breakfast. Pancakes for lunch. And pancakes for dinner. So that is what we will have. I made a banner for him and hung up some streamers. He opened his gift before Papa went to work. Elijah made him a sweet card. And bought him {with his own money} a color changing lightning mcqueen car and a grabber thing. We got him some mcqueen slippers. He LOVED it! And tonight, after pancakes, we are going to surprise the boys with Build-a-Bear. I can't wait to see their faces! Birthdays are a fun thing around here! I hope it's always as special as it is right now. Happy 3rd birthday to my oh-so-sweet, strong-willed and very intense, loving, funny, little Ethan! I love everything about you with all my heart.

Never A Dull Moment. 4

Well though it has been a while, I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not...Ethan has passed along his "love" for baby powder to Lyla Jane...so twice in the past couple weeks one whole 15oz bottle of Johnson and Johnson's baby powder {about half each time} has found it's way onto the carpet and the couches and in the bird cage and on the coffee tables and all over two very guilty and darling children...once I was eating and the other time cleaning up the kitchen. Both times I suddenly smell this very strong powdery fresh smell...to which I say a bit aggravated, "Who is playing with the powder?!" And faintly from around the corner I hear Ethan. "Me and baby was..." So off to trouble..and a couple days later, same scenario. The good thing? Ethan has learned how to vacuum! And Lyla Jane? Well Lyla decided she won't touch the powder for a while...instead she takes the birdie food {by the handfuls} and throws it all over the carpet and couches and coffee tables instead...{sigh} Today though. Today was different...I sent my big boy Ethan into the bathroom to dispose of his potty diaper, use the toilet and put on some big boy undies...I went downstairs to help Elijah find some plain white paper. Ethan still hasn't come out...so I go in. Then I go right back out of the flooded bathroom. Breathe. He is just a curious little boy. God help me deal with him with out getting angry...so I go back in. GASP. The hand towel is stuck down the toilet. He said he flushed "a really lot of times" Only about 1 inch of water covering the entire floor...a few towels will take care of that. But then I see he has taken out the bubble bath. And squirted it all over the toilet, floor, tub...I guess he wanted a bubble flood? This all took place in about 3 minutes flat. That's my boy! Very efficient :) Needless to say the clean-up was a bit more than 3 minutes. But somehow his sweet, "I sowy fo doin dat mama." Makes it all better. Really. I love those little knuckleheads! There is NEVER a dull moment!

Some October fun...

feels. like. fall.

i. love. fall. crisp days. kids want cider. or hot nilla milk. i always want chai tea. we wear pjs longer. watch the rain and wind outside. even close our eyes and listen to the drops on the skylihgts. little birdies on a feeder out the front window. bible. then books. lots of books. the coziest blankets. if its not raining. walking. walking is lovely. or a short bike ride. i have to wear a hat. or my ears hurt. ever get that? baby in a stroller. if we had a dog, dog on a leash. rubber boots. yellow. orange. brown. red. some green. soup in the crock pot. smells so good. mixed with the smell of fall flavored candles, they smell even better when they are a gift from wonderful welcoming new friends. quietness part of the time. kids squealing joyously the other part. singing from the hymnal. anxiously awaiting 530 when the man comes home. fall feels like the beginning. the beginning of colder days. of pretty lights and cinnamon. of the celebration of a little baby. our lord and king. who came just to die for us. so we can all have that new beginning. that new life. all of these blessings in a clearer light. each season. each day. new. i. love. fall.

We are settled!

I am so thankful for the Lord's provision once again! It still amazes me when we have been praying for something and He answers with such clarity. We have been wanting a slower paced lifestyle for quite a while and just haven't had the means. As most of you know, Thomas lost his job back in January of 08. That was a very rough and low time for both of us. No job for 3 months is a scary thing, I can't imagine those of you doing it for any longer! But praise the Lord He ALWAYS provides. I am so thankful we went thru that time. We both got a wonderful chance to see God work and to grow closer to Him. Our only source of income was from me babysitting. But we made it! Not only did we make it, but we made it without missing or even being late on a single bill! But as far as our dreams of slowing down, that seemed so far away. Both of us strongly desired to have me stay home, so me going out and finding a job was out of the question. We knew it was bad when T called 17 grocery stores within a huge radius of our house and NO ONE would hire him. At this point in tim Thomas had 13 years grocery experience!! So 3 months go by and still nothing. Then Thomas calls Super Supplements. Just to see, again, if they have any openings...You know that God is in it when a job you had been trying to get into 2 years prior just so happens to have an opening. Not just any opening but management. Now he was in management before, but making about 50% less! WOW. Wow. Thats all we could say. And within a a 6 month period he got a 4% raise, then a 3.5% raise, then any oppurtunity at a rural store, and another 5% raise! God is so good to us. It brings me to tears because we don't deserve one bit of it! Here we are sitting in a wonderful house, with lots of room to grow our family. And it has a yard! A Yard! We have NEVER had a yard before! And this one is HUGE! Thank you God! Thank you for always taking care of us, and for providing abundantly above anything we ask or think! We serve a great God. I am so excited to be in another wonderful church with great foundations! We can't wait to start serving in church and in our neighborhood. I know there will be trials and fire and low times. But God is still good and through Him we can do anything. So. Here are a few photos of another present from the Lord. Enjoy!

My little Lyla Jane. Getting so big!

My little darling is one!

Lyla Jane. You are so, so precious to me. And your Papa. And your big brothers. You are so sweet and strong and serious and smiley. We all love you more than anything. You are our little sunshine, given to us to brighten our lives. Thank you God! You are one. Walking. Talking {in your own language but none the less}. Cuddling. Very expressive. Just beautiful. Happy. You're so loving. You want to do just what your big brothers can do. You're girly yet you love the dirt. And rocks. And water. You love to climb. And you're brave. You love to laugh. You love to growl. You love to smile. You love to tease. You love animals. And shoes. You know just what you want. And you know that if you hollar just loud enough, someone will probably give in. It has been so much fun watching you over the last year. You are an amazing daughter already and we can't wait to get to know you even more over the coming years. God bless you little darling. And Happy First Birthday!

She's doing it!

Lyla Jane is now 11 months and she is taking off! She still prefers to crawl but she can walk!!

Summer fun is here! {even if the sun isn't completely cooperating}

June has brought a few sunny days but lots of fun activities!! We have been busy busy going from one thing to another. And the kids are loving it! We have been to the pool a few times, Woodland Park Zoo a couple times, lots of trips to the park, visited Seattle Children's Museum, BBQ's, dinners with friends and family, shopping at the outlets and some evening walks and bike rides with the family. We feel so blessed to have such great friends and family to be with! Now if the sun would just make a decision to stay out, that would be great! But, even if it doesn't we will not let that stop us from enjoying the summer!!

My little sleeping beauty

My guys are off hiking today! I love them!