All in a days work

So I had forgotten to add some of the fabulous pictures my sister has taken while watching our littles while I'm at work the past couple of months.

It brings me such joy and connection when I get to see little pieces of their day.  Especially when most of our day is apart from one another!

Shiloh got her Aunt D to give her two little buns!

So fun fall leaf rubbings.

There are many books to be read.

And sometimes fun outings to be had.

Sweet moments amongst the chaos.

She has such a great eye for capturing in the moment moments.

Such a blessing to watch them grow and get to spend time with one another!

My 8 month old growing little man

This month has been pretty rough on Ezra's momma....so lack of pictures and energy here.  Poor Ezra got his first sicknesses, with a high fever and then a cold.  His momma was not able to give him any immunity, as she was hit by it too (awful stress).  But overall, he continued to be a great baby, not even too fussy when sick.  I could tell he hasn't been his always smiley self though!

Ezra sure got to moving this month.  He went from barely crawling to getting around hard core with his combat crawl.  To my dismay I have also witnessed him pull himself to standing....slow down sweet baby of mine. (Don't worry we moved his crib down after I came in and saw him doing this!)

We have finally gotten around to the whole food thing and have done some baby weaning.  The few foods he has tried he has accepted and seemed to greatly enjoy.  Although sometimes you would think I have never done this before and forget to put a bib on him.  When we have family dinners at my parents house, it is crazy town as my girls seem to respond a lot to the energy, so poor boy doesn't get as much attention.

Ez still loves his momma's milk and even gets to enjoy it outside sometimes when Aunt D watches him!  Although feeding him has become a sport, at times, as he is twisting and turning and too busy to drink sometimes.

The upcoming holidays should be fun, as I'm trying to soak up these precious moments of firsts with probably my last little babe!

Spoof Mat (Becoming crunchy - Part III)

(I think I totally forgot about this little series that I had started but am picking it back up again.  If you missed it you can see Part I -Spinal Care and Part II - My Placenta.)

So in my quest for healthy natural living another interesting piece that actually leaves indentions in my body....a Spoonk mat.  I came across this product on a blog I trusted, and it had great reviews.  Why not....I could use more peace and rest in my life so I asked for it for the holidays.

Beach thought it was crazy that I would want to use it but I actually have no problem sleeping on it at all!  Sometimes, if I'm wearing a tank top, it does leave more of an indentation (which obviously fades) but doesn't disturb my nap!  And let me tell you I love my nap time!  Always under 30 minutes, even just 10 really hits a reset button for me and this mat has taken it up a notch!  Little home acupuncture session, while I sleep, yes please!

Surprise! And shock! (In a good way)

We don't get to see Beach's brothers often, as in years go by before another met up.  This is hard, but this is the case due to the many many miles between us.  Beach's little brother, Donald, teaches English in South Korea, so that visit is out of the question.  

So you can imagine the shock when we were trick-or-treating and came up to our house to see a car pulling into our driveway.  Then there was a 6'7" shadow figure walking toward us in the shadows.  Shock.  Pure shock.  Donald had been in the country for over a month and kept it a secret in order to surprise us!

He had not met the 2 littles before and Zoe just once, when she was a babe, so it was nice for everybody to feel the Donald love. 

I'm not sure if Donald had any real idea what visiting a house full of three high maintenance children was really like, but he was a good sport.  He taught the art of cushion fort making. 

Brotherly technology.

Beach misses his family and it sure was good to reconnect.

All dinners should include wine and Donald.

It worked out that I had taken the day off of work when Zoe was out of school for election day, so a zoo trip was in order.

It was fun that we, also, saw many friends there.

The final night Donald was an extra good sport and received decorations from the girls.

Complete with beard tweezing from Zoe.

We were thankful for such a great surprise and all the more that we will get to see him for Christmas before he heads back overseas!

Glimpes of October

After the rounds of sickness seem to be done with our house....I am excited to return to getting in regular exercise.  This is powered by Loveland Coffee, YouTube videos and content children.

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The kids love going to the kiosk....it's a special time when Zoe gets to go now too (as she is now almost always in school).  She usually gets some extra love from daddy along with her "coffee".

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Some nights just call for the "easy route" in the form of green smoothies for dinner and popcorn and a movie.  Partly because of all the craziness! 

One of the best parts of colder weather = footie PJs.

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I love getting the girls in on the pumpkin carving project.

And I love that they don't mind the messiness of it all anymore.

Beach worked hard and created a pumpkin that he knew they would love!

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Zoe got chosen for an award at her school called the "Heart Act to Follow".

I wasn't sure how the littles would do going to the ceremony with me.

But the fact that my girls had some snacks that they never usually get helped!

Each child got their award and they explained why they were honored. 

Zoe earned hers for showing perseverance.  She wanted to make sure that she got done writing all of her letters, even when it meant sacrificing outdoor playground time.

This is a picture of all the kids from school that were honored. It is great that they focus on growing such positive qualities among the students!

Their "WOW" faces!

Zoe loves her teacher and wanted to show her the certificate!

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Ezra has an affect on the ladies.  Enjoyed getting to meet another extended cousin!

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Date nights are rare at this time in our lives....but I had found this groupon months ago (and had been on a waiting list) for throwing pottery.

 It was a nice time together for a mid-week date and we each got to create three pots! 

There is something so therapeutic about the feeling and process of the clay, almost a divine connection to the Creator!

Thankful that this man loves creating art as much as I do!

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The only little amongst our family with a fall birthday!  Lydia turns one!  Special little girl!

The 2s enjoyed the cupcakes for sure! 

Poppy had the magic touch with rocking Ezra to sleep under the outdoor lights for a great way to end that night!
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Sometimes a girl just needs to climb a tree.

Or ride a tractor.

It was a month of blessing others and receiving blessings...love to pass around the love!