Lovely, lovely life

It feels like I’ve hardly taken the time to post lately, but I’m really OK over here. Things are going very well, actually.

Last weekend I went to a really amazing Christian homeschool conference with Mary Grace. It was such a wonderful opportunity to really be fed on scripture and encouragement. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the many uninterrupted conversations we were able to have with two days of childless car rides and conference time, but I was taken aback by the encouragement I felt being in such a place. There were so many good speakers covering such topics as raising daughters to be helpmeets, encouraging courtship rather than modern dating, biblical protection of daughters, biblical support for homeschooling, and tons more. I know there were some other topics specifically geared towards the more educational aspects of homeschooling, but we were both drawn more to the spiritually encouraging messages. I walked away from the conference with so very much to think and pray over. It’s so easy to see God’s work in the world when you go to such a place, surrounded by people who for the most part are making great efforts to daily devote themselves to Him and are giving everything they have to raise up a generation of children devoted to serving and glorifying Him. I admit it was a little bit sad to leave after two full days and walk back into the “real world” where so many people are so blinded by the false riches this world has to offer. But that is what we are surrounded by in this world. So at least I can be thankful to have been filled up for those two days so I feel better prepared to walk along this path God has made for me.

In other news, the weather has finally shown some consistency with sunshine and warmth. Don’t get me wrong – there are still plenty of chilly, gray and wet days. But there are often a couple of days of real spring like weather in between the gray spells. So I’m happy enough with that. ;o)

Girly Pie, my sweet baby girl is turning ONE YEAR OLD a week from today. Wow. Sigh. I think that will be a whole other blog post next week. There are so very many emotions that go along with that milestone in my heart! But she is still just about the cutest little thing in the whole wide world, and we couldn’t be any more in love with that darling little girl. And she’s walking – a lot. But still crawling, too. In the next week or two she’ll make that jump to full blown walker, I predict.

Goose has been struggling with some toileting issues. I’ve not mentioned them much, because, well really, it’s just not something you mention. But somehow after a whole year of being fully potty trained, he just started being terrified to poop. So he just stopped doing it. And if you know anything about the human digestive system, that just doesn’t go over well. But, after much worry, prayer and even a few tears, we found some resources that got us down the road to recovery from what was a very unhappy place for a little boy and his family to be. So now for the most part he’s back on track and does not seem to have any more issues with fear there. Thank you Lord for answered prayers and some really great kids books on the topic! Other than that he’s still just a complete crack up. If he’s this funny at a couple months shy of three, I can’t even imagine the stuff that kid will say when he’s a little bigger. That boy is just bursting with personality!

Finny had been doing really well with his occupational therapy schedule and exercises. But due to no fault of his own, we got a little off track for a few weeks and now are in the process of picking up the pieces and trying to get back into the activity schedule. It’s just a place where I am weak, that whole schedule and structure thing. But when I look at how great he does and how happy he is when I am diligent, versus how helpless and frustrated he is when I find myself slacking off with him, it is very convicting and I know that it’s just something I need to buck up and just do to the very best of my ability.

Punky is just a delight and such an encouragement. He’s the perfect oldest brother to our family. He’s responsible, hard working and always has a super positive attitude. I just love that boy. Seven is really an amazing age. He’s so aware of so much that you would think is beyond him – but then there are times when it’s so clear that he’s just a kid. A plain old “dumb” kid (that is, of course, said with full love and in the nice, happy sort of way… I’m not calling my son dumb!). And I love that. I’m so glad he doesn’t have to be fully mature and grown up all the time. It’s so great to see him just be a goof.

So we’re in birthday mode here. Lots to plan, lots to prepare. I’m very excited for Girly Pie’s flower themed first birthday party. I hope she enjoys it. ;o) Hubby is scheduled to have her birthday off of work, so I think we’ll just find a nice way to spend it all together as a family. He’s so sweet to always schedule our kids’ birthdays off of work. Granted he makes his own schedule, so it’s not hard – but he doesn’t get paid for it. So it’s still a sacrifice. And it’s one that I love him all the more for!

And I’m still pondering ideas for school next year. Two kids at a somewhat schoolish age. Hmmm… the possibilities are endless. And our garden is almost done! As of this weekend we’re hoping to have the dirt in, so we can plant whenever we want after that! Yay!

And that’s about it. Happy stuff. So many blessings. God is so very good. ;o)

My Sweet Girly Pie

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted much on my sweet little Girly Pie. So tonight I thought it might be fun to just put up some cute pictures and updates on how our baby girl is doing.

Girly Pie just turned 11 months old. That means that next month she will celebrate her first birthday. Wow. I can hardly believe it’s been that long since she was born! Can you tell that I just don’t seem to have a real grasp on how time works? I am always shocked by how quickly everything spins by us, especially in regards to my babies!

Girly Pie is just a happy, sweet, darling little girl. It’s funny how old 11 or 12 months sounds when you first give birth to that tiny 7 or 8 pound baby. Someone else’s 11 or 12 month old looks huge and you cannot imagine you baby EVER getting there. That’s practically a toddler. It’s hard to imagine counting your child’s age in years when you’re still able to count the number of days they’ve been here on your fingers.

But when you get there, especially with your second and subsequent children, you realize how little and babyish this age really is. Really, Girly Pie is at the peak of cute babyish sweetness right now. She loves to crawl around and explore the house. She thinks peek-a-boo is the coolest thing ever. She’s like a cat – if her head is the least bit hidden, or if her eyes are just buried – she seems to think she’s really invisible. Then she’ll pop her head up with a look of complete delight in anticipation of the surprise on your face as you say, “Where’s Girly Pie? OH!!! THERE she is!” It’s pretty funny. She loves to point and babble about everything she sees. Playing in the Tupperware cupboard is much more exciting than any toy box in the house. She’s little and squishable and huggable and kissable. She’s just so dang cute you could almost eat her whole.

Girly Pie got the chance to really explore the yard last week when the sun made a short but exciting appearance for a few days. She seems completely unfazed by the pokey grass under her bare toes. She was so delighted to find that she could navigate the little backyard climbing toy by herself. She's my little climber.

That fair complexion of hers is going to be put to the test as soon as the sun comes out in earnest. Girly Pie barely kept her hat on long enough for me to snap off this shot of her. She mostly screeched and yanked at it until she got it off. Time to find some nice baby friendly sunscreen for faces, methinks.

Look at that smile. That girl is sure a charmer!


Oh, and she's a monkey, too. Every time I turn around Girly Pie finds a way to get up onto some piece of furniture. So far she's not made it on top of the dining room table or the kitchen counter. But I'm thinking I'd better watch out...

Our dog Jake is quite happy to have a little one around who does not yet know the rule about not feeding the dog from the table.

Look... she's got JUST enough hair to eek out pigtails. Isn't she cute!?

And yes, she's taking steps now. She's not what I'd qualify as an official walker yet, but she is getting steadier and taking more steps each day. I'm sure that by her birthday she'll have given up crawling as her main mode of transportation and will have moved onto bipedal status.

So there you go. Just a little snippet of life with our sweet baby girl. She's just such a delight and the whole family is just enjoying her to pieces.