A most beautiful girl

Ok, before I get into my post, I will briefly address my 11 month blogging hiatus: I've been busy.

Moving on...

A couple of years ago, I met this young girl who was babysitting for our small group and needed a ride into church every Thursday night.  She's fun and bubbly, and I've gotten to know her pretty well during those 20 minute drives every week since then.  I've learned a lot about how much she doesn't like math and how much she loves Burrus corn.  But something more than that, I've seen this girl grow into an awesome woman of God.  She struggles with all the same things that teenagers struggle with, but  she knows the loving God who's with her through it all. 

Crae loves children with a passion and she has found a very special place in the hearts of my children and me.

She lives right around the corner and often shows up to play with the kids or take them to the park.  Last summer, she surprised me by teaching Jadon how to pump his legs on the swing without me even knowing!  Now, that's the way to a Momma's heart!!

Crae is a senior in high school this year, so I asked her if I could do her senior pictures for her as an early graduation gift.  She wanted to take the kids to the park to do them, which is so typical of her. I really don't know what we're going to do if she goes off to college next year.  We'll miss her for sure, but I'm so proud of who she's become. 

Congratulations, Crae!  We love you.

first words

When you are the fourth in line, sometimes life is rough. 

Big brothers take your toys. 

Or big sister won't let you chew on her markers. 

But sometimes life is easy... too easy.  You never have to do much to get attention. 

After a year, you still don't feel the need for walking or talking because you have brothers and sister around 24/7 to bring you every toy or tell Mommy you need a snack. 

Until one night you're up a little late and something shiny catches your eye.  You point up at it, look over at Daddy and say "buffoon!!"

That's another rough thing about being number 4, sometimes boys have to play with princess 'buffoons'

Conversations with a 4 year old

On vacation, fixing a plate of pancakes for my boy~

Jadon: I want not too much peanut butter, but too much syrup.

Same vacation, early morning in the tent, looking up at the sky~

Jadon: Mom, look, the day is coming!

Later that same day, trying to get things packed up~

Me: Get away from the campsite and go play in the parking lot!

This morning, as I was getting ready for church~

Jadon: Mommy, do you know why we have 2 shoes?

Me: Why, JJ?

Jadon: Because we have 2 feet.

Gotta love that boy!

My life as a Circus

Life has a way of spiralling out of control every once in a while.  Take this week for example: my husband, a banker worked 16 hours yesterday.  SIXTEEN!! With hours like that, no one should ever make comments about him working "banker's hours." Anyway, this post is supposed to be about my circus life.  We're a little crazy around here.  Homeschooling, sick kids having chest xrays, Mom2Mom on Fridays, plus all the prep time, and redefining the term "banker's hours." So isn't it appropriate that this year our family Halloween theme was the Circus!

We even made a "Rodies' Big Top" trunk for Trunk or Treat this year.

My dear scruffy husband is certainly the ringleader for this crew.

Chloe kept reminding everyone that she was a "male" lion, because the females do not have manes.

Micah is definitely our "class clown" so I thought the costume was appropriate.

Jadon loved the elephant costume that we borrowed.  I heard a trumpetting elephant all week after this.

And, yes, that is my sick little man out in the cold.  Don't worry, we didn't stay long.  And he still managed to get well, despite the cold weather and all the sugar the other kids kept sneaking him.

Where did she go?

So this past month, I'm sure you've been wondering where we went.  I mean, there's no more softball, so surely we've been home enough to do some blogging.  Well, not exactly.  Since there is no softball, my dear husband has decided he needs to make up for it with fishing.  LOTS of fishing! Fishing for BIG fish!

So this is where we've been.  On this dock.

Fishing for these fish.

And this 34 lbs, bigger-than-my-now-4-year-old fish.

And this one, too.

Kevin said his dad tried to play it cool, but I think he was pretty pleased with the biggest-catch-of-his-life fish.  What do you think?