the summer of 2015

I wish I could just skip this post altogether, but I can't.  I'll apologize in advance for the lengthiness.  But it needs to be recorded, and I'll start with the heavy.

April/May/June

The story of this summer has been a sad one.

Most of you know that we buried one of our best friends.  He was a childhood friend of Josh's.  He and Josh were hunting buddies.  He and Josh have hunting stories galore.  He married my cousin.  He was in our wedding.  We went to church together for the last 15 years.  Our kids have grown up together.  

He went into the hospital in early April and was diagnosed with cancer shortly thereafter.  He came home in hospice care in June and died a few weeks later.  

Throughout the ordeal, Josh and I looked at each other time and time again and said, "Is this really happening?  Is Rob really dying?"  It was surreal to write his obituary and to attend his viewing and funeral.  

What was beautiful to see through the depths of great sorrow was the way our church family stood with Rob and Jen throughout Rob's battle.  And not only them, they stood with us as well.  Josh and I spent countless hours with Rob and Jen during those months.  Friends and family were watching our kids and cooking meals for us so that we could spend as much time with Rob and Jen as possible.  It is something that would have never crossed my mind in the past.  It will be at the top of my list in the future to love and bless those in supporting roles.  It was humbling and a blessing to say the least.  

What a joy it was to know Rob and call him our friend.  He will be forever missed.

July

July brought some nicer weather and some much appreciated rest at the lake.  It also gave Josh some time to work on our house.  He has worked steadily since July and has accomplished much.

He passed a couple of necessary inspections and has a date in October marked on the calendar where things need to be "livable" per our government.  He doesn't want to pay to renew our permits, so he's working as hard as he can to get things to the "livable" point.  I, for one, am thankful for the deadline.  He works well with a goal in mind. :)

July also brought some sad news.  Our dog, Tucker (he'll be 12 in November), has a tumor in his mouth.  While we know that he won't live much longer, it doesn't seem to be bothering him.  He drools much more than before, and Josh has to doctor his food so that it is softer.  He continues to be playful and has been enjoying all of the extra, extra walks with the girls.  We even had a photo shoot with him yesterday which consisted of him lying on his back time and time again as I tried to take pictures of him with the girls.  He just wanted to play, and the girls were getting a big kick out of it. 

On a positive note, volleyball started in July!  This has been the highlight of the summer for the girls.  Claire tried out for the volleyball team in May, and she found out on her birthday that she made it.  Poor Meredith really wanted to try out, but she'll need to wait until next year. :)  She is on the 4-6 grade training team, and that is whetting her appetite for now.  

August

With the unexpected schedule through April, May, and June, I wasn't quite as ready for school in August as I would have liked to have been.  The last couple of years, I have ordered all of our curriculum right after the end of school.  I would put away the old, organize the new, and be ready to plan in August.  Not this year.  We started a week ago today, and I still didn't feel as prepared as I would have liked.

Claire and Meredith actually both started some of their subjects without me during the two weeks before I was ready to begin.  You know it's bad when the students are more ready to start than the teacher.  They kind of kicked my rear end into gear. :)  I feel like I keep them accountable most of the time, but maybe the tables are beginning to turn.  

Volleyball games started this month which have forced me to be o.r.g.a.n.i.z.e.d. and prepped for meals.  I saw a fabulous idea on facebook to help with lunch prep, and we've been using that for the days when we have volleyball games.  It has worked nicely, and I've decided to serve our big meal for lunch on early volleyball game days instead of dinner.  So far, so good.  We'll see what September brings.  

August has also brought an unexpected desire for me to eat healthier, exercise regularly, go to bed earlier, and get up earlier.  I'm not sure I'm succeeding on all accounts, but I've definitely made some positive changes.  Unfortunately, I love cookies a little too much.  I know we've discussed this before.  Thankfully, my good friend, Deanna, makes these awesome healthy cookies.  She assures me that I can eat a lot of them, and I take comfort in that.  I don't argue.  I just eat the cookies and trust her words.  Pass me another healthy cookie, friend...  

We also FINALLY got internet back in our house.  Our phone and internet have been out all summer.  I kid you not...all.summer.long...since like May.  It's been a little weird and kind of nice, and I've become an expert at doing everything (but blogging) on my phone.  Blessing and a curse, I tell you.  We still don't have our phone in working order.  Maybe someday.  

September

September is going to be a busy volleyball month.  (Can you tell I'm totally turning into a volleyball mom?  Sorry that you're going to have to hear about it for the next 15 years if all of my girls decide to play.)  

Our co-op also starts in September, and I agreed to be in charge this year.  Sometimes I question my sanity, but I just had to take the reins.  My friend, Cari, was formerly in charge, and her husband had cancer a few years ago.  And she was donating a kidney this summer.  And she has six kids.  I told myself, "Your husband does not have cancer, you're not donating a kidney, you don't have a baby, you're not pregnant, and your youngest child is four.  What is your excuse?!!"  I had none.  I knew I could handle it.  And Deanna promised to help.  Thankfully, she's been a super-awesome assistant, and she's done almost all of the grunt work.  She makes me look good!

I hope September is treating all of you well.  I'm sorry if I don't tell you enough that I'm thankful to have you as my friends.  And if you were all here, I'd give you a hug...so instead, a virtual hug, right here.  Maybe I'll get caught up on reading blogs, but let's be honest and realistic...I probably won't.  I'll just pick up bits and pieces where I can.  If anything major has happened, just tell me.  Happy September to you, my friends!

on mothers day without photos

As I scrolled through my facebook feed, I saw photo after photo of my friends with their kiddos celebrating Mothers Day.  They were truly beautiful.  I, on the other hand, posted no photos of my children today.  I didn't have any.

I'll admit that I had good intentions to take my camera along with me today to snap a shot or two of my girls with their grandmas and maybe even one with me.  I mean, I had to speak in front of church this morning for a few minutes.  This means that I definitely wore make up, had my hair just right, and even wore a nice spring-y shirt.  In theory, it would have made for a nice photo.

But I dropped the ball.  My good intentions were put on the back burner as I remembered my print-out for church, the strawberry shortcake for dessert at my in-laws, and my church bag.  We were on time to church, and I didn't forget any of the essentials.  Phew!  That's really a major accomplishment in and of itself.

So, to all of you moms out there that didn't post photos of your kiddos today...consider this your pass.  You're a mom.  I know you had a million other things that consumed your mind today.  Whatever the case may be, it's okay.  You're good.  I didn't do it either.

And tomorrow, let's all band together and buy t-shirts that read: World's Okayest Mom

Who's with me?

Happy Mother's Day to the most okayest moms I know.  I love you all to pieces.

lake pics

We spent a week at the lake a couple of weeks ago.  We had absolutely gorgeous weather and made lots of memories.   

Monday was spent painting fingernails with the new nail art kit that Grandma had bought with Amelia on the way up to the lake the day before.  Now, let me tell you that I'm not a fan of little girls painting their own nails.  I completely understand that they need to practice to improve, but it makes this Mama a bit crazy to have them all wanting to do it all at the same time...at your parents' lake cottage.  

This may have caused me a bit of stress.  I told Josh that I was not having fun on this particular morning, and (after everyone's nails had sufficiently dried) he ordered everyone to put on swimsuits and jump in the lake.  This improved my sanity greatly.  And on a side note, I'm going to beg my mom to go with the hula-hoops next time. :)

We ended the day with ice cream from the local ice cream shop and a pontoon ride (or "contoon" as Olivia calls it...she also calls her swimsuit her swimsoup...and popsicles hotsicles)  

Tuesday was another swim day along with an all-family wave runner ride.  Claire, Josh, and Amelia ended up in the water at one point.  After Amelia finished crying, she thought she might want to fall in again.  The girls and Josh also went tubing.  

Grandma and Grandpa came back on Wednesday, but we were gone most of the day enjoying some time with friends.  

Thursday was spent playing and preparing for more friends and family.  Josh's parents came for a visit and a pontoon ride on Thursday.  

Amelia and Eden can finally sit next to each other without fighting at mealtime. :)  Eden is currently OBSESSED with Meredith.  Anytime Jill asks Eden what she would like to eat, drink, do, etc., she responds, "Well, what is Meredith having/doing/etc.?"  Every. single. time.

The breakfast crew...where are Grandpa's smiles?!

 Amelia caught a nice catfish:

Claire hooked a soft-shell turtle:

Meredith and Carter are inseparable when they're together:

This Meredith/Carter relationship amazes me each and every time we're together.  Our families get together 2-3 times per year, and they play together (almost non-stop) for several hours straight.  I have a picture of them together from 2009 (when they were 4), and I distinctly remember them not leaving each other's side that day either.  They eat together, swim together, play together, talk to each other, and wait to do anything while the other one is in the bathroom.  It's awfully sweet.

Lake days have always been some of my favorite days and continue to be.  Looking forward to spending more time up there before school starts.    

summer in pictures

Two boys with their new toy.  There are benefits to having your friends as neighbors.  (And I just love how Josh and Brian are dressed alike...so sweet.)

summer in pictures

We caught up with our former neighbor, Kay, for some conversation and a round of Sorry!  What a sweet, sweet lady.  

summer in pictures

We loved cuddling with little Nick this summer.  So precious.  

summer in pictures

Our girls and the neighbor girls chalked the sidewalk at the lake.  It was so cute...the photo doesn't even do it justice.  

camping themed birthday party

Birthday parties.  I'm not typically a big fan.  This year, though, Claire is turning 10.  Ten seems like a pretty big deal, so I decided to actually do something special for Claire for her 10th birthday.  

I asked on facebook several months ago for some ideas for a 10th birthday party.  My friend, Heather, linked me to Dramatic Fanatic.  For $35, I purchased a mystery party that can be used for 8-16 girls.  Claire chose the Summer Camp Mystery, and we invited 16 girls to our house.

So we had a party. :)  And it wasn't nearly as crazy as you might think!

Of course, Pinterest came to my rescue.  I found a fabulous invitation online {although I can't find the link to it at the moment}, and I used the image from it to make the invites.  It was a free download, and I was able to plug in our info.  It had a large fingerprint as well as the silhouette of a detective lady with a magnifying glass.  

I fed the envelopes through the printer as well and put the image on the back of the envelopes with a tagline that said, "Help us catch the criminal, unless of course, it's you..."

So fun.  

So, 16 girls arrived at our house at 6:15 tonight.  And, as far as I could tell, the entire party was a hit.  The best part was that a couple of Claire's friends are a bit older {and fabulous actresses}, and they ran the majority of the party for me.  Most of the moms stayed and chatted it up outside on the deck, so I pretty much owe these girls for letting us have a mom's night out! :)  

Like I said, the theme of the party was a Summer Camp Mystery, so we decorated with camping food/decor.  It was super easy and fairly inexpensive!  

Here are some pics:

 

 

The Menu:

-caterpillars: grapes on kabob sticks with little eyes attached with frosting {I didn't have those attached when I took the pictures}

-bananas: cut into chunks and served in an aluminum pie plate

-cupcakes and individual ice cream cups {the only way to go for a party!!}

-fruit cups: strawberries, frozen blueberries, mandarin oranges

-mud pies: gluten free chocolate cookies {made by my good friend, Amanda}

-s'mores on a stick: large marshmallows on popsicle sticks, dipped in chocolate and rolled in crushed graham crackers

-wild animals: animal crackers served in an aluminum pie plate

-firewood: cream wafer rolls cut into chunks and stacked like firewood

-dirt pudding: served in cups

-water bottles: covered with fun duct tape and camp critters hot-glued to the side

I purchased almost all of my supplies at the Dollar Tree.  There I purchased the tablecloth, plates, napkins, popsicle sticks, critters for the water, brown bags, and pie plates.  Seriously, I only spent $10 for the supplies for this party!!  I really wanted the pie plates for the girls for their serving dishes, but they were 2 for $1.  I just couldn't justify paying $8 for 16 plates when I could buy 28 checkered ones for $2.

I used regular cans from this week's dinner for spoon holders.  I cut a napkin and wrapped it around the cans to make them a bit cuter.  

I used marshmallows to hold all of the food labels as well as to add a few more pieces of decor.  I found all of the printable camping pictures from the camping preschool unit from 2 Teaching Mommies.     Those ladies have a ton of themes...I knew I could find what I was looking for! 

My mother-in-law brought over a lantern as well as some big old binoculars and their holder.  Like I said, super simple decor in this house!!  I'm all about the simple.  

For favors, we put together some s'more packs for the girls to take home.  They included enough supplies to make two s'mores.  I found these fun s'more printables from The TomKat Studio.  

I fed some brown paper bags through my printer to put a message on the favor bags.  I didn't know if the bags would go through, but they did!  Total score.  Claire was impressed. 

We had a great time, and overall, this was a really easy party to put together.  It was my first kid birthday party ever, and I'm thankful to have a two year break before the next one.  I don't think I could do this 4 times a year!  I'm pretty sure that we'll probably go the same route for child #2.  Looking forward to it!

celebrating amelia

We have a Peep and the Big Wide World theme going this year for birthday cakes.  I don't think that this cake looks a lot like the Peep that we see on the cartoon, but this was image that Amelia chose for her cake:

I think she turned out pretty well...although I think she looks a wee bit angrier in my cake than in the image.  But, thankfully, Amelia didn't care. :)

Our favorite neighbors, the H family, joined us for cake and ice cream.  

 .

It took her about 6 tries to get her candles blown out.  She blew at least 3 times before extinguishing even one candle.  As far as I know, the germs that ended up on the cake didn't result in illness. :)  On a side note, I love Olivia's face in the next photo!!

{Merry Christmas 2012}

To all of my readers in blogland...our family wishes you a very Merry Christmas.  Here is the Christmas letter that we sent out this week to our family and friends.  Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!  It has been a rather uneventful year in our household and will be fondly remembered as the “Year of Steady”.  Let it be known that I will take as many steady years as I am offered.  Josh and I celebrated 10 years of marriage in July, and took an absolutely glorious vacation to the Riviera Maya, Mexico, with some of our best friends, Dave and Deanna.  We spent the majority of our time holding down lounge chairs, turning pages of books, admiring the ocean, and eating and drinking the offerings at our resort.  It was relaxing, refreshing, and needed.

This year, Josh prioritized our back deck as his project of choice.  He replaced all of the deck boards, stained it, and is hoping to have it screened-in this coming summer.  He is also currently making plans to add on to our house.  We are looking to add an extra room and an attached garage.  {Please note that I am claiming this garage as my own, and all other parties will need permission to store their belongings in my garage.  I’m hoping this doesn't sound too selfish…I simply want to be able to park in it on a daily basis without being squeezed out by tools, lawn mowers, and huge bags of plastic duck decoys.  Is that too much for a girl to ask?  Long ago, Josh claimed the entire 30x40 pole barn as his own, so it only seems logical that I would be first in line for this space.}  Speaking of the barn, Josh spent many hours in his workshop this year building a full-size standing mirror and a beautiful new headboard for our bedroom.  {See, he does such nice things for me, and yet I get all possessive about this new garage.}  Hunting season has stocked the freezer with three deer and a few ducks, and we’re hoping at least one more deer will feel the need to nourish our crew.  Only time will tell.

I continue to manage and educate the crazy brood.  I have found this year to be a very enjoyable one since Olivia has become mobile and independent.  It is also much easier to keep track of a toddler who is under so much surveillance by her three older sisters.  We all really do work together to keep Olivia’s sticky little hands out of trouble.  I don’t typically have a hunting update in my section, but I am pleased to announce that I shot my first animal this fall:  a chubby little groundhog that had made his home under our barn.  I’ll be honest…I kind of felt like a big deal, and Josh was certainly proud.  This past fall, I also ran my first 10k.  I was completely disheartened when I crossed the finish line just seconds over the 1-hour mark {which was my ultimate-absolute-best-scenario-goal}, and then was completely ecstatic when I realized that the timer on my bib didn't actually begin until I crossed the start line {which took about 30 seconds off of my time}.  These things happen to people who are sheltered and only run in small town races.  I’m hoping to train for a mini-marathon next summer, which is something I would have considered virtually unachievable a couple of years ago. 

Claire {4^th grade} is growing up before our very eyes.  She turned 9 in May, and it felt like life handed us a bit of a gut check when we realized that she was halfway through her childhood.  {I may have even shed a few tears over this.}  Claire has seen an increase in schoolwork this year, which has proven a challenge to her time-management skills, or at times, lack thereof.  She really enjoys reading and has taken it upon herself to read aloud to her sisters several nights a week once they are all in bed.  This year, she is taking an art class at our local elementary school; she’s made a couple new friends and really likes her teacher.  She wants all of you to know that she enjoys running, sewing, baking, attending local festivals in the summer, and watching Daddy work in his workshop.

 

Meredith {2^nd grade} had her tonsils removed at the beginning of June.  We had thought for quite some time that they were abnormally oversized, and the ENT confirmed it.  Her tonsils were dangerously obstructing her throat, and she sounded an awful lot like Darth Vader at night when she slept.  Once removed, she immediately slept better, felt better, and of course she enjoyed eating ice cream and popsicles in front of her sisters for two weeks straight.  Meredith continues to be enthralled with Olivia, and Olivia loves it.  I've often found the best way to work the grumpies out of either of them is to shut them in a room and snuggle them together with a book.  It is absolutely heart-warming to watch the two of them interact.  Meredith would like you to know that she loved picking blueberries over the summer, going to the county fair with Grandma and Grandpa, dressing up as a 50s sock hop dancer for Halloween, and going hunting with Daddy a couple of weeks ago.

Amelia {4 ½} never stops moving and rarely stops talking.  Her energy is both contagious and exhausting, and she keeps us hopping on a daily basis!  This year has brought her the ability to write her name, write her numbers, and make her bed.  Josh took her on her first hunting adventure this fall where they bagged three squirrels.  To say that she absolutely loved it would be a gross understatement.  She couldn't be more excited to start kindergarten in the fall, and she’s hoping that her two wiggly bottom teeth will have fallen out by that time.  Amelia would like you to know that she loves to count, likes eating meat and steak, and is disappointed that I won’t let her draw her name across this Christmas letter. 

Olivia {21 months} is one big bundle of sweetness.  This little peanut brings more joy to our family than we could have ever imagined.  The three older girls think she is the sweetest, funniest, cutest baby, and only occasionally do they get annoyed with her ability to find each and every pencil, marker, pair of scissors, or important book left unattended.  Thankfully, Olivia has recently ceased her daily attempts {with varied success} to climb onto the kitchen counter, nearly giving her mother a heart attack; she is now focused on mastering door knobs.  This girl absolutely adores shoes that are at least 3 sizes larger than her feet and can be found wearing several different pairs throughout the day.  Olivia would like you to know that she loves giving hugs, she loves crawling around and roaring like a lion, and her favorite part of the day is when Daddy walks through the door. 

This fall brought a couple of major changes to our daily routine.  At the beginning of September, we purchased a newer mini-van.  It’s crazy to think that this van could possibly be the first vehicle Claire drives…yikes!  And the end of September brought us new neighbors.   We had grown to love our former neighbors, Mo and Kay, but we were overwhelmingly blessed when some of our very best friends, Brian and Kristi, purchased the property that sits directly in front of our own.  Josh and Brian have been scheming all kinds of fun ideas and are like two little kids constantly running back and forth to each other’s houses.  We’re looking forward to many great memories together. 

We pray your families are well and hope you are truly enjoying this Christmas season!

Much love,

Josh, Jackie, Claire, Meredith, Amelia, and Olivia

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”  Luke 2: 16-20

{old friends and new friends}

This blog entry has been begging to be posted for about 6 weeks now.  I know, I know...I'm behind this summer as always.  

We were able to get together with two of my best friends from high school at the beginning of July.  Between the 3 of us, we have 8 kids with 1 on the way {7 girls/2 boys}.  The older girls always enjoy playing together, and this year they were excited to have Grayson to play with as well!

Claire, Meredith, Harper, Amelia, Grayson.

They all enjoyed jumping off the pier over and over and over and over and over again.

G needed a little help. :)  And just look at how cute Rachel is when she's preggers.

Julie and I have been friends since kindergarten {28 years ago}, and Rachel moved to town at the end of 6th grade {22 years ago}.  As you can imagine, we have lots of memories together, and it's a whole lot of fun to make new ones!!  As always, it was so nice catching up with you girls, and I'm so glad that our kiddos get to play together from time to time!  

 

{10 years}

So, last Friday, Josh and I celebrated 10 fabulous years of marriage.  I could not be more thankful to have such a loyal and loving husband.  I know I say it over and over, but we have been blessed beyond measure in this life.  

One of these days, I'm thinking I'll have to do an in-depth post about all of the things I've learned and the ways I've grown up since I was that girl in the wedding dress. :)  Can't wait to see how much we'll grow in the next 10!!

So, for our 10 year anniversary, we took an absolutely beautiful vacation to the Riviera Maya in Mexico.  We spent 6 days and 5 nights at an all-inclusive resort with some of our best friends, Dave and Deanna.  It.was.fabulous.  

We sat on the beach, read a ton, and swam by day.  And we played Settlers of Catan by night.  {Side note:  I did not win at Catan, but I did score 9 points during one game, and that in itself felt like a huge victory.}  Although the food wasn't overly impressive at our resort, we did much better with our food choices by the end of the week!  We learned that Mexicans know how to do chicken, potatoes, and guacamole. :)

Other than Deanna puking while she was para-sailing and me leaving my kindle on the beach during a rainstorm, we had a perfectly relaxing and memorable trip.  I would like to say a special thank you to the people in room 1220 who promptly returned my kindle unscathed.  {I was internally freaking out because I have no password protections on any of my Amazon, facebook, and email accounts on my kindle...yikes!!}

The weather was perfect, our traveling buddies were excellent, and our flights/customs were uneventful.  Loved it.  Loved it.  Loved it.     

Merry.Christmas.2011

Hello to my friends in the blog world!  I honestly don't know how many of you creep through our blog unnoticed {feel free to come out of hiding!!}.  But since you're a part of our lives, I wanted to share our Christmas letter with you and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  How did 2011 come and go so quickly?  I am certain that we’re getting older because not only are the months passing by quickly these days, the years seem to be picking up pace as well!  In March, we welcomed sweet little Olivia Noelle into the world, and we could not have been blessed with an easier, more contented baby.  It still amazes us that we really do have four little girls running through our home on a daily basis!  Seriously, though, the piles and piles and piles of pink laundry don’t lie. 

At the beginning of April, Josh was promoted.  While learning a new job is rarely an easy task, he has certainly stepped up to the plate and has worked diligently since moving positions.  Josh’s hunting season has been extremely successful this year producing two nice bucks, three does, and a bigger freezer from Sears.  Two of the does were shot while on hunts with both Claire and Meredith, and we snagged the freezer online during a Labor Day sale. 

My year has been anything but the norm.  January 31 landed my very pregnant body in the hospital with the flu, and two weeks later I was admitted again with pneumonia and round two of the flu.  Needless to say, February was pretty much a miserable month.  I was more than ready to welcome Olivia and wish good riddance to my waterlogged legs.  After Olivia’s birth, my life was begging to be simplified.  I obviously couldn’t part with the girls.  And because of his excellent ability to “bring home the bacon” {both literally and figuratively}, Josh ended up making the cut, too.  That left my business.  September brought the sale of the business, and I couldn’t be happier with the new owner and the ease of transition.  People keep asking me if it’s been bittersweet.  It has been a tiny bit bitter, but mostly just sweet.  It feels like such a load has been lifted from my shoulders, and I love not having to plan my 2012 life around weddings.  

Claire {8 ½, 3^rd grade} is growing up too fast for our liking.  She is typically good at jumping in where needed, and other than continually self-appointing herself as the “person in charge” among her siblings {firstborn trait!}, she is a fabulous leader to the sister-clan that follows behind her.  Claire loves reading books and is very excited to be studying the Wright Brothers at co-op this winter. She wants all of you to know that she loves to sew, and she’s currently finishing up a doll for her cousin, Eden, that will be a gift along with a small pillow that she made last week. 

Meredith {almost 7, 1^st grade} is, in a word, passionate.  {Read: full of love, hugs, and creativity; also at times, full of stomping, screaming, and door slamming.}  She’s not half-hearted about much, and I do count this as a great character trait when it’s travelling down the right road.  Meredith loves being a big sister to Olivia and can be found playing with her often during the day.  Drawing, creating works of art, and writing are some of Meredith’s favorite things to do {while Olivia is napping, of course}, and she is also an outstanding reader.  She wants all of you to know that she loved going on her first deer hunt with Daddy, she has really enjoyed our Advent calendar this year, and she likes strawberries and jumping rope.

“A for Amelia” {3 ½} is the social bug of the century.  She seriously does not know a stranger, and she will easily convince you that you’re her favorite person in the whole wide world after just one conversation.  Amelia has perfected the art of giving compliments…“I just ‘wuv’ your {insert here any random thing that you have or may be wearing}!”  She loves peanut butter and honey on a tortilla and would eat it every single day if I let her.  She wants all of you to know that she likes Care Bears, her stuffed animal pig, and five deer. {On a side note, she likes “five” of everything.}

Olivia {9 months} is absolutely sugar sweet.  She can officially crawl, has four sprouting teeth in her gummy little smile, and likes to rattle off “dadadadadadada” in a soft, sweet voice.  Eating has become one of her most beloved pastimes.  And, as they say, “The proof is in the pudding.”  But between you and me, the proof is actually in her chubby little thighs {which you will find me happily squeezing on a daily basis}.  Olivia would like you to know that she loves kicking her legs, being held, and pulling on lamp cords.  She would also like the nickname “chubbers” to be dropped by the time she’s a teenager.

Josh and I are looking forward to logging some fun grown-up memories in 2012.  I’m tagging along with him on a business trip to Florida in January, and we’ll be vacationing somewhere warm this summer with some good friends while celebrating our 10 year anniversary.

We are continually humbled by the blessings we’ve been given and the grace that has been shown to our family.  We pray that you and your families have a fabulous Christmas season and join us as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Much love,

Josh, Jackie, Claire, Meredith, Amelia, and Olivia 

Christmas 2011

“Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
Oh, come, let us adore him, oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.”

                                                Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful

december.fun

Let's just all face the fact that I'm a terrible December blogger.  Last year was exactly the same.  Oh well.  Take me as I am. :)

We have had a fabulous month so far.  We've made a lot of fun memories, and I'm looking forward to the many more that this week will bring.  I can't believe that Christmas is this Sunday!!  Wow.  Here are some highlights from the month...

My Aunt Barb always showers our girls with Christmas gifts, and this year Eden, Jill, and my mom joined us for a Christmas brunch at our house.  Mom jumped in a pic with the girls, and I thought this one turned out really cute {except for Amelia's completely dazed look}. 

One of Josh's college roomies was in town a couple of weeks ago to visit, and we were able to spend a couple of days with them.  We took our three oldest girls to a gingerbread house decorating class.  It was worth every single penny of the $11 each that we spent.  They had tons and tons of different kinds of candy to decorate the houses.  Everything was prepped, ready to go, and we left the mess there!  Loved it.

This picture below was nothing but pure fun.  Claire and Meredith decided to play a jump rope game, and Olivia crawled over to be part of it, too.  The girls handed her one end of the jump rope, and she couldn't have been more thrilled to be playing along.

She shook that rope as hard as she could.  Each time it came out of her hand, she would crawl right to it, grab it, and shake it again as hard as possible.  They all played together for at least 15 minutes.  It was the most adorable thing that I've seen in a while.

Here are a few other highlights:

-cookie baking

-my new Kindle Fire arrived {and the crowd goes wild!}

-Olivia is a crawling machine

-we went ice skating today

-made lots of memories with friends already

Have I mentioned that I love December?  It is seriously one of my favorite times of the year for making memories.  What are some fun memories that you've made this month?

crazy.busy.life

So the last couple of months of my world have been crazier than usual.  We often have busy days, even busy weeks, in our life.  These past two months have been {as I've told a few people} almost unmanageable.  We work hard and play hard around here, but we love to enjoy time just being with each other as well.

I'm a major fan of downtime, even if that means I'm cleaning, doing laundry, or reading with the girls during what I consider "downtime".  I like not being rushed around from place to place. 

Weekdays for us always include school from 9ish-12ish and again from 2-3.  And weekends always include church on Sunday morning.  Insert grocery shopping, school planning, laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning {just the parts of the house that people see, of course}, at least one spillage of something per day, wiping a 3 year old bottom, feeding a sweet baby, {and then} cleaning up all of her spit up, and the typical 693 questions per day that I get from my three oldest.  I barely answer the phone anymore. :) 

Now, add August, September, and October 2011.  What a whirlwind of a schedule!  I'm documenting this mostly for myself as a kind of mini-marathon of life.  When the beginning of August arrived, I knew I'd make it through to October, but I wasn't quite sure what everything would look like. 

I'm here to say that I don't think I had any emotional meltdowns because of the stress!  Impressive coming from me.  That being said, there were plenty of days that the laundry sat piled high {right alongside the dishes}.  The toilets sat scummy {except when people were coming over...I totally roll like that sometimes}.  My bedroom was/is still a complete wreck, but I finally changed my sheets last week.  Progress.

I know most of you are as busy as me, but I seriously have not experienced this much for such long periods of time!  So, amuse me as I write this woe-is-me post...will you? :)

Now, for a look at my calendar...

August
1: Claire dentist
2: meet with Deanna; plan co-op
3: dinner at some friends' house {blessing!!}
4: Josh works late
5: Olivia's 4 month shots; Josh golfing late with a rep
6: Josh auction in morning; golf outing for work at noon
7: family reunion out of town; bridal shower for Josh's cousin
8: laundry, laundry, laundry...Josh is leaving town tomorrow
9: Josh leaves for Colorado
10: Claire dentist
11: phone consultation with a potential buyer of my business
12: Josh comes back home {praise the Lord!}
13: meeting with a bride; work with a fellow wedding vendor
14: graduation party
15: Jackie out with a friend {sanity saver!}
16: the girls and I at the lake with Josh's parents {they were on vacation}
17: meeting with potential buyer of business
18: go to my sister's house for our garage sale
19: garage sale
20: garage sale; head home
21: breathe.  plan school
22: first day of school; Eric; birthday celebrations with Josh's family
23: Delia
24: praying. praying. praying.
25: Jill
26: Eric; wedding meeting
27: enjoying my last saturday at home for weeks to come; counting blessings
28: planning school
29: pictures with friends
30: trip to Hobby Lobby {I'd been telling Claire for weeks that I'd take her!}
31: new babysitter at the house to meet the fam
September
1: sign paperwork for transfer of business {yay!...more on this later} 
2: house appraisal; visit our friend Eric in the hospital; baseball game with Josh's work
3: lake day for Labor Day with my family
4: lake day for Labor Day with my family
5: lake day/birthday celebrations for Labor Day with Josh's family
6: swim class starts for the girls
7: send out info for toddler activity boxes {ask myself why in the world I volunteered to lead this}
8: watch a friend's kids in the morning, drop off books to a friend, go to Josh's work to look at some items that we're considering purchasing; get everyone's hair cut
9: Josh trimming lanes here for hunting
10: baby shower; new freezer arriving at the house
11: Josh trimming lanes at his friend's house
12: co-op starts; teach at co-op; dinner for Eric's family
13: swim lessons
14: prayer meeting for Eric
15: stranger danger program with girls; 2 wedding meetings in evening
16: wedding rehearsal
17: wedding
18: nephew's baptism out of town
19: teach at co-op
20: Olivia 6 month check up; swim lessons; pick up clothes from a friend; toddler box swap at my house
21: prep for weekend extended family vacation with Josh's family
22: grocery shop for family vaca; leave for vaca
23: vaca
24: vaca
25: vaca
26: teach at co-op; wonder where all this stuff that we unloaded from vaca should be put {I'm considering the burn pile}
27: swim; Josh leaves town
28: Josh back home late
29: prep for weekend wedding
30: rehearsal
October
1: wedding
2: host Dad's birthday party at our house; lesson plan for the weeks that I'm in charge at co-op
3: teach at co-op
4: swim; double date night with some of our best friends {soooo needed!}
5: wedding meeting
6: Josh out of town; prep for our family to join him
7: leave to join Josh for the weekend
8: out of town
9: travel back home with girls
10: Josh back home late
11: swim
12: wedding meeting
13: blank
14: blank
15: blank
16: is this really happening???
17: blank

We actually have NOTHING written on our calendar until swim lessons on Tuesday.  I couldn't be more excited!  I am seriously exhaling.  As crazy as the house looks, it doesn't seem so overwhelming. :)  I know that I can make some progress several days in a row.  Yay!! 

I knew I could make it, but I just didn't realize how completely exhausted I would feel.  On the flip side, though, I'm so extremely grateful to have survived.  I just want to hang with my kids.  I just want to lay on the couch with my hubby.  I want to have people over to our house again {one of my favorite things to do!}.

So, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to enjoy the blank pages of my calendar. :)

heavy.hearted

I don’t write a lot of heavy stuff on this blog. Quite honestly, I don’t feel like we’ve had a lot of “heavy” in our lives. We’re fairly easy-going people, and I try not to be too dramatic {although I have 4 daughters…they’re bound to bring us a bit of drama from time to time}.

In all seriousness, though, Josh and I have coasted along quite well. That being said, our family members and friends have experienced a whole lot of heaviness in the last nine days. I can honestly say that I don’t recall this amount of personal heartache in such a short amount of time…ever.

Last Monday, our friend Eric was admitted to the hospital after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On Friday, it was re-diagnosed as Acute Lymphatic Leukemia {which is a much bigger hill to climb}.  He's not even 40 and has 6 young children.

Last Tuesday, my friend Shel delivered a precious baby girl with Anencephaly. Sweet Delia Jean breathed on her own for a little over an hour, and then made her way safely into the arms of Jesus.

On Thursday, my sister Jill was told that her unborn baby had no heartbeat. 

Needless to say, I’ve prayed a lot in the last week. I am willing to go so far as to say that I don’t think I’ve ever prayed more diligently during any other 8 day stretch.  

I don’t find it surprising that these events change the people that are intimately involved. How could they not?  Words like cancer, anencephaly, and miscarriage are not taken lightly.

What continually amazes me is how much I am changed by observing these events from the other side of the fence.  I find myself squeezing my girls just a little bit tighter. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve held Olivia this week and truly given thanks for the fact that I have a perfectly healthy baby in my arms. Even when she’s crying, I’m not irritated. She’s here…right here…ready to be held, fed, loved, and enjoyed.

I was looking at a picture from my wedding day yesterday, and I was thinking about all of the things that I didn’t know 9 years ago.  That girl in the picture had such little experience with true love, deep relationships, true joy, and true sorrow. Don’t get me wrong…she had seen them; she was simply inexperienced on the whole.

Jackie {age 32} is being refined on a daily basis just a little at a time {praise the Lord, indeed}. I’m certainly no fan of the tears, sorrow, and heartache that accompany difficult seasons of our lives. However, I’m thankful for the way that it causes me to mature, prioritize, and grow into the woman that the Lord wishes for me to become.

Loss and sorrow are inevitable and unavoidable.  On the bright side, for those of us in Christ, so is joy...inevitable and unavoidable.  Thank you, Lord, for this.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

And this is where I find my comfort and my prayer.

no.fun

It's been a rough couple of days in our household.  I woke up yesterday morning with a stomach ache, and I just didn't feel well at all.  I felt like I was going to throw up.  And I did...several times throughout the day. 

I couldn't keep anything down yesterday.  Basically, I learned that pregnancy and dehydration do not mix well.  Thankfully, Josh came home around noon to give me some relief.  On a side note, the girls were so helpful in the morning.  Claire got Amelia breakfast and dressed her for the day.  Meredith made me some toast and brought me some water to drink.  They were so sweet! :)

So yesterday afternoon around 2:00, I started having regular contractions which I was pretty sure wasn't a good sign.  So, I called my doctor's office.  I was so exhausted from vomiting all day that I didn't even want to go into their office.  They convinced me to come in...and they assured me that I would get a shot that would make me stop throwing up.  I was definitely willing to go for that!

My good friend, Kristi, came over, picked me up, and took me to the hospital.  I was having some pretty hard contractions that were fairly close together at this point.  My doctor sent me right up to OB and had me hooked up to an IV and monitors.

By this time, my contractions were full-blown and about 2 minutes apart.  My nurse shot me up with something right away to slow down my contractions.  I was severely dehydrated which was causing the labor.

We thought I might be able to go home after 4-6 hours, but I was so severely dehydrated and my contractions had been so close together that my doc wanted them to continue to hydrate me and keep an eye on me overnight to make sure that the contractions didn't return. 

I got to come back home early this afternoon, and I'm supposed to drink water like I'm a fish....ummm, will do. 

Lots of thank yous are owed to my mom (grocery shopping for us, running me around, doing our laundry), Brian and Kristi (running me around, super-yummy dinner brought over tonight), and Josh (holding the fort down at home, staying home from work, cleaning the crazy kitchen, taking good care of me!).  I love you all.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

I'm feeling much better tonight, and hopefully I'll be back running at full speed by the end of the week!

ideas.ideas

So, Christmas is just around the corner. I'm going to be starting my shopping within the next month, and I'm looking for ideas from all of you!

I have some ideas already, but I'm always looking for more. I'm really trying to not bring more STUFF into our house. I'm fully aware that this is not even remotely possible, and we're going to be doing some things to combat the STUFF.

So here's what I'm looking to know:

1. What are you putting on your kids' Christmas wish lists?

2. Do you have any ideas to share that won't put more (or at least a lot more!) STUFF in my house?

3. Are you making any homemade gifts for your kids/family members/co-workers/etc.?

4. If so, what are you making? Please share any links if you have them.

***UPDATE***
Everyone is sharing such great ideas, and I wanted to share ours too!
-movie/popcorn/pop package for all of the kids.  We do movie night here almost every Friday night.  The girls rarely get to drink pop, so I thought it would be extremely fun for them to each get their own 12 pack of mini-pops, a big box of popcorn, and a movie.  (One of my friends suggested this to me last year, and I loved the idea!)
-My mom and I just discussed the girls taking some cooking classes at our local candy shop. 
-I told Josh that this year we're going to make pumpkin rolls for his adminitrative assistant and his boss.  I'll post this recipe one of these days soon...yum-o. 

Thanks everyone! :)

f.family

Can I tell you how much fun this was??!!  This is Jessica, Amos, and their two kiddos.  Jess, Amos, and I all went to college together (Jess is one of my BFFs from my freshman year), so we got together recently to do some pics when they came to visit.  They are such a fabulous family, and it was a pleasure to photograph them!  Grace and Tyler were extremely cooperative during our session, and were rewarded with m&ms from Mom and Dad. :)

Here are a few of my favs:

Love you guys!

an.apron

My blogger buddy, Myah, asked me to make her an apron. Of course, I said yes! But, I asked her if I could make her one that had been brewing in my mind for a while! I warned her that it was a bit "June Cleaverish," but she assured me that she was a bit June Cleaverish. (She is, too,...she's the one that irons her hubby's work shirts! Although she does it while drinking wine...I don't recall June sucking down alcohol while doing her chores, but I'm sure she felt like it from time to time.)

I'd seen several online that I'd liked, but I didn't quite know how to go about making this one. I had a couple of other projects that were ahead of it, and I was completely nervous since I'd not made one before!

Overall, I was extremely pleased with it...by far my most intense project. And Myah loved it, which made me extremely happy! :)