A Pictureless Post

Maybe it's because I'm lazy, or maybe it's because I can not locate my camera cord at the moment, but for whatever reason, this post will be sans pictures.  Sad, but true. 

We moved into my dad and step-mom's house on July 27th, and while I wouldn't consider the move "smooth," it went just fine.  We had a great crew help us move.  Seriously, we probably have missed our moving deadline if our "movers" weren't so awesome.  You know all the extra crap stuff that you just don't know what to do with when you're packing, so you just leave it in the closet?  (I sincerely hope I'm not the only one who has this problem!)  Well, my "girl team" inside the house helped pack up all the loose ends while the guys were packing the POD.  Darin and I consider ourselves blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. 

Things have been rather chaotic since moving in...but that's bound to happen with TEN people living under one roof!  (Dad+Mom+Sister+Her3kids+Darin+Me+Our2kids=Pandemonium).  Actually, it means insane amounts of laundry, extra dishes, few moments of quiet, and lots and lots of fun with cousins and grandparents.  In the end, we wouldn't change a thing (except maybe the laundry part).

Last Friday, my sister and her kids moved out, so now there are just six of us.  Although, as I write this I can hear four children playing and running around upstairs because we're taking care of all the kids today.  :O)

When we first moved in, our family lived in two bedrooms upstairs, but last night we moved downstairs.  You know, musical rooms.  Kinda fun.  Certainly never a dull moment!

Busy doesn't even begin to describe our lives since we transitioned to our new church, but it's a good kind of busy.  We recently started going through a book entitled, The Story, together as a church body.   The annual Back-to-School picnic was last weekend.  Our church partnered with six other local churches to help provide haircuts, school supplies, and clothing to families in need in our community.  It was an awesome event.  I got to meet almost every family that attended the event because I worked the registration table...along with some other fabulous ladies. 

I am meeting a lot of people, and am moving outside of my comfort zone.  It's not always easy for me to form new friendships, but I am allowing God to work in me and through me, and I feel like I'm doing a good job of meeting new people.  (Although, remembering everyone's names is a little difficult!)

My classroom is almost finished.  I just have two bulletin boards to get ready and a few more boxes of things to put away before school starts the Tuesday after Labor Day.  Those things are really secondary to lesson planning and reading the files of all of my students.  So far, I have 15 students on my caseload, but I will be supporting an additional 15 or so students in Language Arts this year.  My first official day back to school will be the day that Owen turns 5 months old.  Crazy. 

More updates later.  Kids are crazy.  Of course.

4 Months

My dear sweet boy, how can you possibly be four months young already?  You are growing up before my eyes, and I wish that I could freeze time.  I know all too well that I can not do that, so I will just soak up every minute with you.  You are really beginning to explore the world around you; looking around and chewing on just about anything you can get your sweet little hands on.  Grandma Thomas recently taught you how to blow raspberries!  Your smile and laughter are contagious, and Daddy and I hope and pray that your endearing personality will lead people to Christ someday.  Your big brother absolutely adores you; he asks to hold you and gives you little kisses on your forehead.  He also loves to give you big hugs and "surprises", such as a washcloth to hold or a little toy.  I pray that the two of you will always be close.  When no one is paying attention to you, you get the cutest little "duh" face (wide-eyed, chewing on your bottom lip), but the second someone gives you the slightest amount of attention, you grin and laugh.  Oh, and you are quite talkative.  So much so, that you are too loud to stay in the church service.  Jonathan didn't get banished to the nursery until he was six months old, but you now go to the nursery when you are awake.  This month we spent a lot of time cleaning, purging, and packing boxes because we finally sold our home.  We are finally settled (well, kind of...at least we all have underwear!) in at Grandma and Grandpa Thomas' house.  It's a drastic change from the quiet lifestyle at our home, but that is bound to happen with ten people living under one roof! 

Three month stats

Weight: 13 lbs, 7 oz.
Length: 23 1/4 inches

Four month stats
Weigh: 15 lbs, 4 oz.
Length: 25 inches

 



The Crazy House...

...I mean that in the nicest way.  Our lives (and our home) have been turned upside down as we attempt to move by our impending deadline.  The couple who bought our home did not want to do a double move, so they wanted to move in to our home quickly...which subsequently means we will be doing a double move.  (We have not yet found a home in our new church community.)  Here's a look at some of the crazy chaos in our home.  It is no easy task to attempt packing everything in our home while caring for a 3 year old and a 3 month old while Darin is working.  Good thing we sometimes have great help in the evenings!

Jonathan packed the DVDs to help me.  However, he wanted to know the title of every single movie, so it didn't really help.  :O)

This is how you pack a box!

I told you it was crazy!

What's that I see?

Surprise!