most recent family "photo"

elise has started drawing people and today, all on her own, she drew our family.  

(morgan was included in there in case you're counting)  

she is so sweet.  i find myself yearning on a daily basis to just enjoy her more.  when i stop to just look at her face and see the joy she has for life, i find i could sit there all day and soak her up.  i don't know if that makes any sense.  but as the days go by, and i realize more and more that i can't gain those days back, i don't want to miss the sweet moments with her or the boys, that i know i will treasure in the days to come.  and even if one day, my fear of having dimensia comes true, and my mind can't hold on to those memories any longer, at least i can treasure them now so as to hold that perspective now, through the ins and outs and ups and downs of the ever-unfolding story of our days, and enjoy these sweet times of staying home with young ones all the more.

valentine tea party

our three

snow day

'round here

being that it's winter and being that we are adjusting to life with three kids, we spend most of our days here at home.  and i must admit, i'm loving being a mom more than ever.  when i was a teacher, i loved what i did and often thought, "i was made to do this."  now more than ever, i find myself reading books with a child on each knee, or nursing a newborn who grows chubbier by the moment, or kicking a semi-deflated volleyball around with a little boy who couldn't be happier doing it, or taking an old credit card from a three year old in my mom's old wedding heels with her elmo purse in hand asking me to give her $40 of regular...and i think, "i was made to do this."

when i clean these days, i give them jobs to do...it helps...really!

he's still not thrilled with being bathed...but don't you just love those chins!!

"yes, he's so sweet...but please don't squish him!"

and some ask who he looks like...

january and life with three

adjusting to life with three kids has been much, much better than i could have expected!  (thank you Jesus!)  here are some pics of what we've been up to...

for new year's eve, we had a tri-birthday party for elise, elias, and nora.  here's aunt mare-mare with izie boy...

all the girl cousins in their matching dresses

 this is where you'll find isaac anytime daddy is doing work...on his shoulders, right behind him, or as in this case, on his stomach :)

 loving his new baby brother

 my best brown sugar measurer ever!  she loves licking the beater when we're done making cookies!

like father, like son...justin teaching isaac how to dip his cookies in milk

 he was quite proud of himself!

 my littlest baby and me...he loves the sling and i'm sooo glad!  (he really wasn't going to have a choice in the matter, but it sure makes it easier that he does)

 early morning shots..."don't take my picture, mama!"

 so sweet...and getting quite chubby all of the sudden

as we took down all the christmas decor today, justin pointed out that we had a picture of elise with christmas lights when she was about this age...so half a dozen pictures later...here he is...i hope i can get one of all our kids like this...

elise (age 1)