January

It is so crazy how quickly time is flying by.  Baby Grace is almost 3 weeks and we have been all adjusting to the new family of 7 and a nursing newborn which in my opinion deserves a title all of its own.  It’s insane how much time it takes to keep a little baby fed and happy. 

I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I have had so much worry going through my mind about all my kids in their different responsibilities with school, church, extra curricular activities and just plain being a good person with honesty, respect, good manners and that sort of stuff that moms are supposed to be teaching.  I haven’t been very good about praying about these concerns and turning them to the Lord which I realize is why I am losing sleep with worry.   I need to bed better.

Ella has been attending a community acting class which she has loved and she got a speaking part in the play and she has just been so happy and excited about it.  It makes my heart happy to see her happy.  She is still trying to take piano lessons and has quit doing gymnastics this month.  She got dropped out of honor society last trimester for just a few points below the required GPA and as such has lost interest in keeping up her grades.  It is making her dad and I worry a lot.  Again I need to pray hard for instructions on how to be a mom!  She attended her very first area church dance this past weekend and had so much fun.  I was thankful yet again for such good friends she can leave and go with and I can feel good about the influence they are on each other. She’s a good girl!  Dad made her take a selfie with him before she left. 

 

She also got to go with her young womens group to go see the LaBelle Ice Castles one night.  She's such a cutie!  Life is getting fun for her, that's for sure.

Lincoln started attending preschool in January and has been walking around with a pen or marker in his hand pretty regularly the past week.  He doodles and draws and pretends to write and this makes me so happy!!  I have been waiting and hoping this would happen at some point and now hopefully he will catch onto writing letters and such on his own very soon.  These are a few pictures his teacher shared.

 He has been such a good sport with Grace being born.  He loves her and kisses her and any time she squeaks he runs for the “pinky” and forces it into her crying mouth.  He tells me almost every day about how cute she is and that he loves her.  He has been very bored though.  We haven’t left the house much at all so he asks me every day what we are going to do because there is only so much playing cards, play dough, toys and such before you feel like you may have lost your mind.  We have watched lots of TV.

I took Ella and Lincoln to Home Depot to make a Saturday morning craft. They had fun painting and hammering together. Lincoln had his hiding from Ella because he was making it for her.

We are loving every second of a fresh new baby in our home.  She is pure sweetness and joy.  She is so tiny and such a precious daughter of God.  We love her so much! 

It's so weird to me to see my big baby holding my little baby.  I love them both so much my heart could burst!  So grateful for Ella's experience in having 4 younger siblings and now 5 so she can help me all the time!!  She will be a good mama!

Why does he now seem so huge!?

Alissa is a sweet heart and always looks for the better need of Grace.  If she thinks she shouldn't be held she gets upset at all who are holding her.  If she thinks she needs everyone to be quiet then she gets upset at all making noise.  She is a good sister.  She is soft and sweet with Grace.

Molly has probably been the most crazy about holding baby Grace.  She absolutely can’t get enough of her.  She wants to sit and take Snapchat filtered pictures of her cute face and just sits and admires her tiny little baby sister.

Dustin took the girls out and got them going on a snowman.  I LOVE, LOVE when he does this.  I don't remember finishing a snowman when I was a kid and I love that he will take them outside and do it with them.  He can do it quickly and so they enjoy it so much.  And I love the friendly face in the yard for a week or two.

One afternoon while trying to keep kids off the electronics they had a wrapping session and wrapped Lincoln and Molly in wrapping paper.  They make my life happy!  I'm so blessed to have so much excitement in 5 children!