Guess who's in Kindergarten now?

Say hello to Mr. Cheese-ey

(How do you spell that? Cheesy? Cheezy?)

Grant with Mrs. W

Waiting for all the other children to arrive

My little nugget started Kindergarten today, and was he excited! I didn't even get all that teary today because I knew he was having such a ball. I kept checking the clock because I couldn't wait to pick him up and hear all about it. You who know G-man, know that he has a unique way of seeing things, and he is a great story-teller.


He did not disappoint! He spent 20 minutes, I kid you not, telling me all about the war they had during recess. It had generals and replacement soldiers and traitors and a whole host of other stuff. In fact, he spent more time telling me about recess than he actually spent in recess. When I asked about the rest of his day, he said he couldn't remember any of it. Hopefully, we'll get more details as the thrill of recess wears off a bit.

Holy Moly! Can you believe how much Jenna has changed?

So much for regular postings about the delights of my family! To say that the first year and a half with Jenna has been a little overwhelming would be a serious understatement. Getting used to parenting four kids, helping a little one learn to love and enjoy life in our crazy family, an excessively long remodeling project, and the discomfort of living in a too-small space during said re-model has been...well, words cannot describe. Maybe someday I'll try to write more about this time as it has been a time of personal growth and a huge lesson in learning to completely lean on HIM, but for now, I just want to start getting some memories down on paper, or computer, I should say, so they aren't lost forever.

Happy Father's Day!

David was working on Father's Day, so we went to the fire station to visit him. It was Jenna's first trip, and she loved, loved, loved pretending to drive the fire truck and going for a ride around the block in it. The boys always love climbing on the trucks and ladders. We took David his favorite cake and surprised him with a Wii--a gift more extravagent than we usually give for Father's Day, but he (and the boys) were thrilled. The look on their faces was so worth it.

David is a truly amazing Dad. He is a Godly man who is understanding and patient and firm when he needs to be. The kids and I are truly blessed indeed!

Let's give this blogging thing a whirl!

I originally created this blog with the intention of passing the time during the horrendous wait for our sweet baby from China. But I really am not the kind of person who enjoys talking about herself, and I am also highly critical of my writing. I read over things I have written in the past and just cringe. The thought of putting my thoughts out there for all to read just seemed like too much. So this blog has sat...and sat...and sat.

But now I must post! We have been home with our precious Jenna Grace for three months now, and I find myself wanting to document our days with her. She is changing so fast and our days as a household of six are so crazy that if I don't start noting all of the wonderful, silly, thoughtful, amazing, and even annoying things that my darling children do somewhere besides my brain, then they will be lost forever. (I'm telling you, the brain of a mommy of four is complete mush!)

And because no post is enjoyable without pictures, here are a few...

Pucker up!

I love her half smile!

Making sure baby is settled in her stroller

Silly face!

Kings of the construction sand hill!

Punkin-head!

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3...

I repeat...This is only a test. Had this been an actual emergency...you get the idea.