My Baby is 4!!

(Tyler-2 days old)

My "baby" is 4 years old today!! I know, I know, you've heard it a thousand times, but seriously....WHERE have the years gone? I feel like he was just born, I remember it all so well, so vividly. It's been such an adventure getting to know my "guy", being his Mama and watching him grow from a newborn into a toddler and now a little boy! I think what has surprised me the most over the years is that he may look just like his Daddy, but he is the male form of me!! I understand him, I just "get" him and I think I have patience for his little ways because I sort of know what's going on inside him, (most of the time)! This year he has, in my eyes, really transitioned from a toddler into a little boy, a young man in the making. I see him understanding what I tell him, being able to respond to me and to others. I see a true sincerity in him when interacting with others. Someday, should you call our home, you will be greeted with quite the joyous hello from him. He'll act as though he hasn't talked to you in years, (even if he just saw you yesterday). He really values the people around him, (even though he may fight with his best friends: his brother Luke and his cousin Chase)! He genuinely ENJOYS people and would be with his "friends" all day, every day if allowed. His imagination and pretend play has blossomed before my eyes over the past 6 months. I will say he has always had a pretend world with his beloved Thomas the tank engine. It's going on two years now and his favorite past time continues to be playing with his trains. Here he is playing Doctor with Luke. I heard them in there the other day, Tyler saying to his patient, "now push, puuuuuuuuuuush". Yeah, I think he watches "The Baby Story" on TLC a bit too much with me!! Lately he's really been cracking me up: We have a CD that has all sorts of songs on it and the one song sings about Argentina. "TINA! Oh Mama, that song is about Owen's Mom, Tina" he informs me!! Then there is a song that says "abracadabra", "Oh Mama, that song is about my cousin Deborah!" Cracking me up. Our neighbor Ginny was here the other day and Tyler just blatantly said, "Oh, you have breasts too!" (I wanted to crawl under the couch!!!!) Instead I kindly said with a half smile, "he's learning all sorts of new things since his sister was born!" um, yeah!

Tyler really is a sweet kid. I heard him this morning, "good morning Lukie, it's a beautiful day sweetheart, want to go downstairs with me?" I mean, who wouldn't want to wake up to a greeting like THAT??

Oh, Tyler, you are so loved! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!! I am so grateful to be your Mom, to have these years to enjoy and discover who you are. Thank you for giving me the grace I need as I learn all about this mothering thing!! I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK AGAIN!

"A young child is, indeed, a true scientist,
just one big question mark. What? Why? How?
I never cease to marvel at the recurring miracle of growth,
to be fascinated by the mystery and wonder of this brave enthusiasm."
~Victoria Wagner~

Neighbors & kindness

We have such great neighbors....some are just acquaintances, but many of them we would consider our good friends, and some are even relatives, (pictured below: Paisley and my brother Tom enjoying an evening on the front porch). We are blessed to live in such a lovely community and I look forward to teaching the boys....(I guess I can't say that anymore)......rephrase: I look forward to teaching my children the importance of valuing our neighbors. I think we as a society have lost the art of community over the years and that's so sad to me. We are safe to live and dwell within our four walls, forgetting that there are people all around us, just waiting to be discovered! When we first moved here I met our dear neighbors Irvin and Ruth, and have since enjoyed getting to know them over time. A few weeks ago, just shortly after Paisley was born I went to get the mail. It was a sunny afternoon, the boys were napping and Paisley was resting on my shoulder. I decided to sit in the sun on the front porch and open the darling cards that people sent our way, congratulating us on Paisley's arrival. One card in particular caught my attention and while reading, brought me to tears. Our dear neighbor Ruth, age 80, had taken the time to write us a card and send it! As I read it I kept looking across the street at their home, almost giggling to think about the journey that card had made, just to get post marked and arrive in our mailbox.

"Dear neighbors, God is so good, wait until you hear this: Irvin and I went to an antique shop to buy some plates when we saw this adorable dress. I told Irvin that Janelle is going to have a little girl this weekend and I should buy it for her. Thursday night, (April 30th) I went to bed early and about 10:30-11:00 p.m. I got up, just couldn't sleep. I went into the living room and sat on my comfortable chair and looked down at your beautiful home all lit up. It reminded me of you so I started praying for you. Just like that, this car quickly drove in and a lady got out and carried a large suitcase or whatever is was. I said, "God you are so good, this is why I couldn't sleep so I could really pray for Janelle. I sat there about an hour praying for you. I fell asleep and peaceably went to bed and slept.

Now I see pink balloons.

Congratulations on your darling little girl."
We love you,
Irvin and Ruth

(Paisley was born at 11:37 p.m., over the exact time she was praying!!)

Here is Ruth presenting Paisley with her adorable vintage dress!
I just LOVE it! How precious this relationship is to me....to us all!

Here is some of our life in pictures from the last week:




Here's to cultivating the flowers in your life,
be it family, friends or neighbors!
While the spirit of neighborliness
was important on the frontier because neighbors were so few, it is even more important now because our neighbors are so many.
~Lady Bird Johnson~

Hand delivered gifts!

My dear friend Jeane came by the other day. As usual, it's so wonderful seeing her, even just for a few minutes! She brought delightful gifts, including a most precious gift by Cath Kidston, a book FULL of stickers/labels...I was gushing over it! She also brought a most thoughtful gift from her most thoughtful Mother, Judy. Here is the link to the post about this lovely gift that was bestowed upon me. And I will say this is the BEST pancake mix ever....so light and fluffy and delish! AND I just love the little scoop and glass bowl she put it in. THANK YOU JUDY!! A proper thank you is on it's way! ALL THREE children are napping and I'm actually not exhausted....so I'm working on some projects. On of which, attempting to bleach the glider/ottoman set I have in the nursery. I bought it used and never really LOVED it so I'm trying some things with it to make it more "me". I'll keep you posted!

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.
Have you used one to say "thank you?"
~William A. Ward~

Memorial Day Weekend & the delights therein!

Hello Friends. Paisley girl is resting soundly across my knees on this cozy afternoon. It's been some time since I've checked in, life has taken on a new sort of busy....an adjustment time to be sure.

Last weekend, Memorial Day, had to be one of the best weekends I've had in a long while. Delightful would be the word. Saturday morning Jake took Tyler fishing for the first time while Luke, Paisley and I went to myriads of garage sales. I found some cute things, it's SO FUN looking at all the girly stuff now!! My options use to be so limited...."yes, we have some boys clothing", (proceed to the one tiny table in the corner where stained, ripped and faded clothing abound!!!) My favorite find was a yellow down comforter for Luke's toddler bed....so sweet.

Saturday afternoon we went to Tyler and Luke's friends birthday party. She turned 3 and had a princess party. It was fun being together as a family and watching the boys interact with their friends. And the homemade ice cream cake was amazing.

Saturday night after the party we took the boys to my old stompin' grounds, my high school. We had a picnic along the Millstream, (the stream that runs through the property). We walked all around the property, found the perfect sticks/rocks for throwing into the water, ran around the tennis courts/soccer field. I got teary eyed watching my boys run around the field as I sat in the bleacher cheering them on. Before too long I'll be attending their little sports events. Unfortunately I forgot my camera! :-( Sunday morning we gave Paisley a bath in the sink, got all dolled up and headed to church....our first time with Paisley! It went great, we were actually EARLY to church for once. With three little ones now, I think I am allowing even more time getting ready and out the door then I usually do. Sunday afternoon we all had our glorious naps. After we woke up we headed to walmart for a few things, I don't remember what we went for, but we came out with a whale pool that squirts water and a Thomas kite! We loaded everyone up and went for some creek fun. Such a darling little place, the boys loved it and so did I.

Paisley's perch: full belly, clean diaper & nuk.

Mama's perch: homemade lemonade, chips, US weekly!

When the children were tucked in, we took some time to watch an ENTIRE movie, "Flicka" from start to finish...it was w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l. The movie was great, but it was the uninterrupted time of movie indulgence that was the best!

Monday morning we were up bright and early for the annual Memorial Day parade. My sister and her husband and some of our good friends joined us with their children.

Needless to say, the candy throwing people were our favorite!! After the parade we all went to a local restaurant for an authentic "Amish" breakfast: corn mush, stewed crackers, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and OJ! Delish!
Next we made our way to the Strasburg Railroad and watched the train go by. Jake flew the Thomas kite and it went quite high...I wish I would have taken some pictures....it looked so cool! The rest of the day we spent here at home, playing in the whale pool and relaxing in the gazebo. What a fabulous weekend it was! I'm enjoying this time with my husband because I know that very soon his "spare" time will be spent renovating the carriage house. We hope to start on that next month....exciting times.
I hope you're having a good weekend....they go by so fast and Monday morning rolls around far too quickly!!

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining,

the breeze is blowing,

the birds are singing,

and the lawn mower is broken."

~James Dent~

Some fun with Paisley-girl

My friend Adrienne came over the other day and we had some fun with Paisley-girl, that's what I've been calling her and now Tyler does as well. It's just too cute for words to hear him say, "hello Paisley-girl." Today Tyler said, "oh Mama, I see Tyler in Paisley's eyes." Oh melting of my heart. I am enjoying life right now, although sleep deprived, I am fulfilled. I love my children.

I came upon this new song and just LOVE the lyrics,
they seem to be written just for me.

"I was a little girl alone in my little world
who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees,
and fed my houseguests bark and leaves,
and laughed in my pretty bed of green."
~Priscilla Ahn~

Lawn Boys

Last weekend Jake, (and the boys) did some work around our yard....it looks sooooo beautiful. The hot pink azalea's against the black mulch is just breathtaking....and with the white gazebo and the green tree branches against the blue sky....this place is such a refuge for us. I should get some pictures of what I'm writing about, but until then, here are some pictures of my lawn boys, the best in town for sure!! (and the cutest too)!! Luke was a darling, just staying by his Daddy's side all. day. long. He was out there at 8:30 am, came in for lunch and a nap and then went back out from 1-7:30 pm!! I have NEVER seen a child so young stick with something for so long. He is so much like his Dad and I see it more each week. He and Jake have such a special connection and it's really neat to watch that unfold through everyday living. What would we do without our sweet Lukie? Tyler off in pretend land...I have to be careful what I let him watch on TV or videos because he picks up the words so easily and acts/talks it out all. day. long. Sometimes I just stop what I'm doing and tune into his little world....it usually makes me chuckle!

"A boy is Truth with dirt on it's face,
Beauty with a cut on its finger,
Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair,
and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket."
~Author Unknown~

Oh, we are sooooo in love with this little girl...perhaps smitten would be a better word! We are doing well and adjusting to life with Paisley at our side. The boys are adoring her and asking for her most of the time; first thing in the morning, while they're eating lunch, during nap, at night time. It's been special watching them interact with her, "can I pet her?" asks Tyler about 100 times a day. "Yes, Tyler, you can touch her." I'm not sure where this "pet" thing came from, but it's endearing.

Daddy is as proud as can be. He said the other night, while she was lying peacefully on his chest, "I love how a baby stops the world." And it's true, everything else just fades away and no one says anything about it. You can just sit and BE and watch a miracle unfold before you. When I see Jake with Paisley. I have a feeling inside that I never knew before , I'm not sure what to call it, but I like how it feels.

Each day she becomes more alert and her eyes....they are piercing....when she's awake that is, which isn't too often. She's been sleeping and eating well. At night she's up every 2-3 hours, eats, poos and then goes back to sleep quite well. I am thankful for that. There's nothing quite like hearing the sound of your Baby feeding, I love it! They get all desperate sounding and then settle into a rhythm all their own as they get their nourishment and comfort from you. And when her belly is empty, I can literally hear the milk going into her belly.....oh, LOVE! I forgot about the I-just-changed-your-diaper-and-two-seconds-later-you-poo-again thing, but if my memory serves me correctly, this will be the case for some time. I'm always amazed at how many diapers a little hiney can produce in a day or even one night for that matter!! (I'm now taking donations for my friend Jeane, as she will be having twins before too long).

So far, the adjustment from 2 children to 3 has been a joy. I'm feeling just great physically and each day seems better, I'm tired of course, but that's par for the course. I have a perspective that seems to have settled in this time around....I WILL SLEEP AGAIN, it might not be for awhile, but I know that these sleepless nights will be behind me soon. I remember with Tyler, my firstborn, just lying in bed crying because I knew I would have to wake up again so soon, I didn't even want to fall asleep....but this time, (although it's only been one week) feels differently. I think it's because I DO KNOW that time goes so quickly. My little nephew, Bennett, is 6 months old already....it feels like my sister JUST called me to tell me it was a BOY!! And yesterday I received a grad announcement for my niece Tessa, my eyes teared up because I too remember when she was born and now she will embark on this wonderful new journey into womanhood, adulthood and maybe even motherhood at some time! Time is a strange thing....

These are sweet, magical days that are meant to be embraced, even if I'm tired and feeling irritable from time to time. I will sleep again, but Paisley won't ever be this new again. A quick THANK YOU to all my family and friends who have helped out around here: cleaning, cooking, bringing food, (Mandi, those strawberries are out of this world)! taking care of the boys, increasing my pink stash of clothing, bringing me coffee, (Shrish)! mowing the yard, (Tom B., that was so sweet of you to help out last night and I'm still feeling badly that you didn't know our mower was self-propelling!!! Jake wishes you wouldn't have found out so that you would think he's an ox)!!

I'm off to take a nap as the rest of my house is fast alseep right now....glorious hour!

"It was the tiniest thing I ever
decided to put my whole life into."
~Terri Guillemets~