In these moments

In these moments, I am enjoying these things:

1) Waking up. At various stages in motherhood waking up can be challenging. For this moment, by that I mean today, I find it joyful. The mornings are truly full of joy these days. I wish I woke up in the morning with the same kind of vigorous excitement for the day that my children do. For now, I let them lead me to it.

2) Moments of silence. Again, at various times in motherhood, silence becomes a foreign word. In this moment, my children are becoming friends and that means there are more times when they are playing together happily, and I am left in silence. It is bittersweet. I am grateful to finally catch my breath, and in that same instance I miss their closeness. I remind myself that this is a VERY fleeting moment, so I try to enjoy it to the fullest!

3) Reading together. Samuel has discovered books! This means that the three of us can now cozy on the couch, or in Mommy's bed, for endless amounts of time reading the same stories over and over. I love it! He has very strong opinions for which books we should read at "his turn," and I love discovering what they are. I love that I have to constantly switch between ballerina stories and "truck books!" Sometimes I read a little slower than usual, just so I can savor that moment of two heads resting on my shoulders.

4) Rose Marie is learning to read! I love watching her eyes sparkle as she sounds out new words! I realize that tomorrow, she could loathe me for asking her to read out loud, but for today, she is thrilled, and so am I!

5) Samuel sings. He sings constantly. He sings from his crib, in the bathtub, while he is eating, while he is playing etc. I hope it means that his heart is joyful and happy.

6) Rose Marie dances...all the time! Between the singing and the dancing we are becoming quite the talented little family. I can't help but smile when Rose prances down the stairs with a purple headband crookedly perched on her head, pink butterfly wings balancing off her shoulders, a pink tu-tu almost resting at her waist, multi-colored bracelets to match her mis-matched socks, completing her attire with red sequined shoes. She then announces that she has a surprise for me and that I am invited to a very special ballet. It truly is special...every single time.

Snapshots from October :)

I have a few snapshots from last month, that I really wanted to share. Last month, was a full and happy month for our little family. Here a few of my favorites:

1) We celebrated our 5th Anniversary this year! My always romantic husband surprised me with an evening away, which was wonderful! This shot was actually taken the weekend before at our College's Homecoming celebration, but I love it!

2) Apple Picking! We went twice last month, which was such a treat! Apples are definitely a favorite in this house. I had wanted to use them to bake with, but they were eaten before I got the chance. :)

3) Myself and the kids, completed our first hike up at Skyline Drive together! I was so proud of Rose for happily making it the whole way on her own! We had so much fun that morning! They were both exhausted by the time nap time rolled around. :)

4) The pumpkin patch! This was one of my favorite years, because both of the kids had strong opinions on which pumpkins they wanted, and each one was absolutely perfect for them. They were so proud of them!

5) Pumpkin Carving! We were afraid that Sam's pumpkin might be too small to carve into, but Daddy patiently worked on it and was able to put a smile on that little pumpkin. :)

6) The Artist and the apprentice:

7) Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion:

Samuel's Vocabulary

A few years ago I did a post on Rose Marie's budding vocabulary.

Samuel has recently discovered his own voice, and I love it! He can now communicate clearly what he wants...most of the time. He has come up with a few words of his own that make us all laugh. Without further ado, here is a guide to Sam's word usage:

1) "Mine"= this is his own nickname for Rose Marie. She actually answers to it, but only when he says it. It is so endearing to hear him ask, "Where'd Mine go?" My favorite is hearing him yell for her if she wandered too far from him at the park, "MINE!!!" I think he actually means that she is his...she belongs to him and he is very possessive over his playmate. :)

2) "Mouth-Toot"= Burp. Very clever, if you ask me and it makes his Daddy very proud.

3) "Butt"= Bug

4) "Hop Butts"= Grasshoppers

5) "Trick-or-Treats"= Candy

Over Month Has Gone By...

And I feel like I have so much to say!

Firstly, I no longer have my computer, so I am at the mercy of when I can borrow one for now. :)

Secondly, I have been thinking A LOT about life, marriage, children, the faith, etc. Honestly, my thoughts have overwhelmed me recently and I feel like it has been hard for me to express myself clearly. I am feeling a bit better now and I am anxious to get my thoughts out there somewhere. So, consider yourself warned for future posts.

Thirdly, I can't wait to share again how our lives are daily growing and changing. People always warn you that children grow up way to fast...I finally understand what they mean by that. :) I need to get back to recording it again, so that I never forget.

Here I am! I am back, and I will post when I can. I hope everyone is enjoying this fall weather! God bless!