School is in

It's been going for about 2 1/2 months now, but life as it is, we just now got around to taking some

"school photos".  Yeah, life as it is.  :) 

Our area isn't full of beautiful leaves but we have a few spots that are pretty. 

We got some maternity shots in too, but that is for another time. 

Always remember, there is nothing worth sharing, like the love that let us share our name. 

- Avett Brothers, Murder in the City

Currently the whole family is singing their songs over and over and over. Good times. 

Our school year has been great so far. I love what we are learning and that makes it so much easier to teach and enjoy the process. G and Z do very similar things which makes it easier also. August is learning and is so enthusiastic about it. I LOVE being home with my kiddos. I love the chaos, most days. I love the lack of rhythm, most days and the nice scheduled times too. We go to a co-op every Friday and that has been fun. G and Z are in the Christmas play! Can't wait to see them up on stage. They both have just one line and then sing all the songs too. It's gonna be so cute! 

I praise God for the grace to have gotten through the last few months of school and look forward to receiving even more grace as the next few months come along. 

I pray for a good attitude as I get more and more uncomfortable and just want to sleep and relax and rebel against any commitments I have. God is and has been teaching me diligence for a long time. 

Along with diligence, to have a joyful, servant's heart. 

Today our pastor talked about suffering. Christ willingly suffered for me because He loves me. 

I was convicted and challenged to suffer, so to speak, for the cause of my family and others. 

To serve them, with a joyful heart and to be thankful. 

Look to find the eternal in all things, for the unseen is of far greater value than the seen. 

Hebrews 4:14-16

Seeing then that we a have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  

Thank God for His throne of GRACE! 

34 weeks

Pregnancy is so good. I am loving every minute. Even the hard ones. August is kissing the belly

or "baby" all the time now. He jumped on the bed today and saw a pile of pillows and blankets and said he thought it was the baby. Kind of cool that he is envisioning the baby being out and into our lives. I have talked with him about being aware of where the baby is and not jumping and being rough around baby. He is so crazy and yet so sweet too. He loves to rhyme right now too. And argue!! 

Such an independent kid and so particular about things. 

I really can not believe that we only have 6 weeks left. Maybe more, maybe less. ;) 

Golden Autumn Sunset

I got home and ran in the door. I yelled to anyone willing to listen that I was going down the road to enjoy the sunset. The boys both wanted to come. Blessed this Mama's heart, for the whole street of neighborhood kids were outside playing. 

August got some fake tattoos and wanted to be "like Daddy". He was working on a full sleeve! 

Sisters!!

I told them to imagine they were the Bennet sisters in a field, daydreaming the day away. Come to find out Pride and Prejudice is one of their favorite books! These girls LOVE to read! 

I was really excited to take these girls' photo! Made me think that the next time I am up visiting my own sister, we need to have a sister shoot! Sisters are one of the biggest blessings here on earth and I like to hear when sisters recognize that fact and appreciate each other. My daughter is praying for a sister and although they would be more than 8 years apart, I really do hope she gets to experience having a sis. 

Doesn't she look so different (older!) in this one? 

Sometimes it is so hard to decide between B&W and color. I love both of these last two so much. Her red hair and the green and black just makes me happy!! Funny that I see she is the feistier of the two. There really must be something to that red hair!! 

Renew

 I am currently being challenged by these two verses. Specifically the "being transformed by the renewing of your mind" part. My mind feels like mush and while I would like to blame it on pregnancy, the fact of the matter is, I'm just not applying myself. I am lazy. 

Kind of have struggled with this for awhile now. Not that I don't do what needs to be done, but I don't always go above and beyond or do the best I could do. I don't always obey that still, small voice. 

I am afraid of commitment. Never knew that until this last week, when the hubs and I read our Bible study chapter and it just got thrown in my face and right into my proud heart. Then Friday night a friend shared this same scripture and I just had to giggle because I knew God was trying to get my attention. I am so shallow sometimes. Or maybe just dumb. Probably a little of both. But anyways, 

God got my attention and I am seeing what I need to work on. What am I putting into my mind? 

It all starts there. :) 

On the way home from a photo shoot I had to pull off the road and snap a couple pictures of the sunset. 

Gorgeous! I am not a good landscape photographer but my oh my is God a fantastic artist!! 

Running across a busy semi filled road to get this shot was worth peeing my pants over.

Ok, I didn't really pee my pants, but running at 8 months pregnant is kind of hilarious!!

Thankful for the Word of God, humor, friends, and good food tonight. :) 

Game on

The kids just had their last soccer game. It was Z's first year and he did the best on his last game. 

I like to see them really get into it and get aggressive. Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Tina came to every game. Mainly it is a kick fest with  kids running in all directions! I love it and I think the kids had a good time too! It was a little surprising how winded they got seeing as they are constantly running around and riding their bikes. Sports can teach you so much about perseverance and hard work, teamwork and having a good attitude. I think they learned a little of all of those things this season and mostly had fun. :) It was so nice that they got to play on the same team. Z was supposed to be on the younger team but I requested they be on the same team and it worked out. It was a challenge for him, but he rose to the occasion. Or he just did circles in the goal area. Whatever! 

I love my husband! He makes me smile. :) 

August ran around and tried to get on the field to join the team. I can't wait to see him play sports! This summer he was able to do swim lessons and he put in 100% every time! He will be the hulk out on the field! 

32 weeks

Yesterday's makeup. Tired eyes. I don't care. I am 32 weeks pregnant! 

Just getting a picture taken sometimes is hard work. Ha! Sounds so ridiculous, 

but life is crazy. Grace has gotten pretty descent with the camera. I just need one good one! 

We went to Boise this weekend and had a great time with the family. Stayed up late. Talked and ate good food. Shopped. Walked around all over. I bought a super cute hat for the baby. I can't wait to 

see this little child and take far too many pictures and kiss it's whole face a million times a day. 

I bought myself some "thanksgiving" pants!! I plan on wearing these babies until I give birth and probably all the time after birth too! They are so comfortable. I hope they don't fall apart on me! 

32 weeks feels so good. I have energy, although I sleep in til 9 usually. I stay up late and get up a lot to pee during the night, so really I am not sleeping much more than usual. 

I have been baking up a storm! Pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg, along with sugar and butter are a constant sight on our counter. It explains the large rear end that is happening. Oh well. Soon enough

and it will be Spring and I will be walking and losing the weight. 

We have a box of boy clothes from my sis in law and a bag of girl clothes from my Aunt!

We have the wood all stacked and ready so the house will be warm and cozy. Now

we just continue to wait. :) 

This kind of waiting is good though. 

Miss Elizabeth

Usually I tell people that it will probably be around 2 weeks for processing the photos, but there is just
something about babies that makes me so happy, I got most of these done last night! Right after shooting them!


Here is sweet Elizabeth......

At one month old she is still tiny, but my is she alert and ready to see the world!

I wonder how many kisses babies get within just moments of their first breath. Within a month, it has got to be close to a million!!

Pumpkins!

This time of year I get really excited and a wee bit sentimental. There are so many traditions we have as a family and a lot of them happen through the next few months. Summer was wonderful but we have welcomed Fall with full hearts this year. The last couple of years I had a hard time getting into Autumn decorations and foods and activities. Not sure why, but this year I am back! Woohoo! We have a great pumpkin patch right down the road from us. It is filled with tons of different variety of squash and pumpkins and all the usual photo props. The kids go for the pumpkins, I go for the pictures! Not really because I love pumpkin but I mainly stick with taking photos of them running through the fields and picking the perfect pumpkin. Zade was running and yelling, "Pumpkin parkour!" while he jumped off the big pumpkins!! How funny to me that even as a kid you can't just grab the first one you see. You have to search the whole field over for that perfect one. :) Reminds me of when we are tromping through the forest for our Christmas tree. 

Brothers make me happy. You know it's a good pumpkin if you need a little help carrying it to the wheel barrel. 

Grace looks like she is giving birth to this huge one!! Haha!! 

It's been a long couple of weeks. We have had so many commitments and jobs like getting wood to prepare for the winter. Time keeps marching on and we seem to fall into bed at night exhausted. We say, Ok no more. We just want to relax and enjoy some time together before this baby comes, but then something else comes up. It is a busy life, but it is a blessed life too. Last night was a good time together at the pumpkin patch.  I am amazed at the amount of love and energy this man has. He makes our family so much fun. He just keeps going and he does it because, well it is his personality to live life to the fullest, but also because he loves to see his family happy and making memories. So thankful for a man who will have no regrets on how he spent his time. 

He may be exhausted but he is all here with us. How is it that he could be such a worker and yet know how to relax and enjoy life too? 

This year I decorated the front porch and I will share some pictures soon. It makes me happy to walk up and see the beauty of Fall welcoming us home.