Changing of the Seasons

As the crisp air ushers in a new season I find myself thinking about the weeks of summer. I've never been a summer person per se, but this past summer has been incredibly enjoyable. The kids have enjoyed days at the park, a small kid pool, sprinklers with cousins, and a sand box. We've had a seriously good time with lots of memories to cherish. I've also been able to get a schedule pretty much down with all three kids. Of course there are days that Josiah is awake while the others sleep, but for the most part I am able to work while the kids nap. I don't talk much about why I work, but I will say it keeps me sane. I'm a busy body. If I am not taking care of kids I'm not sure what to do with myself. So working with clients, designing books, and keeping up with the ever changing technology and social media keeps me busy during 2 hours of nap time + 3 hours between the kids bed time and my bed time, and little bits in between. I've never been a t.v. watcher, so I fill my "extra" time with work and I enjoy it. Sure there are times when I feel overwhelmed with projects, but for the most part I sincerely enjoy the business. It also helped fill time while Josh was away for three weeks in Texas. The kids and I missed him very much, but we had a groove going and it went pretty well. We would skype Josh at night, pray with the kids at bed time, and then Josh and I would talk for a bit before bed. We are glad to have him home though. I'm not sure what we would do without him ;). I can't wait to enjoy another Fall season with him, although I'm sad -this year at least- to see summer on its way out.

Speaking of Fall, I am enjoying my pumpkin spice lattes again, my baby boy is rolling all over the place, and my older munchkins are in Awana. It's really hard for me to grasp the reality that I have a rolling baby and not a "newborn," but, again, I have to simply embrace each fleeting moment and treasure these moments in my heart. All of my kids are such a joy. Josiah is teething, so he's fussy pretty much every time we put him down, but he's got such a laid back/happy personality otherwise. He smiles at everyone and is belly laughing when I make noises he likes. Gabriel whines a whole lot, but he is really smart! He can't/won't count, but he learns Bible verses for Awana crazy fast, knows how to get to the places we drive to, and remembers things from a year or two ago that I sometimes don't recall. He's got an awesome memory! He's also building things like robots and pirate ships with his blocks. I'm just accepting the fact that he's not ready to be "book smart" yet. I'm totally o.k. with that. He has plenty of time to learn counting and ABC's. Liz is also very smart and her communication skills are coming on strong lately. She also loves to dance with music, laugh with her brother, fight with her brother, and carry around her little purses to go shopping. She's also potty training and doing fairly well with it. The mistakes happen when she's playing and doesn't think to go. She's also not going to be night time trained for a long while. She's got a pretty small bladder and drinks like a camel. I'm really happy with only having one in diapers -for the most part- though. It is really really nice!

Here are pics of the little munchkins lately. I'm planning a "Fallish" shoot with them before Josiah starts getting mobile. He is in desperate need of a photo session. So, professional pics soon on the blog!

The beach shot was taken while Josh was gone. The kids and I went to Wilmington and stayed two nights with Valerie and Jeremiah. It was a great time! The kids got sick the day we left and we've been sick for 2 weeks now, but we are finally on the upswing. I'm so glad this sickness has almost left the house!