Where Have I Been?

It's been awhile, I know. I have been working my arse off painting and cleaning and organizing and decluttering my beautiful home. It goes on the market tomorrow!

We got ourselves a teenager!

Since Terrill moved out(we miss you Terrill) we had an empty room just sitting there waiting to be filled. Felicity was so kind as to fill the vacancy. She moved in over two weeks ago and turns out she's an excellent roomie. Here she is with Johanna. Thomas had left some of his work clothes in her closet and told her if she ever needed to borrow some to just help herself. How we love these girls!

It turns out...

he wasn't buckled into the high chair. (No that isn't blood)

Quirks-Yep I've Got A Few

My wonderful friend Sarah Simmons tagged me and now I must share six of my quirks.

1) It is extremely difficult for me to sit through an entire movie. I don't know what it is...if there is anything left undone in the house I find myself getting up and say sweeping the floor. A little weird and certainly something Thomas will probably never understand. He loves a good movie or two or three.
2)Instead of just wiping my kids hands and face after they eat I send them up to take a shower. It may waste water but it's so much easier. My kids learn to love the shower at a very young age.
3)I'm a hugger. I hug pretty much everyone I know, sometimes even people I don't. I fear some people think me a bit odd but I am what I am.
4)I can spot a spider from 100 yards away. OK maybe not quite that far but I am constantly scanning the room, ceiling and floor for unwanted guests and I can spot the smallest intruder in seconds flat!
5)I brush my teeth a lot! I'm a big fan of good oral hygiene.
6)I really do kind of like pain. I LOVE that sore feeling you get the day after a hard workout. I've had all my babies naturally...very painful. It's kind of like proof to myself that I can accomplish difficult things. It makes me feel good. I'm weird I know.

I was having a hard time thinking of my quirks. I began to feel a little sad thinking that perhaps I was not quirky after all. I turned to my sweet Thomas and he had no trouble listing at least four without a moments hesitation. Thanks honey for affirming my quirkyness.

A Regency Recital

We have a friend named Genne Allen. She is Marley and Townsend's piano teacher. She also teaches some fantastic home school classes. The kids take a writing class and a history class from her once a week. She does so many fun and creative things with the kids.

Just after Thanksgiving she hosted a Regency Period Recital. All the kids dressed up in Jane Austin style dresses(and in Townsend's case breeches). It was so cool. I had so much fun making Marley's dress. And thanks go to my mom who threw Townsend's costume together on Thanksgiving day. They drank (herbal) tea and ate scones. It was all so very cute. I LOVE old fashioned clothing. I wish we could all dress up all the time.

Marley played "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing". I love this hymn so very much. She did beautifully.

Townsend played "Sextet Allegro" by Beethoven. He also played exceptionally well. He was the only boy in attendance. He of course didn't want to admit it but he thought it was a pretty fun time. He let it slip that he thought it was the best recital ever!

I am so thankful for Genne and the wonderful teacher she is. I love the personal interest she takes in each child. My kids consider her a friend. I think it is wonderful. They can learn so much from her.

Just yesterday their history class put on a play based on the Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris. Townsend played a scribe and Marley was the goddess Isis. Pure AWESOMENESS! That's the only way to describe it. Unfortunately we don't have a video camera.

Thank you Genne for being you. You're the best.

Here's More

I forgot how incredibly difficult it is to get five kids and a husband to cooperate and take some family pictures. I didn't hold out much hope for many good shots because the kids......well were being kids. But turns out Amberlyn is the awesomest miracle worker around. There were so many cool pictures, it's hard to pick my favorites!

Aislyn LOVES her daddy. He just might LOVE her a little bit too!

Bronwyn loves her man! Seriously I have really been loving this guy lately. I mean I always love him but lately I just love everything about him.

Townsend=silly face. I think 99% of the pictures of him had some rendition of his "cross-eyed, monster teeth" expression. So this one looks real nice.

"Oh man, she's smothering me....again!"

Real Smile

A few months ago I mentioned my quest to capture Thomas' real smile in a picture. I have still not been able to achieve this goal, but his super-awesome neice Amberlyn was. She offered to come and take some pics of our family. There were so many great ones that I'll have to post later. I just wanted show the world before I forgot. I especially love that you can see right up my nose in this one.

I love this guy. I love his smile. I love that he makes me laugh every day. I love that our kids call him "silly daddy."