catchin' up with life

It's Spring!

Carrying Jaci around in the sling before we got the new Mei Tai and backpack. She especially likes to be close to me when I'm making dinner, so this allows her to be close and my hands to be free. Aaron often falls asleep in the Mei Tai and has the longest nap afterward-- feeling so secure and fetus-like in there! We're looking forward to getting outside and carrying our babies on hikes as the weather gets warmer!

Homeschooling is going well! After Ella expressed her boredom with the math curriculum we were doing, I casually mentioned to a friend in Kalispell that maybe I should begin giving the lessons in Spanish. So I have! It's great fun, adds a bit of a challenge, and accomplishing two subjects at once! Tessa asks for a reading lesson every day, and I'm hoping Jaci will be done potty training at the end of this week. I absolutely love the freedom I have to school my kids at home. Nobody else could love my children like I do!

The kids learn more from what I DO than what I say. That truth inspires me to take care of myself, my relationship with God, and do anything to avoid the hypocracy that so often yields rebellion.

All in a day's work: nursing & giving Tessa a reading lesson.

Like father like son. Adrian bought me a Nintendo set like the one I had when I was a kid. Aaron seems especially interested in the colors flashing on the screen. I love how this picture captures that all have a similar expression on their face as they watch Mario run around! I love, love, love my family.

Keeping the kids in the right sized clothing for the right season is a full time job around here! This is my pile before it went to the basement for storage. We are so thankful for many family & friends who have given us wonderful clothing for all our kids!

After I noticed that Jaci had already grown past some shoes that I had from Ella/Tessa, it was time to take the plastic bags full of little girls' shoes and make them more accessible. I bought a shoe organizer that is designed to hold 10 adult pairs of shoes at WalMart for around $7. Then I divided each compartment by sizes; girls shoes on one side and boys' on the other. Now it will be much easier to find the next size when I need it! Mr Aaron already has a nice collection of cute boy shoes too! Whoops-- my husband doesn't like me to use adjectives like "cute" regarding boy stuff. Can't think of another word though.

Easter Sunday photo shoot.. kind of impromtu... didn't get one that's great of all 4, but I still enjoy capturing my kids just how they are!

Aaron has been pushing himself up with strong little arms. We're amazed by him!

And yesterday when I pondered the thought that we should worship the CREATOR and not the CREATION, I realized that applies to kids too -- I absolutely adore my kids and like to gush about all of their individual stages. I love to watch them grow and learn and develop. That's probably an ok feeling, being a mommy. But when I do, I should always remember that every heartbeat and every way they amaze me is thanks to the God of heaven -- he formed them in my womb, and HIS awesome creation continues as they grow!

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We had some beautiful warm weather last week, so took advantage of it with lots of bike riding and outdoor play. After a months of preferring her scooter and balance bike (small bicycle with no pedals), Ella just TOOK OFF with riding her bike without training wheels on Thursday. She's just as excited about it as we are!

THREE MONTHS ~ Aaron Rio is:

still super easy going and smiley

still sleeping peacefully through each night

handsome as ever

grabbing toys & mommy's arm during diaper changes

extremely ticklish, with a cute little giggle

fun to play games with
over 15 pounds!

...Don't you just want to pick him up? :)

This week Adrian is in Vancouver and the girls and I are living on plywood floors. By next week, we will have new floors in the kitchen/bathroom, all new plumbing, and a rearranged laundry room. I'll post pictures of that later...

Thinking about 1 Corinthians 13 ~ in my own words ~ even if I do everything "right" and don't have love, it is all worthless! My choices include how I worship, how I parent, how I devote quiet time to the Lord, how I eat, how I exercise, how I run the house and life and manage time ... oh, there's something to consciously choose every day. Of course I make choices based on what I think is best. But LOVE should rank higher than all that. And when I look around, I see many ways that the enemy is 'winning' in relationships among Christians. That wretched lion of a devil is creating division, and causing friendships to dissolve over disagreements. I, too, disagree with many choices of people around me. However, I am called to love despite that. When Christ asked us to love, he knew how difficult it would be for us, and he whispers, "My Grace is sufficient..." Please reconcile any division or unforgiveness you find in your life.