I am not usually one that enjoys the summer months, but I have to admit that this summer was pretty awesome. I will always look back at these wonderfully bright pictures of my kiddos and think fondly of our first summer as a family of five. 

Lydia is just the cutest little baby. Everyone comments on how smiley, alert, and expressive she is. She has been referred to many times as a "little doll". She fits so well into this crazy family of ours, and her brothers adore her. I can't even believe how easy the transition has been for everyone! All thanks to God's provision, of course. :)

The summer heat is making one last (I hope) appearance before Autumn sets in. I am thankful for an air conditioned house, and the boys are thankful for a blow-up pool filled with ice cold water.

I always seem to post pictures of my boys happily playing together, but, to be honest, that has been a huge battle as of late. Benjamin finds sharing really difficult to grasp, and Judah likes to mimic Ben's whiney behaviour because he sees that it gets attention. Being a good parent in those situations is not an easy task. God has been giving us the strength (bit by bit) to work through these tough times with our boys, and I feel like we are coming out on the other side. Communication is being rebuilt with Judah, and it's finally becoming possible with Ben. And, I have to say, I really love my boys and who they are becoming.

Judah will do anything to make you laugh. He loves to write all his letters and numbers, and can do so with barely any help from us. He refers to those he loves as "my friend, (insert name here)". He has a special fondness for Lydia and would spend all of his time making her smile if he could.

Benjamin is progressing so very well with his words. Sentences are easy peasy for him, as is counting. He can count from 1 -12 with no prodding... and we had no part in teaching him that. The truth is, Benjamin loves to copy everything his big brother does and says. If we spend time teaching Judah something, Benjamin will most likely learn it just the same. This makes me excited for when we start homeschooling them. I am so glad they have each other. 

It is difficult not to be head-over-heals in love with my family (especially when they have such chubby. nom-able cheeks). 

How could we let the boys play in that pool without letting Lydia join in on the action? Joey tenderly dipped the very tips of her toes in... 

...but that wasn't received very well. It's tough not to laugh when she gets so incredibly offended by the smallest of things. My sweet, sensitive little girl. 

I checked: her toes are fine. ;)

As much as I hate hot, muggy days, I really loved today. What a beautiful family I have been given.

a weekend reunion

We finally made it back to our old stomping grounds to visit family, celebrate three birthdays, and show off Lydia. It was a) so much fun, b) way too short, and c) exhausting. It's not easy travelling with little ones, even if you know the place you're headed feels like home. Sometimes we can come back feeling so distant from our kids and completely unable to hop back into routine again. This time was different, though. I feel like I was able to bond with both of my boys (bonding with Lydia is a given for me at this point) while we visited other loved ones, and that is very important to me. I feel both sad to leave and happy to be home at the same time. It's just the right mix of emotions.

Apparently I have given up on the writing of words on this here blog. Pictures communicate so much more than I can these days. I feel completely unable to string together a coherent sentence on a regular basis (mommy brain?). So, I will leave you with the weekend from the vantage point of my camera. And, I apologize if it bothers you, but I was totes feeling the black and white action.