Keira has one week of dance left, and AWANA has now finished for the school year. So- after this week we will only have one schedule activity in the evenings each week!!! That is alot better than the 4-5 that we have had this school year. I am looking forward to some down time where we can enjoy the girls, take lots of evening walks and bike rides, and just get to enjoy some quality time OUTSIDE!! :)
I just looked back, and it was January when I last blogged...so, here is a quick rundown of the past six months.
Keira: Keira got to experience lots of firsts in the past six months! We were SUPER blessed, and given free tickets to both the circus, and the figure skating championships this winter. Keira loved all the animals at the circus, and it was fun to just do something as the two of us.
The figure skating was a hit as well, as Keira thought they all looked like princesses. We got to go there with a group from Southview.
Keira is now 4.5 and her favorite activities currently are to ride her Barbie Jeep and to "play with the boys" in the neighborhood. They all play water guns, and chase each other in their battery-operated cars. Its great fun! We got a steal on her jeep this spring on Craigslist....and she LOVES to drive it all over the open lots around us. She usually has a passenger that looks like a bobble head doll, and goes by the name of Lainey. :)
We are preparing for Keira's first dance recital a week from tomorrow. Keira has three songs, and she likes the singing part more than the dancing part...but she loves the dressing up, and time with friends. We are SOO blessed to have found a christian dance studio. I have enjoyed becoming friends with the other moms, and Keira has enjoyed being apart of a class. She also loves that her "best friend Lauren" gets to be in the same class!
At her last doctors appt (4 year check up) she was 34 lbs and 42 inches tall...and mini Austin for sure! She is still in the 10% for weight, and 90% for height.
Lainey: She is now 17 months old. Wow, we have our hands full with her! She is a spitfire...who is absolutely adorable and a terror all at the same time. We love her to pieces, but she is ornery! She eats as much as Austin or I do at every meal, and then eats plenty of snacks throughout the day. Our grocery bill has definitely gone up since she started eating! Her favorite food is a banana that she eats whole...and it is usually 3 or more a day. We buy at least three large bunches a week, and just call her our little monkey! :)
She does a great job of keeping up with big sister Keira too. She LOVES to be outside AT ALL TIMES. She plays on her little ATV, sandbox, or whatever the big kids are doing. She not only walks, but runs quite well anymore! :) I think God was gracious by letting her take awhile to walk, as now I can hardly keep up with her.
Just within the past month, she has really started talking alot. She now repeats almost anything you say. She can say "Hi, Bye, Thankyou, Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Papa, Puppy, Eat, More, Down, Bite, Hungry, and just this week added 'Keira' to the list". It is amazing...once she started talking it has just taken off.
Despite her feisty side she is quite the lover too. She will come toddling up to me, hold up her arms, and say, "Mom". When I pick her up, she will just scrunch up her shoulders, lay her head on my chest and hum happily. If that doesn't melt my mommy heart, I don't know what would!
At her last doctor appt, (16 months) she was weighing in 18 lbs, and her length was 29 inches. She was not even on the charts for weight, and in the 10% for height. Maybe I will get one who looks like me!! Her hair is lightening up a lot as well, so I think we will have a little blondie on our hands! :)
Austin: He has been keeping very busy with work (which is good!). He has also kept busy with church by being involved with door to door evangelism, and has been building friendships with some of the younger guys, and some of the older guys as well. He has taken up golfing/ biking with one of the newer guys who is a bit older and can be a mentor to him. I think it is a great thing for him!!! :)
We are now hosting the 20's small group every week at our house, and love it! It has been fun to get to interact with the college age people more and be a blessing to them. PLUS the study is great!
Ellie: I have been extremely busy with work. I have definitely been learning patience, which is a good lesson for me to learn, although I do not enjoy it. ;)
I have also been trying to slow down on organized activities, so I can enjoy the girls and just doing things with them. We love our days at home together!!! We usually go out and about to do something (grocery shopping, childrens museum, etc), but I have found that I usually like to go with just us, or one other family...that way it is not so chaotic and I can get to play with them more without just doing damage control. One day I went to the OCM without another mom, and it was fun to just play with them and focus just on how they do things! Its those little smiles and their new experiences that are such a joy to see! :)
I have also found a new way of cooking! A friend and I have been doing some freezer cooking, where we will buy ingredients for 12 or so meals, and then put them all together one evening. They are usually all crockpot or grill ready meals. It is nice to have it all done in one lump time, and a ready made menu! We like to do "dump" recipes, where you put together all the raw ingredients, and then freeze. When you are ready to use, you just thaw it out and grill, or stick it in the crockpot in the morning, and "VOILA!" dinner is hot and ready when I walk in the door. I definitely love this way of cooking, and hope to continue to do it. Plus- when you do it with one other person, it is a ready made girls night as well...without spending any extra $$ ;).
Well thats all for now folks...thanks for reading! :)
