Time With Our Sweet Nana

I'm often in awe at the grace that my babies have so many grandmas in their lives. Would you believe that there are TEN?! Three grandmas, four great grandmas, two great-greats, and one adopted from church. They are each such a treasure to us and love our boys so well.

This past Saturday we finally had the chance to visit our Nana after a serious bout with pneumonia and her move from Jer's parents to a rehabilitation clinic. To say the change wasn't rough on everybody would be a lie. The boys especially had a hard time. They went from seeing her a couple times a week to not really knowing where she was or even having the option to visit. It had been several months of impromptu tears and upsets but that all ended Saturday when they got to see that their beloved Nana was resting well! 

Before we left, we tried fiendishly to get a photo of this five generation span. Although this was the best we could do in the short time before Grace came undone, I have to admit this picture is so precious to me. It truly shows just how much love exists between this grandmother and her grandchildren. Nearly ninety one years old and still clutching a baby in her lap and an arm around another. As for the other two, they're holding on to the sides of her wheelchair that she just finished giving them rides in. 

What a heritage she has both her on earth and in Heaven. And what a blessing that we have gotten to claim her as ours. 

Summer, Summer, Summer Time!

Summer is officially in full swing around here, even though we doubted those first snowy weeks in May whether it would truly come! With the exception of the usual afternoon winds, the boys have been enjoying the warm weather immensely. Most mornings, they are out the back door as early as nine o'clock riding bikes and finding the perfect sticks to practice their jedi knight moves {bunch of nerds!}. And I can't tell you how happy I am to have an hour of quiet to clean up breakfast and do a few chores with only one bambino underfoot. Especially since that rising sun catches us almost 45 minutes earlier than Albuquerque and the boys are often up right along with it. 

As for school, we're still chugging along. For the most part, we will be continuing through the summer for the sake of rhythm and because it's really been a great way for the four of us to spend some intentional time together. It's amazing to see just how much we have fallen into a groove and everyone {for the most part} knows what's expected of them.  

Even Judah, who just a few months ago provided a fairly large distraction, has now resigned to the fact that it's better to sit and color quietly than to be banished to the living room for not allowing us to work without interruption. Plus, the warmer weather has provided us so much more freedom to work OUTSIDE, which everyone loves. I mean, who doesn't love coloring and practicing reading with a soft breeze and the birds chirping in the trees?

And who doesn't love teaching while working on their tan?!

If we gotta practice those phonemes, I might as well prop those legs up in the sun, right?!

Speaking of tan, let's get to this little Sloan Gem. She has the most beautiful olive glow to her just like her daddy. Except for her creases. Those are white like momma. 

This last week, she had her first go round with water play and her very own pop-cicle. To say she dug it would be a tremendous understatement.

Sweet, sweet summertime...

...we welcome you!

Changing It Up

We're still floatin' over here. Just making a transition from the Mac lap book back to my beloved Dell. For some reason, despite my love affair with my iPad and iPhone, I just cannot make the Mac work for photo editing and blogging. Anyway, after a series of unfortunate events (including getting scammed on Ebay), a new to me laptop is finally on its way. Three cheers! In the meantime, enjoy some rub-a-dub time with the girl.

One

My Darling Grace Girl,

How to believe that that just a little over a year ago, life for us whirled with three little boys and just the possibility of a daughter.

"Do you think the baby is a girl?" I would ask night after night, as your daddy and I would pull back sheets.

He would just grin his grin and shake his head murmuring something about how his opinion wouldn't change one little thing about what the Lord had in store and how I should just wait and see and after all, isn't this what we wanted? To wait and see?

Wait and see, we did. You were our fifth baby and our fourth born and yet we waited to know you until your birth day just like the rest. And on that eighteenth of April when push gave way to life, I saw and I knew and heart song gave birth to lip praise to the Giver.

And now here we are, celebrating you and your first year, both gracious gifts from our Lord. And while they're may not be a big party or presents, there is much thanksgiving and love for you. You are an every day reminder of God's faithfulness, tender care, and mercy in our lives and you are a so very, very precious part of our family.

You are our Gracie Girl, and you're one year old. 

Happy Birthday to you, little one.