"One Blessing After Another!"

I was a little bit surprised this evening when I clicked on "new message" and saw that the last time I posted was mid-September! That lapse in time is equal to the hair-raising swiftness of my days. I rush from one adventure to the next all morning, then do lunch and lay down and read with the children. Then get up and rush from one adventure to the next and then Joe is walking in the door. Life is very full, very precious and very swift right now! :)

One reason for the added activity in my days has been the ever-present addition of our Elizabeth Noelle. She has been happily, peacefully around for more than 9 months. However, she is now present just about everywhere. In the middle of the duplos, in the trash in the bathroom, standing-up giggling during Jonathan's read aloud time... Elizabeth is always there, or else, "Where's Elizabeth??????" She is a perfect little vacuum, which is good because both mommy and Abbie love to run the real one, and now we do, a lot more often! She doesn't like to be left alone in a room for a second, though she has no qualms about exploring on her own. Lizzie loves to snuggle and nurse her mommy--which is one of my favorite things too! She brings more twinkles and giggles to our home than we had ever hoped for. Abbie never goes to sleep without asking, "Can I hold Lizzie in the morning????" We are overflowing-ly thankful that God chose our home to bless with Elizabeth.

Thomas is getting more talkative and hilarious by the hour! You never know what he is going to tell you, in all wide-eyed seriousness. The other day we were going to the park and walked past a weeping willow tree and he started telling me about the time a dragon got caught up there and he had to climb up and fight it... the story lasted the rest of the way to the park. He is packed with questions, "Mommy, do crocodiles live in dark water?" "Mommy, do elephants squirt water with their trunks?" "Mommy, do raccoons crash the trash cans?"... He is an avid animal lover. Thomas loves to always be carrying an animal around with him. We are going to the Wild Animal Park with Grandma Barnes on Monday and he has been talking about it for a week. "Mommy, we go the Wild Animal Park with Grandma Barnes? I see lion? I see elephant? Elephant squirt water with his trunk? He squirt me?" His questions are always so serious and he has the biggest eyes. How precious to know his thoughts. He has been inventing the most amazing animals out of duplos. I am amazed at who God has entrusted us with, and grateful, and stretched by our Thomas James.

Abigail Marie, what can I say? Sometimes she seems so much like me it's almost frightening. :) She is very intense about everything. She loves to always be going: cleaning, fixing, picking, swinging, moving. She loves to know what we are doing and likes to go down her lovely little list checking things off. She will often not notice the people until her projects are done, but she loves to have them around to interact with her as long as they contribute to the project at hand. I think if I needed to leave the house for a few days she could take care of things as well as, or better, than I do (just kidding!). She is the most intense baby and young-child lover I have ever met in such a small person. Her yearning to know and interact with any small person is beautiful to watch. She interacts with all ages beautifully. She can be completely wild and uncontrollable. How perfectly God knew we would need Abbie's sweet and feisty additions to our home. Every person in our home benefits so much, just from her sweet presence and tender little additions. :)

Jonathan is getting so tall and strong! He is nearly up to my shoulder in height. He is still so all boy--always ready to wrestle and wriggle. He loves to build, talk, read, do math, tell jokes, run... his interests don't ever seem to stop...unless I can't participate with him. He is so hungry to always be together, actively interacting. He is amazing at scrabble and chess--though I usually ban him from talking during chess because I feel like I am in an all-out war and he is intent on slaughtering me, rather than just capturing me! He is such a great big brother. He can make Elizabeth giggle like no one else! It is hilarious to watch the two of them together!!!! :) :) :) :) He is doing great on his violin, though he usually tells people he doesn't like it. I just got my violin fixed so we have been having delightful times playing together. His reading is blossoming and I love to sit and listen to him read. I will forever cherish these years of snuggling up and reading. He has a special spot, nestled in my arm feverishly reading some interesting book. I have felt so much delight and so much stretching with this dear boy. I am delighted with who God crafted and is continuing to craft in Jonathan Joseph.

My days are long (or was that short???) and very full. I am asked nearly every day what it's like to have four. Wonderful. Overwhelming. Delightful. Intimidating. Hilarious. Frustrating... It is the hardest thing I've ever imagined and my childhood fantasies don't measure up to the intensity that is in every moment.

How wonderful to have these precious four!