Grandpa Mark and Grandma Barb Pay Us a Visit!

We were so happy to host my (Kelly's) dad and mom for a visit! They were going to travel up to Seattle to see some of Barb's family and so stopped by to have dinner and give our family sweet Christmas gifts. The kids enjoyed opening their warm sweaters and games! We had such a nice dinner and a special time of visiting.. We are so grateful that they were able to come! :)

 

 

Reading to the children..

 

What are you guys looking at? :)

 

 

 

Life is never boring with my dad around!

 

 

 

 

♥♥♥Thank you Grandpa and Grandma for visiting us!!!! We LOOOOOVE You! ♥♥♥

A Special Girl Turns 5

The Amazing Grace Elizabeth Turns 5!!!!

 

This year our sweet special girl has grown so much! Not only in height but in her development. She is doing really well in her communication and has developed a greater tolerance for things which used to really overstimulate her. She can tell us when she is overwhelmed..which helps us to divert potential melt downs. Most days finds our sweet girl happy and content. Such a joy after so many years of struggle and anxiety both on her part and on ours! :) SO many things have contributed to her improvement. Much prayer, diet changes and parenting changes. Also, our current rental has a piano which she sits at (for hours if we let her) where she sounds out songs, sometimes at the first try. She has unbelievable musical talent.. It seems that playing the piano really has a very calming affect on her. It is amazing to watch. She has become such a joy to the family and quite the little 'mother' to Laura. She is learning to read and enjoys being read to. She is very spiritually sensitive and loves to talk about Jesus.. It is very common for her to be the first family member to go to the Lord in prayer for a needy soul. She enjoys reading her new sign language flash cards and playing with the new PLAN dollhouse that her good friends the Sebens gave to us. It is so fun to see her learning and developing..  We are tremendously blessed to be her parents!

 

Waiting patiently for the yummy gluten-free lemon birthday bundt cake that sister Amanda made :)

 

Sister Laura waits patiently too!

 

 

Awww! How cute is that?

 

 Tickled Pink!

 

Best Friends

 

The boys saved up to purchase her a pink fishing pole! She was so excited!

 

 

 

Birthday Hugs!

Winter Moments :)

We have so much fun here at our home! Sometimes I wish I had  a 'normal' life.. where we buy or rent a house and live forever.. never move.. consistency.. but then I remember that God has not called us all to the same thing. He has called each of us to follow Him. And to each family, to each single person that will most likely look very different.

Our family lives in what we fondly like to call 'organized chaos'. We kinda have a schedule but we are just as likely to throw it out as we are to actually follow it! We put our devotions and schoolwork as priorities for sure. Anything beyond that is simply a bonus! You know like meals, housework.. I realized long ago that being a wife and mother and homeschooling are of themselves full time work. I better make those the priorities and anything that I get done beyond that was just icing on the top! Now that the big girls and boys are older it is definitely easier to get things done. BUT we also have so much fun doing things together, projects, studying the Word, visiting others, that an official schedule just does not happen. So, if you happen to stop by to see what is 'happening at the homestead' you may find us all diligently working on chores and projects.. with a clean house, nice pot of soup simmering on the stove.. OR you may find utter mayhem as mom tries to put the zipper in her dress for the 7th time, Gracie giving her baby a bath in the toilet, and Grant unwinding his 678 feet of fishing line throughout the house, trying to find the knot.. then you'll know it is an UNSCHEDULED type of day!

This must be an organized and keeping-the-schedule-day..

because the girls have their hair fixed very neatly!

Doing schoolwork

Laura, wearing her bubble wrap headcovering!

 

Yes, they are still in their pajamas. Must be a non-scheduled day!

Mandy whips up some grub

 

Grant and the girls float Grant's homemade sailboat in the bathtub

 

 Uh oh! Gracie gets the camera!

 

Isn't it funny to see what little children like to take pictures of?

her favorite flip flops

what's in the garbage? nice pic Gracie!

 

Learning to sit quietly (kinda :) )

 

Bible Study Time

Singing to her baby

A terrific duo

 

Gracie makes Grant some cookies!

The little mother

 

 Daddy just sits back and watches the mayhem

 

Someone gave us a large amount of fabric, praise the Lord! We have been

having a great time making new dresses for everyone..or at least attempting to!

 

A Special Snow Day

Mt. Rainier Snow Day! 

The drive up to the mountain was spectacular!

The road to the snow park hadn't been plowed for 2 days.. we followed the snowplow up the hill to the park. It was snowing hard.. all of the sled runs were deep fluffy snow and took a long time to smooth down into slick fun runs. It was snowing SOOO hard! Brrr.. and Fun... :)

Grant and Grace

Mandy, Ryan and Grant head to the top of the hill

Now it's Gracie's turn. We were interested to see how she liked it. Grace does not usually do well with fast motions or feeling like she is out of control. Having Mama up there helped her get the courage to sled down the hill.

'Ready Gracie?'

Wheee! She loved it!

There goes Amanda!

 

'Faster Ashley!'

I think Grant could have stayed there ALL day!

Grady and Rye watch the children come down the hill

Children line up for the sled run

Ryan joins the line

 

Laura, age 2 1/2

 

Grace, age 4 (almost 5!)

 

Grant, age 11

 

Ryan, age 14

 

Amanda, age 18

 

Ashley, age 21

 

The snow was so thick that it was hard to see across the field

 

Aunt Katie, Ashley and I *think* Amanda wore this snowsuit!

 

 

 

 

 

This is how deep the snow was!

After a while, we all headed down the hill back to the parking lot. The sledding was more exciting there because the snow was already packed down, not fluffy. Grant was such a sweetie, pulling Laura (who was STILL enjoying lying on her back and eating snow) all around the parking lot

Grant's turn!

 

Grace needs a little pick-me-up!

 

Cocoa will do the trick!

 

Mmmmmm!

 

 

Laura is still lying on her back in the sled, eating snowflakes

There's a smile! She musta just needed a warm up!

 

Wheee!

 

 

Laura, still lying on her back, enjoying the ride!

And eating snowflakes!

 

 

Waiting while her sisters use the restroom before heading back down the mountain and head home..

 

 

 

 

 

Our Precious Treasures

December 27, 2012