day 275

sunsets. 

one of my many great loves. 

7:05 pm here.

274

sometimes you just have to DO IT. even when it's not practical. even when it doesn't make sense.

like this.

ben can't/couldn't/shouldn't take anymore time off this year, but -

we NEED this.

i think the last time we had quality time together was back in january, vacationing on the islands. so even though this will be a quick, 24-hour frenzy, it will be well worth it.

if you haven't listened to the latest jason mraz album - DO. it's sooo good. mraz + raining jane make marvelous sounds.

just a few more weeks...

272

HOCKEY NIGHT!

and look who couldn't let someone have all the glory...

red.

watch out, she's now equipped with (as she calls them) skate-shoes!

watching the big boys

jb with the puck!

such a funny little being.

practicing (and perfecting!) getting back up!

271

sweater season!

love that this dude has a muffin top - out of his collar.

270

eyelashes. half-inch long? 

goodness.

i kept thinking 

what is so different?

why am i enamored by her beauty? 

oh, that's it - no paci... 

perfect lips. button nose. stay little, forever, tessie boo.

269

268

sunshine bullys. 

it's that time of year; they now prefer their naps inside, rather than out. 

carpet snoozes. following the sunshine, all around the room.

267

sunrise - 8:40

266

dada made it home, just in time for bedtime stories with the boo boo. 

265

monday night is now HOCKEY NIGHT!

 cutest thing, these days.

 jb in the white socks

psssssst: 100 days left in 2014!

264

my mom had two sweet friends fly up from minnesota. we were happy to take in the autumn air on this glorious sunday afternoon. come back and visit again - soon!

263

a day in cooper landing, celebrating a super-special little man. autumn is in full-swing on the peninsula. sooo many beautiful colors. and what do i love more than beautiful fall colors but them with one of my lovelies.

the youngest of my brood; beautiful, brown-eyed tess anne.

262

duey & her papa

261

the girl's got tricks!

day 260

"do you only own books about pigs?!" was what my father said after spending a few hours with tess.

apparently, he was introduced to sandra boynton's little pookie series. tess' favorite. or perfect piggies. or 15 animals. the girl has a mean oink - just ask her what a pig says!

day 259

there's tessie's bed. vacant. 

but, you see that pile on the ground? dark mass in the middle? that's her hair.

that's where she fell. i heard it. but there she be. sleeping. soundly. 

so, you let sleeping babies lay. especially those miebs babies.

day 258

i'm forever finding funny "scenes" set up in dylan's room: barbie dolls huddled together in miss-matched clothes (matching to my duey); little people all lined up or lined up in random vehicles, all the boys on one side, all the girls on another side; stuffed animals wearing her undies or tess' onesies... just to name a few. 

but this evening, after kiddos were tucked into bed, as i was doing my nightly clean-up, i came across this green frog, won during an evening at the state fair. dylan had found one of our mustaches from st. patrick's day and was wearing it for most of the evening. i assumed it ended up in the garbage... 

day 257

tess. 

exactly 2 weeks ago, tess was screaming sitting in the orthopedic's office, getting her blue cast sawed off.  this afternoon, i walked into her room after nap time and caught her in a pike position, holding onto her top crib rail with both sticky, sweaty feet, flat on the slats. i ripped the front of the crib off, threw up the side rails and here we are: insta-big girl!

she's so proud. 

day 256

heading to a client's house for a newborn shoot. 

think i got everything... except the kitchen sink.

day 255

tess loves to look at books and pleads to have any and everyone read to her. this evening, caught between stacks of books to page through (for, like, the 3rd or 4th time) and making dinner, jb gladly sat with his sister and read to her so i could wrap up a meal.

these two. a bond like nothing i've seen. 

day 254

with the boys up in delta, we were able to exchange text messages. from benji, i received a snoozing picture of jb, so duey and i returned the favor - selfie!

i'm sure this is the first of many "boy trips" and "girls only" time, as dylan came to call this. 

it's only girls - no boys, mom!

day 253

my pops and his childhood friend arrived tonight - they came to accompany ben and jack on a moose hunt! so of course, food had to be cooked and packed. and since my little man was going along, it was extra-important for me to pack enough - seriously, this kid eats. i don't know how he packs it away. i don't know where it all goes. but. the kid. can. EAT.

besides all the groceries i packed, i also threw together a chicken chili, a moose meat sauce to go with a gallon-sized baggie of cooked penne. the rolls below? those became sticky buns (see: karo and butter and brown sugar and a packet of jello vanilla pudding... yeah, you probably wouldn't like them...) also made 2 batches of chocolate chip cookies because, well, you can't go wrong with them thangs.

by 9 pm, we had dinner; kids were in bed and snoozing 45 minutes later, and i'm not sure i saw the time click over to 10 pm. long day but all in the name of love.

day 252

see? addicting. 

of course my girlies needed some too - with hand-stitching, naturally.

day 251

bullys. 

so they aren't big thinkers or fast-movers; they snore & snort and pass too much gas, but they make up for all that mess with their cuddles and snuggles. 

day 250

more school projects: birthday crowns!

these little buggers are addicting: endless color combinations, stitches, thread color accents...

day 249

my current water glass, became a vase. 

i went to take a sip but was stopped in my tracks - instead, a grin splashed across my face. this was a run-by-vasing, so i can't say who the culprit could be, but nevertheless, i've got some big-hearted kiddos on my hands...

day 248

i was so sick. sounds like the titled of a mercer mayer book...

it was all my body could do to fix a breakfast, make a lunch, drive across town & back home and get baby 3 down for a nap. i turned on disney junior for the orange-head, unlocked the pantry and whispered into her ear that 

mama was sick, mama needs a nap.

i think kids either know when mom is serious or this one was just that desperate for free-range of the home front.

i fell asleep around 10 in the morning, waking around noon. the house was quiet and baby 3 was still snoozing. God bless my household. i peeked into the living room and could hear dylan playing upstairs in coveted big brother's room where she normally is not allowed unless she wants a big-brother-style beating. i grabbed a sip of water and climbed back into bed, setting my alarm for 2. i woke like i hadn't even fallen asleep - love those super-sound sleeps! tess also apparently loves super-sound sleep as SHE WAS STILL ASLEEP, but this time, i found duey back on the couch with a rather large bowl of applesauce, complete with ground cinnamon sprinkled on top! clearly, i am not needed.

i pulled myself together (see: ball cap), woke tess and fell into my rig for another haul across town.

three things: 

1. i'm thankful for that glorious sleeping baby, 
2. i'm always thankful (and never take for granted!) my health, and 
3. i'm thankful for unexplained funniness. like below. i'm not sure what duey was creating or if she "read" all these books while i slumbered or maybe it was a pathway to nothing. regardless, i love her and her silly mind.

day 247

on this thursday evening, jack happened to glance at our calendar and see a certain familiar name: ms celena. she was his kindergarten teacher and likely a first crush. last year, he must have asked me a dozen times

mama, when's ms cewena's birfday?

finally remembering to ask her, we wrote it down on the calendar, and well, here we are. he spent a few minutes coloring a picture, writing her name, his name and a perfect HAPPY BIRTHDAY on the front of the card. i love this kid and his big heart.

from our collection, he picked out a blooming african violet, and together, we tide a purple ribbon around it {because that's her favorite color!}. he's so excited for tomorrow morning! 

day 246

gorgeous day to play in the mountains! 

i love eklutna. i love the blue water and the golden trees and how no matter what day we drive up here, it's gorgeous - and i never want to leave. kiddos love to throw rocks and usually will only stop for a quick-15 minute snack, and then it's back to work, throwing rocks and tossing drift wood. (tess quickly learned what we do here.) i love sharing my love of alaska with my favorite loves.

sweetest, tastiest raspberries of the season