It seems every day this week, Ella has made a new discovery. She started pulling herself up to a stand; yesterday she figured out how to blow raspberries; she recently discovered herself in the mirror & now discovered there's a mirror at her level in the bathroom. I think she's telling me to slow down & soak it up. While some days feel very long, all three kids remind me of this regularly. For this daily reminder, I am thankful.
Tee-ball in the Rain
The rain was falling, but the kids needed to get out & run. Sometimes I'm a bit embarrassed by the way I refer to my children- like they're my dogs. I'll casually mention, it's time to go run the kids. Yep, just like I used to say when we had dogs. The truth? They do need to run. If they don't, a whole lot of tension, attitude, & energy bottles up inside our house & makes it feel really small, really quick. So tee-ball in the rain was just what we all needed. & Covey was back in his ninja suit. I'm almost certain he has worn it every day this week, at some point. It's quickly transforming from its cheapo nylon outfit status into a treasured keepsake, & thus a dang good childhood memory. This would give me the perfect opportunity to branch into childhood memories, but I'm saving that for another post. Back to the weather- it has been an awfully nice fall for Kodiak, which just makes everything seem a little bit brighter & better; for that, I am thankful.
Cousins
The kids have a total of 5 cousins (soon to be 6!). We almost all live in the same small town we grew up in. If you're not familiar with Kodiak- it's a really big island with a really small town. My brother's family isn't here (but hopefully returning in the near future) & my sister is having baby #1 this spring, so the cousins continue :) The kids love playing & hanging with each other. They've already developed wonderful friendships. They'll grow up with each other, laugh together, fight together, play together & create their childhood memories together. For that, I am thankful!
The Peterson cousins
The Otto cousins
7 Months Old
EllaGrace is 7 months old today. Wow~ what a quick 7 months it's been. She's so happy, so content, so tolerable, so amazingly wonderful. For her, I am thankful.
A Turkey Family, in Playdough
Yesterday morning we made playdough. I use this recipe, which is gluten-free. The boys had a blast, Ella tried to attack everything in front of her & we ended up with a sweet little turkey family. Everything's turkeys at the moment, they'll be ready for next Thursday! I recently read this Dr. Seuss quote, "Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory." Some days I need to remind myself of this. For the memories we made yesterday & Dr. Seuss' words of wisdom, I am thankful.
A Family Photo
We haven't taken a family photo in awhile. I think the last one was our globe photo when I was pregnant (not counting iPhone pics after Ella was born). So today I didn't even ask- I did casually mentioned to Mike that I was bringing along my camera. He could hardly contain his excitement. It's challenging to be in the photos when you're the photographer. I honestly never had a desire to be in them until recently, as I've been shifting to a lifestyle approach. When shooting lifestyle, I often have the mind frame that "I'm capturing moments I'd want of myself & family." Someday I'll have someone shoot a lifestyle session of us; for now, the self-timer & Ry's press of the shutter will keep us current with family photos. It's cliche, but photos are so, so important. For these current photos, I am thankful.
