Chelsey Faye 2, and Bridget 2 months
Chelsey did not like the feeling of the hay under her bottom.
Alexis 9, and Kendra 7
Internal struggles
8 years ago
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Fall Pics
Chelsey Faye 2, and Bridget 2 monthsChelsey did not like the feeling of the hay under her bottom.Alexis 9, and Kendra 7
So it has been far too long since I have even looked at my blog. Obviously...considering we have added a whole other person to our family and she is already 3 months old. So just a brief update...On July 30, 2010 we welcomed Bridget Dawn into our family. She is an amazing baby who fits in perfectly with the other three girls. She is a quiet baby (so far), she smiles allot, and is adored by her sisters.
We took an extra long summer before beginning our third year of home schooling. I was expecting home schooling to be a real challenge this year with a new baby and a two year old. Honestly I almost made myself sick at times thinking about how I was going to make it all work and still be able to love on my new sweet baby girl. But the Lord heard my cries, and humbled my heart. Thank goodness for the Lord and his answers to prayers. This year we were able to join an amazing co-op called Classical Conversations. It is a small co-op that meets once a week to cover a multitude of subjects. History, science, crammer, math, fine arts...amongst a few other subjects. It is such a great community of families that we feel so comfortable with. Not to mention, I am comfortable being selfish here and saying that my wonderful sis has begun to home school this year and is also participating in the co-op.
There have been several days that I have thought..."Have I not taught you anything?" and wanted to give up. But then there are days like today that show the fruits of our labor. It may have taken all day, in and out, to get all of our work accomplished; but the work was done well and with a good attitude. So that is where we stand so far with school. Alexis and Kendra are plugging along focusing on reading, math, and their newly successful co-op, while Chelsey is learning to count, tell her colors apart, and is even reciting the phonograms. And of course she LOVES to sing and dance with her sisters to the very fun history memory songs.
In September my sister and I had the privilege to take Bridget with us and go visit our Grandmother in KC before she died just a month later. What a blessing it was to see her, and to be able to spend that time with her. Not to mention we got to see our Grandpa, Aunt, Uncles and extended family that we have not seen in years. God truly had a hand in making this trip possible and I am so thankful for it.
So now here we are. Updated for the most part. We have family coming in tomorrow. The girls can't wait to share the house with Cash, Grandpa and Grandma's dog, and to go trick-or-treating with their most favorite people. Both the girls will be singing this weekend at church and I can not wait to hear it.
We took an extra long summer before beginning our third year of home schooling. I was expecting home schooling to be a real challenge this year with a new baby and a two year old. Honestly I almost made myself sick at times thinking about how I was going to make it all work and still be able to love on my new sweet baby girl. But the Lord heard my cries, and humbled my heart. Thank goodness for the Lord and his answers to prayers. This year we were able to join an amazing co-op called Classical Conversations. It is a small co-op that meets once a week to cover a multitude of subjects. History, science, crammer, math, fine arts...amongst a few other subjects. It is such a great community of families that we feel so comfortable with. Not to mention, I am comfortable being selfish here and saying that my wonderful sis has begun to home school this year and is also participating in the co-op.
There have been several days that I have thought..."Have I not taught you anything?" and wanted to give up. But then there are days like today that show the fruits of our labor. It may have taken all day, in and out, to get all of our work accomplished; but the work was done well and with a good attitude. So that is where we stand so far with school. Alexis and Kendra are plugging along focusing on reading, math, and their newly successful co-op, while Chelsey is learning to count, tell her colors apart, and is even reciting the phonograms. And of course she LOVES to sing and dance with her sisters to the very fun history memory songs.
In September my sister and I had the privilege to take Bridget with us and go visit our Grandmother in KC before she died just a month later. What a blessing it was to see her, and to be able to spend that time with her. Not to mention we got to see our Grandpa, Aunt, Uncles and extended family that we have not seen in years. God truly had a hand in making this trip possible and I am so thankful for it.
So now here we are. Updated for the most part. We have family coming in tomorrow. The girls can't wait to share the house with Cash, Grandpa and Grandma's dog, and to go trick-or-treating with their most favorite people. Both the girls will be singing this weekend at church and I can not wait to hear it.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Mothers Day part 2 (Skip down to first Mothers Day Post)
Mothers day has come to an end. The girls and I headed on over to Brant and Rachels for what turned out to be the day. Brant sent Rach and i out for a few hours together, which we never do together...alone. It was so nice to be together and unenterrupted. We spent the rest of the day out in the warm sun, with BBQ and Scott was able to join us once he got off work. Unfortunatly I am too tired to get overly creative here so we will leave with that. Happy Mothers Day all you wonderful moms!!
Happy Mothers Day
Well it is Mothers Day. And currently it is 11:30. I have just woke up from a very quiet nap to a call from my lovely sis demanding that the girls and I come over for the day. Apparently my oh so gracious bro-in-law does not want me sitting at home alone on Mothers Day. So so sweet!!
Our day began at 5:15am when I got up with Scott to get him out the door for work. Hoping I would have a chance to go back to bed for an hour or so, Chelsey woke up and was up for the morning. So we snuggled with coffee in hand and a sippy of milk in the other watching The Wonder Pets in pure amazement as they face the challenge of saving baby animals. (animated) Things were going well so I decided to start getting ready for church early. If you know us you know that very seldom do we make it to church early, and this morning was going to be different. In all honestly everyone was very cheerfully getting ready for church, taking showers/baths and so forth. My sweet Alexis made french toast with fresh strawberries for everyone for breakfast. We sat down, ate together, read our breakfast liturgy (which we read every morning. LOVE it. 1 Corinthians 13, you should read it. Great way to start the day) Chelsey provided the entertainment.
Next it was time to move onto the final preparations for church. With a full hour and a half until leaving time, there was more than enough time to finish up and leave in good terms. I put Chelsey in the tub, helped Kendra blow dry her hair (she is still figuring out how to direct both hands in the whole process. I still as an adult fumble from time to time in my blow drying) Realizing that there was still over an hour until we had to leave I quickly swooped Chelsey out of the tub to put her to bed for an hour before we left. (Last week she slept on the floor of the church under a pew during the whole service.) However, when i picked her up her entire bottom half was completely covered in blisters. Having nothing in the house, I got the big girls out of their church cloths into regular attire and Chelsey dressed and off to speak with the pharmacist. And of course by the time all was said and done, church was starting and Chelsey was completely cleared up with absolutely no evidence that there was anything wrong and the pharmacist asked if I was sure it wasn't "GOOSE BUMPS"!!!!! Hello?!!!
So homeward bound we go. In the end the first half of Mothers day turned quite sweet. Chelsey went to bed, the girls played house out back, and i fell asleep in the sun reading the weekend paper, to wake up to a wonderful call from my sis.
Possibly part 2 to come later...
Our day began at 5:15am when I got up with Scott to get him out the door for work. Hoping I would have a chance to go back to bed for an hour or so, Chelsey woke up and was up for the morning. So we snuggled with coffee in hand and a sippy of milk in the other watching The Wonder Pets in pure amazement as they face the challenge of saving baby animals. (animated) Things were going well so I decided to start getting ready for church early. If you know us you know that very seldom do we make it to church early, and this morning was going to be different. In all honestly everyone was very cheerfully getting ready for church, taking showers/baths and so forth. My sweet Alexis made french toast with fresh strawberries for everyone for breakfast. We sat down, ate together, read our breakfast liturgy (which we read every morning. LOVE it. 1 Corinthians 13, you should read it. Great way to start the day) Chelsey provided the entertainment.
Next it was time to move onto the final preparations for church. With a full hour and a half until leaving time, there was more than enough time to finish up and leave in good terms. I put Chelsey in the tub, helped Kendra blow dry her hair (she is still figuring out how to direct both hands in the whole process. I still as an adult fumble from time to time in my blow drying) Realizing that there was still over an hour until we had to leave I quickly swooped Chelsey out of the tub to put her to bed for an hour before we left. (Last week she slept on the floor of the church under a pew during the whole service.) However, when i picked her up her entire bottom half was completely covered in blisters. Having nothing in the house, I got the big girls out of their church cloths into regular attire and Chelsey dressed and off to speak with the pharmacist. And of course by the time all was said and done, church was starting and Chelsey was completely cleared up with absolutely no evidence that there was anything wrong and the pharmacist asked if I was sure it wasn't "GOOSE BUMPS"!!!!! Hello?!!!
So homeward bound we go. In the end the first half of Mothers day turned quite sweet. Chelsey went to bed, the girls played house out back, and i fell asleep in the sun reading the weekend paper, to wake up to a wonderful call from my sis.
Possibly part 2 to come later...
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Update - school, girls, life
Well it has been over a month already since my last post. Not a lot has happened,... well a lot happens around here every day, but not a lot out of the ordinary. School is going well. Probably not as productive as I would like to see. But considering there is a toddler in the house, all the extra activities that we do, (which we have cut back on), and well my energy level is just not that high right now, we get done what we can.
The girls have been walking through Ancient Egypt this year in our history. They have really enjoyed learning about our descendants and of course Egypt. I have not looked to far forward to see what we will be coming into, but the plan is to finish up through the books of Moses by the end of June.
We have a great science/biology program we started this year. Then girls really enjoyed the study of cells, especially making a cell. But we took several breaks to learn about things relating to our daily lives. For example fossils; Kendra and i got to spend the day at The Burke Museum in Seattle at a fossil exhibit. Therefore we spent some time discussing fossils. Now the girls pretend that they are Archaeologists in the back yard.
Alexis has started reading the Ramona series. Ramona is right up her alley, full of goofiness and sillies. Kendra has begun reading The Magic Tree House series which is also completely relateable to her. She is so full of imagination and given the right opportunity exploration. As a family of girls we are reading together through the Laura Ingles Wilder series. It is a slow process with everything else, but we really enjoy the couch time together.
Chelsey is sharpening up her scribbling skills. She especially likes to practice with sharpies on the walls, and all over the school room. But most of all at the table with her sisters and a clean sheet of paper. Oh the joy of taking something perfectly clean and adding splashes of color to it. LOL!
We are beginning the process to gear up for baby girl #4. ALMOST certain that her name is Bridget Dawn, you never know what will happen between now and the 12 weeks she has left in her safe and sound incubator. Bridget is a name that Scott and I have constantly gone back to after all the names we have discussed. And Dawn is both my mom and sisters middle name. They are both such important and significant people in our lives that it only made since. Therefore we have Bridget Dawn. It is funny because i don't feel nearly as much pressure to get THINGS ready for her this time around. Maybe because this is baby #4, or because I am busy, or because I already have everything,...I don't know.
Scott has been back to work now for a month. He seems to be doing better. He is slowly getting back to the gym 1 or 2 times a week. He is still aiming for his tournaments next month. For those of you who are a little lost; Scott got a level 3 sprain while playing basketball at the end of February. He was completely off work and off his feet at home for a month. It was a slow recovery but slowly coming to an end. He plays in one of the largest 3 on 3 tournaments every year in Spokane, called Hoop fest. He really does not want to have to miss it this year.
And as for me...I am continuing to grow. Physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially. I have 12 weeks left until the day I get to hold the sweet girl who continues to kick me, keep me up at night, give crazy late night cravings, and causes my moods to multiply everyday. Oh I just can't wait to meet her, hold her, and smell her. In the meantime, I am working hard to finish up school with the girls, spend time with hubby and Chelsey, (Alexis and Kendra get sooo much of me throughout the day) stay devoted to the Lord and His plan, (not my own...not easy) while maintaining some small portion of a social life.
Life is busy for us and will continue to be for the next so many years. But as I stated in my new blog title I give my life for Theirs.
The girls have been walking through Ancient Egypt this year in our history. They have really enjoyed learning about our descendants and of course Egypt. I have not looked to far forward to see what we will be coming into, but the plan is to finish up through the books of Moses by the end of June.
We have a great science/biology program we started this year. Then girls really enjoyed the study of cells, especially making a cell. But we took several breaks to learn about things relating to our daily lives. For example fossils; Kendra and i got to spend the day at The Burke Museum in Seattle at a fossil exhibit. Therefore we spent some time discussing fossils. Now the girls pretend that they are Archaeologists in the back yard.
Alexis has started reading the Ramona series. Ramona is right up her alley, full of goofiness and sillies. Kendra has begun reading The Magic Tree House series which is also completely relateable to her. She is so full of imagination and given the right opportunity exploration. As a family of girls we are reading together through the Laura Ingles Wilder series. It is a slow process with everything else, but we really enjoy the couch time together.
Chelsey is sharpening up her scribbling skills. She especially likes to practice with sharpies on the walls, and all over the school room. But most of all at the table with her sisters and a clean sheet of paper. Oh the joy of taking something perfectly clean and adding splashes of color to it. LOL!
We are beginning the process to gear up for baby girl #4. ALMOST certain that her name is Bridget Dawn, you never know what will happen between now and the 12 weeks she has left in her safe and sound incubator. Bridget is a name that Scott and I have constantly gone back to after all the names we have discussed. And Dawn is both my mom and sisters middle name. They are both such important and significant people in our lives that it only made since. Therefore we have Bridget Dawn. It is funny because i don't feel nearly as much pressure to get THINGS ready for her this time around. Maybe because this is baby #4, or because I am busy, or because I already have everything,...I don't know.
Scott has been back to work now for a month. He seems to be doing better. He is slowly getting back to the gym 1 or 2 times a week. He is still aiming for his tournaments next month. For those of you who are a little lost; Scott got a level 3 sprain while playing basketball at the end of February. He was completely off work and off his feet at home for a month. It was a slow recovery but slowly coming to an end. He plays in one of the largest 3 on 3 tournaments every year in Spokane, called Hoop fest. He really does not want to have to miss it this year.
And as for me...I am continuing to grow. Physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially. I have 12 weeks left until the day I get to hold the sweet girl who continues to kick me, keep me up at night, give crazy late night cravings, and causes my moods to multiply everyday. Oh I just can't wait to meet her, hold her, and smell her. In the meantime, I am working hard to finish up school with the girls, spend time with hubby and Chelsey, (Alexis and Kendra get sooo much of me throughout the day) stay devoted to the Lord and His plan, (not my own...not easy) while maintaining some small portion of a social life.
Life is busy for us and will continue to be for the next so many years. But as I stated in my new blog title I give my life for Theirs.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Easter!!!...in no particular order
Alexis singing with the big choir...
Easter Eggs!!!
I couldn't choose just a few, so I put all of the pics up. Skim through...it won't take long.
One of Kendra's very favorite friends.
The LIL Prep Choir group.
Before breakfast, egg hunt, and church...
My beautiful girls...
Barely 6:30 am and she is eating an egg full of chocolate!!
Checking out the easter goodies...Last year I started a tradition of buying classic books for easter gifts. 
And tomarrow they will go pick out Geraniums to plant in their colorful flower pots!
And here we all are, Madsons and Byingtons. What an amazing blessing it is for us all to be together so often and involved so much in one anothers lives. Breakfast this morning was a blast. The choir was amazing, the food was delicious, and the sermon was perfect. Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Chelsey
A couple of days ago Chelsey found her shadow. This morning while she was outside sweeping the patio, walking her baby in her stroller, swinging her baby on the swing, and feeding her baby in the highchair, she discovered the song of the birds. She was so taken back that she literally froze in astonishment. Trying to figure out where the beautiful sound was coming from she discovered the birds flying in the air.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
