10.22.2013

Happy 9th Birthday, Zech!

Zech's birthday was last week on the 16th. Like always, we had our family "party" on his birthday with supper, presents, and cake. Oh yeah, and Piper helped with the balloons... because that's what they recommend, right?
babies + balloons?!!



opening gifts



his cake - a "z pod 9"!



We have been wanting to go to the pumpkin patch for a day together, and Zech said he wanted to have a birthday party there, so we invited a few friends along. We went on Saturday and had a great day! It wasn't warm, but wasn't too cold, and thankfully the weather held off just long enough - as we were walking to the vehicles it started to rain!
playing on the bale pyramid!
all the kids (Levi, Zech, Mason, Grace, Ruth, Luke, Isaac)


Zech

Isaac

Levi


(it looks like Gracie just kicked him in this one - she didn't!!!)

Miss Pea sitting on the bales with kids jumping all around her!

big trikes

zip line!
Isaac

Levi!!!

Mason & Zech

Ruth & Luke

corn maze teepee



target practice







I really love the pictures we got of the little ones in the pumpkins ❤






and a new family photo!!!

10.15.2013

Piper Ann ❤ 6 months

Miss Pea was 6 months old on Sunday.
It's absolutely unbelievable that we've all ready had half a year with this little doll... a wonderful surprise that we never knew we needed... but, oh, how our hearts needed her to help us heal.
Piper is rolling everywhere now, getting on all 4's and rocking (though she goes backwards much more often than she goes forwards!), screaming and "talking", yelling at the kids, laughing and giggling and melting everyone's heart with her smiles!





love her feet here





outtakes!


Look how she's grown!
8 days old

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

10.10.2013

It's been a bit since I last posted, but we're still here! Just busy enjoying our beautiful warm fall weather! Nothing better than crunchy leaves underfoot but only needing t-shirts and sandals!
We're getting into our new routine, with school and activities for the kids: Zech and Isaac are doing karate, Josh has decided to join them as well, so they all go on Mondays and then Zech and Josh go to the advanced class on Thursdays as well, Ruth has joined competitive gymnastics this year and goes Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Levi is doing gymnastics as well on Friday mornings. Poor Piper just comes along for the ride so far! Oh, and of course the older three all do swimming lessons every Friday afternoon from now until Christmas break with the school.

I've still snapped a few pictures of the kids over the past couple weeks, to share :)
I decided to try doing a bath with Levi and Piper together... that only lasted until the photos were done because he kept making her laugh and then she would fall over in the tub! She didn't care, but I didn't want her to bump her head.




The kids got stick-on moustaches in treat bags at a friend's birthday party
Levi

Isaac

Piper (no moustache for her, sorry!)

What better way to use a cardboard box than to put a baby in it?!




Piper hasn't gotten to hands-and-knees crawling yet, but she's sure trying!
And, like everyone else in the house, she loves books.

And before I forget - I know there are a lot of photos not working on the blog. It's not my blog, but the site I use to upload the pictures to. They say they're working to get them all back up, but I'm going to try to get them re-uploaded and fixed myself. Not promising anything too quickly, though - Piper doesn't give me much time with my hands-free lately!