Silliness

So we were having a silly day and Ari was enjoying the option of two binkies. These pictures are from January and I know it has been a while but it is so darned cute to watch her play with them. Unfortunately she doesn't do this anymore:( She has gotten much to big! Listening to her giggle with them in her mouth is hilarious.


Brent got on the floor one day with Bekah. At this point she loved daddy! Brent gave her his flashlight which she sure enjoyed playing with. Isn't he the handsomest looking man in the world?!? I mean what woman would not enjoy watching him enjoy his kids?








Then the playing got raised to another level. The light was turned on. I had so much fun trying to get a good picture of her with the light on in her mouth. All of us were rolling on the floor laughing. I have to admit Brent's work flashlights sure come in handy!

Progressions

Ari has been making the adjustment to solid foods so well. I don't know why we spent so much money on jarred baby food the first couple times! She just eats from our plates and has some definite likes. Isn't this the cutest? We were having cantaloupe one night for dinner and she loved it. Her little lips would just stick out like a cartoons! The sounds she would make were so adorable.






Ania got to go to church camp this year. What an adjustment for
mommy as dad was still at work while she was gone. Ari decided
to help her pack! She got so into it that all Ania's clothes were on the floor and picked through.






This is Ania after camp! The greatest thing was a big hug and an I missed you mommy, but I had such a great time!

Almost Crawling

Ari is almost crawling! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

We are trying to figure out a way for her diaper to be pinned to the floor. We are open to suggestions. She doesn't get as frustrated on her tummy as the older two did. I sure wish those first teeth would come in. It has been a long and painful process.

Ugh!

Have I mentioned before that I absolutely hate being sick! The flu is in full force nationwide and since we don't ever really go anywhere, where on earth could I have got it? At least it was only a 24 hr bug. Thank God for Brent as he handled everything while I moaned in bed.

We have had at least two inches of snow in the last couple of days. It is so beautiful seeing it fall. We sat on the couch the other night after the sun went down and just watched it fall. It was neat listening to the kids talk about it.

We went sledding with friends from church on Saturday. We went on base to the ski lodge they have and enjoyed watching both the kids fly down the hill. The first time David went down we couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying. Ania kept going and tried going off the jump that had just been made. David convinced daddy to go down a couple of times to which Brent replied that his butt is too big for the sled. I went down with Ari one time in the inner tube and not only gave myself a heart attack but Brent too. Ari was quiet the whole way down. Never again! We almost went over the hill at the bottom that is there to stop you.

Happy~Grouch

So Brent shaved his beard for vacation. What a surprise! Doesn't he look good? Ari has been loving it. This is her happy with daddy.
This is one grumpy baby! Wow!

This is her not happy with daddy.

Fun and Cookies

So I made some German Chocolate Cookies the other day...........

Ari sure enjoyed them!
After she was done with the cookie she took one look at daddy and started crying. She looked so darned adorable sitting on the table in her diaper with daddy holding her.

HUH

Got up this morning to -10. Literally jumping for joy while feeding the boiler. It is supposed to be above zero by Wednesday. So here is a picture to warm everyone else up.

Cookie Face

The other day Ari got a treat from one of the ladies at church who
will never live the cookie thing down. She gave her a cream filled
cookie that she could gum to death. So today I gave her
something else that she could gum. She sure enjoyed it!
I think she already has the "Oh, you caught me look!"








This is her poor me little baby face when she is sooooooo
tired. Isn't it the cutest little thing? She has drool over her chin and some rice kernels that were left in her walker from the other night.

Another Nasty Moment

Yet another nasty moment in the life as a mother! I am sitting at the computer holding Ari. She is now happy and smiling because she had pooed in her diaper moments before. Well, I went to get up and low and behold the computer chair has now been christened along with the carpet in the room. I thought the yellow on green was a bad contrast; well, it can't beat the yellow on mauve!

Six Months Already

My precious girl! What an adventurous six months already. You are so loved and such a joy. From such a small bundle to a bright eyed gift from God.
Thank you for the joy and smiles you have given all of us. Always remember that you are loved by all!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

So while I was pinning my quilt for our peak window today, my two older children decided to find something destructive(I meant constructive) to do. Somewhere along the line one of them decided to make a pizza for baby with rice........
I know that it is great for tactile learning and things but we had a huge mess! I leave a pie plate of it out for David to play in and it has slowly dwindled. Ari sure enjoyed it by the size of this smile!
TROUBLE! I am in so much! Put the three of them together and I can sure wait until she is walking cause I have a feeling that there is going to be many more of these fun times;)

Size Comparison

So Brent was entertaining Ari the other day and used his foot for the fun.

She would open her mouth, grab for the slipper, then attempt to eat it.

She finally got it off his foot and it sat next to her while he took these pics.

She is reaching for things all the time now and has just started reaching

for me when someone else is holding her. She still isn't to sure about that

fuzzy faced man that sometimes lives her yet!

Look at the size comparison of Brent's slipper to her! Has she gotten big or what!

Growing fast

Ari is rolling OVER!!!!!!!

Just thought I would let you know. I had to call Brent and tell him too. I am not talking about just once but many times. If I lay her on her back she rolls to her stomach and then proceeds to cry because she is not on her back anymore.

She is also putting her cute little tosies in the air and playing with them. I put a wrist rattle on her this morning and she couldn't take her eyes off it. She is also talking again after having been a little quiet for a couple of weeks.

Busy.......

Okay....I am soooooo tired. I still haven't caught up on my sleep from when Brent was home last. I have also been busy with cleaning, the kids, moving wood, laundry, the kids(yes I know I said this one already but you know how it is), the dishes(still don't have a working dishwasher), and many other things I can't remember doing but I know they got done. My arm hurts like the dickens(from minor surgery). Remind me to never do something like that again while Brent is gone!

Ari is teething so I am not sleeping much. Hmmmm! Although I have been enjoying movies while she is up and have gotten a lot of projects done.

Was reading in the paper this morning about a home that was 180feet outside of the fire service area in town. Unfortunately this is a reality for many in Alaska. The department got the call but they determined once they got there that the home was outside the service area. On one hand I can understand the thought process and yet on the other side it was someones home that was destroyed. It is unfortunate that politics and taxes affect whether we keep our homes in an emergency or not. I can't even begin to understand how those firefighters feel. I mean they signed up to do a job and they are told no even though they could have saved the home. How awful to live with that realization. Since we live in an area with no fire service this is a reality for many. It is not unheard of to hear of someones house burning and losing everything.

I have a huge chore list today so I have to get started. Maybe I can bribe the kids to do some of it by making cookies:)

Kids

My kids are amazing! I was worried about having a third so far apart from the other two but they have all made the adjustment amazingly well. David is currently showing Ari his truck that uncle Derek sent for Christmas. She has such a worried look and yet she is paying very close attention. Ari received a little bear blanket for Christmas that she absolutely loves. The different textures and something to chew on. She is getting her first two bottom teeth. Oh Joy! I forgot what it is like to look into a smiling baby's face when they think that you are the most important person in their world and receive a toothless smile, which won't be for much longer. She gets my worried look, which Dawn says we have to get rid of. Poor thing she is going to have a wrinkle there by the time she is 2! She is now to the point where I can't have her in my lap if I am writing or doing something else that requires no touching. David has now put the truck down and is entertaining her with pictures of superheroes. His favorite thing in the world! I thank God every day for the unconditional love and company of my children. Ania has been working on tons of crafts since Christmas. She is my little artist and loves creating. I am so thankful for her imagination!

Squeaker

Well, my newborn has found her wonderful and joyous sounding voice. She has kept me up the last couple of nights talking to me. I am so thankful that I don't have to work the following morning but school can be just as much of a challenge with no sleep! I don't take a nap when she does due to the older two. Just can't work it in. They have both gotten so they don't sit still for much anymore with so much room to run and play.

A Baby's Smile

I forgot what it is like to have a new life make eye contact and smile at you as though you are the most important thing in their world! With my husband in a rotational job and gone for half the month I am so thankful for this newest little one. She reminds me that life does go on. Even when I don't want it to. I remember thinking this with my oldest and being in tears over the fact that she was growing up so fast and that I couldn't be home with her. Thank God for a wonderful husband who works so hard for us. I can't believe that we made it through so much and our two oldest aren't messed up. Lord give us the wisdom to do the same with this one and with each new curve ball that life throws at us.

Looking back on things growing up I can now understand why mom and dad didn't do certain things or let us. I pray that we are as discerning in our children's lives.