Day of Thanks

When Elijah had just turned a year old, Seth and I decided we wanted to go away over Thanksgiving weekend. So we did. We packed up our car and drove to the mountains of North Carolina. A friend of the family let us use their cabin for a minimal amount. It was wonderful. Quiet, peaceful, just us. The 3 of us.

Last Thursday ended up being a day very similar to that one 8 years ago. It was just us. Considerably larger "us", 6 to be more specific, but it was quiet and peaceful. I cooked most of our side dishes on Wednesday so I wouldn't have to do much on Thursday. Seth brought our TV upstairs so we could watch the Macy's Day parade. First time I've ever watched the parade from beginning to end. What fun!

Then I decided to do an impromptu photo shoot of the kids. Can I just say that trying to take photos of 4 children is truly like herding cats? I don't know how professional photographers keep their cool while taking pictures of little ones. They drive me c.r.a.z.y!!

What's even going on here? Does E not like his brother sitting that close? Look at how perfectly posed J is, just knowing he's totally getting on his brother's nerves!

An elbow to the gut. That's what I wanted to take a picture of...

Lyla's already losing it. And Phoebe looks a cross between stunned and bored.

The "what did I do?" look. I see this a lot.

Ok, this just makes me giggle.

This one is normal-ish. And that's just sad.

The photographer is not very comfortable on this side of the camera. But she loves her boys. Her boys who are growing up way. too. fast!

It's the beginning of the breakdown, folks.

Aaaand we're done. Poor Daddy just wants to eat some turkey!

Speaking of, here is a lovely photo of our Thanksgiving spread. Texas corn, green bean casserole, soul sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a brined turkey. Yeah, I'm drooling a little bit too.

My heart overflows.... (Look at Lyla. Digging right in!)

I hear crickets. Do you hear crickets? My absence from blogging has not necessarily been an intentional one. You see, I had this computer that suffered from a stroke.... paralyzed and unable to function yet still alive. It has now been replaced. Thus, the venture into more blogs!

What emphasizes the passage of time more than a picture of a growing baby?

Meet Phoebe Analia. She has rosy, apple-y cheeks that are magnets for kisses. She coos, squeals, and giggles. She loves her family. She is obsessed with her fingers.

Meet Elijah Robert. My 9 year old son. 9!! He is no longer a homeschooler but has adjusted well as a student at a small, private school just 3 minutes from our home. He is obsessed with all things Star Wars and Legos. He is a kind, gentle, compassionate oldest brother.

Meet Josiah Daniel. He is now in full day kindergarten. He is under-the-radar smart. He can pick up a book, written for children much older than himself, and just start reading. We don't quite know where he learned this from. He is sensitive, strong-willed, affectionate. He develops habits quickly and is quite dedicated to them. His newest habit? 24/7 humming. And I like it.

Meet Lyla Marie. She is now 2 years old. 2!! She is our butterfly. She flits and floats from one person to the next, making sure all is right in our world. On non-teething days, she wakes up chatting and giggling and manages to stay in this bubble of happiness all day. Teething days? Oh that's a whole 'nother story!

So, now we are caught up. You'll probably be seeing me more around these parts. Now that I have a working horse computer....