Eden's 2nd birthday!

My precious baby Eden turned two years old today.  Where has time gone?  It was just yesterday that I birthed her into this world.  She was such an unexpected miracle in so many ways.  She is a joy, a laugh, sweetness always when most unexpected.  We celebrated a day early, yesterday evening at the splash park in town with family and a small group of friends.  It was by far the most laid back, no preparation birthday I have ever put on for my kiddos and hands down the most fun!

Clay's sister Aunt Michelle taking a pic of E.

Zinnia's on the birthday table!

At the birthday girl's request, I made a pink ladybug cake.  Her favorite color right now is pink.

This girl LOVES to swing, anytime we pass a park she says, "I swing!"

When did she get so big?  Makes me want to cry.

We have been working for several weeks on getting her to say that she is "two".  But when you ask her hold old she is, her response is, "I'm five," because that is what her sister says.  So I asked her today on the swing before her party started and for the first time, her response was correct and I caught it in a photo!!

Our precious friend Alexa that was born one month before Eden.

Let's get this party started!

Our buddy (and Payton's self chosen future husband) Mason.

She had a blast with friends and family hanging at the water park for her birthday!

Daddy sneaking kisses from his birthday girl.

Anticipating the water drop.

Dishing up Ice cream!

Jo-Jo and Payton.  Kaytie Jo our roommate/sister at heart has officially move out from our nest.  She is greatly missed in our home, but is so sweet to come by and spend time with us during the week. (It helps that we have a washer and dryer she can use for free.:)

Opening birthday gifts with Momma.

The day (Saturday, June 20th).  We snuggled in bed with our birthday girl and shared many giggles as the sun came up.  Then continued our morning at Starbuck's (yes, one of her favorite breakfast places), Utica Square for a nice morning stroll, a visit to one of our favorite stores Eco Baby, a visit to the aquarium, lunch at Riverwalk and a splash in the fountain!  All before naptime at 2:30ish.

A trip to the aquarium at Eden's request to see the "fishies".

Heading to Riverwalk for some Asain food and splashing in the fountains.

Huge soggy diaper!

Pure Joy!

I am so blessed to have a happy and precious family.  Thank you Eden Grace for bringing more joy than we could imagine into our family.

I love you!

Grace and Peace,

Holly

Garden Treasures

Can I just tell you I am proud of our garden this year.  It is lush and beautiful beyond my expectation.  I honestly didn't know if we had it in us to do such an undertaking this season with me being pregnant and all.  But we have and it has been such a joy.  Every morning as the girls go out and feed the animals I take a stroll around the garden, talking to each little plant as though it can hear me coaching it to grow!  It is actually so good for me on many levels to be in the garden right now.  It feeds my soul and also allows me to do some deep squatting in preparation for the arrival of our sweet baby boy.  I have high hopes this season to preserve a ton of the harvest for winter instead of gobbling it all up in season.  So soon, before baby boy Colin gets here I will be doing some serious, pickling, freezing, dehydrating and more.

Here are some shots of the garden this past week.

Squash and Zuch's.

Strawberries and Black Diamond Watermelon!

Yum, tomatoes!

Okra, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers.

Big view

My precious zinnias that I wait for all season! Our home is swarming with cut flowers this time of the year, I just can't resist taking them in and viewing them as well.

Grace and Peace,

Holly

Girl's trip to IKEA!!!!

Oh man we had a blast.  It was a quick 24 hours, eight were spent in the car driving and another nine were spent inside the walls of the beloved IKEA!!!!!!

This is what 4 women can load up in the back of a mini van.  We would have strapped it to the top as well if I knew Clay wouldn't have killed me.

This is poor claustrophobic Megan in one of the side seats on the ride home.

Sweet Kaytie Jo surrounded by all of her new apartment furnishings!

Headed home.  Notice Megan peaking out above my head.

Four girls, 6 carts, $2000 = priceless fun.

The second trip around the store, they had to push me in a wheelchair or Colin Michael was going to make his way into the world early and on an IKEA couch.  I still had to push my own cart however. :)

YUM!!!! The other reason to go to IKEA - Swedish Meatballs!!

Breakfast at Starbuck's headed for IKEA.

The beginning of our trip.  It was a late night trip to Braum's in Durant, OK.  It was the fanciest Braum's we had ever been in!  Oh my we had such a wonderful time, and can't wait to return!!!

Thank you girlfriends.

Grace and Peace,

Holly

month in pics backwards!

Here are a couple of events we have enjoyed over the past month or so...

Storytime at the park eating fresh peaches - yum!

Waiting for the storyteller.

Silliness.

This was officially a month ago.  So imagine me four weeks larger!

Hanging out around the chimneia (sp?) after Gigi's (my mom) birthday dinner. 

Gigi and her girls at the celebration.  Payton is wearing some goofy hat that came with this "dress up" outfit that my mom brought her.

Many trips to the park.  The girls enjoyed writing Daddy a message in the mud and sending him a picture at work.

Watching ducks.

Oh yea, here are the newest girls in our home!! This is Charolette, she is a favorite, one of the ones we call the old ladies.

Here Eden and Payton are standing in the chick's coop holding them.  They are much bigger now and are out with the old ladies and teenagers.  But they are like little pets to E & P, they just get their chicken poop boots on in the morning and run out to play with the chickens.

Payton is holding another one here that is a favorite.  Her name is Sugar.  

Mother's day morning! Look at that sweetness.  Five official years of being a momma.

The kids got me a Borders gift card and a free night of browsing all by myself!

Payton at the last homeschool coop day.  They were studying Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel.  So they painted laying on their backs to get the whole experience .

Me at our first homeschool convention.  We LOVED it!  We went book crazy!  This was one of our favorites, "Backyard Homestead".  

Breakfast at the hotel the morning of the homeschool convention.  Delicious!

Clay is still not quite awake this early in the morning...need some coffee.

Our room, or at least our bed.  This was our first night away in another town in over two years!  It was wonderful...we thought about getting out on the town, but instead we 

 watched Cable (we don't have cable at home) and ate a pint of Ha-agendas ice cream!

Grace and Peace,

Holly

Puddles, gardens and the ones I love.

You know I have decided God really does know what he is doing. :)  This was a moment in the middle of a weekend from Hell(for reasons I will not mention) about three weeks ago.  Since then God has been so good.  He had the plans set in place for so long I can't even fathom it.  We have been placed on a journey with many different areas of life over the last month and everyone of them has seen high and low points, and everyone of them has been taken in His hands and been repaired and healed beyond what we could imagine at this time.  All that to say, He provided this random rainy afternoon and we did some puddle jumping and lounging outside.  Our souls needed it.  I have decided life is like a summer rain, you can either stay inside and watch it happen or you can go out and jump in the puddles.  If you jump in the puddles you are going to get wet, but if you don't jump you will never know the joy of what it holds.  Thank you for puddles...

Puddle sitting.

Daddy's girl.

View of my feet at 28 weeks pregnant. That blur in the foreground is my belly.

This picture sends JOY to my heart.

My children hardly ever have shoes on around the house and yard.  As a mother it frightens me, however there is something about children, it is as if they understand and know that their connection with nature is holy...it is holy ground they are standing on.

This was a couple of weeks ago and it is amazing how much it has grown since then.  Hope to post some more recent photos soon.

Front flower bed.

Couldn't you just eat her.  I keep saying if they get cuter the more that we have, we may have 10! 

I love this man more and more everyday.

She is getting so big.

Look at those curls!!

Please jump in the puddles...it is worth it even if it doesn't seem like a good idea at the time.

Grace and Peace,

Holly

Medieval Feast!

Hello!  About a month ago we had a medieval feast to celebrate the end of our homeschool coop semester.  We had such a blast learning about Vikings, princesses, princes, squires and ladies, along with Shakespeare, DaVinci and so much more!! 

Here are some pics from the event.  Oh and by the way we did a class on dress making for the girls and we made their princess dresses!  I think they turned out well, a couple of mistakes but nobody would know if I didn't point them out.

precious P.

Too Funny, during some of the long speeches the dad's were giving to their young sons, Eden thought they were praying so she would bow her head and close her eyes.

Clay "got" to be king at the ceremony.  Basically he was the only father without a Son yet.  The Fathers were "knighting" their sons as squires and taking them to the next step in becoming a man.  So Clay was leading the ceremony for it.

He is going to shoot me for posting this pic.  I just couldn't help myself.  I love you honey!

The family.

I think she looks like an angel here.

Beautiful hair for a beautiful girl.

E on the go!

Grace and Peace.

Holly

Another Tree...

He has a little finishing touch to add to his latest tree, but so far so good.  Since we painted over our last tree we have had many sad people come through who loved the tree.  We have wanted to paint one in our entry way as you walk in the front door for some time now.  Last weekend was the day.  We have searched for months for that "perfect" tree and at last it was found.

Grace and Peace!

Holly