Out. Of. Control.

This is my life.

Every single day.

Except him actually smiling at the camera typically isn't this pleasant.

He usually gives me some crappy grin.

This is pretty genuine and mostly heartfelt.

Well, it is better than the ridiculous grin.

They love her, really!

I love watching them play together.  I am sometimes fearful of the damage that they might inflict on her... but mostly they are gentle and careful with her.  I cannot wait to see how the sibling love unfolds as they get older.  I anticipate the fights and the squabbles and the silly fights.  I anticipate the dinner time giggles and the laughter and the singing.  I don't think for a minute I knew the love would be like this.  I didn't count on the desire for inclusion or the urgent need to make sure they are all accounted for at all times.  I never expected that they would want to be aware of each other at all waking hours and making sure that everyone  is in the middle of their room... 

I had no idea they would love each other this much at their ages.  Who knew?

Bebe turns 37, again.

Mom turned 37 again this year.  Not sure how that works, since I'm 32... but whatever.  We had all these grand plans for her birthday weekend.  We were planning to take her to lunch and then go get our toes done together.  The 4 girls.  We made plans and forgot to tell mom.  

Oops.  

Thankfully it all worked out and she didn't have major plans anyway.  We managed a fancy lunch and some yummy dessert along with fancy toes.  I'm pretty sure we all had a blast.

I would complain about the fact that I'm the only one without glasses on my face.  But you wouldn't be able to see their eyes anyway, because I think they're all sorta Asian....

My girls.

I pray for their relationship every day.  

I pray that they will grow up and be best friends.  

I know that there will be lots of fights.  

Lots of shared clothing and stolen clothing. 

 Lots of attention that isn't shared on purpose, but attention that someone robs from someone else.  

I worry that maybe I won't believe the child who's telling the actual truth.  

I worry that the girls will do more damage to each other than I can prevent or...

I worry.  Clearly, I worry a lot.

The girls seem just fine.

The lipstick queen and the happy go lucky baby.

I pray they will be friends.

I pray each and every day that they will be like us.

My sisters.

My best friends.

The people I call or text or chat with more than anyone else.

I don't really have friends.

I have sisters.

They can't quit me.

And I can't quit them.

Precious Percy

We celebrated this precious man in October.  He's just a few days over 50... and spry as ever.  He doesn't listen really well and tells us often that we are supposed to let him talk because he's almost 90.  I hope he lives to be much older than 90.  I cannot imagine my days without his stories.  I cannot imagine my children without his laughs.  And I know that my boy has been forever changed by this Godly man.  Lord knows he's taught me more in my 32 years than I'll ever be able to put into words.  Sometimes Hayes will hear me talking about him and I occasionally call him Percy.  Hayes corrects me with a quickness and tells me to call him Pop.

Any guesses on how many times we had to blow out those candles?!

Little helper

I can remember when I found out I was pregnant with Elizabeth and I began to wonder what kind of big brother Hayes would be.  I can remember thinking that he wasn't a cuddly lovey child, so it was hard to imagine how he would love a sibling.  Now, he's 4, almost 5 and he probably doesn't ever remember being by himself as a child.  He was 8-9 months old when we got pregnant with Libby and 19 months old when she was born.  He was still a chubby baby boy!

And here we are now.

Hayes has two baby sisters and he loves them both.  Not once has he ever been anything but loving... except when he's trying to physically assault Libby.  

He's the best helper in the whole wide world.