We're Here! And James is here, too!

Grandparents are the main readers of this little space of the Internet, and it's for good reason. I never set out to be a fancy blogger, never desired to gain a lot of traffic, don't really care to be instructive or spiritual or pensive, just wanted to record things from our life and post a few pictures here and there. I was faithful to write letters to John and William as infants, but the time and space for that has decreased. This will be helpful whenever I put together William's year one and two picture books! The advent of the iPad in our lives has meant that the grandparents get videos and emails occasionally and was nearly the death of the blog!

I do wish I had been more faithful to post the funny things the children have said in the six months since I last posted. But, we've been busy and I haven't. Christmas, New Years, a new baby brother arriving four weeks ahead of his due date, a slow and cold winter leading to a cold and busier spring, and we are nearing summer with no sign of things slowing down. I'm fine with that. I don't know much, but this seems to be life with little people and since I have three of them, I will embrace it. I try to protect our days so that there's plenty of time for reading together and playing together, thus lots of time to grow together and aggravate each other! We aren't a part of a regular play group (although I have a huge and fantastic group of friends here in Lexington), we don't do preschool (although I have flirted with the idea and sometimes wish we did), I can't bring myself to sigh up for a weekly Bible study (trusting that my heart for Jesus will not atrophy during this season, but be strengthened as I try to faithfully love, teach, and train our boys, love and serve my husband, and use my free time to read and sew or just sit still). We have the rest of our lives to be busy outside of the house. It will come soon enough. I don't want to look back and wish we'd stayed at home while we could.

We have all loved the addition of James to our family and are still so sad that George did not join our days on this earth. It has been so sweet to have a baby around. When William was born, John was mostly oblivious to his presence and they both slept so much, the transition was a cake walk. Adding James has been more of a challenge, but not because of anything he's done. He's the sweetest, cutest four month old I know. Tonight after I fed him, he started the sweetest cooing conversation with me. I called John over. (He was standing guard outside the big boys room since bedtime has been more of a challenge since we upgraded to bunk beds. Another story for another day...) James was smiling big and began cooing again. One would think that he realized his talking brothers were asleep and it was his time to chat and ask questions!

Parenting older children takes more energy and interruptions to sleep for the past year from pregnancy and a newborn have called for extra videos and book sessions on the couch to make it through the day! My friend Patsy and I frequently text one another about hosting the other's child(ren) when they are particularly squirrely. The addition of another child (or two, in her case) can help everyone press the "Reset" button. Plus, sometimes I think I should relax and treat my children like they are someone else's, that our 90 minutes together isn't going to change the course of their lives (because it isn't), and that the things that I think are so important to correct can slide every now and then or even most of the time!

Well, I've written far too much here, resulting in birthday presents still unwrapped! I will post some pictures so everyone can marvel at the sweetness that is our three boys. ;)

Sweet James--he was so tiny!

This is the reality 75% of the time.

Wrestling with Daddy never gets old.

Jacob and Sam visit--oh happy day!

Jacob can read. How is it possible that he's old enough to be reading?!

John lays with James during room time. He asks to do this almost daily. These moments are so sweet to me.

Happy baby!

A "house" for the big boys in the den on a rainy day. John likes to play in it, William likes to pull it down.

We go on walks while the boys ride their bikes--a lot!

William is a bike rider!

Brothers relaxing together

William holds James--it is even more adorable than the pictures convey.

John loves to spend time with James, but has yet to hold him.

See what I mean? Cutest baby ever.

Strawberry picking!

John counts our strawberries and determines we have nineteen.

William and Isaac enjoy the swing.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17, ESV)