Farm Life and a sad Good-bye

Our new house isn't just bigger and better than our last house (although the kids ALL miss our old house and ask regularly when we will go back...). It also is giving us an opportunity to get outside our comfort zone and try something new. We don't have any animals yet and probably won't for a year, but we do have the space and the equipment, so sometime in the future we will be able to jump into animal husbandry. 

Until then, we'll just have fun trying out the tractor.

Thank goodness for the tractor. We will need it to mow all these acres of pasture.

Aaaand... apparently this is a part of farm life too. George couldn't see the mud because the grass was so tall and got the tractor stuck. How do you unstick a tractor?

George and I worked together for an hour trying to get some plywood under the wheels. It was muddy, it was dangerous, and it was hard.

 
But it worked!

Like I said--ample opportunity to learn new things and step outside our comfort zone.

Lance has been training for his High Adventure with the Vienna group this summer. They will be biking for several days and camping on the way. He and Scott have been diligent about training and Lance is becoming quite the cyclist. I know my dad would have been proud.

Just a very common view having a nursing baby. You learn to nurse anywhere and everywhere. After 6 kids, I've become pretty adept at popping it out discretely wherever we are. I think I'm going to miss this...

I had a moment today (May 2nd) sitting in my nasty, covered in crumbs and who knows what else car while I breastfed Valerie during a pitstop between dropping off kiddos at school and running errands.

I’m going to miss this. It’s so busy that I forget to enjoy the sweet tiny moments—the little noises Valerie makes, Lexi’s laugh from the back seat when Lily says something silly.

It’s going so fast. Too fast. As the day to day drags on, I’m realizing life is speeding up. I blink and I have a teenager. My last baby is almost one. Half my kids are in school and in the fall I’ll only have two at home.

So I took an extra 5 minutes to snuggle my baby a bit longer and laugh with Lexi and share her Easter candy she was snacking on. These are the moments that make everything else worth it.

Lance went to Circa with me the other day, a shop that sells all kinds of random and previously owned things. He found these glasses and had to try them on.

The girls newest thing is climbing out our sun roof on the van. Its pretty impressive and kind of annoying, especially when they slide down the windshield and put their feet on my wipers. Gah!

Oh these girls.

Lexi asked me the other day: "Mom, do you love us?"

"Yes!!" (me feeling emotional...) "Lily and Lexi, I love you more than my life. I would die for you."

Lily looked at me thoughtfully and then asked, "Uh, how would THAT help us?"

Our old house sold! We got above asking price for it and are very grateful that the market was beneficial to us. The kids and I ran over one last time to mow the lawn before the new owners moved it. These kids MISS this house. George and I assumed the new house would be so neat and beautiful and big that they wouldn't be sad, but we were wrong. This is the only house Lily, Lexi, and Valerie have known. We spent five years here and it was perfect for where we were in our lives. We are ready to move on, but I will always have a special place in my heart for our house at 153 Olton Place in Willoughby. 

Jason's BYU Graduation

 In April I got the chance to attend Jason's graduation from BYU! Valerie and and I hoped on a plane in Richmond and flew to Utah. 

Our plane was delayed and when we landed the rental car place was closed. Jason kindly offered to come pick me up, a 2-hour round trip for him at midnight before his graduation.

Valerie was an angel and couldn't have been easier. Good think escalators are so fun to watch?

Aunt Linda was out of town, so she let me and Jason crash at her condo. Look at Milo! He is the best cat.

I was supposed to stay two nights and take the red-eye home the next day, but due to my oversight I accidentally bought the red-eye for TONIGHT! That means I will have spent less than 24 hours in Utah. I was very disappointed, especially since Mom, Glenn, Chad and Darnell flew in for the event as well, and that meant less time with the family. 

Waiting for the ceremony to start

Congratulations, Jason! I'm so proud of you!

Chad and Darnell drove me to the airport that evening after dinner and Valerie and I flew home. Even though it was for such a short time, I am grateful I was able to go.

Landing in Virginia:

I may have missed hiking the Y...

But I got to take the kids to their school carnival with George, so it wasn't a total loss.

A snake at school

It's almost the end of Preschool for Lily. For the last 26 days, they are encouraged to bring in something to share that starts with the corresponding letter of the alphabet. Well, Lily wanted to bring Nagini in for S day and with Ms. Cindy's permission, we did!

Lily was so proud to stand in front of her class and show them her snake. 

This girls has loved snakes since the beginning and was totally in her element answering the many questions the kids had.

I loved seeing her confidence build as her classmates looked on in admiration and a tiny bit of terror. 

We are loving our new house. The farmhouse sink is amazing, and makes the perfect bath for a little Valerie that still struggles to not fall over in a big bath with her sisters.

Lexi insisted on trying out the sink as well. She may be a little big for it, but that didn't stop her from having a blast.

Cole's 2nd grade class picture day. You can't really see him in this picture (he's the tuft of hair on the left by the teacher), but you can see his best friend Walter--last kiddo on the right in the 2nd row. Cole has come so far this year, in large part due to his teacher Mrs. Massie. She has been kind and patient and been able to see past Cole's difficulties and appreciate him for the neat kid he really is. I am so grateful for her and all the extra time and effort she has put into making Cole's 1st grade year a success.

Another of Cole's drawings at vision therapy--he gets more and more detailed with each one. I love watching his artistic skills develop.