So this is the deal

We've been crazy busy lately. I know that we are always busy and have lots of stuff going on, but lately it seems like I meet myself coming as I'm going. I actually had a moment of panic last week because I thought it was Wednesday and we'd missed an appointment, but it was actually only Monday. Yeah, I told you so.



So here are some random picture updates of what we've been up to...

Marley isn't allowed to be on the furniture, so this is her way of compromising...
We had a belated birthday celebration for Mikayla. Since it was her 3rd b-day, she got Power-Wheels from Gramma and Grampa like her older sisters.

My sorry, last-minute attempt at a CandyLand-esque cake for the birthday girl

Mikayla gets ready for a fashion show

Sunny got cold during a snowy day inside

Mikayla settled in reading books

What these pictures don't show are all the other things that have gone on. Alayna hosted her first sleep-over with more than one friend. She also attended her first sleep-over. The second quarter at school finished up and she got all A's on her report card. We're very proud of all the hard work that she does each day in school. She also found out that she'll be able to go to 4H Horse Camp this summer, as well as sleep-over bible camp! She can hardly wait for summer and time spent playing outside, riding bike and horse, camps and camping and the fair!

Lilly has been doing great with her reading. She's always been more artistically and mathematically inclined, so we haven't pushed reading until she approached us. Personally, I think the catalyst was when I volunteered at the school the other day and one girl in her class read me a beginner's book. That night Lilly brought me a book and said, "Let's work on reading." Since then she's done really well with her beginning words and sounding out harder words. Of course, she's still always drawing and coloring and practicing her numbers. She will also randomly spout off things like, "Mom, did you know 3 plus 3 is 6?" or "Dad, what's 10 plus 5? It's 15, right?" She can't wait for summer and camping, but she also has a new goal for the summer. She says that this summer she'll learn to ride with 2 wheels like Alayna.

Mikayla is growing like a weed and keeping us all on our toes. She's always in motion, trying to be like the big girls. She "reads" stories to her friends and toys, she changes her clothes 2-3x daily if I'm not paying attention, and her outrageous imagination has me constantly thinking, "I need to remember she said/did that!" She still loves her animals so much and is often found laying on the floor, snuggled with the dogs.

Andy and I are good and busy, too. He's constantly helping this person or that with whatever they need. Then he races home to watch the kids while I try to hit the gym or go to a meeting. I was nominated vice-chair of our school's PTA-like group, and we all just completed a very successful musical fundraiser for our church. In addition to all that, we've added another cat to our menagerie and 2 more horses (post about them to follow when I find time to take pics of them)

So yeah, we've been busy. But that's life with 3 kids. Hopefully this helped fill the void for awhile and I'll be back to posting regularly soon. I miss posting, but some days it's all I can do to make a nutritious meal for the family. But that's okay, because we're all healthy and happy. That's what really matters.