First Day of Kindergarten!

Today was our first day of kindergarten - first for our family AND first for Ava. Since she does struggle with anxiety at times, I have been wondering how she would do, but as we found out today, I didn't need to have any concerns!

School starts at 7:45am, and her bus is at our house at 7:15am! I am beyond thankful that Mark is a morning person and can help get her up and ready. He woke her up about 6:30am this morning and she was so excited. She'd given me explicit instructions about what to pack in her lunch and kept asking if I'd put everything in there requested. Breakfast eaten, hair combed, body dressed, teeth brushed, shoes tied, and we were ready to go!

We decided we'd take her on her first day so we could see her room and get the obligatory first day at school picture (it is a historic event, you know). When I told her, I think she was a little disappointed not to get to ride the bus, but then she told me it was okay since she could ride it home. Everyone loaded up and we were off for school. When we got there, Ava led the way (she'd been in for a reading assessment last week so she knew where to go), not even making sure we were keeping up. She ran into her room without even a look back until I asked her to stop for just a second so I could get a picture, and she agreed.

The house seemed quiet without her there (no bickering between her & Carter!), and poor Carter kept asking when she'd be back (missed having someone to pester and be pestered by, no doubt... I'm sure Audrey will figure it out before long). Soon enough, the clock said 2:15pm and I was waiting for the bus to stop in front of the house. I'm guessing they're still working out the kinks of dropping off kids since it didn't show until 2:30pm, but Ava was all smiles as she got off the bus and was especially happy to have made a new friend who was in her class and who also rode her bus.

We had a few minutes to ourselves while Ava filled me in on her day (2 recesses! guess that's one perk of all-day kindergarten) and enjoyed a cupcake. Then Carter was up and he grilled her on her first day... seriously... I don't know where he comes up with all his questions!

She has a strange schedule - all-day, every other day. She goes Tuesday and Friday and every other Wednesday, and this week is an on day for Wednesday. It may take a while for us to get used to the schedule.

I'm so glad she had a great first day - here's to a great first year!

Carter's Fourth

Way back in July, Carter turned four! We got to celebrate his birthday two weekends in a row - one in WV and one here in Ohio.

He has become such a big man over the past year and I'm so grateful to have him in our family. I guess it's because I'm so uncoordinated, but I find myself continually impressed with his athletic abilities. He has an abundance of energy and I'm often at a loss as to how to get it all out. His mind seems to go a mile a minute and the questions have become vast and varied. I love that he's so inquisitive, even though there are times when my own mind wears out trying to answer his constant queries.

He has moments of calm, too, and routinely asks me to snuggle with him. He has a great appetite and will try just about anything - and now that he's convinced being both strong and smart come from eating vegetables, he proudly eats them (usually), asking me to feel his muscles between bites. He's a great playmate to both his sisters and has taken to the role of big brother with Audrey in such a sweet way. Just tonight Mark ran to the store for a couple things and took Audrey and Carter with him. Audrey was squirming, so he let her down and Carter immediately grabbed her hand and guided her through the store. My prayer is that his heart continues to be tender and that he comes to truly understand how much God loves him so he can share that love with others. So thankful for our precious boy!

I am still here!

It's been a horribly long time since I've updated and since there was so much to update, I kept putting it off until I had "more time." HA! So, I'll just jump in where we are and attempt to keep things brief (otherwise I'll not finish and continue putting off an update).


Ava is now 5 and a half and starts kindergarten this fall! On one hand, it's hard to believe, but on the other, it seems about time... feels like I've been home with kids forever, even though we're only a little over 5 years in. She seems so grown up to me and while we still have some struggles (you know, since neither one of us is perfect!), I love to see how her personality and interests are developing. She loves crafts, coloring, painting, anything artsy and is already showing herself to be quite an artist. Of course, I'm comparing her artwork to mine, so take that for what it's worth!


Carter is still rough and tumble with a huge side of sensitive. And, he'll be 4 next week. FOUR! For some reason, this seems to mark the end of my little boy in my mind - he's so busy with play and becoming more and more independent. I'm so glad that he is my snuggly, lovey, affectionate child and he's agreed never to grow out of it! He and Ava are great playmates and he's starting to warm up to Audrey and playing with her more and more (as opposed to getting mad when she'd want to join in and him being afraid she'd ruin the fun).


Audrey's personality is really coming through these days. For the most part, she's easy-going and happy. Teething brings out a cranky, whiny girl - I finally understand what some other parents go through. Ava and Carter never seemed to be bothered by teeth coming in, but anytime poor Audrey gets a new tooth, her entire hand is shoved in her mouth which brings on copious amounts of drool and we all get to enjoy a major case of the grumps. Seeing as how she is usually so easy, I'll cut her some slack (and maybe give her some tylenol). Oh, yeah, she's working on some teeth right now.

Audrey also loves music and dancing. If we're out shopping and she hears a song that strikes her fancy, she's bopping along and sometimes singing, too. At home, she tries to climb on chairs or anything else she can make a stage and performs. She loves to make Ava & Carter laugh and she's pretty good at it.

Our biggest adventure since last posting would probably be our trip to Disney World in March. We had such fun and Carter still thanks God almost every night in his prayers for Disney World. At least they have stopped asking when we're going back. You can see more pictures here.

And here's another album with pictures from our various adventures this spring. You'll see these pictures there, but I just loved these series of pictures from bedtime one night:

This is the doll cradle my dad made for me when I was little. After she gets her pj's on, she likes to get in it and pretend to sleep.


Pretend sleeping complete with fake snores.


So pleased with herself!


This night, she decided to share the cradle with a doll. Here she is tucking him in.


Kisses goodnight...


"Oh, maybe I'll just climb in with you."


"This really isn't big enough for two."


"Night night!"