Bug Catchers

 

We caught the coolest bug in the backyard. It was a cross between a grasshopper and a leaf. The girls are usually a bit squeamish of insects, especially big ones, but they were in so awe of this guy's beauty that I think they forgot that they usually prefer not to touch bugs. It was a wonderful example of God's creations, and that beauty can be found in the simplest things. We were united for a time, everyone admiring this small creature. After the girls watched it fly over the fence, they continued to talk in amazement about how cool it was to let them hold it and they forgot all about bickering for a few more magical moments.

Check Us Out!!

 

Almost three years after this kindergarten teacher taught her class a very "common core" math lesson, we are still making an impression (even if it is a little one)!
The How To Be a Dad blog shared our pregnancy announcement on his blog. Sooo fun!
Looking back at this blog post makes me a bit weepy. It's hard to believe Hendircks is already two and a half, and I will never be pregnant again (insert tears)!



 

Back to School Beauties!

Going back to school is a big deal when both of your parents are teachers, and your mom loves to celebrate the little things. 

How do we have a second grader and a kindergartner? 

The first day of school was wonderful. Lilly agreed to wear a dress for one more year, and was overjoyed with the amount of friends in her class. Both girls have amazing teachers. Iris is super excited to have Lilly's kindergarten teacher. Parents are asked to stay for the first day of kinder, and it is such an amazing day! Tears flowed all around the room (teacher too) as sweet books about growing up were read. After school, we always celebrate with a small cake and presents. The girls don't know it, but the gifts are things we would buy them anyway: new PE shoes, a new devotional to read before bed, and fancy pencils. Little things or big things... it depends on who you ask.

*My heart explodes when I see the years fly by in these last four photo collages. It's hard to believe I took these pictures every year since Lilly's first year in preschool. What's more amazing is the fact that I hadn't joined Pinterest yet! #insertwinkyface

Sew Crafty Saturday: Whew!

Where did September go, or even summer for that matter? Work has been very hectic, days filled with crying, running, goofy kindergarteners, and meetings galore. Home is not much calmer, and I don't see anything slowing down in the near future.
Crafting and being creative has definitely been put on the back burner, but is not forgotten. I still have grand plans of finishing Henry's baby scrapbook, binding the giant quilt I worked on this summer, and sewing new kitchen curtains. Fabric and supplies have been purchased, only to sit and wait for me to have a moment to get to them.
Yet, when I have a free moment, I choose playing with my littles, hang out with my handsome hubby, or read a good book. I've been doing a lot of reading lately, and it's been wonderful!
I am proud to announce that I am caught up on all three of my babies' birthday books. They bring me such joy to look through and I used free Shutterfly coupons for every one of them, paying only shipping cost. Whoohoo! I also completed our 2012 giant photo scrapbook, using Shutterfly. It is awesome, and I'm now only 9 months behind on our 2013 album!

Wee-Ones Wed: Family Photos

Our wonderful family has grown by one, but we don't have any pictures that reflect our new total of 5. So, we did it... the talented Lisa Ibarra took pictures of us, and boy did we work her. It is nearly impossible to get 5 faces looking good at the same time, even looking in the same direction is a stretch! It was so much fun (insert sarcasm here), that we decided to do it again. Poor Lisa. She sure loves us! Here's a few of my favorite shots of the first time around. I'll share more when they come.