Life...

Life has been busy, I suppose it will always be like that. I feel like we are really a large family now and it keeps me hopping. It took me a few weeks to finally get some energy and it sure feels better. Ellia is 9 weeks old now and weighs around 11.5 pounds. She is such a cutie with her smiles and cooing. She sleeps well at night going to bed around 8-9pm and is up usually once during the night but sometimes twice. She is pretty fussy during the day but I am learning that when she gets fussy she usually needs to go to bed. I feel like she is on somewhat of a schedule. Her eyes still haven't decided on a color looking blue or brown on different days. Her hair still has a little bit of orange in it which we hope stays but it probably won't.
The other girls are loving their sister and try to help when I let them. Alicia took Ellia for a ride in her baby doll stroller and loves to talk and read to her. They all love to hold her when I let them or lay and talk to her and put the soother back in Ellia's mouth.
We are loving the weather, going outside lots! My dad built a huge swing set for the girls and Bryan built a huge (9 x9 feet) sandbox on Saturday for them. Our drive way is nice and long for biking on and there is always the gardens to dig in and lots of flowers to pick.
I planted the vegetable garden on Saturday, I am trying to be faithful in watering it as we are going camping next week. The garden is huge too! Not sure if I will actually take care of it this year but I have high hopes!!
I am home most days as taking all 5 girls anywhere seems like a big job since Cassia is not as obedient as my other girls and Ellia gets rather fussy. I miss living in town and being able to run out to the stores with out any girls, but I suppose I am also getting use to taking Ellia everywhere. My mom has been having the girls here and there so that gives me a chance to get stuff done. I am also working on teaching the girls to help keep things tidy and do some of the cleaning. My standards are lower then usual but I still like things neat and tidy, and the toilet clean. I still enjoy our home and that it is small so cleaning up is easy. I am always surprised at how well the girls can clean up when there are some incentives involved, like going somewhere or watching a movie. It is nice to see them getting old enough to really help!
We are hoping to do some school this summer since we finished off already in March. I am hoping to do a little this summer so we can take Friday's off during the school year. The girls are excited about starting, so hopefully when we get back from home school camping we will start some school.
The girls and I are so very excited about going camping. It is always such a great time. My sister will be there with her kids and some other families that we are getting to know. Hopefully the weather will be beautiful too! We hope to get out with Bryan for a week sometime this summer too and then I am planning on taking the girls the week all the kids go back to school in September. My favorite camping is off season when the campgrounds are quiet. So we have lots to look forward to this summer.
Life is different here in the country, it use to be that Bryan and I would relax after the girls went to bed and they were always in bed by 8pm. Here the girls don't go to bed until almost 9pm and Bryan is working outside until closer to 10 pm. It is so cute to see all our girls outside raking grass, playing or trying to help. We are enjoying our outside time and I still haven't heard Bryan complain about cutting the grass yet again. He has a routine now for cutting he divides it into two evenings and does it about weekly depending on the rain and how wet things were. It has been so wet here that girls were pretty much swimming in our side yard running and falling and having a blast! Of course with rain comes mud, and extra laundry. I am trying to hang the laundry on the clothes line but sometimes my time is needed else where.
I have been re-reading some books by Teri Maxwell on scheduling and homeschooling and it has inspired me in my house keeping and child rearing. She is more scheduled then I want to be but I am learning some great things from here writing. I get really inspired well reading, but the putting into practise is a little harder! :-)
The girls are waiting on me for a craft they want to do and the baby just woke up from a nap and I haven't even thought of supper yet, so I best get back to life! I am really trying to work on stopping what I am doing and enjoying the girls like talking to Ellia and playing with the older girls. They are all so special and so different and they are growing up so quickly. Bryan and I have noticed lately that things are changing in our home we no longer have all these toddlers or little girls, they are becoming big girls. It so much fun seeing them growing and understanding more and hearing what they have to say. Victoria has some interesting things to say that she hears from her friends! They are so cute!!
I will try to post some pictures soon!