Where have we been??

Oh, just marrying off our two oldest!  Crazy, I know.  But great things can come from great homeschool groups + home church ;0)  I promise I'll update here more often, but if you want more pictures & more consistency, check out mamj41 on Instagram (that's me! but no, I'm haven't been 41 for a few years now ha ha).
Thanks & see you soon!
Shannon

 Zach & Julia, July 3, 2016

Abbie & James, June 2016

January & February 2015 - NEW BABY!

We've had lots of playtime with these friends over the winter - they are so sweet :0)

"Mr. Squishy" aka Mac arrived the first week of January....just 11 days "overdue"!  5th baby, 3rd at home w/ our midwife - but my first water birth.  I recommend it & would do it again (although I am 42 so not sure how many more littles will come our way!)

Honey Bunches acted as doula for our midwife - she did an amazing job & is the perfect picture of calm & comfort during birth.  She also kept me from drowning myself!

Happy Mama J!

Tweeters & Jam had an uno fest for about a month - reinforced colors for him & he picked up numbers fast, while Tweeters seemed to enjoy making up different rules & teaching Jam how to play!

Everyone is enamored with their new baby brother/& at 10 wks he has never been short of snuggles :0)

Plenty of snow this winter, and the littles go out every day no matter the weather.  I could call it Forest School but I'm not out with them really teaching anything ha ha - but - I know they are learning tons by just being outside with each other exploring the woods around the house & the beauty all around us.

Bandit violin - aka just listen to the notes without looking & make sure you are playing them in tune

HB did an art project they all enjoyed: sharpies on ceramic tiles, then dabbed with alcohol to make a shiny effect!

Jam is so into learning to write & read these days, always catching him writing something.  Tweeters is even teaching him cursive....

We had some old playdough so made a land for the dinosaurs & some baking soda/vinegar volcanoes! Been awhile since we've done this but they love it every time!

Finally tried that corn starch/hair conditioner dough & it is really so so soft!  One day play though - isn't as soft after about an hour of play & is pretty messy.  Henna by HB before she went to visit the Ginger in Montana again...

The beach is still fun even in the winter - here is a sandy ice castle

HB & the Ginger

Sweet Papa J enjoying storytime with his young uns

Flash, just relaxing :0)

Tweeters doing some 100 chart work.  First I cut the numbers into rows of 10 (she knows how to count by those) & she put them in order; then we cut them in half & she practiced counting by 5's (she's getting pretty good at that, especially since we watched the Schoolhouse Rock skip counting video!  Ahh, brings back memories...).  Next we'll do 2's or 3's & finally 1's.

Snow painting with spray bottles & colored water!

Colored salt from eons ago when Abbie was little!  We made pretty layered jars.  Winter is such a good time for crafts.

Oh those first sweet weeks with a tiny little new bundle from heaven...and they go so fast....

It is now the 3rd week of March & we are in Florida for our yearly snow bird escape with Gma & Gpa L!  It is so beautiful & warm & we love the extended time with family :0)  The Ginger joined us again this year & HB is planning to move to Montana to be closer to him when we return...2015 is already becoming a big year of change for our family!  A new one in the nest & an older one flying...bittersweet but part of life & so far I am adjusting fine (now ask me how very much I miss HB in a month or so....)!

End of November & most of December 2014.....

Honey Bunches got out the art books for Tweeters!  Just what she needed :0)

Science experiments!  Homemade lava lamp...

Happy boy!  His very own Tonka truck!  At 40% off we couldn't resist...

Poor man's Hanukkah Menorah - plastic cups w/ beans from the sensory table & birthday candles!

Homemade jelly donuts - very delish. 

Finished my braided rag rug!  It gets used every day & we love it - oh yeah & that's my huge o pregnant belly! Due any day, just waiting....

Tweeters making chocolate dipped pretzels with Daddy Pops

Jam's turn

HB & the littles having a snuggle

Sunshine cake for the winter solstice - days getting longer now hooray!!!

Winter table

Flash & Jam having a lego night

Flash's turn to snuggle littles

Papa J's bday is the 24th....

...& this is what we got for him!  The how to play manual is like 30 pages long.....

Flash made an awesome dinner for us one night - marinated steak wraps!!  Love the garnish & home grown sprouts, too.  Notice the homemade plate?  Honey Bunches made that for me when she was 4 :0)

Crazy JG came for a visit....had a super hard time getting here & back home & was sick most of the time...but I hope he had a good time hanging out w/ us anyway!  Always great to see one of my 'lost boys'!

What HB has been doing for 2 weeks....the sickness just kept getting passed around...

Lovin' this awesome man!

Train play & coloring

Yippee!  Finally sunshine & warmer weather!!

Making bark boats to float in the mud puddles

4-wheeling with Papa J

How Flash prefers to read

These boys :0)

And, a snuggle with Grandma L

Making our own candles from old beeswax

Overlooking the creek from the hill behind the house - gorgeous

They even brought their lunch!

The homemade gingerbread candle!

Flash showing Charlie & the littles his huge o Marvel comics book/poster that JG gave him!

So now we are just waiting on Baby J #5....he was due 5 days ago....but they come when they come I guess!  Happy New Year everyone!!!