We Have a Teenager in the House!!

It’s true.

Tate Owen is 13 years old.

THIRTEEN!!!

Do you all remember when he was four years old and just home from China???

Me too.

It goes so fast!

We celebrated Tate’s birthday during one of our Sunday family get togethers, but had our get together at dinner this time.

Tate requested Jap Chae for our meal – it is a crowd pleaser for sure!


Birthdays are always more fun with a crowd!!

I love how Tate’s nieces and nephews love to help him with his gifts.


I have no idea what was going on in this next photo, but let’s just say it’s pretty typical stuff, ha, ha!

And you have to love our little photo bomber Mr. River – he is the life of any party!!


It was time for a new bike for Tate this year.

His birthday being at the end of summer wasn’t an ideal time for a new bike, but I think he was excited anyway!!

He will be able to use his new bike for years to come, I am sure.


I made Tate’s birthday cake.

I know.

Craziness!!

But Addie frosted it for me and decorated it a bit too!

It was gone so fast that no one cared, right?


We spent the rest of that Sunday evening being together (MY FAVORITE THING!), playing games, sipping coffee, eating cake and snacks, and enjoying our time immensely.


Wow, it feels like a year ago already that we had Tate’s birthday celebration!

He is one AWESOME thirteen year old, as I am sure you already know.

Such a GEM!!!

What a privilege that the Lord allowed us to be Tate’s forevermore.

We are not worthy of such a gift!!!

Tate Owen, WE LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH!!!

Happy, happy birthday, Tater Tot!!!

More of July

July brought many more good things, although we could not top that wedding!!!

As I look back at these photos and also remember how sick I was in July – I realize that photos don’t really convey the FULL picture, do they?

As you look at these snippets of time you would probably think everything was wonderful, beautiful, easy, organized, smooth, and lovely!!

And it was mostly that way – but there was also a lot of time where I was really struggling to keep up.

I did find myself longing for structure, even though it took everything I had to stand up each morning!


It has been awhile since I have included food photos in a post!

It looks like we ate well in July!!

I love looking back on these photos to get inspired and remember some of the yummier things we have made!


Lane got his driver’s permit in July!

Why do they grow up so fast??

He is driving with Blake currently, but will start behind the wheel with the instructor soon!


The day after the wedding was a little nuts!

We had A LOT of cleaning up to do!!

And we also helped Eliza move into Addie’s old room!

It was a full day for sure, but we enjoyed being together and also having my brother’s help in the morning before he drove back home to Indy.

He helped me take all of the gifts to Scottie and Addie’s new place!


Before we picked up Jazzy in July, we needed to get a few things for her.

We also grabbed some grocery that morning – it was fun to have my crew help me!

Of course the boys got hungry before we headed home, so I let them get some Chipotle.


We had a lot of fun outside in the evenings this summer.

Pickleball is a new favorite – but isn’t it with everyone??

We also took the kids to the farmer’s market one Saturday morning.

Family Sundays are always better outside too – especially when we can swim and play in the water!

Love spending time outside and with these crazy kids of ours!!


We had our church’s baptisms in our pool again this year.

It was SUPER DUPER special though, because Eliza was baptized by Blake and our Pastor!

What a sweet day for us.


Before Scottie and Addie arrived home from their honeymoon, we filled their house and fridge with grocery!

That was really fun!

We also had our first get together at their place once they arrived home and watched them open their wedding gifts.

What a special time!!

They are so blessed with all they received!!

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We still love books here!

Summer, winter, spring and fall.

We love books in all seasons, and I am glad we do!!


HI.

It’s me.

The sky lady.

I am glad to see that while I was ill this summer it did not take away my love of the sky!

Goodness, is there anything more beautiful??


It has been really wonderful watching my in-laws home come together.

We watched the outside of their house be completed way back in July.

The move starts next week already!

We CANNOT WAIT to have them here – it is such a privilege – and a dream come true for us!!


As you can imagine, I have been busy as of late with all things related to their move!

We are amazed at how smoothly things have gone and are very thankful for all the Lord has already allowed.

I have so many plans swirling around in my head that we will get to do with my in-laws once they are here!!

First up, I have to catch-up my little scrapbook here by posting about August and September!!

Where has time gone??

That will be next!

Stay tuned!!

First Day of School 2024

Life looks so different lately.

I am sure you already know that if you have been following along here!

School looks a bit different too.

I decided after Scottie and Addie’s wedding that it would be a good thing to get a bit of school going with my three still here at home.

It was a good idea!

I spent literally one entire day in the office getting everything ready!!

That was the last Monday of July and then we started our first day of school the next morning, on Tuesday, July 30th.


Our school days have been hit or miss since then until after Labor Day.

But I am SO glad we got going – especially because the children (and myself too!) really thrive with structure in our days!

I did manage to remember to take photos of the children on the first day, even though our other traditions did not happen this year like they have in the past.

The children have mostly out grown those traditions – but I loved doing them!!

Just look at my line-up for this year!!

Lane Steven – 16 years old – 11th grade


Yes, Lane is in a competition to see if he can be the winning giant of this family.

Chad is 6’4″, but Lane is not far behind him!!

Next up is Tate Owen – 13 years old – 7th grade


Tate’s voice is deep these days and he is an amazing teenager.

He loves school – but they all do, actually!!

Next is Eliza Claire – 12 years old – 7th grade


Eliza LOVES loves loves school – she loves everything pencils, paper, and creativity!!

They are all such great and easy students!!

We have a lot of fun together!

I decided to go through this book again this year for our Bible time.

We never finished the whole thing anyway, so I started it a few lessons in.

Highly recommend this book!


This year all three children are using Teaching Textbooks for Math.

I am an old lady trying to catch up with the times here!

This, so far, has been a wonderful switch for Tate and Eliza!

Lane had already been using this Math program for a few years and is continuing it as well.

We needed two new devices to be able to have more on-line school work, and so Tate and Eliza got tablets for their school.


Lane still likes to work in the office where it is more quiet.

He uses our computer back there.

He is taking Pre-Calculus this year through Teaching Textbooks.

I am glad I don’t have to try to teach him that!!

He also is doing History classes through Hillsdale College and those are on-line as well.

Lane works on his grammar, typing class, and health class on his own as well.


Lane and I are doing his Science class together at his request.

Let’s just say he explains a lot of it to me, and he has a solid A grade in this course so far!

Blake is running Lane’s STEM studies – which is probably the biggest part of his school – and completely hands on.

It will, Lord willing, be a good year for Lane!!


I still love to read aloud to the children, and Tate and Eliza are still enjoying that, so I do!!

We just finished this book and it was a very good one.


Tate and Eliza work on their math, vocabulary, grammar, science, foreign language, typing and cursive practice on their own.

Eliza is still taking piano lessons and about to have an assessment to move up to the highest level they currently offer!

We are talking about adding in violin for both Tate and Eliza – but I told the children we needed to get their grandparents moved here first before we start.

I have both Tate and Eliza in the kitchen everyday these days – and they are getting to be quite skilled in cooking and baking!

Eliza is also going to be my helper as I continue to serve in our Women’s Ministry at church.

I think they will have a great year too!!

We are now fully into our school year and we are all enjoying being back to a rhythm!

Even though we are still having summer weather here!

What a privilege to be able to teach these kiddos of ours!!!

School year 2024-2025 – let’s do this!!!

Meet Jasmyn Bella!!

Yes, we did.

We had talked about it for months and months.

We knew that Addie’s dog, Ruby, would be moving out with her once Addie was married.

Blake and I talked about how we still have three children we are raising here, and they LOVE having animals.

Honestly, Blake and I love having animals too!

We told the children we would get a puppy after the wedding – and there was one particular cute girl with Asian eyes who was holding us to that fact!

Sweet Eliza!!

I started the search for a puppy shortly before the wedding, never thinking I would actually find one.

But I did!!

Introducing, Jasmyn Bella – or Jazzy as she is most frequently called!


We picked up Jazzy the Saturday after the wedding in Lodi, Wisconsin.

She was bred by a breeder in Ames, Iowa, but they were going to be in Lodi that weekend, which was a much shorter drive.

Jazzy is a miniature schnauzer and was the runt of the litter.

We had the BEST experience working with her breeder as we purchased her and picked her up.

Very thankful for that!!

The children were SO excited to go and get her!!


It is already hard to remember those first days with Jazzy as it was already two months ago and she has changed so much!

She rode great in the van that day, and got a bath not too long after she was home.


We are very intentional in training our dogs, and that has not changed with this puppy either.

Do we need the work of a puppy right now??

Oh goodness, that is a SOLID NO.

But we can see the end goal in sight – and that is an obedient, sweet dog to love on for the next, Lord willing, ten or more years!

The first thing we did that day was roll up the rugs in our main area, get Jazzy’s new crate out, close the gate across the stairs, and put up a gate closing off the hallway to the bedrooms.

All of those were good decisions!

It took one day to see that the crate I originally bought was way too small, so we got a larger one.


We also still had Ruby at this point because the bride and groom were on their honeymoon!

Ruby is NOT a fan of all the change that has happened to her, just so you know, but she is especially not a fan of Jazzy.


Poor girl!!

I love on Ruby an extra lot when she is here with us.

We currently keep Ruby on the days that Addie works.

Blake, the children and I have enjoyed Jazzy very very much from the first minute we met her!

She is a great addition to our family!!


Jazzy’s crate training and potty training have had their moments, as I am sure you can imagine.

We had her fully potty trained and sleeping all night in her crate by the time she was home for six weeks though.

She rings a bell hanging from our front door when she needs to potty, and she sleeps in her crate in Blake and my room.

We are still working on training her to be happy in her crate ANYTIME we put her in there – especially when our house is so full of people – which has been a lot lately!

We know we will achieve this goal in time.

Jazzy has done so great riding in the car and going places (she even went to Illinois and Indy with us!), and also has done great at her vet appointments!


I really enjoy her – especially when she is cuddly!

She loves to cuddle, and then loves to be on her own, and then loves to be on my feet!


She looks so little in all of these photos!

She has been home over nine weeks already and is over four months old!

We recently had Jazzy groomed for the first time, and she looks like a different dog!

Just look at these before and after photos!!


Oh, Jazzy, you are turning out to be just the sweetest dog!

We love seeing your personality come out!!

It has been so rewarding watching you settle into life here!

We know there is more to come – like when we can take those gates down, when you are easier to manage when our home is full of people, and when you see your crate as your safe little spot no matter what time of day.

We are SO grateful you are part of our family and our children’s story!!!

Welcome here, Jazzy B!!!!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!