{a belated} happy GiGi!

about a month ago, we loaded up our car for a wild and crazy road trip!  we traveled a whole three-ish hours north to celebrate our beloved GiGi’s birthday!

our littles squeezed in a car nap, which was a must for the party that we had ahead of us that night!

you see, our GiGi turned 90, and we wouldn’t miss celebrating with her for the world!

we had a great time with the family—especially the California cousins and big girl Maggie, who was quite prepared and entertaining!

Anna loved being with her good friend, GiGi, who she still calls on the (pre)‘tend phone as often as possible!

Sister even got in a good squeeze with her Daddy!

we had our first family hotel stay while we were there, and it was thrilling for us all!

 

these three hit up the pool before we hit the road to head home!

something about this picture makes us think Hudson looks like he is about to start college . . . it is so funny!

And, after lots of celebrating and fun, this little Miss was ready for a snooze!

GiGi, we love you and are so very thankful for you!  Congratulations on 90 wonderful years!  We were thrilled to be able to celebrate with you!  Happy, Happy Birthday to our sweet GiGi!

this week . . .

because my family loves me and we have wonderful grandparents who love helping with our kids . . . and, because, you don’t have to ask me twice to go to NYC to be with friends, I headed up for a big adventure last weekend.  my traveling was less than pleasant, but once I got there, all was well with the world!  I loved spending time with great friends . . .

. . . and celebrating “Owlie’s” fabulous new apartment!  One day, I was sitting on this sofa drinking my organic juice . . .

. . . and the next thing I know, I am back in Virginia for less than an hour, and this is happening all around me!

my big city adventure came to a close, and I was met with lots of back-to-reality adventure this week within my own life . . .

we made it through monday without much more than an overturned grocery cart that landed three kids on the floor of Kroger . . . but, tuesday held some true chaos for us . . . after discussing that there was no blanket to be found in the top of their closet, the boys decided to ignore my wisdom and climb up their closet anyway, and piggy banks and treasures came crashing down!  It was sad and traumatic for those boys.

Anna had given her pacis up to a baby-girl friend of hers, and she was not napping (as can be expected).  However, Sister also hopped on out of her crib.  That is right, this child gave up her pacis and also began climbing out of her crib all in about 10 minutes.  I thought my freedom was disappearing before my eyes.  We threatened her with reminders of broken collar bones, and after 4 jumps out and some discipline, she stayed in her crib.  Wednesday was her first day napping in her crib without her pacis . . . and, as is true with every big girl, all a girl needs to make her happy is a cupcake with ‘prinkles on it!

We even sang “Good Job to YOU” (to the popular tune of Happy Birthday)

She was quite proud and quite excited!

Also this week, Sister was bitten at school.  She did not cry, but I almost did . . .

someone tied himself up in knots . . .

and claims he “sees land” up in the skies . . . {dear Jesus, thank you for warmer weather and a yard that my children love.  thank you, thank you, thank you.}

. . . as for me, I feel like I’ve been “swinging” by the seat of my pants these days.  It’s Thursday and I am one tired mama.  Bring on the weekend.  Bring it on.

More soon!  {and follow me on instagram for more frequent photos!  @shannonreppard}

overheard

tonight at dinner, there was much commotion (as usual), but the littles decided it was William’s turn to pray before they began eating.  this was william’s prayer:

“dear jesus, thank you for my sweet sister, and for baby caroline*, and for baby jakey.  please help jakey get more teeth.  he only has two.  and please help him grow to be big like me.”

to which hudson chimed in:  “yeah!  help jakey to grow big like us!”

I think there was more praying or maybe some distraction after that, but it was too hilarious not to write down!

(*baby Caroline is the precious daughter of friends of ours.  William was able to hold her at her baptism party and since then, she is at the top of his list!)

+++

Hudson:  “daddy is great”

William:  “daddy is always nice”

Hatch:  “those two have selective memories!”

Anna:  “me wants my da-da wight now.  me needs him.”

+++

anna last week:

“me wubs Guppie**.  Me wants him come here and pick me up and give me kisses.  Me weally wubs Guppie!”

**Guppie is the name Anna has fondly given to our cousin, Thomas.  We’re not sure why, but our Nana was right there when she called him Guppie for the first time, and it was hysterical . . . and, of course, the name stuck!

+++

me:  “anna, what’s your baby’s name?”

anna:  ki-ki-ka-ka-lou-lee-la-la

me:  that’s pretty, anna.

anna:  it spanish, momma.  it spanish.

+++

Anna is also practicing being mean every so often, so she turns to her brothers, with her big ole bow on her head and says in her mean voice: “you BAD GUYS.”  And, she keeps telling me “mama, me no yubs you dat much.”  Sister is a mess.  An adorable, independent, little, pink-wearing MESS!

+++

I turned around yesterday and saw these two.  this is what they told me:

“mom, these aren’t pajamas, they are costumes.  and, today, at school, there was a monkey eating a lollipop.”  (which I later found out was true!  along with a lemur, a snake, bunnies, a duck, a kangaroo (!), a hedgehog, and some other amazing animals!) 

these two are rascals!

as for me, I am putting on my “costume” and heading to bed.  nighty night!

happy birt-day, Jesus!

we had ourselves a merry little christmas (or two, or three)!  due to a combination of me wanting to soak up the Christmas fun and simultaneously feeling quite tired, I don’t have many pictures to show from Christmas this year . . . (although I am hoping that our families will come up with some great ones from their cameras soon!)

We started our celebrating with Nonna and Pop Pop and Aunt Courtney, and it was very fun!

Nonna and Pop Pop really out-did themselves this year!  Tee Pees!

new toys and chocolate treats!

    

the boys “napped” (or didn’t nap at all) in their tee-pee, so sister had to have her very own tent as well . . .   and, little miss, out on the town!

    

On Christmas Eve, a special visitor came by our house . . . William said, “Santa really, really sounds like Uncle Bubbles, Mommy!”  ha ha!

Christmas Eve was a sweet (and crazy) time of celebrating and wrangling children during the family service at our church . . . all of the kiddies went up front and sang Go Tell it on the Mountain.  Despite the fact that my children have been belting out the lyrics as loudly as humanly possible, they were all frozen with fear and barely moved their mouths on Christmas Eve . . . but, it was one of my favorite memories of our Christmas this year.  So very sweet . . . and, we are well into January and still loudly singing!  (If I get my hands on any pics of my kids from the service, I promise to post them!)

As is with our crazy family and our traditions, we rounded out dinner at my parent’s with a rousing “Santa Box” experience (which was THRILLING for my children).  My Paps used to do the “Santa box” and Uncle Crifa-dor now holds the reigns . . . it’s a box full of goodies that are distributed wildly to the lucky soul who yells the loudest in excitement for the item.  Please note Uncle’s fabulous throw of some kind of amazing candy (?) in this picture . . . this about sums up the Santa Box perfectly!

Spider Man came out of the Santa box (wielding both a blow-up shield and a small red flashlight) and was a thrill for us all!

Uncle Crifa-dor spent the night with us and was so excited to see what Santa left him in his itty bitty stocking!    

 

books!

everyone got hats, which a sweet friend of mine made (she is a special helper of Santa’s, you know) . . . and which I especially love!

and, another of my favorite gifts to give . . .

    

Super hero capes!  (which I did NOT make, thank you etsy!)

    

We sang Happy Birt-day to Jesus, and Anna’s Christmas wish came true . . . she got to have her pink cupcake on Christmas morning!

and then we flew over to Sugie and Bumpa’s, capes and all, for more Christmas fun!

    

I hate that this picture is blurry, but it was my attempt at catching a moment . . . and I just love it!

I mean, who wouldn’t be thrilled about a toy trash truck??!?

a pink bike for the big girl!

and spiderman bikes for the big boys!

and after a day of fun with family and a long winter’s nap, sister got all dressed up for Christmas dinner.  This picture is one of my favorites!

Our Christmas was so much fun and so sweet.  We are continually thankful for the generosity of our parents and our families to us and our children.  It was such a dear thing to celebrate Jesus’ birth together this year, because our little ones are understanding more and more of why it is that we deck the halls, put a huge tree inside of our house, string lights on the front of our home, and sing carols and hymns all month long.  On Christmas night, it was really late and our kids were exhausted.  Anna was crying and I was trying to hurry her into her bed and run out of the room.  She stopped crying and said “mommy!  no pray!”  I said, okay, let’s pray, and I began “thank you, Jesus . . .” and Anna finished “ . . . thank you, Jesus, donkey.  thank you, Jesus, Mary.  Thank you, Jesus, sheeps.  Thank you, Jesus, Joseph.  Thank you, Jesus, cows.  Thank you, Jesus, baby Jesus in da manger.”  It was such a perfect reminder to me to not rush through the celebration of God’s love for us and His goodness in perusing us and coming near to us . . . and what a wonderful way to be reminded—by my littlest babe praying from her crib.  Oh, the sweetness!

We hope your Christmas was filled with JOY!  More fun to come . . .

Happy 2013!

on the off-chance that there is anyone out there who still looks at this little blog of ours, we wanted to warmly welcome you into 2013!

2012 was a very full year for us . . . welcoming hatch’s parents to richmond (how sweet it is!), 100+ showings at our old house, selling that charming old house, a trip to New York, not one-- but two--trips to Char-las-stin, tubes in Anna’s ears, a husband who honed in on his bat-catching skills, a trip to Emerald Isle complete with a broken collar bone for sister, learning to spell “H-U-D-S-O-N” (for both of our boys—still working on William!), a fabulous neighbor who removed a dead baby opossum for her screaming manic of a friend 20 minutes before a house showing (ie: yours truly), a trip to Lake Gaston, a fabulously successful year of work for Daddy (have I mentioned he won a work trip, and I. GET. TO. GO!?), Mama surviving having 3 kids 3 and under (and, briefly, 2 three year olds and 1 two year old!), saying goodbye to my Nana and welcoming sweet Jake into our world and our family, a new church family, a new house, a broken washing machine . . . and then dryer . . . and then car, a new-to-us car, new neighbors, a fabulous 12-days-of-Christmas welcome into our home (more on this soon!), my babies turning 4 and my tiny love turning TWO, new friends and wonderful old friends, new babies of sweet friends, and a God that faithfully provides for us and graciously forgives and gently loves and leads and restores.  We are so thankful for a very full year in our lives, and we are excited about all that 2013 has to offer . . .

. . . may you always have someone jumping on your back and grabbing your necklace . . . and may you smile huge and pretend it’s not happening . . .

. . . and may your year be filled with loud giggles and squeals, snuggles, elbow jabs, and high kicks . . .

2013 . . . we are ready for you!  Happy New Year, and we hope your Christmas was FULL OF JOY!