oh. my. heart.

after a great ole weekend and a big day full of packing today, we picked up the littles and grabbed a quick dinner on our way back to our home.  as we left our little pizza shop, the boys asked me to please take a picture of them with their daddy.  (normally, they hate having pictures taken, so this was quite an interesting request.)  and, here we have it!  it’s not the clearest picture, but the grins on these big little-boys’ faces are PRICELESS. 

oh, I just love it!  such a sweet way to wrap up the weekend!

for grown ups only

so, my very talented and sweet Aunt Kellie has published her debut novel, A Guilty Mind.  It’s available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and even in Kindle form for your ipad!  So, scurry on over and get yourself a copy . . . and spread the word to your friends and book club!

Link here to Amazon! 

 

Aunt Kellie is mother to four of our super-fun cousins—including the infamous “Cinderella” Cammie, who is the lone reason I stay sane all summer long; “Gup-Guppy,” baby Anna’s heart throb; the fun-loving OOK (Lukie); and, the big girl cousin, who is actually Kellie’s baby, who throws amazing dance parties, Mere Mere).  Kellie is the wife to my hilarious and incredibly generous Uncle Dave, and she was also one of my Nana’s main care givers.  I know that this fantastic book of hers has been in the works for a while, but that she was able to care night-and-day for our Nana, enjoy the summer at home with her kids, send four kids off to three different schools in the last few weeks, and kick-off the fall with a debut of her first novel is QUITE impressive.  (And, where will my kids be on Sunday, you may ask?  At Aunt Kellie’s house playing, while Hatch and I pack, pack, pack!)  Aunt Kellie, we love you so much, we are so proud and impressed, and we are just thrilled for you!  Way to go—I truly admire you!

So, go on, now . . . buy the book!  And tell me what you think! 

there are no words.

{there are no words, but I will try to find some . . . }

 

my baby started school today. 

I don’t know what to do with myself.

she was so excited, she couldn’t even stand it. 

she had thrown at least three fits within the last week about wanting to start school NOW.

today was her day, and she was just thrilled.

I, on the other hand, was feeling a bit emotional about the whole thing.  how did my baby get so big?  not only is she going to school, but she WANTS to go to school.  I enrolled my boys in Mrs. Bauer’s baby class because I was pregnant with her . . . and now she is going.  This time in our lives is crazy, and it is flying by me.  Fortunately for us all, life continues despite my emotions, so I had to wrangle her brothers—who had put ALL of their blueberries into their water cups pretending they were fish—and convince them to please hurry up and EAT, now, PLEASE, so that we could get there remotely on time.  (Hudson did not eat.  Hence the peanut butter spoon in the picture.)  My emotions collided with our hurry up-and-go list today, but I had to stop and take a picture or two!

I was able to snap a few pictures of sister wearing my old dress before we headed off to school (actually, before we had to redirect and clean Hudson off from his peanut butter entanglement . . . and then do an emergency diaper change in the car for Anna B) . . .    

When we got to school, we were late but she was thrilled to go into her classroom. Truth be told, she went into the boys’ classroom, and I had to fetch her and redirect her.  She walked right on into “Anna’s C-wass” without hardly saying goodbye to me!      

I was scheduled to work in the class today, and ended up going back into her room—she saw me out of the corner of her eye, but she tried her hardest to pretend I wasn’t there.  Perhaps I cramped her style a bit!? 

    

So, today was a bit of a dry run for us both . . . she still had mommy to run towards when she wanted more snack, and I still had my Annabug to smooch and squeeze this Wednesday morning.  I have a feeling that next week will be odd for me.  I cannot get over how big she is!

    

And, full of personality!

In true Reppard form, she wanted everyone else’s snack at school . . . but, what can I say?  Hudson and I have taught her well.

Sugie, you will be glad to know that she loved my/her dress, too!  BALLOONS!

    

While her bag did not meet her PINK specifications, it did have a pink birdie . . . and her name on it, so she agreed that it would do!

    

trying it out . . .

              

and, ready to go! 

this girl is so sweet, such fun, full of life and passion (!) and so loving and expressive. 

she is so dear to me, and preschool or not, she will always be our baby anna!

+++

and, in other news . . . the moving process is about to begin . . .

     

our moving assistants arrived yesterday!  what great helpers!

Also, as an FYI:  I am open and excited to receive any and all packing and moving tips or tricks!  and, if painting is more of your thing, fear not . . . we’ve got some of that ahead of us, too!  the more the merrier!

we made it.

at the end of the spring (and, especially, the pre-school year), I had my doubts as to whether or not we would make it through the summer . . .

we had a good summer, and all-in-all, this summer of ours was quite full--some things were very hard this summer, but many things were very fun . . .

We ended the preschool year with a very sick Nana, but we started the summer by spending lots of time with her and even more time with our extended family.  I was able to be with my Nana and care for her in ways that felt like such a privilege and honor.  I was able to clearly see the abundant love that she has for my little ones—more than once, and even on her very last day here with us, she asked to see my little Anna . . . to see her cheeks, to feel her soft, curly ringlets.  Thanks to the generosity and selflessness of friends and family, I was able to be right beside my Nana as she went to be with Jesus.  It was so very sweet and so deeply sad, but such precious time all at once.  I cannot seem to find the right words to describe how gracefully and peacefully and sweetly our Nana left us to enter into the arms of Jesus, who she loved so dearly.  Nana went to be with Jesus on a Friday, and the following Monday I had the incredible blessing of being there to welcome our precious baby nephew and cousin, Jake, into the world.  His life and his sweet entrance into our family (wildly stacked with toddler boys!) was such a gift during a bittersweet time for us.  Saying goodbye to our Nana and hello to our Jakey has felt so tender and rich and full.  And, in only the way that our Nana can do, she paved the way for us to go on vacation—a vacation that Nana would have been with us on—for a week together as an extended family.  It was such a fun time together . . . and, of course, our Baby Jakey came, too.

The summer was full of fun activities like swimming school and impromptu trips to the beach to see friends and some family vacations.  We also endured a broken collar bone on a baby girl, many days filled with hunting for lost pairs of glasses, many days scrambling to clean the house for a showing with 3 kids under foot, we logged many hours at the pool, we had a wonderful time enjoying one another’s company, and we sent Uncle Judah off for his first day of high school! 

We entered into the summer with a low-ball offer on our house that, for some reason, we were unable to negotiate.  In hindsight, if we had taken that offer, we would have closed on our home the very same day that our Nana went to be with Jesus.  He was protecting us, and we didn’t know it.  We started a new listing agreement and showed our house all summer long.  No offers.  Lots of showings.  Less and less patience from me, and more and more bitterness and frustration growing inside of me.  We decided to let our listing expire while we were out of town for Labor Day weekend—I needed a break and our kids needed a break, too.  After 8 months on the market, and several failed attempts to pursue purchasing other homes, our house sold while it was OFF the market and while we were out of town!  Isn't that wild?  And, after seeing about 20+ homes last week that did not work for our family, we feel that God graciously led us to a house that is a great fit for us on Saturday afternoon.  We made a low offer and they agreed to work with us—we have a contract on a great house!  We are just thrilled and cannot believe God's graciousness and generosity towards us.  While this house is just a thing, it feels like a tremendous way that God has blessed us beyond what we had imagined.  We are thankful to Jesus for His goodness and abundant provision for us . . . and we are so excited!  Inspections are yet to come, so it’s not over until it’s over, but for now, we are hopeful!  . . . AND, we have a creek in our new backyard.  I cannot wait to see my boys (and their sister) out there with their dad.     

We accepted an offer on our house, put an offer on another house, had one inspection last night, and wouldn’t you know it that today our big, little boys started preschool!? 

WE MADE IT.

No more Mother’s Morning out for these two . . . they are big ole Preschoolers, and Mr. William had his debut as the class line leader.  And, yes, he even got to dress the class weather frog today.  It just doesn’t get any better than that!

(I have to confess that I had to HUNT for my camera to even take these pictures.  Having a house on the market, in my world, lends towards stuff being stashed everywhere!)  Grab a seat, because you know I can’t decide which ones to post so you are getting them ALL!  (And, you guessed it:  William’s glasses are LOST.  again!)

HOW ARE THESE BIG, LITTLE PEOPLE, MINE?  WHAT HAPPENED?  Their Murphy smiles at their best!

smooches!

I accidentally had the camera on a weird setting here, but I thought these were too cute not to share!

I was messing around on my computer trying to fix the weird lighting (I am clueless about these things) and I came across this setting.  If anyone ever wants to melt my heart, please have this drawn for me:

I cannot look at this picture without crying.  My baby is so big.  So sweet, so full of life and energy, and so very big!

and, this one.  so big.  so sweet, so thoughtful, and full of never-ending conversation and questions. 

he could not stand still and smile . . . too many questions, too strong of a desire to hold the camera himself. rascal

    

love for the sister . . .

this is hysterical to me!

and, my boys.  my sweet tiny boys who are the best of friends and the biggest rascals I know!  precious and double trouble all at once!  they both have Mrs. Allin this year, and while they are in the same class, their teacher has twin boys in high school . . . she is well prepared for this duo!

I love these two!

     

this is my life . . . look at those faces!

Oh my heart!

OH MY HEART!

And, William got his chance to play photographer, too . . .

And, so did Hudsey . . . but guess who was being a rascal?  Or, a pirate, maybe?

I got him!

And, when we got to school, guess who we saw!?

Sister wanted today to be her day for school.  “My Turn, Mommy.  ME GO.  ANNA TURN, MOMMY!”  Fear not, much to my dismay, Sister will start her big debut in Mother’s Morning Out tomorrow morning.  What will I do with my two spare hours tomorrow?  Work the preschool class . . . and after that, the sky’s the limit!  (Who am I kidding?  We all know I will be packing this house every day until we move!!)

and, breathe.  we made it.

up next:  sending sister to school, and moving this family.  whoo!