Just a quick thought.

October is a birthday month for us here! Our Henry man has his birthday the 22nd! Birthday months are always kinda rough for me I am noticing. I am stuck on trying to do and capture all the moments I wanted with this age, right before the next age comes, but yet still telling myself that getting older is a blessing. 

The other night I was chatting with Shane about how I can hardly believe Henry will

be 4 and how I just want him to stay my

little guy! Sad but yet excited, torn on how to feel. He simply just says that he is excited for him. I was kinda puzzled, trying I remember if we had some amazing surprise planned for him! We don't. My husband continues to say that he is excited the Henry will be experiencing new things, new adventure, new emotios, new understanding. It's his next chapter. However small it may seem, turning 4, it's so big to our kids, it's a big chapter. 

Hearing this comforted me. Rather than thinking about the failures i had with him, against him in his third year, I can feel exited that a new season is near. New beginnings for both he and I! Honestly, I try to approach everyday as a new beginning, for it is. Sometimes, even every hour needs a new beginning , a new story line. Why should birthdays be any different. We as mommas and daddys should celebrate and welcome this new season fully!! Trying not to live in the mistakes or hardship or even the greatness  of the past, but fully give this new season much a deserved celebration! 

Our babies grow. That's just the truth. It's not really an easy notion to fully grasp. That tiny babe that could just fit in your arms, helpless and so new to the world, they grow. They experience the world. The good, the bad and the ugly. Let's celebrate that we get to go along this ride with them. Write down the things you don't want to forget, take a million photos of them every day( seems like it ) , save the little pictures they color, the stones they keep on their pockets.... All those are good. Keep them in your heart. 

Now go and experience the present and future with them!! They deserve it.

By the way, this post is totally written as a reminder for for myself and encouragement :)  

Family Vacation

Hey ya'll!
     So we just got back from a family vacation and we spent the week with Shane's life long friend and his family! Its so amazing how people are been able to maintain friendships they have had during high school and all along life's road. It is inspiring. I only know a hand full of people that have been able to really do this. Shane and Matt are one of them. They haven't lived in the same state in about.....11 years, but they have been able to stay true friends, brothers if you will. And along those 11 years away, have come children, marriage, more children, and multiple moves! Yet when they see each other, they are able to pick up right where they left off, and even get to a better place in their friendship! I have been  blessed in this as well, as i have been able to gain a  new friendship in Matt's wife. And now our children are becoming friends and that is just the coolest. The week went really well and was such a needed time to reconnect with friends.
     We knew we were not going to be doing a ton of "tourist" things while there, our main objective was to just be with our friends and make some new memories. We did manage a few fun tourist/local culture that was specific to Louisville.  Our first mission was to get to church! We love their church. Sojourn. Shane went to it a few times when it was just starting out and growing, now it is still growing and they have a beautiful cathedral and i believe 3, maybe 4 services!! And they even have started their own network of church plants, which i think is really cool. So we made it to church, yay, that is usually a huge accomplishment for us!  We visited the Falls of the Ohio, where Lewis and Clark met and started their adventure. We hunted in the fossil beds and walked over the hot, 20 degrees hotter to be exact, ground trying to not fall into the puddles of stagnant water :) Ellanore was the only one that really had a mishap and  tried to jump over a little puddle and she slid all down it, resulting in a completely browned, dirty backside!! The kids enjoyed climbing and searching for fossils. They even found a dead fish :/ !
     We decided to splurge a little bit and we went to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory! It was such a great idea. Our boys loved the factory and watching the bats being made! The tour guide even talked about Richmond's Flying Squirrels and it put a big smile on Owen's face!! Shane and I also loved the factory, it was great. Ellanore was feeling a bit questionable and just rested the entire time we were there. She thankfully rested and recovered from whatever it was very very quickly :) and hopefully its not passed on to any of the Warmbier children!!!
On a separate day we thought we might attempt the walking bridge that takes you to Indiana....after climbing some cool playground pyramids and playing in the spray park, we decided that just a quick trip up to the beginning  of the bridge was good enough! Actually Henry didn't even walk up with us, he stayed behind with Matt and some of the kids that really didn't want to continue walking ;)
Most of our time was spent playing. Well, the children playing! 8 kids in the house at all times. One 7 year old, two 5 year old, two 3 year old, two 2 year old and one 7month old! It was really really amazing. Hardly any huge issues came up. There was one or two nights of a tough bedtimes with our kids, not theirs! But that is something we were rather anticipating. It was so wonderful to see all our children playing, creating, exploring and socializing with one another. They even got to witness their dad's recreating a fun picture from 14 years ago. They probably were questioning their seriousness at that moment, but i was so fun. And funny :) So glad i had this idea and the boys were good sports about it!
Probably the best part of the trip was just staying up late and being with Matt and Erin. We playing board games that were a blast, Erin treated us with yummy snacks, Shane decided to become a 'selfie king', we even had Arnold Schwarzenegger prank call a friend. But really we just had great conversation. Conversation reminiscing on times past. Talking about marriage, children, parenting, childhood, Jesus and God and what we desire for our lives. Again its so beautiful to see a friendship grow. Going from doing silly boy things, things that may have been so dangerous or insane that they could be regrettable, or not ;) to still being those fun boys, but now have grown and are men and are raising their own children and recognizing how they want to be different or what they have learned, and sharing that with one another. That is really a great thing and really very rare.
The Warmbier family is a great example of Jesus and how He loves us. They are living in community, being examples of God's love, raising wonderful, beautiful and fun kids, and they are a blessing. We are already planning our next adventure together and are in great anticipation. Thank you for opening up your home to us!!
We are back home now and fall is among us!! Its already so chilly in the evening and mornings. Posey is standing and getting 4 new teeth in!! 7 months old and it has been like a blink!! I am ready for great things this fall season. Keep in touch to see what adventures we find!

Just a little catch up

So the mornings and evenings here in michigan are already requiring big blankets and layers! Fall is quickly upon us! It's my favorite season, but the quickness in which it came this year is out of control!! I feel like I was just thinking summer had just started!!! Like all seasons in life that you want to linger around for a while,the next one comes all the more quickly! This summer has been a low key one for us. I was just telling my friend that this week I had zero plans to even leave the house! That was not the norm for me, especially the last three years of living in Richmond. But this season I find myself being home a lot more, for many different reasons. I have enjoyed the kids being able to explore and play all day in our own yard, rather than making trips to spray parks, gardens or play dates. Actually, when I travel up to my patents home , that's when we do a little more outside the house, like blueberry picking and of course Target trips. Because heaven forib there is not one within 10minutes of us, and whenever we do leave the house my kids want to know if there is a Target near by!! We all heart Target :)
There is not a real reason for this blog post:) mainly just to say I am still here, enjoying the days of doing nothing, but still finding zero time to do everything needed or desired :)  For those who do read this blog, I pray today you are inspired to do better and be better! To enjoy what your life is, this is the one you have,  the one you made for yourself, make the most of it. Be intentional. Be content in what you have but yet yearn for more of what God has for you :)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy 5th Father's Day to my husband! A lot has happened in the 5 years you have become a dad. New job , moves , bigger moves , 3 more babies.... The list can go on. Being a father, being a parent is not easy. Not always fun. And the days can be really hard. That said, fatherhood, parenthood is still beautiful, fun, life changing and important. What you do is important. The lives of these little people, that we have been entrusted to protect and raise here on earth,  are important. Our greatest work ever. Right now, our mission field. 

Shane, thank you for being a father that knows that he cannot do this perfectly, that he can't do it alone and that we need to walk in grace. God chose you to father these beautiful little babies we have and I don't doubt that he knew what he was doing when he have us Owen, Henry, Ellanore and Posey. 

You are the perfect father for them. We love you. I hope we celebrate you in big or small ways every day and that we show our appreciation and love to you always. Your sacrifice for us, for our family is not unnoticed. We love you. Happy Father's Day. I hope you are encouraged :) 

Owen Elliott Reed

Owen, our first born ,entered our world five and a half years ago!!! He has pretty much been on the go ever since. Sometimes it hard to remember that he was once the baby I used to nurse and cradle in my arms. He had grown at an exceptionally fast rate. Maybe its because he is a first born and maybe it's because before he was 2 he was a big brother and before he was 4 he was a big brother again! And shortly after he turned 5 he was a big brother for the third time around !! A lot has happened in his short life!!!

Owen is goofy. He loves to talk in a pretend, only Owen language. He makes the craziest of faces and body movements. Owen is smart. He is so naturally good a math. I think he knows more about  phonics than he gives off but he doesn't enjoy it as much as math :) He is curious. Wants to know about everything. And the whys are never ending some days. But he is starting to solve more of his whys, all on his own. He remembers everything. Honestly. Things that mean a lot to him, events, adventures, conversations, gifts.... He remembers all be details of it all. He definitely cherishes things that are of value to him, whether he knows he does this or not. Owen, as crazy goofy and silly and loud as he is, when we are around people he doesn't know, or want to be around, he is very much a combination of introverted and the fact that he just knows what he wants and what he wants is not to talk to you. We definitely don't want him to be rude to people. And sometimes right now, as he is learning, he can be rude. But I admire his will to be who he is and not cave into the pressure of "you have to talk to people and be socialble" mentality. He will, I am sure of it. One day he will just have the desire to start up conversations with a kid he doesn't know, to play more with them, to not growle  at people when they say hi(yikes,I know!!!) right now, he is just not there. When i pray for him, I pray that when he finds his voice to speak to those not in his close circle of people he loves, that his voice will be to glorify God and share the gospel. That his extremeness right now will be transformed and he will have boldness to talk about God! 

Owen loves fiercely. He doesn't want to share the people he loves. Which is a blessing and a struggle sometimes. Again, he doesn't easily open up to many people, but for those who are blessed enough to have that privilege, he loves us intensely. Sometimes thinking he is he only person that matters to us at the moment:) I love that about him. He is so sure that his brother, or daddy, me, grandma.....loves him so much, that we don't need anyone else! I am glad his heart is so sure in that. We do love him so much! 

He loves to be held to sleep still. Even at 5 and a half he wants us to lay with him at bedtime. He is actually sleeping through the night, in his own bed, about 98% of the time! It's crazy bizarre. I honestly thought the day would never come, that at 3 in the morning, for the rest of his life, he would find his way into bed with us, and now I wake up thinking "where is Owen and why he is not crawling into bed with us!?" Bittersweet. Growing is so good for them, but so hard for us :) 

Owen is physical. As stated above , he loves to be held to sleep. Well even in his play, he is physical. Just a simple hello to his brother who is running into the room might be a giant hug, leads to a tackle to the ground, leading to full fledged wrestling. There was a time he loved to give "cow kisses" meaning he would lick us all over our face!!! Yea.... He had to put an end to that, but he still desires to give them sometimes!!! 

Owen wants a "zillion" babies and a "school bus" to transport us all around! I told him when he and his wife have children, feel free to have a zillion :) his response is he never will get married :) 

Owen is a thinker and a big time feeler. But maybe he doesn't realize it. He always has had big, sometimes unexpected, breakdowns, over things that seem absurd to us, but to him, in that moment, are huge to him. Like the other day when he wanted Henry to crawl under the "tunnel", his legs, while getting into the car, but he didn't.... Well that led to an intense hour long tear and scream fest. Sadness and anger. He wanted to control the situation, and reenact it exactly as he wanted, and no alternative would be good. Back to the beginning, Owen knows what he wants and exactly how he wants it!! It will come in handy when he is older :) it's a good thing. 

He still picks me flowers, wants to play with me,  and me read to him. In so many ways, he is still so little. But when he offers his help to make dinner or do laundry or clean; when he asks to hold Posey, or to help soothe an upset Ellanore; when he solves math problems with just a look or when he runs with his long, lightening fast legs, I am reminded how big he really is. It's been a joy to raise him here past 5years. I honestly can't believe it's been 6 years since he was still growing in the womb. That he was once the little newborn boy that nursed for hours at a time, and I could easily cradle in my arms . Now his skinny, long body is more than half of me , his legs wrap around me with ease, and carrying him in my baby carrier is not even an option!! I love him. My heart is walking around with him. It hurts to see him grow so fast; it's a blessing to see him grown so fast. This boy will be a man one day. I think he is going to be a great one. 

Fashion forward?!

In the midst of packing and having a newborn, my sister sent me this blog link and it was a entry about how this momma let her son pick her clothes for a week:) she said I should see what my kids come up with and I agreed, but after we moved! So last week I figured was as good as time as any to try it!! I didn't really give them rules, I just let them aft my closet, pick shoes and an accessory if they wanted. However when they would handed me two skirts or two tops, I did explain how I couldn't quite make that work!! Day 1, Henry's pick. Something I have probably worn before except with differnt shoes and necklace. 

Day 2 , Ellanore's pick. This is an easy outfit to wear :) it was fairly hot that day though, so after a while my feet were really warm and my arms as well:) 

Day 3, Owens turn. I like both of these pieces, separately :) he had fun with it. I think he enjoyed dressing himself up in my clothes , more than dressing me:) 

That is 3 dressed and a skirt he had on over his jeans and tshirt:) it lasted about 2 hours before it became a danger to him, considering he is as skinny as a twig :)

Day 4, Henry's second pick.  I guess he

Likes the

Neutral color tops?! And pattern bottoms. 

Day 5, Ellanore's creation :)it was actually the Perfect  outfit for the mass amount Of rain we got that day! 

Last day, Owens pick for second time. He said go bold or go home!!! Mixing up patterns like there are No rules ! I love it. He says to have fun with it :) 

Overall it was fun! I am not sure if they really cared. When I asked about it they just said they liked it, they guess. I couldn't really get much out of them. We

Will try again in the future. But I am glad they all picked out real clothing for me and not pjs all week:) it's nice to put on a outfit, whether it's fashionable or not:) I liked seeing what they created and that they thought I was beautiful even if I had a warm winter skirt on with a light weight summer tank top :) I am there momma no matter what :) 

A little about Henry :)

My sweet little Henry is 3 1/2 and I am finally realizing that he is not a baby :) I mean, I have known he is a big boy, but man, it's really kicking my butt when I see him keeping up with Owen as doing things not all 3 year olds do!! I have always looked at him as being the baby, even after ellanore was born! Probably because he is the baby of the boys :) 

Henry is calm. Henry is encouraging. Henry is a lover. He goes in for big long kisses and long squeeze hugs:) He loves to be encouraged and affirmed and he loves to send that back. He can get mad, but he usually is quick to move on. He can typically see the wise choice and come to understand we only want best for him. He is always interested in attempting new things.  He seems to be a natural althlete , as much as a 3 year old can be and he enjoys it :) He tries so hard to be as fast as Owen. It usually results in Owen arriving at finish line first with Henry on the groud halfway there, sad because he didn't win. But we encourage him to finish and try try again :) It might be a tough lesson to learn, but your not always going to be the best at something, doesn't mean you should ever give up though. His best friend is Owen. He loves that boy so so much. I love when they play and they create new worlds and games. Lately everything is turned into a video game. They are watching a movie, let's turn it into a video game, laying in bed, let's grab a stuffed animal and pretend to play Video games! Oh the sprinkler is on, let's be Mario and luegie and fight bowser, andthe yard is filled with differnt levels :) I just love how their friendship is. 

He fights with Ellanore the most, but she still brings him such joy and laughter! He is a great partner for her when she might be a little nervous or needs some extra help. They being only 18 months apart, might be challenging in years to come, but I think mainly it is a blessing. 

Henry is smart. He knows more than I I realize :)Henry is funny. His big brother Owen has taught him some

Pretty crazy faces to make :) Henry is a buddy. Like all my kids, he takes a while to warm up at first, he is not just going to start chatting with you the moment you meet him, but maybe the next time:) 

He loves pizza :) before I plan out my

Grocery list  and meal plan I ask what they would like for dinner and he always

Shouts PIZZA!!"with macaroni (pepperoni) and pineapple!! And cheese!!"  He would eat it every day. Thank goodness too because I make it A LOT!! He will eat carrots straight from the bag. He does it so much he got Owen and ellanore hooked too !! He loves a good dance party and prefers Roar by Katy perry or What does the fox say :) amoung a few other favorites. 

It's a blessing to watch him grow but bittersweet. He is the baby boy!! His baby-ness is slipping away and I want it to hold on as long as possible.  But I know  that's not how it works :) 

Henry Fielding Reed, you are a gift , a treasure and I love  you, love you so. 

"Farm" life

So yes, we live on a farm, however, we are not farming :) we are enjoying the beauty that is surrounding us though. The first weeks we moved back, everything was still dead. No green on the trees, no flowers about to bloom open. It was rather sad. But spring quickly came and beauty is all around. My favorite thing so far were the lilac trees. We have 3 giant ones. I anticipated them blooming and finally when they did , our home and yard were filled wih their perfume :) 

The tress are bright with green leaves, and right as I type this the boys have picked their spot and are sitting up in their "tree house" having a conversation about ants, ticks and mosquitoes :) our pear tree flowered and now is bearing bright green leaves. I am not sure about our apple tree, I will have to check :) we have a huge peony bush and I cannot wait for it to bloom! We had peonies in the garden we were married in and they are beyond beautiful. 

Also, are ants attracted to this flower?! I really don't like ants and they are ALL over these flower buds. 

Our garden bed is just sitting , staring at me, begging to be tended too so I can attempt a garden. I am just to intimidated to try!! I will keep you posted on that venture! 

The grass is growing at an insanely fast rate. Poor Shane, 3 hours every weekend is spent mowing the yard. Aside from th sweating in the heat, I think he kinda likes it :/ The farm fields I believe are being planted or prepped, but we haven't seen them in the field directly behind us and we haven't checked the other fiends in a while. It will be fun to watch the fields grow. 

Speaking of growing, our chickens are getting so big! And are getting quite the personality. They must think it's hilarious to dump their food container over:) we thought we were going to loose one of the chicks, but it pulled through and is staying strong with the other ones! I can't wait for them to be able to run about the yard and then go into their coop at night.... Praying that will be an easy training transition for us all!!! 

1st day we picked them up 

1 week

2weeks 

Pretty soon they will be hopping out of this box!! Yikes!