My helper

Mariana loves crafts and anything involving working with your hands. She is a sweet helper on little projects around the house like this little shelf we put together to keep the school books from being a big pile on the desk. She even put the shelves in place and moved all the books onto them once she was done playing!

Sisterly love

Yesterday, Mariana fell on her scooter and got some doozies on her ankle right as we were returning from a park trip and picnic to get the little ones down for nap. I tended her wounds and then took off for nap duty, leaving a sullen girl on the couch. When I returned, this is what I found. Sweet Allia was consoling Mariana by reading her book after book. I love to see my children love each other!

Bun buddies

Mariana and Gloria both wanted buns in their hair and their matching dolls' hair yesterday.

Little beauty

My dad sent me this photo of Mariana from the wedding. What a sweet girl.

Sleeping boy and reading girls

Stephen is so exhausted on Sunday mornings by the time we get home from mass (likes to nap at 9am, mass starts at 8:30, so we get home around 10). Here he is sleeping away yesterday in his dress up clothes. SO sweet.


Here are my two "readers"...Gloria is reminding me of Allia these days, taking several books in her bed at nap time and looking at them until she falls asleep. I think she loves books almost as much as her big sister!

Silly and sweet

Austin helped Allia wear these fake hands from Lito


Reading time with Manah

A boy and his bear

Stephen loves this brown bear and carries it around frequently. He calls it "Boe" or sometimes "Boe-boe."

A Valentine

Yesterday, the children received a package from Pawpaw and Manah full of little Valentine treats. They enjoyed them, including Stephen. He was so proud to have his own item in the package, and especially enjoyed the eating it part! The girls had fun delivering their homemade Valentines to all their friends with Daddy while I was at a Dr. appointment.

The trio

Watching a video together for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (a place Austin and I visited together many years ago!)


Showing off their new Valentine's Day shoes from Lita...except Allia. She is wearing a pouty face because she didn't have hers on. :)


Stephen got some cute little light up tennis shoes too, which he loves. He finds them and brings them to me with an "uh?" which means, "Could you put these on me immediately?" followed by crying if I resist!

Calling Sisters

Stephen has now been saying Allia "Ahh-eee-yah" for about a week now. Allia is so proud and even told me she was so glad I named her that because it is easy for Stephen to say. He now calls all three girls by her name but mostly uses it for Allia herself. So cute!!!

Making Valentines

What do you do on a cold rainy/icy day in February while stuck in the house? Make Valentines of course.

Pumping

Gloria learned to pump herself! (She uses the ground a little but it counts in my book!)

Saying Jesus

Stephen has started saying Jesus this past week, particularly when he sees a cross or image of Him. It sounds more like "Dee-sah", but it is Sooooo sweet. I remember when each of the girls learned to say His name. Just precious.

Baby Shower

We had a baby shower yesterday for our sweet friends Paul and Crystal who are expecting a baby girl in about two months.



Fun times!

Snow Day!

Wohoo...Daddy even got the day off work! YAY!

They were so excited to look out the window this morning












The snow was too dry for a snowman, so we made a snowlady who actually lasted all the way until Sunday morning!






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Boys will be boys

Stephen was walking around with this pop gun facing the wrong direction (at himself) and making this funny "shooting" noise with his mouth. So Daddy decided to show him how to do it. His first hunting lesson...

A celebration

of Stephen's first time to climb all the way up the ladder into Allia's bed all by himself. Yep. I am really excited about that one. ;)

Some outdoor fun

We tried to take advantage of the awesome spring-like weather yesterday before a big cold front and spent most of the day outside.
Here are the children with some neighbors making a church. However, they quickly realized that they had different ideas of what that should look like (being from different faith backgrounds!) and decided to have a "Council" instead!


Here they are being spectators as some older neighbors played a game of driveway basketball