art

this new school... i am not so sure about it, but the boys LOVE it for some odd reason i have yet to figure out.  and to be honest i have thought it to be a straight forward, do not think outside the box, uncreative place.  however, they have surprised me. 

luke's favorite new things.... art and spanish.  logan continues to create as he always has and luke is blossoming with new ideas and creativity i have never seen before.  hopefully i will be inspired.

a few pieces gracing our walls today.  i really need to get some frames... maybe my new obsession since the vitamix order has been placed?  

luke

luke

luke, map with the key

logan

logan

logan's license plate complete with a purple hill, cactus and sky

my buddy

fun at the fountain for landon and me.  i love these moments when its just him and i, he is such a joy to be around.  so full of adventure and imagination. when i called him my buddy he commented 'no mommy, kristi is my buddy'.  he keeps his buddy from around the world on his mind.

me

today at drop off i made my way into luke's classroom.  he usually prefers to walk himself in, but i decided to take a peek after bringing logan to his class.

immediately i was surrounded by cute little girls smiling and giggling with lily.  girls, so very different then boys.  then one little girl asked me why one of my eyes was smaller then the other.  it has been so long since i have even thought about my accident or how it has effected me physically.  i simply told her that i was a in a real bad car accident and that is how my eye is now.  she nodded and i told her the good thing is that it does not hurt.  satisfied she went on to play with lily and landon.  then all the other little girls began telling me stories of grandma's who had eyes like mine, of daddy's having eye surgery, etc. etc.

this morning has left me reflecting on my feelings.  oddly enough with all the pain and tears surrounding that time of my life, it is not one that i would change.  it made me who i am today, and i like me, a lot. sure i wish i had perfect eyes and a perfect smile.  sometimes i am a bit self conscious. but it is who i am.  everything happens for a reason.  i have learned so much and who knows how i would have been if my life events had been different.

shopping

shopping kind of weekend...hot outside, so when the hubby requests we go to the mall, he does not have to ask twice.
they had fun running around, i played with my iPhone but got no shopping done.  the pictures are blurry, but i had to catch them while they all stood next to one another.

our dear friend

our dear friend... we have had such fun playing with her.  today it was time to let her grace our yard again.  i know three little boys that will miss her company. 

{this moment}

{this moment}  a friday ritual. a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment i want to pause, savor and remember.

blessings

my cup is full again.  i thank god for answering my prayers.  late afternoon yesterday, lily's beautiful blue eyes started to shake back and forth, nystagmus.  i called the pediatrician and was up all night with worry.  today we took a trip to the pediatrician, then the eye doctor, there was talk of seeing a neurologist (oh my)!

spasmus nutans is her diagnosis.  it is rare, my pediatrician has only had one other case in over 25 years. even the eye doctor has only seen it on rare occasion. its cause is unknown and should go away with time.  not sure how much time, but supposedly, it goes away.

she has it, but we are blessed to know that it has a good prognosis.  i am not looking forward to her mri appointment, but we will get through that too.

thank you for answering my prayers.

9/11

9/11.  ten years already.  i am sure everyone remembers where they were that day when they heard the news.
 i was working at a non profit, whitman walker clinic, in arlington, virginia.  there were only a few of us in the office, i had just finished making a pot of coffee when i saw one of my co workers watching the tv and crying.  the first plane had hit.  at that point we thought it was some rare accident.  while we were watching the second plane hit...
i can't even describe how i felt, numb, in disbelief of what was happening.  the news, talk of more planes, then the sound of sirens as one went into the pentagon.
what a day it was.  the entire city was quiet.  all the hustle and bustle gone.  just silence and tears.
that year i ran the marine corps marathon around the pentagon, i am so glad it was that year.  so much emotion.
today, watching the memorial, luke asking a million questions.  its so hard to explain that there was an accident caused by bad people and lots were wounded and hurt.  someday, i will tell him and his siblings all about it.
still, hard to believe it was 10 years ago today.  i remember it like it was yesterday and always will.

disappointments

normally i am a glass is half full kind of gal, however, the past few days have been so disappointing.

great expectations at the boys school have left me feeling unfulfilled. just not at all what i had envisioned or expected from a place i have heard nothing but good.

family is on their way back across many seas, i am sad to see them go.  its always a joy to have the cousins, aunties, and uncles here.  in fact landon has started referring to his uncles as his other daddies.  they will be missed.

then there is the balance of everyday life.  i always envisioned raising my family together with my husband by my side.  and he is here, sort of, sometimes.  our usual life is one with him racing out of the house to catch a plane on sunday's then returning home while we are in bed sleeping on thursdays.  there is the benefit of him working from home on fridays, but he is working.  so family time is saturday's.  this lifestyle just throws our whole family rhythm for a loop.  the littles and i get ourselves in to a rhythm, everyone plays there part, then all of a sudden, daddy is back. they are upset with him for being gone and as soon as they are getting used to him being home, he is running out the door again.  disappointing.

sigh.  hope to feel better tomorrow.

girlie girls

the cousins!  oh how precious they are.  two peas in a pod.  we miss you little Eva.  can't wait for your return.

5 months have gone by

it is already here, she is 5 months today.  how much she has grown.  especially the past week.

she reaches out her hands to touch my face.

she does not like the car, will cry all the way home, then smile as we walk through the door.

she loves to be held by her brothers, still not realizing the danger of balls and cars flying around above her little head.

the boys are her protectors.  especially the two year old.  he will not hesitate to tell anyone that lily is  'my baby lily'.  he told me today that he loves his baby lily.

and she smiles and smiles.  the quiet lewis.  hardly makes a peep. not even a giggle... unless of course, we are in the car.  she tries to make sounds but all that comes is that big smile of hers.

nothing is sweeter

there is nothing like holding a sleeping babe.  so calming and sweet.  everything else can wait.  they are so precious.

i am so grateful that i was able to capture this very special moment.  lily and her auntie... a little koala in peaceful sleep.  oh, how i love them both.

children's museum

its been a long time since we have gone as a family.  lots of new things to see.

luke and logan's new favorite is the market place.  i think luke has a future in the super market business, he rocked it as the check out guy and was restocking the shelves faster then anyone else there.  what a surprise, i know.  and logan can do my shopping any day.  he was so selective, patiently waiting in line and loading up his cloth bag.

landon love, love, loved the cars.  everything cars.  racing them, riding them, stacking them.  cars, cars, cars.

we also had a fun time making and naming our own monsters.
luke's name:  nothing
logan's name: logan fish
landon's name: to be determined... but he did love the glue!

the last supper

Arte had no idea what they were getting themselves into... it was a great night. thank you grandma meyer!
and here we are...
great grandma meyer
papa and nana(nema)
8 aunties and uncles
7 grand children