January Picture Post

Here are all the other pictures that Sean and I took in January.

I decided at the beginning of the year that 

I wanted to try to take a family picture every week before church.

We are picture perfect and not everyone is even smiling or looking at the camera.

But it just makes me happy to have pictures taken of us all together.

At the beginning of the year, I decided that I wanted to organize our pantry.

I bought these contains at Target.

I love the color and the organization!

We celebrated Lexi's Half Birthday on January 6th.

She got more Land of Stories books.

I continued to take pictures of Ruby before she went to preschool.

She just expects me to now and I'm not going to stop taking pictures of her any chance I can get.

Lexi and her friend Brylee made these cupcakes together and then went around delivering them.

Sean made Eli's day by taking him to get a soft pretzel one time they were shopping at Walmart.

This boy's love language is food. Especially if it's food from a restaurant!

Ty was miserable at the begining of January because he had strep.

So we spent lots of time together. And I'll take all the cuddles I can get, even if they're sick cuddles.

Avery was under the weather too at the beginning of the month. Darn strep.

Lexi stayed home one day from school due to sickness.

Here she is watching YouTube videos of bunnies with Ty.

Sean and Lexi were trying to decide who wore Lexi's cloak best.

Here's Ty playing in the waiting room of my podiatrist's office 

while we waited for one of my check ups.

Lexi lost Battleship to Sean and he wanted to document it.

Ty just went over to Eli and sat on his head. Eli thought it was so funny.

Ty just went and stood on Ruby's lap in this next picture.

Ty is starting to like to color.

Ty also really likes Play Dough. 

Ty loves stacking blocks.

We've been trying to do the new Come Follow Me home church study program.

We now meet at 9:00 am. And two hour church is amazing! We get home just after 11:00.

Then we eat lunch and when Ty goes down for a nap, we do quiet time.

All the other kids have to go play in their rooms.

I either nap or get the Come Follow Me lesson for the week figured out.

If I'm on my game, I'll print out some sort of coloring or activity sheet 

to go with what we're studying that week.

We had the Greenwoods come over one week for Family Home Evening.

We studied the Come Follow Me lesson for the week together.

I was impressed by our girls knowledge.

Then we had ice cream and played games.

It's always a fun night when our best friends come over!

Eli loves playing games. One of his favorites is Memory.

One day after church Avery and I both took off our skirts and realized that we were practically wearing the same outfit. We had both worn a black shirt and black leggings under our skirts.

Lexi was very excited about this fancy chicken patty that she had made herself.

Ruby loves laying on the heating vents in the morning.

I love seeing what imaginary games Ruby comes up with for her dolls and stuffed animals.

Lexi was very excited to dress up Ty one day.

He wasn't as excited about he was a good sport.

Ty loves the chairs that we got for Christmas.

He probably uses them more than any other kid.

He and Ruby loved to sit in the chairs together and watch TV.

The older three kids all earned gift certificates to Arby's.

So we went there one afternoon.

I took a few pictures while we were there. Doesn't Ty make the best scowl?

While we were at Arby's I started to feel tired and achy. But that night I was full on sick.

The next morning I was worried that I had come down with strep.

Even though everyone in my family who had had strep had already finished their antibiotics.

My strep test came back negative 

but the doctor said that part of the inside of my mouth looked like strep. 

He said I could have the flu but that that wouldn't probably cause my throat to look like that.

So he wasn't sure which one I had, strep or the flu.

So he gave me a prescription for both. Luckily I started feeling better after a few days.

So I think I had strep.

I bought Sean a huge flower and plant book as a thank you present for taking care of me after surgery.

We are both so excited for spring and to work in our yard again.

We are even more excited after discovering a new YouTube channel, Garden Answers.

And after discovering a new show on Netflix, Big Dreams Small Spaces.

The show takes place in England with Monty Don, who is Britain's favorite gardener.

He's now our favorite gardener too.

Here's Sean and Lexi doing math homework. KenKen puzzles.

Eli's behavior has been getting worse the last few months.

We think it's due to being stuck inside more in the winter in general but also because of my surgery.

We have stayed home a lot lately and it's taking it's toll on Eli.

So we made him an indoor sand box with kinetic sand.

Digging in the sandbox and dirt is his favorite thing in the world.

Ty loves playing with his food and his trucks.

And I'm so much more laid back now that I have five kids, so sometimes I just let him play.

Here's proof that he doesn't always playing with his food.

I made a goal at the beginning of the year to start listening to audio books.

So I downloaded the Overdrive app. A lady that I follow on Instagram recommended the book,

"The Little Book of Hygge Danish Secrets to Happy Living."

I listened to the book and found it really interesting.

Hygge, pronounce Hoo-ga, is a feeling of coziness and togetherness.

Something that is very Hygge is candles. The Danes LOVE candles.

So found our collection of random candles lit them one night at dinner.

It wasn't fancy but it was fun.

Sean and I took the girls outside to see the eclipse.

I finally got around to organizing my jewelry. I go that little tree earring stand for Christmas.

And I got these curtain rods and hooks for Christmas too.

Sean put them on the wall and I started hanging up my necklaces and bracelets.

I found so much jewelry that I had completely forgotten about.

For now the girl's jewelry is hanging up here too. I need to hang one of these in their bedroom.

Sean took these pictures on his drive home from work.

I love it when we have a sunny clear day after a snow storm.

We had Madi and Marlie Greenwood over one afternoon.

These girls love to play imaginary wizard games together.

Ty was particularly energetic and excited one morning when he woke up.

Ty loves his "bike."

I wanted to cut Ty's hair before my surgery but it just didn't happen.

And then I just kept putting it off because I just didn't want to do it.

This was his third time getting his hair cut and it was the worst experience we've had yet!

He screamed the instant that I turned the clippers on and he kept covering his hair.

Ruby had to hold down his hairs and I had to hold his head still and just cut as quick as I could.
He was so mad.

But he cheered up when he got to take a bath. And he instantly looked so much older.

I decided to try on the dress I wore to Sean's senior prom.
I couldn't zip it up all the way in the back otherwise it fit!
(I haven't blogged much about my health and weight loss journey yet. But I will.)

And I was finally able to squeeze into this pair of skinny jeans that a friend gave me.

I love seeing Sean and Ty together. Nothing is sweeter than a dad and his baby.

Ruby had a field trip last month. Her class went to the grocery store Macey's.

Look how well Ruby is listening to the instructions.

The kids got to go inside the fridge. Here's Ruby looking at me through the milk cartons.



After the tour, the kids got ice cream cones and cookies.
Here's Ruby with her best friend Paige.

And here' Ty with Paige's little brother Jack.

Eli had his friends Talon and Camdon over to play one day.
Talon is in blue and is 3 months older than Eli.
Camdon is in gray and is 3 weeks older than Eli.
Eli is a giant!

The boys snacked and watched Home Alone 2 together before decided to spy on the girls.

Here's Lexi and her friend Brylee.

We had the Greenwoods over another night.
Ty instantly went up to David and wanted him to hold him.
It was so unexpected and the sweetest thing.

Here's Lexi and her friends Brylee, Carrie and Charlize at Carrie's birthday party.

While they were together, Carrie's mom texted and said that the girls will all in Carrie's room making friendship necklaces and singing "A Child's Prayer" together. They have the sweetest friendship!