Lilacs and Dreams Come True in May

One of my favorite flowers bloom in May, and lilacs are one of the most heavenly scented flowers I know.  The girls and I were practically drinking in their scents in my neighbors yard.

 

Let me just say that with all of those lilacs in bloom, it was just one more reason why getting. school. done. for. the. end. of. the. year. was. even. more. brutal.  Here the girls are below showcasing some of their art projects from their art class.

 Violet loves playing dress up, and in the photos below can be seen as a bride, a ballerina, Elsa, and a spinning ballerina.  Lucy and Emma's dance teacher had an extra ballet costume from a younger class, and sweetly gave it to Violet.  This generous gift made Violet so happy, and so proud.  She even has me put her hair up in a real ballerina bun each time she tries on the tutu.  Also pictured below is a family movie night, complete with a picnic dinner and Charlie watching from the porch, as well as the three oldest girls snuggled under a cozy, weighted blanket that a family friend made for us.

If Charlie could talk, he would probably say that he misses us.  Between my cat allergy and caring for Opal, Charlie is lacking my affection.  He really is a sweetheart, even if he terrorizes and then eats the neighborhood wildlife, and harasses and eats any of our food that has been left unattended.  I'm not sure if it is because he spent the beginning of his life as a starving feral orphan cat or if he just loves to eat, but either way, he can never get enough food.  Below is the view out of my office window one evening.  I knew from past experience that when I went outside to investigate that I would find Charlie under that window.  Sure enough, there he was with his tail swatting back and forth menacingly when I scooped him up and locked him in the garage until the chipmunk had time to escape.  That chipmunk lived another day, but I told it in no uncertain terms that there was no future for him in my yard and to take his family and run for the hills.

 Our little suburban farm is just getting started for the season this past month with asparagus almost every night for dinner.  We planted our garden for the season with tomatoes, beans, lettuce, peppers, cucumbers and melon.  Our bees are doing great, and Will even upgraded my wildflower garden with sunflower seeds and poppies.  He weeded, and found lots of wildflowers from the previous years already sprouting up.  The bottom, left hand pictures below show the girls waiting patiently for us at the bee property north of us while Will and I checked on our bees.  The property there is just so gorgeous, and it is like a mini trip up north for me every time we go.

Lucy found several toads in our garden this past month, and as a sign of her growing up, enjoyed them for a few minutes and then let them go.  This is a big change from summers past when she wanted to keep them for months and the became almost skin and bones on the diet of ants that she fed them.  The below photos in clockwise order from top left: Lucy with a toad, the girls' dolls with acne cream on them in the sun to eliminate pen that someone scribbled on them (this was a Pinterest suggestion, and it actually worked - sun plus acne cream - who knew!?), enjoying Popsicles outside for the first time this season, the first sprinkler play of the year, the first water table fun, a fairy ring Emma and Violet made, Lucy with a bouquet of flowers from the yard and Will holding up the tallest dandelion from our yard.

We planted flowers at the cemetery for Luke, Will's grandpa and my grandparents on Memorial Day...

...and then went to Will's parents house for the afternoon.  It was too hot outside for Violet that afternoon, so Grandma and Grandpa T. had birdhouses for the girls to paint indoors.  They had a great time, and all three birdhouses are already occupied!

The below photos in clockwise order from top left: Opening Day at the Farmer's Market and Opal's first visit, picking out our flowers and veggie plants for the garden at a local greenhouse, the girls and I all trying on outfits at a clothing store (don't be deceived by the cuteness - it is utter chaos shopping with all of them and Will was waiting impatiently with Opal on the other side of the door - but despite this, I am in awe of my luck of having four girls to have this experience with!), and finally, Violet got to shop with the gift card to the Lego Store from her God father for her birthday, and she told Will, "I know what my gift card says - Happy Birth Mark!"

 Violet turned four at the beginning of this month, and handled her day with both grace and serene happiness.  She was so patient watching Emma and then Lucy enjoy their birthdays that I think she could hardly believe that it was finally her turn!  Her big sisters spoiled her with all of her favorite things - Barbies and My Little Ponies, and my favorite picture is of her laughing when she opened the gift she had bought, wrapped and given to herself!  Easter Peeps that she found on clearance and knew that she would enjoy for her birthday!  Will and I got her some new Frozen dress up outfits, Legos, a Disney Princess puzzle, her own ride-on bouncey ball, and a ballerina book complete with music.

Lucy and Emma convinced Violet to go to the local craft store to spend the gift cards they had all gotten from my parents for their birthday, and so they spent the afternoon making the pillows they had bought with their money.

 Violet even found violets growing in the sidewalk on the walk we took on her birthday!  Here she is below as we sing happy birthday to her.   I can't believe how much she has grown!

My birthday was at the end of the month, and because it was the day after Memorial Day this year, Will could not take the day off.  The girls spoiled me though from the moment they woke up - starting with a bouquet of lilacs Lucy has picked the night before, and then presents from each of them.  Opal gave me a great gift by actually taking two really good naps, and because of that, I was able to play with the girls new Lego sets from their birthdays and Emma and Violet even had saved pieces for me to be able to actually build them.  I thought that was so sweet and thoughtful!

We ended up going to the library where Emma begrudgingly helped load up all of my books - but only because it is your birthday mom!  We picked up lunch from our favorite sandwich place on the way home, and even scored a free chocolate chip cookie because there was a slight delay with our order!  Bonus!

 Will surprised me with two lilac bushes of my very own when he got home from work, as well as a blueberry pie that I asked him to pick up from a local pie factory right by his school.  It was a happy day for me, despite sleep deprivation as Opal was up most of the night before, but I truly could not ask for anything more.   It occurred to me on my 37th birthday that I have come pretty far on discovering who I really am, and leading a life true to myself.  And although I never dreamed of my current reality when I was younger, I am so happy to be where I am right now with the dreams that started when I fell in love with Will almost twenty years ago now.  Four earthly children and an angel son, our dream house, and a purpose that I feel passionate about - raising my girls and saving the bees with Will by my side.  Yes, 37 is looking good!

Opal's Third Month

Opal brings us so much joy!  She is so loved by Will and I...

...and so adored by her sisters too!  To hear each sister "baby talk" to Opal just melts my heart and reminds me that despite the challenges of raising four earthly kids, we are doing something right.

Just like when Lucy, Emma and Violet were born, we took Opal to the cemetery to visit Luke's grave.  Below is the traditional photo we take of the siblings baby feet lined up next to the ones we have of Luke's engraved on the headstone.  It is the closest I can get to having all five of my children together on earth.  One of the favorite things I have heard my girls "baby talk" to Opal is, "Did you see Luke in heaven before you came to earth Opal?  Did you give Luke hugs and kisses before you came to us?"  Oh, my heart.

There have been several times this past month where Opal has had inconsolable crying.  For over an hour, absolutely nothing I can do will make her calm, and I can tell that it is a cry of pain.  The pediatrician said that it is probably trapped gas and gave us tips to help alleviate it.  I do believe she is right, but it is so heart breaking to have your baby scream for that long in pain without being able to help her feel better.  During one memorable scream-fest, the older sisters seemed oblivious at first, as Opal cries throughout the day for various things.  But as the screaming went on, each big sister ended up coming to my side and helped me figure out how to soothe Opal.  Their sweet "baby talk" and ideas eventually did the trick and Opal fell asleep exhausted in my arms.  Here she is below, after Lucy suggested getting her undressed, and wrapping her in Lucy's favorite silk blanket from when Lucy was a baby.  

Opal sleeps just like her sisters did at this age, which isn't great, but I suppose that it would be tough not to pick Opal as our favorite if she slept better.  This way, at least I can say I love all of my babies equally!  Opal is slowly coming to accept her bath, but she still isn't crazy about it.  Again, same as her sisters at this age!  Here Opal is below, looking especially cute in outfits that were of course picked out by her sisters.

I found a set of gorgeous, pink shabby chic frames for Opal's bedroom and finally figured out how to be fair in the photos I chose for the three-picture frame when I have four daughters.  I ended up putting a photo of each sister holding Opal! 

This past month Opal is still more interested in people than she is in toys.  Below is her first attempt at "playing" with a toy.  She did enjoy chewing on the corner of this one that a friend made for her!

We ended Opal's third month by celebrating a double baptism with her cousin Hayden.  It was such a wonderful day, and I just couldn't stop smiling!  Who knew that my brother Joe and I would have baby girls just months apart, and then be able to be the God parents for each other!  Seven years prior to this, my brother Mike and I also had baby girls only three months apart, and although we didn't coordinate a double baptism on the same day for our daughters, we did become God parents for each other's baby girls.

In the photos below, the God fathers, the God mothers, and the God sisters.

It was a lovely day, filled with family and great memories.

 Opal Marie, you are very loved!

April Gems

The first day of April was Easter this year, and also the first holiday for us in this holiday filled month.  Last Easter we had no idea how much could change in a year!

I love the holiday services at our church, and this Easter was even better, with Opal in our arms.  Our lovely church was so sweet in welcoming Opal, and I had three different women tell me with tears in their eyes that they raised four girls too.  I know I will be one of those women someday, looking through misty eyes of a younger version of me.  What a privilege to share this bond with otherwise strangers but once this detail is known, strangers never more!  Below is our first family photo at our church, Charlie showing the girls how many eggs the Easter bunny left each girl in the yard, and our four girls, ready for their annual Easter egg hunt after church.

Charlie had fun chasing the girls while the girls hunted for their eggs.  I swear he even gave away some hiding spots!

April Fool's Day was on Easter this year, and because Will wasn't at work, we had to deal with his shenanigans.  Yes, he hot glued each googley eye on every container in our kitchen, including inside of our fridge.  I'm grateful that most years he is at work for this holiday and his coworkers can enjoy his creativity.

The next holiday at our house was Emma's 7th birthday!  Emma asked for a diary this year complete with a lock and key.  She was happy to receive it, along with Legos, a jigsaw puzzle, an LOL that turns colors submerged in water from her sisters, some books, and Lucy even passed on to Emma the statue that my friend gave Lucy from her childhood - of a girl, holding a cat, with the number seven on her dress.  Ironically, I had that same figurine when I was seven, but donated it long before I knew I would one day have four daughters!

The girls love the magnetic chalkboard in our dining room that I use for school, and I promised them that they could decorate it on their birthdays but every other day of the year it was mine to use.  Here Emma is below in the bottom, left hand picture, decorating with chalk markers to her heart's content.  Emma picked brownies with cream cheese frosting and strawberries for her birthday dessert and enjoyed helping make them in the kitchen, without having to share the baking with her sisters.

Our final holiday of the month was Lucy's 9th birthday.  Here Lucy is below, showing off some of her gifts which included the musical Hello, Dolly! (one of her favorites), the Lego set she was hoping for, books, and a jigsaw puzzle too.

Lucy was happy to erase Emma's artwork on the revered chalkboard and fill it with her creations.  She requested a chocolate bumpy cake for her birthday.

 We spent time with family this past month and in the pictures below in clockwise order from the top left: the girls and Grandma T playing shuffleboard against Grandpa T, Grandma Hines and Lucy holding Lucy's scarf over Violet on a hike that got hotter than we had planned for, cousins putting on a show for us, and the girls posing before birthday cake with Grandma and Grandpa T and proudly displaying the umbrellas they got from them for their birthdays.

 We spent time with friends...

...and still found time to continue with our schoolwork.  Keeping the girls on track so that we can end the school year on time is getting harder and harder to do.  What with all of these holidays and the weather getting nicer outside, the girls are easily distracted and not too motivated.  The photos in clockwise order from the top left below: Violet showing off her number cards that she put in order with a little help from her sisters, our haul from a regular visit to the library, Emma on her balance board doing math flash cards, our return stack for the library, Violet doing the last page in her preschool cutting book - she has come so far in one year with her scissor skills, Emma and Lucy showing me their art from their weekly drawing class, and finally in the center photo, the girls at their end of the year Catechism party where we did volunteer projects for various organizations.  Their favorite is pictured, making beaded bracelets for kids in need.

Will does a great job of involving the girls in the kitchen, and is more laid back about the dangers of knives and stoves.  No one has gotten hurt on his watch either, and the kids just love cooking with him.  I admit that this is not my gift - it stresses me out to have more than one kid helping me at a time, as their fighting over whose turn it is to do what wears on me, and our compact kitchen feels too crowded as well for my liking.  Will on the other hand just goes with the flow and because of this talent, the girls have learned how to make macaroni and cheese, tacos, sloppy joes, breakfast sausage and scrambled eggs.  In the pictures below in clockwise order: chicken empanadas made in bulk and ready for the freezer for some fast work lunches for Will, Will wearing a chef hat from one of Lucy's old Halloween costumes while having fun with the girls and cooking a delicious meal, beignets from a mix our neighbor brought back from New Orleans, and finally, a carrot that Will and Violet found in our garden as they were prepping it for the new growing season.

The girls love playing with the play silks a friend of mine made for us years ago, and it is one of the top ten things in our house that they play with.  Lately, it is scenery and wardrobe for the shows that they put on for us.

More indoor play is featured in the below pictures in clockwise order from top left: Violet who gave me a start when I thought that her baby doll was Opal, me reading bedtime stories with the girls, Violet explaining the story of the Three Little Pigs to me after she colored and built a story kit about them, Violet being a goof and tying herself to her chair with a sweater that was hanging over the back of it, and Emma soaking her feet to ward off the start of a springtime cold.

The start of April was unseasonably cold but the snow did melt and underneath it we found a pair of frozen solid mittens that the girls had lost earlier in the year.  The top, left hand picture below is Will coming in with the mittens, announcing to the girls, "Guess what I found!"  Keep in mind, they were still frozen stiff and flat, which gives a good indicator as to the spring we have had.  We did enjoy Opal's first walks this past month though, and the girls also enjoyed playing "restaurant" under the shrubs in our yard and also playing in general without the bulk of winter coats to weigh them down.

Towards the end of this month it was finally warm enough to eat outside, and even go for a bike ride or two.  Will installed a tree swing that the girls have really enjoyed riding, and in the bottom left hand picture below is a headstone we discovered in our neighborhood cemetery that appears to have sunken into the ground.  Talk about creepy!

While I was pregnant with Opal, I developed an allergy to my honey.  This is probably the worst thing I could ever become allergic to and after having allergy testing done, the blood test revealed that I am allergic to honey bee venom.  My raw honey has honey bee venom in it, and hence why I was unable to eat it.  I am hoping to not be allergic, now that I am not pregnant, but until I can be retested this summer, Will is handling the bees for me.  He knows how sad I am about this, and so is trying to be as sweet as possible about it.  The photos below in clockwise order from top left: Will, texting me a photo of him installing the bees at our friend's property north of us, Will installing the bees at our house, Will helping to package up our online yard sign orders, more online orders being packaged up, and finally, the bees with the sunset behind them.  Oh, so beautiful, and I can't even tell you how happy it made me to get the texts from Will of his happy face with my bees that he set up in the background.  I couldn't ask for any more, except to pass my allergy test this summer!  In the meantime, I am a lucky gal to have Will bee a keeper too.

 Our crocus were still in bloom in April...

 ...followed by the daffodils, dandelions, violets and tulips.  Everything bloomed late this year, but we were still able to find Emma's flower, daffodils, that bloomed the day she was born, Lucy's flower, tulips, that bloomed the day she was born, and Violet's flower, violets, which of course bloomed the day she was born.  Our front lawn was covered in violets at the end of this month and Violet was practically rolling around in them.  She proudly told me, "It's like the whole world is my name!"

These days, my life is full of busy times with lots of demands on me and seemingly like not enough of me to go around.  There are gems of moments sprinkled in however, that keep me going, that keep a smile on my face, that remind me that this hard-work chapter of my life is so worth it, and that there is no where else I would rather be - or anyone else I would rather be with for that matter.  Most of the photos on this blog are snapped during the "gem" moments and I hope that I remember the harder moments as time goes on too, so that the golden haze of memory is realistic.  However, who wants to pause and take a photo of the tough times?  I usually remember during the best times - and below is no exception.

I took this picture to remember the feeling of overwhelming pride and gratitude as I enjoyed a beautiful spring walk with my four beautiful girls.  Why life demands a price for such happiness, paid in sleep-deprivation, not enough of me to go around, cold meals and Opal's screams on car rides is a question I still ponder.  But, I think the more appropriate question is why must gratitude, which leads to happiness, only be truly appreciated when experienced through challenges?  This is a special time in my life right now, with such extremes between trials and joy, that my hope is to be fully present for it so that I may remember this time, filled with both tough times and gems, combined together to create one very grateful, and easily made happy (think hot shower, hot meal, hot tea, a quiet moment with all of my children content) woman.

Opal's Second Month

At two months old, Opal is an integral part of our family.  She is smiling and cooing now, and when she looks into my eyes and smiles I swear her soul is shining directly into mine.  When Lucy was a newborn, I cried with every gained milestone, wishing she could stay my baby forever.  As sentimental as I still am, at least now I have the experience of what is to come, and that it just keeps getting better.  I love that Opal can smile and "talk" now.

Opal has an opinion of her own, just like her sisters.  I would be concerned at this point if she did not - I mean, how would she manage with three older sisters if she had no opinion of her own?  Her current opinions - baths are a terrible waste of time and doctor appointments aren't that great either.

She seems to enjoy walks and really prefers to sleep in her Rock and Play bassinet if she can't first sleep in her mom or dad's arms.  Some days she sleeps better than others, but it seems like lately, she goes for several day stretches where I can't even set her down for a nap.  In the bottom, right hand picture below, I am having a rare moment with hot tea and a sleeping baby that isn't in my arms.

 A friend of mine reminded me of the convenience of soft baby carriers for when I still need to get stuff done and Opal prefers to nap while held.  I don't know why I forgot about that, but am happy to say that it seems to be the perfect compromise for Opal and her mama.

Opal loves her daddy, and takes great naps snuggled on him.  And, just like her sisters, she already has Will pegged for the funny guy, and will stick out her belly and smile so big whenever she spots her dad.  

The sisters are still infatuated with their baby sister, and we are still discussing what the opposite of help entails.  Fighting over helping me with Opal is in fact, the opposite of help.  Lucy has been granted the responsibility of being able to hold Opal while walking around, and has even gotten Opal to sleep for me several times.  I think Opal may even regard Lucy as her second mommy, which fills Lucy with such pride.

Opal met her Uncle Tim and Uncle Chris on Easter, and even sprinkled her Uncle Tim with infant urine.  When he was holding her she also pooped crazy amounts, and we kept reassuring Tim that her poopy diaper wouldn't leak on him as he kept mentioning he felt "damp".  Sure enough, after he handed Opal back to me, he needed a shirt change.  This is the stuff family legends are made of.

 In the top, left two pictures below, Opal is sleeping through Easter in a vintage bouncer from when her daddy and Uncle Tim were babies, and also in a lamb dress that we bought after Luke told me in a dream we would have a healthy baby girl named Lucy.  It's been such a gift to see all four "healthy baby girls" wear it.

 Oh Opal, you look so much like your sisters, and despite our exhaustion, we are glad that you have opinions of your own - you will need them to hold your own as the youngest of four girls!

March Left Us a Little Lamb!

For us, March did not come in like a lion.  Since I had cleared my calendar of obligations for a couple of weeks leading up to Opal's birth, the first part of March was quiet and cozy with my girls and Will. We still had winter temperatures and snow, and that helped us feel extra cozy in our hibernation.  And, just as Opal's birth ended our hibernation, so too did the weather, which finally warmed up enough to allow for a few meals outside and sightings of the first spring violets in our yard.

I love the above picture of my four girls and Charlie.  Will was working late that evening, and eating outside became a party - no plates needed, and I was basking in the fact that I had all of my girls with me.  We had found a way to thrive, despite pizza boxes for plates and Opal not allowing me to set her down.  I am happy to say that several pizza box meals were had this past month, and in each scenario, Will was working late and either my friend or a delivery guy brought them and we enjoyed our pizza parties thoroughly.

The girls have played so well together this past month when they weren't fighting over whose turn it was to hold Opal.  Truly though, they have played together so well that my mama heart couldn't ask for more happiness than that.  In clockwise order from top left below: playing with their magnetic doll dress up set, putting on a dance show while jamming to Pandora, playing Barbies, and playing Legos.

After Opal was born the girls enjoyed lots of crafts given by friends and family, and Will even tried a craft of his own - super gluing a Barbie head back on one of Violet's broken Barbies.

Back in September, I had planned into our homeschool year an extra week or two off for when Opal arrived.  It really worked out great, and during the two weeks off as we all adjusted to Opal, the girls read lots of library books from the giant stack I had conveniently gotten less than 24 hours before Opal was born, did flash cards with my parents, practiced the piano and enjoyed cooking and baking projects.

Lots of games were played with both sets of Grandmas and Grandpas, stories were read with visiting aunts, and fun was had with visiting cousins...

...and visiting friends.

Memories were made in the below photos in clockwise order from top left: the girls and Grandpa T. making a snowman, the girls ready to eat some adorable Easter cookies from our aunt, the finished snowman with Grandpa T. and the girls, Violet ready to blow out a candle for Barbie's birthday, Violet holding a "blue haired doll" that she requested from her God mother as a big sister gift (and my cousin actually found), and finally, the girls celebrating Barbie's birthday with Grandma T.

It was so nice to have the flexibility of taking those two weeks off so that the big sisters could also be a part of our transition into our new life with Opal.  Violet had the most adjusting to do, and my mama heart ached for her and I both, as we learned how to be with each other in our new normal.  I had almost four years with Violet as my baby, and although Violet has nothing but love for her baby sister and her mama, she still had struggles with regression and melt downs.  Violet proudly tells people though that she is the reason "Opal got borned" because my water broke when I was fixing Violet's covers.  She also likes to tell us at times that she was the last baby I had before Opal, as if she is still adjusting to the idea of it all.  I am missing the free arms I once had to hug and snuggle Violet whenever she needed it, and also adjusting to just how big and independent Violet is becoming, especially when compared to her newborn sister.  In the top, left hand picture below, as well as the center picture below, Violet and I had some special time in her play tent reading stories on the first full day I was back home after having Opal.  I was so sleep deprived and in desperate need of a nap, but both Violet and I needed that time together in the quiet space of her little tent while Opal slept and I don't regret that missed nap for anything.

All of the big sisters have grown so much this past month.  Their anticipation of my needs, and ability to soothe Opal so I can finish my dinner or a shower before tending to her have really made me so proud of them.  I mean, they fight over who gets to help me (which really isn't as great as it sounds)!  Hence my well-used phrase of "don't be the opposite of help!"  In the next several weeks all three big sisters will be turning a year older, and I wish I could just slow down time.  As my hormones level out and real life continues to exhaust me and amaze me at the same time, my girls continue to grow.  Here Emma is below, sporting more lost teeth - two to be exact this past month.  Emma is still not a fan of losing teeth.

Oh, the hormones must be playing on my sentiments as looking at Emma's adorable toothless grin only magnifies the thoughts of how fleeting this time period really is.  Time to bring it back to real life with a home improvement project that was supposed to be finished before Opal arrived, but in true home improvement style, my house was a mess as things never go as smoothly as planned, and Opal arrived before it was finished.  Either way, the dresser install in the girls closet is now complete, and it has made a huge difference in the space and organization of their room!  Please note that I specifically had twelve dresser drawers designed into the dresser, just in case Opal joins them in their room one day - dresser drawers that can easily be divisible by three or four, as the size and number of our bedrooms are definitely not so easily divisible!  Maybe one day we will have all four girls bunked in one room, and we can turn the smaller room which is currently the nursery, into their play or study room.

The month of March will forever go down into our family history books as the month that Opal joined us earth side and I will say from here on out that March left us with a little lamb!