Mid October

Stockton went through a months-long phase where he always wore glasses. So cute.
Also, notice his badge from preschool that still brings him joy!

Austin got me an exercise bike for my birthday...this lasted for approximately two minutes
haha but when I bike at night when the kids are asleep, it's very successful!

I should have taken a before picture....this is after getting rid of BAGS of
toys and costumes and books and stuffed animals that were nice but we no longer use or need.
I LOVEEEEEE getting rid of stuff! Nothing is safe in my house haha.

Natalie has been writing little notes on the calendar and they always make me laugh.
"No clud" haha instead of "club"

Austin whipped out Mario Kart and revolutionized the kids' lives. They love it!
(Also, that leg is Jack's haha, it looks like it should be Claire's in this position)

another bike attempt, this time holding Claire

I loved Natalie's determination to learn how to cross-stitch

THE PRECIOUS

this is what I walked into and I needed to document the chaos
(SO satisfying to look at this picture and know that half of this stuff has since been purged!)

that funny stage of babies rolling around so they're in one spot when you look away and
then all the way over there four seconds later

we can't get enough of this sweetie

yes, it took Natalie 38 minutes to finish
this course hahaha. she's since improved dramatically

A little pre-church racing. They LOVE when Austin plays with them

watching Stockton play a game on Austin's phone. They do this a lot: watch each other play. I think it's really cute and sweet that they usually don't get annoyed by the close contact.

came down to teach one morning
and Jack had left me this note...so sweet!
(the lil heart!)

this made me laugh SO hard (especially as a recovering packaholic)

on days off of school we sometimes pull the big mattress out into the living room. Natalie was mad the boys
weren't being more cozy haha.

I was trying to get a picture with all of the kids in it. This is where Stockton likes to sit at church, at the back of the overflow. (which technically isn't the chapel, which is how I made myself feel better about taking pictures)

A little photo shoot in the Mother's Room. (Austin's always like.....what do you do in there?!)

I don't remember what they were doing but I thought this was cute, Jack sitting on the table doing an activity with Makae.

Natalie "babysat" while I quickly printed something off the computer. I am so happy she
has a sister!

the classic Target run shot

Natalie was bored at Jack's swimming lesson so she took like 80 selfies haha.

Having a go in the "holes" for the first time! She did pretty well, but we went back to carseat for a while.

Claire LOVES her daddy. Loves loves loves. She was staring at him adoringly like this for like a full five minutes. "Da-da" was her first word, and she didn't even try to say anything else for weeks.

The time that the three of us have together in the afternoons is special. I will miss this when Jack goes to...KINDERGARTEN...in the fall. (WHAT! Kindergarten already!?!?) Jack loves Claire and she gets so excited when the bus pulls up because she loves to see her brother!

he brought his spiderman comforter and got her all cozy. it was so cute! They played
like this for a long time. 

Jack was mad at but intrigued by the squirrel eating his precious pumpkin

Stockton reading to Claire?! Are you kidding me? So so so cute. They share a special bond.

Jack likes to "surf" when we're in the school pickup linel

Jack must have circled 200 toys out of this Target catalog and then was full on screaming and crying that he wasn't going to get all of them for Christmas. It was completely out of character for him and we didn't really know how to react because it was so puzzling.

you're right, there is no way she could be cuter

here is a picture of the Christmas present
freakout....this was a good fifteen minutes
later, when we left to go pick up the kids

It's funny going through and "blitz blogging" like this....I am so happy that in reliving these memories and looking at these pictures I can remember the less fun times but I really only gravitate to the moments that are joyful, and there are so many! Sometimes the days are long and the kids are whiny or they won't go to bed or I just want to watch one of MY shows, not Pj  Masks for the 18th time, but I just feel so happy to be together as a family and I am so grateful that I get to parent these four delightful children with my perfect husband.