Finding joy in the everyday
Eek! My sister is having a boy! My boys are very excited about this. 🙂
This little bit was hard to capture. She wanted nothing to do with standing still or smiling for the camera. Lots of action shots!
Isn’t she a pretty mama?
Sofia turned 5 in March! I did a little family/maternity/5 year session with them one evening….these are my favorites of Sofia.
The second day in Castroville was pretty much just spent exploring and being with the cousins. I love the freedom they have when they are here to be truly wild and free.
I couldn’t stop capturing the spring beauty that was just exploding while we were there. I took so many photos but these are a few favorites.
Lucas and Sofia loved visiting the horses. These two don’t always get along so well but it was great to see them buddying up and hanging out more.
And of couse this cutie and her mama in the garden.
March was a busy month for us. It seemed really long but ended quickly. It’s a fun month of birthdays and Spring Break so we stayed busy but managed to squeeze in our annual trip to see the poppys. It was the last weekend of March and they were still impressive. It’s always a highlight to our spring to these beauties and spend time with family.
William was very excited about being 7. I keep trying to tell him that he’s not allowed to grow any older but I think it’s getting old. I miss my baby days sometimes but watching this kid grow, learn and become his own person is a wonderful experience as well.
His last night as a 6 year old.
I try to have some kind of decoration to greet them when they wake up. We’ve done streamers on the door, piles of balloons in their room or right outside the door. This year I went with a big 7 on the wall.
Breakfast and a present to start the day. A LEGO kit of course.
My mom meeting fell on his birthday so we picked up donuts to share with his study hall friends, forgot to get a photo of that but all the kids enjoyed celebrating with him.
This big kid can make scrambled eggs all by himself these days!
He chose one of his favorites, The Salt Lick for dinner. We were all pretty happy with his choice.
Since we were having his birthday cake on Sunday for his party, I stopped at a local bakery for a few cupcakes so we could celebrate after dinner. We couldn’t light all the candles with the wind but he managed to beat the wind to two of them.
Then we surprised him with his first movie theater experience to see the second LEGO movie. James said this was his face pretty much the whole time but he loved it.
William, I hope you always know how much I love you. It seems like these 7 years have gone by much too quickly and I wish I could slow down time to savor each and every second. You are becoming such an awesome kid. I love your imagination, creativity, eagerness to learn (in your own style), your observations of the world and inquisitiveness. Never loose your curiosity. I pray for you everyday that you would use your gifts to glorify the Lord. I am your biggest fan. ~Mom
Current favorites: LEGOs, Puppy Dog, bike rides, walks, the park, art, Co-Op days, reading books, iPad time
Food: Oatmeal, pretzels, chips, mac n’cheese with tuna, Italian Wedding Soup, cinnamon applesauce, pizza, cheeseburgers, seaweed, waffles, pancakes, cupcakes, donuts
What do you want to do when you grow up? Be the first rock star on Mars
On March 1 we joined some homeschool friends in Stonewall near Johnson City to explore the LBJ State Park and Ranch. I think the last time I had visited was back in my own homeschooling days with my siblings and Aunt Virginia. I still remember posing by LBJ’s statue with her, all of us pointing our fingers. I need to see if I can dig up the original print.
Anyway, I enjoyed being able to take the boys out there to see and experience this amazing space of Texas. I don’t remember a whole lot from the previous visit so I was almost seeing it for the first time as well.
We spent most of our time at the Sauer-Beckmann Farm seeing what rural life was like in the early 1900s. I liked how they had the dining room in the breezeway between the main house and the kitchen.
The all important front porch and swing which a few of the boys really enjoyed.
We got to see the sweetest cow, a newly birthed lamb, horses, a large pig, a turkey and some chickens. It’s a living history farm so park rangers are dressed in period clothing tending the farm, eating lunch and taking care of the land.
There is also a herd of bison on the property but they were in a pasture farther away so we didn’t get a close up look unless you count this statue.
Visiting the ranch can fill an entire day with seeing the farm, exploring trails and then driving to the other side of the river to see Johnson’s birthplace, the Texas White House and family cemetery. I have another post coming with a few more photos that I grabbed on my phone.
We’ve been cooped up for the weekend because of Hurricane Harvey. The amount of rain we’ve received has been amazing. I enjoy a few rainy days here and there but I need my sunshine. I am so ready for this to slow especially for those along the coast that have lost so much already.
All the rain has me thinking about warmer spring days like the one we enjoyed back in March at McKinney Falls State Park. It started out chilly but quickly warmed up and we hiked and picnicked with family.
This past weekend the boys and I went south for a couple nights. I’ve been wanting to visit Adriana again and especially now when all the poppies in her neighborhood are in bloom. This was the first time I’ve been able to experience them and I loved it! I really wish I had been able to take more photos and just spend more time sitting and looking at them. They are simply gorgeous.
It was nice to spend time with family as well and see more of my nieces, especially the newest one, Pearl. The kids, of course, just play non-stop. And no surprise, William fusses when it’s time to go home.
But now….some poppies.Â
A storm blew in later that night so I was glad we were able to see these when we did. Thankfully they all survived the storm and were just as pretty the next day.
This field was huge. So amazing.Â
I had to capture a few of Pearl as well. She kept cracking me up with her growling. Seriously didn’t sound like a baby.Â
Â
And praise the Lord, I am so glad we don’t have these lever doorknobs at home because Lucas learned a new skill. Nothing was safe….soap, toilet paper, the toilet, the outside….
He also practiced his stair climbing, in between eating dirt.
And William happily pulled Maria around in the wagon wherever she wanted to go. It was win/win.
I always try to take Valerie home with me….so sweet! I love listening to her little voice and all the phrases she comes up with.
Â
Some highlights not captured on film….Trying to leave on Thursday but turning around halfway there because William got sick in the car…twice. Enchiladas. Lucas rolling off their couch multiple times. Lucas rolling off their back patio stairs. Donuts. Coffee. Sangria. Gummy candy. Late night movies. Lunch with my mom. Mini farmer’s market. Really good times despite my lack of sleep…I made up for it when we got home.
James has always been a space geek so it’s no surprise that is William’s current favorite thing…well, he likes rockets. He also likes Space Racers now so I thought doing an outer space/rocket theme for his party would be fun.
We were originally hosting the party at our house, but after a week of rain our backyard wasn’t in any shape for kiddos, so we moved to our neighborhood park. It was a beautiful day! The past three years, William has always had rain on his birthday or day of his party.Â
I used an idea from a Kraft recipes site to make the shape of the rocket cake. The boys gave their input on design and I had to add the Falcon 9 logo somewhere as well. William declared the cake beautiful! The space tablecloth was a $5 find from Amazon.
A lot of my original decoration and activity plans were cancelled since we moved locations but I did stick to making jet packs for all the kiddos. So happy my sister, Jessica helped me with these! They turned out so cute and the kids loved them. A lot of the tutorials I found online suggested using a 2L soda bottle but I went with the 16 fl oz ones instead. They were a much better size for the 2-4 year olds.
Here they are in action!
Wagon rides were the hit of the day….a big thank you to all the parents who took turns pulling the kiddos around the park!
The wind made it difficult to get the candles lit but with 6 hands involved it worked!
I love this photo. It makes me smile….opening presents. How close can everyone get?
What a fun day with family and friends! I am so happy with how everything turned out, the beautiful day and easy clean up. Score! I know the birthday boy had a blast too.
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to capture this kiddo…usually when I pull out the phone or my camera, he makes the goofiest faces or just hides. I think it was the promise of a donut at the end of this session that made him cooperate…a bit.
He’s four….not 12!! Who is this kid??
This is the usual William face.
My handsome little man!
Elizabeth Hafner 