Wordless Wednesday...water baby

I think I may have another water baby on my hands.

She loves it!

We have a couple more pool days planned this week so I'm sure I will be back to share some fav's!

Until then...


xoxo,

Shannon

Preschool comes to an end!

Cambree Jo's last day of Preschool was May 24th.  For the past 9 months we got her up and ready for school every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.  It has been something Jo has looked forward to every week.  It's a little hard to imagine that it is all over now.  I am so proud of all that she's accomplished in the past year.  She is one bright little girl!  She absolutely adored her teacher, Mrs. Bailey.  Who I also admired as well she really treasures being a teacher and it shows!  She loves each and everyone of those little kids.  We have been so impressed with the program at Learning Dynamics and can't wait to continue a relationship with them with our other daughters.  It's only going to be a matter of time and next Sienna will be enrolled.  I know that Cambree will miss spending every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons there.  I'm still not sure that she really believes that she won't be going back to the apple school (that's what she calls it).  She refused taking a picture with her teacher on the last day, but she did tell her that she loved her a lot!  My little Jo Jo can be so shy sometimes.  :)  I think Cambree will always remember all the fun days that she was able to spent there... a few highlights:  The Polar Express Day spent in their pajamas, the day they had the firetruck come and learned about safety and met Mr. Bailey the fireman, Halloween in her costume, the Christmas program and lastly the Clown party that was the last day of school.

So I guess Kindergarten is just around the corner for the both of us.  Not sure how I will handle it yet.  It's sad but it's also exciting.  I love watching my kids grow up although I wish it could just go by a little bit slower.

  

So here is my attempt at capturing some of her school days at Preschool (some being before school, some at school and some afterwards)!  I can't wait to put all of her things she made at school together along with her work and all the pictures I got of her over the past year in my Project Life album.  It has been so much fun!

And some pictures from her last day...

So proud of you baby girl!  Kindergarten here we come!  ;)

Instagram

( sidenote:  isn't instagram so stinkin' cool?)  I la la love it.  I love how it helps me capture the little seemingly insignificant things that make up my days.  I love how easy it is to use and that its literally at my fingertips when I need it.  I recently have started to use it a lot more and it gets kind of addicting.  With all of that said:  (lots of crazy little seemingly insignificant things below!)

xoxo

9 months!

Longer out than in.
It's been 9 months!

I can't believe it.

There are so many things I love about this joyful creature.

I love her love-affair with food.
She is captivated by it.  and I'm pretty sure she doesn't love anything as much as she loves a plate full of fresh strawberries.

I love when she finds her thumb.
It's not very often that it happens but it's adorable.

I love how active she is.
She is starting to crawl like a mad woman (do mad-woman crawl?) and gets into anything (especially if food is involved).  She knows what she wants and how to get it - which is exhausting, I mean good - truly a must-have tactic in the Archer house.  :)

I love how she gravitates towards her sisters and follows them everywhere.  She sure looks up to them both so much.  I can tell she can't wait to run with them.  It won't be long.

I love how sweet and easy going she is.  She is active, but she also goes with the flow.  I love that about her so much.

I love watching her kick her legs like crazy in the baby swing.  I love her chunky but perfect body in her swim-suit.  Kills me every time.

I love how she loves her daddy.  She laughs and smiles the minute he walks through the door.  holy cuteness.

I love kissing her soft squishy cheeks.  The faces ones (though her bum-cheeks are equally soft and squishy...just not as kiss-worthy).

I love that she is ours.

Cutest little Stella Bell

At 9 months:

She weighs approx. 19 lbs.

wears mostly 12-18 month clothes

No teeth yet

Nursing and feed table food

Starting to pull herself up against furniture and letting go for split seconds and landing back down on her bum

Mastered the crawl

no new words, can say "Mom" "dada" and "ball"

and loves playing peek a boo by herself

xoxo

(photography credits go to Cindy Archer Photography)

Motherhood on my mind

 Motherhood.  It's been on my mind.

What a incredible overwhelming and divine responsibility God gives to be mothers.  Sometimes I think I'm going to have to go into the looney bin with this job.  My girls have a way with given me gray hairs and making me nervous and paranoid and frustrated and worried, and laugh and smile and dance and feel overcome with joy and love all at the same time, right?

I look into the eyes of these little girls and I realize that sometimes feel like they are mine, they are really his.  And I just get a little moment in my forever to be their Momma in this way; to teach them, kiss away their bonks and bruises, wipe their tears (even the fake ones), pretend to be their owner and them being my pups for the thousandth time a day, and make them feel loved - that they are important and of infinite worth.  It's a daunting task sometimes. Like how do I be all that they need me to be, and give them all that they need, to make sure they are safe yet be able to let go someday, not so far away.  Sometimes I feel like I don't have a ounce left to give, and then little arms come and envelope me in a warm hug and a wet kiss.  How am I ever going to live without these tiny fingers and toes freely giving me hugs and kisses all day everyday?

Sure, the messes are exhausting, and most days 5 pm hits and I wonder if I am going to make it.  "Can someone else make dinner tonight?"  often goes through my mind...especially when I think about the little  voices saying, "I don't like it!"  After I just slaved in the kitchen for an hour.  But all of that seems so futile when I hold Stella and rock her to sleep, or when Sienna comes to show me a picture of our family all holding hands filled with hearts all over the page or when Cambree tells me that she loves me just because.


I guess one of the things about being a mom is the feeling of being loved back...and so freely by these little ones.  I sometimes feel inadequate as a mom, the times that I can't seem to stop the bickering or the crying and things never seem to come to an end.  I sometimes wonder if I will ever be good enough.  But I know the bickering and the crying will end, and while the inadequate feelings never really go away, the feeling of being needed and adored and simply loved by your children is just one of the most elevating and endearing feelings I have ever experienced.  In all honesty, I feel unworthy of their purity sometimes.  How did I get so blessed?  I just don't know.  But it's the pure love that gives my life so much meaning and purpose.  And it's the pure love that is helping me look at my reflection in the mirror and realize that I can't wait to see when and how our family will continue to grow.  Someday I hope.

for now, I am grateful for my little loves.

They make my world go round.

A quick Wordless{ish} Wednesday post...

We have started to visit a lot of parks lately.  What can I say the girls love the park and its a good place to sit down and get a little break in for me.  Besides all the pushing I do with the girls on the swings.  :)   Stella has been awake a few times to swing herself.  She loves it!  I love hearing her laugh and giggle!  It's really not fair how big she is getting!  

Here are two of my favorites of Stella from yesterday!

xoxo,
Shannon

Wordless Wednesday's...squishy baby face :)

I just love this little face that she pulls.  She makes this face after I feed her something she wasn't expecting or when I am acting the fool and she is thinking her Momma is completely nuts.

Which she is learning that that's completely true!  ;)

I also love the way Stella will pull her dress up and play peek a boo with me.  (which is defiantly inaudible to anyone but me, but still freaking cute nonetheless.)  I'm kind of obsessed with it and try to get her to do it like 100 X's a day.

love. love. love. love.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

xoxo

Our lately life...

Our typical life, a mom, 3 girls & a camera brought to you by my ipod.  Love that trusty lil thing.  (ps. sorry to all you instagrammer's out there this might just be a 'lil redundant but you understand, right?!)

Most of these random moments are from the month of April.  I've been busy as usual.  Maybe someday I can get on top of things!

1.  We enjoyed Easter brunch at my moms.  She makes the BEST banana creme pie.  So delicious!  2.  The girls put on their swimming suits for the first time.  3.  Little Stella bell napping.  4.  Walks around the neighborhood while Jo insists to ride her scooter.  5.  Hanging out  6.  A trip to St. George and swimming with Dad.  7.  lunch at Jimmy John's  8.  Coloring pretty pictures  9.  Jo Jo at Preschool 10.  Stella/Easter Sunday  11.  Walking around the gardens enjoying the sunshine.  12.  Playing a little softball.  13.  Sink bath 14.  Jumpin' 15.  Us in the car.  16.  Jo and I at church 17.  Stella crawlin'  18.  lunch  19.  Enjoying the Spring time flowers  20.  Our door  21.  Stroller ride for Stella.  Love her spread eagle legs.  :)  22.  More flowers  23.  Playing at the Noah's ark  25.  Just my sweet little Si si's profile

 1.  balancing on the beam  2. Pedicure  3.  Dress-up  4.  Stella playing around the house.  5.  Date night  6.  The Jazz game  7.  Stella standing up...I'm afraid she is going to be a early walker.  8.  frog position/Sienna napping  9.  Hanging out in the babies crib.  10.  Jo's creation  11.  Jo Jo's writing  12.  My brown eyed girl  13.  Ready for school  14.  Getting a x-ray (Cambree broke her collar bone the end of April) 15.  sleeping baby  16.  Snuggles for Momma  17.  Cafe Rio  18.  late night  19.  eyes  20.  Sienna and Peter on a play date  21.  Sprinkler's  22.  Mornings  23.  More time in the stroller  24.  Cousin Kayslynn came over  25.  And playing at the park.

things are simple, yet hectic, yet fun, yet stressful, yet messy, yet beautiful.  Life is full.


xoxo

Shannon