Fun with the Lees

Sure is always fun to see our friends!

"Can I sing my goodnight song?"

Leah likes to sing a song each night before she goes to bed. She calls it her "Goodnight Song." It goes like this:
Good night, oh good night, oh goodnight everyone.
Good night Anne, Good night Catherine, Good night Jacob and Leyton and Nathaniel.
Good night Mom and Dad.
Good night everyone in the whole world, except bad guys. Good night, oh good night.

I love the melody and I really love the part "except bad guys." She's a hoot.

Tonight, after we had our family prayer time, she also wanted to spend a little time "reading" her princess book. She has such an imagination. She had her princess book and was reading "the gospel of Aurora" (Aurora is a princess). She didn't want me to look at the book, but she was saying, "The gospel of Aurora is that...[I only wish I could have recorded her]...and the mouse was being mean and Aurora said don't be mean, but you must love one another....and that is the gospel of Aurora." There was more, but I just wish I could have captured all of it. Sure love her.

Aspirations

Last night when I was at work, I had a lot of emotion going through me and was really contemplating a lot. I have decided to cut back my hours at work and I am feeling much peace about doing this. I enjoy my job, but I really enjoy being home, too. So I was visiting with one of my fellow pharmacists who was talking about his wife finishing her second pharmacy residency and interviewing for a job. I was also talking with another pharmacist who will be interviewing for a different position within the department. In all of this, I was filled with thoughts about career aspirations and wondering what these individuals had in mind for their careers all along...whether this was their plan, whether it was different, how high that ranked on their life goal list, etc. Thoughts of basically what did they want to be when they grew up. And as these thoughts went through my mind, I then became focused on thoughts of my family and how much I love them. Thoughts of although I do enjoy my work, that I really love them so much. And truthfully, the thought that really stuck out to me was about Leah...so often we carry on such great conversations when her imagination is full of hope and her eyes are as wide open as can be as she tells me about "her kids" and how she spends her days. She just tells me that when she grows up, she wants to be a mom. So different from this work conversation, yet so special and sweet. I think she has huge aspirations about her future. I just love that being a mom is what she always says. Maybe it's a girl thing, but I sure love it. Being a mom is such a wonderful gift. Being a pharmacist is great, don't get me wrong, but I sure thank God every day that he has given me the privilege of being a mom.

$2 well spent

Recently when I stopped in Gymboree to check out their clearance sale, they had some fun things for just $0.99. The girls were with me and really wanted to get something. So I told them they could pick from the bins - a cute hat for Anne & Leah's pink glasses & scarf (she's actually been wanting glasses for a while and has been wanting to see the eye doctor in hopes she might need some - I'm sure she doesn't, but this will appease her for awhile). Quite a look, don't you think?

Jacob's School Work Today

So I've really become more selective in what school papers I save. This one from today was definitely one of them. It made me think of Grandpa & Uncle Ben. I had to text the picture to Ben, too, so we could get Jacob on the list to have a turn to go sometime. You just never know what surprise may come home from school with them. And just for explanation, for Jacob's birthday, Patrick did go meet him in the cafeteria for lunch - obviously it was something that stuck with Jacob.

Pictures of Catherine

Catherine at 6 weeks (1/10/12)

These pictures below were actually from a week or so ago - taken on 1/24, so she was 8 weeks old. I can't believe she's two months now! It really does just go too quickly!

Once again, feeling overdue with any updating. She's such a sweet baby I can't believe how much we love her. She's beginning to have a bit better routine, which is nice. She is also smiling so much more often. All the kids just light up when they talk to her & she smiles back. I'm sure I light up, too. I can't get enough of that cute little grin.

End of an Era

So this picture makes me really page back a few years to when Leyton & Nathaniel were about 4; well, really it started around age 2 and continued until around 5. Oh the days with all the guitar playing we've done. I have lots of footage recorded of their singing and dancing to their favorite hits by Jim Cosgrove & some Ralph's World. This guitar has been through a lot. It's Leyton's. They now have electric guitars that they enjoy, but he sure got some use out of this one. It seems like it was Willie Nelson or someone who had their guitar long enough to cause similar wear from the strumming (not the broken end of course, ha). Anyway, before I got rid of it, I felt compelled to get a picture.