cousins adventures: all dressed up

I really need to wrap these stories up...there's so much still to get to, after all!

Two years ago, Adam came out to MA with the four oldest kids.  I got this picture:

I was hoping to recreate it, just to show how the kids had grown/changed.  Unfortunately, having 7 kids in the mix this time around, and my parents rushing off to usher at church, made it a little harder to make happen.  So we scratched the grandparents.

We started with a small contingent.  I love Vera's face here.  

There they all are!  I'd say they've change a lot!

After church, I grabbed everyone again, and got some more...

I have no idea what Kyalo & Vera are looking at, but it was fascinating!

So, everyone cleaned up nicely, and everyone survived Adam & Noelle's trip to Paris.  A win all around!  Too bad I never thought to get myself in the pictures.

Here's hoping it isn't another year till we're all together again.

cousin adventures, pt 2

Spending time with the cousins is just about Kyalo's favorite thing in the world.  I think I hadn't even gotten Malaikah out of the car after we got to Essex for our visit and he was already playing a game of baseball with the older cousins.

This week back and forth to Essex is one of my favorites of the summer because it is just so sweet to see him playing and enjoying the time he has with them.  We never did anything remarkable -- though there was a Red Sox game and a trip to the Boston Aquarium in there -- but I think that's what makes it so special. Slow (slow!) summer days.

The other thing I liked is that the 'littles' (Vivienne, 5, and Vera, 3, and Kyalo) were usually the earliest risers, and so they'd spend time playing together before the others woke up.

Here are some of the things they did. . .

 improvising on a catcher's mask

morning chats with Vera

impromptu ring-around-the-rosy

The days were filled with:

 badminton

 look at that action shot!

 bike ride/races

 I don't even know what's going on in this picture, but they spent a long time tucked into that little niche there chatting

many, many wagon rides

 how many cousins can you fit on the hammock?  a lot, apparently, but it did come crashing down at some point

Needless to say, the yard was well used while we were all there!  Not pictured? The fort that they created in the tall marsh grass at the edge of the yard.  Also, the sword fights with said marsh grass.  

To me, this makes for a magical summer -- games, family, ice cream, etc.  I keep reading about kids spending 6, 7, 8 hours of time on some type of gadget per day, and so it makes me so, so grateful for this time, these memories, this childhood these kids are having.

A few other shots...

 California lemons gracing my mom's counter

 most of the cousins.  We lost Abby to the The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers.  Can't say I blame her!  Check it out if you haven't read it.

Everyone wants to be read to by Grandma!  Her favorite place to be, surrounded by the grandkids.

It is safe to say that we were all glad to keep everyone in one piece the week Adam & Noelle were relaxing in Paris.  I'm so glad we all had this summer we did.

Amazingly, I do have a few more pictures to share -- the ones where everyone's all cleaned up (and out of PJs!).

cousin adventures, pt 1

We kicked off the summer craziness with a visit from my brother, Adam, and his family here in South Paris.  They were bringing all six kids to the east coast for the first time, and were eager to see this little town we call home, naturally.

I had high hopes of taking them to Kyalo's T-Ball practice so they would get to see Kyalo in action, and perhaps Jack & Campion, big baseball players themselves, could help out.  Of course, it was pouring rain at practice time.

We were able to get a couple of quick, impromptu family photos.  Adam and Noelle were heading off to the real Paris the next day, so it would be our only time to be all together.

do you know how hard it is to get this many people -- and this many kids -- looking at the camera and smiling simultaneously? 

Adam and his beautiful family

For their visit, I put my ice-cream maker to the test, and made salted caramel and my favorite, mint chocolate chip {pro tip: use mint extract, not peppermint extract, and skip the food coloring :) }.  The kids seemed pleased with this arrangement.  And Kyalo was in his happy place -- ice cream cone in hand, surrounded by cousins.

After taking Adam & Noelle down to the dental clinic to see Dexter in action, everyone piled into the 15-passenger van and headed back to Essex.  Kyalo, Malaikah & I drove down Wednesday morning to hang out/help my parents with all the craziness.  We would have stayed more, but had to be back in time for T Ball practice on Friday.  Priorities!!  

Part 2 of these adventures coming soon, ish....

ten months

I'm so much in denial about time slipping through my fingers that I labeled all of these pictures '9 months' before realizing my gross error.  We're now in the double digits, two months shy of a one-year-old.  She's a crawling maniac these days (even if she still does it in a funny, drag one leg behind her her sort of way), started standing a couple of weeks ago and now does it with ease.  She is constantly chattering, saying things like, 'dddaaaddda dada dada; mmmmamamma, mama, nnnnanana' which, of course, means nothing right now, but I do try to encourage her to say MA-MA. Next month, surely.

We got to the doctor today, and she is:

19 pounds 13 ounces // 67th percentile

 27 inches// 10th percentile

 and, drumroll, please:  98th percentile for head circumference! (I didn't write down her head size)

She continues to love pretty much all foods, though, I'm sorry to report, it seems avocado is NOT on that list.  I know, right?!  Obviously, we will be feeding her lots of avocado until she gets her act together.  I'm so thankful, though, that she enjoys food, and has no adverse reactions to it.  I usually just give her whatever we're eating and she scarfs it down.  I think she is already a better eater than Kyalo, and he, too, is a good eater!

Her absolute favorite thing right now is watermelon.

Kyalo's been doing swimming lessons at the (cold) Norway Lake.  Dexter was off one day, so we all hung out at the lake.  I put Malaikah in the water, but since it was cold, she was not a fan. She much preferred the watermelon options.

 gimme allllll the watermelon!!

 FEED ME

nom nom

It is possible that she ate her weight in watermelon that day.

We spent a lot of the last month in the car, showing Dexter's parents around New England.  This means I was relegated to the back row.  It wasn't so bad, because this was my view:

 happy little traveler.

I'm also grateful that she is a good traveler.  We logged a lot of hours and miles in the van this past month, and she rarely complained/mostly slept.  Next month we're going to Rhode Island - four hours from here - which will be our longest road trip yet.  We'll see how that goes.

proudly standing in her crib for the first time.
Also, she has since pulled that mobile down.

She is generally a good sleeper, but now that she's eating more 'real' food, it means she nurses less right before bed, and so often wakes once in the middle of the night, or 5 or so in the morning.  The above picture was on one of those days where she was up too early. I tried to still catch a bit of sleep, letting her play between Dexter and me.  Eventually we both fell back to sleep.  I woke up to this view.  Those lips! Those eyelashes!  I gush.

Here's one last picture:  

I took this to send to friends in Kenya who were a little alarmed by the thought of bathing your kids in a sink.  Maybe it is an American thing, but I have found it to be quite convenient.  We have a deep claw-foot tub, and I think bathing her in it will be a chore.  I'll be sad when she grows out of this sink!

So, all-in-all, another good month for our baby girl.  She is so sweet and easy going.  People constantly comment to me how she is 'contented.'  I always wonder what they see in the 10 seconds they're with her, but I'm not complaining, and I think they're right!  

dedicated

June whizzed right by.  We had a full first month of summer: T Ball, a visit from my brother and his family, an extended visit with Dexter's parents.  There's so much to talk about, to remember, to be thankful for.  But first, I'd like to start in the middle of the craziness.

With Dexter's parents visiting for a couple of weeks this summer, we thought it would be special for them to be a part of a dedication service for Malaikah.  We've been going to a local community church since we moved here a year ago (!!!), and it is likely that we will call this our church home for the foreseeable future.  Having Malaikah Dedicated or Baptized was important to me, and having both sets of grandparents here made it extra special -- and actually made it happen :)

Also nice was that it fell on Father's Day.  A nice gift of sorts, I guess.

Here's our darling girl, in a cute little eyelet dress.  This look makes me think she already knows too much!  I think we're in trouble.

a picture of the four of us and Malaikah's not looking, and Kyalo looks sour.  Typical.

Dexter and his parents

everyone!

After church we headed out for lunch, and before my parents headed down to MA again, we got some more pictures.  It was a dismal day, which was too bad, but we still had a good time.

 the grandparents

 Kyalo's been wearing this too-small fireman's rain jacket every where this summer (rain or shine).  I guess we need to get one in his size, he loves it so.

grandfathers

is it just me, or do they kind of look the same here?

here we all are again!  These are such sweet pictures; we don't know the next time we'll all be together again.

The day was a good reminder that children are a gift from God, and to raise them up to love Him.  We are grateful for the rich heritage that surrounds us and our children.