it's hard to keep up!

I really think Matthias looks like a moviestar in this picture. Partly the great smile, and partly the collar sticking up. :) It's been a crazy couple of weeks. We've been working hard to get the house ready to show...we've had company (which has been wonderful!)...and we've had sick kids off and on for a couple weeks (normal colds and fevers that come with changing weather). For the month of February, Kylie has needed to be at school by 7am which has been exhausting to try and get the kids up by 5:45 and out the door by 6:50.
Matthias LOVES strawberries! He would pick one...walk around a little bit...eat it...and then pick another one and do the same thing. He and Leighton were both so cute to watch!

Leighton picked more than she ate, but she seemed to go for the green ones (mostly). We are going back to pick next week, hopefully there will be more ripe ones then. I've never picked "hydroponic" strawberries before...you can see in the background the styrofoam containers that they were planted in. We picked some broccolli, too, which was fun.

Ward and Martha came to see us this past weekend. We had a great time of hanging out, working hard (tom and ward painted the kitchen...martha and i took kids shopping) and playing (the guys went golfing and of course we watched "24" together).

We put the house on the market this week. Yesterday I had some friends over for lunch, and when I got back from karate in the morning I was informed that our realtor was coming over to take pictures of the main rooms and house. If you have ever been in my house you would know that it is never ready for pictures to be taken of it...plus with my 3 kids and 6 more it was going to be crazy. Anyways, when the realtor got here my sweet friends took my 4 (we had a friend over) and their 5 out of the house for a walk around the block. (it was quite a sight) :) It's sad to see the for sale sign in our front yard. I'm going to miss living in wauchula.

my babies...

Matthias got a little man haircut today. I can't believe it's less than a month until these 2 turn 2!! (There are their "cheese" smiles)

valentine's day party!!

We had 22 kids come to the preschool co-op yesterday! It was crazy and chaotic, but we had a great time learning about the letter 'M', exchanging valentine's, and eating. :) I'm going to miss this group when we're gone. What a blessing to have other moms to spend time with, and to teach our children together with.

This group picture captures so many cute little personalities...

Had to throw this pic in here, too. I realize that I've had a lot of pictures of Leighton recently, but she is just getting into so much...we found her here...looking at the toothbrushes (contemplating which one to use first, i think). She climbs on the toilet and then onto the sinktop from there. I told her to look guilty while I took the picture....she did a good job. :)

more leighton antics....

So, Leighton's been in the habit of taking her diaper off during her nap. This one day, she had purple bloomers on under her dress and managed to get those off, her diaper off and these brown capris on...sort of. She had placed both legs in one leg hole. :) Thankfully we caught her before she had an accident.

She had an x-ray this past monday morning and everything looked normal!! Our next follow-up appointment is in three months (which is nice that it's so far off)...she'll finish up her TB meds in May (which will be a reason to celebrate!) Thanks so much for all your thoughts and prayers with our journey since November with Leighton. It's hard to believe it was three months ago that everything was so unknown!

Ever since A-ma was here and let the twins "wash" their baby dolls in the tub, they've been continuing to enjoy doing that. Sweet Matthias, who is home all day with his twin sister and big sister enjoys playing with their baby dolls.

John and Angie Pearson (friends from VA) came by last weekend and spent two nights with us. It's always fun having visitors and we enjoyed walks around the block, catching up with them and watching the superbowl.

Trying to keep up....

It's been a little crazy to try and keep up with life recently. This was from a while ago, Leighton enjoys getting into the bathroom and squirting toothpaste everywhere....of course I told her to stay put while I got the camera instead of scolding her....and i told her to look guilty while I took the picture. :) She continues to be the stinker in the family....dolls in toilets, toys in fishtanks, diapers off whenever she gets a chance...whew...it's hard to keep up.

Matthias got these batman jammies for christmas and LOVES them. he runs around with his cape flapping....and thinks it's the coolest thing.

So, Leighton loves her baby dolls...big, small, teeny....she is always wanting to put diapers on them. I actually went out today and got some newborn diapers for her to put on her dolls...these dolls will still be too small.

Matthias is helping out with the wet wipe.

Sweet siblingsOkay....so, AJ has been wanting to cut her hair for a couple months now. Ever since October or November she just started talking about it. I think she actually saw an old video of when she was 2 and liked how the short hair looked. I LOVE her long hair....it's so smooth, and straight... and if I forget to brush it in the morning it usually doesn't make a difference! Anyways, after months of asking and asking I finally agreed to let her get her hair cut. It was way hard for me, but she has been so happy about it.

It really is very cute. :)

Paynes Creek Park!

A picture is worth a thousand words? These pictures have no explanation. :) For all our friend who prayed for our assessment week, thank you! We are disappointed that we were not reccommended for overseas missions at this time, but are trusting that God will make clear where He wants us next! (our mothers were very glad)

We got a chance to leave the babies home with my parents and take the big 3 to the park this weekend. It was a lot of fun....I'll let my pictures show you how much fun we had. :)

My 5 sweet children

Kylie Grace....sweet helper daughter with her 25 dollar glasses from zennioptical.com :). She is one of 2 kids in her class who are writing for the bobcat express (the school newsletter), taking piano lessons, singing solos in church every chance she gets, and reading voraciously (just finished the 3rd Harry Potter book).
Josiah Thomas...my boy that loves to have fun and create. He is enjoying being a part of the Beartooth club (a boy scout-ish group at church), doing experiments and creating inventions out of anything he can get his hands on (mostly cardboard and duct tape), looking forward to karate starting up next week at the "Y", and becoming a major Wii player.

Ashley Joy.....a true source of joy in our family...she is riding her bike (with training wheels) and scooter (or "cooter") whenever she can, drawing stick people for fun, playing littlest pet shop and my little ponies, and always looking to be a big kid and/or take care of a little brother/sister.

Matthias Timothy....my mama's boy who knows how to have a good time. He is loving playing ball, cars and train...driving a car or train around at any given point in the day, trying to keep up with his talking twin sister.... loves: his blanket, to sleep (when his sister isn't keeping him up), to have books read to him, to watch "wiggles", to play with his "yay" (leigh)

Leighton Ann.....my spunky, sweet daughter who is little miss independent. She is loving to eat...anything..., talking up a storm and likes to tell me all day what Matthias is doing (Sigh-ee seeping, Sigh-ee kying, Sigh-ee dink?...Matthias sleeping, Matthias crying, Matthias drink?), loves books and her 2 stuffed "tinky's, resisting naps like crazy (she spends most of her nap putting covers on her brother while he sleeps), and getting into everything and anything (i.e.: dipping toothbrushes into toilets and brushing, pulling out entire packages of wet wipes, drawing on her belly with sharpie markers)

It's chaos....and we love it! :) pray for my parents next week....they're going to need all the help that they can get.