PRIVATE

Alright, I'm officially going private.

So, if you'd like to stay tuned to our lives, shoot me an email so that I can put you on the list!

junk4zoie@gmail.com

Here's the new blog address:

fromthefarmersmarket.blogspot.com

Family Photo

Photo by Sunshine & Shade Photography

He's Home!

Count Down

about 28 hours left.

Color

Yes I have a carnival in my kitchen. And I love it. Definitely going WITH me to Korea!

School

Signing hy up for kindergarten didn't pan out...so it was our first day of school at home. He was pretty excited about writing! So much for a break in August!

late night snack

I was taught that after you finish your dinner you could have a small treat. Like splitting a chocolate 3 ways. Very normal thing for my family. So, today since I got a LOT done, I am treating myself to some Blog Time! yes, go ahead and look at the time, it's 12:35am.

Not a lot of words, just photos:

day out with Grandad to visit the trains.


A shower for little aunt S. Hard to believe that she is getting married!


Grandma Great and Miss Jane at the Reunion.


Hy practicing his letters at home.


Miss Jane rolling all around and loving those toes. They make the best mobile yet.


Mini-E taking a little quiet time..."this little piggie went to market..."only with her fingers.



And last but never least....8 days, NO 7 days now, until Farmboy comes home. We are thrilled!

Nothin' new

Not much to report these day. Except....




Farmboy is coming home in 15 days.

Miss Jane hit 4 months {13lbs, 25inches}.

Kids got a bunk bed.

Other than that, same ole' same ole'

little sis

Ooooh love is in the air.


Farmboy's little sis is getting married. Check out more here.


We can't WAIT to go down to AZ again! In AUGUST. Hopefully this time Farmboy will be there.

true colors

I'm not sure what has happened to my life.

Maybe that's the problem. It doesn't feel like it's really mine. Which, I think I can handle. I mean, I know that being a mom is more than a full-time job. I know that it requires sacrifice. A LOT of sacrifice.

Somedays I'm up for it and other days I throw in the towel just as I'm stepping out of bed. I'm no dummy, I know that for the most part it's MY fault if we have a bad day.I set the tone. I get it. But it'd be nice if I could throw the blame on someone or something else.

Three. Three has kind of put me over the edge. Or maybe it's nobody to tag team with me at the end of the day? Like, here honey, I'm clocking out...this is your shift.

Ahhh-But that's no real excuse. Plenty of people have more children & more problems (not that they go together...or do they?). So what's my deal?

Miss Jane tells it like it is....




I love photographing babies and kids. Why? because they are honest. TRUE subjects. Until they learn how to fake smile.

Check her out. Her biggest thing right now are those hands. Loves 'em. Can't get enough. I just love this stage. Everything is new and amazing and something to squeal about.



I don't wish for an easier life. But sometimes I just wish I could enjoy the simple times more fully. I fear they are slipping away all too fast. All three of them really.

Split Second

Today I sat down for a minute outside & ate a Popsicle with the kids; the kind that drips everywhere and makes you feel sticky the rest of the day. HY caught every drip before it reached his hands. Mini-E chased a butterfly. Miss Jane dropped her binkie a few times but didn't care too much. And I closed my eyes & secretly wished that Farmboy would be home for dinner. Maybe late...but home. And I'd have been grateful to have fixed him anything. It must have been all that wind that made me think that life was blissful for that one split second.

Wedding, Birthday, & Swimming

We spent 2 weeks in the hot AZ sun.

First a Wedding.






A Birthday! Can't believe HY is FIVE.



And lots of swimming.

Yo

When you ask this little one how old she is...she'll tell you.


3 months.

goes by too fast.

12 weeks

I'd like to know how time goes faster after babies are out of mamma's tummy. I can't keep up with all the growth this child is doing.



I feel like such a horrible mother/photographer because the last time I really took any studio pictures of this little one was well over a month ago. I have good intentions, but somehow the rush of everyday takes precedence and I find myself not having accomplished the documentation of memories. I suppose the actual making of memories is more important.


Miss Jane has been smiling now for about a month. It's ever so fleeting, so it's difficult to catch in on camera. Nonna seems to have her heart. She's always got a giggle for Nonna. This is actually my favorite baby time. She's starting communicating and making her opinions known.


Since Farmboy has been gone, all the rules are out the window. With my first two I had strict rules about sleeping. Not so much now. I just enjoy every minute I can with this little girl. She's quite spoiled, & I am sure when daddy comes home we'll have our work cut out for us. This morning (and realistically most mornings) she can be found like this in my bed. Who can resist that face.



I have to admit that for the first time I'm really enjoying breaking all the rules and just enjoying having a little baby. If only I could freeze time.

cut from the same mold

These are my babies at about 3 months old. Clearly brother and sisters!

Fantastic

The other night looked something like this. An amazing thunderstorm with lightning and a bit of hail. This year's change from Spring to Summer sure has been interesting.

Waiting for the call

Talking on the phone to daddy is WAY better than waiting for a letter. Our lives almost feel normal. Almost.

Home again

I've never left my children for more than 24 hours. So leaving them for 7 days was a worry for me. I knew that Nonna would take good care of them, but I worried how they'd do without me. Clearly I'm egotistical because when I came home Tues night and kissed their sleeping heads goodnight, HY stirred and peaked his eyes open just enough to see me and Miss Jane--he sat right up and said, "Miss Jane!" He gave her a big kiss on the head. Clearly I wasn't the one that was missed.

They kiddos did however love the presents that I brought home for them. Army shirt and Army dress.



They want to wear them everyday!

I think that they were surprised that I was back so soon from the Army. My only guess is that they assumed it would be a long time, like daddy. So a week felt pretty short to them. Me too actually, but I did miss my little munchkins.

Missouri felt like a little piece of heaven

I've fallen very behind in my updates on Farmboy and the kids and just plain life in general. The word I'm looking for is guilt. NOT because I'm not journaling (although I do feel a bit of regret because I tend to forget things if I don't get them down in writing) but guilt if I take the time to blog. I feel like my time is so precious and I never get half the things done that I mean to. I've got laundry to fold, kids to read to, and conference talks to study.... if I blog that means that I'm not getting something important done.

But, tonight I promised myself that I would journal the week that I spent with Farmboy in Missouri. The kids are in bed; the laundry is mostly done and it's only 9:40pm.

After Miss Jane was born, Farmboy and I got to speak on the phone for a little while. That was the first time that he mentioned the possibility of the 2 of us coming out to visit him after he graduated from Basic Training. It seemed like a long shot, but I did my best to make it happen and the Lord supplied the blessings that helped really make it possible. And so the Tuesday before he graduated, the baby and I took 2 planes and a 2 hour car drive so that she could meet her daddy.

Wed morning Miss Jane and I headed over to the base to find our way around and await the call. As small as Ft Leonardwood is...I still managed to spend the morning lost.


But by 1pm, Farmboy called and we met him at the PX. It was delightful to see him hold his little girl for the first time. He was so excited to meet her. I could just see it in his face how much he loved her. Strange to have it happen in a car parked in a parking lot in Missouri.


That first day, Farmboy gave us a tour of all the places he'd been the last 10 weeks. It sure was an education and nice to finally see it in person. It was a bit surreal to have him there with us in the car--a little like a dream. We ate dinner in the park and he held Miss Jane and soon it was time to say goodbye. But it wasn't a sad goodbye because we knew that we'd see each other the next day. Graduation.


Thursday was the day Farmboy graduated from Basic Training. I was sitting in the 2nd row at the front of the auditorium when the program began. Farmboy had said that if I wanted to see him that I should sit on the left side--close to the front. He had said there was a bit of surprise in the program. Oh boy! I was nervous. But when the program started I understood. Out walked Farmboy to the podium. He was the narrator for the entire program! I was shocked to see him up there. When I asked him later how he got that job he said that he'd auditioned...funny guy.


The next few days went by quickly. Sadly. We did get to hang out a lot on base and explore some back roads. We even got caught in a thunderstorm, but true to Missouri weather it didn't last very long. We had a picnic in the park, got eaten by bugs, and Miss Jane and Farmboy enjoyed a nice nap (something they both needed desperately). Visiting the USO, going to a movie, taking pictures of all of the Army Tanks for HY to see. Church on Sunday. It was wonderful to be together, but sad each night when I had to drop him off for formation. Each night knowing that we had one less day together and we'd be leaving soon. And so on Monday, we made sure to have a bit of fun.

Minature Golf in 80degree weather sounds delightful---if the humidity hadn't been enough to kill us. Poor Farmboy nearly sweat to death in his long sleeves and wool hat. But the experience was memorable and I think if we had to do it again we'd have opted for swimming.


On Monday around 5 pm I took him back to the barracks.
We kissed goodbye for another 10-15 weeks...


Miss Jane misses her daddy already. Me too.


Me.
Too.

Love at first sight