Peek into our Week – Family Pics, Ikea, and Hand-me-downs

Family Pictures:

We weren’t going to do any family pics this year, but then I met a girl at church who is raising money to do mission work by taking pictures. I saw some of her work and was HAPPY to help her in exchange for family photos. We will use one that she took for our Christmas card…but you won’t get to see that one until Christmas!

New Book Shelves:

Ted put together two new Ikea shelves, then I took time to arrange his books. The shelves had been PACKED full from top to bottom – packed full with no space for the books to ‘breathe.’  After Ted built the shelves, I could spread some things out and make them look nicer and more organized again.

Reclaim the Table:

River Valley Church began a series called “Reclaim the Table” – focusing on the importance of spending time together as friends and family around the table. This is the time that we, as parents and friends, can invest in and teach our children. Pastor Rob stated that 90% of Amish children continue in their parent’s faith – and the Amish eat together around the table two times each day. Currently, most American families eat together once a week. Our kids received “place mats” with questions for kids to ask parents and parents to ask kids. We’ve all enjoyed eating together and sharing stories and laughter.

One of the questions on Clark’s “Reclaim the Table” place mat was: “What do you wish your parents would do more with you?” Clark said, “I wish I could cook more with you!” So… we’ve been cooking dinner together this week.

Hand-me-downs:

It’s that time of year when I put away summer clothes and clothes that are too small, and pull out winter clothes and clothes that are the next size up. It looked like an explosion of clothes went off in the boys’ bedrooms last week as I went through their closets and drawers – pulling out the old and putting in the new. Having FOUR boys is super convenient when it comes to hand-me-downs, but it can be a challenge keeping it all organized and moving from one kid to the next. One full year I kept wondering why Paul had hardly any clothes…and then found the “size 5” bin in the basement – it had never been opened. I didn’t find it until he was turning six.

Afternoons with the Neighbors:

I’m so grateful for a neighborhood full of families. After school, the kids all run around and the parents come out to watch and chat.  It’s one of the highlights of our day!

What I’m loving this week:

My new Bird Feeder! Oh my goodness. It’s been so fun watching the birds from our living room windows. We love to see what birds stop by throughout the day. It has inspired us to learn about the birds that live in our region. Our favorites are the Cardinals. We’ve also spotted a set of Blue Jays and a large hawk that hangs out in the trees behind our home. I just purchased some binoculars so that we can get a closer look.