Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Gingerbread House Fun

A December tradition is making a gingerbread house.  We spent an afternoon building and creating!  

A perfect afternoon with these kids!

Monday, December 29, 2014

The first Christmas celebration

Brian's family would come first to celebrate Christmas with us.  It was nice it was earlier in the month and everyone was still excited for all the festivities.  

Andy took a little time out to relax with his grandparents during the Bronco game!

Miss Lexi, at three, was the star of the show with all her little wonders and excitement!

Sunday, December 28, 2014

A boy and a puppy

We got to take a little break from Christmas preparations and Andy had his first paying job.  He would take care of this little pup for awhile. There is no better job for Andy.  The rest of us kind of or not really like animals but this boy LOVES them.

This little guy is young and on the go.  A perfect match for Andy.  At the end of the day after many  adventures both of these boys were tired and crawled into their beds happy and content.

Even the teenager in our house received a few loves!  I had, for a second or two, a thought that Andy needed a puppy to add to our household. He has Po and loves him dearly but there is something about puppies.  That moment did not last and I think he may get a few more of these jobs in the future!

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Decorating

Once the tree was home it was time to decorate. I am not sure any of us here would get this done in a timely manner but Brianna is our Mrs. Clause. She was on us daily about what needed to be done and this was a big item on her list.  

It seems all of these kids have a nice number of tree decorations that will one day be for their own homes. They love to look through and talk about the people or places they have come from.

 I try to encourage that they spread them out so the front of our tree does not become overwhelmed with ornaments.  Mr. Andrew did not have a hard time figuring out how he would spread his with a little help from Dad. 

Friday, December 26, 2014

A Tree

Many photos were taken this month and now I am going to try and catch them up on our blog.  A trip to find a tree was rather fast this year. Seems like we hiked in a little and the tree was sitting right in front of us. That left time to play in what little snow there was.

Each kid has his or her job on tree hunting day. Some approve of the tree, some cut it down, and others just sit and play like eight year olds do.

This boy has taken over his Dad's job of cutting the tree and dragging it to the car.  Guess that happens when you are almost as tall as your Mom.  

Looking up that day there was just a little bit of beauty and light!  It was a day that started our Christmas traditions. 

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!  Another year gone so quickly.  The kids are getting bigger and changing everyday.  The morning of gifts is over, Santa made his way to our house,  and mass last night reminded us the reason for the season.  I am sitting listening to the sounds of Legos being built and looking at the day of the year that we try to make as simple as we can.  

Lots of changes for this family have come over the past year.  Our hearts ache for a little boy that is not with us this year, but praying I get to see him open his stocking next year.  So many days in my life I look and wonder how did I get so lucky with the life I am given.  I feel a responsibility to do better and help more and to give back.

Wishing you all a beautiful day and a Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Baby it's cold outside

This past weekend we had my niece and nephew stay with us.  It has been awhile since we have had the sound of little feet running through the house.  The kind of feet that think stairs provide hours of fun.

It was also a weekend of snow.  The big kids could not get enough of the cold and snow.  I am much more of a flip flop and sunblock girl and never ready for those five sets of winter clothes that seemed to come out so soon this year.  This little one stayed in with me for our own special time of playing and talking.

When I cleaned today I saw those little finger prints on my back door. I thought about cleaning them, but they will stay a little while, as I remember how much I love those little feet and hands  leaving their marks on our home!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Kitchen Time

Last weekend it was time to spend time together baking.  A special dessert was in order for some cousins birthday celebrations. It has been awhile since we have all been together and cooked, but with the holidays coming there will be more of this on the calendar!

A spider web was the chosen project.  Even though it wasn't exactly how our minds had thought it would be, it worked and was fun!

I am very grateful for these children in my lives and the making of memories.  I love these days of simple fun.  Sometimes it feels a little crazy, but when I look back I love to remember how we all worked together and created!

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Prichard Six Plus One

November is the month to think about adoption.  About so many kids in our world just needing a family to love them unconditionally.  Our family has been blessed by adoption in so many ways. Here  is our story that was written for our adoption agency of AAC for their blog.
Adoption for us would start with a television show on girls in China.  A phone call to a very close friend would confirm that this would be a great adventure for my husband and I to take.  My heart and my mind were on a journey, one that would bring a daughter home to us after having two biological children. The country was China, but plans change and Korea was the country chosen.  We waited as patiently as we could, and the day would come that we would see her little face on our computer as quickly as the dial up internet would allow.  I remember the tears and the excitement we had that day.  She would come home in a very short while and was one of the three most beautiful babies my eyes had ever seen.  

As life has it the journey would not be complete. It wasn't long before my heart once again felt that tugging feeling.  My heart may, at the time, have been the only one feeling that but being married to a good man left me with hope that he would change his mind.  He put some rules down on this next adoption thinking it would take me awhile to find another baby that would fit his ideas, but it was only a matter of days until I saw my little boy in China.  I knew in an instant that he would be ours and when my husband came home it only took him a moment to also realize this angel would be our son.  I didn't get to travel to China as our house was now full of little ones.  This always broke my heart, but I knew my husband and parents would bring our little boy home to me.

Fast forward some years and life is full of adventures with our four children. Adoption has not always been an easy path, it is hard to grasp just how much our little ones have lost and how that affects daily life and family.  For this reason I have learned the true meaning of unconditional love and marveled time after time at how my heart can love so fully and completely beyond biology.  I would never trade being their mom for all that I know and feel.  Adoption has changed me for the better and become and huge part of who I am.

As life would have it once again there would be a little nudge in my heart.  I knew this time the wanting another child might not work as this would be a child number five.  I knew I had to be patient and wait until my husband either said yes or no. I knew he truly had to be ok to add another child and had to make up his own mind.  Three weeks later he said the answer was yes.  Yes, to making our family big by today's standards, loud in so many ways, and full of love.  So we are waiting again for me to be called Mom by one more little one.  He will be our baby and waiting for him is so very hard.  Praying and trusting that they day will come that I can travel to Korea and hold him in my arms. Arms that will have to share because not only has my heart been tugged by adoption but each child we have has been changed by adoption.  

So the journey continues as we move from a family of six to seven! 





Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Hay time




This past weekend we helped load hay for the coming steers at my parents house.  Note these are iPhone photos but I wanted them on my blog!
All of us worked hard each in their own way!
Riley and I got the outside job which in my opinion is the place to be!

This fall has been so much running keeping up with everyone.  We are blessed that the kids can do activates, but it sure felt good to have everyone in the same place and to be working outside.

I know these days with my parents will not last forever so it feels good to help.  


At the end of the day working you could earn a ride on the tractor!

This young man was my helper, neither of us strong enough to lift a bale after bale by ourselves, but strong enough to work together! Thankful for that!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Change

October came and went with a blur for this family. This photo comes from the first day in a long time I can remember stillness in our life.  We moved to a different house this past month.  A place with more area to run and ride bikes.  A place that still has a lot of boxes to unpack and a deep desire to make it mine with my style.  Life however has been on fast forward with so much to keep track of.  I miss this space.  I miss writing what is happening with us.  Hoping this week to find a little time to post some of those pictures from a month that was crazy.  Now it is the month of thankfulness and we have so much to be thankful for!  Hoping to focus on that with a deep desire for a little more stillness in our lives!  

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Our Style of Urban

I took the kids out the other day for an "urban" shoot.  This was an assignment that I had wanted to take Riley out for but he was not into it that day. So I took whoever would agree to go.  This photo of Andy makes me laugh as I am pretty sure one day a sign that says "no parking" will not phase him in the least.  Also, I had wanted to take a teenager for this shoot but in so many ways Andy almost reminds me of a teen!

Then again he really is just a little boy and often looks at the world in a different way or shall we say a better way!

October finds us in the midst of fall madness.  Lots of soccer practice, scouts all the way around, and oh yes a big change for us that I will write about soon.  Today it was very cool outside so I decided I better gather some of my garden in fear of freeze. We ended up
with twelve pie pumpkins this year. I am thinking there will be some pumpkin pie and bread this weekend!


Little by Little

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Future Author?


Maybe one day this little girl will grow up and write her own book.  I am one Mom who would love that! She spends a lot of time writing on whatever paper she can find.
The best part of Katie's writing is her sense of humor. It is always a very serious writing with always one line that is guaranteed to make you either smile or laugh.


On this day she found my journal to write in which means I get to keep this writing.  My prayer is always that I live long enough to see what life holds for these kids as adults.  Rather she becomes an author or not I will always remember her writings and how they made me smile.


Little by Little

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Tomatoes and Pirates

As fall is in the air it has come time to do a little canning.  This week it was the tomatoes turn.  I love the process of canning and seeing all that color in my cupboard for the winter to come.

I was given some more jars this year and they came complete with their vintage box!  

The end result all ready for soups and chili's that come with the winter months.
Also on this day I would take a couple of cute pirate girls to school!  You never know which child will want to participate in these dress up days at school but these two loved it on this day!


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

A new knit sweater

In the spring I had knitted a sweater for my niece.  I loved everything about making this sweater from it's fabulous pattern (pattern)

to the oh so yummy yarn sold at Quince and Co.

I had held this sweater as I needed to find my buttons and wait until she was walking so I could take her on a mini photo shoot!  She was such a doll and let me do just as I liked with my camera and her beauty.

I took her out just the two of us and we climbed and played.  This is the first complete sweater I have knit and it was so much fun.  

Of course the real fun is in the giving and being able to photograph this little one that I love so much!

I am currently reading "Yarn Harlot the secret life of a knitter". It is so funny and I am loving it.  Just a good non thinking and have fun book. The next book on my shelf is a thinker and maybe a can't sleep book so for now it is all about light and fun!

Linking up with Ginny's Yarn Along.  She always has wonderful knits and great books.

 
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