Four Jingle Bells

 I really loved this quote because it's so true. I hope I can make my prayers as sincere on good days as they are on hard days.  I love a purple sky!  Hailey was such a great helper.  She helped with flooring and painted with me like crazy!  Painting baseboards is not for the faint hearted.  We had a few late nights finishing some projects and still have more to go.  I tried to get home without using GPS and got lost. Luckily we found this great park.  It has a stagecoach and fort and they just love playing here.  Iowa is magical  We went to see Sandlot at the park.  It was our kids first time and it was such a great way to start the summer.  We went to an art festival and did some crafts, balloons and face painting.  It was a perfect day for it too.  Hailey even spent some of her money on some art in a kids only art tent.  Artists donate art and kids can choose anything they want ...

 Finally we completed this portion of the front room. No, the piano didn't stay there and now the wall looks different, but we did complete it within a month of moving in, so were pretty excited about that!  I love this boy and this reading nook.  This random photographer came up to us at the park and said he was taking pictures of red heads for a project.  After making sure he wasn't creepy (he wasn't), he got a few shots of us and I love them.  The only thing I am missing in this picture is Spencer who was off playing.   Hooray after the park we went and got hot dogs and ice cream at Dairy Queen with a gift certificate our realtor gave us.  It was nice to just have a fun summer day after working so much on the house! Notice Spencer in long pants and a jacket.  He loves warm clothes.  William fell asleep on me after we got back from ice cream.  We were reading a story with Brooke and he just fell asleep.  I ...

We went on a walk in the woods near our house one day after a big rain storm and it was so gorgeous! The greens were greener and it smelled so wonderful.  I love moss! These kids are so great to go on all my adventures. Sometimes I just have to get out of the house and do something new and be free. I do exist!  Spencer really wanted a picture by this tree.  The textures are amazing!  Spencer and I hanging out.  He has such a great time and his imagination makes things so fun.  Plus, he always brings home some awesome walking sticks/guns.  I wish this were my back yard!   Hailey got this shot of Brooke on the run.  She usually is on the run and wearing her favorite sparkly shorts.  What a fun girl.  Spencer wanted to take a picture.  It was such a beautiful day!  And we saw a family of deer running through. I think I have become converted to Iowa.  Blake and I have...