Tuesday, December 10, 2013

5 Reason


Just look at these five...
These are my five reasons why the blog has not been updated for the last month. If I do say so myself, they are five very good and very cute reasons for my lack of posting.
When Jett was born, life changed. The biggest and best change was (obviously) adding our 5th blessing, but it seems that almost immediately after Jett arrived my three oldest stopped napping at all, Titan needs a very little nap, we started school and sports and life got A LOT busier!

So that leaves Jett to take a long afternoon nap and means that for about 13 hours every day I have four little shadows. I feel like we have a good (but flexible) routine going. Between school, play dates, sports, different church activities, running errands, we love our days with nothing to do at home. I love the days when they are playing so sweet together and I don't have to interrupt them to go anywhere or do anything

On top of that, eight months ago a good friend and I started a work out class together early (and I mean really early) in the mornings. I had to figure out how to keep up with my kids and working out has been a great answer! So that means when my kids go to sleep I follow shortly after. We are definitely keeping busy here at the Rude house. 
Our friend Justin Meyer spontaneously took pictures of our kids for us the other day (and by the other day, I mean beginning of November). I love, love, love getting our pictures taken. There is just something beautiful about having them all together and capturing the moment. Dan was working on getting ready for his message so it was just a kids photo shoot. 
I have really enjoyed teaching Quinn at home. It has gone a lot smoother than I anticipated and I have enjoyed getting to see his progress and I am amazed as to how quickly he picks up on new concepts. He makes my job easy and such a joy. He continues to be such a great leader in our house!
Titan has taken on the roll of the instigator. He finds it quite funny (and it often times is) to stir up his siblings. We are constantly reminding him to quit picking on his older siblings and we are reminding them to gently ask him to stop. He just is our little goof with an absolutely sweet heart and knows how to get everyone in the room smiling.
Since I had only a two hour warning before pictures, everyone but Quinn is wearing something that someone else has worn in our family pictures in the past. Myla is wearing almost the exact same outfit as last year. Titan is wearing a shirt and jacketthat Quinn and Rex have worn in the past and Rex is wearing what Quinn wore last year.  I guess you could say that we just stick with what works!
Rex and I continue to enjoy our alone time together almost every morning. He is an early riser, I totally understand that and love that about him.

He has also become an INCREDIBLE artist. He could sit and color for hours every day. He loves markers, paints, crayons, oil pastels, anything he can gets his hands on. He is always the last one still working and I have a whole drawer filled with pictures that he has made! I just love watching him work. He's just amazing.
In the middle of his turn to take pictures he looked at me and said, "Mom, I don't know how to smile normal..." So this is what we got! And this is pretty much just Rexy, gotta love him.
Jett is a man on the move. He LOVES to crawl under tables and chairs and into small places. I don't exactly get it but we all find ourselves rescuing him many times throughout the day when he has crawled under something or into a small spot and can't get back out.

Jett totally prefers eating everything that we are eating. He knows there is something significantly better than baby food and insists on having it. He also knows that there are toys that are way more exciting that whatever toys I'm giving him and crawls over his siblings barricades to destroy whatever they are playing. We jokingly call him "monster baby" or "the destroyer" throughout the day. He is so fun and so tough
I could not have been given a better after dinner dance partner than little Miss Myla. She and I love to twist and twirl and slide around the kitchen after dinner. She especially loves, "girl songs," which usually means a song sung by a girl or something from Disney princesses on pandora. Myla and I are a team, the girls have got to stick together in this house!
Our family is not a serious one. There is a LOT of noise, a LOT of laughter and a whole LOT of crazy.
Just how we like it!
I managed to get in a quick picture.
Let me add one more thing, I started this post over a month ago and have sat down at least 10 times to try and finish it and every time I start to fall asleep. I'm truly thankful for the five amazing children and my wonderful husband that I get to spend my life loving and be totally exhausted for at the end of the day. I seriously cannot imagine doing anything else.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Fall

I just can't help it.
I can't just post a picture or two, I have to post tons and tons of pictures.
I'm blaming it on the number of kids I have, plus the fact that they all have incredible smiles and joy on their faces that must be shared, and that my camera takes lots of pictures quickly making the whole moment worth sharing.

Doesn't this picture just make you smile. 
The joy on Rex' face must be shared. 
There is just something beautiful about children jumping into leaves. There is a certain innocence about it. You don't have to tell them that the only appropriate thing to do when there is a big pile of leaves is to run and jump in it, they just know. You don't have to tell them to grab a handful of leaves, throw them up in the air and twirl, they just know.

I love that. 
The mild fall afternoons have still allowed for some outdoor play time. The cold mornings remind me just how much I dislike the winter. We are hanging onto the last few nice days and making the most of any chance we get to go outside.
Jett is sporting a 4-5 YEAR old hat. I recognize that it is a little big but it also tells you that these five kids of mine all have HUGE heads. Full of brains. 
Jett enjoys just taking it all in and being near the action.
Quinton seems so grown up to me these days. I still love when he acts like the sweet little boy that he is and sings nursery rhymes and snuggles in my lap. He's will always be my little boy!
They wanted to get their goggles out so that they could really swim in the leaves but they decided to just dive instead.
 

 
I always love the times when all five of them are together just enjoying each other.
 
In this house you must always be ready for action.
Rex is dominating Titan.
 
A beautiful fall afternoon with five of my favorite people. My heart delights in them! 

Monday, October 14, 2013

The Corn Pit


We had a family day at Center Grove Orchard the other day. 
We enjoyed all the different activities, packed a lunch and spent a LONG time enjoying being together. I have more pictures of the all the other activities but the highlight of the day was the CORN PIT.
As far as the pictures go, I don't think they need much explanation.
I can't get enough of these smiles. No words are needed....
 
I simply love watching my kids being kids. And I LOVE family days. This was a sweet day! Thankful for all our blessings.