Lots of changes over here lately!

For one, we are eating very differently and spending a lot more time in the kitchen. At the end of 2016, Jonathan discovered that he operates a lot better without gluten, dairy, canola oil, and keeping sugar low. It has been amazing to see so many elements of life improve for him in so many ways, even things we didn't know would improve. At the same time, a variety of flags were going up for me as well and at the start of the year I got tested too. Turns out I benefit from avoiding gluten, dairy, peanuts, and some other things too. I also had hypothyroidism. After more than three months of a very strict elimination diet, my hypothyroidism is healed and many other annoyances that I didn't realize were optional are gone. I've added back most foods, but with Jonathan and I both having trouble with gluten and dairy, we figure the kids are probably better off without it too. We've tried so many amazing recipes since the start of the year and even invented a few along the way. It's been a challenge for sure, but we're changing our family culture to include cooking together and kitchen experiments and it's so enjoyable. Honestly, I feel so good, there's no food that I miss that would be worth it to go back. And the kids have been so much more adventurous with flavors than I expected. Now at the grocery store, they beg me, "Can we get brussels sprouts again? Please, please!" Or before eating something, Archer asks, "Is it guten fee?" (Gluten free) We would love to talk about anything and everything we have learned through the process if anyone feels like something just isn't quite right with their health.

The days leading up to Easter were lovely, we had a big potluck with our growth group and pushed our house capacity to the maximum. Jonathan and I were asked to read scripture at the Good Friday service for church. Easter morning, we woke up with a cold so we had our own family Easter service. 

After Easter, I went to Niagara Falls with my parents and sister for my dear Grandma June's memorial service. It was a very sweet time visiting my grandpa and sharing stories with all the Maves relatives. She was a shining example of love, hospitality, generosity, and strength. She is greatly missed.

Quinn is a reading machine now. Through participation in a book club, she raised over $250 for Love146 to support rescued girls in the Philippines. Also, in April, I brought home from the library her first chapter book to read on her own: Cam Jansen. She plopped down in the middle of the carpet and started reading. Fifteen minutes later, I checked on her and she said, "I'm on chapter three!" She's whipped through many Cam Jansens and plenty of other chapter books at this point. One day in May, she read from breakfast to dinner with only a break for lunch. Love it!

Jonathan summitted Mt. Hood with some people from our growth group. They climbed 12 hours round trip with crampons, ice axes, harnesses and all. Quite an exciting trip and amazing views.

I co-hosted a baby shower for my dear friend Amber. I'm extremely excited to meet her sweet baby soon! 

We built two new garden beds and they are rocking the produce despite my neglect. The kids keep eating spinach and carrots straight out of the dirt and feeding them to neighbor kids. 

We wrapped up our first year of CC and signed up for another. It was such an immense blessing this past year. There are fun events outside of the weekly meeting and the friendships made have been a real treat. 

Quinn and I went to two mother daughter events. A cake decorating party and a pajama party. I'm so impressed by my mature lady.

We went to Eugene to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday by going to a Duck baseball game. 

Jonathan and I got away for a couple nights to Hood River. We ate tons of good food, slept, read, and hiked. It seemed every wildflower in the area bloomed right when we arrived because it was so colorful and beautiful. 

I think more changed in the month of May than the whole year prior. Archer potty-trained like a champ and gave up nap (hello summer freedom!) And Jonathan had multiple days off sprinkled throughout the month as he went through the interview process for a new job! Today was his first day and it went great. He had a whole week off before for us to wrap up some projects and get out of town as a family. We now have a range hood in our kitchen, re-drywalled the ceiling where cupboards and lights used to be, demoed and rebuilt Archer's closet, hung some lights over our back deck, and a bunch of other little projects that make our home cozy. 

We had our first Sundae Sunday of the season and it was good turnout. And we've had a couple fire pit nights too. We're looking forward to lots more summer fun with a packed calendar. So thankful for good health, family, and friendships in this season! God has provided abundantly.

Archer turned three! (Two months ago, heh heh.) 

It was a special week long celebration though. The weekend before his birthday, we visited Eugene. Archer got some special one-on-one time with Jonathan's parents at a children's museum with an exhibit on aviation. They also gave him his first bow and arrow set.

Then we went to my parents' house to have a combined celebration with Abraham. There were burgers, "minty minty" ice cream and he got some soccer clothes and a certificate for soccer lessons. 

That Monday, we took a family trip to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum for the day. Both kids were amazed to see all the planes and rockets up close. Archer still likes to pretend that our car is the Spruce Goose. He is so into rockets and planes these days, this was the perfect treat for him. 

For his birthday party, we had eight kids over for lunch. We went with a rocket theme so there were rocket games and crafts to keep the kids entertained. He requested minty minty ice cream instead of a birthday cake. He had a lot of fun with all his little buddies. 

He had eight indoor soccer classes and really grew in confidence and skills. It was fun to see him have an activity of his own and I definitely think we'll sign him up again. 

He thoroughly enjoyed CC and Bible Study this year. He's frequently singing and talking about what he learned there. At his three year check-up he was right in the middle for weight and height and healthy as can be. He is still a sweet snuggler and loves to wrestle. Jonathan and I still laugh our heads off or get our hearts melted by the things he says and does. He is just so uniquely him and we love him with all our hearts. He has courage in his heart and wants to fight and rescue in pretend games. He is the most generous three year old I know and is always quick to share. He is also fiercely determined and does not give up, which was what we desired for him when we picked the name Archer; for him to have goals and aim for them with diligence. We love you Archer Man! You are so, so dear and precious to us!

I guess it's time to update the blog before spring begins. 

As I look back on the calendar since November, I discover so many highlights.

- We took the kids to Daniel Tiger Live as a surprise with the Iras. 
- Jonathan had a food allergy test and after eliminating many things for a period of time, discovered that gluten, dairy, and canola oil are the main items that need to go for him. More on this later, but it's led to some big food changes for our household.
- We visited my grandpa for his birthday.
- We had some date nights.
- We went to some birthday parties and hosted friends.
- We went to Christmas parties and events. Quinn and I went to the Nutcracker performance that her studio hosts with our old neighbors and also to a women's night of Christmas worship at our church. 
- There was lots and lots of snow.
- Archer started soccer lessons and loved them.
- Quinn started swimming at a different pool and really enjoys it.
- I hosted and attended baby showers.
- Quinn and Jonathan went to the father daughter dance.
- We had lots of family visit.
- We hosted some missionaries overnight after their trip to Mexico.
- Jonathan traveled for work (and we missed him).
- And we celebrated Jonathan's birthday.

Christmas was so special this year with both kids really understanding what's going on. We made a rock climbing wall in our family room on Christmas Eve night, so that surprised the kids. We also got them a keyboard to share (or Jonathan's work let him pick something from a catalog for five years of service. So Jonathan's work bought the kids a keyboard, haha).  For Quinn, we sponsored a little girl ten days younger than her through Compassion so that they can be pen pals. She also got a new backpack with matching lunch box that she's excited about and an ESV Bible with illustrations and her name engraved on the front. She can frequently be found reading it actually, which is so sweet. Archer got a rocket launcher and lots of weapons for Christmas so he was excited. Quinn bought him an inflatable ninja to smack, which was very popular until it got a hole in it. I got Jonathan a Tim Keller Psalms devotional for us to read together and Jonathan got me a popcorn popper. We've made at least 100 bowls already. We enjoyed our Christmas Eve service at our church and had a sweet little Christmas morning before heading to Eugene. Eugene was nice too with lots of family around and happy chaos.

Quinn has become a buff little chickie, she's swimming a full length of the pool pretty much unassisted now. She's also a master of cursive and can read soooo much more than she wants people to know. But I see it. She's loving learning in our homeschool group and is excited about her buddies there. 

Archer is a super hero. So many sound effects and running and weapons at all times. He has lots to say these days and lots of ideas and opinions. He definitely has goals and perseverance to achieve them, even if they are two year old type goals. And he is so. dang. cute. 

I know I don't record as much as I'd like of these precious days, but when my head hits the pillow each night I can honestly say that I savored my kids in that day as much as I possibly could and just stared into their sweet faces. Jonathan and I are constantly amazed by them. 

I'll end with a quote that Jonathan loves:

Here dies another day

During which I have had eyes, ears, hands

And the great world round me;

And with tomorrow begins another.

Why am I allowed two?

G.K. Chesterton

Today was such a sweet day and I want to remember it just as it was.

We fell asleep with snow falling and woke up to a couple inches of beautiful snow. I set my alarm early so I could get a Barre 3 online workout in before the kids were up because I figured I would need a mood boost in case we were stuck indoors all day. Jonathan started working from home. The kids woke up sweet and cuddly and were so excited about the snow. We ate a big breakfast and I started prepping a math store with the play food for our school lesson. Quinn and Archer were pretending to bring food to an astronaut named Charlie at his apartment in Seattle. I asked Quinn who this Charlie person was and she said, "I don't know, he's Archer's friend. Archer introduced me." Uh,  what?!

The kids had a blast with the math store and then we were invited to sled on a friend's hill half a mile away. Jonathan had a call so he planned to meet us there. I suited up the kids and pulled them to the hill on the sled over the beautiful untouched snow. Quinn kept shouting, "Mush!" and Archer kept purposely throwing himself off of the sled and rolling into the snow while making all of his favorite sound effects. So much giggling. 

We finally made it to the hill and the kids had so much fun sledding with friends, building a giant snowman, and having a snow ball fight. Then we went inside for a cozy lunch. Time flew by and it was time to head home. 

I pulled the kids back home and when we arrive Archer just kept playing in our yard. He kept digging with his mittens saying, "Mom, help me dig for snowflakes!" And then he found a place between rocks where snow had collapsed and kept digging in it. He declared, "I think an animal lives in there. Look! I see an elephant!" I finally convince him to go inside and we all warmed up by the fire. When I looked at the clock it was almost time to wake him up from nap, so I knew nap wasn't happening. The kids were begging to go back out in the snow. We bundled up again and started building a snow fort. Jonathan came out and helped make actual progress. We finished up as the sun was setting, but I'm sure there will be much more snow fort play tomorrow. The neighbors built a giant snow pile and dug three tunnels through it and Archer was scrambling around inside it. Then we were all starving and cold so the kids had a speed bath and we wolfed down some tacos. Then we watched a cartoon with some popcorn and tucked them in early. Now it's movie night for us!

These years are crazy but so full of joy. We are so thankful for our goofy children and the time we get to spend with them. 

 

Today marks two months of homeschooling and one month of Quinn being five. Both have exceeded my expectations and been a lot of fun. 

Our homeschool routine is broken into two parts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I initially had an agenda planned out for tidying up, eating breakfast, starting school early, etc. but the reality is that my two cuties wake up wanting to play for an hour before doing anything and they play so very well together first thing in the morning that I feel like it's vital to just give them this time. So, we get our "morning meeting" done before noon, so it's technically still morning. But I've relaxed the schedule. The morning meeting consists of prayer, Bible story, calendar/weather discussion, and Math lesson. Probably the most meaningful part of our day is the prayer time. We are praying with the Voice of the Martyrs prayer calendar with the map right behind us so we talk about the country and what hardships the people there might experience. Quinn also asks what words like discipleship, persecution, and church plant mean from the prayers listed. Pretty deep stuff and so satisfying to my soul to discuss this with her. For the calendar, I whipped up some laminated weather cards, a thermometer card, and a person to draw weather-appropriate clothes for each day and we're working our way through the Saxon Math Kindergarten curriculum. So far, it's honestly a bit too easy, but Archer is enjoying learning the days of the week. He joins us for morning meeting with a little white board and pen and seems to enjoy it. We do a Math lesson from Saxon too that Archer joins. The lessons have also been too easy for Quinn, but luckily I can find ways to extend and deepen the concepts. Quinn is really into graphs and fractions so I usually go that route or make a story problem. I also have Archer do a small letter of the week activity and he's remembering lots of letters.

The second part of the day happens five days a week. During Archer's nap, Quinn and I work on language arts. She just finished "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" on October 18 and her reading is progressing rapidly. When we wrapped up that book, we started "Cursive First" which will lead into "Spell to Write and Read". We spend about 15 minutes on this, then I have her read a book to me, and then 15-30 on a fun read-aloud together all cozied up. We are about to start the last book in the Little House series. 

One day a week, we are at Bible study all morning. The kids really like their classmates and are learning a lot. Another day each week we are part of a homeschool group that has been such a rich time for all of us. Both kids are singing history sentences, Latin, skip counting, and all sorts of surprising facts. 

We also make sure to fit in playdates, ballet and swimming (just graduated up another level last week), art projects, and outdoor time. 

For Quinn's fifth birthday, we had a laid back "drop-off" party. Six little five year old buddies came over to play Lego games, make Lego art, and eat a Lego cake. It was very sweet. We also had a nice family breakfast and special dinner that day. Quinn is such a bright, bubbly, capable, glittery little lady. It's been a joy to watch her discover reading and to see her excitement for learning. She is still on the petite side at 40 inches and 36 pounds and I just love her tiny, delicate hands. She has a heart for truth and goodness and so much love in her heart. We couldn't be prouder of our girlie!