Joel turns one!!

   How is it my sweet baby is one already?!? This year flew by so fast, but boy was it a good one!:)

**

**

**

** 

Joel's birthday was on a Saturday this year so we had his birthday party that afternoon. It was so fun planning it. We went with a "bunnies by the bay" theme. 

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

Mm yummy cake!

**

**

Our sweet little Joel ( 1 year):

    Loves to play and try and keep up with his siblings. He's definently their "baby"and he gets away with so much with them.:)

  I've said this before but he feels everything SO intensely! If he's hungry he screams, if his feelings get hurt he screams, if he thinks you should of picked him up he screams. And we love him for his sweet sensitive little soul. Daddy's quote about this would be "when he smiles he melts your heart and when he screams it hurts your ears!";)

    He LOVES playing with balls. He will bat them around the house for hours. A future ball player??;)

    He loves his food too. Esp sweets:)

    He loves to snuggle. And lay his little head on your shoulder.

We love you sweet Joel Keith Phillips and we are so thankful for you!!

James turns 4

So i figured I had better post this before his next birthday!;) it has been sitting in my draft box for awhile now.--

                                          

Our sweet James turned 4 on August 6!! Wow I can't believe he is so old already. I figured I had better write a post before I forgot some things! ;) #mombrain

  We had SUCH a fun day. We started by waking him up and taking him out to his new trampoline with doughnuts and milk! We bounced for a little bit then packed up to go fishing at a little private lake close to my in-laws house. James had been begging for us to take him for the longest time and we finally made it. I'd say he enjoyed running around with his sibling a little more than the fishing part. Sadly, we didn't catch any fish but we are hoping to take him again soon. We came home and ate a quick lunch and laid the babies down for their naps. James helped Jess and I get ready for his party. 

  Around 4 we had a party outside at our house. Jess grilled some burgers and hotdogs and we had other yummy treats!:) we ended the day jumping on his new trampoline and watching a Thomas the train! Such a fun day and I think he enjoyed it!!:)

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

  We also went to our local apple orchard the day before his birthday for a little party day. 

**

**

Happy 4th birthday sweet James! We love you!!

**

** 

Our summer so far

Hello all,

  Well, we've been keeping busy so far this summer and having a blast. I looked back at my last post and I can't believe how much has changed in these short months. This week James will be turning 4 and I absolutely can't believe it!! It has been a pretty relaxed summer. Just sticking around doing fun things around here.

  James started a little soccer team this summer and I'd say he enjoyed it. He's done for now but will start up again this fall. Jess and I are planning to start some preschool with him this coming school year as next year starts kindergarten. (I can't believe it!!) he has learned to write the letter J and we are hoping to make it through the alphabet.:) he and Joel also started sharing a room a couple months back and they have been enjoying that, a little too much!:)

  Little Annelise has been starting to talk a little bit more. She can say uh-oh, Kitty, dog, joely, bro, mom-mom, yes dad, and love you. She also meows ALOT. That's pretty much what every animal says in her book!;) she is getting to be such a big girl and loves playing with her bros. She's also mommies little helper!:)

   Joel is turning 10 months old tomorrow! Wow, he is getting so big. He has 4 teeth. The two top just came in and has been crawling since about 8&1/2 months. He also pulls himself up on everything. He loves to play with toys and  eat! We switched him to goats milk formula back a couple months ago and now he is eating quite a few solids. He is definitely our worst sleeper and can be very dramatic but also gives the best cuddles and is a Pretty easy baby during the day! 

**

**

Park time after soccer 

**

**

Daddies got his work cut out for him!;)

**

**

4th of July this year (2016)

**

**

My sweet babies 

**

**

James and Joel enjoying sharing a room a little too much!;)

**

**

Family road trip

**

**

Joel 8 months in daddy's old outfit

**

**

James 1st day of soccer

**

**

Cheesin all ready for church

**

**

We also got some landscaping done this summer. We added in a little parking spot at the side of our house. Jess and the kiddos also made a nice little Boulder wall. James giving a thumbs up after we finished mulching the planting beds!

**

**

I just finished painting the porch walls, then onto the floor. We broke down and bought a paint sprayer. Our whole house needs repainted (as you can see from the other pics) so it was worth it. 

**

**

4th of July weekend Jess put in this wonderful patio. And boy has it been used a lot already!! We prepped it a while before, digging the hole and adding rock, so it was ready to lay brick. Jesses parents let us use some leftover brick from the business.

**

**

Grill area

**

**

 I found this really neat old mantle from a fun garage sale for $30! Yay! We moved the other upstairs

**

**

And lastly, Jess had to dig up our water line because it needed replaced. The city is changing out all the meters and this is just one of the joys of having an older home!;) thankful for the loader that was able to dig a lot out! So that's it so far this summer. We're looking forward to James birthday on Saturday and have a fun filled weekend to look forward too!:) hope everone else is enjoying their summers!:)

A day in the Life

   It seems like these past couple months we have been sick, ALL THE TIME. Thankfully we are on the upswing now. Joel just turned 6 months old last week and time is just flying! I finally feel like we've got into a really good schedule. It seems like it takes me about that long to get it down. I always kind of dread having a new baby because I know it's out with the old in with the new as far as time goes. That probably mixed with a little post pardon depression I can get super depressed. My days can feel just so long and lonely when I'm home all day long with just my littles. Like I said though we are on the upswing and life is crazy..in a good way.;)

   Our day starts out something like this:

6:30: momma wakes up and does some Bible reading. (If I don't do this my day seems off!!!) 

6:50-7: I head downstairs, of course make my first cup of coffee for the day, then do a crazy lady clean up of what didn't get done the night before. Start a load of laundry

7:45 kids up. I nurse Joel while James plans with Annelise in her room. We make our beds, pick up our rooms, and head down for breakfast. I (usually) squeeze in a really small workout here and the kids love it and think I'm on the floor to play with them.

8:30: after breakfast and some play time we head back up and get ready for the day. Dressed, teeth brushed, hair combed. 

9:30 Joel's morning nap. The kids play downstairs or watch a movie while I switch loads (endless laundry around here) fold laundry, clean up breakfast, do other random chores and get lunch packed. 

11:30: Joel up. He eats and gets dressed. most days we take off to see daddy at work for lunch, Depending where he is. If not we'll do some sort of play date with friends. 

12:30-1: home for naps. Sometimes James will stay on the job with daddy, if not he generally naps too. I switch laundry (again) clean up after the crazies and start some supper prep, usually the beloved crock pot. I usually clean one room once a day.

2-3: mommas break

4-5: kids start waking up, usually at all different time in this hour.

5:30-6: daddy home. We usually catch up on our day or go for a walk. 

6-6;30: supper time. Jess and I tag team clean up after

7: Jess plays with the kiddos. While I put away laundry and picks up some more. I try to give one kid a bath/ day. 

7:45: kids bed time. Pjs on, teeth brushed, story time. Jess and I also tag team this!

8: lights out for the kiddos. 

8-10: Jess and I have some alone time. Usually watch a show and catch up more on are day. That's pretty much it. 

   I love reading people's schedules on the blogs I follow so I thought I would write mine down too. :) fun times to remember!:) 

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

Life lately and bathroom done

  This is going to be one of those posts that I try and cram 100 life events into one post. So grab a cup of coffee because your head will spin without it!

  Wow! A lot has happened since my last post in October!! Life is going like one would expect with having 3 kids three and under. There are some days where I think I will pull all my hair out and I have been known to cry with all the babies as they are all three crying together. Then I also have been enjoying my life more than I ever have.  Every evening when I lay them all down for bed and get them up in the morning. The sweet faces I see are all a little bit older than they were the night before. Watching sweet, chubby baby hands grasp something new (usually breakable) and watching a sweet mind grow. Watching a three year old make believe he is REALLY THERE with Thomas the train as he pushes him down a makeshift track. A three month old boy smile and giggle as mommy sings him a song and bounces him on her knee. I so don't want to forget these sweet moments!

   Here he is, my sweet joely pants. 3 months old, HOW?!?

**

**

**

**

 The Lord has blessed with a very sweet east going baby. He loves his mommy the most (yes I have a bit of pride as I say that!;) loves watching daddy and his siblings wrestle around every night, a little bit nervously. smiles and giggles what seems so much earlier than his siblings. He loves to be held. As I write this he is screaming bc I dared to set him down for a second. (Baby Wraps are our friends!;) 

  Lord, thank you so much for this sweet baby boy. I didn't believe you last year, around this time, when you said, trust Me everything is going to be ok. Thank you for not giving me my way, thank you for looking past my sinful, selfishness and giving me a blessings anyways! I can truly say sweet Lord, that you have been GOOD to ME!

**

**

My sweet 3&1/2 year old! Mommys big helper. He loves choo-choos and fire trucks. My sweet James! I love you so much buddy.

**

**

Here's my feisty little one year old. She is my button pusher and knob turner. We always say she looks like daddy but acts like her mommy!;) (Mom, your quite pleased with this aren't you!?;) love you my Elisey girl!!

**

**

Joel Keith 2 months

**

**

Me and my man..look were still alive...tired but alive!;)

**

** 

The bathroom is finally almost done! We have a few finishing touches but we're almost there!:) it is so nice to have it done and to have my bathroom back!:) Jess got it done the week before Christmas and I am sooo happyy!!

**

**

**

**

  See we can still get projects done with the kids..it only takes us 6 months or so!;).  Xoxo