Great send off on the first day of school. Love these kids so much!
Colby is in 5TH GRADE, really? He has been such an awesome kid this summer. While others seemed to fall apart a little, he stepped it up - super helpful, mature, thoughtful. I'm really excited to watch where life takes this stud!
Taylor had the same wonderful teacher two years in a row and her BFF in her class three years in a row. We are going to MISS Mrs. Seely and it is hard to have new changes but I was proud of Taylor for being brave this morning despite being scared. She is amazing! Bring it on 3rd grade.
I'm really looking forward to this year for Halle! I haven't quite figured out what makes Halle tick... what motivates her and inspires her. I'm hoping a little more responsibility at school will give me some insight into this sweet little girl. Good luck in 1st grade baby:)
I started to do a whole "what we've been up to this summer post" but accidently cancelled it. So instead you get a few shots of our trip to the Blue Bell Factory today... yum!
The whole crew...
Enjoying our free sample...
Even Kendall got her first taste...
Silly girls...
Avalyn missed her friends this summer...
Too cool for pictures...
Everyone wanted their turn with the baby...
Best shot of the day IMO... except that I took it sideways for some reason;)
I consider myself a pretty fearless person. I can think of times I was nervous as a child but never paralyzed with fear. And as an adult, very few times I am even nervous. But I've learned something new about myself this summer... I am scared of heights! Like really scared of heights. When we went to Breckenridge this summer, we drove 10 miles up this gorgeous road to get to the start of the most beautiful hike I have ever been on. But in the car on the way up, there were times when a cliff was just to the side of us. Breathtaking views. But I had to turn my head or cover my eyes to avoid feeling nauseous. When we reached the top, I had to back away from the edge.
And now, we are in Destin, FL... in a 12th floor condo. And when I go on the balcony, I have to be sitting down all the way back against the wall. Otherwise, I feel dizzy. My chest tightens up. And I want to throw up! If I try to go to the edge of the balcony, I feel like I'm going to fall over. Is this weird? I had to stay back this morning while Kendall took a nap and I wanted to sit on the balcony to get some sun on my legs. I was practicing the breathing exercises I do with Tay to help her anxiety and I could not get myself to relax. I don't know why I'm blogging about this when I should be posting pictures of the beautiful beaches here but I just can't wrap my head around this new realization. Maybe it's a getting older, vertigo thing?
I'm curious - for somebody who experiences true anxiety on a daily basis... is this what it feels like? If so, my eyes have been opened. My mind is not playing out scenerios that I can talk myself through or prepare for. I literally am having a very physical reaction that is out of my control when I stand outside. Anyway... just thinking. If this is the same thing as anxiety, I am feeling more urgent about bringing Taylor to see somebody who understands it better than I can through books to give her more tools to feel less of this in her life. It is paralyzing. I keep thinking I can control it. I go outside and the physical reactions come back. Strange!
So - enjoy the view! Because I can't... haha!
We tried our hand at a very small 4X4 square ft garden this year. We planted seed way too late though so most of the things we planted have been struggling just because it's so hot! But we saw our first little baby squash today and we are all very excited! Shows how out of touch we are with our food sources - I am just still fascinated that we put a seed in the dirt and this plant has grown. Ha ha!
I think I've put off posting so long because I found my last post before baby time so humorously contradictory with how I felt after baby Kendall joined us. Specifically where the author of the article said children are light as air! I felt that way before Kendall came. But when she was born, not so much.
Here are some of the things I've been muttering to friends over the last three months.... "Whoever said 'it's all the same after three' lied" and "There just isn't enough of me" and "4 girls in a row, really?" and "too much fighting" and "too many problems"... ect. I must admit that the transition to five felt heavy for both Jared and I (in a way we have never experienced with the others) and I've been struggling a lot with feeling like there's just not enough of me to go around. My older kids also seemed to be very off after Kendall was born - a lot more arguments and general discontent in the home. I felt overwhelmed with "problems" that shouldn't be a big deal but for whatever reason... felt like a very big deal. Kendall had reflux and an allergy rash and a cross eye and a urinary tract infection which led to an ER trip. Most things I had been through with my other kids. Nothing that should be particularly overwhelming compared to the recent trials of some of my friends. I felt irrational and ungrateful. But I couldn't help it... I could step back and see that I was overreacting and wasting mental energy on blaming myself for things that weren't my fault but I couldn't stop it. It all felt like too much. Especially combined with individual concerns I have for my older kids.
Kendall is now almost 4 months old. And I am definitely feeling better. Kendall sleeps through the night which means I sleep through the night. As one wise friend said to me, "the world looks much different after a good night's rest." Kendall's not vomiting everything she eats anymore and she's a really happy baby. I'm exercising again. I love nursing. Kids are being nicer (most days). Jared is in between semesters at the moment and so he's home. We get to enjoy the sweet coos and giggles that come with a little bit of age. My perspective feels clearer. And I have a ton of gratitude... for health, for friends and for support from my family and church family.
And so now that I've gotten that off of my chest, I can start blogging again;) And I can officially welcome this sweet, healthy baby girl into our family.
Kendall Joyce Wright
Born: 02/03/2012 at 12:03pm
With mom and dad:
Coming home from the hospital:
Kendall's Blessing:
At the E.R., 6 weeks old - IV, blood drawn, catheter, spinal tap... it was horrible!
I'm sorry I've been MIA... lots of transitions, emotions, and busyness to having a new baby. I'll update soon, I'm sure! But in the meantime, we got a couple of codes for free Shutterfly books so we made these great hard bound books for the girls and they wanted to share on my blog. Enjoy:)
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