Summer Moments

Summer is in full swing around here. The days are SO exhausting right now, and I'm in need of a little positive thinking! So I thought I'd post some of my favorite moments lately to remind myself how good life is with these 6 little people, and how grateful I am that I get to stay home with them every day.

Kate is 5 months old. How did this happen? You'd think I would be used to how quickly they grow, but I'm just not! She is so darling and smiley. Having babies in my home is my favorite thing ever.

Whenever we drive around Ellie reads aloud to the boys. It's a win for all of us! She gets in some voluntary reading time, and the boys get a story, which they love.

Nathan lost his top two teeth, and he's just about the cutest thing ever. Actually, just a few minutes ago he pulled out another tooth! When did he get big enough for this whole tooth-losing thing?

Ellie loves to grab my phone and take selfies whenever she gets a chance. There are about 4 million just like this. Her just-home-from-the-splash-pad hair is cracking me up.

Ellie did Lydia's hair and the resemblance is striking, if you ask me!

Speaking of Ellie and hair, she's very into trying new hairstyles right now. She was quite proud of this bun she did and asked me to take a picture so she could admire her work.

Jonah sure loves his littlest sister! All of the kids do, really. Seeing their budding relationships is one of my greatest joys. They genuinely love each other and it shows in their interactions.

Sweet little Lydia! I love when she falls asleep like this.

Warming up on the concrete at the splash pad.

Sweet Kate watching her siblings play in the water.

Tommy's silly face,

and Lydia's attempt at copying him.

Lydia begs to sit here instead of her seat. Silly girl!

Kate's first time putting her feet in the water at the splash pad, plus my awesome hair. I love introducing my babies to the water and seeing their reactions. (Can you tell we spend a lot of time here during the summer? Also note how ragged I look. This was when Sam was on a work trip for a few days. Why is it so hard when Daddy is gone?)

More splash pad shenanigans. I love that my bigger kids like to play with the little ones.

Another carseat picture of my darling baby. I can't get enough of her sweet, round face.

Another selfie by Ellie. She's such a good big sister. I will miss her and all of her help when she goes back to school!

Lydia insists on holding Kate's hand whenever we are in the car. It's the cutest thing in the world!

I am trying my best to enjoy doing all of the little kid activities this summer because I can feel my stage of motherhood shifting from all tiny kids to some "big" and some little, and it's a little strange to me. I feel semi-confident with my ability to parent toddlers (most days! ha!), but bigger kids are new territory for me.

The days drag on, yet are whizzing by. I know before long the older kids won't want to hang out at the park or splash pad all day, and things will change. It makes me a little sad. But for now, I am so grateful for my family and all things SUMMER!