Life

I sit here puzzled to how September crept in so quickly. Fall is in the air. The slant of sunlight streaming through the window is just a bit lower, dimmer, proving that summer is fading. Tomatoes are red on the vine and our Japanese Maple has a few crimson leaves amongst the deeper purple. School is three weeks in. Spelling test and vocabulary lists are hung on the fridge and constantly on my mind. Life here keeps moving on. And I'm ready to move with it. Pregnancy is a time of countdown and while we are still waiting for September 11th to pass, bringing an end to Rich's written board exam, I am excited to simply enjoy every day for what it is: Life. Each day a precious blessing. Yes, our future is a bit uncertain with a probable move to Cincinnati next summer, but for now our life is here and I want to enjoy each moment.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I am already itching to pull out the Halloween decor, but will patiently wait until the first official day of Halloween, October 1st. I love the cinnamon spice soaps in the bathroom and the fresh, cool scent you find outdoors as the world begins to change to warm autumn hues. I love to bake sweet breads and create pots of bubbling soup on my stove top. I love thinking about the kids' costumes and finding orange and black outfits for them to wear through the month of October. Even today the girls and I ran into our local Halloween Express (the ultimate creepy store!) in search of an Ariel wig and happily skipped out the door with bright red flowing hair that made Brynn squeal in delight.

This time of year is especially nice since I have so much to enjoy. My mom flew into Lexington yesterday. We are lucky to get to keep her until next Tuesday. There's nothing like having your mom around to visit with, run errands and simply enjoy each other's company. We only wish my dad could have tagged along for the fun.

I was eager for my mom to meet our little bundle of blue but he simply isn't too little anymore, even though he should still be snug inside my belly until September 6. The way he's rapidly growing, I'm sure glad he's outside instead of in. His very favorite pastime is sleeping (during the day), and often seems like a surgery patient coming out of anesthesia- nearly impossible to keep those heavy eyelids open. He's an amazing eater, inhaling 4 ounces at every feeding. When you brush his cheek, he turns into one of my dear baby robins popping his mouth open for needed nourishment. The second creature he resembles is a shark. The second he senses the bottle is close, he'll turn his head with such force it reminds me of a shark coming in for the kill. Zach has nearly outgrown his newborn diapers and onsies and is topping the scale at 10 pounds. He was 100% in height at his two week check up, so it seems he'll be giving giant Josh a run for the money in the future. The other day I was wondering where my tiny newborn babe went, but then realized he wasn't too tiny when he arrived and was over nine pounds at two weeks. Good thing he's a boy. He's a sweet fella that rarely fusses and makes me love newborns in a way I had never before. I guess that is what happens when you have two sets of twins and a difficult first born. Who knew I could be such a baby lover? What a wonderful realization since Zach will certainly be my last. My last baby to smother in kisses. My last little one to cuddle at night and sing songs to in the dark. And yet, my life feels complete. Six sounds like the perfect round number to be perfectly content with forever.

The baby isn't the only one busy learning and growing. The boys' lives are full with school, homework, scouts, piano (Trey) and soccer begins this week. It's the golden fall for soccer, as all the boys are on the same team. This magical season only happens every two years, and I'm thrilled it is this one since we'll have a new added cheerleader I'll be holding on the sidelines. The girls first dance class starts in two weeks and it was a joyous day when tap and ballet shoes were purchased while Rich's mom was here visiting. I think every inch of wood floor was hopped, stomped and clicked on as they tapped, tapped, tapped their way around the house. It made me smile to see my girls growing and finding things they have a passion for.

My dad sweetly asked for more photos of our new little guy, but my 6 year old computer is dying and will not allow me to upload photos. Drat. Who wants to blog when you can't add pictures to spice things up? I've called on our computer genius friends and family (Todd and Greg) and I am hoping to get a new system ordered this week. Thanks heavens for Rich's dad's old laptop he mailed to Rich when he was living in D.C.. At least I can do basic Internet functions. I am sure without, I'd be experiencing computer with drawl symptoms- full body shakes and twitches- by now.

One more big thing was getting a new ride. Yup. We had fully outgrown our beloved Toyota Sienna and needed a new 8 seat vehicle. After hours and hours of scouring the Internet and a night spent at the local Honda dealership, we decided on a Honda Pilot. 4 wheel drive, 8 seats, leather interior and I was sold. We headed to Louisville and just north of the river where we bought a used 2007 Pilot in Clarksville, IN. While I miss the convenience of a van, it's very nice to have a car we all can fit into. A much needed necessity of life.

And there you have it. My life in a nutshell. We are doing well. The girl have adjusted to the baby with love and smiles and constant helping hands. The boys are riding the bus home from school (a whole 2 minute trek) since they have a stop on our road this year, which frees me of my weekly carpool duty. The weather is lovely and I am surrounded by a family I love. Yes, there is often drama from kids, tears from fights, children roaming upstairs when they should be tucked in bed and even a few "sick" kids sent home from school which I knew were faking. Even I spaced Trey's piano lesson a few weeks ago. My house often is filled with chaos and clutter that having six kids brings. But I'd take in all and a million times more, just to have my family. The good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. For they are the riches of life. The happiest bits that you could never live without. Overall, life is pretty sweet. And I am doing my best to make sure I appreciate it every day.