Our Family

Our Family
Justin (16), Keturah (13), Benaiah (19), Abishai (6), Melinda, and Jared

Monday, February 29, 2016

Day 60 Cool creations

A relatively quiet Monday that was warmer than it has been (40 degrees F is warm!)  School, chores, basketball practice, keeping Abishai out of trouble, etc.  I even got to walk to Bulk Barn today to get ingredients to make home made nutella!  Hazelnuts are expensive!  $15/lb!  Oh well, I can't wait to try the recipe!  (courtesy of Heavenly Homemakers).

Keturah and her cool creation from a larger rendition of Kinex that we hadn't played with an over a year.  She was so proud of herself and said, "Can you put it on the blog?" So I did!

Day 59 Abishai, unique and yet the same

The day started with Justin complaining he didn't feel well because he didn't sleep well and was upset that he couldn't figure out why.  So, Jared stayed home with him and let Abishai stay home to nap as well.  Keturah and I went to church, as I had nursery duty.  We then spent a few hrs with a couple who are our great friends.  Back at home, we finished the day by watching Abishai got crazy over a P34 gaming controller.  Do you know what else is crazy? This kid's hair!  It's smooth and flat near the front, but wavy and rough in the back.  Check it out!  Plus, his complexion matches his cousins more than his siblings.




For our afternoon outing, I put Abishai in the same Hawaiian shirt that Benaiah had on when he was 1 when we went to Hawaii.  Check out how closely Benaiah and Abishai look in it!


The Nemo pj's that Benaiah wore pretty thin. He still loves Nemo!


Benaiah reaching for the air vent in the airplane.



Last one from the past, Jared with hair!  And he does look younger there.  Benaiah is 1 years old and this was in Hawaii.  Doesn't Abishai look like him?  Cuteness!


Saturday, February 27, 2016

Day 58 Sabbath

Sometimes Saturdays are our Sabbath day.  We get to take a break from our bookwork.  Instead, we play or do other projects.  So, here's a few shots from today:

Keturah, the interior designer, was at it again.

She moved the desk again!

After a year of begging for it, I finally had time to get out the marbleworks.  It was buried in a box that I couldn't get to because of baby gear and holiday stuff in the basement.  It was thoroughly enjoyed by all! 

What is that thing?!

Keturah found a new hiding spot, complete with electronics, chips and dip.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Day 57 Is it really spring on PEI in February?

We've had a nice warm weather pattern the last few days and it's supposed to continue! Above freezing temps, and rain, but it's not snow!  Here's our front yard from this year, February 26th, 2016, and a picture of the roads from March 4th, 2015, and one of our front yard.  What a difference a year makes!  Similar dates, one day apart, same place.  Crazy!  It's nice though because last year, we were home with a newborn so we didn't need to go out.  This year, we've had a lot of things going on, so I'm glad we don't have to bundle up too much.





Abishai has been desparately getting into anything he can, especially Justin's schoolbooks!  He loves holding onto Justin's pencil and eraser thinking, "What? Don't I get to do school, too?"



And today, I finally successfully got this kid on my back in a baby carrier!  Woot! Woot! He seemed to like it.  It didn't seem too bad on my back either.




Thursday, February 25, 2016

Day 56 Growl!

I made up for yesterday's lack of pictures and videos with today's efforts.  I'm trying to have Abishai wear the size 6-9 month SUMMER clothing although it's still WINTER here because there are certain items I want to see him in because the other two boys wore them.  Yes, I know I'm weird.  So, he had on a an old t-shirt that was probably from when I was a baby and a jumper that was Benaiah's.  Meanwhile, he had a great time with Justin's two biggest Lego minifigures, the Hulk, and Grood (DC universe).  Abishai knows how to growl and talk up a storm! Also, I figured out I can take pictures during a video on my camera, but they probably won't be on the best settings.  That's ok.  I think I can manage. Abishai's playing






Day 55 A no picture or video day!

I actually didn't take any videos or photos today! Amazing, I know! I was just too busy and too tired to think by the end of the day to come up with something.  Some days are like that.  We had homeschool co op, some slushy snow and freezing rain on the way home, school bookwork to do, dinner, etc.  So, I decided to vegetate in front of not 1 but 2 TV shows, The Flash and Agent Carter.  Some days are just too busy chasing the toddler than taking pictures of him!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Day 54 A homeschool miracle!

We should have had a huge celebration with cake or something because drumroll please...we finished by 11am!  Wowzers!  That's what happens when kids hope to their books quickly and stick to it for a long while.  Phew!  Then it was off to a few appointments this afternoon.  Here are the highlights.

First kiwi bites.

I want to do schoolwork, too, big sister!

He's not crying but laughing!  He played peek a boo a lot with the dishcloth today.

It was hard to decide on which one of this series of pictures to share.  Abishai was having a grand time with the discloth and watching everyone's reactions.  I choose this one because you can still see his cute little red cheeks AND you can see his bottom teeth!

Keturah had showed this Lego creation to me earlier today, and when I saw it tonight, I just had to capture a picture of it.  It's a cross of course, and she had a piece in the back so that it would stand upright.  Just a reminder of God's grace.

Day 53 Full, varied day


Afternoon tea time reading!


I love how the sun feflecks abci (I was really,really tired last night, so this is where I stopped. I'm leaving this here as proof, that sometimes, I just can't type and I HAVE to get to bed!)

Meanwhile, I love how the sun has been reflecting off the half melted, refrozen snow.  The snow melts making a muddy mess, and then the water refreezes! And it hasn't been above freezing again, nor has it snowed again, so this where it's at.  At least it's not like it was last year where the snow was so high we could jump off the porch onto it!


This one is for our friends, the Henry's, back in Indiana.  Abishai's ready to get his Bible Bowl on!


Brothers, much?


Monday, February 22, 2016

Day 52 More Cheese Please!


Simple Sunday, so here goes.


Keturah made a beginning and ending for racetrack, complete with an easy to break string at the finish line.


Abishai loves the cheese!  So much so, while I stepped out of the kitchen to put something away, this is what I came back to!  The little bugger had grabbed the whole cheese block and was just munching away.  He thought it was so hilarious.  


Baby teeth marks!

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Day 51 An unscheduled day

Yeah for a day with no appointments and places to be! We could relax and putter and just breathe for a bit.  I was able to get a couple of unplanned projects done like uploading Abishai's 11 mo and 12 mo pictures, reorganizing the book piles in the boys' rooms (grandparents and Christmas brought in a whole shelf full of new huge picture books!), and we caught up a bit on our history reading.

Breathing room means we can wrestle more!  Ok, I don't wrestle, but I do like to tickle!


This guy is always plotting mischief.  Today, he climbed up on the small rocking chair, climbed over the back of it onto the couch, got off the couch, and then went back to the rocking chair to do it again!


Keturah is getting so grown up!  I told her she really needed to tackle cleaning up under her bed again before it got worse.  It wasn't horrendous, but I know how bad it can get.  Well, she took it upon herself to not only clean it up, but rearrange the furniture!  What?! She pushed the bookshelf over AND moved the toy box (it's on wheels) from one side to the other! Yup, that's our Keturah once she's determined to do something!


We finally opened up the Lego Dimensions game we got for Christmas.  I had insisted that I be the one to build the main part because I don't get to build with Legos too often.  They got to build some of the vehicles and characters and they will be the ones playing the game.  It took a bit of figuring out because some of the "booklets" of instruction are actually part of the game! So I built one of the vehicles from just the picture with no instructions and almost nailed it! Wahoo!!


Here it is in all it's glory!  The big piece in the back doesn't do anything, but the bases that the characters are on do change things in the game.  Yes, you see Gandalf, Batman, Wild Style, a Velociraptor, and the guy from Jurassic World.  We already know what additional packs we'll be getting for our birthdays and Christmas gifts.  We try not to be too "stuff" oriented, but it's fun to do something like this as a family.  (As well as collect books.)


Playing the game.  Keturah is actually quite well now with these kind of video games.  A few months ago, she wouldn't have known how to use the controller.  

The day ended with this and some snowflakes and lots of wind.  No big snowstorms in sight though.  It's been an extremely mild winter both in accumulation and in temperature (25-30 degrees Fahrenheit vs. 0 degrees Fahrenheit).

Friday, February 19, 2016

Day 50 It's Friday

Yeah for Fridays! Although, we'll probably do some schoolwork tomorrow.  It's been a crazy week! But we got lots accomplished in all kinds of ways.  Here are today's pics.

One of his favorite activities is playing with the clothespin bucket.  I wonder how upset he's going to be when I start using them again.  He did venture out onto the still damp porch a couple of days ago and was a little confused.



Even the dog needs to be in the pictures sometimes.


Mom, you're trigger happy again.


Little brother loving on big brother.  And of my photography friends, the shadow is from my hand partially covering the flash.  Oops.




Justin's gorgeous smile as Abishai tries to eat his face.


Love this SO much!


Sibling love.