I love them.

Do you ever have days where you feel like your heart is going to explode from all the love you have for your family? Will is snoring on the couch next to me and I'm just relishing in the messy house. I just love these boys. And their daddy. And, man, they are cute! They make me try SO hard to be good. To be kind. To love unconditionally. I think that's why God created families--it forces us to try and be our best selves because we have so many little eyes on us. I love these boys. They are so gritty and rough and have hearts as big as the moon.


Tonight after dinner, Will asked if we could go to the store to buy chocolate muffins from the bakery. I'll say yes to pretty much anything that is one-on-one time with the boys. He asked so sweetly and was so genuinely excited to have this special "field trip" with me, even if Matt tagged along. Will is VERY active, but he is so kind and his heart is always in the right place. His future wife is a lucky girl. She will be treasured and cherished and served abundantly by Will.


Duke. My bug lover, who collects at least 5 bugs a day. Man, I love this kid and I love that he just loves to wander, just like me. He gets a sword in his hand, or starts digging in the dirt and he just gets in his own little world.

After 3 months of praying about it, the answer finally came and we are holding off another year for starting kindergarten. Now that I have had that strong answer, it all seems so clear to me, I'm not sure why I didn't see it before. I'm thrilled to have him at home for another year.


It's been raining nonstop for a few days with no break in sight. What to do? Have a water balloon fight of course.


I have been sewing a lot lately and Duke loves to use my scraps for all of his pirate/ninja/power ranger/knight purposes.


This kid. One in a million. He's cheated death (no joke) three days this week. He is very bright and his understanding of verbal directions floors me. He adores his brothers and just wants to do everything they are doing. He knows how to find their classrooms at school independently and find almost anything in the house that you're looking for. He is obsessed with shoes because shoes mean going outside.he loves putting his shoes on and taking them off again. He does shatter more things than both of my boys combined, but whatever. They're just things. He's sweeter than pie.


He also loves Costco churros.


Will and his future wife, Meara, at wellness day at school. Will has such a great smile. He's just about to lose one of his front teeth.




Will's smile even made it on his elementary school's FB profile picture. His first grade class had an egg incubator and after 21 days, six chicks hatched. I bought Will a special shirt that happened to be at Kohls for the occasion that says, "I have chicks all over me." He wore it 3 days in a row.


Will, Duke, and Matty, when you are reading this in 20 years and you finally care that I kept a blog and paper journal for all these years, I want you to know that at this very moment as I type this, I don't know if I could love you more. You're excellent. You're incredible. You're perfect, and I am so proud to be your mom. So proud.