Instagram Pic: November 30, 2018 at 05:37PM

Just over here making all the Christmas crafts on this Friday night. 🎄✨☃️

Instagram Pic: November 27, 2018 at 03:26PM

Warning: long post ahead. 😬 I love being a mama. When I was little and people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I almost always said I wanted to be a mom and have 12 kids. No joke. And now that we have five kids, I’m not going to lie, I absolutely LOVE it, but it’s not always roses and butterflies around here. The other day I jokingly told Dustin that the fifth child broke us because we’ve been feeling emotionally and physically drained basically everyday since this guys’ birth 👆. With four kids it seemed we could still keep our heads above water, things usually got done on time, I got around to dusting and wiping the floors more than once a month (😬🙈), and I could keep up with the laundry. Then number five came along and everything was survival mode, as it usually is for a little while with a newborn, but I think we’ve been in that survival mode for what seems like an awfully long time now. That’s not to say that we don’t have easy days and lots and lots of wonderful moments and I wouldn’t trade this life with anyone, ever. But, ya know, I just want to be honest and say that it’s usually very loud over here, I’m not always patient with my kids, there are lots of messes, lots of laundry, and I am tired pretty much constantly! Social media sometimes can be deceiving because we don’t usually post our most difficult moments, crabby kids (crabby mom), or piles of messes. But those things exist! I read in a book a few years ago that when you feel like you’re at a 10/10 chaotic and stress level for a while then you may need to reset and make that 10 your new 1. So if you’re in the same spot as I am I just want you to know you’re not alone and we all just might need a reset for a while! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t ever want to wish these little years away because I love them SO much and I know I’ll look back and give everything to get these days back. The squishy cheeks, the couch cuddles, the noises, the messy faces, the chaos, the toys everywhere, all of it. But I think it’s ok to feel two things at once... (continued in comments) 👇

Instagram Pic: November 26, 2018 at 01:56PM

We finished putting up the final Christmas decorations, I’m *almost* done with the Christmas shopping, and we’re already on our second carton of egg nog (mostly my fault 😬) and it’s still November. 🙌 Now, if we could just get this school semester wrapped up before winter break that would be great! . . . . #homeschool #homeschoollife #homeschoolmom

Instagram Pic: November 25, 2018 at 01:34PM

I’m so thankful that her favorite things right now are books, American girl dolls, and calico critters because she looks so grown up in this picture and I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for her to grow up. 😭 #emeryesther

Instagram Pic: November 25, 2018 at 01:24PM

Can I just hit pause on this age right here?? 😍😭😴 . #ninemonths #fentonleo #babiesdontkeep #momentslikethese

Instagram Pic: November 24, 2018 at 08:09PM

Planning and organizing the advent activities for the season is one of my favorite things about this time of year. 🎄✨☃️❄️

Instagram Pic: November 22, 2018 at 04:20PM

Post mashed potato, turkey, wild rice, and cranberries nap. 🦃😴

Instagram Pic: November 21, 2018 at 07:45PM

It just wouldn’t be the day before a major holiday if not for last minute hair cuts all around. 😆🤦🏻‍♀️✂️

Instagram Pic: November 21, 2018 at 12:27PM

Let the Holiday baking begin! 🦃🎄🥧🍾 #tistheseason #thanksgiving #thankfulforthesepeople

Instagram Pic: November 19, 2018 at 04:02PM

We mostly emptied this front space yesterday so we can fill it up with all things Christmas on Friday. I honestly wasn’t thrilled about taking the boxes out and putting everything up this year for whatever reason, but then we’ve had quite a few dreary, cold, and gray days lately so some twinkle lights, Christmas music, and all the other festive additions sound pretty okay right now. 🎄✨

Instagram Pic: November 18, 2018 at 12:27PM

Today we are rearranging the house to make room for a Christmas tree and all of the seasonal things + emptying flower pots and winterizing the yard...a tiny bit late (😬🙈). Can someone tell me how it is almost Thanksgiving?? 🦃

Instagram Pic: November 18, 2018 at 11:33AM

Emery set him next to her side with a book and asked me to take their picture. One book worm + one soon to be book worm? 📚😍 . Also, side note: She just started reading the Harry Potter series last week and she’s now partway through book two. Would you let your almost 9 year old read all of the books on her own, only let her read through the first three (more mild) books and wait on the last four until she’s a couple years older, or read the last four with her? 🤔

Instagram Pic: November 17, 2018 at 08:22PM

💗 these morning moments in our bed. So many little bodies and arms and toes and rosy cheeks and wet kisses and snuggly bed-heads all squashed and cozy together. 😴💕

Instagram Pic: November 13, 2018 at 12:35PM

Making sesame biscuits for our history project today. Except we were out of sesame seeds so we made them into parmesan biscuits. 😆🤷🏻‍♀️ #homeschoollife

Instagram Pic: November 13, 2018 at 08:52AM

Morning fuzz-head baby. 🌤 This guy finally started real crawling yesterday, he started sitting up in his crib and pulling himself up (time to put the crib setting down!), and got his fifth tooth, which also means I have a fresh open wound from those sharp chompers (😫). #9monthsold #alittlelate #fentonleo

Instagram Pic: November 12, 2018 at 04:15PM

Another day, another sleeping baby. 😴 . #sleepingbabies #cantgetenough #cantstopwontstop #thesearethedays #motherhoodsimplified

Instagram Pic: November 11, 2018 at 09:38PM

We had some family pictures taken by the amazing @victoriaconnersphotography and I’m so excited to finally get some pictures of all seven of us framed and up on our wall!

Instagram Pic: November 11, 2018 at 02:38PM

✨Soaking up every last ounce of this✨

Instagram Pic: November 11, 2018 at 11:49AM

Grandma teaching Emery some embroidery stitches yesterday. 💗

Instagram Pic: November 10, 2018 at 10:42PM

These two little buddies. 💛💛Just hanging out at grandma and grandpa’s and hoping Daisy pup comes by to say hello. 🐶

Instagram Pic: November 10, 2018 at 01:04PM

I don’t know about the rest of you but I think babies are the easiest age. Sure they keep you up at night and require lots of feeding and rocking and holding during the day. And most of my babies haven’t even been the most easygoing infants. But they also don’t talk back, don’t eat three bowls of oatmeal and seven pieces of bacon and then want a snack immediately after, they make much smaller messes, they take naps, they are quieter, and they are the squishiest!!! (Ok, maybe that last part doesn’t matter.) Of course I love all of my kids at every age and stage but I do think the baby stage is the easiest of all the stages so far. Who’s with me? . #babies #9months #thesearethedays #joyfulmamas

Instagram Pic: November 09, 2018 at 02:48PM

And so it begins... ❄️ ⛄️🧣🧤

Instagram Pic: November 08, 2018 at 01:24PM

Oscar made it home from co-op, Fenton woke up, and now we’re reading a library book before Astrid takes her nap. I love these days. #onedayhh

Instagram Pic: November 08, 2018 at 10:37AM

Running a quick post office and library errand with this little lady as Fenton naps (dad’s at home working 😉). #onedayhh

Instagram Pic: November 08, 2018 at 08:58AM

Dustin brought the oldest three to co-op, so I get to hang out with these two for the morning. Coloring, some morning dancing, laundry, breakfast clean up, and coffee will be happening soon. 9:00am #onedayhh

Instagram Pic: November 06, 2018 at 07:45PM

A quick picture from this morning of these two babies. I want to remember these two exactly like this, all squishy in their pjs, because too soon they won’t be babies anymore and I just can’t handle that thought. And if they look about the same size it’s because they are...almost the same size. #chubbybabiesarethebest #nomnom #everydaymoments #joyfulmamas #thesearethedays

Instagram Pic: November 06, 2018 at 07:45PM

A quick picture from this morning of these two babies. I want to remember these two exactly like this, all squishy in their pjs, because too soon they won’t be babies anymore and I just can’t handle that thought. And if they look about the same size it’s because they are...almost the same size. #chubbybabiesarethebest #nomnom #everydaymoments #joyfulmamas #thesearethedays

Instagram Pic: November 04, 2018 at 01:12PM

It’s cold and sort of snow/raining today as we made our way into and out of church. These days I’m so thankful for a cozy home to get back to, a warm meal, and friends and family to spend time with. #sundays

Instagram Pic: November 03, 2018 at 09:38PM

Just a couple brothers drawing chalk robots. 🤖 🤖🧡

Instagram Pic: November 02, 2018 at 05:04PM

These two blonde/blue-eyed babes seem to look more and more alike everyday. Especially when they happen to both be wearing stripes and overalls. 😘 #astridevangeline #oscardanielranem

Instagram Pic: November 02, 2018 at 04:18PM

Dustin and I went on a late birthday date to some of our favorite places today. Of course that included a stop for coffee. 😍☕️