This weekend was full of family fun! My little niece, Naomi, had her third birthday and I really wanted to see her on her special day so Amanda and I planned on getting our families together on Saturday. She and Jason came over for breakfast, with their children—my nieces Abbie and Naomi, and my little nephew Weston.
As an extra special treat, our parents came out for a visit, too. They arrived here at about 11:30 on Saturday morning. There was a lot going on and I didn’t take many pictures. However, when the family all decided to go out for a walk, I had to stay home with Seth, so JACOB took the camera and got these pictures:
This is my sister Amanda, her husband Jason, and their one year old son, Weston.
Ethan and my Dad, with Parker the dog. Dad helped Ethan with his dog quite a bit this weekend, and gave him lots of helpful suggestions about how to train him and take care of him better. My Dad loves animals.
My beautiful little nieces, Abigail (8 years old) and Naomi (3 years old). They make me smile.
My dear Dad.
Grace took her rabbit on the walk. They wore matching fur.
Other pictures:
I really like all the love in this picture: Dad with his arm around Mom, Mom’s hand on Caleb’s head, Dad patting Caleb’s back.
It’s no wonder Caleb and Dad ended up falling asleep together on the couch.
Me and my baby…..
Rich and I played a game of bananagrams this weekend.
Please pray for us, Rich is gone on a business trip. He leaves today and will be back on Thursday night.
Last night Seth slept 7 and a half hours! (from 9:30-5) He’s growing and I really think he changed this weekend, he seems heavier and his face is fuller. He smiles all the time, too, which adds such joy to our family. Jacob is still the sibling who holds him the most….
I think I like the evenings the very best of all, after the other children are in bed. Rich and I turn off most of the lights in the house, leaving on just a lamp in the livingroom. We watch TV together while I nurse Seth. He gets his bath every other night, in the kitchen sink. Last night was bath night and oh how he loves to soak in that nice warm water. After his bath, and after he’s all rubbed with lotion and dressed, he is so relaxed. Rich laughed at how drowsy and limp he was last night, he could hardly keep his eyes open. There is so much satisfaction in a contented babykins, especially when he’s your very own.
Last weekend Caleb started the family off on the stomach bug. Grace had it on Friday and half the day on Saturday. Rich had it Sunday. Thankfully, right now everyone is feeling fine. It’s a rainy day (cold and wet). I think the children will have to play inside today, after their schoolwork is done.
My biggest goal for today? To catch up on the laundry!
Please take the time to say hello, I truly enjoy hearing from each of you.
Blessings and love,
~Shanda
Good to be Home 
Wonderful pictures, Shanda. Seth sure is getting big. I will be praying while Rich is away. My husband is leaving May 1 for 3 weeks.I’m not looking forward to it but I’m trying not to dwell. Grace’s bunny sure is big! Have a great day. I have laundry to catch up on too, today and every day lol.
Take care~Cindy
I really enjoyed these pictures. I agree, the picture of your parents and Caleb is so sweet~
Seth is so adorable & is getting so big! My goal is to catch up on laundry as well =) I ran out of laundry soap for 2 days (forgot to have my husband pick it up), and it is amazing how much laundry piles up in such a short time!
Have a wonderful day Shanda!
I love that pic of Caleb on the couch with your parents…the fact that he has one sock and both shoes on is a riot.
I always enjoy reading about your life, even if I don’t always post a comment. Seth is about the same age as our sweet Adam would be and for some reason it’s easier to read about what he’s up to than it is to deal with the babies in real life that are in that stage around me. I hope that reading your blog and lots of prayer will help me rejoice with my friends who are rejoicing over their new additions as well.
Parker got SO big!! Wow, I guess puppies do that. Love the family time you had, thanks for the pictures.
Your baby Seth is just so adorable! I am glad you are getting more sleep lately. What a joyous precious family time you had too!
Your baby is getting bigger and has changed so much. So cute! Sounds like a fun weekend with family!
That pic of the two sleeping on the couch ~ hilarious!
Oh boy, LAUNDRY!!!!! Let’s not talk about laundry!!!! It seems like that’s all I do and yet there is always someone complaining they have no clean clothes.
Seth is so absolutely adorable! Everytime I see him my heart just melts. Give him a squeeze for me today!
Loved the picture of Grace with her bunny. The hat makes the picture.
i L O V E the green! we are still waiting for it up here! it’s rained sooo much lately i’m sure it won’t take long.Grace must take good care of her bunny,because he is huge!you have a great crew of good-looking men in your house! i’m happy your littlest man is sleeping more at night…thats great!…i just looked out the window and we have an inch of snow,i sure hope it melts soon.(as for the laundry?i better get busy!lol)
So wonderful to have your family with you. Tell Jacob good job getting some family shots on the walk! Your sweet nieces and Grace with her bunny…loved em! All the family love going on is great! Your Seth looks like such a bright eyed little guy. I will be praying for you this week! hugs, Jenny
What a nice weekend…and oh how I love a just bathed and lotioned drowsy baby!! 🙂
we have the same goals! lol… laundry is bacccked way up in my house hold.
Your weekend sounds wonderful. I’m on day 9 of hubby gone:( 3 more days to go. My kids were sick the entire time!!!
Hello Shanda! 🙂 Thanks for all that you share with us here…the fun, the beautiful, the special, the real and the hard. I am so enjoying your new little Seth! He.Is.So.Beautiful. Praying.Praying about this time that Rich is away.
sounds like a wonderful family time! That’s so cute that Grace takes her bunny on a walk…never actually heard of that… 🙂
Laundry, same story everywhere.Yesterday I whacked it for a few days.
Hang in there!
Isaac and I love the pictures but who is Jacon?….Is that my husband? Hope your day is going well we love the picture of Dad! Miss you Amanda
You have such young parents !!!! Your Mom looks a little like Diane Keaton in that photo. That’s a beautiful family you have there.I love getting together with family too!
Hello,from Pa.I enjoy your posts and all your pictures! You have a lovely family.
hello I stopped by 🙂
Seth does look older Shanda! What size clothes is he wearing these days?
Looks like a wonderful, family, love-filled weekend! Love the pictures. Grace’s bunny looks so big! I will be praying for you as Rich is away.
Love reading your posts and enjoy all your special family pictures. So glad you had a great time with family. I’ll be praying for you this week as Rich is away.
Happy laundry day .
What a fun weekend that looks like; there’s nothing better than time spent with family! Hope you can survive the rest of the week without hubby…saying a prayer for you!
I love all your posts and pictures. I enjoy seeing the baby grow. The picture of Daddy holding him while playing games is precious. Daddy is so involved in the game, baby is SMILING for the camera. SWEETNESS!
The picture of your dad and Caleb is so precious. And I too love the picture with your mom, dad and Caleb… it’s amazing how much love can be caught in a picture like that!!! 🙂 Praying for you as Rich is gone… ***Hugs*** ❤ Jami
Sweet Grace and her bunny, guys fall asleep in the strangest places, family togetherness and a beautiful blue eyed baby face…praying for God’s protective wings over all of you this week. May the Lord comfort and grant you peace dear friend.
Love the photos. There is just so much expressed in each!! What a blessing family is. So glad you little one is sleeping so well at night….makes for a much happier mommy =). I love the pix of your dad and you little guy asleep on the couch. How do those little ones sleep like that and still move the next day. My neck would be stiff for a month LOL.
taking the time to say ‘HELLO” often I have little comments, but don’t want to “bother” you with all the other wonderful comments you get! 🙂 I always love your pictures and am encouraged by your stories!! sometimes I come just to listen to your music! :)btw, there is no such thing as being caught up on laundry!! 🙂 and I only have 4 kids!
You can tell Seth is growing! He looks so much “older” in the picture with Rich. He look so alert and happy!!
I’m glad you had a good weekend!
I LOVE all your family pictures!! You have a very loving, sweet family! Seth is growing and filling out a little more =)
I love the pictures, glad you guys had such a nice weekend with your parents. Missed seeing you at church on Sunday. Hope you guys have a good week, and that it goes by fast for you. Love, Trish
haLooo =) hahaaahaaa
good to know that u got a sweet family day with ur beloved family =)
luv ya xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
you are an inspiration you have a beautiful family god bless jackie
Ahhhhh, the cuteness continues! I love that you have a budding photographer who can step in when you are busy! He did an awesome job!!! Grace and her bunny match each other in fur and in cuteness! All of the pictures are fun to look at and they show that you all had a good, loving time! I pray that your Rich gets home safely on Thursday and that you and your crew do better than you might expect! Love, GAil
You have a beautiful family.
HI! I love the family pics. I saw Isaac on Sunday and told him I was envious that he was going to spend a whole week in CT! I’ll have my turn . . .someday. I love you! Lish
What a fun visit from family! Those are always so SPECIAL!! My sister and family are coming to see us in a week from Pa. Hurrah!
Looks like a wonderful weekend! Thanks for sharing the pics.
Looks like your whole family is thriving in the early spring weather!
Coming to your blog is like curling up on the couch and reading my favorite book. :)I’m so glad things are going better for you.
aren’t lazy family days some of the best! Glad you got to enjoy your family for a little while…..
Sweet, beautiful, loving families always make me smile!
YAY! I am so glad you were all able to be together this weekend, what a special treat that your parents also joined you. Your dad has such a kind, kind look about him (and your mom does too, but something about your dad touched me just now…). Yes, that is a PRECIOUS picture of your parents and Caleb!I am sorry Rich has to leave again. Terry has had to work late the last couple of days, and giving him up for even a few extra HOURS, not to mention DAYS, is hard for me…with only one child, too! Yesterday I was reading the “it’s twinsanity” blog. That dear mother has 6 children, 6 and under (including 2-year-old twins and 6-month-old twins), lives nowhere near family, and her husband is away for 5 months (military)! I just can’t even imagine. Thankfully that woman knows the Lord and experiences His grace, as you and I do. I hope and pray this week will go smoothly and quickly for you, and I know your sweet children will help all they can.Love,Angie
Smiling here. I loved the picture of your Dad with a sleeping Caleb. What blessings you have!
What a great post full of family! Your blessings were quite evident in all the pictures and also evident was how much you love them all. I put off laundry yesterday and today I think it may be nice enough to hang some clothes out on the line while the children play – how great would that be?
Aw, it looks like you had a wonderful weekend! Little Seth is growing up so fast; I agree, his face is already changing a lot. I think he looks so much like his daddy and big brothers 🙂
Ethan is growing so tall –Is he the oldest?—Dad and Calab look like a sore neck when waking up. Reminds me of my grandson Austin when that age trying to mimic every thing that pop pop did. I have some pictures someplace showing him squtting against the wall just like I was doing–It was a hoot.
I could not believe the unconceerned attitude of the little guy in the river-boat–That was so cute I had to laugh–You are a great mom–I’m 73 years old and I told Inez the other day after some excursion you all were on.–Don’t laugh–I wish she was my mon.–Now I really did not say that did I???
Praying for Richs Safe Return–Also that you will be kept from all harm Remain Healthy–And to continue to have fun as you -lead–guide–cook–care- bathe-nurse-teach–discipline- sleep
such fun! your mom strikes me like such a sweet, feminine kind of lady i’d like to know better… 🙂