On Friday, my brother Isaac came over and met baby Sarah for the first time:
Yesterday after lunch I started reading the kids Little House in the Big Woods. It was a long first chapter and Jacob was so cozy that he fell sound asleep as he listened.
Last night I sat out on the grass and watched Rich and Davy have one of their pull-up contests down at the playset. Davy is amazingly strong but he lost to Daddy this time.
Someone at church needed an updated family picture so last night we got out the tripod and took a few. This one was my favorite.
I haven’t felt like blogging lately. I love journalling my life here but at the moment I’m focused on taking care of the new baby, and the housework, and now that my other children are back home (after spending a week at Grandma’s) I am spending my time with them. I’m really tired but it helps to concentrate on loving the children, and doing things with them like eating our meals, walking to the chicken coop together, hanging out in their bedrooms together so I can watch them play as I nurse Sarah, reading, playing games, talking, etc.
My goal is to continue taking pictures and posting them when I can, I love photographing my life and writing!
This and that:
-I’m reading A Chance to Die, by Elizabeth Elliot. It’s a biography about Amy Carmichal.
-My mom and I both think this homemaking tip is helpful: When our kitchen dishclothes start getting a little stinky, we run a sink of water, add some bleach, and let them soak. It helps keep them nice and bright, too. I have some soaking today.
-Every once in a while, you should check to make sure your dog’s collar isn’t on too tight. Our dog had to go to the vet last week, with an infection. Now he has to stay indoors with us until he is completely healed. He is not a house dog and we have to keep a constant eye on him, my brain can’t handle anymore responsibilities, LOL.
-Sarah has to eat every 2-2 and a half hours. She gets up at around 1-ish and 5-ish in the nights. It usually takes me over an hour to get her back to sleep.
-I’ve been reading this blog a lot (her archives). It inspires me. As a gift after having Sarah, Rich gave me a laptop so I can sit on the couch and read articles as I nurse the baby.
– I stopped to change 2 dirty diapers as I wrote this blog.
Sarah is starting to fuss so I better go for now!
Thanks for stopping by!
Shanda
Good to be Home 
Love your family picture.
So nice to see you on here. Even when you think you have nothing to say, I still like your blogs! Your everyday life is fun to read about. Glad you’re enjoying your summer and new baby. =)
Great photo!
your family picture is beautiful!!! Life with a new baby is very busy and tireing…soon things will settle down though!
My 3 year old was sitting on my lap while reading this post. When he saw the picture of the swing set, he said, “Can we go visit them sometime?”. Don’t feel like you don’t have anything to say. I love just hearing about your days and seeing pics of you sweet children!
Great family photo! So nice of Rich to give you a laptop- he loves you so much! Our dog’s collar tends to get too loose, and then he gets loose… Picked something up for you yesterday, I’ll try to get it out to you soon! Love ya!
Love the family photo! Glad you desire and are blessed to be so involved in your childrens life. Your family will have such wonderful memories of growing up. {{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}
Love the family pic!Seth looks so big.It’s funny how a newborn makes the”previous”baby suddenly look so grown-up!May God bless you with strength and patience as you take care of your family.
Shanda, I love the rhythm that you are in….relaxing, nursing, enjoying baby, enjoying your children, taking it easy. That’s exactly what you should be doing. Why do we think that we need to be and moving and grocery shopping a week after the baby is born? Oh no, enjoy this time. It really does so quickly as I know you know What sweet pictures of the family being home and enjoying each other. I love Eyes of Wonder too. Beautiful blog!~Cinnamon
I like your family photo! Enjoy your day 🙂
I love Eyes of Wonder. So…. glad you posted something about it ~ I had taken it off my reader as Jewels hadn’t posted in so long. I thought she had decided to stop completely. I hadn’t wandered over there for quite some time. However, your blog is equally as wonderful to visit – really!So glad everything is going so well. Take your time in blogging – priorities are priorities! Just be blessed!Lori
hi shanda……so happy to see a post from you today! i appreciate you taking the time to do so. i love your blog no matter what you write about! and how nice of rich to give you the laptop. the convenience of one is so nice. i like taking ours out on the porch. keep enjoying your beautiful family!
Love hearing from you when you can…so good to think of you enjoying your little baby and the rest of the children. Not feeling so hot this week. My ear is a bit infected and so my body jumps in and feels lousy. Today finally looks like a summer day We have been having “june gloom” with lots of gray skies.
Wonderful pictures! The dishcloth tip is great. I tend to keep a spray bottle of vinegar under my kitchen sink and if I notice one smells off, I spray it down before throwing it in the wash. That also does the trick.
Dearest Shanda…sometimes I only have enough time to enjoy your photos and music…and that leaves me totally satisfied. Love to you and your family, Mary
I love the family photo!! I love reading your blog:)
Love the new family photo Seth’s face is wonderful! Love ya PS I have blog request Get Grace all dolled up and Sara too and take them to the woods ~maybe put babie in a basket or on a new soft blankie or on a mossy stone. (think Pink maybe pink and white bows )Love ya SIS
Great family picture. I think I feel more refreshed after reading your blog. The music and the joy of everyday living is so refreshing in this rat race world. Thank you for sharing.
I so wonder how you do it… how much time do you spend reading blogs/on the computer? I KNOW I spend too much time and I am working on it, I was just wondering how you do it! thanks for sharing your life with us… it inspires me (sometimes)
I wondered if that blog link was going to pull up Eyes of Wonder. 🙂 I love her playlist. Now that I think about it, I found out about that blog from you, when you linked to the part about journaling….something I haven’t done for awhile!