More Strange Sightings

Blake checked on her and she was asleep on the floor...what a nut!
That's the night light shining...sorry about that.
Does this look comfortable to you?

Check Out Those Eyes

Now, I realize that I'm totally biased, but that is one good lookin' little boy. Aiden will be 4 1/2 in a few days...and he seems so big to me lately. I mean, I know he's gonna be the big brother of 3 little sisters soon...so he probably should be older. But his mannerisms, and vocabulary, and train of thought lately, seem so grown up. I started doing preschool at home with him and Gracen last week, and they are really enjoying it...especially Aiden. He is so excited to learn how to write letters and to sound words out. I totally set myself up to believe that I couldn't teach him at home, because we wouldn't work well together...but he is proving me wrong. We actually work great together. (It's his little sister that's proving to be more challenging) Blake and I have started praying about school for him next Fall. I know it seems far off, but with another baby coming along and life happening, it's going to fly by. We have a really great public school down the road, with lots of parental involvement. It's the kind of school I always pictured my kids going to. We also have the option of homeschooling for a little while...which surprisingly God has really changed my heart on. And the other school option for us, seems like such a great combination. It's a university model school. Aiden would go to school T/Th and be home the other days. It's kind of in between homeschooling and private school. So I would be homeschooling him M/W. It's also much more affordable then all day private. My best friend Kendall's daughter started Kinder there this year...so as with most things we watch Kendall and Adam go first at all things "children", and see how it works out for them. It's a pretty good system. :)

But back to Aiden...I am really enjoying him. I really like age 4. He's turning into such a considerate, compassionate, and thoughtful little guy. He reminds me so much of his Daddy. I get such a kick out of our dialogue...actually his dialogue with most people makes me laugh. He has quite the vocabulary, and once he hears a word he adds it into the mix quickly. His latest saying to everything is "Well, I suppose so." So I'll say "Aiden do you want to play outside with your cars?" His response, "Well, I suppose so." My parents came over a few weeks ago, and my dad was rubbing Aiden's head, while he played with his Leapster. He paused his game, looked up at my dad and said, "Grandad, you're really distracting me." Oh, what are we going to do with him? I can only imagine Blake as a little boy. I am so blessed to have this little guy as the protector of ALL these girls!

A Proud Moment

Grier finally has enough hair to have bed head! Let me wipe the tears from my eyes...

Sisters

This was a sweet moment. The girls were sitting together in the chair and Gracen asked me to take their picture. How can you resist that?

What's In a Name?

Well, we finally have a name for this precious girl. The naming process for her had many firsts for us. For one, we bought our first baby name book. We also thumbed through many at Barnes and Noble. That was a fun experience. I'm not sure how we got out of that for the first three. Also, I can honestly say this is the first time I have prayed about a baby's name. It might sound crazy. But we have never been in this big of a dilemma before naming our children. A friend suggested to pray about it. Wow, what a crazy concept huh?? So we did...another first. We also thought we were set on another name, until we realized we might want to have more children, and that name rhymed with our awesome boy name...can't do that. So after much consideration we have decided to name her

Evan Lane Magee

This name is really special to us. Lane is my great grandmother's maiden name. She was a fiery lady (imagine that), who passed away when I was 12. She was a favorite of mine. And Evan means "God is Good". And for those of ya'll who have been around in the last year with us, you can attest to this truth in our lives. God has led us in some crazy directions this past year, but through all of it, we were constantly reminded of His goodness, and faithfulness. So it just seemed fitting that we would bookmark this year, with a special notation. There you have it. My mom has already blatantly said she doesn't like it because it's a boy name. And I'll agree with that. But my mom already named her children, and I ended up a Mary. So now it's my turn. :) And with Gracen and Grier being somewhat gender neutral, you can't suddenly throw in a Sophia, or Ava, or Mary Rose. You know? We are so thrilled to call this baby girl by her name...Evan.

Strange Sightings

Gracen is not quite used to sleeping in a big girl bed yet. This is how we have found her on a few occasions. Can you imagine sleeping on your feet? And apparently, her chair is more appealing then her bed??

Big Changes

Isn't it so cute and girly??
Blake's next project: paint the dresser green
Gracen walking into her room...she was so excited
So proud!
Our Little Princess
Someone else really liked it too!
First Night in her bed

(I'm a little late posting this blog...this actually took place almost 3 weeks ago)

So, we finally made the transition with Gracen to a big girl bed. I know what you're thinking...isn't she like 5 now, and way overdue?? Well, in a word-Yes! Gracen will be 3 1/2 in October. We are totally aware that this is later then most kids move out of their cribs...but you know the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Here's the deal, we own 2 cribs. Since Aiden was just 13 months when Gracen was born, we bought a second crib on Craigslist. Gracen LOVED her crib...probably way more then other kids. And she never tried to get out of it until a week before we moved her to a bed. So we thought, what's the harm? Well, with a new baby coming at the end of the year, we need that 2nd crib...and Gracen started climbing out of her crib. I bought this bed off of Craigslist and Blake painted it white. She was so excited watching the process and knowing that it was HER bed. It was really cute. We set it all up and surprised her with it. I loved it...it was such a neat time for her. It was something she didn't have to share with Grier or Aiden...it was her day. Gracen really needs that. She is already showing classic "middle child" traits. So Blake and I have been really trying to be intentional and have special time with her. She is so fun and definitely our imaginative child. She's constantly making up stories and songs. I can't wait to see what comes of all that. And then there is our very black and white eldest child, who is so annoyed with Gracen's antics and just thinks she is a liar. He is not our imaginative child. :) How are there so many combinations in our children?? I'm reminded of how God has made each of us so different and unique.

The Magee Tribe Stats: 4 Girls to 2 Boys

There's her little *girl* part

Check out her long leg! Impressive...She totally gets that from me!

(My scanner is not working. So I took pics of my sono...hence the poor quality.)

This post is way over due. We found out about 3 weeks ago that we are having another girl. I absolutely knew it too...This pregnancy mirrors my others girls...even down to cravings...just in case you want to know...tuna sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, and sweet tea. It's just what I wanted with both Gracen and Grier. Because, I have been telling everyone that we are probably having a girl...I didn't feel like there was much announcing to do. But my BFF encouraged me to announce...so here it is. We are really excited though. Now, I'll be honest...I wanted a little baby boy. I wanted Aiden to have a little brother and playmate. They would have only been

4 1/2 years apart...close enough to have a sweet friendship. So when I saw the absence of a *boy* part I knew he would not have that little brother...and that our house would be lopsided. But after about 24 hours I got really excited. It sunk in: I can't believe I'm going to have 3 daughters!! Now, for those of ya'll who knew me intimately when I was younger, like Kendall, Jo, and Joanna...you know what a terrible little girl I was...I had such a rebellious heart...and some! So I can only imagine all that God is going to do in my life with these little girls...things that he has taught me a lot later in life, I hope they understand a lot earlier!

So as some of you know, naming girls is very hard for Blake and I. We had the name Gracen within 6 months of marriage. So she was easy. Ella "Grier" proved to be trickier...we just couldn't come up with something that we both liked. And Blake associates every name with someone he knows. I'd have a fabulous name and he would say, "Well, I knew a girl in 2nd grade with that name and she was terrible." So you see what I mean? And now we have to come up with a 3rd girl name! One that flows with the rest of our other names-Mom! She tried to sell me on the name Mary Rose yesterday. I thought she was kidding. But it turns out she thought that name was perfect for the Magee Tribe...not so much. So HELP ME PLEASE! I need some girl names. As all of our family and friends know, we name our babies quickly and start calling them that. And this baby is still "The Baby".

Indoor Fun

After about 11:30 here it's SO hot. So I have to think of fun things to do inside. So we decided to make cupcakes one day. The kids had a blast...it was a little messy, but well worth it. Grier saw them and immediately wanted one. How did she know what they were? I'm amazed at children's radar for sugar!

The Patriotic Tribe

Look how sweet they are!
They were VERY excited about going to the party
They were losing patience with me
Aiden LOVED playing in the bounce house with his friends
Gracen had a great time with her friend Emery!

We had the best 4th of July this year! Our friends Barry and Amber hosted their annual July 4th party, complete with tons of grilled meat, a huge bounce house for the kids and a pinata. It was a blast! There were lots of young families there from church, several of which were in our previous small group. It was great hanging out and getting to talk to my girlfriends, knowing the kids were having a blast bouncing. And believe it or not the heat wasn't terrible. Thanks Barry and Amber for including us!

Backyard Fun

So Sweet
Going Fishing
Here Comes Trouble!
Avoiding the Pool
Getting Braver

It has already been such a hot summer here. We either stay indoors, or find a body of water these days. I love filling up the pool in the backyard and letting them swim. It beats packing a swim bag, lunches, pool toys, floaties, water bottles, extra swim diapers for Grier, and of course the stroller to strap her in when Mommy gets tired of holding her. The neighborhood pools are fun and we have really enjoyed them when the temperature spikes, but going to the pool with 3 kids, 4 and under is tough without Daddy there to lend a hand. So I feel a lot more in control in our little backyard...and the kids don't seem to mind...yet!

Our Little Diva Likes Her Bling

Grier LOVES her jewelry and her big sister's bows.

Our Little Thug

So Sweet...Grier loves to give kisses...and they are always with an open mouth!

(Notice Blake's light Sunday afternoon reading! )

As you can see Grier does not have a lot of hair. But she insists on wearing a bow lately. I guess she wants to be like big sister. I humor her, and put the bow in over and over again...b/c of course it can't really grab wisps very well. I'm sure I'll get tired of doing that at some point. But I think it's pretty cute for now. And the girl always has a necklace on...and usually a shower curtain ring for a bracelet. Grier likes her bling...

Lars and the Real Girl

So Blake and I have just finished watching this movie and I wanted to recommend it. I just picked it up on a whim because I like Ryan Gosling, and Blake and I usually enjoy quirky movies, like Juno or Best in Show. Anyways, this movie was great...completely quirky, and odd...but so heartwarming. It's clean...and has a great message about community...and loving people through difficult and messy times that come up in life. But before you get to the heartwarming part, you'll be laughing your head off! Go rent it...let me know what you think!

Don't Turn Around

We can't turn our backs for 2 seconds or this monkey will be climbing on something, eating leftover dinner off the floor, or finding all the things she should not touch. I'm convinced it'a 3rd born thing. And then she gives us this "Who Me" smile that melts us. She's a MESS...but a lovable one for sure! (These pictures all happened within like a 5 minute span!!)

Theological questions from the mind of my little guy

Aiden is constantly thinking. His mind seems to never stop. Knowing Blake as an adult and hearing stories about him as a kid, I'm guessing Aiden gets this from his father! I can certainly shut this puppy down and not think about anything significant for a pretty long time. :) Aiden gets excited learning about God, and has SO many questions. He wears me out with his questions...and for some of them, I'll confess, I've had to go ask our resident seminary grad. My newly turned 4 year old is stumping me in the theology department!! This is not good. I'm gonna get off the blog now and go read my bible!! :) It's a cool thought that God is using my preschooler to sharpen me. I love it!

Here are just a few of the questions that plague my little guy:


*Why can't we see God?

*Does God have hands?

*Is God or Jesus bigger?

*How will God help that homeless man?

*Why does God want that man to be homeless?

*Does God even love the bad guys?

*Which sin is bigger...?

*How can God be in Heaven and here in my room with me?

*Who is stronger God or Jesus?

*Does God have bones?

*Does God love us even when we sin?

*Where does God live?

*We can't hear God right?

*Is God the strongest? Even stronger then Super-Man?

*Can God count all the stars?

*Why can't you hear God?

Cheap Date

Gracen looking at birds
Gracen screaming like a monkey, scaring kittens
Gracen looking at fish
I asked Gracen what her favorite colors were for the sake of conversation on our date. At this point in the date she knew we were getting ice cream so she said, "Um...pink and brown...ice cream!" So, we got pink and brown ice cream (i.e. strawberry and chocolate). Incidentally, pink and brown are Mary's favorite colors.

Kids love animals. That's why zoos exist and Shamu has a job. But the truth is going to the zoo or some other theme park can be a bit pricey. That's why, dads, when it's time to take your daughter on a date (while she's still under 13 yrs old) you need to take her to Petsmart. So, I took Gracen out on a date last night and we had a blast. Mary and I had been pumping up Petsmart to her for two days and she was absolutely stoked (do the kids still say that?). I mean, c'mon, Petsmart is a blast. We looked at lizards, we looked at birds. We watched kittens as they sat bored to death behind Plexiglas boxes and tapped on aquariums full of funky looking lizards. We watched dogs get disciplined in doggy day care and we put our hands in the open fish tanks. Actually just Gracen tried to do that, but I knew better. We watched hamsters and gerbils run in circles (that's a pet we'll never have). They call gerbils "fancy rats" and "fancy mice" now - don't ask me, but I'm sure the experts at Petsmart know what they're doing. And then after about twenty minutes of exhilarating fun we left. We were so worn out after a night at Petsmart that we went home and crashed. Not really, we actually went to go eat ice cream. But in all seriousness, dads, take your daughter out on a date.

And don't let them talk you into going to the zoo.

Our Spring Family Pics

My good friend Joanna took these of our family a few weeks ago. We needed a family picture for a slide show at church. We are getting Grier dedicated on Mother's Day...first servcie for those of ya'll who want to come out and support our family. Anyways, Joanna did a fabulous job...especially considering we have three very squirmy children.