Hey friends! It's that time of year again, and we are counting our blessings. We have so much to be thankful for this year.....

#1.  Family time.  Never did I imagine that I would be a mom to four babies, & married to the best guy I know.  Life is hectic, messy, sticky, unpredictable, and oh so fun!

#2.  Healthy Tessa.  This last year we've dealt with lots of little roadbumps when it comes to Tessa.  Hand/foot/mouth, kidney stuff, etc, etc....but you would never know.  She marches around the house like she owns the place. I'm so thankful for this spunky little girl, ornery as ever....and very spoiled! 

#3.  I'm thankful for Dan- not only is he the best husband (i.e. puts up with me every day!), but also he is the kind of Dad that transforms our living room into a volleyball court for the kids and their friends.  Yes, I come home to this:

The kids adore him.  He's definitely the "fun" one :)

#4.  I'm thankful for girls nights...because sometimes you just gotta put on the sparkles.

(2016 Gatsby Gala)

....or get inspired

(Women's Conference)

...or wear charcoal masks and do crafts.

#5.  I'm thankful for little getaways.  Because you can only shuffle around the kitchen with a baby attached to your leg for so long before you need a break! LOL

(evening at the winery + Tessa)

(winery, weekend away minus kids)

We did some grape harvesting, and some taste testing :)

Relaxing breakfast and some reading of ACTUAL books. 

Dan's birthday weekend: 

#6.  I'm thankful for sweets.  The kind you eat, and the kind I get to hug and love on every day. 

#7.  I'm thankful for family outings. 

We cheered on the Royals with Dan's family

Pumpkin Patch'ed it with the cousins

They each gave their pumpkin a name- like Steve, and Dave...and William announced loud and proud on the hayride that his pumpkin was named "Little Dick".  Help me, people, I cannot make this stuff up.  He thought it a perfectly pleasant name.

And I picked this little pumpkin: 

I saw this picture (below) and first thought it was from the same pumpkin patch trip.  

Then I realized that Tessa was in a different outfit.  I think I blocked out the memories from this little pumpkin patch trip.  As you may know, I have a little fear of what you may call wing-ed creatures. (i.e June bugs, grasshoppers, flying things.).  This place was swarming with bees. And they were particularly fond of Tessa and I.  When I reached a breaking point and started wildly waving my arms and saying, "I can't take this anymore!" the sweet lady at the pumpkin stand informed me that the bees love the color purple.  Tessa and I both had on purple jackets and I was carrying an oversized bag with large floral print.  I'm actually wondering if that's a bee buzzing in the top left hand corner of that photo.  I'm so serious. So I agreed to take the kids through the corn maze, thinking that I may lose a kid or two, but at least the bees would be gone.  Well, the corn was swarming with grasshoppers! Soo....not the best day for mom. But the kids had a blast laughing at me...

#8.  I got to take two trips to DC this year.  I left feeling so grateful to live in a country that was founded on freedom and democracy, and for the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate price.  In a time of political uncertainty, I look at these photos and I'm reminded of both the great price of freedom and the great responsibility we have to steward it well.  I love seeing the beautiful monuments, and being reminded that "past is prologue".  So much can be learned from the struggles and victories of those who went before us. 

(beautiful view from our hotel)

Lindsey and I happened upon a Vietnam veterans 40th anniversary ceremony taking place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 

Moving. 

Inspiring. 

Heroes.

The monuments at night- 

 (also, food and drink and laughter abounded!)

(and also, the hotel cookies were super delish, which is why mom and I were double-fisting them on the regular)

It was so fun spending some time with my mama-

#9.  I'm thankful for the kids' school- This is our second year at Millbrooke and it's been a good year.  Here are some pics from the annual Millbrooke March:

Story.  We were at the Millbrooke March, and as we rounded the corner we spotted Caleb's teacher Mrs. Werth.  (love her).  She started explaining to me how proud Caleb was of himself this week.....

I'm thinking, oh cool! I'm so glad our parents are here to hear about what awesome thing Caleb did this week.  My good little student! 

Mrs. W continues, he was so proud because he made it the whole five days in the same t-shirt.

Yep, he wore the same shirt all week...and I didn't even notice! That's terrible.

But then I decided that the kids independently getting themselves ready in the morning outweighs the embarrassment.

(note: I did talk to him and made sure he was at least changing underwear and socks (answer was yes, whew))

And speaking of school, here are some back-to-school pics...only three months late

William can't wait to go to kindergarten next year!

And Tessa refuses to be left out of all the fun! She thinks she's going to school, too :)

#10. I am also SO thankful for our parents.  The kids have the kind of grandparents that make it a priority to come to school events, ball games, and visit just because.  They are brave enough to keep them all overnight, take them to the zoo and the fair and the movies.  They know what they like and what is going on in their lives, and it means the world to us. The kids are constantly asking if they can call them or go visit them (without us of course :)).  We are so blessed and grateful. 

#11.  I'm thankful for sibling "love".  Sometimes it looks like this:

(or this)

(or this)

(or this)

(or this)

(or this)

And sometimes it looks like... teaching your baby sister to say new words (like "diarrhea"), or stuffing cheese up the nose of someone's stuffed dog.

#12.  I'm grateful for exercise, in all it's forms.  Getting a good sweat on is good for my mental health (maybe because of the endorphins and maybe because I get an hour of free childcare).  

Caleb ran his first 5K this year: 

And then there's all the jumping and playing and running that comes with having little ones: 

(this was pre- Tessa throwing up on the giant jump pillow. Because when you're the baby of the family, sometimes you do things a one-year-old should never do after eating 2 apple cider donuts)

And then there's chasing Tessa around and pulling her off of counters and tables:

...because, the girl will do anything for cheese. Yes, she is my daughter. 

And baseball games: 

#13.  I'm thankful for our neighborhood friends. The kind that don't care if you're wearing your pj's or your princess crown:

Who introduce you to celebrities like Cinderella:

Who come over to have outdoor movie night and popcorn:

(and our awesome neighbor and friend Jim who purchased the jumbo movie screen for all to enjoy)

The ones who sit in a Tesla with you, and dream about what it would be like to own one, and talk about ways you could justify purchasing one :

And eat chocolate by the pound with you: 

And take the kids fishing:

And offer to take care of your baby when you've had enough....

(like when they are not being this cute)

So you can go get a cup of coffee...

I cried a little, because at that moment there was nothing more beautiful than pretty coffee in an actual cup. 

#14.  Lastly, I'm thankful for the little unexpected moments that make me smile.  

Like this little one-cheek-sneak, courtesy of Tessa: 

(I will add that she is probably in the act of throwing away something valuable, which is not so cute)

Or when I overheard Caleb talking to little Eddie and saying, "Ahh, I miss the good old days". HAH

Or when Ellie writes us this letter after we already said "no" to getting a pet hamster (a thousand times).

Stay tuned...I'll let you know if we cave!