I've Got Some Catchin' Up To Do~!

Well, I have been slacking! It has been toooooo long since I have gotten on here and updated everyone on my life, but here it goes... this might take a while, so sit tight:).

To begin with I have been making my own soap for a while, but just recently started making my own laundry detergent. I am so happy that I did! Not only is it so much cheaper, it smells so pretty! If anyone would like my recipe, speak now or forever hold your peace.

NEXT~! our adventure in cloth diapering is going amazinly! I wish I would have stuck with it through my middle two children, the problem is they didn't make 'em back then like they do now. For anyone who is looking into cloth, I have two words for you "BUM GENIUS!" They are by far the best. Hands down, no question! Here is a picture of Brynnie Innie Evelynnie in her lil' pretty panty pants:) Doesn't she look so happy:)

Speaking of Brynnie, this girl cannot get enough solid food, problem being she doesn't like HER food, only mine. She gets really upset when I do not give her bits of my food. It is cute, but it is hard. Oh, it's not so hard to see her eat, it's what it means. She is growing up:(. If money and time were not an option, I would have tons of baby girls:). Maybe I can talk Eddie into a vasectomy reversal... hmmmmm.....

Maybe I'm jumping the gun on that one. Really I am pretty happy to NOT be pregnant, and let me tell you why! I started a diet about two weeks ago to shed the last of my baby weight once and for all and I am SO impressed with the results. Everytime I look in the mirror, I see my softer curves becoming sharper everyday~! I am hoping by Christmas to be back in my size 7's... we shall see, we shall see:). I have not weighed myself yet out of fear, but will be weighing myself on Halloween... I will tell you all how much I have lost then:).

Here is a recent picture of Maelan. She was dressing up for winter:). It has been getting really really REALLY cold here in Michigan these past couple of days. It is only the beginning of October and I have already had to turn the heat on. I hear it is supposed to be a hard winter and that makes me glad I don't have to walk the girls down the the busstop... which leads me to........

HOMESCHOOLING IS AWESOME! I was very nervous in the beginning but I am amazed by my bright girls. We have a daily schedual we follow, and my girls are right on track. Above is a picture of them taken this week. They and their second cousins Hannah and Lillian dressed as Native Americans. They are also homeschooled kids, so we have a learning day once a week (Tuesday's) with them. This week we learned about the Ojibwa Native Americans as not only are the Ojibwa the tribe of our area in Michigan, the girls all have Ojibwa blood:). Anyway, homeschooling is amazing and I am so glad I made this decision. On top of homeschooling, we are also doing Soccer, Piano and Religious Education every week. Needless to say I am so busy running children every which way that I don't even know up from down right now... I can't wait until soccer season is OVER!!!!
Anyway, in other news, Ed and I became Aunt and Uncle! Riley Sue (above) was born on September 27th to Eddie's big brother Bill and his awesome lil' german wife Rike:). I am so excited. I was told by Bill that I have been a huge inspiration for Rike when it comes to parenting (aka home/natural childbirth, exclusive breasfeeding, babywearing, cloth diapers, ect). That made me feel really awesome. It makes me feel that I must be doing something right:).

Another thing that has happened is that Ed and I have decided that next July (the first two weeks actually) we are going to be camping and staying in the Virginia/DC area. I am really excited as I have only ever been out west and not east. It is still a little under a year away, but I am so ready for another vacation already:).

Last but not least, we have gone back to our roots... Catholicsm that is. Ed and I were both baptised Catholic, but just have, over the years, let our faith fall to the backburner. In the past two months we have brought religion to the forefront again, and have incorporated it back into our lives as well as the lives of our girls. This decision stems from the fact that we really want to raise our children in the church. We believe that this is the best way to give our girls a very strong moral base and I couldn't be happier about our decision. I love Father Fred, and I love the parish... I wish we would have come back home sooner... but better late than never I suppose... anyway all four girls will be baptised in November, look for pictures and updates:)

In closing, a video of my baby girl Brynn Evelyn:) G'night!