Kyle the Thinker

Our sweet Kyle has blossomed so much this year.  I can remember a friend of mine telling me that as a baby Kyle looked so wise... He is truly our thinker and always has the wheels turning in the complex brain of his :).  He takes the time to figure things out and sees the world in a way that is so refreshing and full of wonder.  He is going to eat up all the information that he can in Kindergarten, I can't wait to see his love for learning bigger concepts kindle.  Five years old is a fun age, this is why people say "If only I could only be 5 again!". 

I did a big Kinex project together with Josh when he was pre-K too, it is becoming a wonderful tradition!

 It is amazing how quickly they learn to understand the directions... He did the little steps and I helped connect them together to make the project.

 It took us many days to complete, but it was fun to build with Kyle!

 And... Drum roll- the completed project :).

 Our 'class room' has gradually become our Lego building room!  They save every earned penny on Lego sets.

 We went on a walk and Kyle sees things that would otherwise go unnoticed-- a heart bush...

 ... And a heart stain in the trail.  I also need to point out how he has radar for every flower to give to me and any kind of unique rock.

 He rode his bike and he takes the time to rest and watch the clouds as he waits for us.

 This past winter we discovered 2 different Lego clubs at nearby libraries.  He loved them!

Last day of Preschool!

These two are best buds!  They have done just about everything together since they were born including preschool.  They had fun at their neighborhood home preschool with Ms. Kerri and it was nice to be able to walk there most days :).  We are going to miss it next year when they separate and go off to Kindergarten and pre-K! 

 

Crazy mornings getting ready, but definitely worth the quieter homeschool days with Josh.

They learned so much and made some great friends! 

 Our growing too fast preschoolers!

 And they are off for one more day!

Austin 1 month old

Time is flying and I have to rewind to find Austin's 1 month pictures, but here goes:

 

We say everyday how BIG he is... along with being big, he is very alert and expressive. 

Sweetie pie!

Those CHEEKS!

sleeping angel

HI!

When you talk to him, he has a lot to say!

Holding his head up really well :).

Awe, we love you!!!!

The rest of us...

Rest and recovery don't have to go hand in hand... Recovery happens, but rest doesn't happen when you have 5 kids!  It has certainly been some of the most challenging times in our home finding time to get everything done and meet the needs of everyone.  I think we are finally getting a hold on reality again and thankfully Austin is a pretty good night time sleeper :).  In the meantime, we have been keeping busy and finding joy in the simple things. 

Bathing Austin is definitely a group event, but he doesn't seem to mind everyone watching him yet! 

2 year olds know how to thoroughly enjoy chocolate, I have heard it is good for the skin!

What do you expect, it tasted good!

At least the others still cuddle on the couch to watch Curious George when they wake up at dawn!  Thank you Netflix!

The look-alikes!

Kyle is ALWAYS building and creating! 

Carter is still the charmer!

 

Little guy doesn't mind the messes, school work and chaos :)-- he just sleeps through it all. 

Morning craziness!  Everyone needs something!

Jakey finding fun in homemade concoctions, someday the messes will get cleaned.

Dressing up is a daily event... Buzz and woody that day!

Can you guess who is the daily superhero?

It is always fun to have dinner guests over who don't mind a good sword fight with the kids!

Mike found a treasure in the garage... Flash back to the 90's with his old jacket!

Carter's best friend at the park :).

Imitating me as he feeds his baby too.

We ran into a festival at the park and got to explore this old fire truck.

6 week fun...

Something happens at 6 weeks, it is no wonder that this is the amount of recovery that doctors say you need after having a baby.  Mama starts to feel more energetic and at the same time baby starts to wake up more, smile, coo and show lots of personality.  Cheers to that! Come see his emerging personality come out...

 

6 weeks, a look at them all!

It has become a tradition of mine to take a picture of the boys propped up when they are 6 weeks old.  While my intentions were to set up a nice spot to take a 6 week picture of Austin with a plain background and great lighting, it just didn't work out this time around.  I did what I could and at least I remembered to capture it :). 

So here are all the brothers at 6 weeks:


  

 

 

He is definitely our biggest and roundest, but they all have similarities :), the Barker Boys!