Princess Sisters

Two posts in one day -- I know, but I just took these cute pictures of my girls and HAD to share! Claire is such a sweet sister -- and really does a nice job playing with Cate. For her part, Cate thinks she is 11, so she really does love it when Claire's play includes her! Today they were Princesses, and had a "Ball"!

I love this picture of my two girls so very different! Claire looks like me, with Wade's coloring, and Cate looks like Wade with my coloring! It really is amusing -- and was made more so today as Claire read her old journals out loud. When she came to the one about Cate being born, she had written, "she has my eyes, my nose, my mouth but Mason's chubby head." Hmm...wishful thinking, I fear!
Would you believe the Cinderella dress did ONCE touch the ground? My sweet girl is growing, growing, growing. But the dress still fits, Mom, she assures me! I guess today's Cinderella might wear a "mini-skirt" gown?! Let's hope my little Snow White doesn't grow quite as fast!

I do love the fact that a good Princess dress-up day cures whatever ails you -- too bad the boys don't understand that, I would have loved to have pictures of Prince Benjamin and Prince Mason (the girls tried to enlist them by the way...imagine their choosing video games over dress-up?!). Counting my royal blessings....

Triplets plus one meet the twins!

A dear friend out here recently had twins. Her sweet boys were born early -- not as early as our trio but early enough to need our prayers. They are home and healthy and ready or not...they got to meet the Shrader four this week! I won't share the abundance of photos here -- without her permission (I'll ask next time, though! ha) but had to share this one of sweet Cate (the one with magic marker all over her hand) reaching for the hand of one of the sweet little boys. She sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and her "ABCs" (never too early to start learning) and loved that the precious mommy let her hold the boys! My trio were equally amazed at the size, and at hearing Mommy reminisce about the days when they were that small. As for me, the smells, beauty of the babes, and exhaustion of my friend brought back many memories! The days were so busy then...the diapers, bottles, feeding, bathing, rocking of babies...and then I blinked...and they are eleven. Eleven. And I am so busy now with the homework, activities, emotional growth of my three....and their precious little sister! I am scared to blink again...but will keep enjoying these that God has so blessed us with!

Summer Haircuts!

Temperatures in our desert home have been lingering at 110 plus the last couple of weeks. It is the earliest the temps have gotten this warm and stayed there since we moved....well, since 1945 according to the news, but we only care about since 2005! Though, we spend our days either submersed in the pool (where 110 feels absolutely perfect) or indoors in our very air-conditioned abode, the kids still thought a little less hair was a good idea!! So today, we set up shop in Mommy's bathroom and gave the boys a buzz and the girls a trim!

As I swept the hair (and there was so much...so much!), I couldn't help but thank God for four precious heads of hair to be cut, eighty nails that must be clipped (and forty that must be painted) -- and all the other blessings of mothering these monkeys that call me Mommy!

Happy Father's Day!

Benjamin shares a love for ALL the rides at Disney with his Daddy! Neither guy can get enough!!

Claire shares a love for animals with her Daddy...they both are magnets for all dogs, seeming to call them to our house by stepping outside!

Cate likes everything her Daddy does -- she has had him tightly wrapped around her little finger since the moment of her birth (and she knows it!)!

Mason and his Daddy have minds that think alike -- they never meet a challenge they can not find a way to overcome!

We are blessed to have this Daddy who loves his kiddos so! Happy Father's Day, Wade!!

And for me and my brothers, I have to add that Father's Day is also a day of remembering. A day to remember the man who -- just like his son-in-law -- loved his kids, loved playing with us, loved teaching us, loved loving us. We miss him so but are so thankful we will see him again one day -- because of the legacy of faith he gave us! (And yes, that is me in the photo above, with my brother, Talley, and our Dad!)

Fathers are a blessing -- if you are like me, and can't hug your own, find one to celebrate today and thank him for all he does for his family!

Grammie-Time!

I've blogged already about our time in Disneyland...but I can't resist one more. The trip was so all around special...but it was even more so, because of the sweet memories my mother was creating with her grands! She rode rides she never dreamed existed...or desired to be on...but rode JUST to make the kids smile! She had her picture taken with characters, she got soaking wet on Splash Mountain, and she kept up with her son-in-law's set-pace for seeing/doing all that the kiddos love! (Add to that she helped me tremendously with the four...and never complained about being exhausted!) It was a special special trip. I will treasure these pictures (and the other almost 400, I took)! What a blessing!!

I'll take a bagel, coffee and a slower pace, please!

Life can go at such a pace -- it's a cliche and yet, as my kids have reached school age, I realize it like never before. We rush to school, rush to do homework, rush to cook/eat/cleanup supper and then it is bedtime...and a rush to make sure everyone is in bed and prepared for the next day of all this! It was particularly hectic this year with the big kids in 5th grade and Cate and I navigating the waters of two! So summer has brought a sweet reprieve from the rush (though not from being two -- we are now in throes of potty-training, but that is another post!). We are enjoying lazy days and time spent together and we kicked that off with our sweet trip to California. We started the trip with a stop at my favorite restaurant from our days in Rochester -- Panera Bread. I used to "escape" from the rush of three three-year-olds and grab a cup of coffee and bagel there and read my favorite books, while the triplets were in preschool. Wade thought it would be a nice way to begin our vacation -- and man, was he right! We all enjoyed the wonderful, Cinnamon Crunch bagels with Hazelnut cream cheese (oh my mouth is watering) and savoring my cup of coffee was just what I needed to slow my pace and get in relax-mode! So here's to a great cup of coffee and slowing down to enjoy life's richest blessings -- family, friends and of course, a good bagel and great coffee!!

40 Years of Magic!

We're home from our best Disney trip in years! The kids (with Daddy's help, of course!) planned a birthday trip for me -- complete with matching t-shirts and my mother (and dear brother, too!)! It was wonderful -- the kids were absolute angels, mother loved her first Disney trip ever, and we had the time of our lives!! Made it hard to leave!! (And we know that Len is secretly hoping to always wear matching clothes! ha)

Everybody (except the Mommy photographer) with Goofy! Grammie particularly enjoyed his "blue" outfit -- her favorite color!!

Cate wanted to meet Ariel...we waited in line for this shot and then were afraid she was going to be too teased to go meet her..but she did and even her brothers were willing to join in for a family picture!!

We almost missed Minnie but then found her in her vacation garb in California Adventure!

The Shraders with Pluto -- not our Pluto, mind you, but the one our's is named for!! Check out the hug he received from Baby Cate!!

What a wonderful way to celebrate my....um....40 years! I am so blessed to be the wife to my wonderful Wade, mommy to my amazing four, and daughter, sister, and friend! I wasn't sure how I would feel about this birthday....but rest assured, it was like all the rest -- a wonderful celebration with my family that included my favorite meal -- cake and ice cream -- and a wonderful trip to our happy place! So many blessings, ya'll!!