CJ and Family: 365Project.2016

Welcome back! ♥
Thanks for letting me share a bit of our everyday with you. ♥

Day 248. These two were hamming it up before church ... Abby loves to take pictures with the old cell phone, and Matthew's quite pleased to oblige her. ♥

The Duplos are back out (in moderate quantities) for Abby's benefit, but the big kids are happy to play with them again, too. :)

Of course, the best part about building a tower is knocking it over. ;)

Day 249. I love this man. ♥ Night shift has definitely been an adjustment, but we're settling into a rhythm with it. Abby certainly didn't mind finding his lap available this afternoon ... ;)

♥

Day 250. Science experiments! :) If you happen to be bored, I suggest sprinkling a large amount of pepper into a sink full of water and then gently touching it with a sliver of soap. You're welcome. :)

Our homeschool group also started meeting today, but I totally forgot to get a picture!

Day 251. My friend Amanda and I had the surprise and blessing of winning a giveaway at a local salon for free manicures! We thoroughly enjoyed our girls' date!!! ♥

The kids were delighted this evening when they noticed that Mommy's nails match her favorite purple pen! :)

Day 252. With Daddy leaving for work right after dinner, Mommy's been letting the kids enjoy a few episodes of Richard Scarry cartoons before bedtime. :)

And then once the kiddos are in bed, Mommy starts her "second" job. :) It's actually more like play, but that's the blessing of it. :) The Lord has opened the door to become a "Lemon Dropper" for Young Living's essential oils. They have been such a blessing to our family, and I'm excited to have the privilege to share them with others! I have no idea exactly what He will do with it ... whether He'll bless with many opportunities or few, but I had SO much fun preparing a welcome kit for my very first and most favorite customer ... my Mom. ♥ I love being able to teach and help others, and by God's grace, I hope to be able to prepare similar welcome kits for many others down the road. ♥

Day 253. My budding author and illustrator thoroughly enjoyed putting together his second book today! (You may remember his first book, Corn Stalk, published this spring.) ;)

The big kids had their bags packed and ready by noon ... for their 4:00 departure to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a fun overnight! :) They had a blast, complete with flashlight tag, star gazing, and a cute pumpkin craft. ♥

Those of us left out of that fun made our own fun. ;) We began with a steak dinner ... (so much more budget-friendly on your own grill ...)

And concluded the evening with a thorough cleaning (and purging) of the boys' bedroom. No, we do not make a habit of cleaning (or purging!) our kids' bedrooms. However, it had gotten beyond the capability of the 6-year-old who was the primary culprit of the disaster. As crazy as it may seem, being able to work together on the project, without interruptions (or protests by the aforementioned 6yo), made for a very pleasant and satisfying evening. :) The bedroom is now back to a manageable state, facilitated greatly by two trash bags worth of missing "stuffage" ... (shhh! Only two items have actually been missed ...)

Day 254. And then Saturday morning, while Chris launched into the utility room project (new water softener and filter system upcoming) ...

Abby enjoyed some quality time with the Little People ...

And Mommy sorted Legos. Pins. Couplers. Axles. So. Many. Legos. Again, it was nice to be able to work together in the same area and chat without interruptions. ♥

And this picture was too cute to pass up ... my girls! Abby definitely approves of Hannah's execution of bath night. ♥ And Mommy's thankful for the help. ♥