Spring is here.

With this amazing warm weather we've been having, it has been difficult getting school work done. We are so close to the end, and all the girls want to do is play outside.  I don't know how school teachers deal with the last couple months of school.

Anna insists on only wearing dresses again.  It took quite some convincing that this Dora skirt will suffice and is beautiful enough, even though it is not technically a dress.

Cora learned to go down the slide on her own.  Her thoughtful sisters put chair pads at the bottom so she won't land too hard.  (Wiping the tears from my eyes.)

That Papa.  Turn your back on him for two minutes and look what happens.  He puts together a neighborhood bike wash.

Fostering an early entrepreneurial spirit... selling flowers (a.k.a dandelion weeds) for a dollar per stem.  Thankfully, we have very gracious neighbors.

This is only one of the many flower arrangement I've received, delivered with a smile and a hug.

How we are dealing with the play outside/finish school conundrum?  Do school outside!

My girls now

These are my girls right now. 

These pictures were taken by Alisa this past week, and it fits them. 

I know that raising four young girls, while soon welcoming one more, seems crazy and chaotic to some.  Yes, we have a full house with a front door that always has finger prints on it.  My floors are usually dirty.  A lot of my day is spent answering questions, some legitimate but many trivial.  We go through a lot of food and clean a lot of dirty dishes.  I am very tired every night.

I love that our home and family is filled with life.  I do not take for granted the gift that this is.  I love my girls and can't wait to meet number five.