Birthday Girls!

I am so behind! (AGAIN!!!) We've had a busy busy busy few weeks (months) and two of our girls have had birthdays. Annsley turned 2 last month & today is Sydney's 8th birthday!!! 

For Annsley, we had a small party with a farm theme, she doesn't speak especially well (although her vocab is growing by the day!) but she knows just about every animal sound- so we went with it! Here are a few pics~

Then, yesterday, we had a fancy shmancy tea party for Sydney and her little friends! The girls came all dressed up & had a fabulous tea time, very proper - down to their very own waiter (Garrett aka Best Dad Ever) it was really girly and fun (Garrett definitely thought so!!)

I <3 parties!!! Now, to focus on Christmas, and then some sweet little girl at our house is turning ONE!!! Craziness!

Happy Halloween!

 We had a fabulous Halloween here! Hadley was the 3rd Hager girl to wear the ladybug costume for her first Halloween!

 Ethan was very excited about candy!

 Miss Annsley caught the hang of it right away!!

 Sydney, I mean Rapunzel had a ton of candy!

 (these photos are out of order, I'm noticing...) this was our Halloween breakfast- scary fave cheese toast, jack-o-lantern fruit cups and spooky yogurt smoothies! Yum!

 The frying pan was her idea!

 Ooh Rah motivater has a pretty good salute!

 This little one wanted to come trick-or-treating too!

 sweet bug sisters

& my fave of Anns & her "stinger" It was lots of fun! Can't wait for next year!

Family Photo Shoot

One of the things I wanted for my 30th birthday was family photos taken. A friend of mine does photography & is fabulous so we finally got in with her (did I mention she was fabulous?!) You all know that a semi-pro photographer is what I want to be when I grow up- or my babies do a bit, for that matter, so I had researched my little heart out for poses & outfits & such leading up to it.

I was so pleasantly surprised due to the fact that little Miss Annsley was loving the wide open space & wanted nothing to do with posing for pictures (unless of course, we didn't want her in the shot) Ahh, the twos are beginning all ready... Anyways, here are a few of my faves!

Our First Day of School!

 We started our homeschool today! We were going to start last week but G had a TAD trip to Virginia Beach, so we tagged along. After all, that was one of our reasons for homeschooling- being together more- especially when Daddy is around! Anyways, the room is just about done- just a few things left (I'll post those pics as soon as it's done) but here's a peek inside our first day!

 I found those adorable handwriting stickers at a consignment sale! Love them on each vintage desk! (We went ahead & bought 4 desks & chairs)

 I love love love crisp new school supplies- especially the artsy ones!

 I went with a vintage/map theme & I'm super happy with how it's turning out! However, I underestimated the amount of maps I would need. so I'm heading to get one more to finish it off tomorrow!

 Our SECOND GRADER! Still can't believe we're old enough to have a second grader! (who says homeschoolers can't dress cute?!)

 I kept calling Ethan a Kindergartner today & he kept arguing with me "No Mommy, I'm homeschooled, I'm NOT in Kindergarten." Too funny.

 Despite the forced smile, she was LOVING it- she wants to be my "assistant" in just about every subject.

 This guy was determined to stow some Transformers in his desk.

 Working on their first journal entries.

 "My favorite thing I did this summer was..." (I always hated that journal prompt!)

And while Hadley napped just about all of school time today- this little Miss was very into her new manipulative I got her just for school time! It was a great first day, Sydney kept saying how fast it went & how she didn't feel like we did it "long enough" :) Can't wait for tomorrow!

We've Decided To Homeschool

After going back and forth, back and forth for what, years now?! 

We've decided to just go with it. We're going to try it for a year, but my plan is to HS through elementary & hopefully they'll have a good enough foundation before we send them out to the wolves ;) kidding. half way. Not knowing where we'll be by then, we're thinking private school or school on base where we know more of what is going on. We'll see, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. But for now, we're doing 2nd & Kindergarten & of course entertaining an almost 2 & 1 year old too! It should be a fun year!

I've searched HOURS and HOURS for the perfect curriculum, read reviews, talked to friends, searched websites, been to fairs- I've pretty much driven myself crazy with all the options out there!! (who would've thought, homeschooling has come a long way!!) Anyways, here is what we've decided on for 2011-2012 school year. (Still haven't decided on a starting date- the room isn't done & I can't decide on year-round or reg. school schedule...)

Both Kids Together

Calendar time

Journal time

Bible- I wanted something to keep me on track but get a little deeper than just the Sunday school stories, I found Foundations Bible curriculum & am super excited about it!

History/Geography- the scope&sequence for our state doesn't have any real area for this until 4th grade (just community helpers, neighborhood type studies) so I feel like we're ahead of the game here, I wasn't ready to start the Story of the World or something that intense so we're going with Road Trip USA from Erica @ Confessions of a Homeschooler & this is going to be fun :)

Science- at this age science=fun & I really like A Reason for Science, but read some iffy reviews & just couldn't bring myself to spend the money for the whole kit. I actually found Noeo Science on ebay- it uses living books a la Charlotte Mason & hands on experiments so I think it will be a good fit.

Art- I'm undecided still, I've found some online resources & I have a book of techniques so I'm kind of going to wing it :)

Spanish- we are blessed to be able to use rosetta stone through my husband's job :)

For S- 2nd grade

Language Arts- Abeka (I know it from her private school K & she knows it, so I stuck with it)

Handwriting- A Reason for Handwriting 

Math-  Singapore Math (she did 1st grade in public school) I'm going to start with level 1A (and hopefully breeze through it) and get through 2A

For E- Kindergarten

Language Arts & Math- Abeka (he's already reading so it should go pretty smoothly)

Handwriting- A Reason for Handwriting

Getting the hubby to plan a "PE" curriculum for us. E is in soccer, S is taking piano & either ballet or gymnastics & we are doing field trips with other HSing families :)

Should definitely be a great year!

so about that list...

Well it's been what, MONTHS, since I wrote that list?! I feel like I've come through the dark place, crossed through to the other side! Ha. I think having that fourth baby (who is an awesome, wonderful, easy going baby, by the way) just kind of did me in.

I don't know if anyone else has gone through this, but I just felt so down all the time, like I just wasn't where I should've been at this stage of the game.

I've accomplished several things on the list, and several things have still gone untouched. But I have gotten a new perspective. I've read some books (the Bible, just to drop some names...) done some studies, checked some blogs, done some research, prayed, talked to Garrett (he's always wondering what I'm up too) and made some decisions.

I've decided to make some changes and chronicle them. Some changes that will take more than a few days or weeks leading up to a birthday. Some will take a lifetime to perfect. But I've decided to use this blog to record it all & show the reality of "getting your life together". 

I know not many people read this, so it's more just for me, but if you want to share it with your friends that is cool. I'm going to lay it all out and try to be real. I'm tired of reading about other people's organized routines & cute decorated houses & all the sweet things they're doing for their husbands & how great their relationship with the Lord is & all the fun activities they're doing with their children- I'm ready to take action. (I have been doing activities with my children. We went to the pool yesterday.) I'm ready to get my priorities straight. (I've been pretty lazy&pouty&lazy) Anyways, I think it will be neat to keep track of it all & show how you can go from a "dishevelled wife" to a Happy Homemaker. & to put the ol' Christian spin on it- a journey to a Proverbs 31 girl.

I've been doing a Bible study (on my own, in the mornings, before the kids wake up=SHOCKING) called A Woman After God's Own Heart & it is like everything thing that I've been looking for & she clearly states how you should have your priorities and your daily life should revolve around them. Anyways, to keep this post from going to long, I'll list mine (in order with the Bible) and will come back in another post, or two to make a plan for getting it on track. 

1.God

2.Husband

3.Kids

4.Home

5.My Spiritual Growth

6.Ministry Activities

7.Other Activities

So there you go. I was surprised that Home was above spiritual growth & ministry, were you? Apparently how clean (neat, not sparkling) your house is- does need to be a priority & greatly affects your family=again, SHOCKER!!

Anyways, I've been praying & feel like God's been leading me to share this in case it might encourage someone else who's struggling with the "monotony" that is homemaking and motherhood & seeing that it is my calling & I am supposed to really do a good job at it ;)

Thanks for following me on this journey*!!

~Sarah

*I hate that word, they always use it on The Bachelorette, & it makes me want to gag.

Countdown to 30

So I'm turning 30 in 4 1/2 months...or 20 weeks...or 141 days. Ugh.

When I was younger and I thought of my 30 year old self, I just pictured having it all together. Like an "I have arrived" type thing. I pictured my self put together and fabulous- like June Cleaver meets Sex and the City. Now as I'm facing 30 in the face I'm not crazy about me.

I pretty much spent my 20s having babies- 4 in just about exactly 7 years. Doesn't make the best set-up for 30 & fabulous. I absolutely adore my kids and my wonderful husband, it's me I'm unhappy with. I'm just going to be honest and authentic here for a bit and say things aren't what I had pictured and it's all my fault. So...I've come up with a plan to get myself back on track to start my 30's off right. 

I have come up with a list of 30 habits and/or projects that I want to implement or complete by the time I'm 30- that's an average of every 4.7 days between today and September 18th. Some are just daily habits that I've let slide, some are things I want to do but have come up with excuses that have stopped me, some are goals, some are projects that I really need done & this is as good of a motivation as any.

My plan is to choose one every 4 days or so and blog about it. (we all know my track record on blogging- so that could be on the list too, I suppose!)  They won't be in any particular order and I'll just pick depending on my mood I suppose! I'll update on the on-going habits as I go along & hope recording it here will keep me accountable.

God willing, I can be somewhat close to the 30 year old woman I had imagined myself to be & be the best "me" that God made me by doing this. So here goes:

1.Get up first & start making G's breakfast & packing his lunch again (he gets up @ 0515)

2.Weigh 130 (currently @ 148- I weighed 118 when we got married...)

3.Go to bed with a clean kitchen

4.Make bed every morning

5.Start kid's journals & remember to write in them!

6.Stick to the cash only budget

7.Have a daily quiet time before the kids get up

8.Organize my scrapbooking/craft area

9.Decide on a personal style & work on wardrobe

10.Find a laundry routine that works & stick to it. (my nemesis)

11.Remember birthdays & send cards (so sorry if I've missed you, I'm so pathetically horrible at this)

12.Get dressed and ready every day (pj days have gone on long enough...)

13.Finish printing out photo class & editing course

14.Put bird feeders out

15.Read devotional & chapter book with the kids each night

16.Make meal plan & healthier eating

17.Floss teeth & wash face each night (don't judge)

18.Make entire list of unfinished craft projects to be done

19.Come up with & stick with exercise schedule (should help with #2)

20.Move baby out of our room & finish decorating the babies' room

21.Learn to fix my hair & do it.

22.Have family pictures taken

23.Stick to a cleaning schedule

24.Have a better prayer time--prayer for others & journal about answered prayers

25.Organize photos on computer& print & back up on hard drive

26.Make a decision on homeschooling

27.Make our bedroom&bathroom romantic (instead of the household dumping ground)

28.Choose decorating style (I love them all) & make a plan for each room

29.Hang kid's art gallery

30.Make official bucket list for when we're out of debt (was supposed to be when I turned 30, but the current plan puts me at almost 32- 4 kids and 8 moves kind of sets you back a bit...)

So that's that. I feel good about it. I'm tired of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. I'm ready to have it all together. I know none of this will be possible without Jesus helping me. But I know he will. I need this. My family needs this. I want to be 30 and fabulous, not 30 and falling apart. Let the countdown begin!