Insta-November

Those first precious six weeks of a baby's life are pretty much indescribable... sacred and raw and blurry and precious. Our November was all these things, and I'm so thankful for phone cameras and instagram to document all the sweet moments that might get a little lost in the growing pains of adding baby #4 to our mix.

- morning sister snuggles - watching the Royals take the crown! - looking up at the changing leaves in the trees - soaking up the beautiful weather as often as we could -

- asleep on the job - Great-Grandma meeting her two youngest (for a few months) great-grandchildren - botanica adventures - Mia came to help out for two whole weeks after Thea was born, and I really don't know what we would have done without her! -

- Charlie loves to put on her big sisters' shoes - most days we would spend the late afternoon outside while we waited for Daddy to come home; my view was pretty sweet - Charlie playing in the leaves - "Before I bring my need, I will bring my heart." This phrase from a Lauren Daigle song has really resonated with me lately. I often come to Jesus full of neediness, but my most desperate need is relationship with Him! -

- my four daughters - first Sunday at church... we did it! - Charlie reading to Thea - late afternoon walks -

- this magical afternoon was breezy, and the leaves were raining on the girls as they played - Thea would suck on her bottom lip as she slept - dance party, watching herself in the door - sleeping through a baby shower for some of her future besties - 

- I love baby breath on my neck - another Charlie dance party! She brings so much joy to our family - early morning snuggles before everyone else is awake - we eased into school for the month of November, here they are watching a Reading Rainbow segment about cranberries - 

- can't get enough of this sweetie - sketching on the porch - followed by recess outside - early smiles - 

- big yawns - my besties' babies are my babies' besties - first run... slow and steady wins the race, right? - more than any other baby, I've loved evening snuggles with this little one. It's the one time of day that I can truly just relax and soak her in without interruption -

- Elli always gets a smile - Charlie at 20 months - she is never far away when we're doing school - cranberry bread for Thanksgiving -

- our traditional Little Women viewing, which I started long before I even imagined I might have my own four little women!  - our hayride to get the Christmas tree - Thea was there too! - Charlie, making all our sugar and spice dreams come true -

- Thea and Tevy getting acquainted - watching the Thanksgiving day parade - my kind of Black Friday - Elli and Micah's first year participating in the gingerbread house contest -

- Daniel and I made the Millennium Falcon for our gingerbread house this year - sister snuggles! - the house was too quiet (usually a sign of a mess), but she was sleeping in her big sister's bed - the Christmas decorating has begun -