tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29229225291045638212012-02-05T08:23:11.239-06:00a collection of recollectionsRachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-16035885384797374402012-02-04T22:39:00.000-06:002012-02-04T22:39:41.870-06:002012-02-04T22:39:41.870-06:00

If you know me, or have visited my house, you know I love aged things: music, art, housewares, linens, whatever. I much prefer the character and story that vintage items innately possess, and really appreciate finding beauty in things that most people want to discard or "upgrade." I've tried my hand at selling some things on Etsy, and had some success with what little I listed, but found I just

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-2117063508387378282012-02-04T22:05:00.001-06:002012-02-04T22:49:42.926-06:002012-02-04T22:49:42.926-06:00

Josie is very independent. She much prefers doing things on her own, I suppose that's part of being two now. It's so funny to see the clothes she puts on. We have to keep the folded laundry out of reach because she pulls things out, one by one, strips herself down, and tries to wear all the new stuff one on top of the other. Here's the progression the other day: Rocking the outfit Ok,

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-64549708797713483422012-02-04T21:46:00.001-06:002012-02-04T22:07:39.658-06:002012-02-04T22:07:39.658-06:00

I'm not sure what to pin it on, but between travels and special occasions, visitors, or a to-do lists, we haven't had a bona fide family day in a good while. Having stayed out late visiting some friends last night, we started things right today by sleeping in till after 9 (most of us, at least.) Simon didn't change out of his pajamas all day long, and even after a bath at the end of the day, he

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-71169141910015955342012-01-15T23:56:00.000-06:002012-01-15T23:56:58.446-06:002012-01-15T23:56:58.446-06:00

January 12 was a momentous day! Josie turned two, can you believe it? She's growing up and leaving behind the baby stage. It's always sad to say goodbye to the baby stage, but oh so fun to explore what lies ahead as kids develop into their own little people. Her birthday started out with a magical dusting of snow! It was very pretty, though it seemed to throw all of St. Louis to a halt. We

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-37222061576409379862012-01-15T23:23:00.000-06:002012-01-15T23:23:26.610-06:002012-01-15T23:23:26.610-06:00

January 12 was Josie's big birthday. And that's what I really want to post about. But there's a lot of behind the scenes information that you need to know. It was full of happy moments, and also, not-your-normal kind-of-birthday moments. I haven't posted anything about some of the health stuff that's been going on with Josie over the last several months because, I guess I just didn't feel up to

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-37392721852355885932012-01-02T21:00:00.002-06:002012-01-02T21:04:51.302-06:002012-01-02T21:04:51.302-06:00

There is so much to update since Thanksgiving that I feel overwhelmed. This has been an eventful time. With lots of friends and family visits, Christmas excitement and thrills, health issues (another post needed here) and just general cuteness, there doesn't seem time to sit down and recount it all. So, in the interest of capturing a glimpse, I'll settle for a quick top ten of this particular

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-77116470549546494162011-11-26T22:53:00.000-06:002011-11-26T22:53:05.577-06:002011-11-26T22:53:05.577-06:00

Our Thanksgiving holiday always involves time with my dad and siblings. For the past four or five years, they have traveled to be with us at our place and we share a huge feast, play games, visit some sort of local spot of interest like the City Museum, Magic House, Powder Valley, or a local park depending on the weather. This year, we mainly focused on spending time together at the house or at

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-14871896425919952682011-11-10T22:21:00.001-06:002011-11-11T12:24:36.921-06:002011-11-11T12:24:36.921-06:00

As usual, I have fallen behind in keeping track of all the little milestones and sweet sayings around here. But I don't feel too bad as I've been busy "living life" with these guys. Sometimes getting on my computer feels like more of a drain than productive and helpful. But there are a few notables so I thought I'd pause a moment to scratch them down. I think I can make the statement that Simon

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-80146331051284506972011-10-05T22:53:00.000-05:002011-10-05T22:53:11.673-05:002011-10-05T22:53:11.673-05:00

Whenever we go on a trip of any kind, Ella is known to "pack a bag." Even on a trip to Target or to the grocery store, she has to have some kind of little something to entertain herself like a book or activity of some sort. Sometimes it's a pain because the unpacking doesn't always happen AFTER the trip so there are often shoulder bags full of books, crayons and toys at various spots in the house

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-73483784671020488392011-09-10T23:31:00.000-05:002011-09-10T23:31:46.547-05:002011-09-10T23:31:46.547-05:00

Today was family day and what a great day we had together! We started with a lazy breakfast, coffee and cartoons, then dressed ourselves for a walk in the woods. We visited Powder Valley which is a favorite place of ours for walking because the path is a "doable" distance for each of us, fully shaded, brimming with woodland creature like deer who are very used to people in their space, and lots

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-57721517501388918442011-08-07T21:51:00.000-05:002011-08-07T21:51:02.084-05:002011-08-07T21:51:02.084-05:00

Tonight in Simon's bed, instead of automatically praying for him, I asked him if he'd like to pray. He asked, "What should I pray for? Do we know anybody who is sick?" I said, "I'm a little sick. I think I have a cold." So he agreed and then asked, "What else?" I racked my brain for what needs might resonate most with him and remembered the stories on the news about severe famine in Somalia,

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-59096301526517712192011-06-10T22:49:00.000-05:002011-06-10T22:49:26.976-05:002011-06-10T22:49:26.976-05:00

You might recall when I told you about the new devotional book we've started? I mentioned that here. Well, it's already had an impact. Each lesson is about ten minutes and it starts with a short scripture reading and then is followed by some explanation and engaging Q&A. The first couple of lessons begin with creation, which Simon has also recently learned about in a Sunday school class. You

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-5023968349691315292011-06-07T00:32:00.000-05:002011-06-07T00:32:27.853-05:002011-06-07T00:32:27.853-05:00

Today was the first Monday of summer break. It was so wonderful to all sleep in late and  not have to do the school rush! Unfortunately, Daddy was in bed sick so he couldn't enjoy it with us. But, things went surprisingly well! I expected to have to break up lots of fights and minor irritations between the kids since they're not used to being in each other's space as much these days. But it

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-52432225899012432682011-06-02T23:40:00.000-05:002011-06-02T23:56:37.272-05:002011-06-02T23:56:37.272-05:00

I'm always the behind the scenes arranger of dates for our children. But I rarely actually get a date with any of them one on one. When Bryan took Simon on a camping trip a couple of weeks ago (must post about this trip at a later date), I seized the opportunity for some alone time with our eldest. Josie stayed with Elijah and Anna for a couple of hours and Ella and I went out just the two of us!

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-53578197548672323842011-06-02T22:40:00.000-05:002011-06-02T22:40:11.898-05:002011-06-02T22:40:11.898-05:00

Simon has been finished with preschool for nearly two weeks now. But Ella's kindergarten graduation was yesterday and the final day of school was today. After her graduation and awards ceremony (she received awards for perfect spelling, excellent grades, a citizenship award, whatever that is, a character word of the month award for displaying respect, and an attendance award which was clearly a

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-83247495192033623662011-06-02T22:25:00.000-05:002011-06-02T23:56:37.272-05:002011-06-02T23:56:37.272-05:00

I wish I could find words to describe the angel that is Josie. I know she's my kid, but seriously, there is no denying there is something SPECIAL about this one. I've never seen a kid so affectionate and so quick to connect with others. She is not shy about sharing her smiles with people and warms up to new friends quickly. This may be my favorite picture of her...it really captures the silly

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-82305544429666033752011-06-02T22:20:00.000-05:002011-06-02T23:55:05.574-05:002011-06-02T23:55:05.574-05:00

My son is a health nut in the making. He loves vegetables and isn't a big fan of all the "normal" foods kids are supposed to like. He passes on macaroni and cheese every time as well as cheese burgers and other such fare. I have to admit, I make a killer pizza, yet he complains. Tonight's meal was homemade sausage pizza on Naan bread, a real treat. As soon as he saw it, he said, "Awwww....I don't

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-26997961046392013092011-05-31T23:40:00.000-05:002011-06-02T23:56:28.984-05:002011-06-02T23:56:28.984-05:00

I've been out of the habit of updating some of the bigger happenings as of late. So, to try to get back in the swing of things, this post will consist of some small tidbits of recent happenings. We went out of town last weekend. The plan had been to stay with our close friends in Joplin but the recent tornado that devastated the town derailed our plan. We drove through though and had a look at

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-17413861946862686742011-05-24T23:17:00.001-05:002011-05-24T23:34:27.620-05:002011-05-24T23:34:27.620-05:00

We had a play date the other day. I was busy in the kitchen cooking and arranging for some grown up fun time and should have known better. Little did I know, my son was upstairs wreaking havoc with his little buddies. When the destruction was brought to my attention by one of the other kids, I was summoned upstairs to the bathroom first. There was water all over the floor and a broken glass. Hmmm

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-13263339786886033332011-05-16T00:29:00.001-05:002011-05-16T00:38:58.332-05:002011-05-16T00:38:58.332-05:00

This weekend, our dear Michael and Amie got married! For those unfamiliar with these two wonderful people whom we dearly love and majorly adore, Michael is Bryan's youngest brother. Amie has been a friend of our family for years but in the last couple of years, has become one of my closest friends and, before she moved down to Atlanta to be with her now husband, was a weekly babysitter of our

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-52079388201676466362011-05-10T14:06:00.000-05:002011-05-10T14:06:59.099-05:002011-05-10T14:06:59.099-05:00

We were out a bit past bedtime last night and as we were driving home we enjoyed the sleepy ponderings of our oldest two. Simon: Mommy? I want to go to heaven. Me: Why do you want to go to heaven, Simo? Simon: Because I love God. And I want to see Grandma Florence. Where IS heaven? I think it's up in the clouds. I think God lives on one cloud. Ella: How will we get there?  Simon: God will make

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-2641007088138582992011-03-24T22:45:00.000-05:002011-03-24T22:45:00.397-05:002011-03-24T22:45:00.397-05:00

We often talk about how kids need rest so that their bodies can grow. Usually, it's an incentive we employ to encourage the kids to hurry up and get to their beds. It's an interesting fact that we like to use, and seriously, sometimes I think the kids look bigger after they've napped! We can always tell when Simon is going through a growth spurt because he'll ask to go to bed or decide to crawl

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-87087104796071345582011-03-23T00:12:00.001-05:002011-03-23T13:21:44.161-05:002011-03-23T13:21:44.161-05:00

This is a small rant, just to warn you. While we were in Kansas City on spring break, we visited a local park with a small playground. It was a beautiful day, the sun was bright and warm, and there were a few other kids enjoying the time outside as well. Specifically, there were two other boys there with their dads. Pretty cool when dad's take their kids to the park, yes? I love that! But what

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-21692639526952008472011-03-18T14:25:00.000-05:002011-03-18T14:25:47.087-05:002011-03-18T14:25:47.087-05:00

I've become embarrassingly bad about keeping this blog updated. Truth is, I've been doing my best (well, not my best, but "better") to not spend any "free" time on my computer while the kids are awake. I find it sucks me in and I end up an hour (or more) shorter of time to connect with them. Also, I've been doing a bit more freelance than normal so my time on the computer has been spoken for. 

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-9971338158315747152011-01-13T15:12:00.000-06:002011-01-13T15:12:51.232-06:002011-01-13T15:12:51.232-06:00

You might remember how I mentioned we have a new chalkboard wall in our kitchen. I use it to plan our menu and the week's activities. At the start of the month, Ella pleaded to write some things for me about the month of January. Here is the drawing she came up with...see if you can decipher its interpretation: Need a hint? I know it looks a bit like a Thanksgiving turkey to the untrained eye.

Rachel Mowreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622780135396906289noreply@blogger.com0