Home Sweet...Gone

So it happened quite fast...we sold our house!  We had an offer 2 weeks after we listed it and then we were out 1 month later to the day.  WOW!  It has been a whirlwind.  And the question we get is "How is your new house?".  Our answer is short and sweet -- we don't know yet!  Until this past Monday we didn't have a new house.  But we have found one and are scheduled to close at the end of October.  In the meantime my parents have VERY graciously opened up their home to all of us!  We will still be living in Hudson not too far from our old house.  
We have recounted the many ways God has worked in both selling our home and so far in the process of buying our new one.  We are so blessed because God is just so good to us...

Leaving was way more emotional than I anticipated.  It was quite bittersweet.  I knew it would be hard but I was not prepared for the tears as I swept the kitchen one more time and pulled out of our driveway for the last time.  So many memories at 10 Cross Street.  We brought home 3 babies to that home.  It's where we watched our older boys grow.  It's where 3 of our kids accepted Jesus into their hearts.  It's where the kids learned to ride bikes and it's the house we started homeschooling in.  It's where we shared many, many precious times with friends and family.  
But it wasn't just the good memories.  It was the difficult ones too that made it hard.  It's where hard conversations took place, it's where we learned about loved ones lost, it's where our marriage was tested, it's where we (okay, mostly me) cried during difficult times, it's where God disciplined us and taught us, it's where we failed at times and it's where we wrestled with decisions for our family.  
However, through all these times, it's where we grew, it's where God met us and showed Himself faithful and sovereign time and time again.  I am ever so grateful for all the memories in our home.  For the beautiful and happy memories and for the maybe not so beautiful and happy moments.  All of them make us grow and bring us closer to Christ if we let them.  

He has never failed us and we are very much looking forward to our new house that we will make a home.  We look forward to the ways He will grow us, mold us, shape us and show Himself through the beautiful moments as well as through the down right ugly moments.
We are who we are because He is who He is.  And we are grateful...

July Happenings

Well it's August and summer will be over before we know it I suppose...womp, womp...
It's been a good summer.  Not too busy with going here and there but still busy with fun stuff.  One of the big reasons we haven't been going here, there and everywhere is we have been working quite hard to get our house on the market.  It is listed at the moment and now we wait...so if you think of us, please pray for a quick sale...or for much patience for us =)

Caleb turned 11 in July and he wanted to take some friends rock climbing and out to eat so off we went.  The boys had a blast!  

I think this picture is so fun!

And this past Saturday we just got back from vacation.  We went to the Cape with my family for a week.  It was fun and the cousins absolutely loooove being together for a week...and this year there were 2 more in the mix with Mia and Kiah!

Of course there is much beach time down the Cape.  For the most part, we had great weather!

The house we rent has kayaks and this year there were some different ones to use which were so much easier for the kids to use and maneuver (okay, for the adults too!).

Josiah especially took a liking to the kayaking.  Looks like we may have to add one of these to our camping list in the future. 

Caleb got some snorkel gear for his birthday and was psyched to be able to use it right away. 

Yup, flippers and all! 

As a kid going to the cape, one of my favorite things to do was feed the ducks at the boat ramp while my dad and uncle got the boat in or out of the water.  I remember it so clearly.  And it seems my kids enjoyed it just the same.  So we took our "duck bread" (yes, believe it or not though this italian family loves its bread, some actually sat around long enough to become "duck bread").   

 This was definitely one of my favorite memory making moments watching the kids feed the ducks and help Jasmine to feed them too.  She loved it!

So Jonas and Jasmine had a bit of a love/hate relationship for the week but in the end, I think it was more love.  Jonas loved helping to take care of her all week and takes his big cousin role quite serious! 

Kiah's first time in her life jacket for the boat!  She didn't mind it at first but then realized how much she didn't like it.

 And yeah, she is that good of a baby...she just fell asleep on the beach...in the middle of the noisy kids, seagulls, water and boats...she just fell asleep.

Yes, you are seeing this one correctly.  It's a shark head.  Yes, a real shark head.  The kids found it on the beach.  A bit unnerving but cool nonetheless.   For the rest of the week, we called our beach sharkhead beach.

 Kiah was taken on many walks by many people so she got used to this ride.

More beach time! 

Daddy keeping Kiah cool in the shade.  She did enjoy the water though too!  No fusses from her at the beach.

We hit the same bike trail that we did last year but this year we took Jonas!  He LOVED riding in the trailer behind mommy.  He was the keeper of the snacks and drinks.  The kids rode great and it's impressive for those little ones to ride 7 miles!  I know my legs felt it pulling that extra trailer weight but the exercise felt fantastic!  Next time, we'll have Kiah and Jonas in the trailer.  =)

The trail rides by a beautiful beach so always a good photo op.

If we had a couple more miles on our trail, I think this guy would have fallen asleep easy.

This was a cool ship we found along our bike ride.

Queen Kiah

One of Jonas' highlights of the week...getting dessert...Every. Single. Night. 

There are so many more pics but I think this captures the week for you.

Until next time Cape Cod... 

SUMMER!

HAPPY SUMMER!!!  The Libbys are so glad summer is here and we are enjoying the great weather and summer days.  Other than some testing, the kids finished school on June 3rd. Yes, the beauty of homeschooling is we can finish early.  I just feel that summer in New England is so short and I think that I, I mean that the kiddos should be able to suck up every moment of summer right until the last popsicle is dripped and the last splash is made.  So I really try to give them 3 months of summer.  They are still required to read and keep up on math facts and do 10 minutes of typing each day when we are home but that's pretty much it.  I just tell them I don't want their brains turning to mush over the summer!  =)

Right after we finished, there was a homeschool field day and all the kids had a blast and have already asked to go back next year!  We definitely will be.  It was so fun and so organized and they got to spend the day with so many of their friends.   

Caleb absolutely loves Tug-O-War and he was working real hard at it. 

 I am not sure what Josiah was running away from but he was going!

Jonas was very careful in is egg run.  Has the tongue out and everything to concentrate. 

The mummy wrap relay.  Josiah was very detailed in his task! 

Little Miss Hannah waiting in line for her turn.  Look at that smile! 

Hannah on the "chariot race".  Love her little head poking up! 

And here is mommy's field day...I LOVE strawberry picking for those yummy fresh strawberries!   So while the kids were at summer camp one day, off we went!

 We spent the day with Auntie Donna and cousin Mia picking strawberry picking, running some errands and then enjoying lunch together!  Such a sweet (no pun intended) sister-cousin day!

They looked thrilled, don't they!?!?  

And look who is already 2 months old!?!?  It is going so fast!

Kiah is smiling more and more each day and the kids love that she is getting to recognize their faces each morning when they come into to see her.  She is a very sweet, content and happy baby.  She is already sleeping through the night from about 9 to 5! I am sure she will go through her phases of waking during the night but right now, I will take the sleep!  Love her smile that has a dimple just like her siblings and her mama!

Hope you are all enjoying your summertime!!!

Meet the Newest Libby

It's hard to believe that it's already been 4 weeks today since little Miss Kiah has joined our family.  I am sorry for not posting sooner but needless to say, life has been a little busy and hectic =)
As the famous song goes, "She came to the world in the usual way".  Kiah's delivery could not have gone more smoothly.  God took care of every detail from the moment my water broke at 5:00 pm on Wednesday night until the moment we got to meet our baby girl at 
2:50 am on Thursday morning and I got to snuggle her on my chest which are moments I will treasure forever.  
Kiah Hope was named after King Hezekiah in the Bible.  Dave and I have been reading a few books about the his story and kingship and reading about him in the book of Chronicles and we felt that was the name God put on our hearts. 

 Kiah was born on Thursday, April 14th.  She weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. and was 

19 1/2 inches long.

Absolutely love this pic 

Precious... 

 Kiah at 11 days old

I must give credit where credit is due.  My brother-in-law, Eric Favini, took these AMAZING pictures for us.  YES, I am going to give him a plug right now.  He has a true gift for taking pictures.  He has done many for our family and our kids and I am always amazed at his work.  Check out his website: www.faviniphotography.com  =)

We are absolutely in love with this baby girl and her siblings are over the moon for her.  They can't get enough snuggles and kisses each day.  We are all adjusting well.  No matter how many kids you have, there is always an adjustment period for everyone to find their "new normal".  Each day is another baby step toward the new dynamic of our family.  

So I will do my best to post more frequently but if you don't hear from us for some time, well, you can understand...

If you haven't already, we can't wait for you to meet Kiah Hope!

2 Chronicles 29:2

"He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done."

2 Chronicles 31:20-21

"This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God.  In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly.  And so he prospered."

I love Homeschooling!

I do...I really do.  Yes, the days are crazy and no, it feels like I am NEVER alone, and my life revolves around our school days sometimes but I really do love homeschooling.  I love that we can take our time on a subject, that we can park on something if it is taking a little longer to grasp the concept, that we have flexibility in our days and that my kids have the freedom to explore and research things they are interested in.  Most recently, I have loved watching Hannah and her love for animals and especially birds.  The pictures here show her making a bird trap.  She went online and researched how to make a bird trap, how to take care of birds and what they like to eat and what they need and took notes on it all.  (Um yes, she thinks she is getting a pet bird at some point...not so much).  I was reminded of how blessed we are to be able to homeschool.  I know if my kids didn't have the time the they do in the afternoons, they wouldn't be able to explore the way they do.  I just love what we do! I know it's not for everyone, but I am so glad God saw fit to call us to homeschool.  

Note:  If you haven't heard of it yet, www.kiddle.co is an awesome search engine for kids to use without you having to worry what would show up on google when they are doing research. Check it out!

The bird lover. 

Setting the trap with bird seed to lure her friends. 

Of course Jonas is right there learning from his big sister. 

This was from the fall when Hannah just got excited about writing on her own.  This was her AWANA Bible verse that she practiced writing on the whiteboard.  Love this...

Ok, this was one was from a couple years ago but it is still my favorite...don't you wish she were running for president this fall?!?!

Happy Birthday Josiah

Josiah turned 9 in March and wanted a Nerf gun party. Though I love having their birthday parties at home, living in New England (you know, where it was 80 last week and snowed 5 inches yesterday!) can cause a problem for a Nerf gun party with 9 boys!  I didn't want to take a chance so we held the party at the gym at our church.  SO GLAD WE DID because we needed the space.  Josiah said it was the best party he's had so far!  I was glad to hear that because this mama didn't have to put in as much work as usual...just made sure there was enough ammo and food!  All the boys had fun!  And yes, we had most of these guns. You don't realize how many you have until you pull them out for a party...but I am glad we did!!!

The Armory... 

Of course, with a bunch of boys, there MUST be a refueling station. 

One of the battle training stations. 

Ready for battle 

Auntie Lauren does it again! 

Loading up for the big Nerf battle! 

Do you think this birthday boy is having a good time!?!? 

Caleb scoping out his hiding place (except his 18 month old cousin Jasmine kept giving him away!). 

BLAST!!!! 

Yes, the littlest one has the biggest gun right here. 

Happy Birthday Josiah!!!