She…
1. Is officially NINE. Don’t even ask me how that happened. As of this Thursday, she’ll be a fourth grader. Oh my goodness!
2. Had her very first voice recital. She sang A Whole New World and crushed it. I cried, as always. I snapped the photo above right before she started singing. She had a brief moment of nervousness and then hit every note perfectly. What a girl. I enrolled her in a music/songwriting workshop in a few weeks and I am so excited to see how she likes it.
3. Always has her nose in a book. She devours every book she can get her hands on. A huge stack of books was her birthday present and she was in heaven. Right now the Smile series by Raina Telgemeier is her favorite.
4. Is NOT into fashion any more. Don’t you dare call her a fashionista! She does not like that. These days she’s all about sneakers and comfort. Knock me over with a feather!
5. Is much more preteen than little girl. I feel like a switch flipped at nine. She spends more time with friends, fights the eye roll, and doesn’t like to hold my hand as much as she did. At first this kind of hurt my feelings, but I know it’s part of life. She’s still sweet as pie.
She…
1. Just completed her tennis class and loved it. This summer she’s interested in tennis and volleyball. I love watching her find her niche. She’s super competitive and it’s good for her to learn how to play with other people, and how to lose with grace.
2. Is a big reader as well. She’s reading at an end of third grade level and tends to check out and pick books that are way above her level. Stubborn in every facet of life!
3. Has taken over the fashionista role from her sister. She LOVES dressing up and accessorizing. She usually lays out her outfits the night before. She wants so badly to wear lipstick and get her ears pierced (OMG).
4. Still comes into my bed to snuggle with me in the mornings and wants a selfie with me every single week when I volunteer in her class.
5. Is really in to Legos right now. She doesn’t ask for (or want) any help and the more complex the better. Not much holds her attention so I love that she’s become interested in building things!
She (aka Lucy on the left)…
1. Got a BIG haircut this summer. About 8 inches. She’d been asking me forever and I was so tired of the snarls and tangles every night and morning. So I gave in…and she looks SO cute.
2. Still takes her teddy bear (Cozy Baby) everywhere.
3. Corrects me on my Italian constantly. Pronunciation, word choice, you name it.
4. Sends Cate to me anytime she has a question. It’s actually really hilarious. She’s definitely the more dominant twin!
5. Looked at me the other day, sighed and said “Mommy, I LOVE snacks!” HAHAHA! So my child.
She (aka Cate on the left) …
1. Is the sweetest thing ever. She notices every single time I do my hair or put on makeup and always compliments me. “Mommy, you look so pretty!” “Mommy, I love your face!”
2. Doesn’t have a stuffed animal but loves her blanket (White Blankey) to pieces. God help us all if she can’t find it at bedtime.
3. Asks for “dream sprinkles” every night. This is when I pretend I’m tossing sprinkles on them and name happy things they can dream about. They yell ideas at me. Usually Cate yells PONIES! PRINCESSES! PUPPIES! JUMPY CASTLES! FRESH BEAT BAND!
4. Has to wear a headband Every.Single.Day.
5. Has a silly stretch she does for me every morning. It’s accompanied by an exxxxcellent face (very similar to her sour lemon face). She does it for me every day and stares at me until I laugh.
He…
1. Is gone more than he is here. But when he is here, he is such a wonderful daddy and husband. We are so proud of him.
2. Counted the other day and realized he has been to 20 countries in this part of the world. So crazy!
3. Always likes to give a life lesson when I ask questions. Like in the photo above. I asked a simple geography question and the laser pointer came out. BAHAHAHA!
4. Likes to “read” ten books at the same time. But he never finishes any of them.
5. Had two hour long massages in the span of 12 hours a couple of weekends ago. We had a babymoon getaway to a spa about 2 hours away. When he filled out the pre-massage forms they said “are you stressed?” He gave me a funny look and drew a big ole circle around “yes”. The next morning, 2 massages later, he was like a different man. His shoulders were several inches lower, I swear.
She…
1. Will be six months pregnant on Friday and she can’t believe it. Time flies when you are pregnant with your 5th!
2. Is in a blogging conundrum. She isn’t in the industry game anymore, she isn’t interested in monetizing, and she isn’t selling anything. Sometimes she isn’t sure where this leaves her. She feels self-indulgent babbling on to herself and about herself, but she does miss blogging terribly.
3. Has read 43 books so far this year.
4. Had to stop working out and seeing a trainer due to three separate occasions where she has had spotting and cramping due to lifting something (usually just groceries). She’s feeling frustrated and a bit defeated – this throws a BIG wrench into her “strong mom” plan – but she’s going to have to learn to ask for help.
5. Is 99 percent sure she’s having a girl, she just feels it.
xoxo
S
You all look fabulous and well taken care of. Glad to hear that you are feeling well (Just emailed you this AM). You’re having a boy. I can feel that. I’ve already boxed up clothes for you. 🙂 LOL
Please do keep blogging away (when you can) … there’s lots of us who will be happy if you do … no need for a reason!
I would really miss your postings if you stopped. It doesn’t have to be profitable to be fulfilling, please continue. BTW, the twins just crack me up with their crazy little expressions! They are all too cute.
Thanks for the post! I love hearing about how your family is doing.
Love seeing a new post pop up! I love hearing you “babble about yourself”, but you are definitely not the only one listening. 🙂
I love to read your news! Keep going!
Greetings from Madrid!
I was glad to see you blogged. Had been missing it. Thankful all is well. The girls are all beautiful, as well as you and Jay. I miss your “pages” but love to see the growth of your family and all your trips, etc. Three months to go! How exciting!
So glad that you blogged. I love hearing about you and your family. 43 books this year!! Way to go…
I have missed you! Very happy to see you are having a good, healthy pregnancy! I was worried! Love the girls … everything about them … especially the twins. My, they are gorgeous! Just crazy-gorgeous! Oh and the love! I can just FEEL the love you all have together! Cheers!
Oh, please keep blogging. I was telling my husband the other day that I did not know what had happened to you. I either refer to you as “Stephanie in Italy” or the “Major’s wife” and then he knows exactly who I am talking about…It is hard to believe that the girls are getting so big. I can keep up with Harper a little easier because she is nearly exactly one year younger than my granddaughter. She just turned 10 and will be in the 5th grade. You looked so pretty in your picture…what kind and or color lipstick were you wearing…I love how you said you were 99% sure you were having another girl. Well, I was so glad to finally hear a little bit from you…I love to hear how you are doing and how the rest of the family is doing…I didn’t actually mean for this to be so long:}
Thanks so much for blogging Stephanie! I love keeping up with your sweet family. You look fabulous!
Please keep blogging! I love your blog.
Keep blogging. Not just you have changed, but the industry, and blogging in general has changed. Now, it is back to telling your stories the way you want to. Remembering, sharing, and being creative (words alone are fine and words + photos rocks). Keep telling stories. You are not alone and will, I hear, be so glad of it later.
Love hearing about you and your family! Keep blogging for as long as you still like to do it…which I hope is a very long time!
looks like life is good for the Howell’s! I miss your posts, but i feel similar– not super inspired to blog. I think so many social media outlets makes for less time to blog.
Blogging conundrum begone! Just keep doing what you do, because you do it wonderfully!
SO GLAD YOU ARE BACK!!! MISS YOU – DON’T CARE WHAT YOU TALK ABOUT 🙂
Please, please, please keep writing!!! I love reading your posts…plus, I need advice on raising 5…I’ve got another on the way! I need advice from a pro!!
I love these posts, and they will be wonderful for you all to look back on in the future. The laser pointer made me laugh a lot. You look wonderful. Look after yourself Stephanie. CJ xx
She should definitely keep blogging!
Keep on blogging!! Love to read your posts.
Love reading your posts especially the series you did today. Please blog when you can!
So great to hear how everyone is doing. I hope you don’t stop blogging completely — I love your family from afar and love to hear about Italy and what you’re reading, etc. {{{{{hugs}}}}}
Go set a timer for 30 minutes and start clicking randomly through your archives to read, and then you’ll know why you keep blogging. xo
Fresh Beat Band!!!!!!!
Fabulous post…simply fabulous. I love that you share your stories with us and all your wonderful photos, just as sweet as can be. YOU look wonderful!
I’ve never met you but love reading about you & your family – those beautiful girls and your stories about what’s going on in your life. Please keep writing about what you’re all up to. You look gorgeous! Clearly you’re good at this baby thing!
Love these posts!
I immediately thought of Julia Roberts when I saw your picture! You are glowing for sure. But I think a boy would mix it up a little. Definitely take care of yourself. You are now an older woman having a baby, if you think about it. And we cannot do anything about aging. God Bless!
YOU LOOK AMAZING!!
I kept saying awwwww as I read about the girls.
Jimmy is well, hot, as always 😉
I am voting girl too 😉
I would really miss posts like this if you stopped blogging…. i’d miss you.
I found your blog through your scrapbooking, but I got hooked based on posts like these. I love the way you write and the details you note about your family. I especially loved back in the day when you wrote about the differences between your twins at the infant age – it was lovely reading about such unique personalities especially since I am a twin myself! It would be exxxtra cool if you had these notes on a scrapbook layout 😉
I love your blog! Please don’t stop!!
It’s always fun to read your blog and find out what your family is up to! Every time I read your blog, I feel like blogging myself, even though I haven’t blogged in over a year! I can’t believe how far along you are in your pregnancy already, and I am dying to know what you are having. I really hope it’s a boy just because I love my boys so much!
I love reading your blog, even if it’s about nothing or everything!
Steph-
I totally love you and would be sad if you completely stopped blogging, but goodness gracious, I would TOTALLY understand why!!!!! You’re having your 5th kid! That doesn’t leave you a lot of time to yourself. However, I am a firm believer that moms need to take care of themselves so that they can take care of their family, so whatever you decide, take care of yourself, ok? Loves ya!
You look amazing and inspire me every time I read your blog. Take care of yourself. You have a beautiful family.
Babble on – you are the cutest! And you,have the cutest family. And take care – can somebody carry groceries for you?
Please keep blogging…..I look every day and love reading about your beautiful family and looking at your beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing.
Love reading your blog! Love your family, your life! I’m praying you have a boy! He would be soooo cute and spoiled with all those big sisters. Life would be different and I can just imagine your posts!
So nice to ‘hear’ from you! The updates are great. Please blog more often- I miss you.
So happy to see your post and LOVE the updates and photos of everyone!! You look amazing! I would certainly be sad if you stopped blogging. But you have to do what you want to do! 🙂 LOVE it all! Thanks for sharing!
So glad to see a post!! Happy to read any ramblings. 🙂 As a mom of one, I love hearing about your kids and their different personalities and what your life is like with 4.5 kids. 🙂
You look wonderful Stephanie! So good to see you! And the picture of Sadie made me laugh and smile. You have a beautiful family and life. You are doing it right.
Add me to the list of people who hope you keep blogging when you can! I go to scrapbooking blogs all the time but what keeps me coming back is the personality of the blog/blogger.
Please, please, please keep blogging! From thought provoking to random blabbing, I love it all! So many of my regular blogging favs have reduced their number of blog posts and when they do post they are trying to sell me something! I don’t IG, Facebook or Tweet because they don’t seem genuine to me. I first came to your blog for creative inspiration and keep coming back for you honest, genuine sharing.
Please keep blogging! I started reading your blog for scrapbooking inspiration (before My Minds Eye!!) and love hearing about your family and life – I would definitely miss it if you didn’t! So glad to hear you are all doing well and your girls just make me smile! (especially since my “baby” is a full fledged 14year old eye rolling teenager who – not sure how it’s possible!! – is starting high school in the fall)
So glad to see all of your beautiful faces. Just blog for you. We’ll be here to listen. I’ve been a part of your journey for so long.
These are my favourite posts. I don’t care if you’re not scrapping or whatever. I love following you, in a very non-creepy kind of way xx
You look beautiful!
I loved reading this. Your family is beautiful beyond belief. You truly are such an inspiration.