Harding House: 21 snippets

I love how fantastic this picture turned out - did the night justice. I took some family pictures for friends and just as we were wrapping up Spencer met up with us with the kids and the sprinklers turned out. Nothing like evening light with friends on Baker Lawn. One of those perfect moments you want to hold on to forever.

An end of the year preschool event that I wasn't going to miss for anything. Especially with an invitation like that! Madeleine's preschool this year has been a tremendous (albeit expensive) blessing for us this year. It has been perfect for her and we've loved it almost as much as she has. It was fun to spend time with just her - it was a Mother's breakfast, but I'm pretty sure she felt like the special one having an attentive guest there. Can't blame her one bit.

We had a Family Home Evening lesson on tithing a few weeks ago. The kids have been earning pennies for jobs and chores they do such as making their beds, wiping off the table, no time outs, unloading dishwasher, picking up toys, and so on. This was the first FHE where they earned the money from their chore charts, so we figured a fitting time to talk about tithing. Madeleine was thrilled to give money to Heavenly Father to build temples and help people. Henry's reaction wasn't as mature...you would have thought his dog died or something. "Heavenly Father didn't earn it!" was heard through the genuine sobs. Poor guy.

My friends Elena and Yissel were kind enough to throw my Brittney and me a baby 'sprinkle'. It was a night out on the town with dessert at Max Brennar's topped off with good friends and company. Brittney is expecting her fourth boy so we both got some meaningful group gifts, including Harvard apparel for our respective broods. Such a fun, unforgettable night!

Madeleine employing her mignon to help her carry her mat on the way to yoga. You should have seen the look on the people's faces in the elevator when she told them she was going to yoga class. Only at Harvard!

One afternoon out our friends brought out their Madsen Bike - Madeleine, Henry, Ellie and Alden had a blast riding in circles around the SFP buildings.

Occasionally, Madeleine had a long day at preschool and it became tradition that on those days Henry and I would go out either for breakfast or lunch. On this particular day Spangler was the destination of choice, and banana bread the treat. Looking at this picture and thinking about what to write about this memory, makes me realize how special it is to spend time with a child one on one. Henry and I had the best conversations about what dinosaurs could swim, where crocodiles live and whether or not they were nice, how tractors move, what made Spiderman be able to shoot webs, where good guys live and how they protect people, and all things green. There is so much to an individual, I love being able to peel back the layers particularly in my own children only to marvel at their spiritual maturity and to be awed by the amazing things that lie ahead for them to conquer, accomplish, overcome, experience, and grow from.

Only Harvard regularly shines their ridiculously huge door handles. Huge like this one is at least a foot long.

So stately, beautiful, symmetrical, crisp, detailed but mostly so memorable for us now that we've left! Love this place.

The way I shower - the landing is our den

Oh Boston! One of our before church walks along the water. Beautiful.

Trying to do 'big eyes' with my little man

It took a while, but spring finally came to Boston! With the extended winter, it sure made us grateful once warm weather arrived. We spent most days outside and these two actually got along - must have been the magic of the weather. We were, or maybe I should say I was, really lucky this year in that spring came but summer stayed at bay for a while. It wasn't until late May - graduation to be exact that we hit 90 degrees and before that we had, maybe, two days that hit 80. Such a blessing for my in hindsight - I was able to wear my winter/warmer maternity clothes longer than expected, I never swelled up everywhere and I didn't over heat constantly like I did while pregnant with Henry. Pregnancy easily adds 10 degrees to my body temperature.

As part of our frenzied effort at the end of the year to do as much as possible before we left and before #3 came, we added candlepin bowling to the list. A historical New England tradition paired with a vintage venue made for an awesome afternoon. The balls were a perfect size for the kids, we had the place to ourselves and even reveled in the bumpers.

Two days before baby #3 made his/her debut, Spencer took me out to dinner at Ruth's Chris. So unbleiveably delicious. Totally worth the hype, especially the caprese salad special which I felt was just for me. The restaurant is in the old City Hall downtown and we had the most romantic little corner table looking out on the courtyard lit with twinkle lights. After this mature, romantic, sans kids dinner we walk outside to the famous democracy donkey and Spencer says, "get on and I'll take your picture." This girl never backs down from a challenge. We didn't make the Mary comparison until later :)

Baby Eve we took the shuttle into Harvard Square to eat at Chipotle. Chipotle has been the biggest craving of the pregnancy hands down. And who doesn't like the shuttle?!? A few weeks earlier we were driving home from preschool and we passed the Harvard shuttle, prompting Madeleine to say, "Mom, when I grow up I want to be a Harvard Business School bus driver. They have the nicest buses with those fancy seats with the triangle on them (the Harvard crest)."

So yeah, we like the shuttle. We had come straight from a princess birthday party so we were fully prepared to embrace the liberal downtown of Cambridge with our costumes and crowns.

Baby 3 weeks before arrival. These pictures were taken in a MN hotel room during the Boston lockdown. I flew out to look at a house (which we ended up buying!), despite the lack of approval from my OB. I had been in the hospital a couple weeks earlier with irregular contractions and all sorts of weird pains so they didn't feel great about me flying at 36 weeks. I went anyway and fortunately the trip, although eventful, was uneventful on the baby front.

Madeleine facetiming with Jerusha, telling her in exact detail, every story she knows from the gospel library art book. Everything from Noah and the ark, Shadrac Mishac and Abednego, David and Goliath, Daniel and lions den, Ammon, and many more. She has a remarkable memory without question.