Fast Forward

Well I wrapped up our vacation and since we are putting serious thought and planning into our next vacation for this summer I think it is high time we fast forward to the current date.

So allow me to bring this blog up to speed, fast forward style...

My oldest nephew got married in July and Emery was the flower girl:

 

Before school started we went to the Omaha Zoo (LOVE this zoo!):

 

School started (5th, 3rd and TK):

She had a birthday and turned 11 (going on 21): 

Skyping with Grandma D - she had a slumber party with friends the next weekend

She had "Crazy Hair Day" at school:

In October my mom came to visit:

she taught Riley to sew

Halloween happened and we went to the community party put on by a local church:


Pirates in 2 sizes, a busy bee, and Snow White

Miss J lost her first tooth on November 15th:

 

Miss Shannon-bananon turned 9 (and she got more of her favorite things in the world: Lego Friends and Nintendo DS games):

She turned 4:

note we are Skyping with Grandma D again... Emery got her quilt this year :)

She also got a glitter tulle tutu from my sis... it bedazzled our entire house for weeks (thanks Ria)

 Christmas happened:

At the end of January, Chad and I went to the Dominican Republic on a SALT (Service and Learning Team) trip with a group from our church:  (I will back up and do a post on this trip -or maybe a couple posts, but to summarize: it was an AWESOME awesome trip):

Valentines Day happened:


Two girlies brought Minions (including a banana one for a couple friends that are on the GAPS diet)

she brought bubbles

We have had a loooonnngggg COLD winter without much snow but these two managed a snowman all on their own:

 

Riley has become quite the knitter, including starting a "Knitting Club" with her friends at school.  She also taught Jordyn to knit (adorableness):

In February my Mom came to visit (she has been coming whenever Chad has to go to Michigan for seminary... SO nice!):

And lastly, we said a tearful goodbye to our dog, Norman on March 12: 

It was heartbreaking to say goodbye, but it was time as he was in pain and no longer himself. RIP buddy, you were such a good dog! 

SO that's it.  For sure the longest post on this blog, (as it should be since it covered about 6 months) but we are all caught up! YAY!

Merry Christmas!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, PRINCE OF PEACE. 

                                                                                                                                      ~Isaiah 9:6

Happy winter! oh, oops I mean Easter.

We took our traditional after the Easter church service family pictures.  Last year we had an Easter miracle and took two great pictures.  This year?  We took 4.  NONE of them are "perfect."  (Maybe cause Chad isn't wearing a tie this year.) 

We also experienced Easter snow this year.  The day started off as sunny and a little cool, but not freezing at least... on the way to church we heard the radio station say something about snow.  We said, "nah, no way it will get cold enough today to snow"  hmmm, wrong-o.  On the way home from our lunch at Grandpa and Grandmas it started to snow.  Crazy.  God's early April fools joke maybe? I just comfort myself with the fact that winter cannot stay forever.  In a few months time we will be playing at the pool in the sunshine.  And months go by fast these days.  I thought 2013 just started and it is already April.

Anyway, Happy Easter to anyone who reads my little blog. (hi mom!) 

Praise Jesus, what a Savior!

New

A new year has begun.

Fifteen days later.  This is pretty par for the course for me. I am often fifteen minutes late. (or at least a good five)  Promptness is not one of my strengths.

I don't plan to put that on the resolution list either. That is, to be more prompt.  Not that I don't think I should work on improving.

The real reason would be that I did not make a list this year.  (last years list failed rather miserably... at least to put those things up on the blog.  many things on the list did get done eventually, just not well documented)  So I learn from past mistakes and  rather than making a specific list that I cannot keep up with I will take life as it comes.  As it is given to me, for the blessing of each day and seek what God is asking me to do, teaching me and molding me to be.  He is making all things new. 

A little recap of December:

A birthday girl.  She turned 8.  She had her favorite, strawberries, on her birthday cupcakes and a sleepover with three besties.

It is hard to come up with words to express how you love each child isn't it?  They are all so unique from each other, but my love for them is the same... unconditional.  This girl is sensitive, cheers for the underdog, has a stubborn streak, detail oriented (she is my girl that when emptying the dishwasher puts the plastic kid cups in rainbow order, love that.)  She is full of joy and can go from sulky and mad to giggling and smiling in 2.3 seconds. (and the reverse as well, ha ha) 

Happy birthday dear one. Eight will be great.

Another birthday girl.  Miss baby turned 3.  Her birthday was pretty low key (this mommy has learned to take advantage of those younger years when they don't really care if they have a big party complete with theme decorations or if a special auntie comes over to shares cupcakes and later a Skype date with Grandma D to open gifts) 

This girl has a sweetness about her.  Even through her toddler toughness where she tests every single possible boundary every single possible day she can turn on that little sweet smile and melt my heart.  She loves to be read to.  She loves tv. (uh oh)  She loves to play with her sisters and be included on their "big girl stuff."   She is sneaky and stealth and is often found with a candy she has stolen or in her sisters' room.  She is almost done with naps (this mommy is not ready for that, sigh.)  She loves to dance.  She puts on these ratty black ballet flats (that stink horribly thanks to her constant wearing of them with bare feet) and prances around the house, performing the occasional jump into the air with arms raised high... I imagine she is feeling like the most beautiful ballerina floating through the air as she does this. 
Oh and the other big news with her.... just before Christmas we officially purchased our last pack of diapers. WOW.  It has been over 10 years since we have not purchased a pack of diapers.  (there was a small window between daughters 2 and 3 that we were only buying pull-ups for a few months) AND I suppose to be totally honest, we still have to buy pull-ups for night time.  Yes, Miss baby is potty trained.  YAY! We are happy dancing around here. 

December also includes Christmas of course.  It was wonderful.  I love having young kids at Christmas, their excitement and anticipation.  More importantly the opportunity to teach them about why we really celebrate, that the best gift is Jesus and his tremendous love for us. 

On Christmas Eve day we had relaxed and celebrated with just our little family.  We normally open gifts in the evening but since Chad had the whole day off we took advantage and opened gifts in the morning while everyone was still in their pj's. 

Christmas Day was spent with Chads side.  Lots of kids, lots of food, lots of fun.

That ends 2012.  I have been rather sparse in my updates on the blog, but as I stated in the beginning of this post, I don't have a resolution list so I make no promises of more frequent posts.  Then it will be a surprise if I do, right? 

Happy 2013!

stuff

It seems like this time of year I am keenly aware of how much STUFF we have.  The prospect of adding to that pile of stuff makes me somewhat ill and so I clean through the house to get rid of some STUFF (just to make room for more?)

This is the solution Miss Baby has come up with:

To keep her stuff close to her (in case her mother comes by and decides to clean out her toy box I suppose) she stuffed her stuff in her pjs.

However, having all that stuff around can make one a bit uncomfortable. It can feel a bit stifling and makes it hard to move around. 

AND you want to be able to find your phone in case you need to make a call.

Easter blessings...

it was one of "those" weeks leading up to Easter Sunday. 

hubby felt like he was being attacked.  we believe that spiritual warfare is a very real thing and this past week we felt it in a very real way.

it was a week where little things were so much harder than they should have been, or figured they would be.  Murphy's Law appeared to be a true phenomenon.  looking at the big picture, NONE of the issues we had the past week were significant.  no one we loved was seriously injured or taken from us.      

BUT, you know what?  we still celebrated Easter! PRAISE GOD that every single day we can celebrate the amazing sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus.  what a gift.  pure grace.   Satan will not win.  Death has been defeated. 

and so we take heart, even in the times where spiritual warfare feels so real. so hard.   Jesus has overcome.  and we continue on encouraged and feeling blessed.

and guess what else! 

we took our traditional Easter Sunday quick-a-minute-after-church-self-timer-family picture on our front porch:

we took 2 pictures.  BOTH are winners, what?! an Easter miracle. ha ha.  (guess it's time to update the family picture on the side bar of this blog, huh?)

i {heart} strawberries. a lot.

on the 4th of July we went strawberry picking. 

it was hot.

really really hot.

it was fun.

we picked way too many berries (i could not remember how many i picked last year and all i knew is i wished i had picked more at that time)  i made 11 jars of freezer jam, 4 large containers of smooshed and sugared berries for icecream topping and then painstakingly froze LOTS of berries whole on cookie sheets and transferred them to containers for smoothies (and then i forgot to close the freezer door and they thawed and then refroze into one large lump.  super.) and i still had a whole flat left that i sold to a friend.  (mental note: pick 2 large flats next year, not 3)

Easter

we had a beautiful Easter day.  after a week of rain and cold and even some snow, Sunday was full of sunshine and warmer temps.  the sun warmed my soul and i felt such joy in my heart for an amazing Savior, who's sacrifice I will never grasp but can only have a heart of gratitude for loving me so much. 

well after church, i decided Easter pictures were a must.  all of us. dressed up. at the same time.  such an occasion does not happen all that often.  i must document it.

a decent-ish  pic of all the girlies...... 

and then the not-so-great, read wildly unsuccessful attempt at a family pic:

the youngest two looking elsewhere and the second dd is pulling a "where's waldo"

hmm, another where's waldo and only 2 of the 6 of us actually looking at the camera

the last attempt... miss j can't help but point at the camera since we are telling her to look at it.
patience had worn thin and it was as good as it was gonna get. 
maybe next year.  (i wonder how many years yet i will proclaim this until we actually get a decent pic?)

Christmas 2010 in pictures

an attempt at a picture of the girls in their Christmas dresses in front of the tree.
not one single decent picture. 

Christmas Eve... our own little family party

right up her crafty alley

SO excited

this girl was so serious in unwrapping and made sure to remove ALLwrapping before inspecting the gift

this sweet cheeked girl (the one in red) was the pits opening gifts... constantly going after stuff that was not for her ;)

Christmas morning... playing with gifts.  miss J calls this her "game"

the new zhu-zhu pet stuff has taken over the kitchen island... eating pancakes for breakfast in new fuzzy bathrobes :)

on the phone with Grandma D

and opening gifts on Christmas Day at the in-laws