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!

The March Post

I think my new method of blogging is one post a month. That is the pattern for 2013 thus far, anyway.

So here is a little re-cap of life lately:

In February I turned 29 again. The night before my birthday my girlies planned an elaborate "surprise party" (to which I received an invitation and was told to wear black and white).   They had decorated the dining room with my old penguin collection and planned out "penguin" type games.  We danced like penguins, pinned the bow and the watch on the penguin, and had yummy food.  So very sweet!  Seriously, I was so impressed with their creativity and cuteness!

My mom came to visit.  She surprised my sister who lives near me for her birthday and also stayed with me while Chad was in Michigan again for seminary.   I was terrible about taking pictures, but got a few from her camera.  We love her visits and miss her so very much when she leaves.  So grateful for Skype and phones to keep in touch!

 We have been taking advantage of the local library a little more often this winter.  It has such a great area for the kids!  Miss Baby didn't quite understand the concept of being able to check out books, but she LOVED taking them out and stacking and lining them up and looking through them.  (sorry librarians who had to put them all away again!)

 Don't let these pictures above fool you.  The pictures below is our reality:

Winter just does not seem to want to let go.  Must remember to send it the memo that Spring is officially here and to go away already.

In fact I think the poor birds are so confused by the cold weather that they are flying into anything to try to warm up.  Yesterday when I returned from Coffee Break Bible Study there was bird in my kitchen.  I screamed and then for a few minutes panicked as it flew around banging into one window after another.  I called Chad at work but I had the van so he couldn't just zip home to rescue me.  Plus miss baby kept saying "ooh, birdie!" and heading toward it as it lay stunned on the ground after yet another run in with my windows.  I finally got my head on straight and opened a few windows and popped the screens out cause I REALLY did not want to actually have to touch it.  It flew out eventually and I hope it found a nice tree to hide in and recover from it's injuries.   I'm just glad that I wasn't home when it first flew out of my fireplace (that is the only thing we can think of as to how it got into the house).  I am pretty sure I would have peed my pants and my screams would have permanently scarred miss baby for life.  Exciting times here :)

Happy Spring!

It's in the genes

A conversation at my house tonight...

Scene:  My kitchen, me chopping up carrots and potatoes for the soup I'm making for dinner, my two littlests on stools next to me watching.

Miss J:  Mama, what's healthier, water or milk? 
Me:  Water, but milk is pretty good too.
Miss J:   Mama, what's healthier, milk or juice?
Me:  Milk, it has less sugar.
Miss J:  Mama, what's healthier, juice or pop?
Me:  Juice, pop is really really bad for you.
Miss Baby:  OH! So that means it tastes good!

Ahhhh yes.  My little Miss Baby is a sweet tooth just like her mama!

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.

I {heart} fall too

There has been some technical difficulties going on around here on my blog.  My picture storage has reached it's capacity and some previous posts lost their pictures.  (ugh) I have fixed most of them, but it takes for.everrrrrrrrrrr. 

Now I am kinda hesitant to post something new because what old pictures are going to vanish?  So this will be a bit of a trial and hopefully it will all just stay put.

Anyhoo.  I have a self proclaimed deep love of summer.  However, I must confess that each season has it's benefits and beauty.  We had a great fall.  Warm temps, only snowed once. A fantastic show of leaves (which are all picked up now... phew!)  Fall also brought great photo ops.  I took each girly girls pics over the past couple months.  To narrow down the massive amount of pics I could post I made a collage of each.  (family beware, new pics will be coming your way to grace your fridge or drawer, wherever you might keep them! ha ha)

My eldest in her double digit glory:

Then my photogenic second child, seriously this girl can take the best pictures, as long as she is in the right mood that is:

Miss J, Miss Sassy, Miss Ball of Energy in constant motion, the challenge was to catch her smile instead of chattering:

Miss Baby, my most challenging for sure in the picture taking department. She is two going on 15 much to my dismay.  I would like to keep her little forever thank you very much.

Now we speed onward toward winter.  Enjoying mild temps and no snow.  Yay!   Anticipating Christmas when the kiddos are young is so precious, no?  I love it.

Double Digits

So my eldest had her first "double digit" birthday.  A bit of a worrier by nature, she told me she was quite nervous to be turning 10.  "Never again will I be just one number."  I imagine she was mourning her childhood past?  Thinking that with two digits she was a quasi-adult?   There were even a few tears shed. 

On her big day I asked if she felt okay with it, now that she was officially 10.  She said "Huh, it really doesn't feel any different than 9."  Imagine that.

She had her ears pierced on her big day and then on the weekend she hosted a slumber party with some of her besties.   

looking a little worried... glad they do both ears at the same time!

ready to open gifts

a few handmade party details including rolo cupcakes

a couple weeks later she got to open her gifts from Grandma D

happy birthday dear girl.  even though you are in double digits you are still my little girl and i pray that all your double digit years are blessed beyond measure. here's to reaching those triple digits!