Christmas Day

We had a fantastic Christmas day! Gracie actually CHOSE to stay in bed till 7 (the time we normally ask her to stay in bed till, but she rarely does!) She came running in and then we all went to see if Santa came. He did! She was very excited.

Grace was the present hand-er out-er. She took her role very seriously.

She loved opening her presents and was happy with each one. (except the jean leggings. I can NOT get her to wear jeans so I thought I'd try leggings. nope!)

Brother got her a new tea set.

and he got even more blocks!

We had a great day and stayed in our jammies ALL day long. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and rolls for lunch and watched movies. It was a great day!

Merry Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

We are on COUNTDOWN week! It makes us crazy with excitement!

and it makes us make funny faces! We are SO excited!

SNOW!

On our first real snow day (it snowed before but we didn't see it so we aren't counting it!) The kids made a fort under the counter.

Then we walked over to the office in the snow!

ha! Graham's coat is so big.. I asked Grace to take a picture with him and her arm knocked him down. It was like the little boy in Christmas Story!

We liked making footprints in the snow.

This was just the start of it. We had 9 inches!

See the woodpecker on the feeder?

Saturdays

Saturdays are for making bread (parmesan herb bread- it was fantastic!)

playing with chalk while it's still nice outside

being silly and running around while Daddy rakes leaves.

and for playing hopscotch.

It was a great day. I love my family.

#2

Gracie has made Graham her playmate, whether he likes it or not! The door to her room will close and it will be quiet for a looooonnnnggg time. Then out will come sis in a new (for the 10th time that day!) outfit and brother in a tutu and hair bows. It's so funny! He just looks at us like "guys, I just go with it, it's easier, trust me". ha!

He LOVES playing with blocks and can stack quite a few. They keep him entertained.

The Christmas tree was very exciting to him. So are the ornaments. We let Gracie decorate it and her sweet spot seems to be middle right so, there are about 100 ornaments there and not to many anywhere else.

He has also enjoyed coloring lately! If he sees the crayons out he starts squealing and pointing to the paper.

He finally got tooth #4! 5 & 6 are not far behind. Those top teeth sure do change how he looks. :)

Book Review: Thank you God for Blessing Me

We’ve had this book for a bit now, and it’s already a well loved one in our house! Thank you, God, for Blessing Me, by Max Lucado is a great way to take Hermie books down to a infant/toddler level. It is about little Hermie the caterpillar who goes through his list thanking God for all He has given him.

This story is told with rhyme and is easy to read and understand. Both Gracie and Graham enjoy the verses and pictures. They idea that we should thank God for all we have been given is clear. Little Hermie takes time to thank Him even for the little things in His life.

I have always enjoyed the Hermie books. This one isn’t any different but I do think that the illustrations are not as vibrant and bright like the usual Hermie books. That was more of a disappointment for me than my kids though, they didn’t mind a bit and this book is requested often! I would purchase this book for any young child (baby to 3ish) as a gift!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have express in my reviews are my own. They are based on mine and/or my children’s reactions to the book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

#1

Child #1 has been busy! She has been going to preschool 2 days a week. Her teacher says her gift is dramatic play. HA!

She loved her "new to her" coat from her friend Norah. She feels like a princess in it!

She is also learning how to write! She actually writes her Gs upside down then turns the paper but it's still fantastic!

She is thrilled with Christmas. We are "working" on a memory verse. (I say working because she has ZERO interest in memorizing or really doing what I ask. ha!) It is-

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

Every time she says it she says

"for unto you is born this day in the city of David... and Marah...

David and Marah are good friends of ours. She can't imagine a city of David without Marah. :)

Fall is fading...

I'm going to admit that we put up our Christmas tree this week. We LOVE Christmas and we like to have it up early so that we can take it down right after the holidays. Plus we are so busy that we won't have much time to do it later!

I carved a pumpkin with sister a few days before Halloween. It was definitely an "I" not a "we". She was having nothing to do with that icky stuff inside! When I asked her what she wanted me to make she said a beautiful princess in a pink dress. Uh, not quite in mom's pumpkin carving repetoire....

We settled for triangle eyes and lips. She was pleased!

Flashback Friday

Look at these two! He was so tiny and I thought he had a lot of hair at the time! And she was JUST potty training. Now they are playing and he follows her all over the house. What a difference a year makes!

Thankful Thursday

wow, it's been a bit! I need to catch up. Don't give up on me. I do have things to share. I promise. :)

Today I am thankful for...

smiles caught on camera

a great shopping trip for under $5!!!! (that rarely happens, so I had to document it!)

growing teeth

silly time with daddy

newfound curiosity for everything

We are at an exciting time in our lives. God is moving us and pushing us. I was reminded this week of our church's mission "To Know Christ and Make Him Known". It was a reminder to me that it's not just my church's job, that is MY job. No matter where I am, no matter what I am doing, that is my mission. It starts with my kiddos. No, really, it starts with me. To know Christ... that means have a relationship with Him. Getting into his word, spending time with him. To make him known... that's where I can share what I am learning with my kids.

My patience has been thin lately, especially with them. I want to honor my kids by giving them my best and I want to honor my God by giving him my best. I am so very thankful for new mercies every day and for his gentle reminders in my life.

Happy Halloween!

Minnie Mouse

and Pal the Puppy had a great time last night!

The two "puppies" had a great time playing! (our dear neighbor's dog, Carly)

Graham's puppy ears were in his eyes. There was a lot of bumping into things!

We had a fun night! (yes, that was pre trick or treating chocolate in her mouth- thanks Grandma Sue!)

Fall Leaves

I love it that we don't have a lot of trees in our yard (try, 1 tiny one-ha!) but there is something great about playing and jumping in a big pile of leaves. Thankfully the camp has that in abundance and it's just across the street!

I love raking up a big pile for the kids and letting them run around. Graham was very happy to do just that.

He was not thrilled about stopping to pose for a picture but I love it when I can catch Grace with a smile. Happy Fall!

The Lake

We went to the lake a few weekends ago and spent time with Grandpa and Grandma Diane. We had a fantastic time! Gracie enjoyed the homemade ice cream (twice!) Ok, we all did!

Grandma pulled out her tent and the kids had fun playing and going in and out of it.

Graham explored the deck while we got ready for dinner.

There was lots of good food and then more good food!

Gracie loves the swing and she talked Grandpa into taking her down.

We had a campfire and Grandpa LOVED it! (smile) Grace liked the marshmallows but she prefers them uncooked.

We went to LaGrange to their little festival and of course we had to stop at the carousel!

It was a great weekend. We go to the cottage often but we don't usually spend the night. I'm so glad we did!