The Johnson Journey

Photography By Nicole

2012-01-26T20:44:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, we had my friend Nicole take some pictures of the kids. Here are my favorites (I'm apparently in a black-and-white-kinda-mood)...

What's For Dinner? Week 4: Broccoli Cheddar Soup & Honey Beer Bread

2012-01-26T20:01:00.000-06:00

My kids love broccoli cheddar soup from Panera.

I've served homemade broccoli cheddar soup to them in the past, fully confident that they would love it, since they gobble up the stuff at Panera. But, they've never liked what I have made.

So, I was sure that if I made this one for them, they would love it. It is, after all, the Panera recipe (supposedly!)...I did have to add a bit more liquid to it, as the recipe as is comes out a little thick for our tastes.

The consensus? I thought it tasted just like Panera's soup. Kris has never had the Panera version but said this stuff was amazing, and most likely better than Panera's. Shane really liked it. Caleb & Meredith did not (whaaa!).

I was definitely disappointed, as I really hoped that they (C & M) would like it. In my opinion, this was as close to the "real thing" as you can get, minus the Panera bowls and trays.

Oh well. At least they liked the other new recipe I tried...homemade honey beer bread. Apparently, beer acts in place of yeast. Much less time consuming and no kneading involved. My kind of recipe. And, it is seriously yummy. Caleb ate his with some raspberry jam, Meredith and Daddy ate it plain, and I had mine with butter. It's also good for dipping into soup.

Click here for the soup recipe and here for the bread recipe.

Colossians 5:2

2012-01-24T14:21:00.004-06:00

The monthly memory verse for January:

Colossians 5:2

"Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

As we were practicing this today, Caleb said..."This means that we need to think about God. And Heaven." Couldn't have said it better myself...

Gotta love Meredith's excitement. And her pronunciation of things ("fings") and earth ("irf")!

Shane's 1st Haircut

2012-01-21T15:54:00.005-06:00

We took Shane to get his very 1st haircut today. We probably could have waited a bit longer, but we had a free morning, and Meredith needed her hair cut as well, so it just seemed like a good time.

Before...

A bit long on the sides and in the back!

During...

He did a great job and sat very still throughout the entire process. And, his lack of smiles don't in any way indicate sadness or anger. He was just pretty darn serious about the whole thing.

After...

He looks so much less babyish, and much more boyish.

Sniff, sniff.

Such a big boy!

Sniff, sniff.

Wait, did I already say that?

Standing all by himself! He does this a lot lately, though he does not seem interested in taking any independent steps just yet.

And, here is his 13-month picture with Sock Monkey (pre-haircut). He turned 13 months yesterday!

What's For Dinner? Week 3: Easiest Broccoli and Pasta

2012-01-19T19:57:00.004-06:00

This week's new recipe was passed along to me by my friend Lisa, who came across it here. This meal definitely lives up to its title... it's about as easy as you can get!

I added some marinated & grilled chicken to it as well.

If you are ever in need of a really yummy and simple marinade, here's the one that we use a LOT:

Chicken Marinade
(for 4 chicken breasts)

1/2 C. olive oil

1/3 C. Worcestershire sauce

1/3 C. soy sauce

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

And, just for an extra bonus, here's another somewhat similar recipe that we make a lot, especially in the summer....it's so good and really easy.

Grilled Chicken & Bow Tie Pasta

You'll need:

4 chicken breasts, marinated overnight in the above marinade

1 box of bow tie pasta

1 C. olive oil

1 C. shredded Parmesan cheese (NOT grated)

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 container of cherry tomatoes, halved

6 leaves of basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Grill chicken.

Slice.

2. Cook pasta according to directions on box.

Drain.

3. Add olive oil, Parmesan cheese, green onions, cherry tomatoes and basil to the pasta.

Toss.

4. Top with slices of chicken.

ENJOY!

Jumps 'N Jiggles

2012-01-17T14:40:00.004-06:00

Unlimited rides...

...on a carousel...

...it doesn't get...

...much better than this!

Weeee!

2012-01-15T13:33:00.002-06:00

Heading to the hill...

A little help from brother...

So much fun!

Snowmen

2012-01-14T11:21:00.001-06:00

The kiddos made clay snowmen yesterday (homemade clay recipe found here). They only took 1 day to completely harden, yay!

Meet Frosty & Lucy...

They also each helped write a "story" about their snowman!

My Snowman

By: Caleb

His name is Frosty. He likes to play snow trucks. He likes to eat snow blueberries - blueberries with coconut on top for snow. He likes to wear snowflake shirts. He likes to sing La La La La La La La. His favorite color is my favorite color red. His favorite season is he likes to melt he likes Summer. Frosty is a snowman. He has 3 balls for his tummy and his face and his feet. He likes the snow.

My Snowman

By: Meredith

Her name is Lucy. She likes to play toys. She likes to eat some tacos. She likes to wear scarves. Her favorite color is green. Her favorite season is Summer.

What's For Dinner? Week 2: Maple Mustard Pork Chops

2012-01-13T19:17:00.001-06:00

I found this week's new recipe on The Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen page, which is one of my favorite places to find recipes these days.

I am not normally a huge mustard fan, though I am a pork chop fan.

And a syrup fan.

So, despite my slight aversion to mustard, this recipe sounded yummy.

I made it last night, along with some cheesy mashed potatoes (kids' favorite, another staple in our weekly meal plans!) and green beans.

The flavor of the sauce was really good, although pretty strong....so drizzle sparingly at first, then add more if you'd like. (I actually left the glaze off of the kids' meat.) I used pretty thinly-sliced pork chops, and they cooked through in about 9 minutes.

Click here for the full recipe. Enjoy!

Finally!

2012-01-12T18:37:00.003-06:00

It finally snowed!

Our kiddos were super excited for the cold white stuff to begin falling, as most other children around here probably were! And, their time outside did not disappoint.

They loved everything about playing in the snow.....from wearing their snow gear (Meredith loves her snowpants so much that she put them on again tonight to show Daddy) to shoveling to digging to making snow castles to sledding.

The highlight for Caleb was definitely shoveling, and for Meredith it was digging and filling up her bucket. She also loved watching the snowplows.

Learning...

2012-01-11T19:15:00.003-06:00

This is a little long, as I kind of forgot that the camera was running....but, I wanted to document the beginning stages of our latest adventure. I just love watching him figure things out!

I never did get that High-5!

Sight Words

2012-01-11T14:08:00.000-06:00

Snowflakes

2012-01-10T13:09:00.006-06:00

It is winter, after all.

Even though the warm temperatures and the lack-of-snow would try to convince us otherwise.

Since there is no snow outside, I figured we could make some snowflakes for the inside!

We made snowflakes with marshmallows...

Snowflakes with glitter...

Glitter hands!

And lastly, we made "free form" snowflakes with yarn...

Of course, we had to have a marshmallow snack afterwards....

Finished snowflakes...

Stay warm! ;)

Hoops

2012-01-09T20:19:00.006-06:00

Caleb had his first basketball class tonight. It was fun to watch him try something new, and to see him so excited about it.

Listening to Coach...

Run!

Dribble!

Shoot!

Drink break!

Coach Meredith...

(Seriously, she was yelling out commands to Caleb, and cheering for him...)

Caleb's #1 Fans...

Trying to get the ball from Coach...this is my favorite!

What's for Dinner? Week 1: Chicken Broccoli Supreme

2012-01-07T13:55:00.001-06:00

I very much enjoy cooking and baking. While I am by no means a chef (though I can follow a recipe with the best of 'em), I find a lot of joy in preparing and serving food to my family, to my friends, or to anyone else who would like to eat at any given moment. There always seems to be plenty of hungry people around, so I get a lot of opportunities to try out new recipes or make something "tried and true" again.

While there are definitely nights when going out or take-out sounds really great, I really do enjoy the process of preparing food for my family, setting the table and serving them in this way. Even when Caleb tells me 100 times before even tasting something that he is just sure he is not going to like it. I try not to take that too personally...

I have a goal for this year to try out 1 new dinner recipe every week. So, assuming I can keep up with this, I'll have made at least 52 new-to-me meals by the end of the year. And, I'm planning to chronicle these efforts here in an effort to keep myself accountable to this goal as well as to share some (hopefully) yummy recipes with any of you who also might be looking for some new dinner ideas.

So, here we go. Week 1.

French Chicken Broccoli Supreme (not sure what is so French about it), made last night.

This recipe was found here, sent to me by my mom, who came across it on Pinterest. I've actually made this a couple of times before, so it's not technically brand new, but new enough. =)

My favorite aspects to this dish: the homemade sauce and the crushed cracker topping (who doesn't love that?!).

I left out the poppy seeds and served it with white rice, which is a staple in our house. It will for sure be added to the meal rotation!

Fresh Air

2012-01-05T13:15:00.000-06:00

Our New Year's Eve

2012-01-02T13:44:00.001-06:00

We spent the last day of 2011 (and the first day and a half of 2012) in Roscoe.

While the kids didn't completely understand the whole it's-the-end-of-the-year-and-tomorrow-starts-a-new-year thing, they did enjoy playing with the noisemakers they made and wearing their homemade hats.

The noisemakers were made from painted paper plates (we used small ones), and strips of tissue paper we glued to the back of the plates...

After the paint and glue dried, we folder the plates in half, filled them with rice (beans would work better, but we didn't have any), and stapled the edges.

Shake, shake, shake!

A lot of Kinect games were played over the last couple of days.

Grandpa and Caleb white-water rafting...

Caleb "stopping the leaks"...

Bowling...

Golf...

Not able to get in on the Kinect action, but he had fun anyway...

We went out to dinner while G&G stayed with the kids. I didn't get a picture from dinner, but here's one of us trying hard to stay up until midnight...

Other favorite activities at Grandma & Grandpa's:

playing with Grandpa on his iPad...

...and playing on the pool table!

Happy New Year!

1 John 4:14(b)

2011-12-28T10:11:00.001-06:00

The monthly memory verse for December:

1 John 4:14(b)

"The Father (God) has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world."

It's a little hard to hear Meredith, but if you listen closely, you'll hear that she got most of it all by herself!

Caleb likes to make up songs, and his creations oftentimes incorporate truths he's learned from the Bible. His latest "song" goes something like this....

Christmas is oooooover,

But Jesus is still with us.....

I hope that our little ones never forget the truth of John 4:14, that God sent His Son to be our Savior.

And that even when Christmas is over (or, oooooover), He is still with us.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T13:14:00.000-06:00

The past few days have been packed and tiring, but fun and joyful (for the most part). All the kiddos have colds (Shane actually has a double ear infection) and I have a bad sinus infection. But, aside from some major temper-tantruming by our little girly yesterday, Christmas this year was good. We spent time with family, ate yummy food, gave and received special gifts and, most importantly, reflected on Jesus' birth.

I did not get a ton of great pictures over the past couple of days (because of squirmy kids, a less than stellar camera, and overall business with other things), but here are some moments I happened to catch.

Christmas Eve morning, Kris reading one of our Christmas books to the kids.

Notice Meredith doing her own thing with a separate book....that is pretty much how she rolls these days.

On Saturday morning, we opened gifts from Nana & Papa. They are always so thoughtful and generous and creative in their gift-giving.

Funny moment: Meredith opened one of Kris' gifts instead of one of hers. I apparently wasn't paying attention to the names on the outside of the packages. She was a little confused when her special gift was a man's shirt! =)

Caleb loves his Lightning blanket.

Our sweet shepherd did great in his Christmas Eve program.

We hosted Christmas Eve dinner for my parents, Warren, Heidi & Kimball, and Brian & Faith (friends from our small group). Someday, we'll hopefully have a dining room big enough for everyone to sit together. Someday.

Meredith helped Auntie Heidi put the finishing touches on the yummy gingerbread cake she made...

A few pics from present-opening...

Christmas morning...this was the best we could get of all 3 of them!
Poor Shane.

Stockings...

Traditional reading of the Christmas story.

Some candids...

Cuties...

**I so wish this one wasn't so blurry!**

We spent Christmas afternoon/evening at my Aunt Nancy's house...once again, I didn't get too many pictures....and I didn't get any of Caleb, as he spent the time running around with his 2nd cousins...they were all ~~a little~~ impossibly hard to catch!
But, here are some I did get of our littlest two.

Our best attempt at a family photo...if you look closely, you can see Caleb's fat lip from an earlier cousin-collision.

And, for anyone who (like me) always experiences a little bit of a "let down" after Christmas is once again over, here's some truth and encouragement, and a little bit of fun, in song form.

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas!

Recent Christmas Fun

2011-12-21T19:04:00.002-06:00

Our life is full. Full doesn't always mean busy, but these past days, busy it's been! Here are some fun Christmas-y highlights from the past handful of days...

On Saturday, we went to Zoo Lights at Brookfield with some friends.

It was ridiculously crowded, and obviously cold, but overall we had fun. Nana was an especially good sport, as this weather is an obvious change from that in sunny Florida! The amount of lights they have there is pretty amazing, and it's extra special to see the polar bear in its natural conditions. =) I wish I would have taken more photos, but taking pictures with gloves on is a bit tricky, and taking gloves off in the cold is not at all fun!

Theresa took these next 2 pictures, and I love them. Thanks, Theresa!

Watching the monkeys, with friend Abigail...

Going for a ride on the polar bear, Daddy's favorite!

Some pictures I snapped before church on Sunday...

I go our most recent craft idea from my friend Natalie. I thought this would be the perfect craft to go along with this week in our Countdown to Christmas - we are reading about the wisemen following the star to find the stable where Jesus was born (Matthew 2:1-10). Our stars didn't work out quite as well as Natalie's did, but the kids had fun making them.

Normally, when working with glue, I remind the kids that "a little dab'll do ya", meaning that they just need a little bit of glue as opposed to a huge glop. With this project, I assured them that the more glue they used, the better. Glop away!

The stars were supposed to hold together without the background paper. Some of our corners held together well, others did not. So, I just cut them out, keeping the wax paper on. It works. They look pretty hanging on our banister, and the Christmas lights make them shine a bit!

Playgroup this week was at out house, and the kids made ornaments.

Each kiddo started with one of these...

...and filled it with a bunch of this...

And, made this...

(The left one is Caleb's, Meredith's is on the right.)

We also had our Christmas gift exchange among all the kiddos...here are (most of) the kids before exchanging gifts!

And, I will leave you with a short Christmas concert for your listening pleasure. =)

His Little Strawberry

2011-12-20T14:03:00.001-06:00

When Shane was born, he had a very small and pale mark on his belly. Soon after birth, it became bright red and raised. Our doctor confirmed that it was a "strawberry hemangioma" which is basically just a rough, raised, red spot caused by blood vessels at the top of the skin. Nothing to be concerned about, and we should expect for it to become less raised and less bright as the months passed. We were told that it would probably disappear by the time his 1st birthday arrived.

Shane was 3 months old in this picture.

I remember taking this for the sole purpose of having photographic documentation of his strawberry!

Daily I've noticed this mark. For the past 12 months, I've watched it get redder and redder, only to eventually get lighter and lighter. I've told Kris (on multiple occasions) that it makes me sad to see it getting smaller and lighter. I've grown accustomed to noticing this striking red mark on his belly. During diaper changes, bath times, and moments that I've spent tickling and kissing his naked tummy.

As it's lightened over the past weeks, I've been reminded of how quickly the time is passing. Yes, of course there are other signs that Shane is getting older. As he grows out of clothes that once fit him loosely, or learns a new "trick", of course those things remind me of the passing of time as well. But there is just something about that little red (or no-longer-so-red) spot that makes me long for the past, the time when Shane was this little...

Well, as we all know, time does continue on, whether we are ready or not.
And, it's official! Today, Shane is ONE. Just like his birth came a bit earlier than expected, so has this special day come very quickly. While every year with little ones seems to fly by so fast, this past year - at least in my mind - has been the fastest yet.

Thankfully, I know there is a lot to look forward to. While I do miss the days of itty-bitty Baby Shane, I am incredibly excited for all that's ahead.

And it's so wonderful to know that Shane is the same child that was born to me one year ago.

While he is changing rapidly, he is still just as sweet and cuddly and loved as the day he was born. God has blessed us immensely with Shane David.

This morning, we gave Shane his birthday gift from Mom & Dad - his very own chair.

Today, our playgroup came over and we sang "Happy Birthday" to Shane after lunch.

He thoroughly enjoyed his M&M cookie!

And, here is his official 12-month picture with sock monkey....

Yes, I miss the times when Shane was a newborn. But I am definitely excited for the months ahead.

Ultimately, though, I am enjoying today with my sweet boy. With or without the red strawberry.

Our Little Penguin's Winter ONEderland Birthday

2011-12-18T18:15:00.005-06:00

Though Shane does not turn 1 until this coming Tuesday, we celebrated his birthday with family and friends yesterday. We are beyond blessed to have people in our lives who care for our kids and take time out of their own busy lives to help us celebrate them. I probably say this in every birthday party post, but we are just so grateful to be doing life with such generous and loving people.

Shane was looking quite distinguished today. Thanks, Lisa, for the perfectly-fitting-the-theme shirt!

Since Shane was born during a very snowy and cold time of year, I decided to fully embrace this and go with a Winter ONEderland theme for his party. I thought I was pretty clever to come up with this term, but apparently I'm not the first one to use it. =) As my researching and planning progressed, penguins became the main focus. And, trust me when I say that if you ever need to to plan a penguin party, there is no shortage of ideas out there!

The invitation:

(In real life, the red line wouldn't be there!)

My mom made some wonderful batches of chili to serve for lunch, and we ordered some chicken as well. For the rest of the meal, I was determined to go with an all-out penguin theme. I know, I am ~~a little~~ crazy.

Igloo shaped cheese ball, with snowflake crackers...

Olive & Cream Cheese penguins...

(Igloo and olive penguins inspired by here.)

"Ice Chips" and "Ice Cubes"...

"Penguin Food" and "Tuxedos"...

PB&J "Snow-wiches"...

Penguin fruit snacks...

Hot chocolate bar...

Penguin cupcakes...though they came out a little "owl-ish" looking...

(Penguin cupcakes inspired by here.)

The birthday boy enjoying some crackers...

Crafts...

Our kiddos' finished "Footprint Penguins"...aren't they cute?!

(I'm so proud of Caleb, who cut out his footprints all by himself!)
(Craft found here.)

Bean Bag Toss...the creation of this was surely a team effort. Kris built the thing, I painted the penguin, and Nana sewed all the penguin beanbags!

The kids had fun throwing the bean bags back and forth through the hole....

And, a bunch of penguin beach balls were also a hit! I wish I had more pictures of the kids playing with these...

Singing "Happy Birthday"...

Shane loved his cupcake, along with the cookies that were on top. LOVED it.

He ate it all. With no problem.

We asked that guests, instead of bringing a gift, bring a coat, hat, or mittens. Everything that was brought will be donated to a nearby community that has a need for these items this winter. We collected a lot of warm and wonderful things....THANK YOU!

Penguin washcloth puppets for all the kiddos to take home...

Overall, Shane thought the party was a hit!

To top off the day (as if there wasn't enough excitement already), we went to the zoo to see the lights. As we were leaving, we ran into this guy and just had to take a picture with him. As you can see, Shane was thrilled.

Today, Shane opened some presents. He wasn't too interested in this. He did enjoy playing with some of the paper and some of the gifts, though he mostly just crawled around while his siblings fought over who would open what next.

Caleb and Meredith ~~helping~~ taking over the present-opening process....

Nana made Shane the sweetest present....a knitted penguin. Shane immediately loved this soft friend. He hugged it, smiled at it, "talked" to it, and kissed it. Seriously, this guy is the cutest thing ever. What a sweet sweet gift, thank you Nana!

Thank you so much to everyone who helped us with any and every part of celebrating our sweet baby boy! I can't believe he will be one in just a couple of short days. He brings indescribable joy to our lives each and every day. We love our Shaner-bug so so much!

Stay tuned for a "Shane-is-officially-1" post later on this week!

Shepherds

2011-12-13T09:28:00.003-06:00

In our Countdown to Christmas (Days 10-14), we are learning about the shepherds...how they first heard from the angels regarding the birth of God's Son, how eager they were to go to Him, and how they shared the good news of His birth with others.

Luke 2:8-17

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.

So, we made some toilet paper roll shepherds.

Once again, I can't seem to resist crafts that use toilet paper rolls!

These 2 kiddos also really like the small cardboard wonders...

They also love to cut. Caleb is getting pretty good at cutting precisely. Meredith is just learning to actually use the scissors.

Meredith's is on the left, Caleb's is on the right.

(Printable template for the toilet paper roll shepherd can be found here.)

And, we had to make some sheep as well (Meredith left, Caleb right)....

(Handprint lamb idea found here.)

love.

2011-12-10T23:18:00.000-06:00

O Little Town of Bethlehem

2011-12-09T13:10:00.000-06:00

Our latest Countdown to Christmas activities...

Day 7 - God had promised that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of Jesus.

(Micah 5:2 - But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old from ancient days.)

The kids painted, with water colors, a picture of Bethlehem. We also listened to and sang the song O Little Town of Bethlehem. We like the Sarah MacLachlan version. =)

Day 8 - Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to be registered.

(Luke 2:3-5 - And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.)

For this day's craft, they each made a donkey to represent Mary's & Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. The idea to use colored (or in our case, painted) clothespins for the donkey's legs came from some website, though I can't remember which one. It's cute, easy, and the donkeys stand up so they can actually be played with.

Day 9 - Mary gave birth to baby Jesus in a stable.
(Luke 2: 6-7 - And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.)

Of course, we had to make a "Baby-Jesus-in-the-Manger" craft. So, here it is.

I came across this idea here. She was right, we had all the materials on hand, except for the raffia (I have red raffia, but that doesn't work so well for hay, for obvious reasons). And, I have to admit, any activity that calls for the use of toilet paper rolls is a win with me.

The kids' recent crafts have worked themselves into playtime with the nativity set.

I recently came across this story, and it's a really sweet reminder of Whose birth it is we celebrate at Christmas time.

Practice

2011-12-08T18:50:00.000-06:00

A little practice for those walking days ahead (never mind the pink stroller)...

Angels

2011-12-02T14:39:00.005-06:00

We started our Countdown to Christmas yesterday (I still can't believe it's December).

Today, the kids learned about the angel that appeared to Joseph to inform him of Mary's pregnancy.

Day 2 - An angel talked to Joseph about the birth.
(Matthew 1:20 - But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.")

Tomorrow, we'll look at Matthew 1:21, when the angel gave Joseph some more details....that the baby would be a boy, that they were to name him Jesus, and that He would one day save people from their sins. (Wow, what a night that must have been for Joseph!)

Day 3 - The angel said that Mary’s special son will save us from our sins.
(Matthew 1:21 - "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.")

In the spirit of these verses, the kids made cone-shaped tissue paper angels (idea inspired from here).

I think they turned out pretty cute.

Meredith's is on the left, Caleb's is on the right. Caleb insisted on putting "teeth" on his angel, thus the "jack-o-lantern" look to his angel's smile....

Go here to see the angels we made at this time last year!

Counting Down to Christmas - A Journey to Jesus

2011-11-30T14:59:00.003-06:00

Last year, I put together this "Christmas Countdown" as a way to go through the Christmas story with the kids and to help all of us over here keep our hearts and minds on the reason we make such a big deal out of this time of year!

This year, we'll be using this same countdown, though I added another little element to it (inspiration from here). The kids helped create a "game board" (more like a sticker chart) that will serve as a simple visual of the events leading up to Jesus' birth.

While there's a lot you could do with this, we are keeping it simple once again. Each day, after we read that day's part of the Christmas story, the kids will put a sticker in one of the squares...as each day goes on, and another square is filled, the kids will see how each event brings us closer to Jesus' birth.

Last night, as Caleb was explaining to Kris how this "game" will work, he used the term "journey" to describe what Mary & Joseph were doing. So, we'll call this "A Journey to Jesus".

We'll start at the top, near the picture of Joseph and still-pregnant Mary riding on the donkey. As the kids were coloring today, we talked about why Mary's belly was so big ("because there's a baby in her tummy!") and who that baby was ("Jesus!").

On Christmas Day, we will end at the picture of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. Oh - and the sheep. Can't forget about him.

Hopefully, as each day of December ticks by, the kids will have a greater understanding and appreciation of all that led up to the birth of Christ. Most importantly, we hope that their hearts are softened to the great love that God has for them.

Vroom, Vroom!

2011-11-29T18:40:00.001-06:00

In the last few days, Shane has been playing "cars" a lot. He crawls around, pushing the toy cars along the floor with him. It's so fun!

My Dad

2011-11-27T09:14:00.000-06:00

My dad is amazing. He is committed, dedicated, loving, fun, smart, wise, forgiving, hard-working. To name just a few of the many. I am so thankful for him. I feel very blessed to have been raised by him, and blessed that my kids have him for a Grandpa.

This past Friday was his __th birthday (let's just say that it's a milestone year!). =) We did some minor celebrating that day, with cake and presents, though we saved most of our energy and resources for the SURPRISE party we threw for him on Saturday. While we wanted him to feel celebrated on his actual birthday, our primary goal was to throw him off from any idea he might have that there would be a party on the following day...

Yesterday, was the day of the big party. My mom did a great job putting it all together. While it is always a bit tricky to plan a surprise party for the person you live with, she managed to pull it off!

He was successfully surprised!

The kiddos loved the party hats, noisemakers, and balloons!

Guests...

Cake!

While the party itself was a huge surprise to my dad, an even greater surprise was the gift that my mom got him...seriously, this was fun! Really fun. Really really really fun.

I love this picture. It took many minutes and many people to figure out how to turn the hazards off!

Caleb wanted to go for a "ride".

The originals.

Happy Birthday, Dad! We love you very very much!

Our Tree

2011-11-25T19:47:00.002-06:00

Today, we took our traditional trip to William's Tree Farm with my parents. Kir, Jon and their kiddos are also in town, so they came as well! The weather was great, which made the time there even better.

Looking for The Perfect tree...

We picked one!

The kids enjoyed watching Daddy cut it down with the big saw.

Carrying it away...

Ready to go home!

Taking a quick train ride before heading home...

Ready to decorate!

The kids had fun decorating. This is the first year we are using colored lights on the tree. In previous years, we've decorated with white lights, but Caleb requested color this year. How could I say no? =)

Caleb and Meredith did a really great job hanging the ornaments. They loved looking through the box and finding all the ornament-treasures. They remembered some from last year, and loved finding the ones with their names on them. And, while they did a fair amount of "ornament clumping", I love it. I have officially resisted the urge to spread the ornaments out a bit, because they worked so hard and had such fun. I imagine that at some point when they are older and potentially as, ahem...particular as I am, I'll wish that they were little again, clumping them all together in the most beautiful way ever.

Candy Cane Clumping...

Shane had a great time playing with these candy canes...

Caleb's favorite part...

Last year, we started the tradition of each kid getting a new ornament every year. Here are this year's picks...

Caleb found this snowman with his name on it. It lights up and changes colors!

Meredith picked out this little "jingle piggy". It has a bell inside and rings when you shake it.

I picked this one out for Shane. I thought it was fairly fitting, since his month-by-month pictures are taken with a sock monkey.

Our finished tree...

Another tradition....after the tree was decorated, the kids drank hot chocolate (with marshmallows, of course) and watched The Very First Noel.

5 stockings this year!

Acts 16:31

2011-11-21T14:12:00.002-06:00

The monthly memory verse for November:

Acts 16:31

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved."

11

2011-11-20T19:20:00.000-06:00

What's that? Shane's 11 months? That. Can't. Be.

He was just born the other day, wasn't he?

"It's true, Momma. I'm growing up."

Sigh. My little baby boy is growing so fast. We put up some Christmas decorations today, and I couldn't help but think about this time last year. Shane was with us, but in a much different capacity. I was really large and so excited to meet this little guy and I just knew that I would love him like crazy forever. As much as I enjoyed having him in my belly, feeling his little kicks and hiccups and somersaults and having him all to myself all the time, I am ever so grateful to have him "out here" with us!

As has been the case lately, we didn't get any really great pictures today. This boy does not like to sit still for photos and I can't seem to get my camera settings right - the photos are really blurry, obviously. But, here's our official "11-month" birthday pics. Enjoy!

Good Ol' Turkeys of Thanks

2011-11-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

While there are so many turkey crafts out there, I can't seem to pass up this good old-fashioned one. A simple turkey body (the kids painted half of a paper plate) and paper feathers labeled with things that the kids are thankful for.

Meredith easily told me 4 things she was thankful for: God, Daddy, Mommy, and Auntie Heidi. After that, she just kept saying "God, Daddy, Mommy, Auntie Heidi" over and over again. It took a while to get some other ideas from her. Eventually, she added Adam (a little boy who we cared for last weekend), Mrs. Sue (a neighbor), her Doll, Caleb, Shane, and Tacos. =)

Meredith's

Turkey of Thanks:

Caleb had no problem rattling off a list of things he is thankful for. The first thing he said was God. Then, it was Mommy, Daddy, Meredith, Shane, Family, Friends, Toys, and Blankie. And, he wrote all of the words by himself (I helped with the spelling)!

Caleb's

Turkey of Thanks

Lowercase Letters of the Week - yz

2011-11-16T10:46:00.003-06:00

Meredith finished up her "letter projects" this morning. She has really loved doing these projects and I have very much enjoyed going through them with her! These activities have helped her learn to identify the lowercase alphabet as well as practice the phonetic sounds of each letter. They've given her opportunities to play with paper & glue & stickers & other crafty materials. Oh, and perhaps the most important result of these projects - she has discovered her love for googly eyes! =)

y is for yellow!

z is for zebra!

I'm planning to put together a photo book (Kodak or Shutterfly or something) with all of the digital images of her projects, just as I did last year with Caleb's Uppercase ABC projects.

To see all of her (and Caleb's) letter-of-the-week projects, click here.

Swings

2011-11-16T08:34:00.000-06:00

Yu Kids Island

2011-11-12T11:26:00.001-06:00

One of the malls nearby opened up a new play area. It was definitely different than anything we had done before....and all the kids had a lot of fun! Auntie Kir, Evie, and Zachary are in town so they, along with Grandma, came as well!

What's better than a big room with balloons (that magically don't ever pop)
blowing around all over the place?

Where's Evie? There she is!

Exploring...

Our girl had a blast!

The boys ran and jumped and built and ran and jumped and ran and ran and ran. And ran.

Paper PlateTurkey

2011-11-09T14:19:00.005-06:00

Meredith (along with another little girl who was over here this morning) very much enjoyed this craft.

There was paint. Glue. Googly eyes. And plenty of opportunities to say "gobble, gobble".

I mean really, what more could a girl want?

(Craft idea from No Time for Flashcards)

How Big is Shane?

2011-11-08T13:12:00.003-06:00

Soooooo Big!

It looks a little bit like Shane was crying in this photo, but rest assured that he was laughing. It's so fun to see him throw his arms up high when asked the question "How big is Shane?" And the look he gets on his face when we respond "Soooooo big!" is priceless!

Lowercase Letters of the Week - tuvwx

2011-11-07T18:15:00.002-06:00

t is for tree!

u is for umbrella!

v is for vase!

w is for watermelon!

x is for xylophone!

Princess Tea

2011-11-02T18:38:00.000-05:00

Today, my little Princess and I joined 2 other mommy/daughter pairs for a very special "Princess Tea".

Meredith dressed up in the beautiful dress that Auntie Kir & Uncle Jon brought her back from China two summers ago, and wore a pretty pink flower in her hair. She also got to make use of the fancy coat that Nana & Papa gave to her as well as the purse that Grandma gave her last Easter.

She was so excited to go! She kept talking about how she was going to go to a "Princess Teapot"! So cute.

Here we are!

Posing outside The Secret Garden...

While we were waiting for our friends to arrive, Meredith had fun playing with this tiny tea set.

We were served pink "tea" in real cups, along with some special treats: fruit, pumpkin bread, cookies, and Meredith's favorite - marshmallows.

Dainty sips from my little lady. =)

Meredith and her princess friends, Coralyn (3) and Maddie (4).

Miss Rebecca taught the girls how to smile and shake hands like a princess, and how to curtsy. She also read us a story called "Princess Party". Meredith liked the part about how a princess can wear high heels....OR she can wear boots....Meredith would choose boots (or crocs) any day. =)

After we finished our tea and snacks, the girls had some more fun playing tea party.

Love these girls...

Me and my princess.

We had such a fun time! The ladies we shared our afternoon with are a blessing to both Meredith and myself. So thankful for them!

More than anything, it was very very special to spend some one-on-one time with my little Princess.

Wordless Wednesday: Irresistable

2011-11-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

Construction Worker, LadyBug, Puppy....Oh My!

2011-10-31T20:15:00.001-05:00

The kids have had no shortage of activities over the past week to which they could wear their costumes!

Enjoy the many pictures in this post....and, in case you can't see past the disguises, that's Caleb in the construction worker gear, Meredith in the wings, and sweet little Shane in the puppy costume. ;)

Two weekends ago, we went to our church's Fall Fest. The kids were able to "Trunk or Treat" (go from car to car to collect candy), "compete" in a 100-yard dash, jump in a pumpkin bouncy house, and play with some friends.

Collecting candy...

Caleb during the boys' race....it's hard to run in those work boots!

Meredith LOVED the race...while I did pick her up and "zoom" her through the air for the middle 10-20 yards of the race, she ran the rest of it all by herself. I'm pretty sure she was the littlest girly out there. So cute!

Cutest. Puppy. Ever. (What's that you say? I'm biased?)

Seriously, can I just freeze time so that this little boy stays this little and sweet and innocent and cuddly forever? Please please please???

Caleb singing in his preschool program this past Friday night...

Unfortunately, my camera battery died just after this (which also happened to be the beginning of the night) so I was unable to snap any more photos from the party. =(

On Saturday, we had a great time celebrating our friend Mikayla's 2nd birthday at a nearby park! All of the kiddos wore costumes, which made it extra special.

Our little swingin' lady...

Every construction worker needs a truck to drive...=)

Cuties...

And tonight, we did some trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.

Caleb loved going from house to house. He loved every part of the process...visiting the neighbors, ringing the bells, picking out candy, trying to decipher whether people were actually at home or not based on how many lights were/were not on, etc.

Our little lady, trying hard to keep up with Big Brother...

Enjoying the ride...

It got dark (and cold) fast! But, who needs a flashlight when you've got a costume with reflectors?

They each got to pick out one treat to have when we got home. Neither of the kids are a huge fan of candy, though they both like suckers.

While we are cautious with how much "Halloween" we allow the kids to experience (no scary or gory stuff, please!), it is fun to dress up and play with our friends!

Pumpkin Painting

2011-10-30T20:27:00.000-05:00

Lowercase Letters of the Week - opqrs

2011-10-26T18:00:00.001-05:00

o is for owl!

p is for pig!

q is for queen!

r is for raindrops!

s is for snake!

Tackle!

2011-10-26T13:16:00.000-05:00

Notice the littlest guy is on the bottom. And he doesn't seem to mind one bit!

Go Cardinals Go!

2011-10-24T18:10:00.002-05:00

Hi there. It's Me, Caleb. Mommy's letting me take over the blog tonight.

As many of you know, our Daddy loves baseball. More specifically, he loves the St. Louis Cardinals. When Mommy and Daddy got married, they used to argue (all in fun, of course) about baseball, since Mommy was a Cubs fan. But, Mommy has never cared all that much about baseball teams anyway, so at some point over the last 5-ish years, has come to like the Cardinals as well (Yadier is her favorite). So we are officially a family of Cardinals fans. It's true. We (us kids) are not entirely sure what being a baseball fan is all about, but we think it has something to do with watching TV and cheering and wearing certain colors. In our case, lots of red. I like that, because red is my favorite color.

As you can imagine, our Dad is really really really excited that the Cards are in the World Series this year. And since he is so excited, we're excited as well. We hope they win, because that would make Daddy very happy! Go Cardinals Go!

Go Daddy Go!

2011-10-23T19:50:00.001-05:00

We've enjoyed watching Kris play soccer on Sundays over the past couple of months. While we haven't made it every week, we've managed to go for a good portion of their games. And, while we don't end up actually watching much of the game, the kids love playing at the park next to the field as well as in the dirt mounds on the old baseball diamond nearby. Caleb and Meredith also love to take time to point out Daddy on the field and are always quick to cheer for him as well as tell him "Good game, Daddy" at the end.

A Perfect 10

2011-10-20T14:55:00.000-05:00

Our Little Gymnast

2011-10-17T14:24:00.005-05:00

Meredith loves her gymnastics class! She really likes to run and jump and swing and balance and play and say "ta-da!". Oh, and she really loves the sucker that she gets at the end of every session. =) Here are a few photos I snapped during class today...

Our tiny gymnast.

"Ta-Da!" Run!

She does a really good job of listening to Coach. Here are a few pictures of her "warming up" for the day. =)

And, some action shots of our little gymnast...

Waiting patiently for hand sanitizer and a sucker. =)

Lowercase Letters of the Week - jklmn

2011-10-16T14:38:00.000-05:00

Meredith worked on some letter projects today...and, here they are! She just loves doing "pojects". As soon as we finish one, she asks to do another.

j is for jellyfish!

k is for kite!

l is for leaves!

m is for mouse!

n is for numbers!

Clean Baby

2011-10-15T18:50:00.001-05:00

Their Latest Memory Verses

2011-10-12T18:36:00.004-05:00

First, their monthly memory verse for October:

Mark 5:36

"Jesus said 'do not fear, only believe'."

And, the verses that Caleb has memorized thus far for AWANA Cubbies...

1 John 4:10 - God loved us, and sent His Son.

Romans 3:23 - All have sinned.

Romans 5:8 - While we were sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:8 - God is love.

Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

(This was actually the very first verse that Caleb memorized, a year ago! Click here to see that video.)

And, a couple pictures of our own little Cubbie...

He loves his vest.

Tonight is "silly glasses" night.

We don't have any silly glasses, so we figured that if he wore his regular sunglasses upside-down, they would be silly enough. It works.

Field Trip to the Pumpkin Farm

2011-10-03T14:07:00.001-05:00

This morning, I went with Caleb's class to a nearby pumpkin farm. It was so much fun!

The kiddos watched a quick movie about the farm.

Caleb's favorite part about the morning was the wagon ride.

He loved feeding carrot sticks to the animals!

He had a great time running through the hay maze...

...and the corn maze!

Waiting to pick out his pumpkin, gourd and Indian corn...

Which one to choose?

My pumpkin. =)

If you would like to see my post from last year's field trip to Goebbert's, click here.

Family Baking Night

2011-10-02T20:57:00.004-05:00

We couldn't bring home all those freshly picked apples and not bake anything....so tonight, the whole family (minus Shane, who had already gone to bed) worked together to make apple pie!

The kids love to help in the kitchen....they are always eager to pour, stir, scoop, roll, pat, etc. Tonight's assignment called for all of that, and more. They did indeed pour and stir and scoop and roll and pat. They also played with flour and made a big mess. Good times had by all. =)

Mommy and her little helpers...

Rolling out the dough for the crust...

Out of the oven...

So fun (and yummy!)...
What a wonderful way to end a wonderful weekend with my wonderful family.

Edward's Apple Orchard 2011

2011-10-01T19:49:00.005-05:00

Well, today we took our traditional trip to Edward's. It was an amazingly beautiful day to be outside. The sun was warm but the breeze was cool and crisp...a perfect Fall day. The kids had a blast picking apples, playing, and spending time with Grandma & Grandpa.

Riding out on the wagon...

Enjoying the ride...

Pickin'...

The apples of my eye (cheesy, but true)...=)

The best apple cider donuts. Ever. Seriously.

See? She agrees...

And, they are so good that I even let Shane eat a little bit. And look at that face....these donuts are seriously serious business.

Tradition.

Click here to look through former posts from Edward's, including last year's apple-picking adventure!

Leaves

2011-09-25T20:56:00.001-05:00

Tonight, we went on a "leaf hunt"....we walked/rode bikes up and down our street in search of leaves. Caleb and Meredith both loved grabbing handfuls of the crunchy leaves and then stuffing them into their big ziplock bags. This week, I plan to do some activities with the leaves we found...we'll hopefully be able to identify them and the trees they fell from, and make some good old leaf print colorings. Oh, and Caleb has requested to make a "leaf wreath", so hopefully we can work that in as well!

After our "hunt", the kids found great joy in playing with the very tiny yellow leaves that had covered our driveway.....there are not even that many of them, but they loved gathering them, tossing them into the air, sweeping them, and throwing them on Mommy.

Last Golf Lesson

2011-09-24T14:04:00.003-05:00

Caleb had his last golf lesson yesterday. As we assumed, Caleb really enjoyed this class. Each week, he did a great job listening to the instructor, and he learned a lot about correct technique and form. I don't know too much about golf, though I know just enough to be aware that my 4-year-old son has a better golf swing than I do.

These past Fridays have been so fun for Caleb! He got to spend some one-on-one time with Daddy, who came home from work early to take him to lessons. He got to play his favorite sport on a real course. Oh and let's not forget the icing on the cake....the hot dogs and ice cream that Daddy bought him after lessons were over.

Here are some pictures that Kris took during Caleb's last session yesterday evening...

Click here for the post from Caleb's 1st lesson.

Lowercase Letters of the Week - efghi

2011-09-23T10:28:00.005-05:00

Meredith loves doing these "pwojects"...and as soon as we finish one, she asks to do another one. She especially loves glue and googly eyes and stickers. "I wuv googwee eyes" was said at many points this morning.

e is for elephant!

f is for feathers!

g is for green glitter!

h is for hearts!

i is for insect!

AWANA Cubbies Week 1 Verses

2011-09-21T22:07:00.002-05:00

The 3 verses that Caleb has had to memorize this past week for AWANA (which he loves, by the way!)....

1 John 4:10 - God loved us and sent His Son.

Romans 3:23 - All have sinned.

Romans 5:8 - While we were sinners, Christ died for us.

I probably won't manage to videotape every week's verses, but I wanted to at least document these very first ones.

As you heard on the video, tonight was indeed "Pajama Night" and Caleb was very excited to wear his Lightning McQueen jammies that Nana & Papa got him for his birthday. He is also very excited about the Cubbies vest that he will get to wear soon (they haven't come in yet).

Shane is 9 Months

2011-09-20T11:15:00.003-05:00

Well, Shane has officially been on the outside of my tummy longer than he was on the inside! I can't believe he's already 9 months. And, you know me.....plans for his big 1st birthday party are already in the works. =)

At 9 months, Shane...

...has 4 teeth - 2 on the top, 2 on the bottom....

...crawls and claps...

...nurses 3 times a day and eats solid food meals 3 times a day...

...has been given some practice with a sippy cup, but usually just chews on it...

...sleeps 12 hours at night and takes 2 long naps during the day...

...loves to get into his big brother's toys...

...is constantly drooling....constantly...

...likes most food we give him, and is learning to eat more "finger food"....

...especially loves Cheerios, Puffs, fruit, and yogurt...

...doesn't like green beans...

...is wearing some 12 month clothes, some 18 month clothes, and an occasional 24 month something...
...will go to the doctor tomorrow for his 9 month well-visit...

...loves to swing, especially when Big Brother pushes him...

...sucks his thumb and cuddles his blankie when he goes to sleep...

...is trying very very hard to pull himself up on everything, & ends up spending a lot of time on his knees...

...is as sweet as ever...

It was quite difficult to get some good pictures this morning, as he is always wanting to go go go!

Clap, Clap, Clap!

2011-09-19T12:40:00.001-05:00

Lowercase Letters of the Week - abcd

2011-09-18T16:05:00.002-05:00

Last summer, Caleb and U (a little girl who stayed with us for part of the summer) worked their way through the alphabet with "Letters of the Week" projects, which were inspired by the No Time For Flashcards website (one of my favorites). They did a great job, and really enjoyed it.

Well, now it's Meredith's turn! Although this time around, we are doing lowercase letters. Here's our first round....a, b, c, and d!

a is for apple!

b is for boat!

c is for caterpillar!

d is for door!

Click here to see all of our posts related to Letters of the Week!

Wordless Wednesday: Shaner-Bug

2011-09-14T18:57:00.001-05:00

Apple Print Wreaths

2011-09-13T18:10:00.002-05:00

Working hard...

Focused (the apples were a bit difficult to hold on to, so the forks were used to help with the stamping) ...

Showing off their final projects...

Click here to see the wreath Caleb made last September!

John 20:29b

2011-09-12T13:29:00.001-05:00

Caleb's memory verse for September...

John 20:29b
"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Caleb starts AWANA this week, and we are really excited! So...in addition to his monthly verses (from Sunday church), he'll have different ones to work on memorizing for AWANA as well. It's great to see God's Word being stored up in his heart (Psalm 119:11) at this early age.

32 (Shhh.....)

2011-09-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I celebrated my birthday in a simple fashion, but with extraordinary people.

After I dropped Caleb off at school, I went to Panera with 2 of my 3 favorite kiddos.

Meredith & Muffin...

Baby & Bagel...

Around lunch time, my mom came out to watch Meredith and Shane, and Caleb and I went to see Winnie the Pooh in the theater with our friends Lisa and Coralyn!

Buddies.

Silly Caleb...

Auntie Heidi babysat tonight so that Kris and I could go out for dinner....it was ~~really~~ extremely ~~nice~~ wonderful to eat a meal without little hands reaching for plates and utensils and food and glasses and so on and so on. Love my kids so much, but it was oh-so-nice to get out.

Golf Lessons

2011-09-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

Golf is by far Caleb's favorite sport (at this point, anyway!), so he was super excited that we signed him up for golf lessons at a "real" golf course (as opposed to a mini-golf course).

Kris took him for his first lesson this past Friday...he did a great job. He listened well to his coach, and learned some new things. And, Daddy bought him an ice cream cone afterward. Golf and ice cream....it doesn't get much better than that for our little guy!

Here's our little golfer, all ready to go!

And, here are a few shots that Kris snapped during part of the lesson...his coach is an Australian golf pro!

I'm sure we'll post more photos from his remaining lessons....on the last day, they actually golf a full 9 hole course. So fun!

Rainy Day at the Beach

2011-09-03T18:20:00.001-05:00

We went with some friends today up to Lake Geneva. Though the forecast looked a bit daunting, we were determined to get out on the boat and play on the beach. Risky goals when there are thunderstorms on the radar, but like I said...we were determined!

Well, after about 30 minutes (tops) of being out on the lake, we had to come back in as a thunderstorm approached. We spent some time in the shelter of our cars, and managed to let the kids play at the little beach for a bit (in the rain, once the storm subsided), and we were hoping to get back on to the boat, but the weather only got worse.

As yucky as the weather was, the kids had a blast taking a quick boat ride, and playing in the water & sand, despite the rain and not-so-warm air. And, it was great to see friends, even if for just a little while!

So excited for the boat ride!

On the boat. In their life vests! You can't see it here, but Max's had a fin on the back...so cute! Oh, and Shane's is on backwards...oops.

Love this one...

Caleb had his arm around Meredith while the boat was going. Such a protective big brother. Although, she doesn't appear quite as appreciative.

Diggin'... apparently, he was making birthday cake. Yum.

Our girl, loving the beach...

Caleb and Max, hard at work...

Building sandcastles...

What's a little rain when you're playing in the water anyway?

The duckies came to see us...the kiddos loved them!

Max, Meredith, and Caleb...

Throwing rocks...

Gettin' Around...

2011-09-02T12:31:00.003-05:00

Shane is slowly but surely learning the navigate the floors. He has been getting on to all 4s and rocking for the past few weeks, and he has finally learned to actually go forward! He uses a combination of creeping on his belly, crawling on all 4s, and scooting on his bottom to get around. And so begins the days of getting stuck under furniture and learning that the DVD player is off limits to little hands!

Here are a few quick clips of him gettin' around this morning...

The Water and the Trees

2011-09-01T00:35:00.002-05:00

This morning, we drove by some water fountains. Meredith said, "water!"....then, after a few moments, she exclaimed, "God made water!"

Later today, after her nap, I opened up her curtains and blinds, and she noticed the trees outside her windows. I said "aren't the trees so beautiful?" And she replied, "God made trees!"

As a Christian mom, I am constantly talking to my kids about God. His creation. His character. His ways. His love for us. While we set aside times to pray and read the children's Bible to the kids, I want them to know and trust that God is everywhere, all the time. Not just when we pray to Him or read His Word....while those disciplines are obviously very good things, there is so much more......

It's so encouraging to see that God is already working in the hearts of my little ones. I see it in various ways at different times through our days together. Meredith's exclamations today were a simple yet profound reminder to me that even at the age of just-barely-two, a child's heart is soft to the presence of God.

What a great privilege it is to have been entrusted with these children. I pray that the ways in which I teach them, train them, and love them always reflect our Creator and that as we go throughout our days, we acknowledge Him in all things, even if it's simply by remembering that He made the water and the trees.

Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
(Click here to see a video of Caleb reciting this verse last Fall.)

Wordless Wednesday: Smiles & Swings

2011-08-31T15:16:00.001-05:00

1st Day of School 2011

2011-08-29T09:32:00.003-05:00

Today is Caleb's 1st day of school (4 years old). He has been so excited to start school again. He is at the same school he was last year. Same teacher. Same classroom. Some of the same friends. Yay!

He started off the day with a yummy breakfast of homemade pancakes, scrambled eggs and strawberries!

Ready to go!

Outside the school...

Meredith wanted to bring her backpack in as well. And, she wanted in on every photo. And, she wanted to go into the classroom with all the big kids. Next year, sweetie!

By his hook/cubby...

Ready to go into the classroom!

And away he goes. Sniff sniff.

My Boys Today: Brotherly Love

2011-08-28T19:27:00.000-05:00