Stuff from life

I do have a photo with them all smiling normally, but I liked this one's aspect of DJ better. :)

Levi has a thing for his stuffed animals. At nap and bedtime, there's roll call and then when I get him up from his nap, we need to bring each animal with us wherever we are going!

Kade was about three months here. He's not sleeping quite so much anymore.

Bridgett told me about a free kids' craft day at Home Depot, the first Saturday of every month. We finally made it this month and they had a great time while I browsed the paint aisle. I love dreaming up what colors I'll paint all over my house, and I always pick up a few samples. That's all I ever get done though!

Love this little guy! He has a more intense personality than Levi, I think. He tends to voice his opinion very quickly and has quite a temper. But when he's about to cry, his lower lip begins to stick out and quiver. It's quite convincing! We're hoing he's going to keep his blue eyes...like Daddy's and Kalai's. Everyone else has brown.

I'm really enjoying the tidbits on Facebook...seeing friends' new pictures, hearing a recent update, etc. But I enjoy blogs a little more, mostly because they're usually more personal. We're anxious for spring, but at the same time marveling at the beautiful snow this morning. It settled on the branches and covered up the muddy, bare brown. Really, how can we expect spring in February when we live in MN?

Guests

Esther, Josh, and Kylee came for three days after Christmas while my parents were still here. We crammed as much as we could into their visit...sledding, tea party, gingerbread trains, trip to Lookout Ridge, and lots of playing together. My mom bought the younger four matching t-shirts. They call them the "cousin shirts." Kylee and DJ play Leap Frog World games

I went out sledding and Kent was caring for Kade. This is where I found him when I came back. :) Dads can be so creative.

The night Grandpa and Grandma left.

Kade is three months old now and smiling now and then. The time at Children's Hospital seems almost like a dream. It only lasted 8 days but at the time it seemed an eternity!

Thoughts on the New Year

I'm thinking that this year I want to grow and change. With God's help I will remember...



-To realize my list of "to-do's" can wait while I stop to take care of my children in numerous ways

-To realize that my baby will only want to be held like this for about a year and then I'll mostly be watching them walk all over the place...so I will relish these moments

-To realize that even though I don't have long periods of quiet and uninterruption, there are many moments throughout the day to pray and meditate on Scripture

-To realize that I should not desire to control life's circumstances and other's choices. I will love others and accept God's control in my life.

-To make memories and be more spontaneous...hide and seek, notes for my husband, "just because" surprises for the kids

-To cast ALL my cares upon Him, because He cares for me. Why be anxious?



When all is said and done, what really matters is that my children are walking in truth and that I've loved God and others. All the rest is okay....but I'm going to work on not getting hung up on it (like I've struggled in the past)...clean house, organized storage room, scrapbooking all our memories, journaling, cooking lots of meals, learning new skills, finding cute clothes, staying in touch with Everyone in numerous ways, completing all homeschooling goals, etc.

Just wanted to share. No pictures though. I can't believe it. :)

Christmas Cheer

Holiday Goodies

Our life group decided to enjoy holiday goodies rather than our regular dinner meal. Everything was yummy. I made this Blueberry Snack Cake and used blueberries from the freezer that we picked last summer. Taco Cheesecake. Someone called it a savory cheesecake versus a sweet cheesecake. Anyway, this recipe was from Taste of Home and was pretty good spread on crackers. It had cream cheese, green chiles, salsa, taco seasoning, pepper jack cheese. I was also inspired by Abbi to make my own crackers. They were actually pretty easy and paired well with this spread. I could post the recipe if someone's interested.

Lately...

Levi had his first haircut. I'll be doing them from now on but I wanted to see a professional do the first one. He wasn't too sure about it, but it looks so cute now. His look is more "little boy" and not so much "baby." He's growing up....sad and sweet and good - all at the same time. He loves the camera...because seconds later he can look at the picture himself!

Kade...today. He's over 6 weeks old. He still seems like a newborn in many ways though. I feel blessed to enjoy his "smallness" so much longer than normal.

My three boys. Of course, Kade didn't realize it was time to wake up. Oh well.

Thanksgiving dinner with some good friends. The girls had fun setting the table. What a fun day!

Kade's home!

He's home and growing well! The doctor said she didn't need to see him back until his 2 month appt. unless I had reason for concern. We thank God for this blessing!! He's 3 weeks old in the picture below (or 39 weeks if I was still pregnant!)