Category: Uncategorized (Page 32 of 201)

Right before Christmas Jen suggested we take the older 3 kiddos to see fun lights again.  We went to the house in town that is amazing–they even have a small trail you can walk around their house. The yard and house are really, really small, but they sure jam in a TON of lights and displays.  I admit it was a little less magical for me with out the nice white layer of snow, but the kids still had a good time. 

Christmas Jammies!

I have a few pictures from Christmas that I just love… I’ll be posting them over the next few days.  It’s so fun to think back over the last month and remember all the fun we had!

The picture below shows the real reason behind the bunk bed.  Levi has really started playing independently and we wanted to encourage that–plus he LOVES cars and trains.  So, we decided to resurrect the train table we had stored from when Josiah was younger.  Levi.  Loves.  It. (and so does Maddie, and Josiah… haha!)  Oh, and as an aside–we still have all the pieces after all these years!  I’m pretty pleased.

Here we go.  A new day.  A new year.

I’ve let go of setting resolutions.  But I do enjoy a fresh start.  Actually, what I think I enjoy most is a fresh new calendar. I love the new pictures and clean slate that a new year brings.

Tomorrow the kids go back to school.  We’ve had a fantastic break, doing nothing spectacular but loving it.  But I also know how much we will love getting back into the normal routine of school and work again tomorrow.  And yes, even the kids will love it.  Even if they loudly voice their unhappiness right now.  I know better.

My big accomplishment from break was deep cleaning and purging the kids rooms, basement and my bedroom.  I took two big loads to good will and many, many bags of trash to the garbage bin.  It was wonderful.

Another big accomplishment was the boys finally getting a bunk bed.  Josiah has been anxiously awaiting this day for a long time.  Levi isn’t quite ready to transition to a regular bed, but he will this summer when I potty train him.  So for the rest of the winter/spring we decided to simply put his crib under the bed

Every few months (okay, we try to make it just a couple of months, but somehow time keeps slipping away from us!) Stacy and I try to get together for dinner to catch up on life and just hang out.  It’s great.  There was giggling galore.  It was fun.

Also, I’ve decided this week is going to be mostly just a picture post week.  I’m swamped with stuff and Tim’s back to work.  And to make it worse… Maddie just threw up this morning.  Gah!  She isn’t really showing any other symptoms, so I’m hopeful that it’s nothing.  The school sent home a note about kids going home this past Friday (specifically from throwing up) and 70 kids left school.  SEVENTY!  Ah!  I don’t have time to be sick this week.  OR take care of sick kids… Pray for heath here! 😉

It’s that time of year again–time to make my Christmas musical candy!  I was just commenting to Tim again this morning how wonderful it is to make candy in our extra kitchen.  I used to have to make everything in one day because it required me to completely take over the kitchen.  Now I’m able to do a little bit over a span of a few days, and it’s not nearly so overwhelming.

And Tim made me these amazing Plexiglas shelves to go in the fridge downstairs to expedite the cooling process (more shelves to put my chocolates on!) that I just love.

So, this week is busy… finishing our Christmas cards to get in the mail, finalizing the Christmas recital songs with all my students, making candy and, you know, regular life.  Oh, and did I mention Tim is going back to work next week?  Yup.  The custom made steps were delayed in being cut and shipped, so even though there is snow on the ground here, the home owner is paying to have them come back this next week to finish the steps.  Wowza!

Before I go, how about a really up close picture of Josiah?  I was trying to capture his freckles.  They are adorable.  It didn’t quite work, but I love his genuine smile in this picture because he thought I was being silly.

I cannot believe it is December 3rd today.  Say, Whaaaa!?

I’m having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit lately.  I think part of it was that there had been no snow on the ground and that really makes me feel festive.  But it did snow this weekend, so now it’s starting to feel right.

On Saturday Jen came over and suggested that we make sugar cookies and decorate them with the kids.  I said it sounded like fun, but I wasn’t super gung-ho about the idea.  I knew the kids would like it, but I was fairly certain it would be messy and frustrating for me.

Alas.  I was wrong.

Yes, it was messy.  Yes, it was frustrating when Maddie sneezed on the cookies.  Yes, It was time consuming. But YES–it was SO. MUCH. FUN.

We decorated made and decorated cookies for over 2 hours.  We laughed and created masterpieces, and then we ate our delicious creations.  It was the perfect afternoon.  And to top it off it snowed all afternoon making it just the most picturesque event.  So far, that has been my favorite Christmas event this season.  Way, to go Jen for suggesting it!!!