Visit to Santa

I could blog and blog today but just uploading pictures (unedited to) is taking me forever.


We went to see the big guy. We paid for a photo and it was really good actually. Here's mine though as ours is framed.

Then we got to ride the train. D didn't want to but one mention of it and we were toast. Good thing it was $1 a piece.

Christmas Card

I have a new little found hobby. I beginning to finally figure out photoshop and play around with it a bit. This year I tackled making our own Christmas cards. Most of you probably received a hard copy but I thought I would share them here too just in case I forgot to send someone one. 

Each year we send a family picture to all d's agents so we of course waited till the last minute and then decided that we would snap a few of the J's (d's business parner's family) and they would snap some of us too. It was nice out in early November but really really really windy. Like super duper windy, you know like hair all over the place kinda crazy wind. Well we learned our lesson and will do them in October or September next year but it was fun and the J's have a the perfect wooded lot to do it. We drug my favorite $25 garage sale yellow chair out into the woods and snapped some pics. 

At least good enough for a few family pics and a christmas card! 

And it was so much fun to design our very own original card this year. In fact, I think I might always do it this way. Much thanks to fast and easy printing from Mpix, love love there stuff! Great quality and affordable too. 

So here is what it looked like this year

the front

the back

Plus a couple other pictures we got from the day!

Sledding (in our backyard)

Who doesn't love sledding! Well I do but the search for the best hill is a bit annoying and hard work for the mamas and dadas that have to bundle everyone up and pack the car or carry everyone there.

But we lucked out with this little perfect sized hill in our backyard.

One of my favorite things really about our lot. I love to sit on the top in the spring/summer/fall and watch the kiddos play but its also perfect with a little bit of fresh snow!


Another favorite - sending the bigs out to play by themselves. AMAZING! One because its a bit cold for this mama to just stand out there and well Sage isn't too big of fan of the snow! At least not this last time. I think he got his hands (note the gloves) wet and cold and then it was wimpering and whining which made it less and less enjoyable!

Thankful Thursday

I know its not Thursday, its monday but hey you can do this grateful thing anytime anyday, right? And I'm just thankful I actually feel like I have a moment to sit down and think and blog.


So without further ado...

1. I get to stay home and love on my kiddos 24/7
2. I don't have to babysit other kiddos - fun for a few hours but not really my thing!
3. how we function just as us during the day
4. our annual Christmas party complete with silly games, impromptu shopping trips and other fun
5. our best friends
6. our church and the message we receive each sunday
7. the bigs can go outside and play in the snow on their own! Oh how I have waited for this day!
8. winter night walks
9. christmas lights - and driving thru town to admire them
10. simple projects
11. days where everyone naps - rare but oh still cherished
12. new easy recipes
13. the way daddy makes everything more fun!
14. d's health (still very few headaches) don't think I would survive otherwise!
15. christmas movies
16. the excitement of Christmas
17. hearing our kiddos tell why we celebrate Christmas
18. hearing Shadd quote John 3:16 at sunday school - proud mama moment
19. listening to Sage say "i love you"
20. and Ells sign Jesus loves me at church full throttle!

This is a special time of year and it goes by oh so quickly. I'm trying to take time to savor each moment and enjoy the best of 2013 as it nears an end. I hope you are too!

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I love love this time of year. For obvious reasons like celebrating the birth of Christ and also just the joy this holiday season brings to pretty much everyone. It is like nothing else. There is just excitement in the air. Why can't it be like that all the time?  

A little while ago we filled our Operation Christmas Child boxes. Our church doesn't do this but it something so easy and tangible that we have done since Shadd was a wee one and I love that we are able to bless some children a whole world a way. This year they had some cute information sheets that we got to fill out with our address so it would be awesome if someone would write us back. 

This year we prayed before we went shopping andI really hoped and prayed that my children would embrace the spirit of giving. And boy was I shocked. I'm not sure why? God can do anything!  They loved filling up the card full of things that they thought there little boy or girl would want. 

Another thing we have been working on is making our place decked out in lights. I'm not sure what has gotten into d this year but he is beginning to resemble that guy off of Christmas Vacation. If was freezing one night and we are outside hanging lights on our back tree. They look beautiful and if you are in the neighborhood, drive by, stop and see us.

 Then there was last friday...

I got up early to shop with my momma and sis. The stores were dead if they had opened the previous night. Otherwise it was true black friday madness. Check out that paper.

Then we did some decorating of our own. 

Wow, does that ever make a mess. This is the transition. 

The tree.

 Some technical difficulties with our 8 year old tree downstairs. Some lights just didn't want to work. After some time we went with it and an extra string of lights. And then the kids got to work.

Of course we took a break to see Frozen. It was cute but so thankful for d's parents while they watched Sage. The previews lasted 40 minutes. I mean these guys are little and how long do you expect them to sit here. 

And of course, we broke out the fisher price nativity set.  They always seem to love it. Sage has been playing with it quite a bit so the other two migrate there as well.

Now all we need is a lot of snow and a few snow days with Daddy.

Thanksgiving

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was delicious as always and fun.

all the grandkids

We had the priviledge of hosting the festivities for D's family this year. His parents moved and there current place would be a bit cramped if we all showed up so we offered to let them use our house. I mean D's mom is an amazing cook and thanksgiving dinner would just not be the same if I were making it. Not that I couldn't attempt but seeing her in action Thursday was enough to make me tired. Its a ton of work to pull off that meal and make it oh so tasty.

Grandma put the bird in a bit after 5 am...Yep. Crazy. And I was still sleeping in the room next door as they spent the night so she could put it in bright and early.

Doesn't it look amazing.

Ells asked where the head was so that we left Grandma to handle that one.

Everyone started arriving late morning. We had fun playing cards, games, watching movies, relaxing, going for a walk, taking naps, and just enjoying each other's company.

after turkey rest - i believe d napped though (must me the comfort of your home)

We are so so thankful for our families. We are blessed to call them ours. They would do anything and everything for us and not everyone is fortunate to have that!

Our turkey craft one day

We also attempted a gingerbread house like last year. For some reason it just didn't want to stay together. We even broke out the hot glue but no such luck. We did decorate some little christmas trees (sugar cones) though.

Hope you had as great of a Thanksgiving as we did.

Just a silly one of all the grandkids

Oh SAGE

Lately I think the only word that comes out of my mouth with this dude is "NO!!!"

I know its like totally not supposed to be what you say but when you find him doing things like....

climbing into his high chair
standing on a step stool in the pantry
eating an open box of shredded wheat in the living room
jumping off the top bunk (i think it was more of a fall but thankfully into a basket of soft toys)
standing on top of the dishwasher as they unload it
throwing unwanted food
sliding headfirst down the stairs
jumping four stairs up into a beanbag at the bottom of the stairs
climbing over the furniture and from piece to piece
pushing the automatic door buttons on the van - which don't reverse super quickly (I have been squished pretty good)
letting himself out of the library (thankful to another mom who ushered him back in - i guess i should keep better tabs on him while they are scanning my books)

is this not hillarious. he needed his beloved wankie and a push around by brother
kinda reminds me of a little old man in a wheel chair

lets just say what else do you say. Uh?

While I love the little dude to pieces, he is a handful.

He is also a delight.
He loves to snuggle, give kisses, read stories (kind of more like flip the pages), sing songs, and be sung too. If I didn't sing the itsy bitsy spider every time I change his diaper we wouldn't have made it this far. He is starting to understand and obey which is AMAZING when they get that concept. Yet he just is all boy and I am currently used to a very peaceful compliant 5 year old boy. So well I am relearning what it means to have one of the crazy all over the place energy dudes in the house.

And lately he LOVES the I...pad (a little bit annoying to anyone else who wants to use it in the house)

Thankful Thursday

Its thursday...

Wow. I need to start taking more pictures. I feel like a barely blog anymore.

Well I need to do another post on Sage Man. That one is going to throw me overboard. Love love that little guy but he is busy. I know it comes with the territory but neither of my other two were quite like he.

But it is thursday and while it is sleeting outside and the kiddos are watching Planes (yes. we bought it. not a normal thing for this momma but when you have sick kiddos you will spend an arm and a leg to get a moment to yourself or at least check out for an hour or so), I will list my thankfuls.

I can hear Sage so I know he is at least somewhat okay for the moment. If I can't hear him...then I am in trouble.

1. Sage's independence or determination - or whatever drives the inside of that little guys mind - You will be one successful dude later in life
2. Christmas lights on our house - they look amazing! First time for us so as much as I drug my feet they make me kinda giddy inside. Although Shadd is requesting colored next year.
3. Photoshop and all the fun things you can do...I can spend hours (big thanks to Jess for her expertise)
4. Christmas Cards
5. a fun shopping night with my sis
6. simple craft projects
7. for technology - you should have heard my explanation of Thanksgiving. Shadd thinks we are going to eat with the Indians. Oh dear. Its on the docket for next week. Need some library books too I think
8. our library - love story time, no late fees (ssshhh) and they even just waived the cost of a book we cant seem to locate
9. Sage's silly sayings (he sang happy birthday to my bro last week)
10. How God put two people together so perfectly.
11. Hearing about all the good going on another world away in Zambia (so awesome to hear it through the Kinzenbaws and soon the Smiths)
12. Compiling target coupons and the simple delight of a deal even if it requires a bit more of my time
13. a simple compliment by a complete stranger (like the colors of our house)
14. there is a whole holiday for doing just this...giving Thanks!

After that study of 1000 gifts (which I highly recommend)...it is a choice to be grateful! It can change my day if I look for the blessings among the chaos and at the moment there is quite a bit of that chaos in our house. Yet the blessings and gratitude I feel far outnumber any and all of that! And then all of sudden it doesn't feel quite so chaotic.

Fall

a fall walk...

love the trails in our town...

could the view be any more beautiful...

plus who doesn't love little legs