Another February

I don’t know if anyone else has this experience, but I have noticed over the course of the past several years that I always struggle in February. I more easily get down, discouraged, and just blue. I guess the silver lining of having a “blue month” is that it is the shortest month of the year and it is now more than half over. :) I think my struggle with the month of February has only gotten worse since the addition of Kate to our lives. Kate loves life, is lively, and full of spirit. So, when the temps dip to single digits, she gets stuck inside, not necessarily because I think she couldn’t go out, but because I don’t want to go out. :) Why not send her out by herself you ask, you obviously don’t know Kate, she’d end up in Minier, I’m quite certain of it. Our latest Kate battle is the 60 minutes immediately following preschool. She comes home, immediately messes with Creighton and Lincoln and commences to be a truly awful child for one hour. I do not know what happens at that point, but she totally turns it off and returns to her good natured self. However, by then, I’m usually about to blow a gasket, although I’m learning how to manage my emotions better, most days it’s okay actually, but there is that occasional day when I think she just might push me right over the edge. So, I’m still trying to figure out what it is that I should do with her for the first 60 minutes after she is home from preschool…make her go play in her room for an hour, make her run for an hour, I just really have no idea. On the plus side, we have seen her mature and develop so much, so to those of you out there with kids with lots of spirit, take heart, it’s not always as challenging as at that 18 –24 month stage! It’s awesome to see some of what we have been trying to teach her sink in. We have been working on some memory verses with Kate and Lincoln, themed toward things that they have trouble with (being kind, being afraid, etc). A few days ago we were making valentines for her preschool class. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to give them to her classmates. I was about to encourage her to think about being kind, but before I could open my mouth she said, “Oh, I get it. Consider others better than yourselves (part of one of her Bible memory verses) I should give my friends my valentines.” It was so encouraging in the face of a challenging time with her, that she is listening, it’s starting to click.

Lincoln is starting to become quite the funny kid. He loves to say things to make us laugh. He especially loves to make Kate laugh. He makes a lot of funny faces. Our biggest challenge with him is helping him work on not being quite so shy and potty training. If anyone really loves the potty training challenge, I would lend him to you for a few days. I’m kidding…mostly. Anyway, now that I’ve bored you to tears, here are a few pictures.

One evening last week we needed a babysitter. Our kiddos LOVE my Aunt Joyce and who wouldn’t?? She reads to them, makes cookies with them, and a multitude of other fun things! Thanks Aunt Joyce!!


Happy lil’ guy


There is no way that Creighton will actually make it to the Doctor recommended age before trying certain foods with his siblings around. :)

One morning before church Lincoln was adamant that he needed his picture taken with his dad.


We also celebrated Feb Rassi b-days last Sunday. But since the picture I took isn’t very flattering of anyone, I won’t post it. *See, Dad R, at least I’m not a mean picture taker :)*