Family Night

I have said it before, but this has been my kind of winter.  Last week we were enjoying it outside on the swingset. 

 

Kate has been asking for me to paint her room purple for some time now.  I finally gave in and must admit, a fresh coat of paint does wonders for a room.  =)

Before:

 

After Paint and a New Curtain:

  

One of our goals for 2012 is to have a family night each month.  This month the kids chose to eat popcorn and pizza in the basement and watch Tom and Jerry. 

If you heard cheering coming from our direction recently, it was because Kate has learned to tie her shoes.  The past few weeks she would come home in tears because she said everyone in her class could tie their shoes except her and what if she didn’t get to go to 1st grade because she couldn’t figure it out.  So, we have been practicing for the last two weeks.  Yesterday, she finally got it.  Oh Happy Day!  Her face was priceless, I tried to catch it on camera, but didn’t quite get it.

  

Snuggles

At one point last week, I walked by an end table and thought, “Sometimes a picture truly is worth a thousand words.”  =)

Creighton has been under the weather the past few days and his brother and sister have enjoyed the calmer, snugglier baby.  (Pardon the hole in Kate’s leggings)

 

Helping Mom cut up chicken and tortillas for chicken enchilada casserole.  (well, Creighton was just taste testing)

 

Saturday Fun

Last week was not fun.  I am not even going to tell you about it because I have blocked it from my mind.  =)  Needless to say, when Grandma called and asked if Kate wanted to go to a Grandma and me Tea, both Kate and I were delighted.  Not to be outdone, Grandpa then asked if Lincoln could go to work with he and Uncle Brett on Saturday.  To say that Lincoln and Kate were excited would be the understatement of the year.  Poor Creighton, he got stuck with boring ol’ dad and mom.  When Grandpa came, Creighton ran to his room and got his hat and coat and nearly broke his Grandpa’s heart when he had to let him at home.  Creighton let his hat and coat on for at least 30 minutes after my Dad left, hoping someone would come back for him.  =)  I don’t have any pictures of Lincoln, Brett, and Dad, but I let Kate take our old camera with her to the Tea and here are some of the pictures she came home with.  There were 62 pictures when I emptied it off, don’t worry, I won’t post all of them.  =)

The funniest thing about Kate’s pictures is all the “stuff” she took pictures off.  She kept telling me, “Mom, it was the neatest building I have ever seen.”  =)

             

Daily Life

I think we are finally starting to adjust back to normal life.  It has taken a little longer than I expected.  It took the kids about a week to adjust back to this time zone.  That is a first, I don’t remember them having trouble with that in the past.  Then I took so many pictures while we were gone that I think I burnt myself out and have not taken many at all the last few weeks.  On top of that, my laptop battery doesn’t work for more than a few minutes anymore, so to write a blog post I must sit in the same spot, and let’s just be real, that doesn’t happen much at this stage of my life.  =) 

I have been studying the book of James with some ladies at church and I’ve been really challenged to grow in my relationship with God.  Over the past few weeks I’ve found myself getting really frustrated with the sleep deprivation setting in due to the kids getting back on this time zone, some teething issues, some bad dreams.  I haven’t slept all night since we got home and I was just finding myself really irritated by that.  I mean, we don’t even have a newborn in our home.  But one thing from the James study really struck me and I was convicted of my horrendous attitude.  Today I was studying about desires (Chapter 4) and thinking about what is it that I want that I don’t have.  My answer (this is about to reveal my not so solid emotional state)…sleep.  The author of the study goes on to say that sometimes our desires aren’t sinful, but we have to realize that our desire would cancel out something better, in my case, my kids.  I was definitely put in my place and I hope that I can remember that for this stage in my life, not sleeping is okay, because the alternative is to not have any kids to get up with. 

Anyway, I’m not sure that made as much sense as it did before I tried to write it out, but here are a few pictures that I have taken over the past couple of weeks.

In snowed a little over a week ago, it was the perfect amount, in my opinion.  Enough for the kids to play in, but not enough to be a big deal (side note, this has so far been the most amazing winter, I love it).  The kids had a great time playing outside in the snow and made a small snowman, since the snow didn’t pack very well.

     

Creighton is a busy little guy these days.  He has a lot to do.

Finishing up either Kate or Lincoln’s breakfast.

Looking at photo albums

Helping Mom clean

Playing in his brother’s band

Drink break

One afternoon after school, Kate and Lincoln disappeared into her room.  They came back out and told me that had been having art and math time.  Kate even taught Lincoln some math.  =)

 

Side note – please pray for our friends, Derek and Leann.  Derek is battling cancer right now and they have 3 young kids and another that will arrive this summer, Lord willing.  You can follow his journey here.

Florida–The End

Just a few more pictures and that will be the end of the Florida pictures.  As I was looking back at the blog I realized that I never posted Christmas, it is probably not going to happen at this point.  =)  Again, we really enjoyed vacation and a big thanks to Dad and Mom, Brett and Tessa, and Grams and Popsy for all your help with the kids!!

  

On our last day, we took some boards that some others had left at our hotel down so the kids could try riding the waves.  Kate and Creighton loved it, Lincoln was not so sure he liked it.  In his defense, I think that had we started it a few days earlier, he would have warmed up to the idea.  =)

  

Florida Part 4

Mom’s good friend, Barb, was also in Florida, and she took some pictures for us one evening.

Brett and Tessa

Our family

All of Us

Florida Part 3

Uncle Brett and Aunt Tessa got in a lot of play time this vacation.  (Thank You!)

 

 

Some snapshots I took of the kids.

Kate and Lincoln spent quite awhile trying to balance on these balls at the beach one afternoon.

Creighton loved it if anyone would push him around the pool

A family shot