February 2016

Anya and Sailor are inseperable during the day.

We really enjoy having little visitors. 

Kate and I went to a Secret Keeper girl event.  The event was geared toward teaching the girls to put their worth in Christ and not in boys or their appearance or anything like that.  There were a lot of screaming girls, but it was fun. 

 

I was not feeling well one day and the kids brought me some things to cheer me up. =)

Grandpa with his grandkids

We had the opportunity to spend the weekend with Russ and Beth when they came home for a wedding.  The kids had a ball being together.  It was great to catch up with them.

October/November

The blog has obviously been neglected as of late.  I’d like to think that will change, but it probably won’t. Plus, with it just being Anya and I at home, a lot of the funny stuff happens in Mrs. H’s room with Creighton.  If I could give everyone a Creighton to parent, I would.  He’s funny as can be, quick to forgive, quick to give a hug, and genuinely happy 97% of the time.  But Anya still has plenty of antics to make up for being the only one here.  She keeps me hopping and I’m never sure what she might do next.  Motherhood continues to be the biggest source of refining in my life.  God continually uses them to teach me and refine me and remind me that we all are in desperate need to His grace.  I’ve been given so much that I don’t deserve and yet it still can be a challenge to extend grace to the little people in our home.  I’m beyond thankful that God has not given up on me.

Going back to October:

I went on a field trip to Tanner’s Orchard with Creighton.  Each time I have a kid in Kindergarten my appreciate for kindergarten teachers grows exponentially!

 

Roasting marshmallows

 

Celebrating Mike and Jocie’s birthdays.

Our old neighbors still graciously invite us to the neighborhood pumpkin carving party.  It was fun to see everyone again.

     

Halloween

 

A new experience for us this year….leaves…..lots and lots and lots of leaves.

 

Our church had a leaf raking outreach in town.  It was way more fun to do other people’s yards than it was to do our own.  =)

   

Anya turned 3!! 

  

My Dad and Mom graciously kept our kids for a few days so we could go with our friends, Ross and Jamie, to Florida.  We had so much fun with them and I never get tired of Florida.  Thanks, Ross and Jamie!!

      

September

Wow.  September passed so quickly.  Life goes so fast.  I heard someone once say, “the days go so slow, but the years go so fast.”  There was definitely a season of my life when that was so very true.  I seem to have left that season behind, my youngest is almost 3 years old, and we’ve moved into a “the days are fast and the years are faster” season.  I just want to encourage you, if you are in a difficult season, have hope, by God’s grace, you will make it through. 

One last swim

 

We’ve had a crazy year and have not had as much family time as we typically would.  So, we decided to take the kids for a short 24 hour vacation to the Grizzly Jack Water Park.  We had so much fun, with the possible exception of one event.  The kids were up at 0 Dark Thirty anxious to get back to the water park, which did not open until 9.  At 8:45, we finally let them start putting their swimming suits on.  Kate was ready, but the boys were not yet.  Anya locked the bathroom door and pulled it shut while nobody was in it.  Unfortunately, all our swimming suits were in there.  So, we had to go ask for maintenance to come and unlock it for us.  =)

  

They have an amusement park next to the water park, that we went to once they were tired of swimming.  It was also a lot of fun.  The pictures are kind of dark.

  

Last week, the kids had a half day, so we went with Wendy and her kids to Radar Farms. 

Lastly, we had the chance to have two of our nephews here for the day.  The kids had so much fun, I barely heard a peep out of them all day.