Merry Christmas!

We celebrated Christmas at our own home today. I know, I know. It's really late, but it was the first day we were home that we could do it. The kids graciously slept in until 8am today (YAY!). Once they were up I had them wait in the hallway just like we always had to do when I was a kid so that I could take their picture.



We headed out to the living room and the kids excitedly looked at the wrapped presents. We tried to open as slow as you can possibly have a 2 and 3 year old do. I want them to care about what others get too. They'll get it eventually, right? We didn't go overboard with gifts this year. We bought a few things that we knew they would love to have. They were so excited and loved everything. It was so nice to see their faces light up when they opened each one. Their big combined gift was a play kitchen. I couldn't wait for them to open it so that I could see their smiles. So fun!



The rest of the day we ate yummy food, played with new toys and just hung out and laughed as a family. It was such a wonderful "Christmas". I'm so thankful that I got to share this day with my wonderful family. We are SO blessed! I can't wait until next year when there's 3 little ones to give to. (That's right. I haven't announced that on here yet. Yup, we're adding to our family next June and can't wait!)

Packing, packing, oh and cleaning.

We're headed out for our Christmas vacation tomorrow morning and are so excited to go! The only thing that isn't so exciting is packing and all that goes into leaving. Laundry is never finished of course, but who wants to come home to dirty clothes? Cleaning out the fridge, vacuuming all the dog hair off of the floor, doing several loads of dishes... Yeah, that's our day today. I must admit that we're some of the worst procrastinators with packing. We've gone enough places with the kids to know what to take and what to leave, so it's never something we stress over. It almost always happens the night before too. Oh well. At least we're consistent, right?

I am actually bringing our camera with us, so I should have some fun family pics while we're there. I'll post them as I have the time, but honestly I'm looking forward to just relaxing with my family, having great conversations and going to some local fun places. It's going to be a great Christmas. What are you up to this holiday? Going anywhere fun? Staying home and doing something special? I'd love to know!

Quite the quiet day

Today was just about getting the house put back together and playing with the kids. While there's nothing overly exciting about a day like this it was a great day. It's so nice to just play with the kids and not worry about being late to get somewhere or having a list of "to do's" that must get done. I love just sitting around reading books with two snugly children or putting puzzles together. So fun! I think I have the best kids in the world too! What did you do today? Anything exciting or did you just have a nice day too?

We LOVE snow!

Tonight we hurriedly ate our dinner so that we could go outside and finally go sledding. It was the first time this season that we've had snow, and all of us were so excited. Well, 30 minutes after the first snowsuit was put on we headed out the door to our little hill. It was so much fun! So much in fact that the camera stayed inside the whole time we were flying down the hill. What can I say? I'm the oddball in the family who does not take a lot of pictures. The kids loved it though and really enjoyed going down the hill by themselves. I was so proud (and relieved) that Luke can finally walk up the hill all by himself. YAY! That is a milestone that I am thankful he has reached!

I did end up running in the house to grab the camera right before we headed inside though. Of course I tracked snow through the house, but I think it was worth it!



Evelyn really wanted to go down the slide. It didn't work very well though as you can see.


Luke was busy throwing snowballs so this is the only picture I captured of him that's not blurry. He really wanted to build a snowman, but with it being only 16* outside it's not really snowman weather...yet.



Evelyn tries really hard to walk in the snow, but her legs are just a little too short. She ends up falling down and then she can't get up (which I might add is very funny to watch her try. Am I a horrible mom or what?). Instead of being upset about this or asking for help she just starts eating the snow. That's my girl!

Have you missed us?

I've been thinking about this blog the last few weeks and contemplating coming back and posting. I must say that it's been a struggle inside my head to decide whether to just let it go or to actually start posting again. There are of course pro's and con's each way, but I think the pro's for posting again have won the day! I feel like I need a small outlet to share my thoughts and tell what's going on in our lives.

So, instead of going back over the last several months and telling short details about the many things we've done I'm going to start from here and post what's on my mind today.

Today:

It's snowing- A lot! JD is currently outside using our beloved snowblower on the driveway so that we can go to our small group tonight and celebrate Christmas with friends.

Evelyn is finally napping. You would think that this is just a normal blah fact, but for some reason it took her forever to go to sleep today. It's days like this when you know she's exhausted and needs the sleep, but she insists it's playtime in her crib. I'm so thankful that she's finally sleeping. Now we can leave her with the babysitter tonight and not worry about major meltdowns. (Hopefully.)

Our tree is up AND decorated. It's looks so pretty too. The kids love it too! They ask for us to "light it" whenever they wake up or we come home. What's a dark Christmas tree for anyway?

And finally- we have exactly 8 days until we travel (by plane) to my families house for Christmas. We're so excited! Now I just need to finish Christmas shopping for said family... oops!

Look who's 21 months today.

Our own sweet Evelyn Jane. Oh, my! How I love this little girl. Yes, she's full of spunk. Yes, she pushes the limits all the time. Yes, she's quite the dare devil. All of that equals my her though. I love it! I can't wait to see what she grows into. I can't wait to see how God uses her strong will to do incredible things. And I also can't wait until I can have a full conversation with her. I have the feeling she's going to make me laugh constantly.

Here are a couple things that she's said recently that have stuck in my mind:

"I do it!" This was when I tried to brush her hair. Oh, how she's her mother's child!

"Move, Daddy!" He was in her path and she needed to get by. We had her add in a "pwease".

And last and most touching- "I love you, Daddy (with her Spanish flair). Night, night" She's quite the talker for her age. I think at least.

I love you, little girl. Now quit growing up so fast!


(Here she is at the beach a couple weeks ago. Can you tell she's a very tactile child?)

Disneyland Paris

My family has always been lovers of Disney parks. We went many times while I was growing up. Partly because my grandmother only lived an hour away and partly because we just like it. When the opportunity to visit Disneyland Paris came I enthusiastically said "YES PLEASE". We had such a great time too. Luke LOVED seeing all of the characters. Evelyn loved riding the rides. It was a great 2 days! Here are some pics and a little description of what's going on.


The Tea Cups. Evelyn was a little nervous when we sat down, but once we started going she loved it. When the ride stopped she quickly signed and said "more". She was a little upset that we had to get off. Luke liked it ok, but was much more cautious and ready to get off.





It's a Small World. Boats- Check. Dolls- Check. What's not to love?




This was one of Luke's favorite rides. He got to drive the car himself and was so excited. Evelyn fell asleep while we were waiting in line so she and I skipped out of this on.


We met a lot of Disney characters, but this was one of our favorite memories. Here's the story. We stuck out a lot in Disneyland Paris. Obviously we didn't speak the same language as almost everyone else, so when Captain Jack heard us talk he asked us where we were from (in English). He was very excited to hear that we were from MI and spent several minutes talking to us and to Luke. He wrote on the page next to his signature St. Clair Shores. Hmmm... Is Capt. Jack from MI? Who knew?!? Luke of course doesn't know who he is, but we'll tell him the story when he's older.




I'll end on this one for today. It was and is such a let down for me. Here's the story. Luke was dressed in his Disneyland shirt. Evelyn was in her Minnie shirt. We saw Mickey Mouse signing autographs with only 4 children in line. AMAZING! We quickly jumped in line and waited for our turn. I had this great vision of the cutest picture in history. Standing next to Mickey. Huge smiles on their faces while actually looking at the camera. It was going to be great! We get to the front of the line and we're next. YAY! Luke then proclaims that he doesn't want to meet Mickey. "Oh, but it's Mickey and it will be really quick. And it will be the cutest picture. I'll go with you, Luke. Don't worry!" It's our turn. Luke then plants his feet and starts bawling. Not just crying mind you, but bawling. Loudly! He refuses to go near Mickey. Fine. Evelyn can have her pic with him. Nope big brother is upset, so clearly she has to be too. My perfect picture is now this ^. How sad is that?

Oh, Dog-Dog! How we've missed you!

I know I said I was going to post about our wonderful trip, but I just couldn't resist posting about this first. Here's the back story:

We arrive to the airport for the third day in a row and hurriedly get out of the car. We grab all of our stuff (and it's a lot) and I do a quick eye sweep of the van looking for anything we may have forgotten. Looks great! Off we walk at a steady pace to check in and hope that we actually have seats on our flight. We do! YAY! Check in goes smoothly. Customs for the third day goes smoothly. 2 security check points where today they decide to bomb partial test our camera. We passed by the way:) We get to our gate where Luke asks, "Mommy, can me have me dog-dog?" "Just a minute, Lukey, while mommy puts down all of our stuff." Ok, stuff is down now where is dog-dog? Hmm... Not in this bag, not in this suitcase... "JD, have you seen dog-dog?" I ask. "Let me look" he says. Nope, not in here. Not in this one. Oh no!!!!!!!!! We both go into a panic. Where is dog-dog? Did we drop him while waiting in line downstairs? Did we drop him while we were getting out of the car? Where is he???

We call JD's parents (his dad had graciously dropped us off- again). Dad's not home, but they'll check as soon as he gets home. Unfortunately, we got on the airplane before we heard anything. All during the flight (9 hours) we had to tell Luke that grandpa was going to check the van and if he wasn't there we'd look online to buy a new one. Luke was pretty upset! He cried. I cried. It wasn't fun.

Fast forward a little bit. Dog-dog was found in grandpa's van (thank goodness!) and mailed to us the next day. We've waited and waited and waited for him to come in the mail. A week is a long time for a little boy to be without his beloved dog-dog. Well, today he arrived! Luke had a HUGE smile on his face and couldn't wait to open the box.


Alas, dog-dog has returned to the arms of a little boy who loves him so much. We're all so thankful that he was found. Shew!


(And as you can see there are other treats for the rest of us. Thanks, GG and Grandpa!)

Sneak Peek

More pics and stories to come!

Summer Time has Begun!

And we are LOVIN' it! Yesterday we drove the long way back to our beloved home. It was nice to see family and friends, but we were glad to be home too. It was actually the first time that I felt like I was coming home. Usually when we leave MD I feel like I'm leaving my home to go away for a while. It's strange how it took me 4+ years to feel like this. I'm glad for it though! I guess it means I'm settled.

Anyway, that wasn't the point of this blog. Back to the point. We arrived home and slept hard last night. 12 hours in the van is a long time. We were exhausted! This morning though we all woke up with a little extra bounce in our steps. I quickly vacuumed and skimmed the pool while JD made breakfast. After breakfast and of course a load of laundry, JD decided that it was time to jump in the pool for the first time this season. We were all so excited! We cheered him on! "Go, Daddy!" He jumped in and quickly swam to the side. I guess the sun not shining on the pool makes it a bit cold.

...fast forward several hours...

After dinner we told the kids that it was finally time for us to all get it. The sun was out and it was HOT. We got dressed in our new swimsuits (well, the kids have new ones) and went to put on the water wings. Bummer! They have holes in them. I guess the mice in the shed like to eat plastic. :shrug: That wasn't getting us down though.

Where are the life vests?

CHECK!

Where are the goggles?


CHECK! (notice Evie's thigh rolls. How cute is that?)

We are ready for a summer of fun!



And Rome is too!

Puddle fun

Luke and Evelyn had a BLAST playing in the puddles the other night. Luke loved jumping in them and watching the water splash. Evelyn on the other hand loved laying in them and slashing with her hands. It's so amazing to see the differences in them! Though they have the same parents (obviously) God created them so unique and special. One loves to be clean and neat. One loves to be messy. So fun!

"What's inside the toilet paper tube?"

... JD asks me. "I don't know", I say. "It looks discusting. What is that?", says JD. Then pipes up sweet little Luke, "It's me bacon, daddy."

Yes, that's right. He was eating bacon when he suddenly realized he needed to poop so what better place to put your bacon???

Still here just busy

Thought you'd like to see something cute I finished today.


AND look who learned how to blow kisses

Guess how old I am today?

I'm 16 months today! That's right! I'm getting so big too. Let's see... I can walk, run, climb on everything including chairs, say lots of words, give kisses and zerbers, go up and down stairs, eat everything in sight and give the best squishy hugs. That's right. I'm on the move and lovin' life. My current favorite things are of course mommy, daddy and Luke, shoes, baby dolls and necklaces. I LOVE to dump puzzles and read books. I'm just a girl on a mission.

Peek Boo

Don't mind there messy faces. It was lunch time. They were just too cute to not take a pic of! Check out their eye color differences. I didn't even play with the coloring. Isn't God amazing?

More things to check off the list

My shawl that took forever:


Evie's new shrug (the other one looked too big over her dress):

The dress isn't finished yet, but it's close:


Fingerless mitts (don't ask about the difference in colors):


And finally some Capri's for Evie:

I dyed this yarn with Kool Aid. So fun!


Thanks for looking!

Who's child is this?

Surely she's not mine. I'm always so clean, hair in the perfect spot, never a spot on my clothes... Who's child is this with dirt and sand from head to toe and hair sticking out in all directions? And more importantly, who are her parents and why aren't they doing something about this mess?

Well, I must say that although I'd like to think I always look perfect, this little child is definitely her mother's child. I can't help but smile when I see her looking like this. Is she not the cutest little ragamuffin ever?

Evie's Shrug- Check

(action pics to come)

And some pretty yarn that I spun. So fun! I just don't know what it should turn into.

Things to do (craftwise at least):

* Finish Evie's shrug for her Easter dress

* Start working on Evie's Easter dress. Check out the fabric just waiting to be sewn.

Finish my shawl. I keep promising that I'll finish it and then another project takes it's place. Must.Finish.

Make some more fingerless mitts with a friend. My hands are craving more!

Will post pics as I check these off of my list! Hopefully it will be soon!

Have you missed us?

We've been busy. With what, you ask? Well, I don't even really know. I guess it's just life lately. These kiddos have kept me on my toes lately. Whether it's them needing lots of kisses, reading them a story, playing referee between them, pulling Evelyn off of the kitchen table (yes, she can climb up on her own), setting up Luke's train for the 100th time, cleaning up the messes they make or just watching them be so cute, they fill my day with joy and work :)

Here are some pictures I took this afternoon while they were playing outside. It's finally in the upper 40's here and it feels like spring is just around the corner. We're loving the warm sunshine!




After we finished playing they enjoyed a nice soak in the tub and laid down for a nap. Now I get to scrub out the muddy clothes and shoes and enjoy the silence for a couple minutes. The activity will begin again all too soon!