Our Top 5

Seth and April's Top 5 Ways to 'Make-Up'

5. (If the argument took place in bed) Seth will put his leg over April and rip all the covers off. An enormous tug-of-war will begin, usually ending in April losing. Thus April is forced to cuddle up to Seth because she is "FREEZING!!"

4. A Water Fight. Water flying through the air, for some reason, makes one a bit flirty.

3. ICE! Trying to avoid an ice-cube down the shirt, or pants, is a lot of work, and any frustration you may have felt before will be forgotten as you try to think of ways to dodge the Ice Man!

2. Serve your man his favorite food. Food makes everyone happy.

1. The last and best way to make-up, Steam Roller! (I don't care who you are, if you are steam-rolled and stuck under the weight of someone else, you can barely breath, let alone hold a grudge.)

So, the next time you and your honey have a little tiff, just try one of Seth and April's sure-fire ways to make-up and make-happy!

A Couple of Goobs :)

As Seth and I were heading to bed last night he grabbed my hand and declared, "To Oz?" To which I replied, "To Oz!" We then jumped off the couch skipping and singing, "We're off to see the wizard!" Unfortunately, that's as far as we got due to the laughter that quickly ensued.

I love that Seth is a goob just like me. And it is so much fun to be goobers together!

Nature's Effects

While walking in the rain this last weekend, I found that the wetness of the day, the crispness in the air, and the joy of family brought out interesting characteristics in each of us.

For some of us, the water falling from the sky made us feel like fishy's. Our faces puckered and we couldn't stop.

Others, instantly felt like conquering the raging river. "Onward! We will survive! Don't give up!"

Others, (not sure who that is?), broke into song. Yep, at the top of her lungs. (I'm telling you, nature does weird things to me.)

Others needed to cuddle to keep warm. Grandmas are so good to cuddle with.

Grandpa got protective due to the slippery rocks. Good job grandpa, Zoie had no fear because she was with you.

And then, when the walk was over, Kylia decided she didn't want to be inside and so covered her eyes, dreaming of picnicing on a grassy knoll. Or maybe, she was just being silly?!? :)

Nature brings out interesting things in all of us. How about you? What does nature do to you?

Groceries

I went grocery shopping yesterday and stocked up on everything that we have run out of. I'm not a fan of grocery shopping simply because of the time it takes, trying to make sure I get the best price on everything, and did I mention the time it takes? When I arrived home after 2 1/2 hours of this lovely chore, my girls helped to change my "I don't like shopping" mood into something so much better. As bag after bag was brought in, there was a chorus of excitement as the food was removed. "Oatmeal! Oh, mom I love oatmeal!" "Cheese!!" "Oh, did you get this for me?!!" It was adorable and I couldn't help but laugh over the items they chose to get excited about. To top it all off, as I was cooking dinner, getting the broccoli ready to steam, Zoie exclaimed loudly, "Broccoli!! Thanks for making broccoli for me mama!"

You girls turned shopping from a chore, to a joy.

Dancing

Ended my evening last night dancing in the kitchen with my husband. My head on his chest, worship music playing, lights low. It was the perfect end to a hard day.

Learning from Grandpa

My parents were up this weekend, and I realized something about my dad. He loves to teach people. Adalie wanted to play the piano for grandpa, so together they sat on the bench and she shared with him her newest accomplishments. He was tickled to hear her play, and then began to teach her a little: octaves, chords, and a few songs. He was in his element and loving every minute of it. There was a glimmer in his eye as he sat there beside his granddaughter sharing his life. His excitement was contagious and pretty soon Kylia was in the room wanting to learn too!

Dad, you are an awesome teacher! Thank you for loving on my girls. They love you bunches!

Maturing

Adalie Grace, seven year old, is quickly becoming an eight year old. She is beginning to do activities that are more grown up, and responding to situations in a more mature way. Within the last month she has begun taking showers. She made pancakes with out any help, read the directions, mixed the ingredients, flipped them on the hot griddle and everything! She has requested to go on a coffee date (yes she said coffee, not hot cocoa!) with mommy "so we can talk about things and laugh together, because it is so fun to laugh together mommy." This is a fun stage of life, but it is making me realize that I indeed need to cherish every moment, because my baby girl is growing up before my very eyes.

I love you Adalie. Let's always laugh!

Our Family in Words and Symbols

For Lil' Sprouts, our homeschool group, we are doing a mini-winter olympics with our children, complete with our very own homeland flags. Each family is supposed to design a flag that represents their family in some way. In preparation, I sat the girls down and asked them what words they felt described our family. Here are a few of the responses:

Kylia-Love

Adalie-Hard Work

Zoie-Not Listening

Kylia-Joy

Adalie-Have Fun

Zoie-Get Spankings

Kylia-Giving

Adalie-Thankful

Zoie-Not Touching the Fire

Kylia-Listening and Obeying

Adalie-We love being silly and laughing

Zoie-Petting Dogs

Kylia-Going in Heaven

Adalie-Trusting God

Zoie-Believing in Jesus

Kylia-Dancing

Adalie-Praise, Grace, Faith

Zoie-No jumping on the trees

Zoie stated all of her lines with complete sincerity. I, on the other hand, had a very hard time holding my laughter in. Zoie, you are such a joy! I love the way you think!

Zoie's comment "believing in Jesus" did make the cut! On our flag is a purple cross! The yellow represents the "Joy" that Kylia mentioned and the "Silliness and Laughter" Adalie shared. The heart is the "Love" our family has for each other. And the green under the heart symbolizes the way our family is always growing and changing, desiring to look more like Jesus. (Adalie wanted the color green, so we came up with a meaning for it at the end.)

Well done ladies!

p.s. Just in case you were wondering, Zoie is actually a very happy child!! :)

My Man, Oh How I Love Thee!

Last night I was preparing for company arriving this morning. I prepared breakfast in advance, quickly cleaned the house, and then headed to bed. Seth was working late, in his man cave (or our coat closet), and came in to say good-night. As he peaked his head in the room he declared, "I love what a great hostess you are, and how much you care."

Seth Owen, you melt my heart. Thank you for noticing, and appreciating, the things I do. It means more than you know.

Kylia's Praise!

We had a very random meal last night complete with one steak, one pork chop and one chicken breast. I tried to make it somewhat complete with ranch mashed potatoes, broccoli, and french bread. I found the meal very odd as I was simply trying to get rid of a few left overs. Kylia however had a different feeling about the meal. She leaned over and whispered in my ear, "This is the best meal ever! You Rock!"

Baby girl, You Rock! You just made my day!

Marriage through the eyes of a child.

Sitting around the lunch table the topic of marriage was brought up by Kylia. Almost instantly my sweet precious daughter, Adalie tried desperately to hold back her tears. "I don't want to get married and move away," she said. I told her that just because she got married didn't mean she would have to move away. With tears in her eyes she said, "But I'll have to live in another house." As I was trying to console her and tell her that a day would come when she would be excited about marriage, Zoie declared quite loudly, "NO! I WON'T DO IT! I WON'T LIVE WITH MY PRINCE!" Two different girls, two different personalities, two precious babes!

Cutey Pie

This year for Christmas, Seth put together a video of the girls. On it was their Lil' Sprouts Christmas Play, each of the girls singing a Christmas song, and a small skit. Every time Zoie saw herself she would say, "That's me!" One time in particular she stated, "That's me! I'm so cute!" We all agreed wholeheartedly.

Standing in Awe

As I look back over our Christmas season there are many joyous moments to remember:

Watching my children perform their very first Christmas play. (Girls you were amazing! You spoke so clearly and with so much enthusiasm. I love your spirit. You all shone like stars!)

Making special gifts with my girls to give to their grandparents.

Editing eight different stories with Adalie that she worked on for two months desiring to bless her family. She was so thoughtful, trying to choose characters that each member of the family would most appreciate.

Miraculous money that enabled us to buy gifts for our family, girls, and Seth and I for each other. (This was money left over after all of the bills were paid!! God is so good! I am still in awe!)

Zoo Lights. Family, laughter and a cool, crisp holiday night.

Seeing brothers and sisters who came home for Christmas.

Spending time with my new niece. Isn't she adorable!!

Going to the movies with my man and my girls. (Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Squeakquel. Super cute!)

Seeing the excitement on my husband's face as I opened his presents, and absolutely loved them! He spoiled me! (No pictures yet, but he got me a gorgeous outfit, complete with jewelry. This outfit may be shown in an upcoming blog after a romantic date night together. So, stay tuned!)

A special night walking the streets of Peacock Lane

and dining at the Rheinlander. (Compliments of my wonderful Father-In-Law. Thank you Dale! It was such a fun evening!)

Playing crazy games and laughing in silliness. ("I have 3 rubber duckies, a piece of bark, and a toothbrush super-glued to my head!! Tell me the truth about your grandmother!!" Yep, Quelf is super crazy!)

And the list could go on. This Christmas season was truly amazing!

As I reflect on it all, what I see is the hand of God moving mightily in our lives. We have been so blessed this month and throughout the entire year. Yes, there were some hard times, but God ended the year with a bang! He brought us through and showed us that He is always in control and all we need to do is rest in his loving embrace.

So this season, as I look back over all the wonderful blessings we've enjoyed, what stands out most vividly is the awesomeness of my God.

And I am standing in awe of Him!

The Excitement is Rising Exponentially!

I am a 31 year old, mother of three. As such, you would assume that the excitement from my children would far outweigh my own. Well, this morning my eyes are drooping and my feet are dragging, and I am exhausted. Why? The last two nights I have been too excited to sleep, and have woken early each morning with much anticipation for the coming festivities. Will Christmas ever arrive?

My excitement is rising! Add that to the girls' and Seth's and I would have to say we are practically giddy! Merry Christmas everyone! I hope it's a great one!