Did I Mention?

This is the last day of February and I have not yet shared our Valentine's Day adventures. So here goes. We began by getting a babysitter. This is noteworthy because this is only the 3rd time since we have had children that we have paid for a babysitter. We have been so blessed with friends and family that will love on our kiddos that it is very rare for us to need the services of the above mentioned sitter. Once the sitter was up-to-speed and the kids had excitedly rushed her up the stairs to share with her the wonders of their playroom, we were off. Our first stop, one of my favorite restaurants, The Olive Garden, where we enjoyed some delicious Italian cuisine. Have you ever tried Zuppa Tuscana? Yummy!

Belly's full, our night continued in a little more adventurous way. Seth and I decided earlier in the week to go roller skating, and roller skating we did go! Driving there our excitement was high and our spirits giddy! Upon arrival however, our giddiness became nervousness. Neither Seth nor I could remember the last time we roller skated. The rink was currently full of speed skaters racing around and around, and we were unsure if we would be able to stay on our feet. At this point, we looked at each other and said, "Should we do it?" The kind lady behind the counter was patient with us as we gathered the courage to skate, but then the money was paid and there was no looking back.

We traded in our very stable, secure shoes, for skates that were anything but. As we wobbled to the rink it occurred to me that I now needed to use the little girls room. So, into the bathroom I teetered trying desperately not to fall and wondering if I would make it out alive. As I emerged much later, due to the concentration it took to stay upright, Seth and I made our way to the rink. We held hands, took a deep breath and stepped out onto the slippery surface. And then we were skating!! The wind in our hair, the floor passing ever-so-quickly beneath us. We were skaters once again. The night passed with a few near misses, a couple of wobbles, and just a few more breaks than we remembered taking as children. But, upon our feet we remained!! As we ended the night, enjoying an ice cream together, we were glad for our adventure, but mostly thankful that we didn't fall down!! :)

Something so Simple

As I was cooking dinner the other day, and Seth was talking to a buddy on the phone, I interrupted his conversation to ask a quick question. He answered it and then stated to his friend, "Just talking to my wife." And for some reason, at that moment, those words were sweater than honey. The words 'my wife' sent a thrill through me. It made me realize how glad I am to be his wife, to have him as a husband. We've been married for 11 years and still those words bring a smile to my lips.

Conversations with Children

Sitting around the breakfast table this morning, Zoie began an interesting conversation. She asked how orange juice was made, so Seth shared how they grow oranges, pick them and then put them into big machines to squeeze out the juice. He then stated that the juice is heated to kill any bugs that may have gotten in. This is when I added a little information of my own, "The heating process is called pasteurizing." Kylia quickly asked, "Pastorizing, like Pastor Tim?" :) This is when the conversation ended. I couldn't stop laughing. Kylia, you are adorable!

A Day in the Life of the Himes

A picture of our day.

Today was an unusual day because daddy was gone. Seth has an office from home. Well, it is actually a coat closet under the stairs, but he likes to refer to it as his "Command Center". Today, Seth had to work out of the house and so his office was empty. It's good for him to leave this itty-bitty room every once in a while. :)

As I prepared breakfast the girls began their day with spinning. And laughter. Lots of laughter. It was a great way to start our day.
Our breakfast of eggs, sausage and toast was quickly gobbled up.After breakfast, the girls headed upstairs to get ready for the day. The play room and bed room were quite the mess this morning, and so after finishing their list they did a quick clean-up. Once the rooms were clean, we headed to the classroom/playroom and began school. School, when we are home, begins with Calendar Time. We pray, read our Bible, go over our memory verse (we are on week #4, shown below), and do our calendar. Some times we play instruments and do Mad Libs. Since this was fun Friday, after Calendar we pulled out Sequence-States and Capitals. The girls had a lot of fun learning this new game.
12:00 rolls around quite rapidly at our house and it's already time for lunch. While I prepared the food, the girls sang and danced to the soundtrack from Annie. Quite often our house will sound like a musical. (Zoie has been known to break into song to explain her love for her family or Jesus.)

Lunch: Mac-N-Cheese, carrots, apple sauce, and french bread. Yes, it is time for mommy to go shopping!After lunch, Zoie heads to bed. She was not happy to have to lay down today, but a girls got to do what a girls got to do.After a few tickles the crying turned to laughter. . .And Zoie went to bed happily.
I then headed downstairs to get the girls started on their school work. Weirdly enough, Adalie was missing. I quickly found her hiding beside the love seat. Nice try sweetheart, but you still have to get your work done. :)
I had a bathroom to clean today, so the girls joined me in my room while I cleaned. That way I was able to answer questions, and still get some work done.

After the bathroom, then there was some laundry to fold.
And yes, five socks lost their partners. How does that always happen?
Schools over just in time! Daddy's home!
The girls got out Dr. Suess's Cat in the Hat, "I Can Do That" to play. This game has you 1. Do a motion. 2. With an object. 3. On your head, tucked under your chin, between your knees, etc.
It was pretty cute!
They really enjoyed Sequence this morning and so they chose to play again. Kylia was a little upset because Adalie won two games, and Kylia was sure she would never be able to win. Adalie assured her that she would win soon. (And if I'm lucky, the girls will learn their capitals in record time.)
While the girls and I played, Zoie stuffed the game pieces in my pant pockets. Amazingly enough, it kept her entertained the entire game! Once they were all in, she then had to pull them out, one-by-one when it was my turn to play.
Daddy joined us while we played.

Next the girls acted out a little play. Adalie was the princess, Kylia was the prince and Zoie was the other princess. Kylia chose Adalie for her princess and so Zoie became the baby. The blankets were the girls' fur coats. Quite the royal entourage!

While the girls played, I prepared dinner. Homemade French Fries and Sloppy Jo's was the menu for the night. It was a, "What do I have on hand?" sort of dinner.

After dinner, I was off to the gym. This was another unusual thing about the day. Mommy last exercised a week and a half ago. Well, I'm trying. (And yes, I went to exercise with a Sloppy Jo and French Fries in my belly. Smart idea? I don't think so.) While mommy was gone, daddy and the girls did a little Karaoke to Hannah Montana.

I told you they love to sing!
After this day of fun times, yummy food, cleaning, and a bit of learning, the little chicas were tucked in bed.


Good Night from the Himes 5. Sweet Dreams!

My Little Cooker

Adalie received a children's cookbook for Christmas and has been asking to bake or cook quite frequently ever since. Together we made a few recipes, but this one night, as I was furiously making two dinners (that's a different story) she asked to make something out of her cookbook. I told her that she would have to make it on her own, without any help from mama, and if she felt she could do that, than she could go ahead. Well, she decided that she could and she was off. She found a recipe she was excited about, Monster Cookies, and began measuring, scraping, mixing and cutting. Why cutting? Monster Cookies call for candy of all types, so she rummaged through our Christmas candy and found M&M's, Snickers, Peanut Butter Cups, BabyRuth, and more. After all the blending was complete, she got to lick the spoon. You may be wondering how these cookies turned out. A seven year old making cookies on her own? Well, I am happy to report that they were scrumptious. They were light and fluffy, and gobbled up by all. Well done, Adalie! You are an amazing cooker in the making!

College Reunion Memories

Seth and I revisited our old stomping grounds this weekend. It was our 10 year college reunion! Seth and I met at George Fox University 14 years ago, fell in love, and married our junior year of college. This weekend we returned to this memorable place where our relationship first began. It was so much fun to walk through campus reminiscing of times past. We walked up the hill to the dorms we lived in our freshman year, remembering how Seth decided on that hill that he was the only guy that would be right for me. (I was already head-over-heals for him by this time and so I heartily agreed.) We talked about the silly things we used to do, like duct taping our legs together, and going to meet people. We talked with friends from back-in-the-day and realized how blessed we were with such quality friendships. They are still amazing!

We visited Camp Tilikum where we were both camp counselors, and shared so many memories. (Seth had kept the key to the Big Swing on his keyring all these years. Unfortunately, the locks were changed and so we performed a small ceremony, saying goodbye to a small piece of history. We took pictures of this momentous event which were quickly lost by a memory issue in my camera. I was greatly bummed.)

Sometimes revisiting times past can be awkward, but this weekend we were reminded of all the good that surrounded us during these years, and we were blessed.