Summer Time 2011

Hanging with Daddy on Father's Day!

Some of the girls!

Neighborhood fun on the 4th!

4th of July fun! Another use for silly bands!

Love love love the Barbie furniture!

Helping set up for the party - Dress up time!

Designing T-Shirts for the party

Gettin ready for the party! This is a very exciting day!

Starting the party with prayer!

All Dressed Up!

Like My Make Up?

Say Cheese Girls!

I think with the Facebook craze, I have neglected my Blog! Updates on the summer include, VBS's, summer camps, lots of swimming and celebrations. Personally, I have so very much enjoyed the summer with the kids. They are getting to the age were they are so much more independent. We have been able to do so much more this summer. It seem we run from one event to the next, in attempts to get the most out of the warm weather.

Apple Picking 2010

Our annual Labor Day apple picking was so much fun! Little G says, "Ya wanna taste the Honey Crisp?"

"They're really good!" she says, and "They make me really happy...see?!"

Just a beautiful shot of God's creation. Amazing to think all of this comes from a little seed!

Big G says, "Apples make me happy too!"
Here's to apple pies, apple crisps, baked apples and apple sauce! Happy Fall ya all!

July 4th - 2010

The fourth of July was double the fun this year. We spent some time with friends on the lake and then spent the evening celebrating with our neighborhood friends. In the afternoon, the Ice Cream truck came through the neighborhood and the kids beg us to get something. The kids have never gotten anything from an IC Truck, so this was a complete treat for them and very exciting! As for the firewoks, they are insane here in Indiana. You can light off whatever you want, wherever you want. Thus, we saw some amazing displays. Little G doesn't like the noise of the things, but she loves everything else. Big G was able to light off a couple of the "big" ones with some adult supervision. He thought that was pretty cool. It was a fun time and of course, festive.

A New Camera - More posts!

So excited that a new camera has arrived at our house. Yes, it was my Mother's Day gift and I am thrilled. It is a bad feeling to not have a camera when your kids are doing all this fun stuff and the memories are just slippin' by. So, all that to be said, I wanted to share some of my Mother's Day gifts. Big G was really into the day this year - which was really cute. He loves to celebrate. He made me a Scooby Doo block dog and the very stylish foam necklace, which he said looked really good on me. : ) Little G likes to celebrate too, but she likes to talk about her party coming up in July. Yes, she is a planner!
So the kids made me breakfast and delivered it to me in bed. So nice. The kids sat with me and ate all my breakfast and then it was off to church. Did I mention that everyone slept "really" bad the night before? I really felt like I had a newborn in the house. Little G was up a couple of times, Big G even got up @ 4:30 am - ugh! He never does that! Anymore that is. I was restless. So, needless to say, we were beat! So home after church and lunch and it was nap time for all - except Little G. She was a crazy girl that day and thought playtime was a better idea. We then headed out to the yard for a few hours of planting. Such a beautiful day. So here is the day - in pictures! Hope your Mother's Day was great. Whether your a mom or not, there is always someone that we "mother" in this world.

Easter 2010

We had a very nice Easter this year. The kids woke up to their Easter baskets and they had fun checking out all their goodies. Then we got on our Easter outfits and headed to church. It was a nice celebration and a great message on Jesus' resurrection. We then came home and gathered up our dishes and headed over to friends for a wonderful dinner and egg hunt with the kids. It was a beautiful day, hope yours was too.

Big G is the Big 5!

So hard to believe my little guy is 5! So hard to imagine! But he will never be as young as he is today, so I am enjoying this time with him. We celebrated with family and friends. It seemed to be a birthday that just didn't end. It was wonderful to celebrate our boy. He amazes me with his thinking. He loves the Lord and His Son Jesus - the best gift that Big G can truly give us is that! We pray for him daily asking for God's guidance and direction to raise him in His ways. We pray this next year will be filled with many blessings for you G. We love, cherish and celebrate the gift God gave us in YOU!

Christmas 2009

This Christmas was lots o fun. We went to Christmas Eve service and then had friends over and celebrated with food, white elephant game, celebrating Jesus' birthday and the kiddos opened gifts. Lots of Power Rangers, Transformers, Barbies and Princess'. Christmas morning we woke up pretty late and the kids opened their gifts and then we packed up and headed to Uncle David and Aunt Mary's for Christmas day. We spent the night at Grandma's house. We brought Grandma back with us for the week and had a lot of fun while she was here. Christmas was a wonderful and magical season this year. The kids really enjoyed hearing the story of Jesus' birth and are truly understanding the meaning of the season. We were very blessed and thus we were able to bless others this season that were in difficult places. God is good.

Traditions

I love traditions. In fact as a child I remember many traditions, especially around the holidays. I remember Christmas Eve and Mid-Night mass and Christmas morning at my mom's house and then off to my dad's for Christmas Day and Night. So many other little things are woven into the holidays that naturally carry on in our family now and many more new ones are springing up as our two are past the infant stages. Some traditions that are being birthed around our home is teaching the kids to give in this season. So we are gearing up for the big toy purge of 2009. Both the kids will get grocery bags and they can go through the house and find some things that they don't play with much anymore and into the bag it goes and off to a thrift store we head. Others are integrating the true meaning of the season into a daily practical way so that they "get" why we do what we do during this time. I love to read to the kids before bed, so I have been gathering books that teach on the season. I keep a basket in the hallway so the kids have access to it and pick their pick before bed. Tradition. On Christmas Eve we sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and celebrate His birth. We put Jesus and God into the season. We tell the kids that they get gifts because it's Jesus' birthday and HE loves us so much that he let's us get the gifts for him. "Isn't He giving?" I tell the kids. God gave us Jesus as a gift on Christmas and we remember that by giving gifts to celebrate that. Tradition. Serving others during this time (any time frankly) by buying groceries, buying gifts, sending letters and cards to those who typically don't receive is something else we are trying to cultivate in the kids. So this year we will make cards, buy gifts and food and have them participate in the giving of them. The picture above is of our neighbor growing up, "Mr. & Mrs. Wylie" Mrs. Wylie is a big part of my memories growing up. She never had children, but my brothers and sisters would go over and visit her just about everyday. She taught my sister to tell time and I spent many hours chatting and following her around her house as a little girl. She always bought us a gift at Christmas and now we go and visit her. Her husband has passed away so she is all alone. We love her and now my kids get to spend time with her on the holidays. Tradition. Traditions make me smile inside. Traditions give me joy and peace. Tradition goes deep and carries on for generations. What are some of your traditions? Do share. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving this week. So much to be thankful for.

What A Party!

Little G had a very fun birthday(s) this year. We didn't do the blowout neighborhood bash like on her first, but none-the-less, this year was just as exciting for her. Little G had some neighborhood friends over for cupcakesand ice cream on the deck. We then headed to Aunt Mary and Uncle Luke's house for a very fun party with family. To say she was blessed is an understatement. She also received her gifts and blessings from for family out west. She is loving all her new gifts and is still talking about her birthday party and singing the "Happy Birthday" song to herself. her are some highlights of her 2nd Birthday:

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Here is a picture of another great year with our wonderful daddy and my great husband. We celebrated C a few times this year. This picture was a night after returning from a carnival and we had some friends over for cake and ice cream. C is wearing the traditional Birthday hat. Very fun. It used to grace the heads of first graders, but now it's our family hat. Happy Birthday honey. You are an amazing man and daddy and we love you up to the moon and back!

The Day in the Life of a Preschooler

Thumbs up and a huge high five buddy boy!

A lady in the audience enjoyed his performing so much she gave him and 10 spot

~A very intense Big G~

~Little G is gettin' in on the action~

~So Happy to be with Uncle L. Little G refers to him as Aunt M~

~Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you G~
(I think he likes his 10 dollars as much as his diploma - ok, maybe more)

~Big G with his teacher Mrs. Kelli - what a blessing she was to our boy~

Well, last Friday marked the end of Big G's first year of Preschool. To say he was proud overwhelmed with emotion and beaming with joy is an understatement. Oh, did I say that was Big G's reaction, I guess I should say that was mom's and dad's emotions. For Big G, he was excited, but I believe it was just another day in the life of a Preschooler boy. It was a wonderful program the teachers and staff put on. You could truly see the love and care they gave to the kids throughout the year. Big G's teacher cried so many times and I can see why - these little ones are just too precious. Frankly, I joined right in with the tears. They provided tissues on each families seat and now I know why. It wasn't for those who may have had a cold, it was for us moms (& dads) who were in awe of what God is doing in the lives of our children. I am amazed at the change and growth that has happened in less than one year of Preschool. Well, now on to Pre-K. Here is our little guy (and girl). Little G was right up on stage after the program sitting in the kids chairs. She is ready (I'm not!) Aunt M and Uncle L even joined us, we had a great time.