This afternoon we went out to shoot some pictures of our little girl for Christmas. I had seen someone else do a Grinch themed photo shoot and I thought it would be fun. Thankfully, the peppermint marshmallows as a bribe worked!
12.22.2011
Grinch Photo Sneak Peak
This afternoon we went out to shoot some pictures of our little girl for Christmas. I had seen someone else do a Grinch themed photo shoot and I thought it would be fun. Thankfully, the peppermint marshmallows as a bribe worked!
There's a Star in the East
Matthew 2:1-2
1 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.2 They asked, "Where is the baby who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
1 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.2 They asked, "Where is the baby who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
12.21.2011
12.20.2011
12.17.2011
Hello December
Our Advent Calendar...
Picking our tree...
Doing our Christmas Advent crafts...kids have one every day and it tells the story of Jesus a bit each day with a craft.
Trimming the tree...
Learning about Baby Jesus in Sabbath School...
11.27.2011
Apple Pies and other Things
This morning we did a lot of playing and ended with making something I've been wanting to make for quite a while with the babies....apple pie play-doh. We made apples and used pipe cleaner pieces to add stems and leaves. We also made apple pie, apple cake, and cinnamon rolls. I got the recipe from the Pocketful of Posies blog. It was a definite hit. Here's the recipe.
Apple Pie Play Dough
1 Cup Flour
½ Cup Salt
2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Cardamom
1/4 tsp. Allspice (or Ground Cloves)
(You may substitute 2 tsp. of Pumpkin Pie Spice for the cinnamon, allspice, cardamom and nutmeg.)
1 Cup Water
1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
30+ Drops Red Food Coloring
Additional Cinnamon or Flour
Combine flour, salt, cream of tartar, and spices in a pan. In a separate bowl, combine water, oil and food coloring. Add the liquid mixture to the pan with the dry ingredients. Mix well. Cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat when mixture forms a ball and isn’t clinging to the sides of the pan. Take dough from pan and knead on a floured (or cinnamon) surface until it is soft and smooth. Store in an airtight container or zippered bag.
11.26.2011
Christmastime is Here Again!
Thinking about the upcoming holidays has me all excited! Our little girl is abuzz with the excitement of the season. On our walks at night, she runs from one house to the next looking for pretty lights and blow-up displays, pointing them out to brother or telling us to close our eyes because she has a surprise for us. Then we hear her saying things like, "Beautiful!" or "Incredible" It's wonderful to see her enthusiasm for the season and all that it brings, but my main goal this time around is to teach her and Baby Guy again the point of the season.
Yesterday afternoon, after Black Friday shopping and the chaos we all know that that can bring, I was relaxing for a few brief moments while the little guys were napping. I was browsing around on the internet and a post on facebook, from a christian blog Impress Your Kids , caught my attention. This blog is full of great ideas and information for parents who are raising their kids for God. They had just released a special Advent project that I HAD to take advantage of. I love advent calendars, and we've been doing one with our little lady for the past couple of years, but I wanted to do something more meaningful than just little treats daily. This project Truth in the Tinsel gives kids a little bit of the Christmas story each day. They get to make a little craft to go along with the story and the craft also doubles as a tree ornament. We have a little tree that goes in our little girl's room. It will be fun for her to have ornaments this year that she has created that will also remind her of the different parts of the Christmas story.
I'm so excited about doing this with the kids and I hope to post a few of the projects we're making as we go along.
11.17.2011
39 Little Reasons
There are so many things to love about Rhett, but today, on his 39th birthday, I will mention just thirty-nine of the special things about him.
1. I love that he loves to go to the toy section when we go grocery shopping. Of course he likes looking at toys from his childhood...Legos, Star Wars, and G.I.Joes, but what I really appreciate is that he knows how much his little girl LOVES to try out bike and he takes the time to wheel her around the store on several different models.
2. I love that he carves out time to spend with his family. It is so important to me that we make memories with the babies...and he feels the same way too!
3. I appreciate that he pushes us to be better...to do better...to challenge ourselves. He spent the afternoon in the pool challenging and encouraging Little Lady to be brave and jump to him...even though she hates getting her head wet. I loved watching the excitement she had as she realized that she enjoyed it too.
4. Spending time doing things the kids like is so important. I love how he enjoys making them happy. And really, what else could make them more happy than time spent with us doing things they love?
5. I love that he is so talented. I mean, seriously talented at so many things. He can play several different instruments well, really well. He writes catchy songs. And he can design killer projects on the computer. And he doesn't even seem to realize that he is so good at it all. He is so humble.
6. He treats the babies so tenderly...I remember when we had only Baby Girl. He just treated her with kid gloves and such care. It was wonderful to see how protective he was of her and how careful.
7. I love that he reads the Bible with our babies. He REALLY gets into it, voices and all.
8. He gives the best rides that makes this little guy just giggle hysterically. And he always comes back for more and more....and more.
9. I love that he went to Walmart on a Saturday night in the summer, when sundown was around 8:30, so that he could buy this little Violet dog after he gave Little Girl's Scout dog to Brother so he could have one and she could get the girl's model. Then he stayed up late, programming it with her name and some songs and sayings. After he was finished, he tiptoed into her room and tucked it in bed with her so she would wake up with it. The next morning, she stumbled down the stairs with Violet, her new dog. She played with it all morning. I loved that moment!
10. He gives me crazy looks from across the room. He's full of silly playfulness that is so much fun.
11. He is strong. Seriously strong. Like so strong, he moved our dresser, bed, recliner and other heavy items upstairs by himself! And carried our new dryer in by himself. He would not let me help! Talk about impressed. Still not sure how he managed the stairs with a full size high dresser.Wow!
12. I love watching him play at the park with the kids. He gets into it. He plays restaurant there, goes on the rides with them, chases them around, pushes them on the swings, and keeps a watchful eye on them.
13. He's someone we can all count on. If he says he'll be there, he will. And he will probably be early. He helps me out with all kinds of school projects that I could not do myself. And he does it without complaining and it always turns out nice. I definitely appreciate him for this.
14. He's a big kid. He has a fun loving spirit.
15. I love watching him watch our little kids. He is such a proud daddy, and that shines through.
16. He shops till he drops with us at the store and then comes home and shops until he drops some more with his little girl.
17. He is someone the little babies can look up to. He is gentle and kindhearted.
18. He is a SERIOUS kid when we go to the Rainforest Cafe, taking in the sights and sounds...and he MUST ALWAYS leave with a flashing light cup which seemed a little crazy at first, but you have to let go and live a little and just have some fun things around. He gets that!
19. He works hard and gets up early every morning, leaving him with little sleep and he is often tired, but he still enjoys doing things with us and he doesn't let being tired stand in the way of family time.
20. He understands the value of a good book. And he reads often to and with the babies. He usually has crazy and exciting ways to bring the stories to life with different voices and stuff. Sometimes he humors me and we read a book together and I love those moments.
21. He's not one of those people who can't relax and take a break. He knows how to kick back and take a break from the hustle and bustle of life.
22. He spends time building important skills with our babies. Skills like swimming and talking, and singing, and praying. He is patient with them when he is teaching them something. He wants them to be self-reliant and will spend time helping them do things themselves rather than just doing it all for them.
23. He's a little afraid of critters...which is kinda cute. Like when we went to the farm, I had to convince him to hold the duckling and baby chick. And another time a gecko got in our house and he told me, "You get it!" I said, "No, you're the man, that's your job." He trapped it with a bowl on the ceiling and it dropped its tail onto our kitchen sink. The tail was wiggling. And we were both freaked out and squealing like girls. And I was laughing and he rescued us by getting rid of the gecko and the tail.
But then, recently, he brought home a huge spider on a leaf...don't get that one, knowing his past, but it was cool and we watched that thing for several days. The babies were fascinated by it, and so were we. It was a golden silk spider.
24. I love that he plans fun egg hunts with the babies and hides the eggs with the babies in mind, keeping it easy for little guy and hiding some more challenging ones for little girl.
25. Every year, he gets excited about getting a chocolate bunny. I think it reminds him of his childhood. Its sweet, really. Simple and it makes him so happy.
26. I love that he takes time to talk with our little guys. He makes conversation and helps them to practice and learn. He spends time with this little man just naming different things in pictures. And our little guy has a long attention span for doing the naming thing, so it takes patience. I love that he does this often with him. The little guy is such a sponge and this is so good for him.
27. I love that he thinks I'm the best teacher around and that he brags to people about that. While I may not be the best, I do appreciate the fact that he tells others I am....and that he's proud of me.
28. I love that even when it is sweltering outside and he is pouring sweat, he STILL takes the kids outside (which they love). They need to be out in nature sometimes, even when it is 90 some degrees. I know how hard that is, so I really appreciate it!
29. I love that he doesn't get all stressed out if the house is messy. We're not a 1950's family with me staying at home with the kids, cooking and cleaning all day. And there's no fancy dinner waiting when he opens the door and says, "Honey, I'm home." While I run to him in a dress with ever hair in place...thank goodness he's not the kind of man that expects all of that after I work away from home all day.
30. I love that he humors me and my crazy ideas....like picnicking in the back yard. The kids love it and so do I. I may even convince him one of these times to have a campout in our tent in the living room for fun....one of these days.
31. I love that he's not afraid to get a little silly in front of people. He doesn't seem to care what anyone thinks. He's full of crazy faces, voices, jokes, and has an overactive sense of humor...sometimes to my embarrassment (when he goes overboard).
32. He makes us all feel safe. I love when he's home, and hate when he's not. If the kids are afraid, he is great at comforting them. There was this time we went to a live puppet show where people were dressed up like the Seasme Street characters and they were dancing on stage. Little girl got scared, but he was able to soothe her and calm her down so that she could relax and enjoy the show and have fun.
33. He takes walks with us nearly every time I ask him to. (And believe me, that's a big deal...he HATES to walk.) So I really do appreciate it all the more. Plus the company on the walk is great!
34. I love that every once in a while he will surprise me. He's not adventurous at all, so when this happens, it leaves me flabbergasted. Like the time we found this tree...I wasn't sure if he'd be willing to climb under a tree that looks like it could topple any second, but he was.
35. I love that once in a while, after a very busy day, I have cleaning the house on my mind...and I'll come home, expecting a mess, but the kitchen is tidy. A girl could definitely get used to that!
36. I love that it doesn't matter where we are, or what we're doing, there's no one I'd rather be with. He is my rock and I love him.
37. He is so protective of me. If I had a tough day or something happened that caused a conflict with someone, he'll take my side. He'll want to do something to fix my problem. He'll get all worked up himself about it. Then I know he really cares about what is going on with me.
38. He is charming. Like the other day, we went out on a date (like the 3rd since having kids). And he opened the car door again for me, just like he used to. I always love when he reverts back to his chivalrous ways. A girl could get used to being treated like a queen.
39. I love that he hams it up for the kids. We hug and snuggle and the babies come running and get all jealous and start complaining. We usually end up in a big group hug.
So there you have it, 39 reasons why this guy deserves to have the best birthday ever. I love you, Rhett! Happy 39th. Enjoy your last year in the thirties.
1. I love that he loves to go to the toy section when we go grocery shopping. Of course he likes looking at toys from his childhood...Legos, Star Wars, and G.I.Joes, but what I really appreciate is that he knows how much his little girl LOVES to try out bike and he takes the time to wheel her around the store on several different models.
2. I love that he carves out time to spend with his family. It is so important to me that we make memories with the babies...and he feels the same way too!
3. I appreciate that he pushes us to be better...to do better...to challenge ourselves. He spent the afternoon in the pool challenging and encouraging Little Lady to be brave and jump to him...even though she hates getting her head wet. I loved watching the excitement she had as she realized that she enjoyed it too.
4. Spending time doing things the kids like is so important. I love how he enjoys making them happy. And really, what else could make them more happy than time spent with us doing things they love?
5. I love that he is so talented. I mean, seriously talented at so many things. He can play several different instruments well, really well. He writes catchy songs. And he can design killer projects on the computer. And he doesn't even seem to realize that he is so good at it all. He is so humble.
6. He treats the babies so tenderly...I remember when we had only Baby Girl. He just treated her with kid gloves and such care. It was wonderful to see how protective he was of her and how careful.
7. I love that he reads the Bible with our babies. He REALLY gets into it, voices and all.
8. He gives the best rides that makes this little guy just giggle hysterically. And he always comes back for more and more....and more.
9. I love that he went to Walmart on a Saturday night in the summer, when sundown was around 8:30, so that he could buy this little Violet dog after he gave Little Girl's Scout dog to Brother so he could have one and she could get the girl's model. Then he stayed up late, programming it with her name and some songs and sayings. After he was finished, he tiptoed into her room and tucked it in bed with her so she would wake up with it. The next morning, she stumbled down the stairs with Violet, her new dog. She played with it all morning. I loved that moment!
10. He gives me crazy looks from across the room. He's full of silly playfulness that is so much fun.
11. He is strong. Seriously strong. Like so strong, he moved our dresser, bed, recliner and other heavy items upstairs by himself! And carried our new dryer in by himself. He would not let me help! Talk about impressed. Still not sure how he managed the stairs with a full size high dresser.Wow!
12. I love watching him play at the park with the kids. He gets into it. He plays restaurant there, goes on the rides with them, chases them around, pushes them on the swings, and keeps a watchful eye on them.
13. He's someone we can all count on. If he says he'll be there, he will. And he will probably be early. He helps me out with all kinds of school projects that I could not do myself. And he does it without complaining and it always turns out nice. I definitely appreciate him for this.
14. He's a big kid. He has a fun loving spirit.
15. I love watching him watch our little kids. He is such a proud daddy, and that shines through.
16. He shops till he drops with us at the store and then comes home and shops until he drops some more with his little girl.
17. He is someone the little babies can look up to. He is gentle and kindhearted.
18. He is a SERIOUS kid when we go to the Rainforest Cafe, taking in the sights and sounds...and he MUST ALWAYS leave with a flashing light cup which seemed a little crazy at first, but you have to let go and live a little and just have some fun things around. He gets that!
19. He works hard and gets up early every morning, leaving him with little sleep and he is often tired, but he still enjoys doing things with us and he doesn't let being tired stand in the way of family time.
20. He understands the value of a good book. And he reads often to and with the babies. He usually has crazy and exciting ways to bring the stories to life with different voices and stuff. Sometimes he humors me and we read a book together and I love those moments.
21. He's not one of those people who can't relax and take a break. He knows how to kick back and take a break from the hustle and bustle of life.
22. He spends time building important skills with our babies. Skills like swimming and talking, and singing, and praying. He is patient with them when he is teaching them something. He wants them to be self-reliant and will spend time helping them do things themselves rather than just doing it all for them.
23. He's a little afraid of critters...which is kinda cute. Like when we went to the farm, I had to convince him to hold the duckling and baby chick. And another time a gecko got in our house and he told me, "You get it!" I said, "No, you're the man, that's your job." He trapped it with a bowl on the ceiling and it dropped its tail onto our kitchen sink. The tail was wiggling. And we were both freaked out and squealing like girls. And I was laughing and he rescued us by getting rid of the gecko and the tail.
But then, recently, he brought home a huge spider on a leaf...don't get that one, knowing his past, but it was cool and we watched that thing for several days. The babies were fascinated by it, and so were we. It was a golden silk spider.
24. I love that he plans fun egg hunts with the babies and hides the eggs with the babies in mind, keeping it easy for little guy and hiding some more challenging ones for little girl.
25. Every year, he gets excited about getting a chocolate bunny. I think it reminds him of his childhood. Its sweet, really. Simple and it makes him so happy.
26. I love that he takes time to talk with our little guys. He makes conversation and helps them to practice and learn. He spends time with this little man just naming different things in pictures. And our little guy has a long attention span for doing the naming thing, so it takes patience. I love that he does this often with him. The little guy is such a sponge and this is so good for him.
27. I love that he thinks I'm the best teacher around and that he brags to people about that. While I may not be the best, I do appreciate the fact that he tells others I am....and that he's proud of me.
28. I love that even when it is sweltering outside and he is pouring sweat, he STILL takes the kids outside (which they love). They need to be out in nature sometimes, even when it is 90 some degrees. I know how hard that is, so I really appreciate it!
29. I love that he doesn't get all stressed out if the house is messy. We're not a 1950's family with me staying at home with the kids, cooking and cleaning all day. And there's no fancy dinner waiting when he opens the door and says, "Honey, I'm home." While I run to him in a dress with ever hair in place...thank goodness he's not the kind of man that expects all of that after I work away from home all day.
30. I love that he humors me and my crazy ideas....like picnicking in the back yard. The kids love it and so do I. I may even convince him one of these times to have a campout in our tent in the living room for fun....one of these days.
31. I love that he's not afraid to get a little silly in front of people. He doesn't seem to care what anyone thinks. He's full of crazy faces, voices, jokes, and has an overactive sense of humor...sometimes to my embarrassment (when he goes overboard).
32. He makes us all feel safe. I love when he's home, and hate when he's not. If the kids are afraid, he is great at comforting them. There was this time we went to a live puppet show where people were dressed up like the Seasme Street characters and they were dancing on stage. Little girl got scared, but he was able to soothe her and calm her down so that she could relax and enjoy the show and have fun.
33. He takes walks with us nearly every time I ask him to. (And believe me, that's a big deal...he HATES to walk.) So I really do appreciate it all the more. Plus the company on the walk is great!
34. I love that every once in a while he will surprise me. He's not adventurous at all, so when this happens, it leaves me flabbergasted. Like the time we found this tree...I wasn't sure if he'd be willing to climb under a tree that looks like it could topple any second, but he was.
35. I love that once in a while, after a very busy day, I have cleaning the house on my mind...and I'll come home, expecting a mess, but the kitchen is tidy. A girl could definitely get used to that!
36. I love that it doesn't matter where we are, or what we're doing, there's no one I'd rather be with. He is my rock and I love him.
37. He is so protective of me. If I had a tough day or something happened that caused a conflict with someone, he'll take my side. He'll want to do something to fix my problem. He'll get all worked up himself about it. Then I know he really cares about what is going on with me.
38. He is charming. Like the other day, we went out on a date (like the 3rd since having kids). And he opened the car door again for me, just like he used to. I always love when he reverts back to his chivalrous ways. A girl could get used to being treated like a queen.
39. I love that he hams it up for the kids. We hug and snuggle and the babies come running and get all jealous and start complaining. We usually end up in a big group hug.
So there you have it, 39 reasons why this guy deserves to have the best birthday ever. I love you, Rhett! Happy 39th. Enjoy your last year in the thirties.
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