Merry Christmas!

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Thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I am so looking forward to time spent with family! We have so much to be thankful for this year. Here are my top 10:

1. My Lord Jesus. I have learned so much these past few months and feel like my relationship with my Savior is stronger than ever. So, so grateful for my salvation and the freedom I have in Him.

2. My sweet husband. He works so hard for our family, plays his heart out with the kids when he gets home, and is willing to satisfy my crazy pregnancy cravings by running out to the store at 9:00 at night. True love!

3. My tender hearted Luke. He really is such a blessing to us. He has grown so much this year. He is more confident, he is thoughtful and smart, and he is growing more tolerant and appreciative of his little sister. Yay!

4. My spirited and spunky Ella. She daily makes us laugh, smile, and keeps us on our toes. She is very caring, loves her big brother, and takes such good care of her baby dolls. She's going to make one good mama assistant when the new baby comes!

5. This sweet little no name in my belly. I love her so much already! Feeling her little kicks (and sometimes big kicks!) is indescribable. I am really trying to cherish each moment of this pregnancy, knowing it will be my last. I can't wait to see her sweet face in person and start a brand new adventure!

6. Our parents. Without their support, I'm not sure where we'd be. We are so grateful for all of their help and love!

7. Our little house. We are so thankful to be renting this great little house. It's not big, but it's full of love! And we wouldn't trade the proximity to the park and pool for anything! Such a blessing.

8. The new friends I've made this year. I love the ladies of ACC and cherish the connections I've made.

9. Staying in touch with old friends, even though we don't get to see each other all that much anymore. I am blessed with amazing women to go through the journeys of life with!

10. The miracles I've witnessed, big and small! From little lives that have survived surgeries and hardships, to the baby growing in my belly, to God's financial provision for us these past years...there is no denying we have a God who loves us very much!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our loved ones! We cherish you!

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

10 minutes alone in their room

Wow. I haven't written on this thing since Ella turned 2! A lot has happened since then. Scorching heat. Long summer days. Family vacation. A baby. Friends' babies born. School starting. Luke turning 4. Luke starting soccer. A lot. Will I ever get caught up on these subjects? I hope so!
I decided to sit down for a few minutes and write because I have 10 minutes to myself. I have these 10 minutes to myself because my children are in trouble and their punishment is to play in their room for 10 minutes without fighting. Not one argument or squeal is allowed. Huge threats have been made if I hear said squeal. I hope I don't have to follow through on these threats. My children have been fighting a lot this week. Watching a 4 year old and 2 year old try to communicate is...well, hard. So they are in there and so far, all I hear are happy sounds. I know they can play well together and that sometimes siblings fight. But there are times when the fighting just gets to me and I demand them to get along. I'm sure this one 10 minute session won't cure them for good. But hopefully it will show them they can get along for an extended period of time without erupting in tears or screams. Oh, I hope.

I promise to post pictures of vacation, birthday, school starting, etc. soon.

Sincerely,
A mama who is happy it's Friday!

Birthday Girl!

Luke made a picture for his sister
Did you know it's hard to get a good picture of a 2 year old?

Niiiice....

Posing, but can't keep from watching Dora...

To My Sweet Little Princess, On Her 2nd Birthday:

Oh Ella, what a fast and furious two years it has been. I simply cannot believe that you are two years old today. You have changed our lives completely and I can’t imagine life without you. You are spunky, funny, insanely smart, talented, sweet, caring, and loveable. You want what you want, you’re ahead of your time, you love books but don’t have the time to sit and listen to them yet, you are forever my wiggle-worm. You love your big brother; you want to be just like him and do exactly what he does, but you resist doing what he says. I pray that you two are best friends for life. You love your daddy and mommy, and you’d be content if we were the only ones who held you, ever. You are curious, always getting into something, always leaving a trail wherever you go. I can’t tell you how many times in my life I’ve heard that about myself! You are pretty shy with new people, but you warm up quickly as soon as you’ve figured out the room. You will make a wonderful friend as you grow up because you love to watch other kids play. You love to dance and jump and do all the things that little girls do. We are so blessed that you are healthy and strong. As I sit here and think about all the special things about my sweet girl, I realize that you have been doing things like a 2 year old for quite some time now. Everything you do amazes me.

Your favorite things to do are: Play with your babies, swing at the park, eat snacks, get your nails painted, hold your monkeys (George and Douglas), and watch Dora the Explorer. You have a hard time holding still, probably because your brain is working so fast! You love the water and are so brave in the pool. Some of your favorite people in the world are Ali, Blake, Dylan, and Felicity. Your favorite foods are chili, sausage, cookies/cake/ice cream/suckers/anything sweet, and tomatoes. You love to be outside, playing in Grandma’s garden or Nana’s yard, going to the zoo or the park, or digging for treasure in the rocks. You almost always have scraped knees, but that doesn’t stop you from running everywhere you go! Your most prized possession is probably your purple blankie, which I wouldn’t be surprised to see go to college with you someday.
Your favorite books to read are Curious George and your children’s Bible. It warms my heart when you bring me your Bible and ask to read about Jesus. If you only knew just how much He loves you, sweet girl.

We love you endlessly, Ella Belle. You light up our family like fireworks. I am honored to be in your presence every day and watch you as you grow into a beautiful young lady.

Love,
Mama

My Doppleganger

Sometimes when I look in my daughter's face, I feel like I'm looking into some sort of a time warp mirror. I've always known that she looks a lot like me, but lately I'm really seeing it more and more. According to my parents, she also acts quite a bit like I did, which makes me want to throw a parade in their honor. She's a spirited one, but I love that about her! So much personality.

So, what do you think? Is she my mini-me or what!

My 2nd birthday

One week away from being 2...

I think I was about 3 in this pic, but the faces match pretty well, no?

She...

She

....has serious bedhead in the morning

....likes to dress up like a princess.

...loves getting her hair blown dry.



...is a diva.

....lights up the room with her smile.

....will be 2 in 2 months.
...still loves her bottle before bed.

....loves monkeys.

...sometimes acts like a monkey.

...thinks she is big.

....is still my baby, no matter how big she thinks she is.

My Sweet Boy

Living with a 3 year old and a 1 year old is filled with moments of crazy fun, pull-your-hair-out struggles, and sweet, tender, pure love. Today was a mix of all of these, but I choose to document the sweet ones. First, Luke and Ella were playing on their own (which I am trying to teach them how to do) and I was working in the kitchen. Luke came running to me and calmly said, "Mama, I need your help. I need your help! Ella is playing with a Mama Toy." We walked back to their room and found Ella playing with a night light and trying to plug it into the wall. What a good big brother! I was so proud of him for A.) doing the responsible thing and B.) not using force with her or freaking out about it. Big step for that little guy!
Then, at dinner tonight, the kids were promised a piece of chocolate from Grandma if they ate all their dinner. When Luke had finished first, Grandma said, "I guess Luke gets to pick his chocolate first tonight." Luke then said, "No, I want to be a gentleman." I was busy fiddling in the kitchen but my ears perked up at that and my heart melted into a giant puddle on the ground! We have been talking about the "ladies first" rule lately and how it is the gentlemanly thing to do to let a lady go first. I had to ask Kevin to talk to him about it for reinforcement because I think Luke was pretty sure it was something I had made up to let Ella get her way! But once Daddy said it, he really took it to heart!
This Mama's heart is filled with pride and gratitude tonight. I love my little boy so much.

An Update

I can't believe we're already almost done with January. Where is the time going, seriously? Things have been busy around here, so I wanted to blog about a few things so they would be written down somewhere and not forgotten.

Both kids have this horrible cough right now. Luke is feeling much better, just dealing with the cough after running or over-exerting himself. Ella got the bug about 5 days after Luke and still has the glassy eyes, the never ending runny nose, and a case of the crankies. Hopefully they will both be back to normal soon. Having sick kids is so isolating. I don't feel like I can really take them anywhere, which is hard since they are used to having an outing of some sort everyday.

Luke has started Awana this month, which is a program at our church that teaches the kids Bible stories and focuses on Scripture memorization. The program really starts in August, so he has quite a bit of catching up to do. So far, he has memorized 6 verses in 2 weeks. Pretty impressive! He is such a smartie pants, and is so proud of himself. His confidence has improved so much recently. I love seeing him start to interact with other kids, which has been a huge roadblock for him in the past. I can tell he will do great in preschool next year! Next up for Luke is starting t-ball. I think a new team is starting up through the city in February or March, so we'll get him signed up soon. I cannot wait to see him playing on a team. He's just as passionate about baseball than ever. We haven't played a whole lot lately, mostly because it is harder to play with him at the park and watch Ella at the same time. It's really a 2 person job now with little girl being so adventurous. Luke's new sayings at this point: "But moooommmm...", "squincher" (splinter), and he now says "Wuke" instead of "Nuke" for "Luke." Getting there!

Miss Ella is doing fantastic, besides the nasty cold she has right now. Her goal in life is to keep up with her big brother. The other day she counted to 11, and she sings about half of the alphabet now. Her attention span is minimal, so she usually gets distracted when singing the ABC's and moves on to the next thing. This child has such a sweet, active spirit! She is terribly shy when it comes to anyone other than Mama, Dada, or Luke (and Ali, she just loves Ali). Her shyness comes off very sassy, spoiled, and defiant...a constant source of "AHHHHH" for mama. I know that the Lord has a special plan for this girl and her strong will. My prayer is the I can help channel that stubborness and willfullness to be used for good, not evil! Whatever can be said about Ella's behavior right now, I just love this little girl so much! She is such a wonderful addition to our family. Life would be pretty boring without Ella here to shake things up for us. She is incredibly smart, she loves her brother to pieces, she is still our little carnivore, and she has a passion for fun. It is such a joy for me to watch her grow and develop every day.

Kevin is still working hard at Schuff. He's been putting in long hours, and I am so appreciative of him for providing for our family. I have started physical therapy for my stomach/pelvic pain and it's not been easy, but the Lord has been so good in showing me His love for me through this trial. I am hoping that this therapy works for me and we do not have to pursue surgery in March. But time will tell, and God is good. So I have peace.

Also, a little shout out to my biggest big brother, Doug. Happy 35th Birthday Brother!

Albuquerque Trip

After Christmas, we packed up the family and headed out to Albuquerque to visit Dave, Vanessa, Briggs, and baby Felicity. My littlest niece was born October 3rd and the only chance I've had to see her was Thanksgiving week, when Ella was struck down with stomach flu. So we didn't get much snuggle time in, and that is unacceptable to this auntie. We left early Monday morning, threw the kids in the car in their pj's and headed east!


Funny story #1: We left around 5:30 so we told the kids that it was still night-night time. They eventually fell back to sleep. Around 7:15 or so, Luke woke up and said, "Can I be awake now? I don't think I can sleep all the way to Briggs' house. It's a long way." Ha!

Funny story #2: We stopped for breakfast at McDonald's in Holbrook, AZ. The kids ate pancakes, still in their pj's and coats. Afterwards, I took Luke potty before heading out on the road. When I came back there was a pile of change on the table. I asked Kevin where that came from. "It's Ella's Christmas present," he replied. "What?" Here's the story. While Luke and I were in the bathroom, a trucker-looking guy approached the table and started staring at Ella real close.

Trucker: She looks like a keeper!

Kevin: Yup.

Trucker (to Ella): Christmas was yesterday, wasn't it?

Ella: *hands over her eyes, hiding*

Trucker (puts hand in pocket, staring at Ella for an uncomfortable amount of time, pulls out a fist full of change and slaps it on the table.): Merry Christmas! (walks off)
The change totaled up to $1.29. Now, I am not sure if she was approached because she's super cute or if she looked sort of homeless with her pajamas, diva-fur coat, and mullety hair. All I know is that's not an experience we'll soon forget!

Here are some pics from our trip:

At the Holbrook McDonalds

We went to the aquarium and the kids had a blast!

Kevin calls this picture: Billy Bob and Jackie-O's Construction Co.

Hot chocolate time

Getting wild at bath time

Sitting on the trackers at Vanessa's parents' property

Love this

My little round-headed cowboy!

Luke and Briggs had matching outfits on. Little Buddies!

Ella holding her little cousin

Luke and Felicity

We took a train downtown. Ella got a marshmallow, so she was all in!

Dave and Briggs on the train

After the train ride. Apparently trains are a big deal for 3 year old boys. Who knew?

Sweet Felicity at the aquarium. She clearly loves her Auntie Sarah. Or was it the fish?

Auntie Nessa and Luke checking out the crabs

Kevin holding Felicity for the first time

On the way back home. Traveling through the snowy roads from the big winter storm.

Note to self: Next time, bring snow gear for the kids!

Christmas Day Pictures

Oh, waking up to a 3 year old and 1 year old on Christmas morning is one of the sweetest moments of my life. Luke woke up crying that morning (I think he had a bad dream.) I went in to get him and while he was crying I said, "Do you want to hear something that will help you stop crying? It's Christmas morning!" *Immediately stops crying* Luke said, "Is Santa here with his sled?" Sweet boy. People telling him that Santa would come to his house for Christmas made him think that Santa would be spending Christmas morning with us! After opening presents at home, we headed to Kevin's parents' house for the day. We had a wonderful time with his family and were so glad to spend some time with his Grandpa!

Anxiously waiting for mama to get ready so he could open presents

Bed head

The first present Ella opened. She did not want to open anything else after that!

A new tee/soft toss/pitching machine. One happy kid!

Luke got a real metal bat. I love this picture because you can see my dad protecting Ella in the background!

Sweet Ella with her new backpack and pillow pet

This baseball piggy bank from my Aunt Nancy was meant for Luke's 1st birthday, but we lost it in a closet somewhere. When mom and dad were cleaning closets to make room for us, they found it! He loves it!

Now he'll learn how to run the bases so he won't run around like a maniac after he gets a hit!

She loves her "george"

Opening gifts at Nana and Grandpa's house!

Ella got these awesome silver balet flats

A new Lightning McQueen sweatshirt from Uncle Brian and Aunt Melissa

Luke loves his new cars!

Ella's perfect outfit! She's our girly girl!

Luke got a garage to play with all his Cars

The look on his face says it all!

Luke with Auntie Laura

After an awesome prime rib dinner. What a great day!