happy 2010

visiting the cousins

we spent some time this week with my brother in laws family. Having our Christmas visit, gift exchange.They live pretty close so we do see each other through out the year, we try and do something monthly.






it was a fun day, simple but fun. the kids played and laughed, we ate pizza, and talked. The gifts where simple, and they honestly where not the focus of the day. The girls loved all over baby Connor and the boys wrestled and enjoyed each others company, which is really the most important reason to visit family. To be together.

little drummer boy

We had our church program yesterday- due to bad weather last week-, Adam was the drummer boy who marched up the aisle playing his drum, and then stood in front and drummed through the song, - this is the before shot, we aren;t suppose to take them during service time-. He was so sweet and did such a great job, not a dry eye in the house when he was done, even my pastor got choked up. Such a proud moment , to have children so loving in their service to the Lord.

family and friends

photos by the tree, it is so hard to get them all together so I have do several, maybe I can piece them together.






our cousins and grandmom, came for a day of love and laughter.







Shawn and Aunt Nancy sharing a laugh.




Our friends Cuz and Neener- she got the sweater for Christmas- and Grace helping me get food on the table.My girls are superstars in the kitchen and I am finding it is a great place to be, we talk and laugh and share all sorts of thoughts.




Christmas is meant to be shared with those we love, and there was alot of love flowing here, it was a wodnerful cozy day. May all your days be blessed.

our year

meowy Christmas

this was to cute I just couldn;t resist:-)

A Pioneer Christmas

We are reading this book this week too. It is a story of a family celebrating Christmas on the prairie, while waiting for their cousin and his new wife to arrive from the east- with the new baby-.Through out there are many bible readings, crafts and recipes to try, and games to play, like pompadour balls out of oranges, and snow ice cream- this week this come in handy:-) A fun book to learn how others in another place in time celebrated the day of Jesus birth. And how family has always been the most important focus.

I got this and the previous book from Rainbow Resources. the best homeschool resource I use:-)

Christian Christmas Tree

WE are working through this book this holiday season, it is crafts for different images for you tree, some are obvious, but others are not. WE are doing stars of David today, each comes with a bible lesson, and explanation for the relation to Jesus. We have done fish,music notes, goblets etc.. and a few crosses. It is a fun book, and I think this could be done anytime and the ornaments could be hung on a seasons tree.

I have liked it because it is drawing the focus where it should be, and making us see how Jesus is always with us and also teaching how he is mentioned in the bible from the very beginning.

the day after...

Our day was spent in awe of Gods work as he painted our world a vision of white:-) These are some views of our yard and around the neighborhood, Adam is getting a piggy back ride form dad we took along walk in the fields by the house and had some sledding fun and snowball fights of course.






the children and dogs have been in a flurry of activity, they are so happy with this winter play land just out side our door. I can;t get them back in for long, they come in warm up for a bit have a drink a snack and then they are off and playing again, my house is one big puddle.:-)Well at least we do not have carpet on our floors now I remember why:-)







the babe shivers in the cold, let us bring him silver and gold:-)



just love icicles and our house gets huge ones for some reason. the fields across from us and the river behind us, such beauty everywhere we look, God is so good, in providing this winter wonderland for us.





This blanket of white is so peaceful, and pure. It just calms the soul.

blizzard of 2009

Kenilworth Trains

Thursday afternoon we stopped at The Shops At Kenilworth to see the train display it is a yearly holiday tradition.






we had pizza and posed for a smile. Shawn was getting a bit weary at this point, we had also gone to a local colleges theater production before we came here.






And we wondered upstairs and visited with Santa, we had to have our annual family photo with him, this may be the last year Madeline goes along with it- the one I got from them was a bit better , but I like the shots of them getting them in position.



On the way out we grabbed some cotton candy for the ride home, what a perfect ending to a fun adventure.Shawn fell asleep as soon as he hit the car he was so wiped out.

self portrait

on a rainy chilly afternoon Grace amused herself at the whiteboard for along time, then called me to see her self-portrait.I think she did an awesome job:-)

Go-Cart fun

we recently got a go-cart for the kids- and the big kid in the house too-. The boys riding with daddy, Shawn was okay with it for a bit-. We use it in the fields mostly, the farmer said only on Sunday during hunting season though which is fine for us gives them something to look forward to.




WE where so blessed to have been given this go-cart by a friend of Doug's, who really liked hoo polite the kids where and gave it to them-he no longer needed it for his kids-. Madeline is learning to drive it and really likes it. It has been a ton of fun.

First Snow

We had our first sort of snow last week, the girls where away, but the boys where here to enjoy it. Poor Adam wanted to use that sled so bad but here it never accumulated to much.







the dogs played in it too.This was Daisy's first snow and she was afraid to leave the porch at first, but she did and had some fun. Bandit he just loved trying to catch it in his mouth.





we caught snowflakes on paper and looked at them, and came in for hot from the oven chocolate chip cookies,yum-yum:-)




our snow did not amount to much more slush then anything but for boys, snow, slush and some mud is the perfect combo of fun.

putting up the tree

we got our tree up and decorated this past weekend. Shawn was so excited he is at the age where all of this is so delightful to him, and he ohhs and ahhs at everything. Madeline was the commando and had to have everything just so- its the 14 in her-. They had fun, most of our ornaments are made by them so it is a family tree.





the finished tree and Daisy looking festive, it is her first Christmas:-)





in front of the finished piece, they are still making and adding thinks as the holiday goes along.




our cat has since climbed the tree so it has been redecorated a few times.