Fresh AIR

Viral Christmas Card

Our family would like to send a Christmas card to every one of you but we didn't want to send out the traditional portrait of six smiling faces. Rather, we would like to show you a glimpse of our true selves by sending you this unconventional christmas "card" greeting. Hope you all enjoy! AND MERRY CHRISTmas!

http://animoto.com/play/iALngIla4USk8h9xYdWWrA

A card for John

The kids were making Christmas cards to put in the packages for Lighthouse Ministries to hand out to the local homeless. I overlooked them as they went to make sure they were appropriate, etc.

I noticed Ethan making a card for John. "Whos John?" I asked. He said "I don't know... but I'm sure there is someone homeless named John..." LOL Lets start that one over... this time without a name on it.

O Christmas Tree

Mike and I finally wrapped presents last night and got them under the tree. This morning the kids woke up excited to see the gifts under the tree. This is where Cohen has been planted all morning.... So cute!

Horrible Mother

What kind of horrible mother forgets to post a school pictures of her babies first year of school?! I posted the older two but not the younger pair. Well, here it is.... their very first school picture.

Christmas Program of 3 years olds

Cohen and Chezney were in a christmas program at St.Pauls. Chezney was a sheep and Cohen was a shepherd. In the picture below, my two are, of course, the ones in the front row facing backward LOL

Cohen was so excited when he saw us up in the balcony. It lit up his face =)

Then he started pointing and shouting "There's my mommy! Hi mommy! How did you get up there?" It was hilarious!

Quiet Time

Teeny Tiny Obsession

I have an obsession with homemade ornaments. Especially ones with pictures. My tree is starting to reflect said obsession with it's many branches becoming increasingly more full each year.

We've got one more ornament making session planned for next week, but this is the one the kids did this week. ... Then there is the traditional purchased ornament that represents each child for the year- which they receive in their stockings. So... when all is said and done, we can end up with 2-4 new ornaments each year per child! That's going to add up! LOL

Of course... I'm sure they will outgrow making ornaments and then the accumulation will slow down a bit ;)

Play-doh

I found a great website for edible and non-edible play doughs today. I made a salty non-edible one and the smell reminds me of childhood. I remember my mom making play dough at least once, though I'm sure she probably did more. I remember an edible one, too, but the smell of this salty one has always been a good warm memory for me. I think of it everytime I make my own homemade play dough.

http://applesaucekids.com/LinkPage/PlayDoug.html

Gettin' the Tree

I'll have to update later with a picture of Ethan with the saw, because I forgot to get one from the camera since it didn't turn out as well as the others.

Anyway, yesterday we headed up into the hills to get our christmas tree that we had tagged back in October. The kids each got a turn to attempt at sawing it down and then daddy took care of it in about 5 minutes. Then a guy showed up with a tractor and let Cohen help him haul it out. =) It was super fun and I'm sure it will become a family tradition for years to come!

Santa Bubble Popped

Last night, after a very disguised and vague conversation about Santa, and me hinting that the magic may not be real, and asking her if it would take the fun away if she knew the truth- I told her that if she asks any more questions about santa or christmas, I would tell her the truth. She quickly jumped up and said "Don't tell me! I don't want to know!" So I informed her that she should not ask if she doesn't want an answer. She informed me she would no longer be asking.
This morning she asked me to just tell her and get it over with. LOL

Advent 2010

My bible study group decided to make advent calendars before out christmas break was to begin. We got together and made them last night, with the help and organization of my sister-in-law, Teri. These are the ones I made. They started out as cardboard boxes and then we each added our little bits of glamor and glue to them. Inside each one is 6 candies and we'll have a lesson for each night to build up to christmas day.

Babies in Cohens tummy

Cohen and Chezney found an old pacifier that belonged to them as babies. Since they found it, they have taken turns playing with it, and occasionally we find it in their mouths. We tell them to take it out, but for the most part, its just funny to them to tote around.

Last night, I tucked Cohen into bed and he had it in his mouth.

I said: "Cohen... you are not a baby. Take that out of your mouth."

Cohen: "Mom, when I'm in your tummy again and then a baby, can I put it in my mouth?"

Me: "Cohen... you're never going to be in my tummy again. You are going to get bigger. You are going to be as big as Ethan, then as big as Danissa, and then you'll have your own babies someday."

Cohen: "The baby in my tummy is crying."

Me: "Cohen, you are going to be a daddy. Daddies don't have babies in their tummies. Mommies do."

Cohen: (laughing) "Yes they do mommy... you are silly. You are teasing."

Me: "No honey... I'm not teasing. Boys don't have babies in their tummies. Only girls. Only mommies have babies in their tummies."

Cohen: (laughing harder) "Mommy... you are so funny! You are teasing me!"

This continued until I finally just tucked him in and left the room. Aparently, mommy is just too funny to ever be taken seriously! ;)

German?

On the way home from the cabin today, we told the kids we'd pick up some lunch for the kids in Cle Elem. At this, Ethan says "Yea!!! I LOVE German food!!!" LOL

We ate at Dairy Queen.

Thanksgiving

My in-laws rented a beautiful cabin for the family to retreat to for the holiday. We spent 4 days enjoying each others company and the kids all did really well (there were 7 of them up there!) I am so blessed to have a family that I love on both sides and am so grateful that my kids are being raised surrounded in love.

Native Americans

Ethans class also performed at the Thanksgiving assembly. Their song was about all the things they have learned about Native American Tribes and where the major tribes originated from in the US territory.

Isrealites

Before Thanksgiving break, Danissa was in a play about Judges and she played an Isrealite (Moana's wife) & warrior girl. She did a great job on her one liner ;) It was: "Praise be to God who let us see the angel of the LORD and live!". The angel was played by my niece Breanna.

Monoa and his wife

The war

Little

The family was having a "wrestle time" when Mike decided to remind the older two that they need to be careful because Cohen is little (Chezney was off doing something else). Cohen looks at them and very seriously says "Ya... I'm really really little."

Taste of... Fresh Air?

As the kids were begging for snacks, I started to scour the kitchen to find just the right snack for the day. I pulled out cheese and Triscuits. As I start to hand them out to three excited kids, I asked Ethan if he would like some Triscuits. "No", he states, "They taste like fresh air."

10 Years

This weekend, Mike and I spent the weekend in Leavenworth, celebrating our 10 year anniversary early. In commemoration of the milestone "anniversary", we got our wedding picture retaken ;)

EnD over eNd

Mike and I were eating dinner, sitting down to chat for the first time in a few days, when we heard a BIG, NOISY, THUMP* THUMP* THUMP*. I figured the kids had thrown something down the stairs, and until someone was crying, I wasn't going to jump out of my skin to dive over there. Mike did. You could tell by the sound that whatever had gone down the stairs went end over end.

We found Ethan and Cohen standing at the top of the stairs, and there was a large plastic bin (without the lid) on its side at the bottom of the stairs. As we started to hear the beginnings of a good wail, we saw Chezneys hair sticking out of the opening, showing us that she had been IN the tub on the way down. Right after her head pops out, so does the cats.... still in the tight clutches of Chezneys grasp.

After the initial reaction of being upset and angry, I had a good chuckle that Chezney had taken the cat on the ride down the stairs.... end over end....

Happy Birthday My Precious Peanut!

Danissa Turns 9!

Danissas birthday party was yesterday, even though her actual birthday is tomorrow. A very special thank you to all the family that made it for her day. That makes it so special to her and she really does notice that you've come.

I can't believe my baby girl is in her last year of single digits. Wow! Danissa- you have been such a special blessing to our lives and I thank God for my precious girl. You are an amazing little lady.

A Tribute to Grandpa Steve

Swaddled

The twins were playing with some old blankies when they asked me if I could please show them how to wrap babies up. I told them to lay down and then proceeded to swaddle them as I had when they were babies. They thought that was hilarious and I enjoyed watching them have fun!

And for old times sake.....

TRA Portraits are IN

You'll have to excuse the scanner quality.... my scanner is on it's last leg...

Give a Little Whistle

We were all loaded up in the van last night, doing errands, and decided we needed to get dinner. We finally decided on Larry's Chicken which is a very special thing for us, because they are kind of pricy when feeding 6.

As the "waitress" gal comes to our window and hands us our food, we hear a little whistle from the back seat. It was one of those whistles. Mike and I just looked at each other laughing and looked at the waitress (who was a very pretty young girl) who was also laughing.

Ethan was sitting in the backseat all embarrassed, yet proud. It was so funny. However, on the way home we did inform him that it is inappropriate to whistle at girls and that it will not be happening again.

Bangs

After 3 attempts at cutting her own hair, I have decided to finally chop Chezneys hair so that it can finally not be looking quite so homeless. In the process, both girls decided they wanted to have bangs. I know I cut Chezneys bangs a bit too short but they will grow back and I won't have to trim them for awhile ;) (I also will have to straighten the one spot on Danissa in the morning).

I think the bangs make Danissa look younger (which I LOVE), and Chezney looks JUST like Danissa when she was that age with bangs. You'll have to wait and see a comparison photo to see the similarity, but to me, it just brings me back to 5 years ago when another little princess was hopping through this house with wispy bangs....

Danissas Dance

I have failed to get a picture posted of Danissa at dance. Here is the most recent picture I have taken. It was during Halloween week practice, when the kids were encouraged to either dress up or dress as they would like. Danissa was the only class member that decided to take them up on the offer, dressing in her new skirt from Grandma Cheryl. It was also "Bring a friend" week, so breanna and rianne were there, as well.

Discipline

Cohen pooped in his pull-up tonight; wide awake, getting ready for bed. After a mini three year old lecture on how he is already potty trained and cannot do that, he got one swift spanking.

Then I saw Ethan. I could tell that he had peed in his pull-up and he, too, had been wide awake, not even tucked in yet. After lamenting to me about how he couldn't hold it, I told him he would get one spanking for peeing, and ten if he continued to lie. He fessed up quickly and then begged to not have a spanking. After explaining to him that I had to spank him or I would be sinning for not training my child to be honest and make good choices, I proceeded to bend him over and give him a swat.

What happened next has never happened before....

Ethan crawls into my lap bawling and I hold him (I think he was crying more out of embarrassment of his bad choice than pain), and CHEZNEY fell apart to tears beside me. Apparently witnessing Ethan's "torture" had been too much for her and she had to share a cry with her big brother. I just thought that was such a sweet little sister thing to do. =)

Halloween

This was the first year that we went door-to-door trick or treating. The kids had SO much fun! It's definitely going to be what we do next year, as well. We went up to Briarwood and trick or treated. The kids were very timid as they first started, but warmed up to it very quickly. When Cohen first started, he kept the candy in his hand, and the bag in the other hand. It took him awhile to realize that the candy goes into the bag.

It was so much fun to watch their excitement and enjoyment of something new!

Reformation Day Costumes