Living By Faith

Snow Day

2012-02-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

At 7:30 am today, John woke up confused why I was still in bed and not up and dressed - like most mornings. He ran to the window and SCREAMED "SNOW!!!"

He instantly wanted to go outside - like this is the moment he had waited for his entire life. I held him off until 8:30 and we were out the door.

He is my snow bunny and Sophia is not. I would say she is more the type - "sit by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate, reading to her baby dolls". She really wanted nothing to do with the snow. She walked around, swung for a little bit and then she was finished. Luckily, we have a lot of the toys in the basement because John played outside for 1 1/2 hours! So I walked back and forth to keep an eye on the kiddos.

He pretended to be on the movie "Elf" and throw snowballs at everyone - except Sophia. In John's words - "I don't think she likes it."

This is a deceiving picture because she is smiling. This is the only picture she smiled in out in the snow.

Then it was onto a day of art, games and movies.

Making a drum and a picture...

After John woke up from his nap, he decided I need to trace him and then we would decorate him. I love the face that he drew!

Sometimes it catches me off guard at how much John has grown up. I think of the snow days last year. He didn't want to play in the snow very long and this year he loved it. He entertained himself for almost an hour and half. He came up with some neat ideas throughout the day to do - things I wouldn't have thought of. He is so verbal and explains himself so well. It excites me to see what kind of man he will be as he grows up. It also kind of makes me sad to see him grow into a kid and not a toddler anymore.

Valentines DayB

2012-02-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am not usually one to do much for small holidays, such as Valentines Day. I have never made a big deal out of it. I do love that it is an excuse to get a sitter and go on a romantic date with the my sweet husband. However, this year, seems to be different. I don't know if it is me trying to make up for the guilt of being a working mom and wife or if I am just becoming a "holiday person" - but it got a hold of me and I went with it. Below are the special things we have done over the past few weeks.

Valentines Tree -

picked it up out of the dollar bin at JoAnn's. I had the kids decorate it. Next year, I want to do the same thing and put Bible verses about love on the little hearts that hang.

Valentine Cards -

My kids have never done Valentine cards for other kids, but I decided this year we would. Instead of buying valentines, I thought we would make them. We broke crayons - which John LOVED! - melted them into hearts and put them on our own cards. After a few faulty tries, we finally got it and they turned out cute.

Cupcakes- with pink icing and sprinkles for dinner tomorrow night.

Valentine gifts -

straight out of the Target dollar bins! Can't wait to see their faces, especially the popcorn bins for our theater time at home!

I even got a card for my sweetheart. I am not a card person, so this is a big deal too! Let's see - St. Patricks Day...hmmm...I wonder if I will get zing to do something for the March holiday.

Jack Be Nimble

2012-02-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

Sesame Street

2012-01-28T20:03:00.000-08:00

Today the kids and I got to go to see Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street clan with Nana LeAnn, Nana Barb and Kampbell. It was so much fun adn the kids were SO good the entire time. As I sat and listened to the characters perform, I couldn't take my eyes off of my sweeties as they watched in awe. These are the moments I just want to keep in my mind forever. I almost wanted time to stand still while I took it all in. John was full of facial expressions and singing along. Sophia sat stoned faced but then couldn't stop talking about it the rest of the day. I tell you, these kids couldn't be more different!

Family Movie Night

2012-01-24T18:55:00.000-08:00

Tonight we all laid on the floor, with pillows and blankets, and watched Beauty and Beast! If you would have told me when I was younger that I would someday be watching Beauty and the Beast with my kids...I probably wouldn't have believed you. I hadn't watched the movie in years and I remembered all the songs! To top the movie off, we had cookies to go along with it.

Afterwards, the kids did what any normal kid would do after a movie...

they put on their capes and flew around!

Tonight Sophia was counting to 5 like she normally does and then she counted backwards!! She is getting very big!

Stuffed Shells Recipe

2012-01-22T19:16:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I just want to make something that is different than what we normally eat. It is easy to have those meals that you always go to because they don't take much time, you know the kids will eat them, and more than likely you already have the ingredients in your cabinet. So I have had this recipe on my recipe stand for over a week....and I finally made it tonight for tomorrow's meal. First...I am so excited that dinner is already cooked for tomorrow and all we have to do it pop it in the oven. Second...I can't wait to try it because it was smelling so good as I prepared it. It is little time consuming because you have to fill each shell...but I think it will be worth it. I do have to say there is something calming about filling shells. You should try it.

Below is the recipe in case you want to try it.

Stuffed Shells

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 50 minsBake: 350°F 30 mins

ingredients

12
ounces dried jumbo pasta shells (about 35 shells)
3
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2
pounds lean ground beef
2
cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2
28 ounce can San Marzano® tomatoes or whole tomatoes
1
15 ounce carton whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 1/3
cups grated or finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet and a 3-quart oval or rectangular baking dish.

2.Bring a large pot of water, with 1 tablespoon salt added, to boiling. Add pasta shells and cook just until slightly tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta and spread in a single layer on baking sheet to prevent them from sticking together.

3.In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and 1 clove of garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 6 to 8 minutes, until no pink remains in beef. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

4.For tomato sauce, in a second skillet over low heat combine remaining olive oil, remaining garlic, and undrained tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer over low heat; cook for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened somewhat, breaking up tomatoes with the back of spoon.

5.Stir 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce into cooled ground beef, then add ricotta and 2/3 cup of the Parmigiano; stir until combined.

6.Spoon 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce into prepared baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with about 1 tablespoon meat and cheese mixture. Arrange shells in prepared baking dish. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over shells, then sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup cheese.

7.Bake about 30 minutes, until filling is heated through and top is golden brown.

2012-01-19T19:48:00.000-08:00

Since last blogged there are a few things that have happened...

1. Miss Sophia is back in diapers. It just wasn't the right time for her. We tried it for 2 1/2 days and really got nowhere. She was perfectly happy to go back to diapers, so maybe we will try it over Spring Break or wait until the summer. Here she is looking "oh so cool" in her big girl pants.

2. The kids are really starting to play with each other. It is so neat to see them interact, have conversations, correct each other, and help each other.

3. John was sick this week. On Tuesday morning, we were all dressed ready to go out the door and BAM...he puked on the living room floor. So it was a stay home day for Mommy and John. Poor little guy. He was sick all morning but after a long nap he was just fine. Luckily it was a quick bug and he is back to normal.

4. The Preschool search is still going on. We have visited one and it just wasn't a good fit. We are going to be visiting a couple more, so I will keep you posted on where we decide.

Potty Training Day #1

2012-01-14T17:41:00.001-08:00

I had a picture of Sophia in her big girl panties today but the camera is in her room where she is sleeping. So pictures will come on another day. I declared MLK weekend, Potty Training Bootcamp weekend this year. So the boys had a boys day and Sophia and I stayed home. I wouldn't say today was a success but it was a start. Here are a few of the highlights....

1. We had one total success pee session and poop session.

2. She LOVES her panties. (And I love that I get to say that word now because with John I couldn't.)

3. By the end of the day she would say "Done" when she was completely finished on the potty.

4. When she would be standing with pee going down her leg, she hated it! So she would look at me with the most unpleasant look on her face. I would rush to pick her up and run her to the bathroom.

Day 2 will start bright and early I am sure.

I realized I haven't really blogged a John story lately so here are a couple...

1. Yesterday morning, he was in his underwear dancing around singing "We were hot, hot, hot. Now we're not, not, not" while the weather was on. He would end his song with a big "YEAH!" and land on the ground.

2. Another event happened yesterday also...I had to run back home because I had forgotten something. I walked through the front door and John is standing there still in his underwear and snowboots.

We also visited our first preschool yesterday. So the search had began officially. We will visit a couple more and hopefully be able to make a decision after those visits.

Sophia's 1st Hair Cut

2012-01-08T20:18:00.001-08:00

I always thought I would let Sophia's hair grow long. However, I couldn't take the mullet look anymore, so before Christmas, we had Aunt Abbey cut Sophia's hair. It actually went great. Sophia did a great job sitting and even tried cutting her own hair.

The before look...

Trying to cut her own hair...

Cheese!!! Look at my new hair cut!

Here's the back!

Thank you Aunt Abbey!!

Sophia and Her Big Girl Bed

2012-01-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

Sophia is now in a big girl bed. I can't believe that my little princess is out of her crib. We have had this toddler bed in the basement for some time. Anytime we were down there, she was laying on it with her babies or putting her babies to bed. She would even go down there by herself to play dolls on the bed. She also wants to be potty trained SO badly, so I thought "What the heck...let's get her in a big girl bed before the potty training begins so she can get up at night for the bathroom."

My memories of putting a child in a toddler bed are few because I have only done it with one child. John's transition had been a piece of cake so I thought nothing of it as we decided to do it at the very end of my Christmas vacation. Here is the difference - John was 2 and 1/2 and Sophia is 22 months. John's toddler bed was still his crib with just the mattress lower and the front taken off. Sophia's is a totally different bed and different mattress. John's bed was put in the same exact spot as the crib and Sophia's was turned around the opposite way. These are things I did not think about before hand.

It started great. As you look at the pictures below, you will see how it was right when the bed was put in the room.

Sophia couldn't wait to get in bed. She actually was playing dress up and hopped into bed with her two tutus on as well as covering herself up with the mattress pad because there was no sheets or blankets on yet.

John wanted so badly to take a nap with Sophia but we thought the first day wouldn't be a good idea. So here they are pretending to take a nap.

Well lets just say...it was not all roses making this transition. We had many sleepless nights, a few stern voices, and a lot of rocking, singing and rubbing feet to get this sweet princess to stay in her bed. One morning I heard her crying at 6 am and found her on the floor with her top half of her body under the bed! Poor girl! Another night, she had moved off the bed to the side that is closest to the wall and had gotten her legs stuck under the bed. Evidently, she moves a lot at night in her sleep.

I will say...knock on wood...that she is doing so much better. She loves the bed and loves playing on it. She is learning to love to sleep on it too.

We will start potty training this weekend..so get ready!!

Update on John:

We have started Pre-School hunting. We will visit our first one on Friday. Part of me is so excited but the other part of me hurts to think my sweet boy is getting older. He is excited about Pre-School; however he told someone at church today that since he is going to be going to school...there will be no more toys. I guess he will be surprised!

T-Rex Cafe

2012-01-02T19:28:00.001-08:00

I am super behind on blogging but A LOT has been going on here in the Turnbough household. I think I need a break from my Christmas break. It was a lot of fun...but whew..I am tired. More to come on the holiday vacation. Today was the last day of vacation so we enjoyed a fun lunch with the Sharky family at the T-Rex Cafe. We had never been and it is so cool! Everyone enjoyed it and had a blast.

Tonight...

2011-12-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

John got a haircut!

Sophia has learned how to throw a fit!

1. Kicking the legs and saying "NO!"

2. Face on the ground and legs still kicking.

Oh the joys of toddlers!

A Quick Story...

Last night, the family was sitting around the living room.

John: Family Meeting in my room!

Matt: There isn't any chairs in your room.

John: Don't worry, I will bring pillows

We went into John's room and he brought us pillows, covered me up with a blanket and put my feet in a massager.

John: This is the BEST family meeting!

I have to say I agree...Matt and I laid there while the kiddos played. My kind of meeting!

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-11T20:32:00.001-08:00

Bedtime for 2

2011-12-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

Tonight the kiddos wanted to sleep together. We have never tried this before with these two so we said, "Why not?"

Side note: Sophia still sleeps in a crib so this will be her first time sleeping in a big kid bed.

Here is how it went...

At the beginning:

John: "Sophia, you have to lay down and not get up."

Sophia: "K"

John: "Sophia, you have to close your eyes and stop talking."

Sophia: "K"

(While these conversations are going on, Sophia has gotten out of bed 3 or 4 times. She comes to me and just stands in front of me. I say "Sophia, you have to go to

bed." Sophia runs off to John's bed each time. And it is funny to Matt and I that John is telling someone to stop talking when he talks ALL the time.)

At the end:

John: "Mom, I am not sure this is a good idea. Sophia probably should go to her own bed. Here...let me get her blanket."

Sophia: Ends up in tears but is okay when she gets to rock with me in her room.

Both kids are now fast asleep in their own room.

Rudolph Cookies

2011-12-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

A little fun in the kitchen...

Here's all you need...

Nutter butters

Chocolate

Pretzels

Baking M&Ms

Melt the chocolate according to the package. Dip the nutter butters into the chocolate. Dip an edge of the pretzels in the chocolate and connect to the nutter butter to make antlers. Use M&Ms to make the eyes and the red nose.

Enjoy!!

Gingerbread House

2011-11-30T19:28:00.000-08:00

Building a gingerbread house with a 3 year old and a 20 month old is quite the experience. However...it all turned out well! We had a good time. Sophia wasn't too interested except for a couple of pieces of candy. John talked the WHOLE time and ate the candy. At one point I asked him, "John do you think maybe you should take a little break from eating and help me?" He thought about it for a moment and then popped a piece of candy in his mouth and smiled.

But we got the house finished and it looks great.

Elf and popcorn to finish the night..

Absolutely wonderful!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2011-11-30T19:20:00.000-08:00

The Christmas tree is up. The mantle is decorated. Pandora Christmas music is playing. John is shouting "The tree looks fantastic! Jingle Bells Jingle Bells." Sophia is pulling ornaments of the tree.

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Turnbough's house.

My sweet daughter

2011-11-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

Sophia, my sweet daughter.
I love this little face....snot nose and all!

Mystery Dinner

2011-11-27T19:55:00.001-08:00

The Turnbough family had a Murder Mystery Dinner this weekend. I had never done one of these and I LOVED it. I was Black Barbara, the outlaw, and Matt was Mitch Maverick, a con artist from the East. The whole family, plus some, dressed up for the Wild West show. The food was delicious and my father in law even dressed as a woman since my mother-in-law ended up being sick and couldn't attend. Many memories came from this fun party!

Thanksgiving is HERE!!

2011-11-27T19:45:00.000-08:00

My very favorite holiday is here...Thanksgiving!

It was a great day with family, naps, and yummy food.

I am so thankful for my kiddos, my sweet husband, our extended families, my church, Jesus, my wonderful friends, and the life that God has given me.

The kids eating breakfast and very excited. They just Skyped with Nannee, Pops, Scott, Emily and Eli PLUS they are getting ready to go to Nana Barb and Papa's house.

The yummy set up!

Sophia, Luke and John

(Yes Sophia is holding a vitamin bottle.)

"Thanksgiving!!"

Their first wishbone...

The Day Before...

2011-11-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

Our first day of Thanksgiving Break...

We slept in, took baths, stayed in our underwear and diapers (well the kids did), and relaxed. It was glorious! We made cute little rice crispy turkeys, that ended up being WAY harder than I thought they would be to make. Instead of the kids and I making them, it was myself and Matt.

John is usually the one that is cheesy for the camera, but Sophia took his place on this day.

Skating Party

2011-11-22T20:23:00.001-08:00

My school hosted a skating party tonight and the kids got to try it out. They had a blast and did a pretty good job. Thank you Matt for skating with the kiddos!

Shriner's Circus

2011-11-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

The whole Turnbough family (minus Abbey...we missed you) went to the Shriner's Circus on Saturday. It was the best circus I have ever been to. A very nice Shriner, named Joe, got us free tickets, the kids light up toys, and a meal in the Hospitality Room. It was wonderful and so much fun!

Little Momma

2011-11-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

Tonight's events in the Turnbough house....

Sophia, who is my little mother hen found a pair of John's underwear. She chased him around the house trying to put the underwear on John.

Oh and for those who might not know...we are dog sitting for 2 weeks for my parents. Some of you are probably shocked but we are doing it. It is little Jake and so far he is a good puppy. My favorite time has been when he cuddled with me during my quiet time this morning. I think he thinks our house is loud and circus-like. The kids love him and he is really good with them.

Never a dull moment!

Baby It's Cold Outside

2011-11-08T04:10:00.000-08:00

Well the season has brought rain, cold and early darkness, so we have to enjoy the indoors. Nothing like a double pony ride to keep the kids entertained!

2011-11-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

John had his 3 year screening today with the Parents as Teachers. The little guy did an awesome job. The lady was amazed at how John could carry on a conversation about pretty much anything. He ended up getting a 92/100 on the test part, passed his hearing and vision screening test! We are very proud of him! He got tripped up on a few things, but overall was just perfect! He told me a joke tonight...

John: "Hey mom, why do chickens sit on eggs?"

Me: "I don't know."

John: "Because chickens don't have chairs!"

I seriously almost fell off the couch I was laughing so hard. I can't believe my 3 year old just told me a joke that was really funny.

Sweet Sophia has really started to pick up the language now. She is saying all kinds of words like "help", "Where are you?", "Don't know?", "up", "spoon", "drink", "cheese", and the list goes on. She is also really starting to point at all of her body parts and name more family members names. We went through a book tonight called "Baby's First Words". There are pictures and words below them. She was able to tell me what about half the pictures were on her own and the rest she was able to repeat clearly after I said them. She is also really into a certain puzzle, counting to 3, and giving knuckles. She gets excited when I am able to understand the words she is saying and cheers for me when I get it correct.

Life is good on the Turnbough home front. For those that don't know, I have passed my principal's test...so I guess I am official! This was one of the hardest tests I have ever taken in my life. And not to brag...I rocked it. My score was 187/200. I had to get at least a 164. I am so glad it is over with and I won't have to take it again.

Matt is diligently working hard at church. The holidays are approaching so it is about to get crazy! He is also helping out with the house that was bought downtown beside the Hope Center. The hope is to redo it and turn it into a retreat area where interns can stay or people can go down to stay to help out downtown or have some solitude time. We are excited to see what opportunities it will bring.

Have a great night and thanks for reading!

Fall Fun

2011-10-30T19:13:00.001-07:00

So the last 2 weeks or so have been quite the two weeks. For one week, we went without internet or tv. I must say...we got a lot of stuff done! The next week, I was sick. When I say sick, I mean I couldn't leave the couch for almost one week. It was terrible. I did get caught up on my favorite tv shows and my not so favorite tv shows. On Wednesday I was so excited to get back to work. Matt called me "weird".

So I apologize for the long time of no blogging, but this should catch everyone up. I must let you know...there a lot of pictures.

1. We got a fire pit! (Thank you Shultz family!) We got to share smores with our friends the Sharkys. (Sophia refused to get in this picture...but she only liked the graham crackers.)

2. Off to the pumpkin patch! We went to Sibley's Pumpkin Patch out by Fort Osage. It is a small, quaint place and it was perfect for our little ones. Here they await the hayride that will take us to the pumpkins!

Farmer John...

Sophia...not so much...

Sophia found the pumpkin of the day!

The first caramel apple for Sophia and John...they LOVED it!

3. Sophia got her first set of jewelry! She loves it and I love having a girl!

4. Pumpkin carving...

Remember how Sophia found the pumpkin of the day. Well, when we went to go get it...it seems that we forgot it at the pumpkin patch. Yes, after we paid for it. I guess it never made it in the car. Luckily, we had a couple extra pumpkins for decorations.

Sophia loved getting the seeds out and John was not fan. However he loved helping Matt carve it.

I love pumpkin carving! I think I enjoyed it more than the kids.

5. Boo at the Zoo!

The kids were pumped to go trick or treating at the zoo with the animals. Nana LeAnn and Pops went along with us and it was a great day! Below is Elmo and Zoe...best friends.

John loved feeding the sheep.

This sheep loved Sophia....

She did not like it one bit!

Have you ever seen an Elmo and Zoe ride tractors?

Or do a ropes course?

So that is it...we have been enjoying the beautiful Fall weather and the activities that go with it. We hope your Fall is going just as well!

Update

2011-10-11T19:16:00.001-07:00

Well, we have started seeing the unpleasant 3's with our little guy. Just here and there...but they are certainly present. You can tell Mr. John is testing the waters just to see what he can get away with. This week has been back talking and saying no. I will say...this gets my blood boiling! However, I am proud of Matt and I. We have tried to stay consistent and stop it as quickly as possible. Like I said before...it is just here and there, but I don't want it to show anymore. This is where it can be hard to be a parent. Sometimes I just want to ignore it so I don't have to address it one more time. However, I know it will make it worse. So Matt and I face it and address it. We love this little guy and we want him to be the best kid he can be.

Something cute about him is his new sayings. He doesn't yesterday or tomorrow. Instead he says "last day" for yesterday and "this day" for today (even though he does say "What are we doing today?" every morning) and "next day" for tomorrow.

He was at Nana and Pops house this weekend. He told me he ate at Smartees. I was a little unsure but figured out that it was Hardees.

Sophia is getting so big! She is really starting to talk even more. She is saying things like "Good morning", "(Insert name) where are you?", and singing the Veggie Tales song. She also dances to I'm a Little Teapot. She is a strong little girl. I guess a little one at Mrs. Jewel's house tried to take a toy away from her. She did not back down and she ended up getting to keep her toy. She stands her ground!

Below are pictures of when Nana LeAnn was at the house this last week. She and John made an apple pie. Then her and the kiddos created a "Kitty Cat" pumpkin.

Eating and peeling at the same time!

The beautiful pie that was so yummy!

The creative "Kitty Cat" pumpkin

You've Got Mail

2011-10-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

John and Sophia got a letter in the mail today! It was from Julia and Carolyn from this blog.

John was so excited! His words were...

"Julia and Carolyn drove by our house and put it in our mailbox!"

We had to explain that they still live in Maryland and a mailman brought the letter to us.

John and Sophia miss you, Julia and Carolyn!

A Weekend of Fall Fun

2011-10-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

We have had a fabulous weekend. First, I should say that I LOVE fall. I love the weather, I love the colors, I love the activities that go along with Fall. We had nothing planned this weekend and that doesn't happen very often! We worked around the house, took a little hike, hung out with friends around a campfire, and just had some great family time. It was wonderful way to spend our first weekend in October.

The pictures are a little out of order...but you can get the gist of what we did.

We took out our fireplace doors and cleaned it up a bit. We used items we had around the house and spent ZERO dollars for this little house project. I love projects like that!

Our rose bush is producing roses like crazy, so I got to snip some and have fresh flowers on our kitchen table. That will make your day!

The pictures below are us exploring around Lake Jacomo on Saturday morning. The weather was gorgeous and the trees are beautiful. We got to see sailboats and take a 1.2 mile hike. We couldn't take the stroller on the hike, so it did take us a while with the little ones. However, it was a great time. John has decided that the woods are very messy and that it needs cleaned up. He kept trying to sweep the acorns and leaves off the trail. Oh that boy!

We ended the day with friends. We have some friends that set up their campers for the last weekend of the year, and they invited us to have dinner and play for the evening. The weather was perfect and everyone had a great time.

Weekend at Nannee and Pop's House

2011-09-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend at my parent's house this weekend. Like usual, it was a great time.

Sophia's vocabulary has exploded these last couple of weeks. Her new phrase is "Where are you?" She is also becoming quite the singer. She hums all the time. Shoes are her new love. I cleaned out her shoe area the other day and she cried when she didn't have very many shoes in her closet.

We visited the Rootin' Tootin' Alpaca Farm this weekend in Houston. They have had 3 baby alpaca's born in the week. The one in the picture had been born the night before. Something I learned about Alpacas....they have very sweet faces and they have a nervous, sweet voice when they make sounds.

John went on his first fishing trip. I don't know who was more excited...Pops or John. He thought it was really weird that fish like to eat worms. John practiced casting in the driveway and then we headed to Dogs Bluff. John loved casting and reeling in. He wasn't crazy about waiting to get a bite. Pops caught one on his pole and John got to reel it in. However, John did not want to touch the fish.

Sophia, who thinks she is 3 also, wanted her turn at the fishing pole.

The most exciting news of the weekend was Jake. A girl stopped by my parents house and asked if they would want this dog because her parents wouldn't let her keep it. He is a Doxie-Pin (Miniature Pinscher and Daushend). He is 6 weeks old and adorable. It was hard not to bring him home with us but he seems very happy at Nannee and Pops house. John and Sophia LOVED him. John just kept saying "He is so cute." John would get upset if Jake cried in his box. John was also worried that Jake would be to scared to go to the bathroom outside while it was raining, even though it was a covered porch. :)

Apple Orchard

2011-09-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we got to visit one of our favorite places...Weston's Red Barn Apple Orchard. This is a fun September activity that we do each year. We did miss out on the hayride this year, but there were a lot of apple picking and petting the animals.

Snicker Doodle Ice Cream Sandwiches

2011-09-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

I saw the recipe for these here and want to make them badly! I love snicker doodle cookies and to mix pumpkin ice cream with them...YUM-O.

These are most certainly on the list to make this fall!

2011-09-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

This book was introduced to me by a friend and coworker, Ashley. I love this book. We found it at the library and John loves reading it. It is an interactive book that teaches about cause and effect. It also helps with left and right, counting and a few other skills.

Enjoy!

18 Month Check Up

2011-09-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sophia had her 18 month dr. appointment today. She measures at 34 inches (98 percentile) and weighs 24 lbs (71 percentile). The doctor said that Sophia is growing wonderfully and is right on track. She is above the word count for the 18 month old check up (4-10 words) and is already saying some phrases like "please daddy" and "love you". She got 4 shots today plus her flu shot...and it was heart breaking. But she made it through the shots and had a great day at Mrs. Jewell's house.

Sophia Bee-ah

2011-09-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

Sophia has turned 18 months. It is hard to believe that this sweetie is already this big. I know I have said this before, but I can't imagine our family without this little girl.

Here are a few things that I love about this little diva...

* I love your sweet, dainty voice.

* I love that you sit in your green chair and let me fix your hair.

*I love that you say "Love you" in a sweet, girly voice.

* I love your sweet smile with your yummy cheeks.

* I love that I have a daughter and I hope our friendship grows through the years.

* I love how you are a little momma...you carry dolls and bags around.

* I love that you love shoes!

* I love that you already stand up for yourself.

*I love that you love me so much.

* I love when you wake up in the morning and stand in your crib saying "Momma".

* I love that you sound like a little French girl when you say my name.

Little miss is doing new things each day. Her favorite things right now, besides baby dolls and their stroller is D (which stands for Woody from Toy Story) and B (Buzz Lightyear). This girl gets excited about these two characters. She is also loving the words "no no" and "mine". I have to admit this is not a favorite phrase of mine, but I know it will pass with time...I hope.

So we are still working on how a lady sits! I thought this was a funny picture of John and Sophia. This was this morning waiting to go to Jewell's house.

A side note...

John woke up this morning chanting, "It is my first day of school!!!" I think he loves

pre-school!

Circus at the Sprint Center!

2011-09-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

The circus came to town and we were there! It was a day filled with friends (Jenna and Brielle), clowns, elephants, flying motorcycles, trapeze artists, and cotton candy. It was the whole shebang!

2011-09-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Preschool started for John today!! Miss Jewell is doing two days of Preschool at her house. It is so neat to see all of his little projects that he brought home tonight.

He has a folder that he has to bring back each Monday. I hope I don't forget!

The hand print was done today and we will send it back in May for him to put his bigger hand print on it also.

Look at all the things he did these last two days! They talked about...

Red and Orange

Circles

Numbers 1 and 2

Letter "A"

and

the season Fall

A newsletter came home with different activities to do using the things they have talked about during school. There is sign language, songs, rhymes, a recipe, and activities to do throughout the week.

I am so excited for John this year!!

Bedtime Snack

2011-08-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

My kids are obsessed with popcorn, so that is the bedtime snack of choice these days.

Tonight we were on a walk and this was the conversation:

John: "Dad, why don't you like dogs?"
Matt: "I do like dogs but I just don't want to take care of one. I have you and Sophia to take care of."

John: "Well, I like dogs. You like taking care of me but not dogs?"

Matt: "I do like taking care of you. Dogs are a lot of work."

John: "Well I like dogs."

Matt: "I know you do."

Sophia: "Dog"

A motorcycle goes by and John says "I like motorcycles." Matt didn't hear him so he asks John "Did you say you like motorcycles or you don't like motorcycles?"

John: "I like motorcycles and I like puppies."

Oh boy...we are going to have to be really strong if we aren't going to get a dog.

Turning 30

2011-08-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well it has happened....I am now 30. I was nervous about it but it all was okay and I had a great day.

My wonderful new staff...they are fabulous...dressed all in black and had a bagel breakfast to start the day of celebration. They presented me 30 suckers with a lollipop that said "30 Sucks" and a yummy gift card to Starbucks. I was showered through the day with cards and gift cards. The office staff wrote my name "Jodee" (Which is how I always wanted to spell it when I was younger. I had told them this story a few days after I started the new job and they remembered!) on a card, which will help me get more accessories for my new "professional" clothes. Along with a yummy cake to munch on through the day.

Matt brought me a birthday Dr. Pepper during the day.

Then off to my in-laws where a yummy dinner was made and I was once again showered with gifts. Beautiful jewelry and other accessories, along with a Chi! (The Chi has a story behind it that I might share in a later blog.)

The night ended with an episode of 30 Rock and my parents coming in late that night to visit for the weekend.

Friday....

My parents were here. This let me have a day off from dressing kids, changing diapers, washing any dishes, and just let me relax when I got home. My parents took us out for dinner and then beat us in a game of cards. Oh...and a yummy peach cobbler was made by my momma. (Mom and Dad had taken me shopping for my birthday so I would have "grown up/professional" clothes for administration.)

Saturday...

A relaxing day of doing nothing and visiting with friends.

Turning 30 wasn't a big hoopla or a big party...it was simply hanging out with family, some friends and seeing how blessed I am. And I loved it.

One funny thing that happened though....

The night I turned 30, I twisted my knee picking up John. Then when I went out to eat...the food upset my stomach. I hope the whole year isn't like this. :)

I think my 30s are going to be great.

2011-08-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I was worried that the kids would cry when I dropped them off at Jewell's house for the first time this year....

I think they were okay!

An Update on the Kiddos

2011-08-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today John went to the doctor for his 3 year old appointment. The sweet boy came in weighing 34 lbs (72 percentile) and standing tall at 37 inches (36 percentile). He got his eyes checked and all went well. There was a picture of a plus sign on the vision test. John's comment when asked what the object was simply was "Hey that is at church!" When a coffee cup was shown, he stated "My mom drinks coffee out of that each morning!" Oh the things kids say! The doctor was impressed that we were potty trained both day and night. We talked about Kindergarten shots and my heart fluttered. These will be the next shots that he gets. So all was well at the doctors office. John continues to just amaze me with his speech. He "read" me a story about Neptune tonight. He included words such as "planets", "rings around the planets", "telescope", "orbit", and "the sun is found in the middle". Little smarty pants! He is riding his big boy bike like a pro and still loves being outside, preferably with no shoes or clothes on.

Sweet Sophia is getting bigger each day and thinks she is already 3. She is in love with babies right now. She usually has a baby in her arms with a blanket around the baby. She is saying more words each day and I love it. We are working on animal sounds. I tried to teach her that a cow says moo. John taught her that a cow says "baaa". :) He thinks it is really funny when she says it. She is pointing to body parts. Sophia is quite funny. You see John loves to be the center of attention and he always has. (I am not sure where he got this...maybe Matt :)) When you would ask him to do something such as say animal sounds, he would perform and love it. Sophai is not about that. She doesn't seem to care if people knows she can do stuff. She does it when she wants and only when she wants. She doesn't really need the center of attention stuff. She has learned how to stand up to her brother. The other day at my parents house, John took something from her. As soon as he turned around, she plowed him down! Beware John! John loves to wake people up by yelling "Wake UP!!" Sophia goes up to John if he is sleeping and screams....oh that girl. The upcoming years should be exciting and surprising with these two.

Matt is still in El Paso and things are going well. He will be home on Saturday evening and we are all excited to see him.

I am doing my new job as an administrative intern. It is a great job and I am loving it. It is something new everyday. I am learning so much! So much in fact, I go home mentally exhausted each day. I am also dressing super professional each day. I am looking forward to my Saturdays and Sundays of jeans, sweats and shorts. NO HIGH HEELS! My goal this year is to be consistent with my quiet times before work, to not have a lot of evening activities during the week, and to not have long to-do lists during weekdays. I use to have all these things I wanted to get done in the evenings. I felt like a lot of times it would take away from my time with the kids. So this year, no masters classes and free evenings (except when there is school things). I am going back to being intentional with my family and friends.

Thanks for checking in!

Mommy Time

2011-08-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

The kids stayed down in Houston with Nannee and Pops, so Matt and I went on a day date! After church we went down to the Main Street AMC and saw Crazy, Stupid Love. It was SO good! The theater was awesome also. If you have never been to a theater that serves dinner and drinks (we actually got an appetizer) while watching a movie...I would recommend it. It was great and it had recliners! Wonderful.

Afterwards we went out for dinner and ended the evening with celebrating our nephew Kampbell's birthday. A great day!

So at 8:00 am this morning, Matt left for El Paso for the week. I am sure it will be a wonderful trip. Maybe he will blog about it when he gets back.

So now the kids are still in Houston and Matt is spending the night in Dallas (on his way to El Paso). So that means Mommy time! I got some girl time this evening and it was great. Food, drinks and visiting...you can't get better than that!

But now as I lay in bed...I miss my family. It is a little too quiet for me.

So Wednesday can't come soon enough...but I know it will get here.

Tomorrow night's plan: Law and Order with some sewing.

John's Birthday Parties

2011-08-06T19:24:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been a week since the parties happened and now I am finally getting to blogging. So sorry to those that have been waiting...but the pictures are here so enjoy!

The morning party was for John's friends. You will notice they are all girls. Poor kid, we really only hang out with people who have girls, so that is John's friends. Yet, he has attended their princess birthdays, so the girls attended his Cars/Toy Story party...and everyone had a great time!

The party took place up at our church, Lakeland Community Church. It is nice because we know the facility director quite well (that would be Matt), so he hooked us up with the tunnel town.

John helped decorate the cake table....

The Toy Story 3/Cars Cake and Cupcakes

The big 3 year old!

The sweet sister...

Brielle and John freezing and smiling for the picture!

Color time and pinching bubbles...

Craft time!!

I made picture frames with the kids' names on it and they decorated them. We took pictures of John and each child so they will get their pictures in their Thank You notes to put in their frames.

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday, dear John...

Happy Birthday to you!!

Cake time!!!

Blue icing...yummy!

Sophia enjoyed the cupcakes a whole lot!!!

John played, and continues to play with all of his toys. He loves all of them. When he was playing with Woody and Bullseye and he had his hat on...it was exactly like watching Toy Story. It was so neat and cute to see his imagination fly.

Sophia was ready for party number 2.

We had the family come over in the evening to have another celebration. John picked the menu of some of his favorite foods. We had hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, asparagus and corn on the cob. It was a great time of visiting, eating, and playing.

John with his Pops and Papa....looking at a lawn mowing magazine.

John got a lot of really cool gifts. This is one of them...a new Cars bike! I will have to post a video of him riding it. He took to it so quickly. He was riding all over the place. He is so big!!

Overall, it was a great day. I will tell you, after everyone left, Matt and I just layed down and didn't move for like 30 minutes. We were worn out! But it was all worth it and I believe John had a great day.

John's 3rd Birthday

2011-07-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

So today was the big day! John turned 3 years old! First of all, for those of you that might not know...I love birthdays. I mean I LOVE birthdays. I am the person that celebrates my birthday all month. Matt's family kind of makes fun of me because I announce my birthday month on August 1st. Birthdays were always a big deal at my house, so I am carrying on the tradition in my family. So today was Celebration #1!

John announced this morning...."It's my BIRTHDAY!!" (Oh yeah...he has caught the fever!)

The amazing thing was that his presents were sitting out in the living room. He asked what they were, I told him they were his presents. He didn't touch them until I gave him permission. Isn't he such a good little boy!

I hope you enjoy the pictures of John's special day.

Opening his presents from Mom, Dad, and Sophia

John was not crazy about this gift at first...but it was my favorite. I made him a reversible cape! It turned out so cute. I will have to put up a tutorial for everyone because it isn't hard at all! I got it from 123 SEW. By the end of the day...he was flying around, shouting "Super WHY!!" (This is a cartoon in case you haven't heard of it.) He loves it now and he sweetly told me "Thank you Mommy for making me this cape."

One side....

The other side.

This was John's favorite gift so far for his birthday. He flew Buzz Lightyear around all day. He even went on errands with us. Matt almost never got it out of the package.

Yes..I did make him a shirt to wear today! :) He also got dry erase crayons which he has been asking for for months! He was watching his new Curious George DVD at the time, saying ...."this is a great day!"

I was the mean mom that took my child to the dentist on his birthday. HOWEVER...he was a ROCKSTAR! He let them count and clean his teeth with no problem. He got a little scared on the X-rays, but was big and did it. They sang him Happy Birthday and gave him special treats. When Pops asked him what he got for his birthday, he said..." I got a toothbrush!" That was the only thing he told Pops he got. :)

We ended the evening at Starbucks with cupcakes from Smallcakes in Lees Summit with Nannee Barb and Papa Mark. They were yummy! As you will see below, Sophia loved them too!

John...

Mom and Dad love you so much. We can't imagine our lives without your smiling face. These have been the best 3 years of our lives and we look forward to many more years of celebrating your birthday with you. You are a special little boy. Your smile is infectious. Your sense of humor is grand. You bring excitement into a room and make people smile. We know that God has great plans for you.

We love you John,

Mom and Dad

3 Years Ago Tonight

2011-07-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

Three years ago tonight, I was playing cards with my parents and Matt. At 11:00 pm, my mom told me she thought I should be getting to bed because I was needing to get rest. You see the next morning, I would be going into Centerpointe Hospital to get induced. We had to be there at 6:00 a.m. Little did I know that...

1. I would be having a boy.

2. My life would be changed completely.

3. I could love someone so much.

4. Our son would be very talkative, a red head, and make us laugh everyday.

Tomorrow my little guy turns 3. When I tucked John in tonight, I couldn't help to get a little sentimental thinking this was the last night I would be tucking him in as a 2 year old. For some reason 3 sounds so much older!

Our little family will celebrate tomorrow and then the big parties (yes there is more than one) will be on Saturday. Of course, I have went over board trying to make his birthday so special. But that is what I do when it comes to birthdays...

Click here to see the blog that was done the day John was born. My sweet friend Sarah Beard was there that special day. She took pictures of the family meeting John for the first time and then blogged for me to let everyone know. Thank you Sarah for being such a sweet, special friend who captured these moments.

Be prepared for the next couple of days...there should be lots of celebration pictures!!

A Mommy/Son Date

2011-07-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

Today John and I had a date. One of the challenges of having multiple children is spreading your attention to everyone. I know there are times that one or the other is overlooked and that is just life, but I like to think I really do try to make sure eacha child is loved individually. So John and I went on a play date with some friends, just him and I. Miss Sophia got to spend the morning with Mrs. Jessica and her girls.

John woke up at 5:45 this morning excited for our date. I love that he was excited, even though I told him to go back to sleep because it wasn't time. Later, we headed over to Summit Waves ($2 if you go during kid time 8:30-10:00), then to the park and ended at Jimmy Johns for lunch where we got a special treat because it was a date....a chocolate chip cookie!!

It was great. My little guy will turn 3 on Thursday and I am just amazed at how grown up he is. He just talks like crazy and says the funniest things. An example was Jenna hadn't shown up yet to the play date. He asked where she was and I said that she was just running a little late. His response was "Well, I should call her and tell her the plan so she can find us when she decides she wants to show up." As he was saying this he has his hands on his hips and shaking his finger. Wonder where he got that from??

Anyway, it was a great day. I do love having 2 kids, but when I get to spend some one on one time with them, it is so special.

I have decided to start having a date night with John once a month. Just him and I hanging out. When Little Miss gets a little older, we will start going girl places to have a girls night out. I can't wait!!

A new addition to Sophia's room

2011-07-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

I showed my dad this really cool castle/bookcase idea from a magazine. Voila! He built it for Sophia! This was his first project since he retired from teaching. He built it and I painted it. (By the way...I have learned painting is not a strength for me. It almost stresses me out.) Anyway...it turned out wonderful! I love it and it looks great in her room. The castle on the top can come off and the door (it is dark pink) on the castle comes down, almost like a drawbridge. She is going to have so much fun with it as she grows up and plays dress up.

Thank you Pops!

Sophia loves it too!

Sophia and Toothbrushes

2011-07-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Sophia's new obsession is toothbrushes and toothpaste. She always wants them in her hands. She will search for all of them and won't rest until they are all accounted for.

Searching for the toothbrushes. Please ignore the unorganized drawer!

She has found them and they are all accounted for!!

2011-07-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

We've done a lot of coloring during this crazy heat wave.

Stay cool everyone!

2011-07-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today Jessica Sharky and I took the kids down to the Rainforest Exhibit at Crown Center. Much to our surprise it was really busy so after a little time spent at the exhibit, we headed to Fritz...the train cafe! You know...eating out with the kids always sounds like a lot of fun...until you are actually sitting down to eat! It is always a busy time at the table! The kids did a really good job and Jessica and I actually got to eat our entire meal.

After eating, we headed over to the spray park. It was busy but that did not stop Madeline and John. They were in the water, playing around. The little girls, mainly stayed in the shade playing in the stroller and walking around.

It is always a fun time to hang out with the Sharky girls. Thanks for a great day!

John looking cool by the fountains.

They are all looking at forward at the same time!!!

Fruit snack time! I love how Sophia and Makenna are looking at each other. John and Madeline are saying "Cheese!"

The little girls...looking cute in their pink bathing suits.

2011-07-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Matt took off work and we headed to the zoo. Yes it was hot but Matt hadn't been to the zoo with the kids this summer, so we decided to head there for a couple of hours. It was fun. The polar bear was showing off by jumping off the rocks into the water and putting his paws on the glass for the visitors. We also got to see the elephants get fed and do tricks. The last highlight of the day was riding the new African Sky Ride. It was really neat and we got to see some animals while we were up in the air. John and Sophia didn't get scared at all.

I am official

2011-07-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well it is official! I am in administration and I have the badge to prove it!

Let the adventure begin!

A Couple Recipes

2011-07-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

So today I made three new recipes. 2 out of 3 turned out wonderful! Not bad! Here are some new recipes to try.

Peach and Mint Iced Tea

You need: 6 cups of water, 1 1/4 cups lightly packed fresh mint, 3 ripe peaches, and ice.

1. Boil 6 cups of water in a covered medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of fresh mint. (I used mine out of my garden.)

2. Cover and seep for 30 minutes to allow mint to infuse water.

3. Strain mint tea into a pitcher, discarding leaves, and refrigerate until cold.

4. Meanwhile, chop 2 peaches coarsely and place them in a blender. Puree until smooth and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Chill puree.

5. Thinly slice remaining peach. In 4 tall glasses, layer crushed ice, thin slices of peach and remaining 1/4 cup mint leaves, filling glasses about halfway.

6. Divide chilled mint tea among 4 glasses. Then stir and serve immediately.

So this wasn't my favorite drink. The first drink Matt and I drank, we just looked at each other. We added some sugar and Matt liked it a lot better. It looks little pretty and I would love to serve it at a dinner party...but I don't know if I would drink it :)

I suggest you try it and see what you think.

Salsa

A couple months ago I took a cooking class with Estella. She is a sweet lady from Anapra, Mexico, who helps dispense rice and beans to families we help support monthly. She is a precious woman. Anyway, she did a cooking class when she was visiting. She taught us to make rice, beans and salsa.

This salsa is SO easy and SO good.

You need: tomatoes, jalapenos, a clove of garlic

(I used 2 tomatoes, 2 jalapenos and 1 clove. This was a perfect amount for our family for dinner.)

1. Grill tomatoes and jalapenos until they are charred. (I did it on a griddle.)

2. Place vegetables in a Tupperware with a lid for a few minutes. (The steam helps the peeling come right off.)

3. Peel skin off vegetables and place in a bowl.

4. Chop a clove of garlic and add to the vegetables.

5. Take a glass and turn it upside down. With the rim of the glass, smash the ingredients together.

6. You decide how chunky you want your salsa.

7. Add salt as needed.

That is it!! So yummy!

The last recipe I made was almond butter. It turned out yummy too! I didn't measure anything, so I don't have measurements for the recipe. You just have to taste a long the way.

You need: roasted almonds, almond oil, honey (or some kind of sweetener), and salt.

1. Put almonds in a food processor and blend almonds until it is sticky.

2. Add almond oil and blend more until it is the consistency of peanut butter.

3. Add honey and salt as needed.

There you go. Easy as that. It is very yummy with bananas and in smoothies.

Give one or all of them a try. Enjoy!

2011-07-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

First day to have pigtails!!

Sophia's Words

2011-07-15T20:25:00.001-07:00

My sweet Sophia has become quite the talker!

One of the hard things about having a 2nd child is not to compare them to the other one. It is really hard! With the first one, you have nothing to compare to so you think everything is on time. So one of my constant prayers has been not to compare Sophia's timeline with John's timeline.

Sophia start walking around 14 months. She really had no need to walk before this because John gave her everything wanted. I talked with the PAT lady, Mrs. Penny, and she said it was totally normal. When Sophia wasn't talking much, I contacted Mrs. Penny again. She said, "Don't worry." It will come. She can really only work on one thing at a time. As you can see, worrying is a weakness of mine. I can find something to worry about at all times if I am not careful. I pray about this often.

Then BAM!!! Sophia started talking this week. You see, Sophia has always seem to understand what you were saying from a very young age. She just wouldn't verbalize anything. However, now she tells you. She tells you "Yup" or "NO" about things she wants or doesn't. She tells you "drink" and "up" and "down". She has added to "Mama" and "Daddy" by saying "Pops" and "Nana". She continues to say "Bubby" and she tells him "NO" often. She says "hi" and "bye bye". She plays and says "Peek A Boo" and finishes with "Thank you". This is all in one week. It was like she was just holding it in and let it out all at once. Oh one of my favorites is "Yee Haw" and the "YEAH!!" after she sings Itsy Bitsy Spider.

I need not worry. They are on their own schedule.

Simmons Childrens Camp

2011-07-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of serving at Simmons Childrens Camp as the worship leader for the 2nd year in a row this past week. Simmons Baptist Camp played an important part of my life as I was growing up. It was the local church camp and I went there through Childrens Camp and Girls Camp. I also served as a counselor for 4 years (I think it was that long). I truly love this place.

Sure it is out in the wilderness so there are A LOT of creatures and bugs. There is no air conditioning, well I take that back...there is one room...the dining room. There are like 80 little rock stairs that you have to battle numerous times a day because the ampitheater and bunk houses are at the bottom and the dining hall and pool are at the top. There are only 3 showers for like 30 some girls and the bunk beds have been there for ever. But it is a sweet spirited place. You see...a lot of people start their walk with the Lord here. You can truly feel the Spirit of God in this place. Thousands of friendships have started and remained through this camp. I have so many memories of doing chants before each meal, hoping your groups' chant got picked so you could eat first. Late night swims and snacks with other counselors. Canoe rides and camp fires with marshmallows while campers are singing and laughing, meanwhile, the camp director is just hoping no one tries to jump in the fire. Best of all, the services in the worship area. You do have to sit on hard rock bleachers, but the sound of campers singing their hearts out and loving the Lord will never be forgotten.

You see, that is why I love being the music leader at this camp. For the past two years I have used songs from the Seeds Family Worship cds. The kids LOVE these songs. They sing at the top of their lungs and jump for joy as they sing bible verses. This year, these kids walked away learning 7 Bible verses and LOVING it. As my kids heard me say numerous times this year....IT IS AWESOME! The kids faces and voices touch my heart. 24 decisions were made this year of kids that want to follow the Lord. They made life changing decisions this week and I am so blessed that I got to be a part of it.

Another special part of camp this year is that John sang worship with me. I mean the whole worship service. He was on stage with a microphone in front of 60 some kids singing praises with them. He danced with the kids and it was GREAT. He told my dad, the camp director, " I think I will be a camper here some day." Both of our hearts swelled.

I never remembered to have someone tape John singing on stage. So after the last service, he put on a show for my mom and I. I got him singing one of the songs. So I hope you enjoy my sweet boy singing about Jesus.

Seeds

2011-07-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

I have blogged about the wonderful company, SEEDS, before but I must say again that it is such a neat thing they do. Tonight we were listening to one of the CDs, which we haven't listened to in a long time, and John instantly picked it up. He had his guitar out, singing at the top of his lungs. It was GREAT!

For those of you that haven't heard of it, these are CDs that put Bible verses to music. They are super catchy and awesome. When you buy one, you get 2 of the CDs so you can give one to someone else (hints the name of the company SEEDS, because you are planting seeds by giving the Word to other people).

It just amazed me that a 2, almost 3 year old (which he reminds me of this), can pick up on the verses so quickly. He was jumping around singing "The Word of the Lord stands forever." How great that he is already saying that???? Well, I was excited and I hope you get as excited when you hear the songs too.

Have a great night!

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2011-07-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today we made homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream. The mint came out of our garden. I must say the process was very involved but SO WORTH it. The taste of this yummy stuff was really good and so different than any other mint ice cream I have had. Matt doesn't even like homemade ice cream but loved this recipe. It tastes just how mint smells in the garden. SO GOOD! I got the recipe here

Like I said before it is an involved recipe, but don't let that scare you. It is worth it.

As you can see below...the kids loved it too!

I am FINISHED and Civil Wars Concert

2011-07-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

I am FINISHED! I can't believe it. For 2 years I have went to class with the same group of people (wonderful people by the way), completed mountains of homework, and complained about how I can't wait to get finished. And now I am FINISHED. Wait, I should say "we are finished" because this has been a "we" thing since the beginning. My sweet husband has been on the journey all the way. He has devoted his Wednesday nights for 2 years to feed, bath, watch, and put the kids to bed by himself. He also heard my countless complaints, hugged me through tears, and told me "You can do this." He made me relax and play with my kids when I just couldn't do homework anymore. He would tell me, especially during Research and Finance, you don't have to get an A...just pass it. I would give him a dirty look and tell him "I don't get anything but A's!" (Just to brag...and this is totally bragging...I did get a 4.0!)

When we started this program, we had one kid and Matt said "Go for it." Little did we know that in the middle of the program, baby #2 would be on its way. I am sure there were times Matt just wanted to say "Please quit. I am tired of this." But he never did and he supported me through the whole program. I love you Matty.

Working on my Masters and completing it was one of the hardest things I have done. I am super proud of myself! The program I did was amazing and I learned so much. The professors I had and the people that I got to have class with each week was great. I made such great friends and I feel lucky to have the network that I have now for my future.

There are many people I need to say thank you to and I am afraid I will forget people, so I will be vague in order to try to get everyone.

My family - Thank you for watching my kids when I needed to do homework or when Matt needed help. We couldn't have done it without you guys.

My girls - Thank you for the Starbucks dates and dinner dates hearing me complain about my homework load. You made me laugh and rant and kept me going.

My friends - there are a lot of you that sent me Facebook messages, commented on my blog and gave me words of encouragement.

The Cohort - I will miss you guys. For 2 years we spent each week together. We shared a lot of life together and I will miss seeing you guys.

SPE staff - so many of you gave me opportunities for my internship and I appreciate it so much! I was asked daily about how things were going and so much support was given to me on a daily basis. I will miss you all next year.

Administrators - Thank you to so many administrators that gave me different opportunities to help me grow and become an administrator. I was given a lot of advice and I appreciate it so much.

So I am DONE and so excited! I have a new job next year and I am excited for the new experience.

After I finished my last class, I went to the Civil Wars concert with friends. It was great! The Civil Wars are amazing and I would go see them again in the heartbeat. It was a great way to celebrate.

These guys look drunk...but they aren't. And it was Brandon's birthday too!

My sweet friend, Katie.

The amazing Civil Wars.

A Few Different Things

2011-06-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

With Masters classes winding down, I had some time to make some Fruit Print Tea Towels for a special friend. It was so nice to sit in the basement, sewing (instead of homework), watching Law and Order...what a life!
Sophia is GROWINIG so fast! This was her first time having Speghetti-O's and she LOVED them. Which is rare because she is a picky eater. Her menu usually consists of cheese, fruit and green beans. She is walking like crazy now. She is getting good at carrying things around as she walks. She is very proud of herself when she carries things around from room to room. She loves the phrase "Uh-Oh" and saying "Shhh". She is always carrying and playing with baby dolls as well driving cars around with her brother. Her favorite song is Itsy Bitsy Spider. She mimicks whatever John does....so get ready!

Mr. John is growing fast too! This is the castle we built yesterday after watching Curious George, which is a favorite right now. This kid is always hungry and loves being center of attention! He loves playing in his band and singing at the top of his lungs. He pretends to make us breakfast each morning and helps me in the garden each day. He is quite the helper and I love spending time with this little guy!

Lakeland Baptism

2011-06-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Lakeland Baptism is something I LOVE. It is a great time of fellowship and praise. This was the first year the kids really got into playing in the sand and the lake. We have 2 water babies and sand babies! They loved it!

Baby BIrds

2011-06-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we got to go see baby birds at Terry and Darlene's house. The momma bird had built a nest and the babies had hatched. John was excited to take some pictures. While we were standing around talking on the porch, the momma bird came and fed the babies. It was a great learning experience!

Iced Coffee

2011-06-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

So I told people I would post this a couple of days ago...thanks for being patient.

So I have found and made the perfect iced coffee. The recipe is found here.

A few pointers...

1. I have had it for 3 days and it still tastes super fresh. This recipe says that it will be good for about a month...so we will see.

2. I didn't have the containers that she used, so I used a Colemans 2 gallon cooler to make my coffee in. After it had set for at least 8 hours, I strained it into different pitchers, cleaned out the cooler and poured the ready to go stuff back in the cooler.

3. I didn't really have room for a cooler in my fridge, so I have a sealed pitcher that is full in my fridge and then as it empties, I will fill it back up with the remaining coffee that is still in my cooler.

4. So far, I have tried it like a Caramel Macciato, a Java Chip Frap, and a iced latte...and they have all be delicious! My next endeavor is to try it with sweetened condensed milk (it is on the website of the recipe). I am afraid it will be too yummy and that is how I will want it all the time.

I hope you try it and love it as much as I do. I seriously might not have to go to Starbucks again...we will see.

A Typical Summer Afternoon at the Turnbough's

2011-06-22T19:33:00.001-07:00

Everyday, after naps, we have popsicles and then play outside. It is like clockwork...John wakes up and says "Popsicle please!" and then I say..."We have to wait until Sophia wakes up." He waits patiently and then as soon as we hear her start talking...he is off down the hall saying "Fia, it's popsicle time!" Now I have learned that it is a much easier clean up if the kids don't have clothes on and then we clean off in the pool. I love summer time!

After popsicle time and a quick dip in the pool (because it was windy today) John took Sophia for a drive.

"Mom we are going to the gas station and then Chick-Fila. We need gas in my truck and we are hungry. Do you want anything?"

Yes...he does have his arm around her! Watch out girls...

I just love this picture.

Sophia waves like she is in a parade the whole time. She also screams "Wheeee!"

Blueberry Patch

2011-06-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning the kids woke up to a surprise...Aunt Abbey was at our house! John came into the bedroom to say "Aunt Abbey is on the couch! Can I wake her up??"

After everyone got up and around we headed to the Berry Patch in Cleveland, MO. It is on State Line Road and we love it! We picked 4.5 lbs of blueberries and they are yummy!

Enjoy the pictures from the day!

Daddy's Day

2011-06-19T19:55:00.001-07:00

To My Daddy:

Daddy you are the best daddy in the world. These are the reasons we love you:

1. We love that you play and wrestle with us everyday.

2. We love how you play music in our house and have random dance parties.

3. We love how you love us even when we are onery!

4. We love how you are a role model for us and teach us how to live for Jesus through our daily living.

5. We love that you take us to all kinds of neat places.

6. We love that you care for us and take care of us while Mom has to go to class and do homework.

7. We love that you fix things in our house so Mom doesn't go crazy.

We know we have a loud, crazy house, but Mommy, John and Sophia all love you so much for being the best daddy in the world.

Love,

John and Sophia

Zoo with Jenna

2011-06-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

St. Louis and Branson Weekend

2011-06-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed to St. Louis to meet up with the family. Our first stop was a picnic at the zoo and then on to see the wonderful St. Louis zoo. Two very cool things about this zoo:

1. It has the penguin exhibit which feels awesome on hot summer days.

2. It has the Children's Zoo inside of it. This is a great interactive zoo for children and it has a spray park as well as a playground. The kids were able to pet the animals and play around.

Sophia driving her brother around...
Waiting for the water at the spray park

Then the next morning we got to see Uncle Scott, Aunt Emily, and baby Eli!! This was the first time the kiddos and Matt had met Eli. He is a cutie with big beautiful eyes. He is also a cuddler. Too bad they live so far away!

The three cousins together for the first time.

John loved seeing and hanging out with Uncle Scott. He thinks Uncle Scott is so cool. Scott taught him a terrible (or so I think) trick to do with his eyelids. John goes around doing it now. Thanks Uncle Scott.

Nannee and Pops talking and cuddling with Eli.

Sweet baby boy!

We headed to Houston after the weekend in St. Louis because Matt was on staff retreat for a few days. As we came back to Kansas City, Nannee LeAnn and myself took the kids to Silver Dollar City. It was Kids Fest and it was a blast! They had tents up with blocks and games up throughout the park. We had a great time!

Both kids loved building with the blocks. John said it was his favorite part. That is funny because we can do blocks at our house.

We went to a dog stunt show and the kids enjoyed it greatly. John loved the big dog "Doggy". He gave him 4 or 5 hugs.

The kids and I rode rides while Nannee LeAnn took pictures. They both loved the rides too.

Funny Story:

We were on our way back to Blue Springs and we had to stop for John to go potty. I quikly put on his tennis shoes without socks. He was very nervous that he would get blisters. When we got back to the car, he explained to Nannee that he thought he had blisters on his feet. When he took off his shoes, he saw the imprints of the shoes on the tops of his feet and exclaimed "Oh no....BLISTERS!" After a few moments of silence he announced "I guess I will have to get new feet for my legs."

My mom and I burst out laughing.

A very fun and full weekend!

2011-06-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

This is what I came home to last night after class. I couldn't resist taking a picture. John wanted so badly to stay up and wait for me. Nannee LeAnn just couldn't let Sophia cry without her passi. So they all just konked out on the couch.

We love when Nannee LeAnn comes to stay with us and we are sad to see her leave when she heads back to Houston.

2011-06-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Miss Sophia gave up her pacifier today. Actually, her mom and dad decided to take it away. Her face is always broke out because of her pacifier and her drool (because of teething). So we decided to break her from it. I hate milestones like this. I feel bad for her because it is like taking her friend away. However, she did pretty well today. There was crying and some sleeping on Nannee LeAnn, but we made it through the day. Thank goodness my mom was here...she helped a TON! She had to stay home with the kids tonight because I had class and Matt is out of town. Sophia was crying in her crib, and John said "I could find her a passi." Sweet boy :)

We will see how tonight goes..so far so good.

2011-06-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Look at these little piggies! This was Sophia's first toe painting party! For being 15 months, she did a great job at sitting while I painted her toes.

I LOVE having a little girl.

A few new things Sophia is doing...

Standing on her own

Taking a few steps

She says "tickle, tickle"

She LOVES her babies. She holds and loves on them all the time.

2011-06-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

We got our zoo pass! We got to share our day with the Sharky girls. It was a fabulous day. It was hot but there was a nice breeze through the morning. We also got to see the Chimps eat. It was really cool. All 13 were lined up waiting for their food as we walked up.

We will be playing at the zoo a lot this summer!

2011-06-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

This is how I will be spending my summer days!

Notice Sophia clapping at the end.

2011-06-02T20:13:00.001-07:00

For the last 3 years I have taught 5th grade. I remember finding out a I was teaching 5th grade. Let's just say...I wasn't very excited. I had taught the little ones and those were the ones I liked (or so I thought). Yet, over the last 3 years I have fallen in love with this age group.

Today was my last day in the classroom. I haven't shared my new job on the blog yet. I am not sure why...I think it is the fact I am nervous about this change but so very excited. I also think I have been so busy with everything else, I haven't totally reflected on it. Until today...

Today I saw my room become empty and ready for Savannah to move into it.

Today I put up my last Morning Message.

Today I enjoyed my last unveiling of the 5th Grade DVD.

Today I sat and watched these sweet kids get so excited for summer.

Today I hugged each of my kids goodbye and said "I'll miss you and have a good summer."

Today I stood outside and waved to the busses a big goodbye.

Today I sent off my last class at SPE.

This class was special to me. I had them in first grade, which was my first year at SPE. Now I have had them in 5th grade and it is my last year.

Next year I am at a new school, with new students and a new staff. You see next year I will be an Administrative Intern. I can't believe it is happening but it is what I have been working for the last 2 years.

Tomorrow is staff day. I have my hand selected gifts for my team and I have practiced what I am going to say to them when I give them the gifts. I dread the lunch because I know words will be spoken about everyone leaving. I am afraid I will have a headache by the end of the day because of all the tears that will be shed. You see, this staff is like a family to me. When you spend 8 hours everyday together that is what happens. These are the people that know me and support me each day. They have taught me so many things. I know I wouldn't be the educator I am today without them.

I love you all.

Sophia's One Year Photos and a few of John

2011-05-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

Check out these PRECIOUS pictures that Brandon Shultz took....

Click here

LOVE, LOVE them!!!

We are trying to decide which ones to print. Let us know which ones you would pick.

Memorial Weekend 2011

2011-05-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend had hopes for a trip to the zoo, playing outside, and hanging out with family and friends...but plans changed. My little ones ended up being sick all weekend. We ended Saturday with high fevers then followed up with a Sunday visit to Urgent Care. The small ones ended up having cold sores in their mouths and down their throats. Poor babies! Everything would hurt when they would eat or drink. I think the doctor felt sorry for us because she loaded us up with Motrin, Tylenol, and "Magic Mouthwash".

The good news is that we are on the up! Today the kids were fever free but still pretty lothargic. We did get to play outside and set the pool up. The best part of the whole weekend was there was

A LOT of momma cuddle time!

This was the first time Sophia smiled all weekend. She had "Magic Mouthwash" and was able to eat some pudding.

She is feeding herself now with a spoon!

John was ready to set up the pool today. Poor guy...he would play for 30 minutes and then say "I need a rest." He just doesn't have his energy back yet.

John loved being in the pool today!

On the other hand...Sophia did not.

She prefers to sit on a towel and soak in the rays.

I GOT IT!!

2011-05-26T20:53:00.001-07:00

I got my new books today! I ordered these 2 books on a snow day in January. The 123 Sew book didn't come out until May, and me being the cheap person I was, didn't want to have to pay shipping twice, so I had to wait to get these 2 awesome books. But now I have them and I am SO excited!

Check them out...

The blog The Long Thread, designed this book. It just came out and I am already in love with it. After June 30 (I graduate with my Masters) this is what I will be doing, as well as taking care of my garden...and I guess my children too. I can't wait to make these amazing projects.

My friend, Katie showed me this book awhile ago over coffee. I decided I really want to set some unique traditions with my kiddos, so this is the book that is going to help me. I am excited to explore some of these celebrations. I am sure there will be pictures in the futre of the many celebrations we will have.

We have LETTUCE!

2011-05-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

We picked our first lettuce out of our garden today. It is pretty yummy and we have A LOT of it. We should not have to buy lettuce again this summer!

Our yummy salad we had for dinner...

The lettuce we still have...

Nannee and Pops House

2011-05-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

Like I have mentioned in previous blogs, John LOVES going to Pop's house (it is Nannee's house too). We went down this past weekend and it was a blast. We had family up from Arkansas and it was fun to sit and talk through the days. We finished up the weekend with a good ol' gospel singing at my dad's church. The whole family ended up getting up and singing all together. I should have taken more pictures, but I was talking most of the time, so only a few shot gotten taken.

These pictures are from Sunday morning, before church. John decided he needed some baseball action with Uncle Joe before we got all dressed up.

Playing Together

2011-05-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

So the kids have started playing together. Sophia wants to be just like her big brother and John loves having the attention. Now with this comes the "mine" attitude and the discussion of sharing has come up a lot more. Yet it is so good to see the kids playing together and being friends.

Strumming the guitar together...

Sophia is John's biggest fan.

A Tea Party!

2011-05-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Some cute stories that I haven't blogged yet...

1. John says "underwears" instead of "underwear".

2. Sophia is now saying all kinds of words. She is saying Momma, Daddy, Bubby (John), yes, dat (that), and Barney. We discovered she could say Barney when I carried her into the living room one morning and John was watching Barney. She pointed and clear as day said "Barney". Oh...and she said Katie tonight while we were in the car.

3. John came up to me on Saturday and said "Mommy, I have been cleaning." I gave an enthusiastic "Thank you! But why do you smell like hairspray?" He shows me where he has been cleaning. He leads me to my bathroom where he has cleaned our bathroom mirror with hand soap and my hairspray. It was pretty much a new can of hairspray and now it is all gone. To top things off, he used Matt and I's toothbrushes to clean the mirror. What a helper!

(It took me 45 minutes to finally get the mirror clean!)

4. Sophia is getting ANOTHER tooth. She has been constantly teething for months.

5. John is refusing to go to bed at his bedtime because "it not dark yet, I can't sleep. Stay up longer." Needless to say bedtime is a battle right now.

6. Sophia is so close to walking! She is up on everything, moving from one piece of furniture to the next. She is also mimicking her brother constantly. He covers his mouth when he laughs, so she does it too. When he coughs, she coughs. When he sings or claps...she does the same. I LOVE IT!

2011-05-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

How lucky I am to be a mother of my sweet children. Today was a reminder of how blessed I am truly am. It was a beautiful day, spent with family, a good meal, and some coffee and good conversation with other wonderful mommas.

2011-05-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Sophia loves taking things out of container and then she puts them back in! She is my little cleaner!

John, my little artist, concentrates hard as he colors Buzz Lightyear.

2011-05-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a sweet Parents As Teachers lady come to our house to do John's 3 year screening and Sophia's 1 year screening. Her name is Mrs. Penny. The screenings went wonderfully. It was neat and amazing to see our little ones doing the games and playing with Mrs. Penny. Both kiddos got all kinds of compliments and passed their screenings with flying colors.
Mr. John was said to be very articulate, an entertainer, and a smart little guy. Mrs. Sophia was said to have great moter skills and is on the verge of walking. Mrs. Penny was amazed at how our kids had NO social anxiety. They instantly loved her and played with her immediately.
We miss having our past PAT lady, Mrs. Patty, come visit us each month. However we are glad to have met Mrs. Penny. It is sad that PAT had so much funding cut. It is a wonderful program. Kids and families are missing out by not having these wonderful ladies in their home more often.

A Few More Easter Pictures

2011-04-28T20:21:00.001-07:00

A few more Easter weekend pictures.

2011-04-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a whirl wind but so much fun. Matt's cousin Alicia and her husband Lance came down from Detroit and stayed with us. The weekend was filled with Easter festivities and family time. A big thank you to Alicia for taking so many pictures. These are her pics...I haven't gotten mine on the computer yet.

Enjoy!

FRIDAY

Enjoying KC BBQ at Oklahoma Joes. If you haven't been to this place...I recommend it. However, get ready to stand in line to wait (but it is worth it). We went at 2:30 and the line was out the door of the gas station. Yes, I said gas station. The restraunt is located in the gas station.

Lance was VERY excited!

SATURDAY

Started the day off with feeding the buffalo and the elk at Lake Jacomo's Wildlife Refuge. There were baby buffalo there this time!

Easter Egg Hunt and Picnic in Liberty

Saturday Night:

Birthday dessert for Matt (he turned 30 today the 26th!)
We had the yummy chocolate bag and had a sitter for the kiddos!

SUNDAY

Easter lunch at the Turbough's in Liberty.

Followed by an Easter egg hunt

Followed by family pictures. This was quite an interesting adventure, especially since most of them didn't have a nap that day.

MONDAY

I had to work on Monday, but Matt, the kids, Lance and Alicia got to stay home and enjoy the day. Poor Sophia was sick. Both of the kids loved having Lance and Alicia here this weekend. John was very sad they had to leave this morning. We already miss them!

2011-04-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Easter baskets got made at Jewell's house this week. This causes very excited kids!

Ginger

2011-04-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Ginger is John's best friend.

He talks about her all the time.

Ginger was my parents' dog. I got a text message this morning from my dad that let us know Ginger had passed away in her sleep. As many of you know...I am not a dog person. But when I heard this news, tears instantly appeared. The thought was "How am I going to tell my little boy that he won't see his best friend again?" I thought about it all day. I had a plan and was ready. When I told Matt, his comment was "We can't tell him. Your parents have to get another dog."

I sat John on my lap after we got home. I told him I had something to tell him. I explained Ginger had went to heaven and that she wouldn't be at Nannee and Pops house next time we went down to Houston. He asked "why?" a lot. I kept explaining. I asked if he wanted to go buy a balloon for Ginger. I told him we could write a note to her and send the balloon up to heaven with teh note. He said no. He sat on my lap for a long time. He was very quiet.

When Matt came home, he told his daddy that Ginger went to heaven.

And that was it.

I have a feeling he doesn't really understand. And this will probably come up the next time we are in Houston.

I am sad because I know he is little enough to probably not remember Ginger when he gets older. However, Ginger is special to all of us because she was John's first best friend. He loved her so much and talked about her constantly. He keeps a picture of her on his dresser. He dressed up as her for Halloween. She is the first thing he looks for when he is at Nannee and Pops house. Every morning we have been in Houston, the first thing he does is feed Ginger. He always said, "Feed Ginger when the sun wakes up."

Thank you Ginger for being John's best friend.

Passover Story

2011-04-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Palm Sunday. This was going to be the first year where John was going to be able to walk down the aisle and wave the palm branches. I was so excited! However, as my sweet boy came down the aisle, tears were running down his face. I guess when he started waving the branch, one of the leaves hit him square in the aisle. He is now not a fan of palm branches!

After I picked him up, he had a picture of a donkey. This was our conversation:

Me: What did you learn today in class?

John: Jesus rode on a donkey and said

YEE HAW!

2011-04-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today our dear, sweet friends, the Beards, moved to Texas. It is one of those things where I know that God was in total control of this move and they are faithfully doing His will. These two people are some of Matt's and I's best friends. Andrew introduced Matt and I before we dated, we all dated at the same time, got married the same summer, and all lived together for a time being. Sarah and I had conversations before marrying the boys about future vacations. They were there for both of our children's births (John Andrew is named after Andrew). We have laughed and cried together. Spent a many lake days together and had some fun road trips.

For the past couple of years, our lives have taken us in different directions. Matt and I's lives were taken over by our 2 children, Lakeland and school. Sarah and Andrew's lives were taken over by their 70+ children in their youth group, where they did an amazing job. Our schedules were very different but we always seemed to find an evening when we could catch up over Ponchos.

When they told us they were moving. It was really no surprise. Matt and I both knew there had been a stirring in their hearts and that change was soon to happen. Up until now, I hadn't really been sad about them leaving. I hadn't shed a tear...until now. It is hard growing up. It is hard when dear friends go a new path, without you. I now know how Sarah and Andrew felt when we left on the plane to Serbia and then Colorado. I am comforted knowing that they are exactly where God wants them. I am excited to see the plans unfold as they start this new journey. I do pray that someday, we just might be near one another again.

I tried looking at old pictures...it was a little hard, so I posted the furniture we got from them because they sold almost everything. We have new living room furniture to give us daily reminders of them. :)

Sarah and Andrew...we love you dearly. We are excited to see your journey. Please know we love you and couldn't ask for better friends.

Washing Fia's Hair

2011-04-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

John is really into helping. So tonight he decided to help with bathtime. After scrubbing his own body, he decided he would help with washing Sophia's hair. He did it ever so gently and was singing "Wash, wash your body".

Sophia actually liked it! John decided to relax afterwards.

2011-04-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

When you walk into a room and you see your two children sitting in bed reading...

your heart smiles.

Enjoying the Sunshine

2011-04-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

Sporting her new hat...

Enjoying the sunshine!

Rubbing Feet

2011-04-09T20:25:00.001-07:00

Matt taught John how to rub my feet after a long, hard week of MAP testing.

Matt hates rubbing feet...so I think he is hoping John will take over soon.

Sophia is Walking With A Scooter!

2011-04-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

Sophia is walking! She let go of her scooter after the video and stood by herself for a few seconds. You can also tell by the video that she is ready to keep up with her brother!

Enjoy!

April Updates on the Kiddos

2011-04-03T19:53:00.001-07:00

The kiddos watching Sid the Science Kid.

Updates: Sophia has gotten tooth number 8 and is working on teeth 9 and 10. She is a teething champ. She sleeps a lot and that seems to be her way of getting through it. We haven't had to give her medicine or do anything to help her ease pain. She is HARD CORE! She stood by herself on Saturday and is starting to take steps while holding onto a finger. I caught her in John's room on Saturday playing with cars. She was making a car sound while driving the car on the track. Then she made them crash...just like John does. I guess I didn't need to stock up on girl toys! John is growing like a weed. He is talking like crazy and makes us laugh each day. He loves to entertain and be the center of attention. The coffee table is his stage and he performs daily. He loves to shout the 1 2 Buckly my Shoe rhyme at the top of this lungs while playing the drums with chopsticks. He is identifying his colors now. This has been an ongoing event. He is so dang smart and has such a large vocabulary I couldn't understand why he didn't know his colors. I had gotten to the point that I thought he might be color blind. I stocked up on color books at the library and was set to get the colors down. Come to find out...he has been pulliing my leg. He knows his colors and he is not color blind. Onery boy!

First Saturday in April

2011-04-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

This Saturday had no plans and we were all at home! It was fabulous. Here are some pictures from the day.

John built and had breakfast in his Micky Mouse Clubhouse.

Sophia took steps behind her little scooter!

We spent pretty much the whole day outside. The kids had a snack picnic while....

We tilled our first garden. Plans this week: plant kale, spinach, potatoes, and carrots.

Our garden ended up being a little bit bigger than we expected....12ft. by 18ft. We hopefully will have a lot of goodies this summer!

Happy Spring!

2011-03-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

Can I just say...I LOVE having a little girl!

We felt like it was a "tutu kind" of day...

2011-03-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

Sweet Sophia is getting her 8th tooth. This one seems to be bothering her more than any of the others. It is a bottom one. However, she is into EVERYTHING, she is very LOUD, and she is pulling up on WHATEVER she can. She is busy and likes to be in the middle of it all. This can cause some trouble between John and her, since Mr. John loves the center of attention also.

Mr. John wore only underwear today... even though it was snowing and freezing outside. It was like he refused to put on clothes. I finally convinced him at 6:00 pm to put on clothes so we could go to Sam's Club.
He painted his bird house today and did a great job. I didn't get a picture of the finished project yet, but he was very careful to not mix the paints in their containers. He hummed the whole time he painted.