Sometimes...

...I feel like every post could be labeled "catching up" or "back log of pictures". Not very creative. But all of the sudden I see all the pics on my cam and realize that it's been too long since I've posted. Soooo without further ado....

This little guy and I spend quite a bit of time together. This represents an outing to the bank and an especially rare occasion where I said "yes" to the lollipop. (do you notice how long is hair is already?)

Den's grandpa's church has an annual Father Son banquet and all the boys went this year. D said that they both did great and enjoyed the magic show after the meal. E was at a sleepover so I was completely on my own..... I didn't know what to do with myself.

We had a beautiful Saturday a couple of weeks ago and J cleaned the car with some help. The reason V is so soaked is because according to E, "he got under my washcloth when I was squeezing it out." This happened several times.

J had his first baseball practice last Saturday and it was soooo cold. Supposed to be 80degrees this weekend at his next practice...woo hoo!

J wanted to take a pic of us. Did you know that true love is displayed by smashing your nose into someones cheek?

When daddy's not home we play hair dresser with V.

I just realized this was an almost all boy post!

Interview With a.......

son.

Yes. J is 5 in this pic. He is presently 8 and soon to be 9. But this boy is on the move and remembering to grab the camera and get a shot of just him wasn't happening. Besides...like the rocket on his head, time is flying and I just can't believe how quickly my first born is growing up. Gosh, he is stinkin' cute.

Favorite color: blue & brown

Favorite animal: white tail deer

If you could have any pet in the world?: fawn

Favorite book: Tuesday

Favorite movie: Phantom Menace

If you could go on a trip?: Washington DC

What is your favorite thing to do, that we do together as a family?: Play the game of LIFE together.

Favorite food: cheeseburger

Favorite drink: hot chocolate

Favorite thing to about school (in class): math

Favorite thing to play at school: basketball game

Favorite thing about... E: when she hugs me

...V: when he's always playing with me

...Daddy: when he's always wrestling with us

...Mommy:she gives me kisses and all that...when she gives me love

...Jesus: when He died for us on the cross.

What do you want to be when you grow up?: archaeologist or history professor

Who is the most beautiful person you know?: you

Who is the nicest person you know?: Ethan (cousin)

Favorite song(from church): I'll Fly Away

Favorite season: summer, because I don't have school then.

What is the saddest thing you know?: When E is mean to me.

What is the happiest thing you know of? When I went hunting with dad.

I think the 2 biggest things I've learned about my children from doing this is how small their world is, and how quickly it is changing before them. I plan on doing this once a year or so, but even if I asked these same questions next month I know that most of their answers would be different. Where is that time in a bottle?

Come sun....please....

When the weather is dreary, dull and cold, this is the kind of stuff that makes you laugh harder than necessary.


But then your brother in law throws a surprise party for his lovely wife and you have another reason to go out and laugh.

Then another brother in law makes you smile because he still refuses to eat his peas.

THEN, the sun comes out and everything looks a little better and brighter.

Your daughter puts it well when she see the flowers bloom for the first time and exclaims "this is the best day of my life!"

Then there are days of real warm weather and everyone is enjoying it.

Bike rides,

walks and wagon rides,

birds fly north to proclaim the coming of spring,

love is all around.

Baseball too.

But all that play in the sun can make you tired. So you catch a few winks BEFORE your son's cello concert.

Or you take silly pictures of you and your goofy daughter.

Then you catch your son on stage, setting up and try not to squeal with delight that he is sitting right in front of you on stage.

You also try not to laugh as he feigns seriousness while he waits for the program to start.

But you do beam with pride when he starts to play.
(this is the last piece they played, a combination of all the twinkles they learned)

Interview With a....

.....daughter.

Last week over some tea I told E I was going to interview her. I have a journal that I keep for each of the kids. I have written their birth stories, how den and I met, and different things about their lives, etc. BUT I'm so sporadic. I was looking through them and realized that it had been nearly a year since I had touched them. So my new goal is to at least write in them on their birthdays, and every couple of years do an interview. The questions were off the top of my head but it was fun to see how she interpreted them. I also look forward to seeing how their answers change over the years. I plan on pinning J down soon to ask him the same questions.

Favorite color: blue, purple, pink
Favorite Animal: cats & dogs
If you could have any animal in the world for a pet? baby mountain lion
Favorite Book: Pop up Tinkerbell book
Favorite Movie: Fox & the Hound, Narnia, The Secret Garden
Favorite Food: heart cookies w/ icing
Favorite Drink: lemonade
Favorite song about Jesus: Holy Holy Holy
Favorite Season: Summer, you get to swim.
If you could go on a trip, where would you go?: California or Washington DC
What is your favorite thing that we do together as a family? wrestle
What is your favorite thing about Jesus?: that we'll go up to heaven to see Him
What is your favorite thing ab out J?: Playing w/ him, playing Indiana Jones
...V?: Pushing him on his firetruck.
...Daddy?: wrestling
...Mommy?: playing dollhouse
Favorite thing about school(in the classroom): listening to Junie B Jones
Favorite thing to play at school: tire swing
What do you want to be when you grow up?: kindergarten teacher
Who is the most beautiful person you know?: (i was thinking about attributes, my 6yr old was thinking prettiest) Danielle (a girl in her class)
Who is the nicest person you know?: "you" (pause, wipe tear:)

Then she decided that I should ask her what she wanted for Christmas...

E: "Now there's a lot of things that I want to get for Christmas"
Me: "Just pick a couple of things"
E: "A camera, a snuggie, and my own TV."

Some of her answers surprised me, and some I knew were the answers for this week or month, such as the book or movie answers. Still it was fun to hear her thoughts on these light topics and maybe next time I'll get a bit deeper.

Stay tuned for J's interview.

last week through today

Finally doing some catch up on here.....






Last Friday J had a cousin sleepover so E and I had a girl's night out and went to see The Princess and the Frog using some of a gift card we received for Christmas. She seemed to be having fun and she said she like the movie, but when I asked her if she had a good time..."not really." That's my girl.



The next day we headed down to the farm for some sledding and dinner w/ Den's fam.



E is next to Matilda, Ava is holding her very own snowgirl, and J and I made a snow kitty.





Prepare yourself....Den took me for a night time snow mobile ride so I wanted to look my best and stay warm...ladies please do yourself a favor and shield your husband's eyes....
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BAM!! Oh yes, I know how to work those coveralls.





Sister in law Denise said I looked like a teletubby.





(In my defense I'm wearing a puffy jacket underneath the coveralls)



Then came Sunday and it was another sunny day, and not really that cold. Den went out with the kids and built a snow fort so the could have a snowball fight.

He built up the walls higher after he dug this hole, but this gives you an idea of how deep the snow drifted during the first couple storms.

He like the tunnel until his hat fell off.

This video has is one of those "wait for it...." moments. Yes V is adorable on the slide, but wait and listen for J hitting Den w/ a snowball.

belly shot

Here we are today...another snow day because the roads are drifting so bad. It is snowing, but not really sticking where we are. V is starting to get into the trains so J and Daddy built him a track. Den was home today so he also built the kids a great fort, we watched Marty Stouffer's Wild America while I snoozed on the couch, and now he has taken the the two older ones to the gym so I am getting as much done as I possible can while V is still sleeping!

This last one is especially for Grandma Linda...who knows that every 2yr old needs a giant chocolate heart.

done....

So it was lovely at first, being snowed in with the kids. As you saw we did crafts, made forts, ice cream, they played in the snow, we even started reading Little House In the Big Woods. Two days of it and I was okay. Day three I was done. It wasn't the kids, they were great. I just needed to get out even if they were with me. It pushed me to tears...but I'm okay now. We got out Friday night and took dinner to sister Denise for her birthday and watched a chick flick while the kids played upstairs. Just what I needed. The snow is slowing getting out of our way, which is all I want. It could be white all winter as long as the roads are clear and there is a path to my car.


This was last Friday after the last big dump. I had to walk out in this later in the day and sunk all the way to my thigh and thought I just might have to stay there.


Saturday came and so did Den w/ his loader to plow our driveway and a path to the door. V went out to help. We believe in starting hard labor at an early age.



Can you see through the glared glass how much he loves it?




We are hoping to sled this weekend at Den's parents and try to make the most of this white mess.

a couple of things i've made...

hair clip and a pee pee tee pee or wee wee wigwam


headband

fabric flowers inspired here

i'm a sucker...

...for giveaways! And there are some FAB ones over at Simple Mom, Simple Organic, Simple Bites, Simple Kids....(also Simple Homeschooling but i didn't enter that one). Check them out soon as the give away ends tomorrow am, Sat the 13th.

Filling Up the Day

What do you do when it's like this outside?


Well you can finish making Valentine cards,

Build a huge indoor fort,

Shoot some hoops,

And then finally go out into it! (21")

Of course, you must kick out the stowaways.

Then whip up some ice cream made from snow.

Then the day is done.

The next day you can admire the beautiful icicles.

Then say goodbye to them as daddy knocks down the deathtraps.