Passing Time

What do you do when it is to cold to go outside, and all the toys in the house have been played with, TV has been watched, crafts have been done. What do you do then I ask?

Why play in the sink of course.

Girls Night!

I had two girls nights this weekend one Friday and one Saturday. It was wonderful and filling.

Friday was with an amazing friend, margaritas, good food, great conversasion and shopping thrown in for good measure. It was such a wonderful time and I always leave my girls nights with her feeling fulfilled. We met when the girls were in Mother's Day out when they were 18 months and have been in swimming together since then too. I am so blessed to have her in my life and the last minute girls night was just what I needed.

Saturday was Pizza Inn with their cool drink machine, at home spa treatment of manicures and pedicures plus a long bath, a horrible movie about a horse followed by an hour of talking and then finally after staying up way too late a slumber party. A Mother/Daughter girls night was just what we both needed. Emma loved every minute and so do I. We try to have a Girls Night every couple of months, it is good for both of us and our relationship. We are often so busy during the days we don't have a lot of time to really talk I mean really really talk. Sure we talk all day everyday we are home together, but on our girls nights we get to have conversasions, I get to really learn what is on her heart, and what is goiing on in her little mind. It is facinating and we both love it. I so enjoy spending time with my daughter. I know the time will come that she will be too busy to have a girls night with her Mom, so I will take these memories and hold them tight.

Whether it is with my daughter whatching a Disney movie, or good friends and adult beverages girls nights feed my soul and make my life oh so much better. I am so thankful for all the wonderful girls God has put in my life.

P.S. On a side note Andrew and Jack had their first real boys night, Cici's Pizza followed by a viewing of Transformers in the Media room. They too had a wonderful time and are starting their own traditions, oh and Jack is obsessed with Bumble Bee. I am trying to talk Andrew into a yellow Camero for our little man, but it is a no go so far:)

My Baby

Jack is my baby, he is my youngest and the baby of the family. Andrew likes to remind me in an oh so nice way that he is not a baby. I refuse to hear it, he is and will be my baby until I am ready for him not to be. I love my baby, he is everything to me and the most amazing little guy.

I love you:

As a Lion

As a sweet engineer

As a silly kid

A serious scientist

A total ham

A snake

A mister potato head

Yes my little man you wear many hats in our family and I love you for each and every one of them. He makes me laugh, and at times pull my hair out in frustration. He makes me smile, and giggle. He is such a wonderful son and my babylittle man if I must actually face reality, but I don't have to like nope, I don't like it one bit!

Thank You Steve!

I have to say that we love Steve Jobs in our family! It was not long ago that my Dear Husband was totally against all thing apple. He refused to buy an i-pod when the first came out and to this day you will not find a Mac in our house.

Maybe not a Mac, but we do own quite a bit of what Apple has to offer, and I have to say I love it all. We were late to the i-phone game, just got them last year, and now I wonder how I did without it. I love love love my i-phone, love that I can check and answer e-mail when out, use the Internet, and map any location I need to go. I love that I can take videos and pictures and text or e-mail them on the spot. I love that I can attach it to the car and we can jam to some music. I love that when we are waiting for the doctor for an hour Emma or Jack can watch a movie, read a book or play a game. I love that when I am waiting for the doctor for an hour I can do the same.

Andrew my tech loving husband is the same, he adores his i-phone and uses it all day everyday at work to listen to music to block out all the noise in his open office. He also watches movies while waiting in the car and such, the darn thing is just so convenient.

We got an i-pad for Christmas and I have to say I adore it! From the e-reader to the apps I love everything about it. Jack loves to watch movies or play hatch, Emma loves to read her Bob books, and play angry birds. I can't wait to use it when we travel, it has a camera so we can face time on it with the kids who will be at home:)

Emma got our old i-pod touch when we upgraded to i-phones so even our four year old loves apple:)

So thanks Steve Jobs you have made our lives oh so much more fun! For those of you wondering some of our favorite apps are.

Emma:
Bob Books
Build a Princess
Cookie Doodle-Super cool you can take a picture and make it into a cookie
Angry birds
Cut the Rope

Jack:
Toy Story
Hatch
Preschool Lunchbox

Andrew:
Pandora Radio
Shazam
Amazon
Words with Friends
Angry Birds
Cut the Rope

Megan
Build-a-lot
Kindle
Amazon
Motivated Moms
Trip Tracker
Ask Dave
Shazam

What are your favorite apps, tell me what we are missing out on!

Emma is doing pretty well reading, she wanted me to video tape it so she could see herself, so here it is. I am really proud of her. I am a huge reader, I read probably at least 2 books a week. This is the beginning of a whole new world open to her and I am so excited for her, she has no idea how big this but I do. Hope you enjoy this as much as Andrew and I are. There is something so amazing about seeing your child read her first book. We have about 5 more books she is reading on video, but I will save you guys and just share this one. It is the easiest of her books, but her favorite because she is so good at it.

Family

We don't have family close, the closest is 4 hours away. The kids love their cousins, we only see the once or twice a month, the kids love Grandmom and Don, we only see them once or twice a month, the kids love their Aunt and Uncle, we only see them once or twice a month. The kids love their Nana & Papa we only see them every 3-4 months, the kids love their Gramma we only see her once or twice a year. We don't have family close, and it makes it hard.





We do have friends, loving amazing friends. We have friends that we go out with as a couple, friends what we do playdates with every week, friends that pray for us, love us and are there for us to watch our kids or just chat at the drop of a hat. Friends that lift us up. Friends that go to the hospital with us when we need expert medical advice, friends that tell us when we are right and more importantly tell us when we are wrong. Friends to have lunch with, drinks with and play with. Friends that we celebrate the good times with and cry and pray through the bad times.

We have a church that loves us, prays for us and surrounds us with love. A children's minister that is not only a great friend, but loves my daughter like few do. One that is short on criticism and long on love, one that checks on Emma when she is having a rough go at school just to offer an extra hug or kind word. One who seems to get my daughter, knows that she is far from perfect and loves her anyway, and oh how that love is two sided. Emma loves her Miss Cynthia, we are blessed by her whole family, not just her then there is her Mom who seems just as taken with Emma with open arms and Grandmother hugs. A Grandmother Emma sees every week and talks about a lot. We have the nursery workers who have known Jack since he was 4 weeks old, the ones that love on him, understand him, laugh with him and make his time at church oh so fun. The ones that show him Christ's love through their actions. They give him a sponge bath and put on his PJs on our late Wednesday nights, they go the extra mile to make sure our lives are easier. We have a church that loves us and our family.

Wait did I say we don't have family close? Hmm guess I was wrong, dead wrong. They might not be blood but they are family the same, we love them, are blessed by them and they love our unperfect crazy family right back.

Well at least it's not murder

It has destroyed families, our extended family has felt its wrath.

It has destroyed friendshps, I have lost several friends due to it.

It has destroyed peoples careers.

It has hurt marriages.

One of my new year's resolutions is to stop Gossiping, it is harder than I thought, but in the past year I have witnessed the damage it causes. You see gossiping or talking about what others have done to you is one sided, people only hear one side, and it is human nature to change the story and make you come out the better one. So people believe it. In the past year it has destroyed our extended family, cost my daughter relationships that she loved, and caused a lot of pain overall. I am not innocent oh no I have done by share. We have limited the information we put out there so as to hopefully curb it, and I am working on it everday to stop. I am an imperfect Christian and struggling everyday to do better. Here is what the bible has to say about it.

GOSSIP

So what do you think? Are you ready to stop? It is hard, who is willing to join me on this journey?

The Best Medicine

We took turns being sick this week from the kids random fevers to my strep throat, ear infection, and sinus infection we were a rotten bunch. We spent a lot of hours on the couch, I spent a lot of hours in bed while Andrew entertained the kids. We spent tons of time as a family. It was wonderful, it was a slow, lazy week. Andrew had the whole week off, no school or activities. Even though we all took turns feeling crappy we had an amazing week full of cuddles, love and family time. It was amazing! We are so very very blessed!

New Toys!

I am back, well at least for now we will see how long this lasts. I am really hoping to update this with pictures of the kids and updates of our family at least twice a week, this is one of my resolutions, but most of you know how that turns out:)

Nana and Papa decided to give the family money for Christmas this year since we would not see them for the holiday. We decided to use it to buy a swing set for the family. It worked out that the money was the right amount to not only buy a sing set, but also pay for it to be installed....bonus! We installed the kids swing set at the last house and it was pure hell, not fun at all. The installation was a little expensive, but it was the best money we ever spent. It meant Andrew and I got a swing set installation for Christmas, but after putting up the other set it was a great present! The weather here got cold the day it was put in so the kids have not had tons of time to play on it without freezing but Jack has been out there for at least 2 hours a day and Emma for around one, she gets cold and more uncomfortable a lot quicker. We are so very thankful for this wonderful gift, our kids love being outside and we love playing with them outside!