Weekend...

These are just random pictures of our weekend taken with the Droid...We were lucky to have a nice long weekend with Jon! After all the time he spends away from home working...sometimes even through the weekends...we look forward to this slow time to just be a family! We had a nice quite weekend...just enjoying the simple moments for being together!

Since it was rather cold and snowy outside we kept busy inside...computer work, cooking, baking, crafting, reading stories, playing, laughing, tickle wars...simple family time...good memories for the children...We did venture out to go out for Chinese with Grandma B. ...but we forgot to take any pictures...

Elsie enjoyed Saturday morning cartoons...Doodle Bops is her favorite...she does not have time to watch cartoons or any age appropriate shows...but for some reason she likes this one! She normally prefers to watch shows like, Parent Trap, Cheaper by the Dozen, Gilmore Girls, Romona and Beezus...she has a need to see real people...while watching cartoons she is always complaining because , "they are not real people!"

Had to share this one...Jon rarely lets me take his picture! Jon was on his way outside to shovel the snow off the roof...and to shovel a path to the garage and mailbox...again!

Our excitement of the weekend was watching James learn to crawl...he does the most adorable army crawl...he pushes off with his feet and pulls with his arms until he gets to where he wants! He keeps pulling his knees up under him more and more and rocks...so it is just a matter of time before he takes off really crawling! He seems so young to be crawling...at 6mo. I think Elsie was just figuring out how to roll over! I guess every baby is different...

Play time...strange pictures...but neat at the same time...James and Elsie have so much fun playing together...Elsie loves to make her brother laugh! It never fails...no matter how un-happy he is, his sister makes everything all better! Jon and I found ourselves watching these two play together a lot this weekend...and loving it...nothing better than watching your children have fun together...these two have a close bond already...

A good weekend...we have a great little family...couldn't ask for a better life...

Not Happy!

Why is this little guy crying?

Maybe because his big sister thinks he wants to sit in her pink baby doll stroller and play house with her! I don't think playing house (or pink strollers) is his thing!

Art Work...

Elsie loves to do art projects...her own art projects that is! She really has no time at all for organized art work...if I have a project with directions there is no way she is going to follow those directions...she would rather find her own creative way! Sometimes I find it frustrating...like when we made Thanksgiving turkeys to mail to family...most of the turkeys had about 3 eyes...because she liked it better that way! My mom assures me her independent, creative ways are normal and a good thing...
No project is ever a true project unless lots of glue is involved...Elsie normally likes to unscrew the top and dump at least half a bottle out in a bowl...and stirring it with a pencil is always a fun thing, I guess!

Lately Elsie has been into crafting with her foam letters...she knows most of the letters in the alphabet now...so she "writes" words by using the first letters of what she trying to spell...it is like a treasure hunt!

This little glue project was something Elsie was making for her Auntie Emma...I think it took her several days...I have never seen so much glue on a project!

Embrace the Camera...

Our Embrace the Camera photos were taken by my mom while we were at the tubing hill...all bundled up...trying to stay cozy...

I think James is saying..."okay mom, enough of this, lets go play!" He really was pretty happy little guy considering that he is working on tooth #4 and 5!

And the last one...with Auntie Marissa...pictures with little aunties count for Embrace the Camera...right?!

Family Fun Day...

Last weekend we went on a family fun day outing with my whole family...to the Tubing Hill! Everyone had a blast! This was our first time going to the tubing hill...and I have a funny feeling it won't be the last! When we woke up the temp was -11'...but by the time we got to the hill it was a heat wave of 10'!
It really did turn out to be a lovely day...the sun was shining and it felt way warmer than it really was...and hand and toe warmers are always a plus! James loved outside watching the action...but I think I spent half my time walking up all those steps to the chalet so the little guy could warm up...he mostly spent his warming up time screaming because he wanted back out!

My mom and sister, Laura...my mother will probably happily kill me for putting a picture of her on my blog...she is pretty good at hiding behind the camera...

James...chilling out sitting in Daddy's tube...he was quite happy to sit here for awhile and be pulled around by his aunties...Love those shades...he must have loved them also...at least he didn't pull them off!

Elsie and Daddy...Elsie loved going down the hill...she went several times...She later told me how fun it was except that her cheeks here hurting from all the cold air rushing against them! I guess she also kept her eyes closed...not sure why...she is making plans to go back another day...

The life of a child...daddy doing all the work!

Oops...another one of Grammie and James...It was just too cute not to add...James loves his Grammie...

Miss Elsie Jane...she was super pooped out after all that fresh air...

I think there were 14 people in our group...only my mom and I did not go tubing...and all the rest thought it was great fun to go down together in a big group...they were always laughing and having a good time! At one point all the guys decided to try standing up on their tubes as they went zooming down the hill...they got into trouble by the workers since it was clearly posted "do NOT stand on tubes!" Some rules are meant as suggestions, right?

Sometimes they would get so much speed going down the hill someone would fly right off the end of the embankment! This only resulted in more laughter...good think snow is soft when you land...for the most part anyhow!

I had a really hart time not going down the hill...but my Chiropractor thought it was best if I sit it out this time to let my back heal more...bummer! After hearing about all the aching mussels the next day I am quite happy I didn't go! The girls told me holding onto the rope to get up the hill was the hardest part of tubing...and took them a couple days for their mussels to feel "normal" again!

We had such a fun day...we have decided to make family days a regular thing now...can't wait for the next event! Days like this is what a big family is about...being together, enjoying a laugh together, creating a memory...we are all so blessed...

Lunch Time...

This is the scene at our house every day as I prepare Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner...I put James in the highchair and Elsie keeps him entertained...I think it keeps them both entertained plus Elsie feels very responsible when I ask her to "watch" her brother and keep him from fussing!
They sing songs, play peek-a-boo, laugh at each other...anything they think of at the moment. I think it is so fun to watch them having fun and playing together...Elsie adores her brother and James loves his sister. No matter how upset James is, Elsie can always make him laugh! And it seems that now they play together a little more I can get a bit more done around the house...who knew I would so happy to find time to wash dishes!?

Play...

What can possibly be more fun than playing in a big box? I think I have talked about this big box in other posts...as you can tell this box must be a source of good entertainment for the children since it has made it into a couple posts!
This was the first time James got in the box to play...I think he liked it...at least his sister loved the idea of having him play in the box with her!

"hey, mom...what am I doing in here!"

James really was happy to play in the box for a while...I think he liked the new texture under his fingers!

A Little Prayer...

Elsie has taken upon herself to say a special little prayer at bed time...and I think it is so sweet. Every night Elsie prays this prayer, "Dear God, Please let us adopt a sister from Ethiopia. Amen." How much sweeter can a three-year old prayer get? Jon and I have always known at some point we would like to adopt a child, and we have talked about the possibility of adopting from Ethiopia...I guess Elsie heard us talking and took it upon herself to start praying about it! I thought she would just pray her prayer for a few night and forget...but she has not missed a single day since before Christmas...one day she fell asleep before prayer time so she prayed her prayer in the morning...she has real dedication! I have tried to get her to simply pray for a sister, because God might want us the adopt from somewhere else or have another biological child, but she refuses...it must be a baby girl from Ethiopia! Elsie wants a sister so badly...she has even started a piggy bank for the "Ethiopia Baby!" She has thought of everything...what to name the baby, where the baby will sit in the car, what toys the baby can play with...it is good to have a plan and focus, I guess!
While Elsie and I were shopping a few days ago she found a little Ethiopia doll...and she begged for it...I let her buy the doll with her own money...and the doll goes every where with her!

It will be interesting to see how long Elsie will continue her prayer and how God will answer her...

Stylin' Reindeer...

I love watching Elsie come out of her room with a new outfit on...I can't help but chuckle at some of her get-ups! She is always so confident in whatever she picks out...Lately this little Reindeer headband has been part of many of her outfits...
I really don't think anyone else who tries to wear a super short tutu and red cowboy boots could pull off the look nearly as cute as she does...

She assured me the tutu was not too short to wear to town...I did manage to have her at least some jeans on under the tutu...

This box is her fort...we have had it in the dining room for well over a month...every day she plays in it...and cuts it up a little bit more...then adds lots and lots of tape to what she just cut...she has almost no top on it now because it is her convertible...other times she puts something over the top and it is her school bus...ya just never know...

You see...Jon and I spent lots and lots of money buying her fancy little Christmas presents...yet everyday she plays with this old box...I have a funny feeling that she is getting more creative play out of this box than she would with any store bought toy anyhow...I can't wait though until she done with this big box...it kinda takes up lots of space in the dining room!

Snack Time...

Whoever designed these little mesh snack bags is a brilliant person for sure...James uses his snack bag all the time. Now that he knows what it is he gets excited when he sees it...so far we have just put Apples or Pears in the bags. He prefers the pears because they squish out of the mesh easier...and his mommy just loves cleaning up a super sticky and messy boy!
We give James baby rice twice a day...breakfast and supper...he loves to eat! So far he has tried pears, applesauce, avocado, banana and peas...he loves it all...he never makes any funny face when trying sometime new. He also gets Mum Mum crackers for a little snack...we break the Mum Mum's up in small pieces on his highchair tray...he can actually pick the little pieces up and get them into his mouth...such a big boy!

A New Hat...

No one can ever say that Elsie does not have a creative mind...One day she decided to create a new hat...she took a piece of fabric and tied it around her head and ears...but soon realized that the back of her head was exposed...never fear when Elsie's creative mind kicks it...(FYI no, she is not picking her nose...though it does look like it...and that is Henna art on her hands...we do a lot of Henna like artwork except we use Sharpie markers...so fun!)
She ran to her room and found a doll outfit and draped it around the back of her head...she held it in place with a chip clip from the pantry...now how clever is that!? Jon and I did our best to keep our laughter from escaping! And, yes, just for the record she did go out and about to Grammie and Papa Wayne's house with her lovely new hat creation on...

4 Years Ago...

4 years ago Jon and I became Mr. and Mrs and started our life together as husband and wife...it seems like just yesterday we were still dating...on the other hand it seems like we have been together forever!

Jon and I have know each other since were quite young...my family attended the church were his father was the minister...and Jon and I never got along at all. I simply could not stand him...he was in-mature and had a bad attitude...he thought I was a "goody-two-shoes". I almost dropped out of confirmation simply because I could not stand him! After we graduated we went our separate ways and never thought of each other at all. A few years later we found ourselves going on the same mission trip to Jamaica...I soon discovered he didn't have such a bad attitude and he soon discovered I had a sense of humor and was not so perfect. After the 2 weeks mission trip was over we were good friends. We remained good friends after that...dated for a couple years...decided to get married...and here we are 4 years later...with 2 children and still lovin' each other!

Love you, Jon...

Embrace the Camera...

Thursday...back to Embrace the Camera! These are some pictures from a couple weeks ago. We were all bundled up ready to go out...

James has quite a thing for his Daddy...he sees Jon from across the room and he started reaching his arms out and whining because he wants his daddy to hold him! I think it is so cute...

My little bown-eyed guy and his daddy...love it!