Christmas 2009

Well Christmas 2009 is in the books and boy will it be one we will never forget. 20 inches of snow and wind over 4 days. I feel blessed that we got to spend time with both families even though it wasn't the timeline we had planned on. So many people I have talked to never even got to leave home and didnt see any extended family for the holidays. We had a wonderful time being snowed in at my in-laws in Sioux falls. The kids had fun with their cousins and the adults enjoyed the rest and relaxation- well except for my Mother in law- she cooked and cleaned like a crazy lady! We are grateful for her :) We were never able to make it over to Mitchell so My folks, Grandma and brother came to Yankton on Sunday so we could have a mini Chrismtas celebration here. It was so nice to see them even if it was for just the day. Well I should probably be working on my christmas letter and card instead of blogging- my plan was to get a picture for our card of the kids in their Christmas outfits- well, that never happened since church on Christmas eve was cancelled! So much for that idea. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Madelyn

In the van today after school this conversation took place.

Madelyn- "mama"
Me- "Yes Madelyn"
Madelyn- "even when I go to college I will not leave you home alone- I am going to live with you and Daddy forever"
Me-"Thats nice of you Maddie, but lets wait and see how you feel when its time to go to college"
Madelyn "MOM! I am not leaving!"
Me- no comment :)

I had to laugh as I envisioned this picture 14 years from now- A grown up Madelyn with her backpack all ready for college but still living with us! Not sure how we feel about that :)

C is for Cookie

Enjoyed a morning with great friends, a rolling pin, and lots of frosting and sprinkles. It is definately more fun to make cut out sugar cookies with a group of chatty friends. Now I need to plate these cookies and start giving them away so they will not continue to tempt me! Try to not salivate when looking at these pictures :)

a boy and some eggs

OWEN CLIFFORD! was what I yelled when I walked around the island to find the mess. To top it all off I was right in the middle of making a recipe that required 2 eggs AND I was planning on having french toast for supper. So it looks like we will be making a trip to the grocery store for eggs. I also posted a picture that reminds me why I always forgive him- he is so sweet and I know he loves his Mama! This mama does not share ice cream with just anyone:)

Word of the week

Lauren's word of the week is "legend" So we decided to present a tall tale from Paul Bunyan and his ox named Babe. This gives me a perfect excuse to post a picture of my very handsome nephews Adam and Jake. They dressed up as Paul Bunyan and his Ox for Halloween this past year. Too cute!!!

Snow day!

We woke up to 7 inches of snow, lots of wind and bitter cold! That can only mean one thing... NO SCHOOL!! We decided to make some cut out cookies- it was fun but mom is exhausted as she was left cutting out cookies long after everyone else got bored of it.

Lauren is 8!

A very special event took place 8 years ago today. Our firstborn Lauren entered the world and we will be forever grateful! Thanks for 8 wonderful years Lauren! I attached pictures of her family party and the party she had with her friends.
When we lived in Omaha we celebrated most special events by eating out at the Red Robin. It was our favorite place! So today I thought it would be fun to have a girls day and travel to Sioux City where they happen to have a Red Robin and have lunch. Will was hunting and Owen got to stay here with a sitter. We had a great day celebrating the day Lauren was born :)

Away in the manger

We have been looking for just the right manger scene to display outside our home for a few years now. It looks like white wood but its actually some type of industrial pvc piping material. You never know what you might find on the internet! I will let you know how it survives the holiday season.

Just call me Ma....

The word of the week for Lauren's class is "Pioneer". So, we consulted one of our favorite pioneers known as Grandma Darlene :) She borrowed us her butter churner. The girls and I decided to give it a trial run last night- 45 minutes later it made wonderful butter! Lauren is going to take it to school on Friday and demonstrate for the class. Well, the wood burning stove needs to be attended to and my wash board is awaiting me. Ma

The ADVENTure of the Christmas season

The kids and I lit our first candle of the advent season this morning. (Sunday mornings are too crazy to do it then) The first purple candle stands for HOPE. It invites us to thank God for the hope we have in Jesus. I highly recommend the book "The Adventure of Christmas" for your kids. Its a great book full of ideas about how to help children find Jesus in our holiday traditions.

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful for a wonderful family, extended family and friends!
We had a great Thanksgiving with my Mother and Father in law and some friends from our church. The only proof of the day I have is the decorated table. God has blessed me in so many ways and I have so much to be thankful for!

The night it all began.....

I had to post 2 blogs today as I noticed the date on the calendar and realized that Will and I had our first date 17 years ago today. I am now realizing what an accomplishment it was to snag him during the hunting season. I don't think I have seen him on a November 22nd since that first date :) I love you "babe"

I am embarrased to say I had to search a long time to find a picture of the two of us to post tonight. The picture I used is at least 3 years old. I am going to try harder to get the two of us in a few pictures from now on.

From one driveway to the next....

We had a wonderful time with our dear friends the Christo's this weekend. We are so grateful for our years together on Grand Avenue in Omaha! The kids picked up right where they left off. It was neat to see Courtney and Madelyn connect so quickly. They were only 18 months when we moved away, so they never had the chance to develop the strong friendships that the twins and Lauren and Jillian did. As always its bittersweet to spend time with them now. We miss them all so much. Thank goodness for pictures and tons of memories! I dusted off a few old pictures from Omaha and I also attached a few from this weekend.

a boy and his pockets...

Owen has recently discovered his pockets. He loves to stuff things in them. Specifically, crayons, matchbox cars and puzzle pieces. I guess I will really need to check his pockets before I do laundry!

after school...

I pulled out my camera today because I noticed Owen playing BY HIMSELF in the playroom! This is a big deal as he is usually scaling tables and countertops as well as cleaning out any and all cupboards in my kitchen. You will notice Madelyn is doing a puzzle on top of our island. This is the only "safe" place in our home right now. We have removed all of the stools so Owen cannot climb up there. Jillian is attempting to do a puzzle in the dining room, but we have blocked the doorways with the stools- I told her to hurry up and finish it before Owen realizes she is in there :) I am starting to realize what they mean when they refer to the "terrible twos"!

Ear piercing

Lauren had her ears pierced this weekend in Sioux Falls. She was very brave and is doing so well at taking care of them. It was a fun day with our Grandma and cousins.

It seemed like a good day to make.....

GRANOLA!!

Thanks to my friend Steph and her friend Giada (professional food network chef) for the recipe.

Happy Birthday to.....

My Mom! She is 62 years old today. Thanks for everything mom. We love you!!!

Operation Christmas Child

Its that time of year once again. " Operation Christmas Child" The girls and I enjoy filling the shoeboxes to be sent around the world in hopes of making another child's christmas as special as ours always is. Our church had these worksheets available for the kids to fill out. That really helped them visualize a little girl recieving their box. There is a way to track your box online this year. I have always wondered where those boxes end up? We will let you know!

A typical scene from the playroom......

Don' feel too bad for the little guy-Its usually the other way around. Owen is definately in charge of the playroom most days!

leaving a legacy.....

I decided to start a blog! Why would a busy mom of 4 want a blog? Well, I mainly want it as a way to document glimpses of our days around our busy household. The kids are growing and changing so fast and I want something where I can capture bits and pieces of their lives through journaling and pictures. At some point I can print my blog and then put in their scrapbooks.
Apparently you have to name your blog- so after thoughtful consideration I decided to name our blog. The title was taken from a 2 and 1/2 year bible study I just completed today. It was titled "mom to mom" and it was a biblically based cirriculum designed to take a closer look at what God's word has to say about our mission as moms. It was awesome and I am going to miss that bible study. The title of the blog is "Beginning at the end: Legacy living from day one." It basically says in order to leave a legacy you need to live a legacy. I basically need to live from a backwards point of view- which means we look at the end goal first- my end goal is to live a life of kindness, compassion and service to God and others. Knowing that goal allows me to really think about how I want to parent, what kind of friend I want to be, and how I want to serve others etc. The way I carry out these tasks throughout my life will basically end up being my legacy. So there you have it. Check back later for more blog entries
Hilary