Silly Sayings

I should keep a better log of all the cute things that my children say.  They both have silly sayings and words that make me smile.  And I know, sooner than later, they will stop saying them, and I will forget. 

So, here's my attempt at saving a few.  I hope I get the wording right! 

Mishelle spotted snow on the mountains while we were driving one day.  "Mom, when I have angel wings I'm going to fly up to God and ask Him for a rag so I can wipe the snow off the mountains." 

In the car on the way to visit a friend one morning, Michael says:  "Do you love Mommy?"  Mishelle says:  "Yep, I sure do!"  Michael finishes with: "I love Mommy too."  Talk about melt your heart!!!

Silly little Mishelle gets the biggest kick out of saying, "Trash!"  Oh to jump inside their little minds and figure it all out! :)

Michael is so good at saying his 'L's already.  It's hilarious when he thinks about saying them though, because he'll still his tongue out when he says one.  Gorilla is my favorite lately....He says:  "Galalas." 



That's it for today.  I will try to add more as I think of them, or as they are said. 
Have a wonderful evening!

Why we exhort the kids to Walk in the house!

Today is my Birthday!  When my sister turned 29, she informed me that it was her last Birthday and that from now on, she would be celebrating the Anniversary of her 29th Birthday.  I like that idea!

So, instead of a party tonight, I spent the evening in the Emergency room with Michael.  He's such a bruiser!  I'll spare you all the pictures, because this one tells all..... (warning: it's a bit graphic)

After the initial shock wore off, he was quite the happy boy, even smiling for me on the way to the ER.  And he was a trooper through it all.  The doc glued the wound shut, and then put tape over the glue.  And ta da! Good as new!

Happy Birthday Michael!

My little man turned 2 today.  I remember being pregnant with him and wishing he would be born on my birthday so we could always have a big party together.  This year, I decided he'd get the big party, and I'd enjoy it like it was for me too!

Knowing how much Michael LOVES dirt, I wanted him to get to play in some on his birthday.  So, Ryan brought home a load of dirt for the backyard.  Then I set to work decorating our home, inside and out, to fit a construction theme.  I had so much fun placing cones everywhere, making construction signs and hanging yellow, black and orange balloons all over.  We even had caution tape...so fun!

As you can see, the dirt was a big hit!  All the kids played in it for hours.  Many of the gifts that day fit the theme too, like this cool dump truck.

For the most part, Michael took the whole party a bit too seriously.  He's not like that, so it was nice to see a smile from him when he opened this musical card from a friend.  It was Elmo singing Happy Birthday!

Even the decor at the buffet table fit the theme.  See the salad in the paint tray?  I even had the utensils in a toy tool box.

For a birthday cake, I scooped chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, and crushed chocolate cookies into the back of a large dump truck to look like dirt.  It looked fantastic! And tasted even better!

Michael really had a lot of fun.  (I think maybe I had more fun!!)  He was a good sport and wore the Birthday Crown I made for him. He also did awesome at blowing out the candles!  And he played and played and played in the dirt until he was filthy from head to toe. 

 In fact, he hardly noticed as everyone started leaving, because he was so busy digging.  And that's where he was long after they were gone.....happy as can be in a big pile of dirt!

A Father's Love

Every day when Ryan gets home, the kids immediately forget what they're doing and excitedly run to see Daddy.  He always greets them with a smile and a hug.  And then the children usually take turns getting thrown into the air by Daddy.  He calls it flying.  They love it! 

No matter how awful the day...  No matter how awful their mood...  No matter the circumstances...  This is their routine.  The children know Daddy loves them.  They know he will smile at them.  Hug them. Play with them. 

I am so thankful that this is their routine, because they are learning something precious about God:  We can come to God, our heavenly Father, under any circumstances, and He will love us!  And if the children's earthly father loves them that much.... How much MORE will their Father in heaven!!

One of those days

This morning was rough.  Ryan and I were sluggish to get the day started.  The kids were super grumpy.  It felt like a Monday for sure.  But that's just it...it's not Monday.  It's Friday.  You know, TGIF??  Well, I suppose it doesn't matter what day it is, we always should be thankful for a new day.  So, even though we didn't feel like being happy, we took a moment before Ryan left for work this morning to thank God for blessing us with a new day and asked Him to help us have joyful hearts.  Did it work?  Yeah, I think it did.  We've still had more downs than ups today, and I am exhausted and dreaming of this:

...But overall I am thankful for today.  Thankful for my two little blessings, no matter how much work they are.  Thankful for my amazing hubby.  Thankful for a merciful God.  Oh...the list of what I am thankful for could get long.  So, I'll save that for another post.

 I just wanted to encourage you that even when you seem to wake up on the wrong side of the bed and it looks like it's going to be one of those days, stop and pray.  Ask God to help you change your attitude and pray the same for your family. Choose to be thankful and have joy in your heart no matter the circumstances.  It works!

Two in One

It's getting harder and harder to get both kids in one picture.  Okay, I admit, they play together or at least near each other quite often, but am I quick enough to capture the right moment?  Usually not.  And more often than not, when I run to get the camera, I come back to discover them fighting, or doing something else, in seperate places.

Yesterday, both Mishelle and Michael were in such great moods!  And they didn't mind their Momma getting snap-happy (that's what I call it anyways).  So, I took a few pictures:

And my favorite...hugs! 

Mishelle was so delighted to be getting some love from Michael.  He was a good sport. Usually he's too busy playing with his trucks to play hugging games.

I'm so thankful they can enjoy each other some of the time.  Sure makes up for all the fighting!  And gives me hope that maybe they'll be friends. 

Hot PINK Smoothie!

Have you ever wondered how to incorporate more healthy foods into your kids diet? I know I have! Last month I tried to serve beets with dinner. Needless to say, Mishelle and Michael didn't like them.

That's what I got the idea....maybe I could put them in a smoothie! So, that's what I did. Isn't it pretty?

And they BOTH loved it!

Now that we eat smoothies for breakfast, this is how the kids enjoy beets, kale, swiss chard, beet tops and bok choy!
What creative ways have you discovered for slipping in the veggies?

Hello Blogosphere

It's official. After months of taking pictures around the house of this and that, and thinking, "Hmmm, that would make a great blog post!" ...I am here.

I'd like this blog to be a source of encouragment for anyone experiencing the same things we do. And I really like the idea of documenting our life happenings so that our children will remember (and me too!).

Welcome!