Snuggles!

Sylvia is the snuggliest little girl we've ever known...and WE LOVE IT! She's been snuggly since she was born, and asks us for snuggles several times a day. She loves to snuggle more than almost anything else. Usually, she will suck her thumb and twirl her hair or the hair of the person snuggling with her. It's the BEST!!!! I thank the Lord frequently for making her this way, and pray she will stay snuggly for a long, long, long, long time!!!!

chandelier

Annah loves to take pictures. She took a few around the house tonight for fun. This is our living room chandelier.

Fancy Date

We have been having a lot of fit-throwing around our house lately. So, we decided that the kids need some special one-on-one times with Mommy or Daddy. From time to time we like to plan dates with our kids. Today, Sylvia and I got to go on a date! Over the past week or so, I would ask her what she wanted to do on our date. Here were her suggestions:

• Go to a hotel with a pool and a hot tub and spend the night.


• Go someplace crafty and make crafty things.


• Dress up fancy and go to a fancy restaurant.


• Go to a game place and play games.

SO, here is what we did... (Can you believe I forgot the camera?!?! Grrr!)

We dressed up in nice clothes--which Sylvia enjoys, but I don't always care to do. I had a haircut appointment. Since Sylvia is all about the hair, she thought that was pretty cool. She sat and watched all the people getting their hair cut and styled and colored. She wore her fancy coat, and everywhere we went people smiled and stared and commented on it. She loved that!

Then we went to Hobby Lobby. I can't remember the last time Sylvia and I went to any store just the two of us. It was really fun. She wanted to touch and buy all of the pretty things, but also enjoyed just looking at everything. We picked out some papers, stickers, and supplies to make a scrapbook of about her favorite things at age 3. Can't wait to start on that with her!

For lunch, we dined at Biaggi's, which is the fanciest place I've been to in Bloomington. I think this was Sylvie's favorite part of our date. She tried to talk "fancy," and even ordered her Sprite and "pasghetti" and meatballs herself. She enjoyed coloring on the paper covering the tablecloth and helped me polish off a whole basket of that wonderful Biaggi's bread. She hummed and kicked her feet the whole time she ate. I could tell she was happy and having fun.

I tried to take some pics of us with my phone camera, but didn't have much luck...You can see my eye in the top right corner of the one. So, I just took one of Sis instead...

I'm so thankful for the wonderful opportunity to spend time with my precious daughter alone. We thoroughly enjoyed each other's company on our special date!

Back at home, Jeremy and Annah and Caeden watched Cars for the umpteenth time--still a treasured activity though. Then, he took them to the mall to watch a friend ride his bike in an indoor stationary race. He also took the kids to McD's and got them DQ ice cream! So, they were happy spending time with Daddy too!

Birthday Buddies!

Tonight Sylvia was invited to her friend Kayla's 4th birthday party, and I got to go with her. (Our families are friends from church!) It was kind of extra special, as Kayla's mommy Julie and I were pregnant at the same time with these little ladies and grew very close sharing that experience. So, it's really neat now that our girls are friends and want to share their birthdays! Sylvia liked Kayla's Strawberry Shortcake party, and really had a lot of fun playing the Hullaballo DVD game with all the other kids! Happy birthday Kayla!

Chapel Choir memories

Thanks to my dear friend Dustin, I have come across some wonderful memories recently. I love when happy memories come around into light again and I get to remember them all over; it's such a huge blessing! It's not that I had forgotten, it's just that I was given new evidence that helped me relive these memories again...

When I was at Cap, I had an unmatchable four-year once-in-a-lifetime experience--singing in the Chapel Choir. We rehearsed our hearts out together for hours and hours each week, performed frequently, traveled together, knew each other very well. So, naturally, we had all kinds of wonderful moments and experiences together. No matter what Chapel Choir moments I may forget, I will never forget the caliber of the music we made; I am quite sure I will probably never have the opportunity to sing with a group of this high standard again in my life. I am forever grateful for the four years I had of the honor.

So, these re-introduced memories...

Dustin granted me a huge favor of sending me some photos he took during these years--which were 1995-1999. I'm so glad he realized the importance of taking photos [even when many of us pretended we didn't want him to] when I was too busy to realize how much they would mean later!! And, I'm so happy he granted my wish to have them! You rock Dustin!

This is the 1995-1996 Chapel Choir, (in our purple travel shirts) in the choir room where we rehearsed in the Conservatory. Can you find me? I love these people--even if I am already forgetting a few last names 12 years later!

This photo is from my sophomore year, I think. (These 3 sopranos are Susan, Sarah, and me.) I had completely forgotten about this tradition--BACKRUBS!!!! The first part of our warm-ups every time we started rehearsal was always backrubs--the person next to us, then we'd turn around and get the person on the other side of us. Ahhhhhhhh!!!

This would be spring semester of 1996--Bree, Ann, Lisa, and me in the "fishbowl" of the Conservatory. (For those non-Cap-ers, this is the main hangout spot of the Con, and it was just called the fishbowl because of the round wall inside the windows all around.) Such sweet ladies! I wish I could be back in touch with all of them!

This was during tour 1999, my senior year. I was the Chapel Choir President this year, so I was in charge of recording sales after concerts. (Weldon and Vicky were working the table with me too!) I was so honored to be the choir's president--and that my peers would choose me! Being in charge of the cash box wasn't so fun though. I will never forget when it was stolen during Christmas Festival, and a couple hundred dollars were in it! I was devastated and so embarrassed to tell Dr. Hasseler that it had happened, because I felt responsible.

This was also during tour '99...it was always so tiring!

Apparently this was tour '99 too; must've been when we were standing out side the Conservatory getting ready to leave. This is my rock-star look! I sure don't ever remember looking like that; even Annah said I looked cool! Ha ha ha. That's Bill and Heather and Nan behind me. It's so fun to see even these little pieces of people.

And here's Dustin and me before (or maybe after) a concert...looks like junior or senior year.

Miss Tori

Our friend Tori (Miss Tori, to the kids) came to hang out with us for a day!

Sylvia and Caeden helped her pick out our coolest stickers to put on her brace/shoe.

Cow Coloring Contest

Annah has been talking about a school coloring contest for several days now. She said each grade colored a picture, and the kindergarten colored a cow. Every day she has mentioned that the winner hadn't been decided yet. All the while, I was envisioning that the entire kindergarten worked together to color a big picture of a cow, so I was a little surprised today when she came home and showed me prizes she received for winning the coloring contest! After a few questions, I realized each student colored a picture of a cow, and apparently the high school student judges thought hers was the best cow in kindergarten!

She was so cute when she got home, and told me not to peek in her bag while she showed me all her papers first. Then she pulled out a pencil and a battery-powered bubble maker and said, "I won the coloring contest!!!!!" She was SO excited!!! I think she knew she worked really hard on her picture and must have really been hoping, hoping, hoping she might win. Very exciting stuff!

Hop-A-Thon Day!

Sylvia did a great job participating in the Hop-A-Thon at school today! She hopped 187 times!!!! She even surprised herself, I think!

First Loose Tooth!

Annah was pracitcing her violin a few minutes ago, and after a song she stopped and said, "I think I have a loose tooth!!" I checked it out, and she sure does! She has been waiting a couple years now, watching other kids her age lose teeth, and she's elated that she'll get her turn soon!

a big gift

If you know me really, really well, you know I am not a [literally] neat person. I am a terrible housekeeper, and many of you would probably consider me a slob. It's very sad really, and I don't like that I'm this way. In fact, the mess of my house drives me crazy.

But, I have this weird glitch in my mind that makes me think it is actually more work to put things away right when I'm done with them or clean continually as I go around making/seeing messes. I know it's not true, yet I still can't get myself to do what I know I should. This is one of my ugly struggles.

Last night I was lamenting over the horror of our kitchen floor. I really hate mopping. It's a lot like how I feel about exercising, and you saw/can see my feelings about that a few posts back. Ugh. Hate it. Therefore, I do not do it very often. At all. Less than once a month, usually. (I know! Ew!) And, with 3 small children who frequently drop all kinds of food...you can imagine how disgusting it gets. Nasty; I know. So, during my lamenting (alright, it was really complaining) last night I was telling Jeremy that I really hate our kitchen floor and I think we should just make it a dirt floor!

When I and came downstairs this morning, the kitchen floor was clean! (I was unusually exhausted last night and went to bed at about 9:00. I have no idea when Jeremy came to bed or got up to leave this morning.) I don't know when he did it, but I consider it a wonderful gift from my dear husband! It may not seem like a big deal, but it surely is to me! Love that man!!!

I NEED you!

Last night Jeremy put Caeden to bed. While he was putting the girls to bed I went in Caeden's room to give him hugs and kisses. Then I turned to shut off the light and leave his room. Apparently he didn't think I gave him enough lovin' because he sat up and started saying, "Mommy! Wait! I love you! I want more hugs and kisses! Wait! I love you! I NEED you!"

Super Girl!

Jeremy and Sylvia started this little activity up again last night...Super Girl!!! After a few seconds of this, all three kids had blankets tied around them and were running around the house with their arms in front of them yelling, "Super Girl!" We had to remind Caeden to say, "Super BOY!" instead.

Brings to mind some lyrics...

I live for little moments like that.

Capes!

Snow Mountain

It finally stopped snowing and blowing, so while Daddy was shoveling this morning, we went out to play!


You can see we have quite a lot of snow--at least more than we've had in the kids' lifetime!








The most fun challenge of this morning was to climb to the top of the snow mountain!




























Caeden wanted to try "sweeping" the snow like Daddy, so he was given a chance with the shovel!

I wub you Balentime!

That's how Caeden woke me up this morning--"I wub you Balentime!" Actually, the girls came in and each said, "Mommy, happy Valentine's Day! I love you." And then Caeden climbed up on the bed and delivered his message. Too sweet. What better way to start Valentine's Day?!?

The first thing they asked to do when I got downstairs was to open their Valentine cards from Gram & Krampa. Gram made them each a really neat heart mobile, and they all thought they were the coolest things!

Daddy (who was home from work on a delay due to the blizzard) made pancakes for breakfast! Yum!

Blizzard of '07

So how are you enjoying "The Blizzard of 2007," as they are calling it here on our local news? Apparently we've gotten about 10" of snow today, but it's hard to tell because of all the blowing and drifting. State Farm closed their offices today, and school was cancelled today, and again for tomorrow by 6pm tonight. We hope you are staying safe and warm! We are doing well here...very thankful to have power and heat!

Jeremy is outside again right now shoveling, hoping it will make it easier to shovel himself out in the morning.

Hey Andy, does Jeremy's hat remind of you of a certain college class project video???

A "New" Violin!

After her lesson this week, Annah came out of the room with her teacher, who said, "Annah has something to tell you..." It was, "I need a bigger violin!" She's been growing! So, we immediately took hers to trade it in for a bigger one!

She seems to be adjusting nicely (as far as her mom, who has no knowledge of string instruments can tell!), and is playing some fun songs. It's very exciting to hear and watch her play.

Wind Farm Progress

There are many windmills up around us now! --Too many for us to count while driving by anymore! The first phase of the Wind Farm is supposed to be completed within the first part of this year, so the work they are doing now is obvious and seems quick.

Even in the cold temperatures, we see more being completed each day! They work on them day and night, and at night time, they have huge lights shining up on them as the assemble them! It's just incredible to watch!

Today, Jeremy and the kids watched the top "tube" (I don't know the proper terminology; sorry!) part of one being put on by a crane. Three people were visible inside the top as the next piece was put on, and Annah thought they were birds because they looked so small in comparison to the huge windmill!

In the top photo, you can see some windmills in the distance, as well as some that are being worked on by huge cranes.

The bottom photo is one of the windmills that is very near our house. Only the bottom part of it is installed, and the top two "tube" parts lie on the ground near it, and so does the assembled 3-propeller piece and the engine. We are really hoping we'll be lucky enough to see them put some of the rest of it together close up!

Dinner for 3

Last night we had the pleasure of attending Dinner for 3 -- An Intimate Evening with God, a very special Valentine's Dinner put on by the youth of our church.

We thoroughly enjoyed it! The setting was lovely...What's better than candlelight?! The food was yummy...Poppyseed Chicken is my favorite, and the Butterscotch Torte Jeremy had was amazing! (Gotta get that recipe!) The music, readings, and scriptures were romantic and touching. And, the company was fun...We shared a table with Larry & Cindy and Steve & Cheryl.

The teens and youth workers all did a fantastic job! The whole setup was great... We took the kids along, and they were watched over and given supper in the nurseries and classrooms. And, area grocery stores donated all the food, so our $30 went completely to the youth to use towards their summer trips/camps/activities! (They raised $1100!!!!) We wouldn't be able to find a nicer, less expensive date anywhere else! We just thought it was wonderful all around! What a blessing!

MemoryWorks Scrapbooking

MemoryWorks will be coming out with their new 2007-2008 catalog in April! I'm super excited to see what new products we will be carrying!

In the meantime, please let me know if you would like one of the current catalogs. They are $5, but I will give you a $5-off coupon to use with an order of $40 or more!

As always, feel free to let me know if you'd like to order anything! All MemoryWorks catalog products (plus more!) can be viewed online in the Product Showcase, and I can have items drop-shipped directly to you at no additional shipping cost!

Here are some of my personal favorite MW products... (Click photos for links to these items in the MemoryWorks catalog!)

Flourishes clear acrylic stamps by Rhonna Farrer for Autumn Leaves

Splendor rub-ons and papers by Rhonna Farrer for Autumn Leaves

Urban Couture patterned papers, tags, and monograms by Basic Grey

Prima Flowers

The Crop-a-Dile by We R Memory Keepers

Floral/Dingbat Foam Stamps by Making Memories

Prismatics Cardstock Multipacks by Prism

All of these are items I have purchased through MemoryWorks and absolutely love!! Please feel free to ask questions about any of these or other MW products!

Hop-A-Thon!

Sylvia is taking pledges for Hop-A-Thon at school!

On February 22nd, she will see how many times she can hop in 2 minutes! If you would like to make a pledge (per hop or a blanket amount), Sylvia and her school would greatly appreciate it!

(Students generally hop between 150-250 times in 2 minutes!) It will be fun to see how she does!

exercising

As you may have guessed, I find it incredibly important to record/remember/preserve memories. Only the Lord knows the length of our lives on earth, and I hope and pray the memories I am creating now will be a legacy of love and faith for my children and those who are here after I am gone.

Now, don't know how that got so serious up there in that paragraph before, but in the next ones I just want to leave a memory from my childhood that I remembered up today. One of those that has been buried under some cobwebs for a while...

A miracle has happened in our house this week! I have exercised 3 days in a row. That never happens. And, I have probably just cursed myself by announcing it here. But, I bring it up to say that it got me thinking about exercise.

I loathe to exercise. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Absolutely hate it. Seriously. It takes a mighty whack across the tush from God above to get me to do it. I would rather do about anything else. You get the point. But, I know I need to do it. Especially now that I am getting "older" and am still lugging around at least 20 extra pounds I earned through my pregnancies. And, now that I know I have high cholesterol. And, because I know my family's incredibly scary histories of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and more. Every day I mentally lecture myself about doing good for my body. But most days I don't DO it. At least I have exercised this week. Now, don't ask me about the diet...all that leftover junk food from the Superbowl. Ugh. Eating Cheetos for breakfast is NOT doing good for anyone's body!

Anyway, exercising in front of my kids made me remember my mom exercising when I was little. (I hope this doesn't embarrass you Mom! It's a good thing!) When she was roughly the age I am now and I was roughly the age my kids are now, she did aerobics. A lot. Or at least, that's what my brain remembers. It may not have been every day, but I remember her listening to her Joanie Greggains cassette tapes either in the family room or the kitchen and doing her aerobics. I liked all the great 1980's songs and would sit and sing along. I specifically remember one phrase Joanie would say that I thought was hilarious, "Here comes that cottage cheese falling off the body!" I remember playing in the Collins Church while Mom and several other ladies would work out in their leotards, sweatbands, tights, and legwarmers. Mom also had VHS workout tapes: Denise Austin, Richard Simmons, probably others, and a several of them must have used the Olivia Newton John song, "Let's Get Physical!" And, when I was a little older, I remember going along to Jana's--the place Mom worked out. It was like a dance studio, and the ladies there wore those nifty knit diaper shorts with their tights. They must have been high impact aerobics; I don't know.

Anyway, it would seem like I would have gained something from watching all that exercising my mom did. How did I end up so lazy and undisciplined?! I need to remember the example she set--I should say setS. She still exercises. Maybe I don't learn well from example. Jeremy works out like a crazy man almost every day and has the body to prove it. What's my problem?!?! How do you get that desire? I guess I need to ask the Lord to keep on giving me those big ol' kicks in the tush!

Finally! We got to play in the snow!!

The first time it snowed this winter, we lost our power and had to leave home. So we didn't get to play in the snow then.

The second time it snowed this winter, we were all too sick to go outside and play in the snow.

Today was the third time it snowed this winter, and Mommy wasn't about to let us miss the chance to go out and PLAY in it!!

We bundled up and went out for about 20-30 minutes, and boy did we have FUN!


We made snow angels!

We planted "Lollipop Trees" and named them things like Sparkle and Scott.



We dug in the snow!

We did LOTS of tromping around in the snow!

We kicked the snow!

We threw snow at each other--a little bit!

We threw snow at the tree!

We ran in the snow!

We sat in the snow!

We layed down in the snow!

We smiled in the snow!

We laughed a LOT in the snow!

We got COLD in the snow!!!




We had a lot of fun in the snow!!!!