Baptism!!!

Today we celebrated as Annah and Caeden were  both baptized!!!

Meeting with Pastor Karin before the service to talk about what the service and ceremony involves...

Thrive kids joined the worship team for a special song/dance during the service, and it was awesome!

Pastor Todd praying over the baptizans during the service

VIDEO: Professing our faith in Jesus

I remember the day Annah first gave her heart to Jesus when she was just a toddler, bowing her head in prayer on her little bed in her room with me.  She doesn't remember that, but she has many other memories of Jesus' love and saving grace in her life that we celebrate today

as she professes her faith in Him!

VIDEO: 

Pastor Zac talked about Caeden's living life with enthusiasm, and it's true.  We rejoice that he walks with Jesus and gets his strength and joy from Him!  

VIDEO:

"For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives."
- Romans 6:4 NLT

We were so blessed to have several wonderful friends and family join us for the baptisms today, along with our church family!

Aunt Marti texted celebrations:

Last night we had a special dinner at home with Gram and Krampa.  Today, some of us had a celebratory lunch at Noodles.

What a special, important day!  As a mom, I can honestly say there is nothing more wonderful than knowing my children are walking with Jesus!!!

What a wonderful day!

Caeden went on the Velocity youth group trip to Chicago yesterday.  They went to the zoo, the beach, Cheesecake Factory, and Chick-fil-a.  He had a blast.

We had a family picnic in the pavilion after church today.

The girls did some music for Velocity Worship Night!

They sang a duet of Give Me Jesus.

Sylvia played her cello during communion.

Annah sang Grace to Grace.

The girls were both babysitting yesterday, and it was just me and Caeden at home.  We had some fun playing with a new SnapChat filter while he practiced drums and guitar.

Annah and Nola baked rainbow alien cookies with Oreos yesterday.

And today, they baked a lemon cake with cream cheese frosting and gold sprinkles!

Here at our house, Annah has been doing all the babysitting this week that she and Sylvia usually split.  She love hanging out with Nola too, and thinks she's really funny!  Today, Annah showed Nola a little bit about the violin.

Caeden mowed our yard today.

I'm working on an entrelac bag in cotton for my mom.

Getting Braces

Last week, Caeden had impressions done.  He didn't have any trouble at all with it, and said it was no big deal.

Today he got a bite plate and had braces/brackets put on his bottom teeth.

Gotta get the picture with the lip-stretchers!

Not thrilled.

And he has to make this goofy face in order to show the actual stuff on his teeth, apparently...

Afterwards, we went to get him a nice haircut too.

Always an adventure.  While for Caeden the pain is in his mouth, Jeremy felt it in his "pocketbook!!"

Guitar lesson

I was able to sit in on Caeden's whole guitar lesson this evening, and it was so nice to hear him play.

VIDEO:  a little snippet of Caeden and Mr. H playing together

He has progressed a lot.  I love to hear him play!

Randoms of the week

Just some random photos telling the story of our week...

Annah had to give up taking Art for her senior year, but this semester she is taking Yearbook with the Art teacher.  She gets to decorate a senior ceiling tile, and decided she wanted to do it with heat embossing with some of my old supplies.  She got to teach her art teacher about heat embossing today, and made this little fingerprint caterpillar to demonstrate.  

2/5/19 - It just makes me happy that we have 3 teenagers who love each other enough to sit together on the couch and enjoy having conversations!  I love them all so much.  My 3 hearts.

Musical auditions were this week, and the cast list was posted.  The show is Mama Mia (much to Annah's excitement!), and Annah has been cast as Donna and Sylvia as Tanya.  They will have lots of fun putting it together!

Caeden and I served the preschoolers in THRIVE at church this morning.  Our story was the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine, and we did a fun activity with food coloring and water!

Also, the kids played "basketball"--Caeden vs. team "Everyone Else."  Haha!

The girls, sitting in the sanctuary with friends at church...

Sylvia has a cold this week, and is thankful for the wonders of Robitussin and NyQuil. 

Velocity was canceled this afternoon due to snow and ice, so Sylvia and Caeden went to youth group with Jacob in Colfax this evening!

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas morning!

Last year the kids played obnoxious toy instruments and loudly sang Feliz Navidad to the last one to wake up on Christmas morning.  (I think it was Annah?) So, they had the instruments ready last night, but Annah made it downstairs before they could get up there and sing to her.  So, we just grabbed the toys and sang a terrible rendition to her in the kitchen.

gathering around the tree to read the Christmas story from Luke 2

The teenagers don't really want pictures in their pajamas...

They did cooperate for one. I sure do love these three!

The older I get and the older and independent the kids get, the more grateful I am for this man!

 Smelly goods!

Sylvia gave Caeden and assortment of guitar picks--all sizes and thicknesses.  

She gave Annah a collection of dainty silver rings.

Pretty sure Annah's gift to Caeden was his favorite!

 an A string for her cello

hair putty for Caeden and Mama Mia 2 on blu-ray for Annah 

 a cello rockstop strap for Sylvia

 Battlefront 2 for Xbox!

 a hanging organizer for Annah

Caeden asked for bluetooth headphones to help him stay calm and get focused before wrestling matches. 

 matching bracelets for the girls and me

The kids got gift cards for Kohls, H-and-M and iTunes, because we've reached the point where I recognize we have different tastes in clothing and anything I'd choose for them they wouldn't like. So, a shopping day will be coming soon!  

The Greatest Showman soundtrack

Lookout!  A junior high boy with body spray!

 A laundry hamper/bag for our soon-to-be-college-bound girl!

 I received some of my favorite things--coffee and candles!  And lots of nice smelling things from Bath and Body works!

Jeremy got some new shirts and sweaters.

 Marvel movies!

Done opening presents, so the break from texting the boyfriends is over!

 Jeremy reorganizing the movie collection to fit the new ones in...

Caeden in the aftermath

 Caeden got some wall-walking ninjas and threw them on the ceiling. They did not come down!

Annah had a strategy for getting them down, but she's a pretty good shot!  

It actually made them stick more!

Christmas ham, spinach salad, green beans, and cheesy smashed potatoes for Christmas lunch

We enjoyed a pot of wassail all day too!

 Not sure where the candy cane headband came from, but somehow it ended up on Jeremy...

 We got to talk with Mom and Dad on the phone all the way from Arizona!  And we got to FaceTime with Travis and Erin and the kids!

 We watched some movies, and enjoyed our couch a lot today.  

So nice to have Christmas Day at home with all five of us.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

I'm so glad it's Christmas.

All the tinsel and lights

And the presents are nice,

But the real gift is you.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

I'm so glad it's Christmas.

All the carols and bells

Make the holiday swell

And it's all about you!

Happy Birthday Jesus

Jesus I love you