Christmas is not over

It's still Christmas time at our home. Today my kids wanted to make Christmas crafts and reenact the shepherds seeking after the baby Jesus. Why not? It's still Christmas time over here.  

The Guy wanted these foam Christmas trees so much that he bought them with his own money last night. He was so excited to decorate them that I had them at the table this morning when they got up. This was our pre-breakfast activity. 

 I bought alphabet stamps and they are already helping the kids learn their letters and spell their names a bit better.

The creating just kept going. They each made 3-4 creations before breakfast. 

Later this afternoon S wanted to dress up as a shepherd and go visit Jesus. But he needed sheep. L and I volunteered. We discussed how the shepherd is trusted to lead the sheep to clean food & water and to protect them. He led us to the opened ladder saying it was the stable. My favorite part was hearing L repeatedly bleep and baa like a lamb. 

Merry belated Christmas! 

HE is still the Gift. 

Every day of the year. 

#ShareTheGift

favorite quotes from my Guy

I have the best job in the world, raising two of the most tender Spirits I have ever known. My kids and I really teach each other truths each day. Here are some of my favorites with the Guy the last couple months. 

"I want to tell you one of my favorite seeds to eat."

"OK"

"One of my favorite seeds to eat is watermelon seeds, that is white."

"What's Spanish in Spanish?"

"You're going to be very excited when I'm a daddy! But I need to get married first."

"What closed my door?" (when the parked car door closed)

"Gravity."

"Is gravity 'wind' in Spanish?"

"What was your favorite part of today?"

"Atlantis" (the water park)

"Was that more fun than the grocery store?"

"Yes"

"More fun than the airport?"

"Yes"

"More fun than watching mommy take a nap?"

"No."

(I hear whispers of a prayer and look over at him.)

"Someone was praying."

"Yeah, who?"

"The Joker was praying to get out of the lion's den."

"I'm going to find a wife and kids." (marching out of the room)

"Where are you going to find your kids."

"I don't know. I need to find my wife first."

"Where are you going to find your wife."

"Where jet planes are."

"At the airport?"

"Yes. I'm going to find my wife at the airport."

"Where are you going to find your kids?"

"I'm going to find my baby brother  from heaven."

"That's right. That's where your babies will come from too."

"Babies are sweet. I want babies to stay little, but they have to grow up."

"Raise your hand if you love Jesus!"

(Pause church music) "Kids do you feel that? That peaceful and calm love in the house? That's the Holy Ghost. He's here in our home with us helping us feel that love."

"The Holy Ghost is a person?"

"Yes, he is, but he does not have a body, he's just a spirit. So we can't see him when he's here but we can always feel him if we pause and listen to the way we feel in our hearts."

(Hollering as he looks around the room) "Holy Ghost, where are you?"

I Love my job!

I don't want to grow up...

I hope my children enjoy their childhood; that they look back and think, "I had so much fun I didn't even know I was learning so much!" Everyone, please help me remember this, because sometimes I was too serious for my (and their) own good. 

I cannot get enough of this picture. Her face and especially CHIN make me so happy. 

My kids sit and play in the backyard mud all the time. That's why the bum of their clothes look like this.

Mining for treasure

This is what my garden looked like back at the beginning of the Spring. It has definitely grown. We have eaten the lettuce greens and Swiss chard. The cabbage and cauliflower are not growing like I thought they would, though. I am still trying to figure out this gardening stuff. Oh, and the plastic snakes have done a good job of keeping the squirrels and bunnies away. They are my watch-dogs. 

These greens have grown to their fullest, been eaten, and are growing back. 

Family festival at the elementary school. We barely made it for the last hour, but the guy loved it.

let kids be kids

Let kids be kids by Kidsinger Jim
Let kids be kids.
Don't make em grow up too fast
Let their childhood last
Let kids be kids

Let them have Saturday morning cartoons, Big fat water balloons,
Scary carnival rides, gigantic water slides.
Let 'em out to play after the rain, take 'em on a choo-choo train
and when they're feeling blue, take down to the zoo.
Parents I'm talking to you!
 Let kids be kids.
Don't make 'em grow up too fast
Let their childhood last
Let kids be kids!
Let them have friends sleeping over night, an old fashion pillow fight,
camping out in the backyard, eating peanut butter from the jar.
Let them jump around on a trampoline
Don't make them always be clean
and when they're feeling down
 take 'em to the circus clown
that'll get rid of that frown!
Let kids be kids!
Don't make 'em grow up too fast
Let their childhood last
Let kids be kids!

This little guy was asked to be the "reverence boy" in junior primary at church. He was asked to stand at the front of the room with arms folded as a good example of reverence, while everyone got situated. He was a very, very good example in fact. 

His friend, the "reverence girl" started talking to him and I heard him whisper, "no talking." It totally cracked me up!

I wish I had gotten a shot of her actually wearing my shoes. She is so cute, so girly, and loves shoes!

No worries, just playing in the mulch in a white dress. 

We found an ant colony and colored them. Ants look better dressed in chalk anyway. 

S showed how clever he is by making a sword belt out of a visor. He loves (with a capital L) this sword and so he wanted to bring it everywhere. He came up with this on his own. 

Here's the visor in the back, and the black elastic holding his sword in place. 

"Look mom, we're parakeets on daddy's shoulder!" Squack!!

Man, I love these kids. They remind me of what childhood can be and how to enjoy the fun of it all. PS. M'lady does NOT always wear a dress, despite what they pictures suggest. :) We enjoy lots of sweats and jeans around here.

Thank you God

I love my view. A beautiful sight for any mom. Two little kids sitting quietly, looking at a variety of books. 

I love my job immensely. 

I thank God that He planted in my heart a desire to be a mother, that He then planted in my body the capacity to give life, and then has nurtured in my life two immaculate babies. 

I'm extremely thankful to be a mother, especially to my mister and milady. Thank you God. 

SPRING! Happy Easter!

Finally it feels like Spring!! My tulip bulbs from last Fall make me smile every time I walk out the front door. The hostas planted last year are coming back much stronger and fuller this year. I finally feel like a successful gardener. I planted something and it is alive and beautiful!!! Success.

 M'lady loves playing peek-a-boo in these holes. This is her "smile for the camera" face. 

I only paint her nails because she wants me to. She found the nail polish and kindly brought it to me. How could I resist?!?

Could his eyes be any more gorgeous!? I wish I could inherit them from him.  

This is one of his many "bad guy" faces. He's coming to get me. 

"What out, son! There's a dinosaur behind you!"

I'm in love with this lady.

Thank goodness the weather has improved, the sun is shining, and we can all play outside in comfort again.

I love Spring. It's perfect how rebirth, warmth and light follow Winter's death, coldness, and darkness. A perfect circle of life reminding us of the seasons of Life, and the rebirth we are offered through Christ's life and resurrection. Happy Easter this week!