Sometimes it works best this way

Christmas Eve morning we made cookies for Santa and to give to others.  Ike helped for awhile till his belly was full of jelly(cookie dough) and the kitchen had flour in places I never thought it could. So, Daddy thought of a good plan- (see below). He was perfectly content up on his perch watching us finish up the cutting and the baking.  Sorry Son to contain you but sometimes it works best this way...

Q.C.T

Quality Cousin Time

Merry Christmas!

The Be-be Tree

This is Isaac's Charlie Brown Tree in his room but Audrey has renamed it the Be-Be Tree. 

She diligently puts Ike's be be's up there on the little branches. 

The Sleep-overs

This past weekend we all got to experience sleep-overs. 

We celebrated Christmas in KC with our good friends.  So, while Mommy and Daddy enjoyed good time with good friends, Audrey....

had a sleepover with Aunt Christy & Uncle Jacob.  They went out to eat and then decorated cookies for hours with Aunt Christy's family.  Here's Mallory & Audrey showing a masterpiece.

 Aunt Christy & Uncle Jacob having some good kid fun. 

 Audrey decorated for a really long time and only took one bite of a cookie even after many offers.  Now, that's will power!  While Audrey was with her Aunt and Uncle, Isaac was....

in Sabetha having a sleepover with Mima & Pops.  Then on Saturday morning the most beautiful snow arrived and Pops and Ike did some work outside in the huge flakes.  Here's what they were doing when we arrived home...  fire started in the pit and enjoying the snow. 

 A Winter Wonderland.

 Pops managed to get a Science lesson in with Audrey.  He posed the question "what will happen if we fill this pan with snow and put it on the fire?  What will the snow turn into?"

In not much time, she answered his question. 

It was a grand time for all of us. 

Making Memories

What a blessing a good family gathering is.  Two weekends ago we got together with our Aunt and Uncle and cousins from Wamego and their children.  It was good family fun.  During our day of fun, Grandma Colyn leaned over to me with a very pleased and happy smile and said "this is all about making memories and it's so special"!  She's so right.  Thanks Grandma (GG) for your wise words.

Aunts & Uncles

Being an Aunt and a Uncle is a wonderful thing!

WARNING

Warning:  playing with plastic may cause suffocation...

 and hours of fun. 

Wordless

The Evolution

of the preschool program.

AUDREY & ROMAN at the debut, their first school program. 

Here's how it went:

 

{We can do this.  Let's just hold hands and make us feel better.}

{Oh Roman, I'm loosing it.}

 {Ok, let's get serious, we can do this!}

 {Nope Audrey, this is too much!  There are so many people just staring at us and taking pictures.}

 {Hold me...}

 {I want to hide.}

 {Let's just hold each other.} 

 {Ok, gain composure.  But Audrey, you still have to hold my hand.} 

Wednesday evenings =

AWANA!  Audrey loves her time at church in Awana. 

In her Cubbie vest and holding her quarter that she gives each week for "dues".

Each week she has to memorize a bible verse and then say it to her Cubbie Leader in order to earn patches for her vest.  I post the weekly verse on the frig to help us memorize it thru the week.

What a blessing Awana is to Audrey and the 90 other little ones that go each week! 

Times Have Changed

I love a clean house.  I really love a made bed, a clean sink and a uncluttered refrigerator door.  4 years ago those three things were not hard to achieve at all- they were easy.  Today, I almost always make our bed and I really try to keep my sink cleaned and uncluttered with dishes. This morning I glanced at my frig door and it took me back because it looked like this:

All those things plastered on the frig (including finger paint from yesterday's "project") made me cringe for a second then I smiled and took a pic.  I've come a long way baby!

Here's our frig in Prairie Village.  Oh, how times have changed!

18 months

On the 22nd of November Isaac turned 18 months. 
Here you are at year and a half:

You love to give "zurperts".  Any bare skin on anyone (this time a friend of Audrey's) will get a juicy zurpert.  

 You have a love for hats...

 even if they are pink.

 You like to sit and do things your sister does. (nice necklace Ike)

 Yes, you love hats.

 Here you are coloring.  I laid down a HUGE pad of paper for you to color on but you chose the floor instead.  Nice Son!

 You love books.  Your favorite book is Time For Bed by Mem Fox.

 Sometimes you are very serious.

 You know where your eyes are and when asked "where are your eyes?" you shut them and then point hard at your eyeballs.

 You love a cell phone.  (what kid doesn't?)

 You get mad and you get sad.  Most of your tears come when your Sister takes something you want (like a cell phone).

 But then you get happy again and have the BEST LAUGH and then all is right in the world again.   

Happy 18 month birthday my Dear Isaac.  I love you!