Restful and Relaxing...

What a great weekend...I am so grateful for these 3 people in my life...We have had lots of fun together this weekend just hanging out. We enjoyed church today...our only family outing for the weekend...very restful and refreshing...
Bedtime is such a nice snuggly time as a family...Love that Carter will now listen to more of the stories when we read to the kids...He backs up into us and plops down...his blankie is never far away... :)

The M, the C, and the Wardrobe

36 days til the "Love Holiday"! Hope our kids know that "we love bc He first loved us" and that the biggest thing He calls us to do is "love God and others..." Life is all about LOVE! Mike is so great at loving us all so well....I am so grateful to be "married to my best friend." :)

Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is.
Those pillars are patience and kindness.
All other characteristics of love are extensions of these two attributes.

Clean Slate

We made these "clean slates" at MOPS this morning...they had all these fun crafty things to stick or glue on to customize your clipboard/slate...I am so grateful that we don't just start over with a clean slate each new year, but every morning, and every minute! This parenting thing is such a blessing and so humbling. Once you think you have figured something out there is something new to pray for and ask God to help you with and give guidance. A verse I have really been thinking on a lot lately came up this morning:

"If any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault,
and it will be given to him."
~James 1:5

I'm praying that a lot for myself as we go through our days! :) In our small groups we wrote on our boards with chalk about unresolved things from 2009 that we wanted to hand over to God this new year and then we wiped them clean...So refreshing that "His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is [His] faithfulness." ~Lam. 3:22-23

Hoping to use our slate to write a memory verse for the family to work on each week! :)

32 and Not So Blue...

What a great B-Day! Loving the age of technology...texts, FB, emails, and calls! I was worried since it was my first day back to "reality" and my "better half" would be back to work after 2 wks off...we get so spoiled! But it was a good day and I have so much to be thankful for! :)!!!

I didn't get pics of the celebrations...Sad! But Mike and I went out to a nice dinner on Sat. night and the kids spent the night at MiMi and PaPa's. Then last night The Graham Fam came out to our house for dinner, cake, and ice cream!

And we are slowly adjusting back to our school routine...yesterday was nice bc the kids stayed in their jammies til we got back from the bus stop in the morning...today was a little more fast paced bc M had school and Carter and I had our Neighborhood playgroup...but we did it and Carter even managed to get some pointers from the fellas on his gaming this morning! :)

Slumber Party!

Bro Night usually = Cousin Sleepover! The kids have such a blast! Here is the wake up committee waking Mike the morning after the guys played video games into the wee hours of the morning...We let them sleep in, but the kids were itching to see them mid morning...Upon waking Mike said, "I don't want to go out there do I?" ...He knows the cousins have been hard at work all morning and our Fam Room looks like this... :)

Fort Central...

The kids have so much fun together and A and T really take good care of our little ones...

Story break...notice the little balls of hail on the back deck...they came down on our way home from eating ice cream and they were still there in the am...it is way to cold these days in my opinion! brr!

And an aerial view...Mal's Christmas tree is the last decoration out...we undecorated a little early this yr (4 days after Christmas...we usually do it Jan. 1st) Always so sad! But I'm glad we had it done and could enjoy the rest of the break without it looming over us...We get a good month in, so I'm happy! We let the kids stay up the night we took down the decorations and let them watch one last Christmas movie as they helped us...M was like, "What's happening? Is Christmas over? Why?" She had fun helping us take the ornaments down and looking at them as we put them away...Then we stopped for bedtime and then Mike and I spent the next 2 hrs finishing and cleaning...it was the most enjoyable undecorating yet...might have started a new tradition...

We had our black eyed peas for lunch yesterday...and Carter was a huge fan and tried to lick his bowl when they were all gone...M said, "Mom made us cool beans" which we thought was funny! Think I only really eat them on New Years...but they're good...maybe we will have them more often in 2010! And Carter got his second hair cut in the morning before lunch...he was more aware this time and didn't stay still...they had to work harder to cut it! But we got it done! Aunt Susan is our witness! Thanks for coming along! :)

Our Hermie...

Here is our little Hermie in action...it is to be noted that he doesn't actually like it when we brush his teeth...he just likes doing it himself and dipping his brush and playing at the sink...His hair is wet bc his sis decided to do his hair while they were both "brushing" their teeth...it's good entertainment around here and they both fit on the stool at the sink at this point...We were busy switching their beds and rooms back from life at the "Morin Motel" over Christmas when I stopped and took this video...M had moved on to something else, but not our little Hermie! :)

First Day of 20 10!

What a relaxing start to the New Year! We just hung out in the house all day long! I finally dressed the kids after we ate dinner! (How sad is that!??!) Aunt Susan invited me and the kids (cousins included) out for ice cream tonight! Mike and Matt are having Bro Night...The kids were so excited to go and ate every last bit of their ice cream! Thanks for treating everyone Susan!

Caught my man snoozing this morning while the kids were watching a show! :)

Uncle Matt and Thomas helped Carter with his dunking skills before dinner...I wanted to make this, but will tomorrow bc we had leftover spaghetti and I thought that would be a better crowd pleaser with the kids...They def can all eat their weight in spaghetti....must be a cousin thing! :)

One of my B&A kids gave us this train table before Christmas...What a blessing! Both kids absolutely love it and Carter can often be found in a drawer...it's his new fav. spot! :)

We wish everyone a blessed 2010!! :)