Sledding

Today is Christmas Eve and there is no snow. That seems almost impossible for Iowa! We have had a few dustings, and one of them was just enough for Andy to break Georgia in to the fun of sledding. We found some snow pants on sale last year and they fit perfectly; however, she walks around like the little boy from A Christmas Story.

Our backyard was the perfect place for her first experience on a sled. It has a very gentle slope; not too fast, but just the right speed for a two-year-old.

I wasn't able to capture any outside action shots, but here are a few pre-adventure pics.

Georgia-isms

After eating three-quarters of a candy cane, "Mom, I just can't like this." Yeah right.

Watching me change Ollie's diaper, "Mom! What is that? A big belly button?"

At dinner I scolded her for playing when she was supposed to be eating. "Mom, I love you." I was totally trying to suppress my smile. "I love you too, honey, but you are making Mommy upset. You need to eat your dinner." In complete shock: "I making you upset? Oh my goodness, I don't believe it!" I had to walk away to laugh after that one.

At the mall, Andy and I split up to do some Christmas shopping. He took the girls with him and when we met up later Georgia said, "Mom! We got you some socks. But it's a surprise!" I guess we now know who not to trust with our secrets.

More Fall and Then We'll Move On

I just have a few more pictures from this fall to share with you. The fall season was so beautiful this year, so we had many days to get outside. We have three trees in our front yard that were more than willing to share their leaves with us, providing lots of fun and photo opportunities. I think this will be my last backlog post and then I'll start sharing about the present.

Oh, and don't let the video freak you out.

Niabi Zoo

Our local zoo offers free admittance every Friday in October and November. The first Friday in October was a warm, beautiful day, so we, along with some friends, took the girls to see the animals. It really is a nice little zoo and we always have a good time together.

can you see the lions?

Cedar Rapids

Today we went to Cedar Rapids (actually Marion) to spend the day with Andy's brothers and their families and also his dad and step-mom. We were celebrating our family Christmas as well as our niece's 3rd birthday. We had a nice time visiting and the kids had a good time playing together. All the girls received Cabbage Patch dolls (watch for a future post on this!) and the boys got fishing poles from their grandparents. It was a really nice day.

Last night at dinner we were telling Georgia that we'd be going to see her grandparents and cousins today; that we would be traveling to Cedar Rapids. "Da rabbit?" she said. "I don't want to see da rabbit!"

It's funny what kids hear.

LOL

Getting Georgia changed and dressed for the day, I say to her, "Georgie, you have such a cute butt." She laughs and runs out into the hall to Andy who is fixing a creaky door.

"Daddy, look at my cute butt! You wanna touch it?"

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we traveled to be with Andy's parents in Glidden. We celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday and had our Christmas celebration on Friday while everyone was together. I always love opportunities for Georgia to be with her cousins. I don't know why, but I'm always surprised at how well she interacts with them; probably because they don't see each other too often. (I also pray for a little bit of influence from her girl cousins who eat like big girls and go to the potty.) And for myself, I always enjoy a gab session with my sisters- and mother-in-law.

Another new event for us this year, was our attempt at Black Friday. But really it was Black Thursday, because it was 10:00 pm Thursday night (at Walmart). We did stay until midnight when the electronics went on sale, but we didn't purchase anything huge. I have mixed emotions about Black Friday. I can appreciate trying to snag a good deal and it's even fun to shop late at night. But some people (not all, but some) lose sight of the fact it's Christmas and go wild without a thought of the people surrounding them. It can make a gal nervous! So will I do it again? I can't say either way. Depends on what's on sale next year. :)

Here are some pics of our time away:

Puggles

A new event this year for Georgia has been her entrance into Puggles, which is part of the AWANA program at our church. She loves going to Puggles every Wednesday and comes home singing the Puggles song and telling us each week what she has learned. Right now they are learning all the things that God has made: the stars, sun, clouds, trees, etc.

She is very proud of her Puggles shirt, and you can see the picture on it is a puggle, which is what they call a baby platypus in Australia. She hasn't missed a meeting yet!

Andy is the head of the program, being the Pastor of Children and Families, and I am volunteering as a Sparks leader (ages K-2nd grade). We have really been enjoying our experience with AWANA; it's been a great year so far.

All I Want for Christmas

So today I asked Georgia what she wanted for Christmas. She didn't have much to say, and I'm not really sure she's been asked that question before. I gave her a few suggestions and she blankly said yes to all of them. After a few seconds she said, "Mom, I want Christmas treats. Kisses." "Oh," I said, "the chocolate kisses?" "Yes, and M&Ms too." No surprise to me, this girl loves candy.

Then later in the evening we had some Christmas music playing and the song was something about Christmas trees. Georgia piped up, "Mom! The guy is singing Christmas treats!"

LOL - I guess Christmas shopping will be easy this year.

I'm Back

Okay, okay, okay...get off my back already! I know I've taken some time away from this, I guess, much-read blog, but now I'm back. I've promised my mom a post every day from now until Christmas and I'm already starting to wish I hadn't opened my big mouth.

Anyway, there is much to be updated, but to ease myself back in slowly, I'm just going to do a quick one on the girls.

Lola Sue: What a happy baby! Those who know her can see that she is just plain happy all the time. She is quick to give you a smile and a laugh, showing off her two bottom teeth. She is 9 months old now and she claps, waves bye-bye, gives kisses when asked and can say 'Dada' and 'Georgia.' Still waiting to hear 'mama.' One difference between Lola and Georgia is that Lola is loud, loud, loud. She's not mad or upset, just loves to make noise. She just had her 9 mo. check up and weighs in at 19 lbs. and 7 oz. which puts her in the 71st percentile for weight. I can't remember her length, but I know she is in the 25th percentile. Can we say short and fat? But who doesn't love a chubby baby?

Georgia is 2 1/2 and I'm watching her turn into a very loving, concerned, sensitive little girl. I'm still constantly surprised at the things she says. The other day she showed me a boo-boo on her finger (even though I could find no such boo-boo), but she said, "It's okay, Mom. Jesus heal it." There have been many times when she doesn't feel good that she says, "Pray, Mommy, pray." I believe her heart is sensitive to the Spirit, and I pray one day she will trust Jesus as her Savior. She does love her sister very much and tries to make her smile or laugh; although, sometimes we do hear a sharp, "Lola, stop cryin'!" For the most part it's all love.

Well, I guess I'll do my best to keep my end of the bargain, Mom. More tomorrow.

Another Short Post

I just wanted to let you all know I'm getting ready to start a new book and I am really excited about it. (If you know me well, you know I love to talk about what I'm reading like I've suddenly become an expert.) I used to fly through books, but it's not as easy these days. It was given to me by my Sunday school teacher and it's called The Attributes of God by Arthur W. Pink. I'm sure many of you have heard of it or have even read it yourselves.

A quote from the author, "A spiritual and saving knowledge of God is the greatest need of every human creature." Oh man, this is gonna be good.

Short Post

We can now confidently say that Lola is saying dada. She said it last night at the dinner table and she will say it (not without a smile!) when we prompt her. We aren't for sure if she has made the connection between Andy and dada, but we try to point to him or ask where daddy is if she is saying it. Such a sweet and exciting milestone!

MOPS Again

It's time to start MOPS again! Last week was our first meeting. I am acting as our treasurer and I'm also a discussion group leader. This year's theme is 'Game Plan.' Each group is named for our theme and so my group is the Clue Crew. Georgia is in a new classroom, but thankfully with the same friends so there was no drama on our first day back.

I think it's going to be a great year!

First day of MOPS 2011

First day of MOPS 2010. Technically Lola is in the picture too. :)

Revelation Song

Do you ever have that moment when you're singing in the car or at church and the words and music fill you to nearly bursting and you just want to sing at the top of your lungs? That's what happens to me when I hear this song:

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

Holy, holy is He

Sing a new song to Him who sits on heaven's mercy seat

Chorus:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty

Who was and is and is to come

With all creation I sing:

Praise to the King of kings!

You are my everything and I will adore You

Clothed in rainbows of living color

Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder

Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be to You the only Wise King!

(chorus)

Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder at the mention of Your name

Jesus, Your name is power, breath and living water

Such a marvelous mystery!

(chorus)

If you haven't heard it, take a listen on youtube.

Videos Galore

I found some cute little videos while I was dinkin' around on the computer, all of which took place in Glidden, IA when we went to visit Nana and Papa.

1. Georgia and cousin, Claire, going to the park.

2. Georgia and Papa singing I'm a Little Teapot.

3. Andy and Justin's audition for The Amazing Race. Now if we could just get them to do it. :)

Spray Down

This summer has been SUPER hot and humid, hasn't it? Late afternoons and evenings are the best because the sun isn't beating down on you. If the humidity isn't too stifling, we like to spend time outside together.

Andy recently enlisted Georgia to help him water the garden with the hose. She readily accepted the responsibility to be in charge of holding the hose and directing the water. By the time I made it outside to help with the garden, both Andy and Georgia were soaked.

Then I hear this sweet yet mischievous, little voice say, "Mommy, come.here.right.now!"

Yeah right. Not in a million.

Daddy's Socks Make Great Leg Warmers

Movie Night!

A couple of weeks ago we had our first family movie night. Though we have watched movies together here and there and Georgia watches the princesses regularly, we've never had an all out family movie night where all four of us congregate to watch a movie at home.

We borrowed Tangled from some friends, got our jammies on, popped some popcorn and even added M&Ms, and snuggled under the covers to let Disney entertain us once again. Georgia loved it and is so fun to watch movies with. She gets excited over everything and is constantly saying, "Look, Mommy, look at all that hair!" Even Lola participated for about half of the show.

The movie itself was great. I definitely recommend it as a wholesome family movie. It's a good thing we borrowed instead of rented, because Georgia asks to watch it all.the.time. If you lived at our house you might here things such as:

"Jo-Ja is Sopunzel (Rapunzel) and Daddy is Eugene."

"I can't believe I did this. I can't believe I did this!" Complete with hands on cheeks and jumping up and down.

"Sing Tangled, Mommy."

"SoPUNzel! Let down your haaaaiiiir!"


It was a great night together. Can't wait for our next one!

Gettin' Behind

As a first-born and control freak, I am a list maker. I love lists. I love thinking of what lists I can make even if they aren't necessary. Even more than I love the lists, I love crossing completed items off the list. Why? I am a minimalist. I don't like piles and clutter. HOWEVER, as a mommy, I don't like to throw things away that will very likely be useful in the near future and will save a buck or two. It does keep my brain spinning sometimes.

But alas, as a busy wife and mother, things on my to-do list have begun to pile up. So now, I have a very handy list made called: Things I Hope to Accomplish at Some Point. It is very long.

I was telling Andy about this and how I'd love to catch up on it, but I'd need him to be 'me' for a couple of days so I could work without interruption. He agreed to do it. We have no plans to travel this weekend (gotta be at church!) and so I get Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, Andy's day off, to complete, or at least shorten, my list.

Tub...dust bunnies...refrigerator...bring it.

Six Months and Two and a Half

Lola is half of a year old. Half of a year! A half of a year has passed since the day she was born. Whoa. And she is darling. She is the happiest baby I've ever met and is willing to give anyone who looks at her a little love. She is bouncing, smacking and licking her lips, responding to her name, and even sat up alone long enough to have her picture taken. She adores her sister and smiles at her constantly and when she hears her daddy's voice she wiggles and squirms like crazy.

I started cereal with her last week and she gobbles it right up. Surprise, surprise. We're going to try some bananas tomorrow. Something tells me that she will love them, as Georgia did. That same something tells me she will be a better eater than Georgia.

She had her appointment yesterday and all is well. She is weighing in at 17 lbs and 10 oz in the 77th percentile. She measured 25 1/2 inches long, but I think that was wrong. She has always been about the 75th percentile for height, but this time dropped to the 33rd.




And not to leave out Georgie-girl. She is hilarious. Almost everyday we are cracking up at the things she says:

"Lola, stop talkin' riiiiiiiiiiiiiight now."

"What are you do-een?" When she know perfectly well what I'm doing.

"Daddy is a boy and Mommy is a girl and Lola is a girl and Jo-Ja (Georgia) is a girl."

"Mommy, it's Jesus!" about the man next to us in line at the grocery store who had shoulder length hair and a goatee and who was definitely within hearing distance.

She has also started emphasizing her exclamations with an 'h' sound: "Ye-hes!" "Wo-how!"

Whenever Andy and I kiss or hug she laughs and yells, "Yay, they're married!" Or she says, "Turn around and get married." Then we're supposed to turn to each other and hug/kiss.

And my most favorite: "I pooped! See? Look at my butt." I honestly don't know where she picked up that one.

Hotels

I love hotels. Absolutely love them. I love the clean sheets, the smell of the pool and the complimentary cookies if you're staying somewhere nice. For some reason, when I stay at a hotel, it's not difficult to get up early and get ready. I enjoy making the bed. And I make sure all the dirty towels are in a nice pile in the bathroom for the cleaning lady. I always use the coffee pot.

And you can bet I'm taking every free sample there is to be taken. I take the shampoo and conditioner, the lotion, the bar soap, the little notebook and pen by the bed, the coffee and, of course, the mints and tea bags if they have them. I'd really like to snag a pillow off the bed, but that goes against my conscience, not to mention the law.

Cable! I like to make sure I have enough time to watch a little HGTV or TLC and if I'm nice, I'll let Andy watch the Discovery Channel.

In the morning, I love, love, love the complimentary breakfast; especially if it's hot. The nice places have biscuits and gravy, oatmeal, toast, bagels, muffins and fruit. And yes, I take a banana, apple and muffin for the road, not to mention, more coffee. Um, hello, it's free.

Come on, who doesn't love a night (or two) in a hotel? There are just too many perks.

Jerusalem Marketplace

The tribe of Zebulun: (B): Peter, Lizzie
(F): Levi, Ellie, Lacey, Madison, J'Sun, Luke, Bao

The last two years we have had phenomenal VBSs. Last year was the Sea of Galilee and was the same form as this year's Jerusalem Marketplace. The kids are divided into tribes for the week. They wear tunics and get to experience all about the Jewish lifestyle as it was when Jesus walked the earth.

During tribe time they learned about family traditions such as touching the mezuzah. The mezuzah was a small parchment that contained the Shema, a Jewish prayer. When leaving and/or entering the home, members would touch the mezuzah and kiss their fingers as a way to keep the prayer at the forefront of their minds. The kids even attended synagogue and wore their own yamakas.

Each day they had an opportunity to visit the marketplace where there was a candy shop, a bakery, a basket shop, a pottery shop and more. They made tamborines and shakers at the music shop and dradles at the carpentry shop. At each shop they had to pay one gold coin for the service they received. There was even a tax collector, a beggar and a fierce Roman soldier.

Throughout the week there were dramas of the disciples and people who had heard and seen Jesus. And each day we spent time talking of Jesus and the things that He taught. It was so neat to see the body of Christ come together to serve the kids. We're really looking forward to next year.

Rabbi Scott at synagogue

synagogue

the beggar

a shop in the market place

the well

roman soldier

A surprise visit from Jesus.
"Is that really Him?" uuuuhhhhh......

Love and Thunder

All over the quiet plains, beneath the snow on the high mountains, rustling through the cattails that congregate along the water, you can feel the presence of a promise. On cold nights when you look at the sky, sometimes your breath catches in your throat at how bright the night can be. The dark spaces between the stars aren't as dark as you thought they were; not nearly as dark as the tree line on the horizon, and as you stand there shivering with your hands bunched in your pockets suddenly you remember that you're standing on a rock in the middle of space. Suddenly the notion that there's a Someone who made it all and knows us all no longer seems quite so far-fetched; indeed, it seems too good to be false.

But here we toil and we till the hard earth, where even the warm times with friend and kin are lonely because we know they won't last long enough to quiet the ache. Our sadness points to Home the way hunger points to the feast, the way the light of the cratered moon is always facing the sun, always pointing to where the dawn will come like a pillar of fire when this rock we walk on turns again to burning. All over the quiet plains and the cold stone cities full of dying and shame the promise is not drowned out by the weeping; it is declared by it.

God died as a man and rose again, and the sound of the fiery blast of Death exploding shook the firmament. Throughout the wail and shudder, over the shriek and moan of man the thunder has sounded and sung, and it is both the answer and the promise. It sings still, and you can hear what it says if you listen: Love never dies.

by Andrew Peterson; singer, songwriter and author

Solitude Cabin

Here are just a few more pictures and updates from the middle portion of our vacation. We spent four days and three nights at the Solitude Cabin at Pine Lake Christian Camp in Eldora, IA. The Solitude Cabin is intended for pastors and other people in vocational ministry to come free of charge and experience a little solitude; either by themselves or with family. There is no TV, no Internet, no radio.

Many of you who are familiar with Eldora might wonder how we stayed busy, but each minute was full! We played at the park in town and a small play area at the camp, built a fire and had Georgia's first s'mores experience, went to the book shop, the fish store, the ice cream store. There was another little shop we visited where you could buy all sorts of cool things made by people in the area. I bought a super cute apron made by a woman in town and hair clips for the girls made by someone from Dike, IA. The gal who owned the shop refurbished old furniture and had things from scarves and purses, to unique teas and wines. It was a lot of fun. My dad told me about a little outside chapel on the outskirts of town. I've been to Eldora many times and had never heard of it. But we followed his directions and low and behold, came across the Chapel on the Hill.

Here are a few snapshots: