Happy Love Day

Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favorite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all - one known only by those who love. (this quote collected from twopeasinabucket ).

Penquin Dinner

Bathing Benjamin

Isabelle just asked me... are you three? I said no. are you eight? No. Are you Old? (great way to start the morning).

I don't really have a lot to report, so Ill just ramble some misc. things a little bit: This winter has been bitter cold. I told Isabelle that if anyone stays out there too long they will turn into a snowman and she believes me. Now everytime lance is out there for a bit, she says, we better get him in, hes gonna turn into a snowman! Last weekend our water was out for two whole days. We thought something was maybe frozen, had to wait for the plumber (apparently they had a long list due to the coldness) but in the end it wound up being some parts for the pump. You forget how much you rely on things that we take advantage of everyday...such as water. I actually watched a whole football game (well pretty much a lot of it), the superbowl. It was kind of fun, but not super fun. Alot of down time. The commercials were very disappointing this year. Noah made a big turkey for the game. (I wanted to make fun appetizers and snacks but he wanted a turkey and he won). But, according to Isabelle we were having PENQUIN for dinner. So she helped daddy prepare the penquin and stuffing. I watched CASABLANCA for the first time in my life... I really enjoyed it and never realized how many "lines" that we hear and use are actually from that movie. Now, I want to go rent Gone With the Wind. Im so happy that I finally got one of those key chains that is a sharpie marker. I havent had the opportunity to use it yet, but just knowing that it is there is very exciting.

Here's a recent converstation between Isabelle and I :
Isabelle: I cant want to get married. (she says cant instead of dont)
Me: Do you even know what married means? Isabelle: Yes, you and Noah...(pause to think).....party's over. Me: Tell me about it. Isabelle: I married Jimmy (school friend). Me: you did? Isabelle: Yes. Me: Why weren't daddy and I invited? Isabelle: Only Mary and Joseph.

I will leave you with one more Isabellism for now. This a little rambling of her brain recently. She just starts talking and her thoughts jump all over the place: Isabelle: My friends can't catch squirrel's right? I can't eat nuts either. I can just watch. There's a Giant Clock right? It's not Giant Clock yet. 2.5.6. Prince Charming will come to my party. Bring me presents right? Daddy's Pain in the Butt. He eat chex mix snack hot in oven.

Jesus Pizza

Typical day around here today...Isabelle is talking non-stop & taking out every toy that she owns....Benjamin is rolling around on his play gym and kicking away...Lancelot is chasing squirrels up trees and Im deciding which lovely task to perform next, dishes or laundry? Theres lots of both so which either one I pick , I guess Im a winner. February 1st. This day is cold. frigid. frosty. freezing. chilly. I was supposed to start a bible study today, which I really wanted to go to...but we were running so late this morning and I was totally unprepared and had many errands to run, so I skipped it. My Soul may suffer, but I'll try to make a better effort next time. Isabelle had super fun at school today. She made trailmix with her classmates (her favorite part). I got her valentines today ...I selected the Little Mermaid. I think I made the right choice (no, I am not making her valentine cards, Im crazy, but not that crazy..not at the moment any way). I searched today for materials for a project/job I am working on. It's wedding shower invites...and the format is a cute little folder with inserts. Color theme: Chocolate Brown & Pale Pink...so it should be fun! The Office is on tonight. New Episode, so im looking forward to that. I think I will make enchildas for dinner...but maybe not. Im reading no good books lately...well unless you count One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.

Isabelle just came in here with one of Ben's burp clothes on her head...she said, "Im Baby Jesus, here's your pizza". She placed a potholder on my lap and walked out.

Snowy Day

"The cold was our pride, the snow was our beauty. It fell and fell, lacing day and night together in a milky haze, making everything quieter as it fell, so that winter seemed to partake of religion in a way no other season did... hushed, solemn."

Happy New Year 2007!

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.

~Bill Vaughan

Christmas was Magical. New Years was Calm. 2006 was not the greatest year. The best blessing that came out of it was the arrival of our Precious Benjamin Boo. My expectations of the year 2007 is that beyond words it will be Eventful and Grand in Wonderful Ways. I welcome 2007 with a strong , kind, wise and grateful heart. Each day, I will try to remember the simple things that matter most.

Santa Visit, etc.

Ho. Ho. Ho. Isabelle was beyond thrilled to visit Santa Claus this year! He was at the local library, so we went to meet him there. Right away Isabelle was star struck. When she hopped on his lap, she told him that she is "3 old" and she wants a book for christmas (quite appropriate for being in the middle of the library). Ben was not phased by Santa's presence. Isabelle was so happy to meet mrs. claus too. Isabelle informed me that her job was to make cookies and then she asked where Santa's reindeer were? I told her the roof of course! (which reminds me I have to make some magic reindeer food for her to sprinkle on our lawn christmas eve). Isabelle and I made our frosted sugar cookies the last couple days. Her favorite ones to make were the snow man and the blue fish (blue tree. dont ask me. I just work here). Today we will make our ginger bread house. I made homemade chex mix for the first time. It was good but not great. I didnt have onion powder to include like it says, so I wonder if that makes a big difference. I caught Isabelle talking to our christmas tree the other day. This is the conversation that took place, " What are you doing with my tree Grinch? Don't take it home Grinch! You'll ruin it Grinch!" So anytime that Isabelle smells something (anything , food, a book, a candle) she announces that it smells like Strawberries! My Christmas wish which is very typical and overdone but quite true is I would like it to: SNOW. I remember last Christmas it snowed overnight and when I woke early in the morning, I looked outside to see snow and a bright red cardinal. very cool! So big news for Benjamin! He has tried his first (rice) cereal and aboslutley loves it! He was smiling and kicking while eating it. I could barely get it in his mouth. I think we got a little monster on our hands. hehe Boy, have we got a lot of use out of Benjamin's Reindeer outfit so far (thanks Sal). I wonder if Santa will have "alone" time to wrap gifts...time is fleeting.

The Nativity Cow

I don't recall there being a black and white spotted cow in most depictions of The Nativity Scene, but in this preschool program version, my daughter played the part. I can't even explain how joyful it was to watch her "on stage" for this program. Isabelle, started out shy when she first step out...but it didnt take long and she was "working the room" as she took over the show with her funny antics as she thrived on the attention. She was hilarious! Total Show Girl. Adding extra jestures and words (and volume) to songs, Thanking the audience...etc.... She had the whole room laughing and Noah and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Outtakes

Here are a few pictures from our photo shoot that didnt make it quite up to par for our christmas cards.

Bendeer & Cheer

Lancelot enjoying our first big Snow!


My little Bendeer.


Sunday Sunday Sunday. It's Sunday morning. I feel kind of sick. (head, stomach etc). This house looks like a tornado stopped by and stayed a while. It amazes me that I feel that I spend my life cleaning, yet my house is never clean. Im starting to feel a little overwhelmed by the holidays all of a sudden. I haven't made my christmas cards yet (I'm going with an angel theme this year) and I have 9 dozen cookies (peanut butter balls) to make for an exchange on tuesday just to name a few things that should get done asap. Oh well, I guess all a person can do at this point is throw in some Christmas music and hope for the best.

It has been such a joy to see how much Isabelle is getting so excited for Christmas this year. This year she "gets it". She makes me sing Santa Claus is coming to town to her 50 times a day. I have lots of fun things planned for us to do tradition wise. Ive been looking all over for a christmas night gown for her and cant find one! The kind that look little house on the prairish. Red plaid, long with ruffles with a bow on the chest...kind of gown. We been watching a lot of Christmas specials lately. I never saw Polar Express until last week - We all loved it. Now Isabelle goes around with my paper puncher and punches the paper like crazy and says: heres your ticket! -Silly Girl. It's so funny to see her talk to and play with the ornaments on the tree like I used to when I was a child. I adore her imagination.

Ben had his 4 month check up this week. He's 15 plds and I think 12oz. He is doing wonderful. Got 3 shots poor little guy. He cried until his mouth quivered, it was so sad! I can start him on Rice Cereal anytime now. I think I might give it a try today. Wow, he is growing up so fast. My sweet little boy.

Daylight is arriving. It looks so cold outside today...

Two Deer

Two Deer in the Snow (a lesson in prayer) by Cheryl 12.03.06

Earlier in the evening, I was feeling very frustrated and sad. I was at my wits end with misc. situations throughout the day. I went up to my room alone for a few minutes (since I am never alone, I decided I needed to steal a few moments) and I got down on my knees and I prayed. I prayed and I cried. Tears were falling down my cheeks and my heart felt like it was actually aching. I ended my prayer and got up, moved the curtain over and looked out my bedroom window. We had a beautiful snow the day before and it looked so peaceful out there, I thought to myself wouldn’t it be neat if I saw a deer right now as a little sign that God heard my prayer and was with me. There was no deer of course. Silly thought, I know. I knew I just had to believe, it didn’t need to be proven to me. I went downstairs and resumed my evening activities, not with the greatest heart, but in better condition than what I was in when I went upstairs.

Well, at 3.a.m. this morning, Ben wanted to get up which is not unusual. I carried him downstairs to make him a bottle and change him. I placed him down and then went into the kitchen to make his bottle like I usually do. I had not turned any lights on yet. (outside in the country everything is pitch black at night, but everything was lit up outside by the moon & snow). I looked out the window that is above the sink and there and then I saw them. Two deer in the snow. They were in my backyard just wandering around. It felt like magic to see them there. (I dont see deer too often around here, especially never near the house). Ben was fussing that I left him alone and hadn’t fed or changed him yet, so I went and picked him up, held him and I continued to watch the deer. They came very close to the house and just poked around, looking for food and exploring. They walked so peacefully in the snow. I watched them for several minutes (and Ben was fine with that which is a miracle in itself). Then the deer went by the front of the house and stayed there a bit. That’s when I realized that I was watching them out of the window that was directly below my bedroom window. They were standing exactly where I had “hoped” to see a deer earlier.

Musings by "Jesse"

The Little Cookie Maker HelperIzzy & Ben
"Raising Children is like being pecked to death by a duck." I just came across that quote this morning and had to chuckle. Because at times, it does feel like that...pure torture! hehe Seriously, Crying and Whining and Fussing moments are really trying..especially when now that there are two pulling me in different directions! All I have to say is they are lucky that they are so darn cute.

So, Isabelle has decided to rename me for some reason. She now calls me: JESSE. o.k., kid. Lancelot's hair is everywhere! I can't stand it at all. I told Noah to build him a crate outside to live in. This is ridiculous. I love my dog, but enough is enough!

So, I made this super easy and really good CORN SOUFFLE the other day. Here's the recipe: Ingredients: 1 cup sour cream, 1 can white corn, 1 can creamed corn, 1 stick of melted butter, 2 eggs and 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix. Salt and Pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a round casserole or a standard souffle crock. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, until the edges are pulling away and look like they are forming a crust. The center may still be somewhat soft, but the top should havea crust on it.

The End.

Thinking about putting away all the thanksgiving decorations is not a big deal, but thinking about pulling out all the christmas decorations is a bit overwhelming I must say. We need to get a new christmas tree stand this year...oh and I need to get Ben a special stocking. I think I will bake sugar cookies (since I have had recent success with that) and peanutbutter balls this year. I will not strand popcorn and cranberries because that was alot of work and ...well maybe I will. I have to finalize my thoughts for my christmas card design and take a photo shoot of the children. I cant wait until I live in a house that has a proper place for a christmas tree. This house just isnt suited for one really well. Weve been putting it in the dining room and everything is super squished. I wonder if I should put up an additional mini tree for just elvis ornaments this year. The lights I put on that tree are just blue (blue christmas). I wonder how Isabelle will react to visiting Santa this year. Last year she didnt want to sit on his lap and was quite shy. Ben will probably smile at him and pull his beard (like he pulls my hair). "We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup." - Buddy Elf

Explosion Box - Craft

So, I have been wanting to try this paper craft for awhile. It is called an explosion box and basically it is a box you make out of 12x12 papers and when you open it in unfolds. You can decorate it with photos, quotes, sayings, journaling, whatever you want. The flaps of the sides are to be lifted to reveal the next layer of surprise. Very fun to make and give! Also you can put a small gift inside the box if you want.

Turkey Day

How to observe Thanksgiving Count your blessings instead of your crosses; Count your gains instead of your losses. Count your joys instead of your woes; Count your friends instead of your foes. Count your smiles instead of your tears; Count your courage instead of your fears. Count your full years instead of your lean; Count your kind deeds instead of your mean. Count your health instead of your wealth; Count on God instead of yourself.

Ben's First Thanksgiving!

Watch out for biting giraffes.

Here are just a few photos from Benjamin's Baptism (or in Isabelle's words: Ben's God Party). I just can't say enough about how wonderful of an event it was. Benjamin did fantastic (and so did Isabelle!) and our family was with us. It was a very Blessed day.

So now, here comes the holidays! Crazy busy times ahead! But so exciting! Isabelle really has the Santa concept down pat this year. Last year she kind of sort of got it a little bit, this year she already keeps talking about how Santa is going to come to her house with presents. That's when I tell her about how he is watching if she's naughty or nice... Now Im starting to get excited about Christmas! My all time favorite Christmas movie is: The Christmas Story, but my second is ELF with will ferrell. My all time favorite Christmas Song is O Holy Night. But I guess, we should talk about the TURKEY first. Im not cooking the turkey meal so thats probably a blessing to us all. Speaking of cooking, well baking, I recently attempted making sugar cookies and they turned out excellent! (they were cross cookies for Ben's favors and by divine intervention they turned out).

Recent Isabelle Tidbits:

In Church when Isabelle hears the bell ring she shouts: Tinkerbell! Also in Church at the Baptism, she announced pretty loudly that the babies were Taking a Bath!

The other night, I told Isabelle that there was a DRAFT coming in the window. Then she responded, "A giraffe is coming in the window to bite me!"

Isabelle playing with her princesses - Me: Isabelle what are you doing? Isabelle: Sleeping Booty is driving to the shopping lot for TOYS!

Isabelle calls my Aunt Chris, Aunt Christmas.

I had a parent/teacher conference with Isabelle's preschool teacher and she gave her excellent reviews/remarks throughout...the one thing she had a negative mark on was: Isabelle doesn't help her friends clean up toys.

Isabelle: I am going to be a super hero when I grow up and Benjamin is going to be a Reindeer huh?

Pre-baptism photo shoot

more halloween...

Halloween

"What a fool I was! Tricks and Treats comes once a year and I missed it by sitting in a pumpkin patch with a blockhead!" - sally brown

Autumn Sunset

I was just so fortunate to look out the window and see this sunset in front of my house tonight. I don't know how well the picture captures it, but it was beautiful.

Let the leaves fall

Ben @ 10 weeks

(poor kid, I found this knit outfit in a bag of clothes that my friend gave me and I fell in love with the sweetness of it. hehe)

Autumn is escaping too quickly. Im not ready for frost on my car windows and frozen grass. time change this weekend - fall back. Isabelle doesnt want to be a chicken for halloween anymore, she wants to be a super hero. She wants to be a chicken when she grows up though. Ive been making a lot of crock pot meals lately. I love the crock pot. Throw the stuff in, walk away come back later and bam it's ready. So, Noah has been on the home computer alot because his work computer crashed. I dont like to share. I attended a wonderful MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) meeting this week. The speaker was very inspirational and funny. Ive been super tired lately, I dont know if its the weather or that Im getting up with Ben more then I realize.... but I could take a nap every day now if I could (the chance of that happening doesnt usually work in my favor though!). The Office was a rerun this week. Last night I watched this 20/20 show in which they introduced a story of people having "animal sanctuarys" and exhibits of big cats such as lions and tigers...and the public can enter the cages and pet them and people have been totally mauled by these big cats and even serious injury (women with boyscout troop just next to the cage, arm ripped off) or died (teenage girl posing for school picture with tiger and attacked). Just sad sick and scary. I cant believe these people are allowed to run these type of establishments and that people actually think its safe to go in with a wild animal. I get scared around crazy regular sized cats every once in awhile. I asked noah if he would rather be in a cage with a tiger or bear? well, he took this opportunity to tell me yes, he would defintely choose to be with a BEER in a cage (since thats how I say the word bear and he found it hilarious that I said it wrong proposing the question). I myself , I think I would go with the tiger. Only because they seem to be trained more then bears and hopefully the one I was in the cage with would be one that was trained well and was having a good peaceful day and that he was feed, so chance of attack would be at low. It's 5:30 am, I think I'll go back to bed. Or maybe I'll just make some coffee...

Houses for Our Souls

"Make yourselves nests of pleasant thoughts. None of us yet know, for none of us have been taught in early youth, what fairy palaces we may build of beautiful thought - proof against all adversity. Bright fancies, satisfied memories, noble histories, faithful sayings, treasure houses of precious and restful thoughts, which care cannot disturb, nor pain make gloomy, nor poverty take away from us - houses built without hands, for our souls to live in." - john ruskin

It's 2 a.m. and that is the quote on the back of my celestial seasonings chamomile tea box. I can't sleep. I hear the slight rains and the brutal winds whipping around outside and I am glad that I am inside. I just got done feeding Benjamin and got him back to sleep, but my mind was wandering and I couldn't find peace enough to properly rest...so I made a cup of tea and here I am. quiet time. alone. a few minutes by myself.

Im thinking about many things. Things that I want to get done on a daily basis that I never have time to acomplish, these endless lists in my head. I think about friends that I want to contact because I miss them, bills that need to be paid somehow, laundry thats piled up because I have skipped it for one day, Lance needs more dog food, he's almost out. I think about the pumpkin that I just got for Isabelle and how when she saw it she said with such excitement "for me? oh wank you mom, wank you!" I think about what fun (and what mess) it will be to carve it with her tonight.

I think about how sweet my little Ben is. I love that when he stretches his arms that they can't reach over his head yet and that his legs are still curled in the fetal position. I love that he looks at me at 2 a.m. and smiles so softly. I love that his pajama's smell like freshness (dreft laundry detergant) and that his head smells of lavendar when I kiss it. His little fingers wrap around my finger and I know that's all I need and that is all that he needs at that very moment.

Motherhood. wow. What a gift. Being a parent is not at all a walk in the park...it's more like a chase and a drag and spin and a carry and trip and fall and a get back up again in the park.. but at the end of the day, at 2.a.m. with a smile just for me...I'd say it's worth entering the park and taking on the challenges that await me...even if I stumble into some dog poo along the way because I get to see the sun brighter and feel it's warmth more than I ever have before.