one little word 2011

My word for 2011 is intentional.

In the back of my mind I had been thinking of the need to choose my word for some time but not really focusing on picking a word.  Well, I have been hearing this word a lot lately and suddenly realized that it would be the perfect word for me to focus on.

In-ten-tion-al

–adjective
1. done with intention or on purpose; intended.
2. of or pertaining to intention or purpose.
 
I think this is the perfect word for me because it will force me to focus myself on my choices.  I want to be more intentional primarily in two areas; 1) my relationships - specifically with God, Mark, my kids, my sisters, my mom, my friends and any other relationships that are important to me and 2) my time - I want to use my time with focus and intent as it relates to my relationships and my responsibilities.  I am already thinking of some relationships and responsibilities that I want to strengthen and go deeper with and others that I am ready to let go of.

I am excited by the new year and the new word and all the possibilities in front of me.  I was inspired to select a word by Ali Edward's.  You can read Ali's blog here.

happy birthday luke!

As we say good-bye to 2010 and hello to 2011, we also get to say 'Happy Birthday' to our sweet middle child Luke!  It is so fun to start the year with a birthday. 

My dear sweet Luke you turn five today.  Which seems so old, so big and yet so little at the same time.  I love this age.  You are entirely capable of doing a lot by yourself, yet you are still young enough to want lots of hugs and kisses from mommy.  Your imagination has grown wings and your vocabulary has finally caught up with your mind, so you are always telling stories you made up or reenacting scenes from a movie. 

You are such an easy going child.  You have the most pleasant personality and I thank God that you wake up happy every day!  You are always happy and have never met a stranger.  In fact, we lovingly call you the mayor.  Since everyone you meet is a friend and you are always inviting people to come to our house and play (even adults but especially pretty girls).


Your best friend is your big brother John.  You are obsessed with Spiderman (still) and want to be Spiderman when you grow up, as long as you can live with me.  You wear your Spiderman costume at least once a week and frequently when we go run errands.  Your favorite color is red.  Your favorite movies are 'How to Train Your Dragon' and any of the Land Before Time movies.  Your favorite toys are Spiderman action figures and the talking Woody from Toy Story 3.  Your favorite foods are pancakes, waffles and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.  You go to sleep in your own bed every night but somehow end up in my bed (which doesn't usually wake me up so that is why you are still doing it).  You love to be read to and will ask me to read to you daily.  You love going to school and church and have many friends in both places.

You told me yesterday that when you are older you want to marry Hannah.  And although I really like her and her mom, it made me so sad that I was no longer your first choice.  Although, you made sure I knew it was because I was already married to daddy and not allowed to marry again.
It feels like just the other day when we accepted your referral.  You were just five days old when we first saw your picture and now you are five YEARS old.  I'm not sure how that happened but I'd love to freeze time and keep you my little boy forever.  But at the same time, I can't wait to see who and what you will become.  I know that God has big plans for your life and has given you many gifts to fulfill your destiny.  I pray that you will always know how much I love you and never get too big for hugs and kisses.

 

 Turning 3 on New Year's Day 2009

 Turning 4 on New Year's Day 2010

This year, New Year's Day 2011

christmas recap

We had a great Christmas this year!  And have been having fun just hanging out and enjoying the days without routine.  I have  been waking up each day without a sense of what day it is, which is both nice and a little disconcerting at the same time.  I have come to the conclusion that having no schedule and no routine is not a good thing for our family me.  We need some structure or the days just blur together and nothing gets done.  We had a bit of snow and some REALLY cold weather so some of the days we were trapped inside.

We enjoyed Christmas Eve at our house with my parents (both my sister's and their families were away this year) and our friend Tad.  It was a nice calm evening and the kids were overjoyed to open their presents from Uncle Tad.  He bought them dragons from the movie 'How to Train your Dragon', which is only thing that they asked for for Christmas.  So needless to say they were a big hit.

We have the kids hang their stockings on Christmas Eve.  This year both John and Luke were able to reach to hang their own stockings.  You can see from the pictures below which one of the two is a rule follower and actually posed after he hung his stocking.

Grace actually held onto her stocking this year with her own hands.  She placed it above the stocking hanger instead of on it, but we were just happy that she tried.

After church on Sunday I realized that the kid's clothes were sort of matching and decided to try and take a picture in front of the tree.  We usually use a picture in front of the tree for our Christmas card but this year we didn't and since I love a tradition I thought we'd give it a go.  It actually wasn't too bad.  I did have to bribe Luke with a cookie but I think that's a small price to pay for a cute picture in front of my Christmas tree.

I didn't realize that Grace had hair in front of her face until a few pictures into the shoot and after I fixed it, she refused to look up at me.  So I hope there is a way to erase that hair using photoshop and then I hope I can find someone to do that for me (hint, hint).

We are now gearing up for Luke's birthday which is Saturday.  I can't believe that a) he is going to be five, I'm not sure how that happened but I want him to stop getting older, and b) I have to bake more cookies and cupcakes so soon after Christmas. 

merry and bright

The presents are wrapped, the baking is finished, the cards have been sent and school is over for the year!  I'm loving this time.  We are going to spend the next few days loving on our kids, seeing friends and family, watching too many movies, eating too much food and reflecting on all the blessings we have been given.  Here are my three greatest blessings...

I pray that you are able to find peace and thankfulness in this season.  I pray that you know that God loves you so much that he sent his son for you.

 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government 

will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, 

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Is 9:6

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!  May you be blessed with health, happiness and the joy that comes from knowing the living God during this holiday season.

this is going to be random

How's that for a post title and a warning all wrapped into one!  The kids have a few more days of school left before their Christmas Break.  And I am trying to slow down and enjoy these days and these times and not script our lives too much.  I think it's working because I just got my cards done today and it doesn't bother me one bit that it is December 21st. 

Luke had his Christmas play on Friday and it was adorable.  The school he goes to always does such a great job.  All the kids dressed as Shepherds, by wearing their dad's shirts and tea towel on their heads.  All I can say is it was CUTE!!  They sang five songs and Luke knew all the words and hand motions to each song.  This is the only picture that doesn't have his whole class in it but take my word for it, they were great.  He will be playing and all of the sudden break into 'Jesus is my best friend' (one of the songs from the play).  And I pray that that song takes root in his heart and is true for his whole life.

We don't make a big deal about santa at Christmas time.  In fact, we don't 'do' the whole presents from santa thing at all.  We tell the kids that we are celebrating Jesus's birthday and that they get 3 presents from mom and dad just like Jesus got 3 presents from the Wisemen.  They are fine with this and don't really ask too much about santa.  Because we don't focus on santa during this time, my kids have never had their picture taken with santa.  Okay, so I told you all of that to tell you this. 

We were invited to our neighbor's house to a party with santa on Saturday and told to bring a present for each child so that santa could give them out.  We told the kids that we were going to a party and one of santa's helpers would be there dressed like santa and that we had bought presents for him to give them.  Well, Luke lost it when he saw santa.  He ran up to him, while another family was having their picture taken with santa and said 'I love you so much!' and hugged him.

John and Grace wanted nothing to do with the big guy in the red suit.  John did make sure that he was going to get his present even if he wouldn't talk to santa.  They are like night and day these boys!

We celebrated Christmas with my family on Sunday but these are the only pictures I got...

I love that one of Mark and Grace.  I think it is so good of both of them.  And truth be told, they are the hardest ones in the family to get good pictures of.  My sister Cathy gave her son Will a camera for Christmas and this is how he spent the night.  

And finally, dear friends of ours are facing the unthinkable this Christmas.  Their dear, sweet baby girl is very sick and may soon go home to be with the Lord.  Their daughter, Lucy, was born with a mitochondrial disease and is not doing well right now.  Drew and Nicole have recently become Christians and had all four of their kids dedicated to the Lord this past Sunday.  There was not a dry eye in the whole place when the pastor was done praying for Lucy.  I was sobbing.  Please say some prayers for them this holiday season as they face the reality of not if but when their daughter will leave this earth.  Their blog can be found here.

I made this sugar cookie dough, from my friend Amanda's baking blog.  She makes amazing cookies and cakes while raising 3 young kids and being pregnant with baby number 4.  We are going to cut them out and decorate them today but the dough is like crack (not that I really know what crack is like, but it is calling to me from the fridge.  seriously.).  I'm going to let the boys decorate them so they won't be as amazing as Amanda's to look at but they taste just like crack as awesome!!

 

See, I warned you.  This was a random post...

first snow of the season = FUN!!!

We had our first snowfall yesterday.  Which is a bit of an exaggeration, because it really only amounted to about a 1/4 inch on the streets and sidewalks.  Much to Luke's dismay, the snow did not stick to the grass at all.  But the salt trucks were out early salting and so it seemed like a big deal of a snow storm to my favorite four year old.

Luke spent about an hour outside yesterday playing in the snow all by himself.  In years past, he has just eaten the snow and then come in when he is too cold from the inside out to play any more.  So I was pleasantly surprised when he stayed outside for longer than 10 minutes and that he seemed to really have fun.

Of course I snapped a few pictures of him playing in our great big paltry, hardly can be called, snow fall.

I hear we may get more snow this weekend which would be fun, except it always (and I mean ALWAYS) snows on the weekends that Mark works.  Which means I feel obligated to shovel the driveway and end up doing it by myself.  Hopefully, I've grown this year and am over that feeling of obligation.

happiness is...

making and decorating sugar cookies!!!  On Sunday the boys and I cut out sugar cookies.  This is one of those traditions that I really looked forward to passing on to my children.  And I enjoy baking with them so much.  It is fun to see their skills develop each year.  John is getting really good at rolling out the dough and they both do a great job using the cookie cutters.

But the real magic is in the decorating. 

 

Why yes, there IS a cookie under all those sprinkles!  

And then the best part by far.  Eating your masterpiece - before dinner!!  Of course, we are also partial to the raw dough.  Which is why we will be making more sugar cookies this weekend!

Grace didn't help with the cookies, nor does she eat them.  But she was looking really cute that day and actually sat while we took a bunch of pictures!  She's so cute :)