Mama found the camera, see what we've been doing....

I finally located my camera (acutally Robert found it, thanks honey!). We have been busy with outdoor projects, indoor painting, part-time jobs (mine) vegetable plantings, jet-skiing (Robert)yard work and so on. The kids are loving the yard here and Robert's idea to put the playset out in the "woods" at the back of the yard was a good one. It is always shady and cool back there so no one minds being outside for lone periods of time. I bought the swingset on Craigslist for $250 and the playhouse for $50. Good buys, both of them. The swingset just needed some stain and some sand and we were good to go. Daddy has to put the slide up still but other than that, it is pretty much done back there. We have also put stairs off the back deck, a retaining wall off the back sliding doors and "grow" boxes along the side of the house. Whew! We have lots of other projects in the works, including a rummage sale in two weeks but we are taking a break for a while to enjoy. Hope everyone is enjoying the summer!

Awanas ceremony

Morgan finished out her awanas year last Monday and daddy was there to get some video of her singing andl of her and Ry in the parking lot afterwards. Enjoy!

Note: Morgan is the one with the light pink long sleeves in the 2nd row, it was kinda hard to tell so I thought I should point her out!

Beads and princesses and random pictures

Any temperature over 50 degrees is reason to party outisde with water and sand!

Morgan planting her tomatoes.

Here is what happens......

when small boys play with sister's beads!

Ry has been sick a lot lately. Snoozing in the high chair, he could not even make it through lunch!

Aren't these the three cutest dressed up kids?! Morgan and Lainy are forever playing dress-up together and this time they insisted that Ry get to play too. Hee Hee, isn't he cute!?

Guardian angels and the grace of God

Ever have one of those incidents with your kids that could have been a bad situation and somehow by the skin of your teeth you escaped disaster?! Rylan James is going to be my child that requires the assistance of multiple guardian angels. We were downstairs today in the basement and Morgan and Lainy were jumping on the Jump N Slide and Ry was wandering around. We have sections of the basement gated off so I wasn't too worried that he could hurt himself on anything. I was attempting to work on some financial stuff but was watching him at the same time. He wandered just out of my view and I called at him to come back. I heard him laugh and keep going so I got up and went around the corner just in time for me to see him step on the sump pump cover. It was loose....it tips ...and in slow motion I watch him fall in. Now I have no idea how deep the hole goes but he ended up straddling a pipe that was about 6 inches in. I had him by the arm in about two seconds so he just got his shoes and socks all wet. But I shudder to think about the result had I not been that close. Oh the years that came off my life!!! God sometimes gives you a "free one". Just a little reminder that these little lives are so precious and so in need of supervision. No more inattention for mama!!!

Crazy kids, crazy mama...

Okay is it just me or is winter lasting an extrordinarily long time....ok so it hasn't been that bad. I guess it's just that this is the first year I have had TWO very busy, very active kids to occupy. They are sick of being inside. Thank goodness for the one day this week when the temp was close to 60! We spent all of that day outside, didn't get one single thing done except for cleaning up the yard. Ah the bliss of being outside with no coats on!! We are back to playdo and coloring and painting and playing in boxes left over from Christmas presents. I even set up the Jump N Slide in the middle of the living room last week. Anything to keep them busy. Here are a few pictures of that and also a few of them playing in my Rubbermaid containers....

Hope for the future

Sorry that it has been so long between posts. I can't even use the excuse that we have been busy because with the terrible cold lately we have spent plenty of time at home the last few weeks. Just unmotivated to write I guess. My camera has been dead and I haven't made any attempts to revive it yet. I guess you could say that I am in that January-holidays are over-3 more months of winter-world's a mess kind of funk. But, if I look at it all with the right perspective, I have to say that there are plenty of things to be thankful for. So in the spirit of counting my blessings:

1. My kids are healthy, not struggling with illnesses or disesases
2. We are still employed
3. God is still in control and still good no matter what
4. Easter and the season of Lent is approaching with the reminders that Jesus has made a way for salvation and life eternal
5. We have family to lean on and enjoy life with
6. We have a church family to lean on and enjoy life with
7. The sun is shining today!
8. We have enough food, enough clothes, enough heat in our house
9. I am blessed to be at home with my children where I can raise them and enjoy them
10. Superbowl is coming up ( okay so I couldn't care less about the game but we are hosting a party that should be a lot of fun!)
11. We were able to rent our old house so we don't have double mortgage payments to cover.
12. Did I mention that the sun is shining?

I promise to get some pictures posted of the kids soon. They are growing so fast. Pray that all is well with you and yours as we start this new year!

Christmas Day

We got to spend a quiet Christmas Eve at home with Aunt Holly and the kids opened up their stockings and then Christmas morning they opened their gifts from us. We had a great breakfast and then spent the day until 3 playing with all the new toys!! Grandma Leasure got the kids a "50's Diner" which turned out to be the hit of the day. It came with lots of fun features and Aunt Cathi sent an apron and lots of fun food. At 3 the family all came over for soup and sandwiches and the kids opened more gifts. What a crazy, fun loud day. My children are very blessed and we are so thankful for the family that we have to celebrate with. Here are pictures of the two days. Enjoy!!