Christmas time....where have I been?

I just can't make time slow down! I wish I could say that once the New Year is here, I'll have a new found committment to blogging, but I know my wonderfully crazy life and that probably won't happen. I will say I am content, I am busy, I am potty training and I am loving the holiday season! That enough for you? I just finished our Christmas cards and wanted to share a link to a great deal. I was able to save quite a bit! http://www.shutterfly.com Happy Holidays....Hope to type real soon. :)

Ella-23 months

Today Ella turned 2 and I'm just now posting her 23 month picture. I'll be sure to post her 24 month soon.....Oh, the life of being a mommy to 3 little ones! And yes, this picture perfectly portrays this little girl's personality on that day in September!

Ella-22 months

Ella-21 months

Things I Don't Want to Forget

***On Owen: When you pray at bedtime you ask God to help you be a good Christian. You thank him for the good and the bad. You see how both are blessings. How wise you are! You were very nervous about 1st grade. I was surprised by this because you are always so confident when it comes to school. You protect Eli. You wanted to make sure Eli would sit by you on the bus just in case he fell asleep on the way home. You wanted to be there for him if he wanted to lay on your lap (tear from mommy). You want EVERYTHING to be fair. You thrive on rules. You are crushed if you think the rules are not fair. ***On Eli: Your prayers go like this, "Dear God, thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Owen, Eli and Ella. Help me be good. Help me be good to others. Help me be nice to friends and Owen and Ella. Help for me to love people. Help for me to love you. Help for me to......(we sometimes have to cut you off because you could go all night)but you always gets in "help for me to be a good Christian." You whispered in my ear yesterday, "Mommy, Did you know some kids grow up to be teenagers?" You had a silly little smile on your face like you were saying something kind of sneaky. (I told him he would be a teenager someday and he said..."NO, that's silly!" I'm not sure what his definition of a teenager is yet. I think it has something to do with boys liking girls and going on dates. Owen has talked about that a bit lately). You get some of your phrasing off and it's so cute. Example: I didn't get to play much time on the Wii, outside, etc. Your hair is really blonde after being in the sun in Florida for 2 weeks. You are one handsome little blonde, tan boy! ***On Ella: You had a vocabulary explosion over vacation. You added a few new words everyday while we were there. Here are a few: goggles, cookies, cracker, baby No NO (baby Noah). You have really started speaking in sentences. Examples: "Baby No No says Wa Wa." "I wan up." "Come on." "All done." "Sit down" "Outside, I walk." You know and say most of your body parts. The boys taught you to say toot. You point to your bottom and say "tut" It's cute, even if slightly inappropriate. You tell everyone "Hi" and "bye bye." I could list so much more, but I'll stop there. You are VERY outgoing! You are the most expressive child I have ever met. I need to post a recording of some of your responses. You still are not the best sleeper....which is why I need to end this list and go to bed! Love my babies. Don't want to forget these moments!

Ella-20 months

Ella adores her "Bitty Baby." She had to make a brief appearance for this month's photo session. I love watching her pretend to be a little mommy. It's amazing to watch your very own daughter mimic every little thing you do. She rubs bitty baby's back, pats her bottom, kisses her, wraps her up in blankies... Sometimes I just watch her (when she doesn't know) and marvel at this little miracle that is growing up right before my eyes.

Ella-19 months (way overdue)

This summer has been crazy. A good crazy, but time has not been something I have had to spare. I managed to get a picture of Ella every month, but did not have time to edit and post them That is obvious by my absence from this blog. Summer is coming to an end and with that, comes routine and more time to use as I wish. So, here are several posts chronicling my sweet baby girl each month,

So Much to Come

When I finally get around to posting pictures, it's going to be a picture extravaganza. Our summer has been filled with fun and friends. I think I better get on this whole blog thing before we go on vacation... Thoughts from lately: 1) Owen and Eli love each other intensely, which means they fight intensely too! I'm learning to deal with this on a 4 and 6-year old level. I have found that how I deal with behaviors with each boy is very, very different. Their personalities play a huge role in this, not just age. Eli is so tender-hearted and Owen is the master compromiser. 2) I ADORE teaching. I love that I get to do so much teaching in the summer. I also love that my children are safe with my mom and mother-in-law. 3) It's hard to come back to being a stay-at-home mommy after teaching each week. I miss the independence a little. Oh, and coming home to a perfectly clean home and all laundry done after either my mom or mom-in-law was here! 4) My husband knows how to raise boys! So glad he does because they might turn out pretty bad if I were the only one in charge. 5) Ella is finally done nursing at 20 months! We had our final bonding on July 8th. I cried the next night as she cried for me, but only 2 minutes later she was hugging me, both arms and legs wrapped around my shoulders and waist. Now we have a new routine of rocking and hugging. It's pretty amazing! 6) I obsess over organization. Mainly the fact that my house is not organized the way I want it to be. It's an unhealthy thing. 7) I stay up too late.

Patience....

Summer has begun and I'm learning patience all over again. It's a balancing act with all three at home. I love having all three, but they each have their own wants and needs. Owen is used to "doing" all of the time, while Eli, Ella and I have gotten in our own little simple day to day routine. The boys adore being together, but there are more fights because they are together so much more. Patience is becoming an active choice on my part. I want to treasure these moments. Moments where we don't have to be anywhere at a set time. We can just "be" a family. I am juggling a lot right now. I have been preparing for teaching very intensive classes, so I'm a little preoccupied. Needless to say, this blog has suffered a drought as well as any other outlet of creativity. I do have pictures taken of my sweet Ella at 18 and 19 months, but they have yet to be edited and posted. I will get to it, but for now, I am working on being the best mom I can be to these miracles I call mine!

Easter

Ella

Ella

The Men in my Life

I watch you grow

I watch you change

I marvel at your intelligence

your creativity

your confidence

your tenderness

4 and 6

4 and 6

My two little Valentine babies changed me forever and now I look at

4 and 6

So big, yet still babies

and

then 

there is

My first valentine

The man who is my home

who holds me

who holds you

who always, always makes me feel safe

makes me feel desired

To the men in my life....I say, I love you

I adore you

Ella

I'll be back soon

I will return!  I need to post Ella's 15 months picture, I need to edit January photos, I need to grade 

papers and projects, I need to do laundry, make beds, cook meals, clean, exercise, play, and rest.  I'll get to it all, but right now I'm focusing on taking care of this precious family of mine.

Family

These precious kids make me smile.  

Sweets with the Sweetie

 Eli LOVES to be a helper and he loves to bake.  Almost every day he wants to make some type of treat.  I know he likes the sweets, but I also know he loves this time with me.  It's a  time when he can be messy.  It's a time just for the two of us.  It's kind of "our thing."  This Christmas we made peppermint fudge and Eli was helpful like always.  He also likes to sneak other treats while working (note the cookie).  I do have to the share this extremely EASY recipe.  It's a 3 minute, 3 ingredient recipe.  Perfect for the busy holiday season.

1 14 oz can of condensed milk

1 package of Andes mint chips

1 package of semi-sweet morsels

Combine chips in bowl

Mix in condensed milk

Microwave for 3 min

Pour in pan and let cool

Add crushed peppermint candies 

 

I also want to remember a few other things about Eli.  

*He calls the movie theater, the movie-ve-ater

*He had his adenoids and tonsils removed mid-December and proved once again how brave and resilient he is

*He had a little mickey mouse voice for about a week after this.  It was ADORABLE.

*He can't get enough of his Nintendo DS or the Wii.  He is my little technology boy.  He knows more about an I-Pad than I do.

*He loves to read books with me, but only in his bedroom.

*He adores Ella, calling her "sweet little chubby cheeks" and "baby chubs."  He often comes running upstairs to take a bath with her, even if he is doing something more fun.  He just can't get over how soft she is.  He's not too old to share a bath with his sister yet!

*He had his first bout of the flu in December.  That kid had never vomited before.  He had also never been on an antibiotic till this fall.  He is one healthy boy.  The removal of his tonsils was due to sleep apnea issues.

*He is tall and VERY skinny.

*He loves school and riding the bus, even though he was pushed to the ground on the bus last week.  (This mommy got a little territorial on that one)

*When nap time comes and I'm snuggled next to him in his bed, he just stares at me, telling me I'm his best friend.  I tell him I could stare at those amazing eyes all day but, it's time to sleep.  Last week he looked at me and said, "Mommy, you are so pretty.  I could stare at you forever."  Then he wants to have a staring contest, which he always wins.  

*There are thousands of other memories, some I'll keep close to my heart, some I'll forget and some I won't even know are shaping him into the man he will become.

 

Christmas Rewind....Owen's Program

Figuring it out....

I'm trying to figure out how to make my pictures bigger, but in the process my header went HUGE.  I'll be working on this, but I must sleep now. 

Sweet dreams!

Your Name is our Favorite Word

We thank you, God, we thank you— your Name is our favorite word;
      your mighty works are all we talk about. 

Psalm 75:1 (The Message)

I chose the word healthy to be "our word" for 2012 and then I read this scripture and changed my mind!

YOUR NAME, LORD.  That is our favorite word.  It defines us.  Shapes us.  Makes us.

Here's to a year filled with THE BEST WORD IN ALL OF HISTORY!

Christmas Baby

A New Year

I want this to be a year in which I stay committed to my resolutions, but I know I will fail, so this year I am choosing a word to encompass what I want for our family.  The word is HEALTHY!  We are going to become Healthy.  This does not just mean how we eat and take care of our bodies.  This includes all of the following:

A healthy prayer life (my own, prayer with Aaron and as a family)
A healthy amount of time in the Word
Commitment to exercise (starting with 3 days a week and maybe learning to like running)  Aaron already has this one licked!  He always runs....always!
Commitment to healthy eating (less sweets for the little sweeties)
A healthy dose of organization (enough to keep me sane, but not too much to make me miss out on life moments with the little ones that make the messes)
An extra healthy amount of patience and time management (specific time set aside for each child is going to be big this year)



That's it.  I'm committed to being Healthy.  My family is committed too.