Happy Birthday Leah Beth!

Our sweet Leah Beth...a tender heart and an iron will. You are our first gift from God and we are totally smitten with you! You've brought crafting and dancing and giggling into our home. You've softened up your Daddy and girlied up your not-so, Mom! You are teensie and strong and love to be active. If you had your way, we'd stay home all day, everyday and you'd wear a dress everyday. Not just any dress though. It needs to be pretty and you need to have on your tights and shoes and a pretty hair bow. You love to read and color and craft. You spend "naptime", resting in your room. You're perfectly content to stay there as long as you have access to books or crafts. You LOVE your brother, think he's absolutely hilarious and really look out for him. You are best friends with Logan. You also love Elmer. He's getting old and you seem to sense that he needs attention more than he used to. Typically, we'll find you sitting with him, petting him or hugging him, and have already covered him with his blanket. You love to help Mommy in the kitchen, cooking or baking. Daddy is the sparkle in your eye, you miss him when he works all day and stick by his side when he's home. You're like him in lots of ways, but the biggest way I've noticed recently is that you're a strong, silent type, just like him. You don't talk a whole lot and when you do, you're either silly or answering a question. You're a thinker. Daddy and I chose to give you a craft table and drawers full of crafty things this year. We think you'll love it.
You played soccer this year and are asking to try gymnastics next. You want to get your ears pierced on your birthday...
You sing in the kids choir at church that Mommy directs. You've got a beautiful instrument and you love learning. You're learning how to worship God by using the gifts He's given you. Good job, kiddo!
You already know that Jesus died for you and that you were made by God, for God, and have shown us that you have a strong conscience...and you listen to it. You choose to obey and that gives us much peace as we prepare to send you to Kindergarten in the fall. We know that you'll listen to God's direction, and be a light to those around you. You're a good kid, Leah Beth and we're so thankful that God has trusted us to raise you for Him.

Happy Birthday Logan!

My parents were able to come this weekend and celebrate Logan's birthday with us. They brought him a racecar track...it took awhile to figure out how it all went together. Once it was all working...


Definately a hit!

Logan and I made a deal that he was allowed to grow bigger and get older, if he'd always be my "Squeezie-Man", and give me lots and lots of hugs and kisses. I better take them while I can still get them!

Leah gave Logan a guitar! He loved it.

Daddy had to try it out and make sure it works properly...

A helmet..a clue...

But what good is a helmet without a bike? He was a little bummed and confused as to why we'd give him a helmet and not a bike...

Peeking around the corner to see if it's the motorcycle bike he really wanted...

It IS the motorcycle bike!! Happy boy!

We have a tradition of eating our birthday cake for breakfast here in this house...the REAL birthday cake will come in a few weeks when we have the kids' party, but Logan requested brownies for breakfast. Reminds me of Vanessa...

I figure as long as I serve them with milk, it's healthy, right?

Papa Bill and Grandma Phyllis sent Logan to pick out whatever he wanted...he chose a "suitcase" to hold all of his racecars. He also picked out some special, "CARS" cars that he loves.



Randy and Grandma Connie sent Logan a certificate to go "Build a Bear"! He had so much fun picking out a soft puppy and making it just the way he wanted to!


A few things to say about our little-big-man. Seriously, he's so squeezie I can't even tell you. I honestly have a hard time staying away from those sweet cheeks, I'm so lucky he doesn't mind my kisses! Logan is growing as he should, learning every day and testing our patience too. He figured out his new bike so quickly, we couldn't believe it. Until today he's still been using his feet on the ground on his little trike! Now he's zipping all over the place on this bicycle. He's very tough, will get up and try again, but still remains the tender heart in the house. His feelings get hurt and he has a little temper. He's desperate to be on a "TEAM" very soon. We're thinking he'll take right to soccer or baseball...we'll know more next year. He loves to sing in the car, has been potty trained for a full year now and is learning to write his name. He identifies all of the letters of the alphabet and still sleeps for about 2-3 hours every day. I think it's because he talks and moves non-stop for the rest of the day. He's a picky eater and has a sweet tooth like his Mama. I frequently look at him and see traces of my dad, and have recently been shocked when I glance at him and see how much he looks like Ryan. He loves his daddy and he's best friends with Leah. I think he has a special place for Mommy in his heart too...he compliments me everyday and makes sure we all know how much he loves us. Ryan and Leah and I are laughing constantly at Logan. He makes us laugh on purpose and already has a sense of humor that is refined and way beyond his years.
We couldn't be more thankful for our sweet Loag, we're so blessed to have him as a part of our family!
Happy Birthday sweet boy!

Leah lately

Sweet Leah surprises us around every curve! I like to classify her as the "strong, silent type". She's a lot like Ryan that way. She's been playing soccer for Ryan's team since this summer. She had her first game last weekend and I was able to get a few snapshots. I'm sorry they're blurry. She's really quick! She got to try being goalie...maybe not the best option for little-bitty Leah Beth. She's still younger than most of the girls on the team. We can tell she's got some athleticism and we think that in another year or so, she'll be ready to get back out there and try again. She's decided that soccer isn't for her right now. She's asked to try gymnastics, so we'll see what we can do about that.
She's loving choir class at church. We had a Christmas party with the kids last week. One of our teachers made little mice, and I thought i'd post a picture of them...you have to check these things out!
She's always loved singing and humming...it really is a good place for her to be. She's learning how to worship God respectfully and enthusiastically! I'm also enjoying being her teacher. I think it's pretty special. I got a few pictures from this Sunday after church. Her choir sang for the congregation and I thought she looked so cute.
We love watching your special gifts, Leah...thank you for trying new things and for working so hard! We love you!

Shutterfly Virgin

That's me. The Shutterfly Virgin. I've been a Wal-Mart photo center regular for the past 5 years. Not only does that mean I'm still quite new to making Christmas cards at all...i've only ever made a regular 4x6 print and simply slipped it into a generic Christmas card. It's not because I'm lazy. It's not because I don't appreciate the "reason for the season." I've just chosen to keep it simple and reserve those funds for other things. (Important things like food and clothing...)
Let's be honest. We all love to get Christmas cards in the mail but none of us like to pay for the cute fancy ones. I especially love to get the Christmas cards with pictures of friends and loved ones. Just this week I recieved a beautiful birth announcement from my friends on the West coast. http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birth-announcements
I like to see how families are growing and changing. I like to see how people choose to display their family. Humorous? Serious? With their dog wearing reindeer antlers in the photo? Candidly? Posed? Akwardly?

This year, I decided to bite the bullet. I love recieving those beautiful cards and I wanted to be part of that club. I started doing some research, swaping family photos in and out of ready-made background layouts. Uploading. Which color do I like the best? Which color compliments the chosen photo? Which design best represents my family?

Are we modern and should go for the "modern wreath?" Are we conservative and should go with the three Wise Men following the star? Should I simply choose the card that says, "JOY!" I'm feeling pressure to pick just the right card for the right price...And that's when it happened. My cousin sent me some good news in a text message with the following link: http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/
I jump to the site and am instantly told that I can recieve 50 free Christmas cards from Shutterfly! Not only will they be FREE, I simply have to follow a few steps and my Christmas cards are totally taken care of! All this virgin has to do is follow the roadmap and i'm on my way to being a member of the "cute Christmas card club!"
Now that this Shutterfly virgin has dabbled with the process, i'd say it'd be wise to look out, sweet hubby and close family and friends. You may just be getting a photo mug for your next special occasion. The only question is, Who's mug will be on that mug? Mine? Or yours? http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/photo-mugs

Good Gifts...

Winter is here! Snot is running! Cinnamon apple candles are lit! Walnuts are gracing the crystal bowl we got for our wedding and never use except at Christmastime for walnuts! Music rehearsals are in full-effect!
I snapped a few pictures last night while we got our tree up. Some may say I go overboard with the camera timer and picture postings...but I just don't want to forget the good stuff. And I don't want Ryan to forget. And I don't want the kids to forget either. These pictures are PERFECT examples of the good stuff i'm referring to. In the following pictures, notice: Logan. Not wanting to help decorate, but posing and smiling for the pictures, even though I never told anyone I was even setting the timer. Ha! Leah. She's blurry in every picture because she LOVES decorating for Christmas time. She has an opinion now about where things should go and how they should be arranged. She's also wearing her Super-girl Halloween costume belt with her outfit. She wore it all day. With her black church shoes. Ryan. He doesn't like taking pictures, he looks at the camera because he loves me and he knows that I LOVE pictures of our family.
You'll certainly notice that I'm smiling cheese-ily. It's because I love, love, love Christmas and tradition time. I'm thankful that Jesus was born, otherwise we wouldn't have a Christmas season. Look at all the good gifts that come along with our Savior!

Top 10

Ryan asked if i'd make a post listing our top 10 reasons for loving to go to the Davis Mountains during our Thanksgiving break. Here's for you, sweets!

10)

The anticipation of our big vacation...this includes the 8 hour car ride together, some of it through the night and setting up a tent in the dark with sleepy babies. I start making lists months ahead of time...

9) Freezing cold mornings! Ryan is so good about getting out of his sleeping bag and taking the kids to the bathroom, and returning with the lantern to dry out the tent and warm us up enough to get up and going. He gifts us with his servant heart.

8) Uncle Bucks Treat runs. The town of Fort Davis is tiny. There's not much there and we still can't figure out what people do there to make a living. Most would say it's run-down and certainly not pretty. We've found a little gem in the middle of the 12 building main-strip. It's called Uncle Bucks. He sells Cokes and candy and, well, just about anything else you'd find yourself craving. He seems to be making a great living...we fear there may be some behind the scenes deals going down too...for us, the candy and Cokes keep our spirits up when it's chilly outside! Thanks, Uncle Buck.

7)
Breakfast at the Black Bear resturant. We like to budget for a warm breakfast. The thought of cooking and eating in the cold and then cleaning up dirty pots and pans in the cold isn't much fun for me. We much prefer to walk to drive up to the Indian Lodge...(and old fort from way back in the day that was turned into a hotel/resturant) We drop about 12-15 dollars each morning and come away stuffed. We get sausage, pancakes, eggs, hot chocolate, cinnamon rolls...we love it and love the price and size of the meal even more.

6)
Watching the kids playing around the campsite. I've said it before, and i'll say it again. The box is better than the toy. Rocks, trees, dirt, bugs, forts, bug traps, buckets of water, cars in the dirt, rocketships...the list goes on. We love to listen to Leah help Logan and Logan follow nicely along, loving everything she says. We love watching Logan make Leah laugh and dance around. They are truly best friends and watching them play and use their imaginations for hours on end...and not needing us to entertain them, is a gift for me, Ryan and for them too.

5)
Naps. Seriously. My idea of a vacation is having some time that is the exact opposite of what I do day to day here at home. The tent is in the shade. We crawl onto our sleeping bags in sweats, pull up our blanket and read one book before we are quiet. The windows of the tent are open so we get a little breeze through. We watch the trees taking on that breeze and we hear birds and quiet. Ryan sometimes likes to sleep in the hammock...what a treat for him! There's no time limit...sometimes we all sleep for 3 hours and wake up ready for a hike...truly a treat for all of us. (I've already mentioned in another entry that I got to watch and listen to both kids fall asleep...Loved it when they were babies and am so thankful for those moments now.)

4) Evening campfires. This year we didn't get the luxury because of the burn ban. Charcoal fires just don't have the same effect as wood fires. We normally have a great evening tradition around the fire. Normally, we'll get the kids dressed for bed and put them in their sleeping bags. Then we carry them over to the fire ring, put one kid in sleeping bag on each of our laps and hold them while we visit around the campfire. They are completely entranced by the fire, warm from us and the bag and the snuggling...literally, they never make it past 10 minutes. Dead weight and snoring from a long day playing. We carry them back to the tent, zip them up and take ourselves back to the fire. We watch the stars...millions of them because there's no outside light. We get to talk like we're on a date. No kids. When we're ready or our drinks are gone,we clean up camp for fear of Javolina attack, and head to our own sleeping bags. There's something truly magical about a fire...

3)
Family hikes. We don't go fast yet and we don't go very far. The kids each get a chance to show us their skills, they learn about trying even when they're tired and we learn practical skills from Daddy too. About knowing when it's time to turn around before it's too dark. We learn about tracks we see on the trail. We even try to identify droppings! I love to take pictures in neat places along the way. Ryan always has one kid on his shoulders and that's a particularly special treat for whichever kid gets to hitch a ride. (I think its' pretty special for Ryan too.)

2)
Wildlife. I already posted about wildlife...but seriously...we've seen some pretty beautiful animals. Ryan LOVES the animals and we actually go on long drives just to find them...and I love how much the kids love them too. They remember that kind of stuff.

1)

Creation. All I have to say is this: If I can go on vacation (a truly selfish and self-serving idea in the first place...) and come away feeling clean and healthy and humble and more in love with my husband and children, and thankful and happy and lighter and even more in awe of God and His imagination and love for me and my family....well then it's worth every second of work to get there. God is so good and I continue to be greatful for the beauty He chose to gift us with.

Failed Christmas Pictures...And Posey Leah...

We've tried to make it a tradition that our Christmas picture comes from our trip out West every year. We take lots of familiy shots and most of them have one person that isn't quite in the game. If you look closely, you'll see one of us with a scrunched up face, or one or both of the kids goofing off. So for your laughing enjoyment, please peruse these failed family photos...Also, enjoy Leah's photo shoot. She likes to pose. She came up with all kinds of creative places for portraits. One time she stopped in the middle of the trail and sat down on the ground and asked me to take her picture. Sigh. Who's kid is she?!















We've tried to make it a tradition that our Christmas picture comes from our trip out West every year. We take lots of familiy shots and most of them have one person that isn't quite in the game. So for your laughing enjoyment, please peruse these failed family photos...And then enjoy Leah's photo shoot. She likes to pose.She came up with all kinds of creative places for portraits. Sigh. Who's kid is she?!