Family movie night

Our family movie night featured..."Tangled", which was a good movie. We didn't even get half way through the movie and Ataly ran upstairs to get her crown and wore it for the remainder of the show. We always dance to the music while the credits are playing and this movie certainly was no exception. I had to run and grab my camera to capture....

the princess dancing with her prince

Ataly is lovin' the sweet kiss from her prince.

and that's what Traeger thought of taking a picture with his princess.

I'll settle for this prince...

I couldn't have dreamed of a better man to sweep me off my feet, be my best friend, the loving daddy to our 2 kiddos and most importantly my brother in Christ who is a constant encourager and example of what it looks like to follow hard after Christ!

Make-up Artist

Yes folks, it was another one of those humbling experiences. My sweet, beautiful, "innocent" daughter decided she would color all over her face, add a splash of black to her pink shirt and thought the mirror needed a little makeover too. Who comes up with these ideas anyway...and where was her mother? I guess my three year old comes up with this grand idea and her mother was just the next room plugging away doing dishes. I'm pretty sure that was where I was when Traeger joined the haircutting club. Maybe this is telling me something. I should stop doing dishes...what do you think?! I know, I know it's not the dishes fault...I need to have a little more of an eagle eye and check after a second of silence instead of 3. They are fast little buggers.

How do I look mom?

What do you think...does she look guilty?!

Snowed in

What are we to do when we get blasted with a winter storm and can't go anywhere?

Stay in jammies all day, make projects, shovel the snow, watch movies, play camping, take a bath and pray when we wake up the next morning the sun will be shining again!

Celebrating Silas

As tradition would have it, we took Silas out for a birthday ice cream treat at Stramas.

Happy birthday buddy...you're worth celebrating!

Ataly's first day of Sunday School

Now that Ataly is 3, she graduated from the nursery and attended Sunday School with Traeger for the first time. Traeger was a big helper and made sure to tell her that "they talk about Jesus' love in Sunday School. You will like it Ataly."

First picnic outside for the year

We've got another first folks...

Saturday, March 19th, while Daddy was at music practice, the kids and I had our first picnic of the year.

First family walk of the year

With a little warmer temps, we ventured out on our first family walk of the year. We ended up in the church parking lot down the street to kick the soccer ball around a little bit.

Traeger is intently watching Daddy as he teaches him how to throw a soccer ball.

Traeger gives it a try...and the ball is in the air!

Traeger going in for a mighty kick...

while Ataly contently sat in the stroller cheering for the rest of us and read her book.

Ataly's colorful outfits

This is my personal favorite.

Check out those boots with jammies, and don't miss the miss matched hat and gloves. Oh to be 3 again :O)

Fried egg

Traeger chowing down on the fried egg he cooked up himself.

I'll call his first fried egg a success!

Fresh Air

Weekend away with a treasured friend

I was blessed with a weekend away with one of my most treasured friends. We go way back. Like back to the 1980's...she's a friend from pre-school. After Kindergarten we attended different schools and didn't come back together until after she returned from a mission trip to Fiji, the summer before our Junior year of High School. During her trip she asked God for a Christian friend when she returned back home. She was sharing with me this weekend that I wasn't who she ever thought God would connect her with because we ran in different crowds. She was the theatre girl and I was the athletic type. We didn't ask questions, we just knew it clicked. She has always been my wild and crazy, get Mikaela out of her comfortable box, kind of friend. I love how no matter where we are or what we're doing we have a blast together. She's my sister in Christ and someone who knows everything (or almost everything) about me and loves me just the same.

"There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother."

Proverbs 18:24

Birthday celebrations!

Thanks to all who helped celebrate our sweet Ataly Raen's third birthday! Some of you are pictured and some are not. We have an overwhelming sense of gratitude to EVERYONE for the ways you pour blessings into Ataly's life on her special day and always!

I spent the weekend away with a girlfriend while my parents loved on the kids. On my way home, I picked up the kids, and we took the time to celebrate early with my side of the family at my sister's house.

Clothes...

what girl doesn't love getting clothes for her birthday

(and princess ones to boot)

Gotta love the cheesy smiles.

Trying out the scooter to see how she rolls.

Singing happy birthday to the birthday girl.

Blowing out THREE candles.

Wow...time flies!

On Ataly's actual birthday I had to work. It pained my heart to have to, but duty called. Bettina, the kid's sitter on Tuesdays, did a great job making her feel special and easing my aching heart about not being able to be with her ALL day when I found out all the special things she did for her. Like...being able to wear a big birthday button, eating a special birthday lunch of mac n cheese (her favorite), bringing home a bag full of birthday goodies. And the gigantic smile on her face at the end of the day when I picked her up somehow made it all ok.

Opening our present for her when she got home.

Yes, right out of the Walmart bag.

Who needs a bag with tissue paper?

I learned from the pros...my parents.

Keep it simple.

Settle down some of you who would never dream of doing such a thing...

She loved it just the same and didn't seem to mind a bit.

And yes, when she gets older and knows the difference I will try to be more normal.

A baby doll that makes real noises and actually sucks on a paci.

We headed out for a special birthday supper with the fam. Of course she wanted mac n cheese again but she settled for chicken nuggets and we had pizza and ice cream.

What better way to end the night than a phone call from family singing happy birthday, all while chowing down on a tasty ice cream cone. God is good!

The next morning we made sure to wear our birthday hats and celebrate more. Birthday celebrations can last more than a day, right!!!

Fun in the snow

The kids and I snuck outside to play for a couple hours on Monday morning.

I shoveled the driveway so Ataly could ride her car and ....

we could play football.

(This is my favorite shot of the day, because only a 2 year old girl with an older brother would chose to play football and love it!)

Then Traeger took a turn shoveling so our mailman would have a path to our mailbox.

(No we don't typically have flamingos in our yard, though I think it might be a good idea to think summer, it's a fundraiser for the high school. They put them in our yard and we pay to have them remove them.)

Then it was time to play more and make snow angels...

and go sledding!

My baking apprentice....

the chocolate chip cookies were delightfully delicious!

Music to my ears

Here are sentiments from Traeger and Ataly that I hear now and pray that I will still hear when they're 10, 15, 20 and beyond.

T: "Let's sit and chat"

A: "You're nice mommy."

T: "You're the best mommy."

T: "I'm grateful you're my mommy."

A: "Can I say sorry to Traeger for being mean to him?"

T: "Hey Ataly, I'll serve you."

A: "Can I pray for you longer mommy?"

T/A: "Oh, thanks mommy for______."

T: "Let's talk about our sins"

T: "Good night mommy. Jesus loves you and cares for you."

T: "Do you want me to tell you anything else?

A: "Can I pray first?"

Thinking of my teenage kids saying to each other, "I'll serve you" or my teenage son saying "Let's sit and chat" or my teenage daughter willingly saying to her brother "sorry for being mean" almost makes me giggle out loud because it seems quite unlikely. But God can do the impossible and so I'll pray to that end!

Question

Traeger asked me how much I love him. I spread my arms out as far as they could go and said, "I love you this much." Then I said, "No, no, I love you to the moon and back!"

His response... "Mom don't love me more than you love God."

Was that a trick question :O)?! I think it was. Either way, I thanked him for the concern and assured him that my prayer is that I will be able to keep that tension in check.

Matthew 10:37

"If you prefer father or mother over me, you don't deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don't deserve me."

picture taken 7/19/2008...Traeger 2 years 2 months old

Where does the time go? Over 2 years later we're having a 2 way conversation about God together. I'm loving this! God is good!

Train

I was having a conversation with my sweet Ataly Raen after lovingly disciplining her for being sassy. I was holding her and explaining the reason I had disciplined her (with Proverbs 22:6 in mind). I said that God has called me to be her mommy to TRAIN her up and teach her to have a loving and a kind heart, not a sassy one. Before long she looked into my eyes and said, "Mommy, I'll meet you at the train station." She continued on for over a minute about the train station. I guess I was talking over her head on this one. But nonetheless, I do pray that some day she will understand that our desire is to "train up our child, Ataly Raen, in the way she should go, so that when she is old she will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

Sandwich artist

Traeger took it upon himself this day to make his sandwich all by himself. I did my best to let him go for it. He took out the bread, meat, cheese, mustard and mayo and got to work.

Mission accomplished.

Oh so tasty!

Star of the week

I was one of the MAES star staff members of the week.

Due to my perfectionist nature, I couldn't just throw something together.

My mom taught me ...whatever you do, do it well!

So I made 6 different scrapbook pages.

I stayed up way to too the night before (procrastination dies hard)

putting it together, but I liked the final product.

I thought it would be appropriate working in the pre-school classroom this year to include

my pre-school graduation picture

(Courtney you made the picture--Wee Care, those were the days :O))

Joined the club

Traeger decided on Sunday to join the

"I can cut my hair all by myself " club.

I totally thought we were past that stage. I thought I escaped being "one of those" moms whos kid cut their own hair. "Where were those parents anyway when that happened?" is what I used to think. The judgemental me has been humbled.

Now I know...just in the other room.

Thankfully the damage wasn't too great and his mohawk does a pretty good job covering it up.

The boys chatting the night away.

Matt, Luke's friend from high school, drove a total of over 3 hours out of his way to come stay with us and catch up. Of course, the time flew by but we were thankful for the time we had.