Monday, December 28, 2009
Christmas 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Making Cakes
When Brianna turned 2, I decided I wanted to make her cake. I have fond memories of the cakes that my mom made for me for my birthdays growing up, and I wanted to do the same for my kids. My first attempt was a Dora the Explorer cake, and I was immediately hooked! My next cake was an Ariel cake for her third birthday. This year she had a Hannah Montana cake, which was fun because it wasn't the star tip decoration that all the other cakes I had made had been, so I got to try some new techniques. I also made Micah's baptism cake, which was really challenging because I had never done a sheet cake before! But it turned out cute, and each oppurtunity to learn and practice is great! On of these days I will take the Wilton cake classes. One day!
Today I got to make a cake for mom's department at work. They have a celebration tomorrow for their Fall graduates and needed a cake. Krogers didn't come through for them so mom asked if I'd like to make it. I thought, "Why not? I'll give it a shot!" Well, it was another sheet cake (I'm not sure whether or not I like sheet cakes!!!!) but was easier than last time. It took about 2 1/2 hours to ice and decorate (it's hard to get the icing level and smooth, even after all that time I had bubbles popping up on the top like air bubbles!!! Grrr!!!) and the kids were in hog heaven as they snuck icing out of the bowl! (There is nothing in the world like homemade buttercream!!!!)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
5 Months
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Christmas Lights
I LOVE Christmas lights. Each year we take a drive around town and look at all of the Christmas displays. We get some great ones around here! This year, we were the fortunate recipients of a handcrafted Nativity scene. A gentleman from church spent many years crafting this scene out of plywood, starting with Mary, Jesus and Joseph, adding the creche the next year, and then various other Christmas story "characters" a few at a time after that. He was going to put it out in the trash this year because it was getting to the point where it was too much work for him to put it out every year, and his children, I guess, didn't want it. When his wife told me that I said "Oh please don't! We'll take it! We have a very big front yard! We'd love to have it!" So, the Nativity scene came to live at our house. It has added such a special touch to our decorations this year and will be cherished for many years to come. We've already had people stop when they see us outside and ask us where we got it. We just smile and say that it is a one of a kind creation! I don't think Art wants to make another :)
My mom asked if I would post some pics of the outside decorations so here they are. They were taken at night, but that's when it looks it's prettiest I think! But I'll try to get some daytime pictures too because it looks awfully pretty in the daytime!
I hope you all will take the time to drive around and enjoy the pretty lights. Then go home and drink some hot chocolate, and just enjoy this wonderful time of year!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Need a Good Laugh?
In need of a good laugh? Just listen to a baby giggling away and you can't help but laugh too. I found the following clip from Youtube on a genealogy website (of all places!) and Bri and Jonah watched it about 3 times, laughing until we cried each time. This little guy, Ethan is his name, is hilarious!
So I decided to look at some of the other laughing baby posts. Here's another one. This kid has a GREAT laugh!
Then there's Morgan. (So super funny!!!!)
Then there's twin baby boys Peyton and Brennan, 4 months old, laughing at each other in their crib. Too cute, especially when Brennan (on the right) gets hiccups!
And finally, there is Charlie and Harry. You may have seen this one before but this is so Jonah and Micah soon! Plus, I love how proud Charlie looks!!!
I know this is a lot of videos, but they were so cute, and really brightened my day! I thought someone out there might be able to use them too! Nothing like a baby laughing!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving 2009
The kids table.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Happy Birthday, Brianna!
We had a great time! We invited over my brother Michael, my dad and Charles, Kim and Ed and Shelly and Samantha (Sam had to work though!), Grandma and Grandpa Ruschell and Grandma Joyce. We also invited our friends Nelissa and Orlie and their boys but they've got the chicken pox (which Micah is too young to be vaccinated against) so they stayed away.
On their birthday the kids get to choose what they want for dinner. Bri wanted Chick-fil-a (she's a girl after your heart, Megan!) so I ordered a party tray of chicken nuggets. Mom made baked beans, mac and cheese and carrot raisin salad (oh yum!!!), and I made the birthday cake. She wanted to do Hannah Montana. The cake was strawberry flavored, and it was a challenge (probably the hardest one I've done yet!) but I was very pleased with how it turned out, and she loved it so that's all that mattered! (I hate the way blogger can discolor your photos! The colors looked a lot better in person!!!)
She was spoiled with lots of great gifts and of course she loved having all the focus on herself! She was going to have a friends party tomorrow, but she has had an absolutely horrible attitude lately and because of that she lost her party! She wasn't happy with me but little girls who treat their mommy and daddy the way she has started to don't get birthday parties with their friends. I've told her if she can shape up she might be able to have a slumber party with a couple of girls in January. We'll see what happens.
So here are a few pictures of the festivities. It was great to celebrate the day that this wonderful blessing came into our lives. I will never be the same and I'm thankful everyday that she is mine! I love you very much baby girl! You will always be my rock star Princess!
Her number 5 figurine for her Precious Moments "Growing in Grace" collection.
Four generations- Grandma Nancy, Daddy, GaGa Kim and Brianna the Birthday Girl!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Keeping the Home
Anyone who knows me knows that I like to read blogs. I really do enjoy the glimpses into people's lives. One thing that I've been reading a lot about lately is homemaking. It seems to be a lost art these days, women who stay at home and keep a clean, orderly home that is pleasing to their husband and their family. I know it's definately a struggle for me, with three little ones, to keep our home looking fresh and clean (especially the kids bedrooms!!!!) but it's something that I'd like to do better at. I created a cleaning schedule a while back when I started making a home management binder (another lost art that our grandmothers used to run an efficient home) and I've since fallen off the wagon. I'm hoping to relook at it and climb back on board because I hate feeling like I'm always playing catch up. And I hate it when Steven and my mom come home and the house looks like a tornado blew through! Especially if we are going to start homeschooling fulll time next year, I need to get my habits under controll first or everything will fall apart.
In addition to keeping up with the house I want to start doing more cooking from scratch. Even though we tend to eat pretty well, I make a lot of dinners from prepackaged items that I know aren't as healthy for us, and are filling the kids with additives that they just don't need! (Not to mention packing on pounds that could otherwise be lost!) But when I think about being a fresh bread, homemade yogurt making girl I'm at a lost! I just don't know where to start to turn our eating habits around and start using more whole foods and less processed stuff!
I'm also looking at more natural ways of cleaning (which is kind of funny if you could see all the cleaning supplies I've stored up lately!!!). The store bought ones are so expensive, and let's face it, they are packed full of all kinds of things that we probably shouldn't be bringing into our homes! I figure, if our grandmother could clean their houses with vinegar, baking soda and ammonia, why can't we?!?!?!
So I guess that brings me to the whole reason for this post! I need advice! I don't even know where to begin. When I google whole foods, for example, I'm just inandated with information that I don't even know how to being processing it! So, if you know of any good resources for cooking more naturally, or cleaning, or anything else that I talked about, please leave a comment and share! I love to learn about all the great stuff that is out there, and I am so ready to make some changes around here! I'll post about how our progress is going in case it might be encouraging to someone else. Thanks for all your advice!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Finally...new pictures!!!!
I love this one because he is always wringing his hands like this! Does that mean he's going to be a little worry-wart?!?!
This morning my mom dumped a container of styrofoam peanuts on the floor in her kitchen and Bri and Jonah had a ball rolling around in them. Sometimes it's the simpliest thing!
So there you are! I hope you enjoyed seeing an update of the kids! I'll try not to go so long in the future!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Prayers
Monday, November 2, 2009
Update
I realize it's been a while since I have posted what we're doing around here so here's a little (or not) update! (Unfortunately there will be no pictures! I dumped my camera to the computer upstairs last night and the internet is not working on that computer so I cannot get my pics on here! I'll take some tomorrow just to post here for you all!!!)
We're finding ways to stay plenty busy around here. We had a great Halloween! Brianna dressed up like a Perdue University cheerleader (my mom and dad met at Perdue!), Jonah was Spiderman (and we HAD to call him Spiderman! We were NOT allowed to call him Jonah!! HEHEHE!) and Micah was a pea in a pod (we called him our sweet pea!) They looked adorable and got enough candy to last us until Easter! (Especially since I TRY to limit them to two or three pieces a day! Note: I said TRY!!!) After Trick-or-Treating Mom hosted a Halloween party here for some of the students from the program she works with. They came dressed up and we had a great time! The kids had a ball, especially since one of the students brought her two kids over to Trick-or-Treat with them and then stayed for the party!)
Schooling is going well with Brianna. We have done several unit studies. One on "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" reviewing the alphabet and learning about coconuts, one on apples, and one on Halloween. We're getting ready to start one on leaves which should be really fun! After leaves is going to be Thanksgiving! So fun stuff planned in our school room. She's doing really well. She has memorized all of the A and B sight words for the pre-primer and primer levels and writes everything that she can (of course we have to help her with spelling but that's ok!) She really likes doing math! We've done our numbers 1-10, patterns, same and different, basic geometry and sorting. Next we'll be doing lengths (shorter/longer and the numbers 11-20, and number words 1-10.) We are enjoying it, and Jonah even crawls up to the table to join in crafts or cooking activities. We read all the books together for our unit. And sometimes he just colors or works a puzzle. I can't believe that Bri will turn 5 in 17 days! Yikes! I don't feel old enough to have a 5 year old!
Jonah is getting so big! He is fully potty trained (even night trained!) and he did it all in about 3 weeks (including night training!) Just goes to show that when they are ready they will train, and not a minute before! He is such a big boy that sometimes I have to remind myself that he is only 2 (he won't be 3 for another month and a half!) He is starting to talk A LOT more, and make more sense with what he says. I'm going to start doing preschool work with him next year, I think he'll be ready for it! Right now he loves doing puzzles (he can put together a 25 piece puzzle by himself in about 20 minutes!), playing cars, and playing superheros. And guess which one he always has to be?!?!?! Spiderman! He's such a joy and is such a tenderhearted child! I adore his sincere hugs and kisses!
Micah is growing in leaps and bounds! I can't believe he's almost 4 months old! It feels like he's always been here-he just molded so well into our family! I'm so greatful that he is here! I haven't posted his 3 month pictures because....we still haven't gotten them taken! (I know...bad mommy and daddy! The more kids you have the less on top of that stuff you are!!! I'm sorry Micah!!!) Hopefully we can get that done this weekend (I think it's a slow weekend...finally!!!!) But developmentally he is amazing! He is holding his head up like a pro and he wiggles himself all over the place! He literally will turn himself around in circles on the floor or in his bed. He is starting to roll...he gets himself up on his side when he's been on his back. He rolled over from his stomach to his back the other day. I think it was purely an accident though because he hasn't done it again! He's still a little early for that! He is blowing bubbles and cooing and gurgling all the time! He is the happiest, smiliest baby ever! I just love his smiles! They light up his whole face! He's also gotten very chubby which I LOVE!
Steven's staying plenty busy and has had a few days of overtime recently which is nice. We're getting to that time of year again, and even though it makes the days very long, the extra money is always nice! I am staying plenty busy at home with the little guys but I am loving it! There is no where else I'd rather be! I feel so blessed to be able to be a stay at home mommy and I'm so thankful that Steven works so hard so that I can be here for our family while they need me the most! Thanks babe! I love you!
So that's what we've been up to! We're looking forward to enjoying the rest of fall and being with our families in a few weeks for Thanksgiving! Like I said, I'll try to post pics tomorrow since it's been sooo long! See you then!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
This Is It
Friday, October 23, 2009
Fall Fun!
Fall arrived early here, the way it's seemed to for a few years now! (At least we don't have snow yet...I am definately counting my blessings there!) But since we had such a wet summer it's taken the leaves a while to start changing color, so we're just now reaching peak color here and it's gorgeous to behold! I don't think anything beats a Kentucky fall (except for maybe a New England one!)
Last night for Family Night we watched "Spookley the Square Pumpkin". It's a cute little movie about a pumpkin who is square instead of round and all the other pumpkins laugh at him and are mean to him because he's different. But in the end they learn that being square is good and that Spookley was a very special pumpkin. It was really cute and taught a great lesson. For our activity we carved a pumpkin using The Pumpkin Prayer. If you've never heard of it you should check it out! Basically you cut the eyes in the shape of hearts to remind us to love all we see, the nose is a cross to reminds us not to turn up our nose at the things we've been given, the ears are shaped like Bibles to remind us to open our ears to God's word, and finally the mouth in the shape of a fish to remind us to tell others of Jesus. It turned out so cute and was a great way to incorporate scripture and prayer into the evening.
We hope that you all are having a great fall! When it stops raining I'm going to get some pictures of our fall landscaping-it turned out so cute this year! We're loving having a yard to decorate each season! So happy fall, ya'll! Have a great time!