Black Friday

What a blessed Thanksgiving we had yesterday! Spending time with my family was so wonderful. I'm so very thankful for each of them and the roles they play in my life and my kids' lives.

And here we are on Black Friday-- I ventured out not too far from home to the local ShopKo... and ended up coming right back home. I think that on this day I prefer the warmth and comfort of my home with a fire roaring, coffee on, and computer for christmas music and internet shopping.

Time for making Christmas cards too! Look forward to one in your mailbox soon.

"I do not like them, Sam-I-am!"

Time marching on...

To my surprise at bedtime last night, I found my 7 year old not just looking at the pictures in a book, but reading it word for word. A classic. Green Eggs and Ham. I remember reading the book as a child. And now my child is reading it. I feel old-- but so happy for my sweet girl who is learning and growing every day.

Let it snow... rainbow style!

We finally had our first snow today! And I was actually prepared with a fun snow activity with a way to "color" the snow. I picked up some squirt bottles from the local dollar store, and put food coloring and water in each one for the kids to squirt at the snow. They had tons of fun, and we ended up with a creative, tie-dyed snowman! Try it-- it's fun for kids of all ages!

Here Comes... um, well, There Went The Bride!

It's already over! The exciting family wedding has come and gone, and now we have the happy newlyweds living in town here. Here's some photos from the October event that we shared with Dan, Shelle, and all the other Lenssens.

Dwayne was a groomsman (and oh, a HANDSOME one at that, I may add...), I sang my favorite hymn "The Love of God" during the ceremony, Sadie was a gift-taker, Allison was a flowergirl (nope... she didn't make it down the aisle... just as was anticipated...), and Grant was the token child who didn't want to cooperate during photo time (we will "treasure" memories of his cinnamon toast crunch flying everywhere...). All of us had important, traditional roles to play.

The most important part-- Dan and Shelle got hitched! It was a blessed day and we look forward to sharing in their new lives together here in Pullman.

Chainsaw Jesus

So today I was confused by my 2 year old's pronunciation of a word... is it "Jesus" or "Chainsaw"? We talk about Jesus and read bible stories, and my son thinks Daddy's chainsaw is just the coolest.

I know he's used both words in his new, ever-expanding vocabulary, I just sometimes get the two confused. I'm not crazy-- but I am the mom who's supposed to be able to interpret toddler-language.

So, in the car today with Grant and Allison, I decided that maybe the two could go together. "Maybe Jesus needed a chainsaw... then he could have cut down that cross they put him on..." (I know... it's a strech...)

And my sweet 4-year old's response: "No, Mom! If He cut down His cross, we would still have all our sin!!!"

What an insightful little one, huh? It made me thankful that Jesus didn't have a chainsaw.

"Moosie and Chachos"

I have a two year old. And I know that every day I hear him say things that I tell myself I've gotta remember. But do I write them down? Seldom. I'm changing that right now-- via my blog! Journaling... that's what it's for, WRITE?

At our "traditional" Sunday night dinner tonight, I served up the typical and simple snacks of a yogurt smoothie and our family version of nachos-- chips with cheese, sour cream and salsa. Simple. Easy. Pleasing. Perfect for a Sunday evening.

But the best part of our Sunday night dinner is the way my son says it:

Moosie and Chachos.

Also enjoy the photo of him as a contortionist... silly boy!

Pumpkins, Leaves and Costumes, Oh my!

October comes with some really fun traditions. As a scrapbooker, it's a little hard to make each year differentiate from the last. But when I think about how much my kids LOVE tradition (like posing for a jack-o-lantern photo making the same face that their pumpkin has), I realize it's just perfect do the same things over and over again. So, here's to tradition... only the beginning of a long exhausting but FUN season of it... and may you all find new and old traditions through your holiday season too. (And it's okay if it's the same thing you did last year.:)

What I LOVE About October