Happy Birthday to our Little Eva.....

Our little girl turned SEVEN yesterday!  As my friend, Amanda, said, "Where IS the PAUSE button"!!!!!  They grow up so quickly.  We had our family over last night to celebrate and we showed this video...a celebration of Eva's year of being six! 

(Make sure your sound is turned up)

Some SNOW.....finally!!!!

Eva loooooves winter and looooves snow!  She got a new snowboard for Christmas and we were FINALLY able to try it out this morning!!!

Then little bro took a turn....not too bad!

Then Daddy decided to show off his skills....yikes!

Ya, maybe our six year old can teach him a thing or two!!!  Love it!

"In every man a child is hidden that wants to play."

--Fredrich Nietzsche

Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is such a magical time - one of my favorite times of the year!  As I write this it is officially December 26th....while grateful, my heart is a little heavy since Christmas is over.  I always get this way. 

That being said, our Christmas was beautiful...full of magical moments that I'll forever store in my memories.  We spent a lot of time with friends and family and are so very thankful for all the amazing people in our lives that help make our lives whole.

Christmas always brings tears to my eyes as I watch the magic unfold for my children.    I loved watching them start to really learn the true meaning of giving to others this year.  They literally spent HOURS coloring pictures for friends and family...and then carefully wrapping them (with TONS of tape).  I loved their excitement at handing them to the recipients.  I love watching my children during the candle lighting at our Christmas Eve church service....the innocence in their eyes as they become mesmerized by the glow of the candle.  I loved that Christmas Eve Eva decided we should leave Santa some fruit instead of just cookies, since he gets a lot of sweets from other people.  I love that she left a note from her stuffed dog Doe-Doe on the mantle next to the fruit, cookies, and milk requesting a bone - and that Santa delivered - leaving a new bone for Doe-Doe next to the empty plate where his goodies were on the mantle. 

And then there is Christmas morning...

Their expressions when they first walk out and see the tree and presents is priceless.  I love the giggles, the laughter, and the excitement as they unwrap their gifts one by one.  I loved that they both had gifts for eachother this year, partly homemade, and that the reaction was this....

I was also touched that they had made homemade gifts for Matt and I - without us knowing - and had wrapped them.  We both told them the pictures they made us were some of our favorite gifts out of everything!

We are so thankful for so much this time of year....our little family, our new little one we are expecting, our extended family, and the amazing friends that surround us. 

"He who does not have Christmas in his heart, will never find it under a tree."

--Roy L. Smith

Adventure Box....final thoughts.

The Adventure Box is now over.  For those of  you that have followed along, I would truly love to hear from you either with a comment or by email. 

In all I loved this experience.  I truly, in the depths of my soul, feel that my children have a greater understanding of why we celebrate Christmas.  I loved watching their excitement and enthusiasm!  One of my favorite moments was at our Christmas Eve church service.  Our pastor began reading from the Bible the story of Christ's birth.  He began by talking about the census.  Jaden looked at me and whispered, "I already know all about this!"

My proof was right there. 

I plan to do this every year and I honestly do not plan to change it up very much.  I may tweak a few things, and possibly add more days but in all I think that every year our conversations will grow...become deeper....and the children's understanding will become clearer.   I have friends who have done this (or a version of this) since their children have been very small and they have confirmed to me that the children do not bore of it (a concern I had). 

I hope that this helped to inspire you and you found it a helpful tool in teaching your little ones about the most important reason for the season!

Hugs and love to everyone....
Jamie

Adventure Box: Day Twelve!

Today was the final day of the Adventure Box!  Our Bible verse today was Luke 2:1-20.  Due to the length of it I won't post the whole passage on here, but it tells the story of the Nativity.

The gift today was a book that I purchased at Family Christian Bookstore that tells, in a format children can understand, the whole Christmas story.  It discussed EVERYTHING we had discussed during our adventures.

I loved today.  I loved snuggling in with my little ones on the couch and driving home the story of Jesus birth on more time before Christmas.  I loved that as we read through the story they could now comment on different sections that they had gained understanding on.  I love love love that my little ones are starting to really grasp what CHRISTmas is all about.

Adventure Box: Day Eleven!

Today's adventure was a simple one, and after actually doing it I decided I would probably change it up a bit next year because it didn't seem to have the "WOW" and "FUN" factor a lot of the other adventures seemed to have for the kids.

Today's Bible verse was 2 Thessalonians 2:16...

"So then brothers stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word or mouth or by letter.  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."

We discussed how during the past week and a half we have discussed the teachings of the Bible about the birth of Jesus.  We talked about always remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas.  Their gift for today was a DVD I purchased at Family Christian Bookstore that retells the birth of Jesus in a cartoon format.  Honestly, I thought it would be something fun that they would want to curl up and watch, but it just didn't turn out that way.  They were excited about the DVD....but it has yet to be watched. 

All of this being said, I still think it was good and I loooooved that when they opened the DVD Jaden immediately noticed the picture of the Nativity on the back and was comparing it to our Nativity.  I truly feel the importance of THIS part of Christmas is sinking in....which makes me a happy camper!

Adventure Box: Day Ten!

Today's adventure is a good reminder for any time of the year....not just Christmas!

The Bible verse for today was Philippians 1:3...

"I thank my God every time I remember you."

The kiddos and I talked about all the important people in our life that we need to remember, not just at Christmas, but through the entire year.  Their gift today was simple...all the supplies needed to create cards for anyone they should feel inclined to.  I included colorful paper, envelopes, stickers, colored pencils, etc.  They could make Christmas card, thank you cards, or any other type of note just to let that person know they were being thought of.  Unfortunately we did not have a ton of time to work on this craft so I feel it is something they will probably pull back out and work on when the hustle and bustle of the Holidays is over.  For the time we DID have I enjoyed watching them work on their creations....and was pleased to see them drawing baby Jesus and the Nativity on their pictures!

Adventure Box: Day Nine!!

Today's adventure was one of my favorites!!  I was soooo excited to share it with the children!  Today's Bible verse was Matthew 5:14-16...

"You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Such an awesome passage....and one of my favorites!

Then it was time for the kiddos to open their gift, and when they opened it they looked COMPLETELY confused!  During this whole experience everything they have opened has been something tangible, but this gift was a little different.  They opened a certificate that simply said:

SURPRISE RIDE!

You will need:

Jammies

Blankets

Doe-Doe and Monkey

On a side note, Doe-Doe and Monkey are their two lovies that they snuggle with at night.  As I said, the kids were confused so I explained to them that after dinner that night we would be embarking on a SURPRISE RIDE!  They needed to wear their jammies and bring a blanket and their lovie with them.

Dinner came and went and the kids excitedly got their jammies on and loaded up in the car!  Their eyes about popped out of their heads when I came out carrying hot cider and cookies to munch on during our trip!  Eva giggled and said, "This is SOOOO fun!!!!" 

As we pulled out of the drive way all snuggled up, happily munching on our goodies and sipping our warm drinks I talked to them about our Bible verse again.  How Jesus is the "light of the world".  I explained to them that we were going to be driving around and looking at all the beautiful Christmas lights.  What I wanted them to notice was how warm and welcoming the houses looked that had lights up on them....and that THAT is what it is like to have Jesus in your heart!!!  As Christians we must let the light of Christ shine within us for all to see, just like the lights on the houses are for all to see!

As I said, this was one of my favorite Adventures!  I love looking at Christmas lights and it was so fun to be snuggled into the car together doing it!  On top of that, this trip really sparked a LOT of talk about Jesus and Heaven for our little ones which I thought was awesome!!!

Such a GREAT Adventure....but more await!

Adventure Box: Day Eight!

Today's Adventure concluded the Nativity part of our Adventure Box.  The Bible verse was Matthew 2:1-2, 10-11...

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Heron, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?"  We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.
"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh."

The children opened their gift for today....3 wisemen and a camel!

Eva, Jaden, and I talked about how the wisemen were from the East and people from that are were not traditionally followers of Christ.  The wisemen were believers and had decided to follow His ways.  We discussed if they know anyone who does not know about Jesus and how we might show Jesus' love to them.  We talked about how important it is to share God's love with people....especially people that may not know about God.

As I said earlier, the kids love their Nativity and I've loved watching them play with it.  When I took the picture at the top of this post I walked out to find Jaden holding the Angel up and saying, "Do NOT be afraid..."   Mmmmm....warms my heart.

Today's was fun, and I looooved the conversations....but tomorrow's adventure is sure to bring even more smiles!

Adventure Box: Day Seven!

Well, life gets busy....especially this time of year.  We've had two days now where we've had to do TWO Adventure Box explorations on one day because we didn't have time to get to it on the previous day.

And this is ABSOLUTELY fine.

The whole idea of this box is NOT to cause added stress at the Holidays.....we simply just roll with it. 

Today's Bible verse was Luke 2:8-20....which is a pretty long verse so I'm not going to type it out here, but it is about the shepherds that the angels appear to and how they visited the Christ Child.

Today's gift was (you can probably guess), a set of shepherds, sheep, and two angels!!

After opening the gift Eva and Jaden were pumped to add them to their Nativity.  They've looooved getting parts of this Navivity piece by piece and adding to it as they recieve it.  I explained to them that I was going to read the scripture again, and THIS TIME they were going to act out the scene with their newly acquired Nativity pieces.  I'll be honest....I wasn't sure how this would go....but it was AWESOME to see them act it out!  We talked about how the shepherds were scared when the first angel appeared to them and how they could "act out" scared (we decided they might be shaking)!  It was cute to see them have the characters "walk" over to baby Jesus and how the angels were above them. 

Simply adorable.

Afterwards we talked about how the shepherds were in a special position because they were some of the first people to know about baby Jesus, and therefore THEY got to tell OTHERS about HIM!  We talked about a time Eva and Jaden were the first to share important news - and they quickly responded that they were the first to share the news that I was pregnant with everyone!!!!

Today was a great Adventure...and tomorrow we finish up the "Nativity" part of their Adventure Box!!!

Adventure Box: Day Six!

Before even starting today's adventure I told the kiddies that today's gift is the smallest....but it's also the mightiest of all the gifts!!!

Our Bible verse today was Luke 2:6-7 (yes, a repeat of yesterday)...

"While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, as son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

We talked again about the same discussion we had the day before.  We talked about how Joseph and Mary may have felt knowing that their baby was going to be born in a stable.

They then unwrapped their gift....the baby Jesus.

They anxiously added the baby to their Nativity.  We talked again about the sights, sounds, and smells of the stable.  We talked about how important baby Jesus is and that he was born in a place WE wouldn't even want to be born in!

At this point the children have many of the instrumental pieces of their Nativity, but more pieces will follow!  I love watching them play with it!  I also want to point out that other activities that do not have to do with the Nativity set are still tucked away in their Adventure Box!!!  Many more adventures await!!

Also, it was a busy weekend and I got behind on my Adventure Box posts....please continue reading below!  I love hearing from those of you that may be planning your own Adventure Boxes in the future!

Adventure Box: Day Five!

The kiddies were excited for today's adventure because they got to open the LARGEST gift in the box!  I love how at this point when they ask me if we can do the Adventure Box they not only grab the box, they also grab my Bible and set it with it.  Love it.

Today's Bible verse was Luke 2:5-7...

"He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them."

The kiddos and I talked again about WHY Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem (the census).  We talked about where we would stay if we traveled to a different city (in a hotel, with relatives, etc).  I asked them where we would stay if we had no relatives to stay with and alllll the hotel rooms were booked.  After some thinking they came to the conclusion that we would stay in our car. 

I then asked if Mary and Joseph had that option?

Afterwards I had them open their gift for today.....the stable.

They were soooo excited to go get their Joseph and Mary to add to the stable.  We set everything up (note that at this point they only have Joseph, Mary, the stable, a donkey, an empty manger, and a palm tree that came with the Nativity).  Afterwards we looked at the stable and talked about what it would smell like....what it would sound like....what it would feel like.  What is different between that and where you were born?

Isn't it simply amazing to think our Savior was born in a stable?  They sure thought so!

Adventure Box: Day Four!

Today's Adventure Box lesson was about the census.  I'll be honest, a census is a really hard thing for children to understand....but if you add candy into the lesson it seems to make it a bit more interesting!  Ha!

So our Bible verse for today was Luke 2:1-4...

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.  And everyone went to their own town to register.  So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house of David."

I'll be honest, by the time I got done reading that passage my 4 year old was grabbing his feet and rolling back on his back staring at the ceiling.  He was most definitely not interested.

Until I told them to open their gift......a BIG bag of Skittles.

Funny how those little colorful candies just reeled his attention right back in!

I began by explaining to them what a census is...a way to count people.  Then I dumped all of the Skittles into the middle of a table.   I said, "Let's pretend that all of these people are from (insert your hometown here)".   On a side note, when I dumped those things out their little eyes got even wider - if that's possible.  I then had them go round up a bunch of their stuffed animals.  We put a stuffed animal at different corners of the table.  I explained that each stuffed animal represented a different town and that each color Skittle represented the people that were from that town (for understanding sake we kept the names of the towns ones that they would recognize).  So, for example, even though there are green skittle people living in our hometown - they may have been born in Chicago! 

Then I had them separate all of the people from "our town" into the town they were born in.  I explained that this is exactly what happened to the parents of Jesus.  They had to travel to Bethlehem so that Joseph could fulfill the census....and while they were there Jesus was born!  We also discussed HOW they traveled because they surely couldn't just hop on an airplane!!!!  Ha! 

In all this was a tough lesson, but I think with each passing year they will both grow to understand how the census was instrumental in why we celebrate Christ's birth in BETHLEHEM.

Adventure Box: Day Three!

Whew!  Today was a whirlwind day!  On top of schooling Eva for two hours I also cleaned the house, made homemade caramel corn, chocolate chip cookies, pasta sauce, and put together a lasagna!  However, regardless of how busy I am, the Adventure Box is a priority...and today's lesson only took a few minutes (which was a good thing for today)!

Today's Bible verse was Luke 1:26-33...(on a side note, I'm working with both of the kiddos on how to find passages in the Bible.  At the ages they are I turned to Luke, I had Jaden find the chapter and Eva find the verse.  This can change as they get older, for kiddos that can read have them read the whole verse)!

"In the sixth month God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored!  The Lord is with you!'  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will have no end."

Now, there are LOOOOOTS of avenues you can take with this passage depending on the age of the child.  Eva and Jaden are 6 and 4 so we really talked about how Mary must have felt to have an angel appear to her.  We all agreed it would be kind of scary.  We talked about how Gabriel calmed Mary's fears and told her not to be afraid.  We talked about what "with child" means and how the Angel even told Mary that the baby was to be named Jesus!

Then they opened the gift for today....a plastic set of Mary and Joseph.  The giggled when they found out this set is JUST for them.  Unlike our family Nativity set, which is not to be played with because it could break, this set CAN be played with - and I WANT it played with.  Honestly, I want them to use, play, and talk about Mary and Joseph as much as possible.  I don't care at this point if it is in a Biblical sense...or if Mary is riding the Batmobile with Jaden's toy Batman.....I just want them part of their daily language and interactions.

Side Note:  If you are following along with this so that you can do this with your children (or classroom) I would suggest purchasing a children's Nativity set.  I found the one we will be using at Family Christian Bookstore.  The children will be getting parts of the set throughout the Adventure Box experience as we dive deeper into the birth of Jesus.  It's important the set is something they can play with!!

Tomorrow a new adventure awaits!

Adventure Box: Day Two!

First of all, sorry for the horrible quality of picture that goes with this post....obviously my attention was not on my photography when this was taken!  Ha!  My attention was on my munchkins...happily involved in their ADVENTURE for today!

Just a heads up if you are wondering if your kids will get excited about this....my kids talked about it a TON today before we finally sat down and did it!  They were PUMPED!

Today's Bible verse was Isaiah 40:31...

"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

We talked about what it means to "hope in the Lord" and I talked to them about a time that I experienced that type of hope.  We talked about how exciting it is waiting for Jesus birthday!

Then I let them open the present for today....all the materials needed to make a paper chain that counted down the days until we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Every day they will rip off one link of the chain and when they are finished - CHRISTMAS WILL BE HERE!  An easy and tangible way for children to experience HOPE and anticipation in the birth of Christ! 

Tomorrow will be DAY 3...and a new adventure awaits!

Adventure Box: Day One!

Today was a sad day for us (read post below), so honestly it was a super day for us to start the ADVENTURE BOX!  We needed a bright spot in the day!

Today I started by setting the large box out in front of the children.  I didn't say a word.  Of course their eyes absolutely BULGED out of their little heads as they started firing questions at me...

"WHHHAAAAT'S THAT??!!!!!"
"IS IT FOR ME?!"
"CAN I OPEN IT NOW?!"

I just sat and smiled.  I said we would talk about it later.

This about killed them.

They would continue to walk past the box and drool - I mean stare - at it.  They would continue to ask questions and I would just smile.  The suspense was all they could take and I was loving it.

After a few hours I gathered them in the living room and set the box on the floor with us.  I had my Bible in my hand.  I looked over at our Christmas tree with gifts under it and I said, "Ya know, those gifts under there are all fine and dandy but do you know what the BEST GIFT EVER was?"

Eva quickly responded "JESUS!" and Jaden just shrugged his shoulders (note:  I can tell some of this is going to go over Jaden's head, however it's still important...and since I plan on doing it every year more and more will soak in).

I talked to them about the greatest gift of all time was God's gift to us in Jesus.  I talked about how I received Jesus into my life when I was a little girl and I explained that when they were ready that would be an exciting time in their lives too!

The Bible verse we read together today was John 3:16.  Again, we talked about the gift of Jesus. 

I then looked at the box and said, "You know....this is no ordinary box.  This box is an ADVENTURE BOX and over the course of the next few days we are not just going to have fun, but we are going to learn alllll about the gift of Jesus!"

I had them take the top off the box and look at all the wrapped gifts inside.  They were seriously giddy with excitement at this point.  I told them that each day we would have a Bible verse that we read together, and then we would open ONE GIFT A DAY until Christmas.  Each day the gift would be an adventure...something that would be fun, but also help us to understand the true importance of Jesus.

The children decided where they wanted to keep our special ADVENTURE BOX....and now we anxiously wait for tomorrow when we open the FIRST adventure.

In memory....

Our sweet dog, Sophie, went to Heaven this morning.  She has been a special part of our family for the past 12 years and will surely be missed.  We know that she is in a much better place and that she is no longer in pain or suffering.  We love you Sophie.

"Dogs may not be our whole lives...but they make our lives whole"

The ADVENTURE BOX begins THIS week....

Want a cool way to teach your children about the importance of JESUS during the Christmas season?  Follow along as I share the good times and lessons all wrapped up in this big beautiful box....THE ADVENTURE BOX! 

Our journey begins later this week.....stay tuned....

All is calm.....all is bright....and ignore the woman cursing and fighting with the Christmas lights.

I love Christmas.....looooove it.

I love decorating for Christmas......loooooove it.

However, I will never ever - not ever - purchase a Frontgate Christmas tree again. 

Matt and I purchased that gem of a tree 3 years ago.  I had eyed it for YEARS.  It was a splurge....a big one.  Frontgate trees are not cheap, but after reading all about it I was sure it would bring our family years and years of pleasure. 

The catalog said that it has easy assembly - and it does! 
The catalog said that you easily turn it on and off with a remote - and you do!
The catalog said that it looks and feels like a real tree - and it's beautiful!
The catalog said that the lights WOULD NEVER GO OUT IN LARGE CHUNKS.

Ya, I'm calling HOGWASH on that one.

After only a few short years of Holiday delight with this tree the lights started going out in LARGE chunks.  I called the company only to find that the warranty had run out (really....why would you only have a ONE YEAR warranty on a Christmas tree)?!!!  Frontgate was not going to do anything.

So, I tucked some new lights into the bare spots...took a deep breath...and admired her beauty once again.

Until just a few days later when THREE MORE large sections of lights went out.

I bought some new lights and fought to take off ornaments and decorations to tuck the new lights in....and in the process looked a lot like Clark Griswold during the scene of Christmas vacation when he can't get the Christmas light to work.

However, I got them all fixed.

I was frazzled, but happy.

Then last night Matt and I were snuggled up next to the beautiful Christmas tree when - POP!!! - yep, a few more of those little beauties went out.

I was about to go bananas.  My husband just looked at me and smiled.

I made the executive decision that after this Holiday season I will unravel/cut/demolish every single strand of lights on that tree until they are all gone.  Afterwards, I'm going to buy lights that are GOOD and relight the entire tree myself.

Lesson Learned.

"Russ, we checked every bulb didn't we?"

"Sure Dad."

"Hmm...maybe we better go up there and check one more time..."

"Oh WHOA, look at the time! I gotta get to bed.  Still gotta brush my teeth, feed the hog, still got homework to do, still got those bills to pay, wash the car..."

--Clark and Russ talking about their non-working Christmas lights

Christmas Vacation 

It's starting to click....

Eva looooves school....but I would be quick to say her strong subject is math.  That girl is a WHIZ when it comes to math.  Those of you that know me personally know that she does NOT get this from her Mama!  I'm the one that is counting every single dot on the dice when we play Yahtzee instead of quickly adding them up in my head!  Ha!

Anyway, if math was her strong subject....reading was her subject she struggled a bit with.  As many of her teachers said, "She works hard, but it's not a subject that comes very easily to her". 

As parents we are fully aware that our children are going to struggle with some things...but it still hurts to watch them struggle.  I felt bad because I loooooved reading growing up and I still do.  I wanted Eva to have that love of reading too.  Matt felt bad because he struggled with reading growing up and knew how hard it could be...reading is in EVERY subject you deal with.

That being said, we just trudged along.  We read to her often and did what we could to make reading FUN.  Many people told me not to worry, that eventually it would just "click". 

Well....they were right.

Within the first few weeks of school Eva jumped two reading levels...and this past week she started tackling beginner chapter books. 

I was floored.

Not only that, but the little girl loves reading!!  She keeps asking me for more and more books!  I love to watch her light up as the world around her lights up.  Do you remember what it was like when you first started reading everything (signs, books, letters, EVERYTHING) in the world around you?!!  It's as if a whole new world has opened it's doors and you are walking in wide-eyed!!!!

Congrats to you Miss Eva....you stuck with it.  Even though there were some bumps in the road (and there may be other bumps down the road) you've learned that if you stick with something long enough you can overcome obstacles in your path.  We are soooo proud of you.

"You learn you can do your best even when it's hard, even when you are tired and may be hurting a little bit.  It feels good to show some courage."

--Joe Namath

A decision has been made...

Well, after many sleepless nights and days spent fretting over this whole chicken pox vaccination thing (read my previous post if you need updated on this)....a decision has finally been made.

We have decided not to vaccinate Eva at this time and keep her home with us for the amount of time mandated by the school system.  At this point she'll be home a little over 2 weeks.

I have to reiterate that this decision was not one I took lightly.  My children's health is extremely important to me, as is their schooling.  However, when I finally just listened to my heart I felt the answer was clear....and hours after making that decision I finally sat down and crashed.   I was honestly just exhausted from the stress of it all.

So today was our first day of "home schooling" (note that I use this word lightly as I am working closely with Eva's teacher to get all of her assignments and responsibilities...I'm not coming up with this work on my own).

I have to admit....it went really well and I honestly enjoyed it.  We started the day by snuggling in bed, then ate some breakfast, and began our "school time".  Jaden loooooooved that his big sister was here, as normally it is just he and I sitting at the kitchen table working on his numbers and letters while Eva is at school!!!  The only problem we had was that Eva got completely annoyed because Jaden likes to sing while he works!!!  Hilarious.

Eva spent a good chunk of time working on reading, math, and writing today.  Jaden worked on writing the letter "F" and finding the "F" sound in words, as well as tracing and learning the days of the week.  The teacher in me enjoyed teaching them! 

Right now I am sitting in the kitchen sipping peppermint tea with the fireplace on....and watching two of my favorite people in the world play out in the snow.

After days of worry, stress, and unrest about a big decision.....my heart is finally at peace.

"You should listen to your heart, and not the voices in your head."

--Matt Groening

Feeling a bit stressed....

I've been STRESSED the past few days.  Like the kind of stressed where I just want an entire bottle...I mean a small glass...of wine.  Super stressed.

Let me explain...

As many of you know we delay our childrens vaccines.  The Chicken Pox vaccine is one that they have not had.  There has been an "outbreak" of chicken pox in our area.  Now normally I would be doing my happy dance because I would just expose the kids to chicken pox and we would happily spend a week at home.

However, I'm pregnant right now.

Even though I had chicken pox as a child I'm not real comfortable with the kids getting it while I am pregnant. 

So, many of you are probably saying, "well, just give her the vaccine then!"  Unfortunately, it's not that easy.  Even though I had not planned on giving her the vaccine this early I would probably be willing to do it....except that there is a chance (1 in 25) that she could get symptoms of chicken pox from the vaccine and spread it to other family members.

Soooooo......my struggle is that I don't want her to GET chix pox right now....and I also don't want her to get the vaccine.

To add to this stress a letter was sent home with Eva yesterday stating that any child that is not vaccinated (or has not had chix pox) will not be allowed back at school for approximately 2 weeks.

Trust me when I say I have looked at this from every possible angle. 

I have not been sleeping well, I've had dreams about chicken pox, and I am pretty much consumed with it.  I've been on the phone with numerous doctors as well as our state's Dept of Health.  I've gone in and had bloodwork done to test MY immunity.  Simply put, I don't take vaccines lightly and I want to make the BEST decision for my family.  The problem is that I am really struggling with what that is.

So for now, prayers are welcome....and I'm just going to enjoy my little girl home from school with us for at least the next couple of days.  

Warms my heart....

Yesterday morning Jaden walked into my room carrying his Bible.  He was trying to look up a certain passage in Genesis and was having trouble finding it.  He asked if I would help him.

Let me start by saying I love that my four year old knows that Genesis is a book of the Bible.

Secondly, I love that he was sitting in his room on his own trying to find a certain passage in his Bible.  He said he knew it was at the front of his Bible, but couldn't find it.

Sometimes I doubt myself.  I wonder if I'm doing all I can to raise them to fully understand the importance of their faith....and then a moment like this comes along like a little gift from God assuring me that they are doing just fine.

"Weave in faith and God will find the thread."

--Unknown

Tis the season to GIVE...

This is a challenge I post every year at Christmas time and this year will be no different.  I think my  husband summed it up perfectly when he said, "Thanksgiving is the time of year to GIVE THANKS....and Christmas is simply the time of year to GIVE!"

Volunteer at a soup kitchen, adopt a family, create homemade cards for nursing home residents, purchase value meals and deliver them to the homeless on the streets, donate to a charity that has touched your life, ask your child's school if any children need winter coats and purchase them.....YOU decide what touches your heart and fits your budget.

For those of you that have children I encourage you to involve your children in the endeavor.  I started this when my children were very small and it seems that each and every year they seem to "get it" more and more.

This year this little girl helped me wrap gifts for a special family we adopted...

The conversations during times like this are so important....discussions about the true meaning of Christmas, giving to others, and praying for those we don't even know.  On top of that my little girl is turning into quite the little wrapper (I looooove wrapping presents to it makes this mama happy) and I love the look on her face when she's finished....

I also love that crazy morning hair!  Sooooo my friends.....I encourage you to give....to involve your children...and to focus your energy on making the life of someone else a little brighter this Holiday season.

"Christmas is not about opening presents....it's about opening our hearts"



The strife of childhood....

Have any of you ever watched Storage Wars?

I don't watch it regularly, but I do enjoy the show and last night the kiddies and I were enjoying it together.  The show is a reality show that follows a group of people that bid on abandoned storage units.  The fun is that they are not allowed to touch anything in the unit - just look - before bidding.  Sometimes they end up making a TON of money off of these units. 

All of this being said, each of the "characters" in the show have been pigeon holed into different personality traits.  One man, Dave, is known as the "mogul" that will bid on top and above everyone else. 

Soooo....getting to the funny part of my story.....last night our family was snuggled up watching this high quality piece of entertainment when one of the guys on the show says, "I need to quit worrying about what Dave is doing and start worrying about myself and what I'm bidding on!!!!"

Jaden quickly responded, "I need to do that too!  I need to quit worrying about monsters and just worry about myself!"

Oh. My. Word.

My body was shaking because I was trying to hold in my giggles.

The joys of eating while pregnant.....or not.

Our family eats pretty healthy.  Lean meats.  Veggies.  Very few sweets.  Most people laugh when I tell them our kids have only been to McDonald's about 5 times total in their whole lives. 

I'm the girl that eats black beans nearly every day because I had read that they are one of the most perfect foods for your body.  Well, that and I loooooove them.

Yes, we eat well around here.

Except when I am pregnant.

It's kind of crazy that when my body needs those nutrients most I want them the least.  What sounds good to me when I'm pregnant?  Poptarts.  Mashed potatoes.  Fritos.  Cereal.   Nacho BelGrande from Taco Bell.  Chicken sandwiches from Burger King.

Lovely.

I get so frustrated with myself because  I WANT to eat healthy....but the thought of a salad makes me want to hurl.  Ugh.

I find solace in the fact that a friend of mine told me that the baby draws on nutrients in my body long before I ever got pregnant. 

I sure hope so....I'm pretty sure the nutrients in a smores Poptart are pretty much non-existent!

Ahhhhhh, the joys of pregnancy!  ♥

Barbados 2011

Hello Friends!  Well, my lack of blogging the past week has nothing to do with morning sickness and EVERYTHING to do with being on vacation!!!  (MUCH better than morning sickness I may add...I'll take a blogging break for vacation any day)! 

Our family journeyed to Barbados with the company my husband works for!  It was the first time Eva and Jaden have been out of the country and they were PUMPED.  I wish I would have videotaped Eva watching the customs officer to MAKE SURE he stamped her passport.  It was a very big deal in her little 6 year old world!

Here are some pics to share with ya'll from our days of fun in the sun....

When I tell you the water was crystal clear and amazingly warm I mean it.  I've been to a few different islands in the Caribbean and Barbados has some of the most beautiful water I've ever seen.

Me with my little ones!  I love watching them play and discover things on the beach....if you remember from previous posts it reminds me of time I spent on the beach as a child.  Such wonderful memories to be made when enjoying the ocean!

Eva doing a Bajan dance with a local woman!  After she was done she came up to Matt and I and said, "That was SOOOOO fun!!!!"

Our family.  This picture was taken at the Welcome dinner one of the first nights we were there.  These dinners are always absolutely beautiful and the food is amazing.

We introduced our children to virgin cocktails while we were there....and proceeded to have to cut them off at one drink a day.  We also informed them that these were special "vacation treats" so we didn't have them asking for them every. single. time we went out for dinner!!!  Ha!

Anyone that knows my little girl knows that she was totally in her element playing baseball on the beach with our friend Ben!  I had to tell Ben that he could stop whenever he felt like it...she would be willing to play all day!

Jaden and his buddy Hayden jumping waves!!!

Love the colors in this picture....the ocean really was unbelievable (oh, and love that little man too)!!!

Matt and a few of his dealers went deep sea fishing one day.  They brought the fish they caught  back to the resort and one of the restaurants cooked them up for them for lunch!  SO cool!  I love their view...can't beat that for outdoor dining!

There was an old fort on the side of the resort dating back hundreds of years.  Jaden loved the canons...he was pretty sure pirates used them.  I loved the way the waves crashed up against the sea wall!

Matt and the kids took a ride aboard the Atlantis Submarine!!  I wasn't able to go since I am pregnant...but they sure loved it!  They went down about 150 feet and saw all kinds of sea life, corals, and even a shipwreck!

This little guy looooves body surfing!!  His form was perfect! ♥

This little girl looooves boogie boarding (especially when her Uncle Jeff would take her farther out to ride the waves in)!! 

Matt and I with my sis and her husband!  ♥

The hotel had four pools....but the kids thought the infinity pool was pretty special!  I thought it was beautiful too!

Me and my little lady.  Love her.

We ate at some amazing restaurants...places that were literally on cliffs overlooking the water where the sea crashed against the seawall and you could feel the mist of the ocean.  Honestly, I've never ate in more beautiful settings....but our little man only ever made it through about half of the meals.  Even with a nap the sun and sea wore him out (and I sure loved cuddling him)!

Eva and Jaden right before the farewell cocktail hour and dinner.  I hate to be one to brag, but they could not have been better on this trip.  During dinners with Matt's dealers they sat and participated in the conversation, used their best table manners, and were honestly like little adults at the table!  We were blessed with so many compliments on what good kiddos they are!  We've got keepers that's for sure! ♥

Farewell cocktail hour at the Old Fort....beautiful. 

Many of our meals had formal settings and Eva really took an interest in learning what silverware was appropriate for each course.  By the end of the trip she had it down - even Matt was impressed!  She would get excited when she noticed dessert utensils because that meant dessert would be served!  My favorite moment was half way during the week (when she was still learning what each fork, spoon, and knife meant) she was served a course of steak on rice.  I watched her scratch her head...look at the utensils she had left...and then said, "Which one is my rice fork?" 

My two favorite boys...watching the sun set.  Love them both!  ♥

This picture gives you another look at how beautiful the water was!!

I know I'm crazy, but I love crabs.  I think they are so stinkin' cute!  We saw LOTS of them while we were there!

Eva got her hair braided by a local woman on our last day.  Adorable.

In all just an absolutely wonderful vacation!