A blog-less year...

I miss it. I miss writing about my family. I miss looking back at pictures and journaling the events of our lives. And they have been many. So, I am going to go back and write a post for each month of the past year. Times have changed...life has changed. God has been good...some of life has been hard. We have had such an exciting year....lots of love, lots of laughter, a few tears, lots of family, and a new baby! We are thankful for the gift of life and all that God has blessed us with.

I miss this...I miss my blogging days. It's time to make a come back!! :)

Happy Fall Ya'll...

In an effort to catch up, I think I will just do a massive photo update of our fall so far.

We enjoyed the pumpkin patch.

We love football.

C and K are loving soccer.

And just having a good time with each other...

Happy Fall!!!!!!!!!!

The first day of school....

So, it was forever ago, but I am still trying to catch up. :) The first day of school.... Well, this year was hard for me. C man is in the first grade. Wow...just to write that is difficult. C is such a delightful child and is growing up way too quickly. He enjoys school and learning for the most part. C tends to get very anxious about new beginnings and this year was no exception. We were very thankful that some of his friends from last year are in his class this year. And his teacher...well, she is just fabulous. She is exceptionally kind and quiet....just perfect for C. The only problem is that when his teacher is not at school for the day, he does not want to be there either. C has really begun to read very well and has always enjoyed math. Just the other day, Hubs asked C, "If I have nine coins that equal 25 cents, which coins do I have?" and C figured out the answer without a problem. What a guy!!

This year, K had the opportunity to attend preschool in the small town that we live in. She joined her brother at the elementary school, so she thinks that she is very big. And we could not have been more blessed for K to have Mrs. M (C's teacher from last year) as her teacher. K is so shy and struggles so much with large groups that we were a little concerned about her attending a full day of pre-k everyday. It took a little while, but little K is beginning to come out of her shell. Mrs. M is the perfect teacher for K...allowing her to be herself but encouraging her to let go and have a good time. We play more 'school' at home than I ever imagined. K is writing all kinds of words and often writes them right to left instead of left to right. She continues to enjoy any kind of artwork and loves to play with babies. Both of my 'school-age' kiddos are the biggest blessing to me. My love for them is endless...they are awesome kids. We have our moments of imperfection, but I am blessed to hear them call me 'mommy'.

My Little K Turned 4...

Wow...it is such a blessing to watch my little munchkins grow into healthy young children. Little K is no exception. She turned four in August and is truly such a delight. As a mom, I look at her and see how big she is getting....and grown up. Wow. This year, she requested a fairy birthday party, so a fairy birthday party it was.

We had great family and friends to celebrate with and K truly seemed to enjoy her party. K battles with some seriousness shyness in large and unfamiliar groups, but there was not any stopping the birthday girl from having a good time. We had fun food, great fellowship, and a really special girl to celebrate with.

K tends to be mellow and quiet although very social once she trusts the person she is with. She has incredible facial expressions that are worth a million dollars. Another thing worth a million dollars? K's nurturing heart...she has a very big heart and loves to love others, especially babies. She is absolutely gorgeous and melts my heart with her smile.

This year, K started pre-K at our local elementary school and has surprised everyone. She is loving it and becoming quite social. We play lots and lots of 'school' at home, so we are quite certain that she enjoys her environment. She has an incredible teacher (which happened to be C's kindergarten teacher last year).

K's favorite things to do include playing with babies (especially her American Girl dolls), coloring or anything related to art, playing school and writing letters, reading books, and riding her bike. K is a bit of a picky eater, but has a deep love for chocolate, sweets, and PB and J sandwiches.

K had a tough transition when we moved to our little small town and seemed to lose a little bit of her spark. God is good...and we are gradually starting to see our spunky little monkey come back to life.

K, you are such a special little girl with an incredible heart. It is so hard for me to imagine what God has in store for your life, but I know that it will be amazing. I love your smile and the way your big blue eyes look up to me. You are one of the best snuggle bugs that I know and I treasure every day with you. I am so thankful to be your mommy....I love you sweet princess.

And Family Vacation was Fun...

We have been blessed the past several years to go on vacation with Hub's side of the family. His mom chooses a place and we all head to our destination for some quality time and relaxation. This year we went to Great Wolf Lodge. It was AWESOME!! Wow...what a great time we had! It was definitely our favorite vacation spot yet.

We had so much fun and we are so thankful for the time together! Here are some pictures to prove it....

Followed by a Week of Humbling...

It has been so long. I can't seem to keep the blog updated. Then, when I sit down to update, there is way to much to say. So, I am going to do several short and sweet entries to get us sort of caught up...

The very day following our week of heaven on earth, we left on a jet plane for chicago. For the first time ever, we left part of our brood at home with Nana and some friends. Initially, C was the only kiddo that was going with us. But, since we were blessed with the new little man (J) in our home, he tagged along for the fun.

Our purpose was to facilitate a vacation bible school for a group of kiddos living in a homeless shelter while in Chicago. Our purpose was to teach them the Word, serve them, and show them by our actions the love that Christ has for them. We had a purpose...but every time that I have ever had an opportunity like this, it is my mission to bless the socks off of these people. But I am the one who walks away a changed person. These kids...from all walks of life...living in a homeless shelter...some unaware of a Man named Jesus that walked the earth to save them...have joy, peace, happiness that only God can grant them in the situation that they are in.

C had a great time...it touched my heart to watch him interact with the kids. He stood up one day in front of the whole group and taught them a Bible verse. C wanted to serve...he, at the age of six, was on a mission for Christ.

But that is not all...Hubs went out on the streets and passed out sandwiches and water. He cleaned and painted at another homeless shelter. We also had the opportunity to have a lot of fun. In the evenings, we saw the city of Chicago. We had so much fun spending time together...seeing Mary Poppins off broadway, eating Chicago style pizza, shopping at the Lego store, and just bonding with the group of teens and adults that we travelled with. All in all, that week was another one to write down in history as unforgettable. The city, the kids, the time...all incredible.