Merry Christmas

from Rob, Amy, Broderick, and Carys!

"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good new of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Cookies in the making

Last Wednesday morning Broderick and I went to work. Hard work! We spent the entire morning making cookies. This is one of my favorite things to do at Christmas. Broderick was a great helper, too. Carys kind of just walked around and played. She did a great job of keeping herself entertained. Next year she will be able to help a little more.

We made these graham cracker things with chocolate, peanut butter and white chocolate. I can't find the name of them at the moment. They are one of my favorites this year. Super simple and tasty!

I let Broderick pick two kinds that he wanted to make. Jello Jigglers was one of them. They didn't turn out so well. If anyone has any pointers I would appreciate them. Thankfully he didn't care, he just wanted to eat them.
He also picked these shovels. When he showed me the picture I thought, "Oh, these are going to be fun. They actually weren't as hard as they might look. They don't taste great, but they look cute. Broderick helped put the cookies on the sticks and put the marshmallows in place. He did a great job.
My favorite are these Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls. They have become a tradition around here. Rob and I spent a whole Saturday making cookies when Broderick was just a newborn, so 4 years ago. We made these and have done so ever since.
We also made Reese Cup cookies. I don't really know what the "official" name for them is. We always made them growing up. They were made on Thursday though. I went to make them on Wednesday and didn't have baking soda. Of course none of my neighbors where home to help me so I just waited until the next day to finish them. They turned out okay.
Of course I can't just make the cookies have to eat about 10 a day. It is a good thing one of my friends and going to be teaching Zumba in January! If anyone would like the recipes I would be glad to share them.

A little Christmas fun!

Last night we took the kids to a rec center near our house that does a light display. In the middle they have a little log cabin with Santa in it. Broderick has never sat on Santa's lap in this kind of setting before. He comes to my dad's house on Christmas eve and Broderick sat on his lap then. But just yesterday at the mall he said he didn't want to. I asked how Santa would know what he wanted for Christmas then. He said he would just tell him when he comes in is room. (Santa leaves one gift in the kids room on Christmas Eve.) It was very cute! Carys on the other hand I knew would have issues with Santa. The picture below looks like we are tormenting her. I promise we really weren't! She was on his lap for literally 2 seconds. Our pastor showed some histerical pictures on Sunday of kids sitting on Santa's lap. If you were there, I think you would agree she could have been one of the pictures.

Broderick on the other hand had no problem with Santa. He decided to wait until Santa came into his room to tell him what he wanted may be a little to late. He told Santa he wanted RPM #64, a car from the movie, and a Geotrax with the snowplow. Thankfully Santa has already picked them up. (I know because he told me!)

Tomorrow we are spending all day making cookies. I am very excited! Look for those pictures in the next couple of days.

The first Snow

Broderick was so excited for the snow today he could hardly wait. Yesterday I was on the mad hunt for snow boots and a sled for the kids. So, naturally he knew the snow was coming. He woke up at 5am and said he was done sleeping, but of course I told him he needed to go back to sleep. At this point there was not a whole lot of snow on the ground, so I was really hoping that it was going to snow some more or I was going to have a very disappointed child. Then at 7 when he woke up for the day, he just kept asking me "Can we go outside?" 7 in the morning!!! I told him at 10am we would go. I still heard him ask that question about 10 more times. I finally told him after the 10th time and it only being 8am that if he asked again we were not going out. As you can tell by the pictures below we did make it out. After about 30 minutes of layering up and piecing some random things together for Carys to wear we made it outside. We stayed out for about an hour. We tried making a snow man, but the snow wasn't packing very well. I then started shoveling the driveway. After I got half of it done Broderick would push his sled then run and jump on it and go sliding down the driveway. Remember...this is the already shoveled part! What a boy, What a boy!!! Carys on the other hand would walk about 2 steps and then fall. She wasn't able to get herself back up, so she would sit there for a few minutes and then want someone to help her up. After she saw Broderick going down the sled she wanted to. She went down the driveway as well, then we came in for some hot Chocolate. (Warm chocolate really.) Broderick will be all ready to go back out after his nap I am sure. We will see.

Too Cute!

My sister-in-law, Lisa, sent this to us. The kids just crack up and think it is the funniest thing ever. Enjoy!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1141151090

Happy Birthday Little Buddy!

Today is Broderick's 4th birthday. It was a day packed full of fun. We had a little party for him this afternoon.(A shark party in case you couldn't tell by the picture.) He was so pumped for it all morning. Then after his nap all he wanted to do was play with his new toys. He received some great toys. He was so overwhelmed by all the new stuff, at times I don't think he knew what to do next.

It is hard to believe my little buddy is 4 yrs old. He is a little guy full of energy, enthusiasm and spunk! His heart is so big and kind it makes me laugh and cry at times. My prayer for him over the next year is that he continues to grow a desire to know more about Jesus and His love for us. Happy Birthday Bud!!!!

A Thanksgiving Story

Okay, so is everyone familiar with the movie A Christmas Story? I have wondered, after this past week, why there has not been a movie made about Thanksgiving? I believe that if someone ever made one, it might go something like this...

A family of four, we will call them Rob, Amy, Broderick and Carys, set off for a week away with family in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania. After a long, surprisingly uneventful drive they arrive at their destination.

They spend some wonderful time with their relatives and even have a little birthday party for the oldest child, Broderick, who will be turning four very soon.
They even do some fun things like go to a train museum, see some Christmas lights, visit Rob's grandma and plant some bulbs with her.
Then Thanksgiving comes. With the turkey roasting in the oven, dessert on the counter tops made the day before, there is much anticipation for dinner. Then the phone rings. "Hi Terri, it is Pat, your mom's neighbor. She has pushed the emergency button and I am calling 911. Please hurry." Terri, Rob's mom, rushes off to make sure Grandma is okay. After running some tests at the hospital the family finds out that Grandma is going to be fine. She had been put on oxygen the night before and sometime during the night lost it. So it caused her to feel a little disoriented. So that night Rob and Amy decided to take their family to the hospital to visit Rob's grandma and parents. Thankfully the cafeteria was serving a turkey dinner. So they all enjoyed some thanksgiving dinner and time with family. All for $3.50 a person.
The real dinner was postponed to Friday due to circumstances with Grandma. The food was passed and everyone had a full plate of home cooked food. It was a wonderful time. But what is Thanksgiving without being stuffed so much you can't breath? Well, Rob wanted seconds so Amy got up to get the glass dish of already cut turkey out of the kitchen. She headed back into the Dining room and dropped the dish on the floor. The glass obviously shattered and was now all over the turkey. No seconds or left overs for them! The movie ends with the family driving back to their home!
The above really is a true story lived out by none other than the above family. I write all that in a comedic way, but we really did have a good visit with Rob's family. His Grandma is doing okay, but she will be going to a nursing home temporarily. She is 92 yrs old and has congestive heart failure. Please pray that they will be able to find a nursing home close to Rob's parents.

My wonderful husband

Last night Rob surprised me with a night out. This was not just your typical dinner and a movie date. Oh no...He went above and beyond the call of duty! He had arranged for the kids to spend the night at my mom and step dads, (Thanks again for that mom and Rich.) We went to Cena for dinner. Wonderful place to try, especially if you like meat and A LOT of it. Then we went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra! I can not even begin to describe in words how amazing it was. There were lights everywhere, sometimes so bright Rob and I had to close our eyes and it still seemed bright. The music and musicians were like none I had ever heard before. It was so much fun. I would recommend to everyone to go see them next year when they are in your town. Even if you have to drive to get to them. It was a great way to kick off the holiday season.
So to my wonderful husband... I love you and thank you so much for planning such a fabulous night out. I enjoyed the food, the concert, but most of all the one I spent it with. You truly are such a wonderful gift from the Lord. XXOO

Random

This past week has been, well...sick. Broderick woke up Monday middle of the night with some stomach problems. So naturally Tuesday he didn't go to school. He was fine all day though. Then Tuesday night Carys woke up about 3:30 on fire. She just got over a fever, but still is not feeling well. I love my children and I am glad I am the one that gets to take care of them when they are sick, but being in the house for 5 days straight makes me a little crabby.

This week, while being stuck in, Rob, Broderick and I watched a Louie Giglio video called "How Great is Our God." It goes along with what our pastor has been talking about the last couple of weeks. It is amazing. We truly worship a HUGE God that does unimaginable things. Like create! I would highly recommend everyone to watch it. It will blow you away. Anyway it did me.

Rob took the kids to the aquarium last week and thought I would post some cute pictures he took. They are above.

We had Broderick's parent/teacher conference on Thursday and it went very well. The teacher said he is always excited to know what they are doing that day. He comes in the classroom and always welcomes the other kids by name. He then wants Mrs. Weber to say hi to the kids. She said he plays very well by himself and next to the other kids. He always loves the snack! (big surprise there!) She said she loves having him in her class. She had all the kids draw a picture of themselves. Broderick did a good job. It was a stick person and he had the body parts in the right spots. After they drew themselves they were aloud to draw whatever they wanted to on the paper. Broderick drew a picture of Carys right next to him. It was the sweetest thing. When we got home, I told him I saw the picture. He said, "I drew Carys because she is my baby sister and I lover her." Doesn't that make you well up? It did me!

A weekend away

After a nice relaxing weekend it is back to real life for me. My mom, sister and I went to a nearby city with an amazing mall! We went up Friday, went out to eat and spent the night then shopped for about 10 hours Saturday. It was so much fun! Thanks Mom and Kelly! Rob kept the kids very entertained while I was gone. They went to the aquarium on Saturday. Broderick was very excited. He has been asking to go since we got back from vacation. When I got home on Saturday the house was picked up, some laundry was done and both the kids were sound asleep. What a wonderful husband I have! Thanks for making this very fun weekend able to happen!

A Day packed full of fun

What a great day we had! We started off with Broderick's preschool Halloween party. Carys and I stayed for the whole party and it was a lot of fun. They did a costume parade in the "fun room", then went to their room for crafts, game and snacks. Below is a picture of Broderick's class and his teacher. The little boy to the far left, the pirate, is Broderick's little buddy Braeden. He is a very sweet and quite little boy. The little girl next to him, in the pink turtleneck is Belle. We hear a lot about her. She too is very sweet and quite. It was very fun to see Broderick in this element. He definitely is very comfortable and Mr. Social.

After school we went out to lunch with my dad and Monica. Then we all headed to Kyler's school for his costume parade. It was very cute! Broderick wanted so bad to go talk to Kyler, so I let him go give him a hug before they had to go back to class. I think the picture below is so adorable of the two of them. They really do love each other.
After naps, my mom and Rich came over to give the kids their treats. So we got the costumes back on. I was really glad they got to see the kids though, because they both were sleeping when they got here. After a very quick dinner we went Trick or Treating. Chris and Natasha came over to take Garrett with us. Rob and Chris stayed here with a fire out front and passed out candy while Natasha and I took the kids up the street. Carys wasn't real sure about what to do at first, but it didn't take long for her to learn to follow her brothers lead. She started out riding in the wagon, but soon decided she wanted to walk instead. Broderick was way more into it this year. He was so excited! Peter Pan and Tinkerbell are below.
Then, we topped off the night with a visit from the Rowen, Lane and Beckett. This has become a tradition and we look forward to getting all the kids together. Below, in order, Beckett, Rowen, Carys, Broderick, and Lane.
Here is a very sweet picture of Carys and Rob. What a great way to wrap up a good day!

A Little Halloween Fun

One of my friends had a halloween party on Saturday night. It was a western theme. Rob and I had a great time getting our costumes ready for the party. Thanks to my sister and my mom the costumes came together great! Can you guess who we are? Several people at the party did not know. And I am sad to say we did not win the costume contest. We both lost by 1 vote.

(A rodeo clown won for the guys and an Indian for the girls.) The other costumes were great. There were indians, rednecks, rodeo clowns, rodeo cowboys, square dancers, even, a naked cowboy and his wife. (not really naked, but that was what he was going for.) Oh...yes, Rob does have makeup on. It completes the look.

Rob bought a gun set for his costume, just for the holster. He told Broderick he could have it after the party. The first thing Broderick said when he woke up this morning was, "Daddy said I could have those guns." He has played with them ALL day. This is a picture of him before we left for church today. He certainly is a boy!

Hayride Fun

Last Sunday we took the kids on a hayride. The hayride was no joke...we went through mud, up and down hills, and sat in a pile of hay. We had a great time even though it didn't feel like fall. (It was in the mid 70s.) I also dumped Carys out of the stroller at one point. Talk about a proud moment as a mom! She was a little dirty, but okay. Enjoy the pics.

Nothing better than a fun fall day!

We had such a wonderful day. We started the morning off by making donuts. I don't know if any of you have done this before. When I was younger my mom would make donuts with us often. All you do: 1 pkg of little biscuits, powdered sugar and oil. Heat the oil over medium. Poke your finger through the middle of the biscuit and spin it around (lots of fun!), then play the biscuit in the oil. Brown on both sides. Put the powdered sugar in a little brown bag. After you have let some of the oil drip off the donut, drop it in the bag and shake. Your done! So fun!

Above: Broderick making the holes. Below: Our mound of donuts!
After everyone got dressed and the sun came up, we went outside to rake leaves. Somethings never get old...like playing in the leaves. (or climbing on pillow mountain!) Carys was not so crazy about being in the leaves. She was happier just to walk around. I had also put roast in the crock pot for dinner, which made a nice end cap to the day. Nothing like a warm crock pot meal on a cool day. Did I mention I love fall?
I absolutely LOVE the picture below!

FUN Pictures!!

Kyler spent the night on Monday, a week ago, and the boys had a great time. I tried to let them sleep on Broderick's floor, but that didn't end up working. Either way, they had fun while it lasted.

When all else fails...take all the cushions off the couch and let the kids climb all over them.
What really happen was...I was sweeping the couch out and Broderick was having fun, so I figured, why not!

Camping

Here are some pictures of our camping trip this weekend. Rob was away on a business trip this weekend so the kids and I went camping with my mom and step dad. We had a great time. It would have been better if Rob was there, but we still had a great time.

Broderick getting a lesson from Grandpa on fishing.
Taking a bike ride a ride the site.
Really early in the morning around the fire.

Another...More than Me

There are so many hurting people out in the world. It is so easy for me to get caught up in my little world, with my family and my "problems." I have been reading a blog about a little girl named Copeland and her family. Copleland was born with a disease called Trisomy 18. I really know nothing about it, but if you visit their blog they have links with information. I have added a link for her, to the right of the screen. Please visit their blog and pray for this family. I know God is using them in a mighty way. Even so...what a trial of your faith.

A day at the Zoo

On Saturday we took a trip to the zoo. We had a wonderful time.

We had never been to this zoo before so it was new and exciting for all of us. It was a very interactive zoo. They had a dolphin show, you could feed the giraffes, and wash an elephant, and pet a shark. Broderick has been very into sharks and aquariums lately so we figured he would enjoy this.

This is a picture of us in the dolphin viewing area. It was like a huge glass dome under water. It was very cool!
Broderick feeding a giraffe.
A picture of one of the sharks that Broderick touched. He was so excited he touched one.
And yes...Carys was there too. She just hangs out in the stroller. Those are rhinos behind us.

This may seem strange, but I was wondering who "carabellas" is? I saw you commented and for the life of me can't figure out who you are. Thanks for reading my blog though! Just curious who you are.

What A DEAL

okay...I am going to try and make this short. Rob and I have had our eye on this computer desk for a couple of months now. We have really been wanting to move the computer out of our extra room and into the kitchen since he doesn't work at home anymore. We first saw this at a Sauder's store for about $300. We really didn't want to spend that much. A couple of weeks after we saw it there, Rob was in a grocery store and saw it on sale for $250. We talked about it and decided we just didn't want to do anything yet. Well...about 1 1/2 weeks ago we started talking about buying it again. Rob stopped back at the grocery store to see if they still had it. They did, but it was $329. They gave him a little card thing with a bar code so we could call and check to see if it was on sale. On Thursday he called me on his way home from work and said we were going to go pick up the desk. It ends up, he stopped at different location of the grocery store, he scanned the bar code and it came up $80! He had this location call another location which did have it in stock. He asked them to scan it. They showed it for $80 also. That same week we received checks from the grocery store totally $90. (We have a credit card that gives us rewards every quarter.) So we drive down to get it and we ended up getting an additional 10% off because we have special card! Seriously...I think this is the best deal ever. It seems silly, but I believe this was a little blessing from God. I have had other things like this happen before. The fact that we really liked this specific desk and we received the checks that same week. God really worked it out and blessed us. He blesses in big and small ways. If you have good deal stories I would love to hear about them. They just make me smile! Thanks for reading all about my lengthy one!!

The amazing things God does!!

I don't know how many of you that read my blog are familiar with my friends Chris and Natasha, so I am going to tell you a little story. About 2 years ago they were separated...while separated Chris did not know the Lord, but God saved his life and through much prayer healed and restored Chris and Natasha's marriage. This past Sunday Chris' ex-wife, Rachel, and his sister Tiff, came to church and were also rescued from the pit of hell. It is so cool to see how God has worked in Chris and Natasha's lives and now it is affecting people around them!!! Praise the Lord.

I also wanted to include some cute pictures of the kids I took on Sunday.

Every Sunday night we have pizza and movie night. It is our family night. This is typically what it is like. The kids eat pizza in their highchair and booster seat while we watch a kid movie and then after we are done eating we veg out and finish the movie. We have done this for over a year now and it has become one of my favorite things!
This is a picture of Carys I took when we got home from Church on Sunday. I loved her little outfit and thought she looked so grown-up.

The daily grind

I feel like since we got back from vacation life has just not slowed down. It seems with school now we have something to do everyday. Which don't get me wrong I am typically a person who likes to be on the go. Today though, I am exhausted. (I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I cleaned my house yesterday and have not been able to go to sleep at night!) I am so thankful that tomorrow and this weekend, we don't have anything planned. I can just go do whatever, or stay home.

With all the craziness of life I have forgotten to post a few things. About 2 days before we left for vacation Carys started walking. I had noticed that at home she was doing a lot of walking around the furniture. While 2 days before we left I was at church and Carys was just walking all over the place. I couldn't believe it! She doesn't really crawl at all now unless she is playing. It is so nice to have her walking. She does like to climb though! She loves to climb on the fireplace hearth and stand up, which is not fun for me. She just stands up and starts laughing. In Broderick's room she likes to climb on his chairs and stand up, but now she stands up and says "no" and then sits down. It is very funny! She also recently got over bronchitis, which was a little scary. I had to take her to the hospital for x-rays and blood work to make sure it wasn't pneumonia. Thankfully ended up not being. However, this is the 2nd time she has had it. The doctor said we will have to keep an eye on her, because it may mean she has asthma. To early to tell, but we will watch her.

The picture above it the 1st two projects Broderick brought home from school. I am guessing they are talking about apples...what do you think?

First Day of School

Broderick had his first day of preschool today. I was a little nervous and the closer we got the more I had to fight back tears. As I walked him in, I started to well up, but told myself, I needed to keep it together. He walked right into his class and started playing. I spoke to his teacher for a few moments and then left. After school, Rob and I took him out to lunch and talked about the day. He seemed to really like it and is excited about going back. Here are some pics.

VACATION!!!!

We just returned home from the beach yesterday and we had a great time. Here are just a few pictures of our trip.




This picture with the rake floating away in the background is a good reminder of what happen next... After Rob got done taking the picture Broderick ran off to get the rake, he bent down looked at me and then a wave came and took him under. He was a good sport about it and kept swimming.





This is a picture of a sand castle Broderick and I made. He had fun just sitting in the hole.














I love these two pictures of the kids. They had such a wonderful time at the beach.