Another Way to Beat the Winter Blues

A trip to the waterpark in January. 

This weekend was our third year of meeting the PA fam at an indoor waterpark a little ways north of here.  It was fun time with family and so nice to be warm!  But I don't have any pictures.  My sister-in-law had a really cool waterproof camera that took still shots and video, so we left the picture taking up to her.  Maybe I'll get some of hers and post them later.

• Mr. Mister was Mr. Confident on the kids slides.  He was a little too short for some of the bigger ones, but he was perfectly content going down the smaller ones a hundred times in a row.  Tonight after we got home, he kept saying, "I'm just a little sad. I miss the waterpark."  

• Mr. Newton loved splashing in the water. He was super flexible with his nap schedule which allowed us time to all be together in the water.

• Last year, I was pregnant so I didn't get to go down the slides.  This year I got to play a lot, thanks to the wonderful help of Grandma, Papa, Aunt J and Uncle C who help us so much with our kids!

Back to life here.  It's always hard to come home after a fun weekend!

Beating the Winter Blues

It was so refreshing to see the sun today and to see some snow melting. Although with the melting snow comes a melting ice rink, much to the dismay of a certain 3 year old. I'm not sure how much longer we'll maintain it, but it certainly has been fun.

Besides the ice rink and the occasional trip outside to go sledding, we find ourselves inside for much of these cold winter days. So here are some of the things we've done recently to make life inside a little more eventful.


A picnic inside! The boys loved it and it added a little fun to our same old lunch. Peanut butter and jelly tastes better on a blanket.

Trips to Costco provide some new scenery and some yummy free samples. And I love the cart for two!

This is our superhero who came to save his damsel in distress Mommy from bad man Daddy while riding his faithful black steed.

Here's his partner who did more drooling than rescuing but still looked cute in his red cape.

It's Here!

The long awaited ice rink is official!  It is sure to provide many fun times this winter (and to provide some challenge in getting out our back door).  Mr. Mister already loves it and wants to skate all the time.  I'm so proud of my husband for sticking with it.  This video was his inspiration.
Maybe that will be us someday!

Here are some pictures of the action.
We have open skate all day if anyone wants to stop by!

This is the water waiting to freeze.

This is my favorite.  Good looking slapshot!

Even tough skaters still need their mamas.
Mr. Mister took a hard spill and needed some cuddle time to feel better. 

A Well

You may remember me posting this video a couple weeks ago because it's one of our favorite songs to dance to as a family.

But, it's so much more than that.  If you haven't taken a minute to watch it, please do.  It is worth it.

The reality that so many people still live in this world without access to clean water blows me away.  It is unimaginable to me that people in the Central African Republic (and so many other countries in Africa) actually walk for hours to get buckets full of dirty water, which causes 80% of all sickness and disease and kills more people than war.  That is not right.  ESPECIALLY because there is clean water available.  It's just deep beneath the earth.

Enter Charity:Water.  Building a well that will provide clean water for 400 people for 20 years is $5,000.  A lot of money.  But not in comparison for what it provides.  

So this Christmas, our church made a goal of raising enough to build a well in one of these village communities.  And on Christmas day, we reached the $5,000 mark.  So now 400 people that we will most likely never meet will be able to drink and bathe in clean water.  They will not have to walk miles for water, they will be healthier, they will live longer, and they will experience the joy of redemption in the form of clean water.

I am encouraged that our small community of believers would give so generously to take on such a grand vision as this.  But it is not about us.  It is really about loving God and loving our neighbors. Even if they are halfway around the world.  It is about giving clean water to drink, but even more so, giving a them a glimpse of the living water that is the true satisfaction of our thirsty souls.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  John 4:13-14

You, God, are my God,
   earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
   my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
   where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

It's coming...

I'm not sure how many of you really care about the development of our backyard ice rink, but in case you are wondering, there should be some skating going on tonight.  My husband did some renovations on the construction and it is looking good.  Hopefully I can post some pictures tonight or tomorrow!

No Ice

No ice rink yet. There's been some difficulties in the construction, but it's not a lost cause yet.  I hope it works because he has worked so hard on it!

Ice

I have realized that having boys and all that it entails is only compounded by having a husband who loves adventure and risk and out of the box living and who is still a boy at heart.

Are you ready for a glimpse into my life?

Daddy came upstairs after he was done working and had the idea to build an ice rink in our backyard.  That is a crazy idea in general, but even crazier if you know how big (or not big) or backyard is.  It's tiny.  And not much of a yard, mostly a patio with some garden area around it.  And by garden area I mean mulch that is home to a sandbox and a wagon and balls and bats and a plethora of other toys.  Not flowers like it used to be in Life B.C. (before children).

Anyway....he wants to build an ice rink.  He explained that he would make it really small, in the side mulch area so I approved and set out making dinner.

Then I looked out and noticed that our patio furniture was moved off of the patio into the designated mulch area that was supposed to be the rink.  That leaves....the entire patio to be the rink.  This patio also happens to be our main walk way for exiting our house to get to our cars.

Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy?  In this family, yes I am.  I tried to fight back with logic, but nothing was going to match the boy-like smile of excitement on my husband's face.  I don't think he heard a word I said.  He was too busy laying out the wood and making his plans.  And Mr. Mister was out there right alongside him, hammering away with his tools.

So I'm off to make dinner...not sure what's happening out there.  But I'll be sure to report back!  I wonder what the neighbors will think...

A New Milestone

This weekend I celebrated the big 3-0.  I had been dreading this day ever since I turned 26 and knew I was closer to 30 than 20.  I don't know why 30 was such a big deal to me.  I guess because anything in your 20's sounds young but 30 seems to put you into a new category of old.  I just never could imagine myself being 30.  But I thought the same thing when I turned 18  :)

I realize that 30 isn't that old.  I'm sure many people reading this are laughing at me as I lament over this new decade of my life.  But the reality of having been alive 30 years just makes James 4:14 ring so true...that our lives are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  It reminds that my life, while purposeful and significant, is a speck in the realms of eternity.  That might sound discouraging, but in fact in encourages me even more to live out a life of purpose, of pursing the Lord wholeheartedly and experiencing more of Him daily, and loving and enjoying the people in my life.  I don't want to miss out or waste days or pour myself into things that don't ultimately satisfy.

Okay, well aside from all the life epiphanies, I had a great day.  I woke up to breakfast in bed served to me by my three wonderful boys.  After filling my bed with toast crumbs and jelly stains, we went to church.  After we got home, I headed out for my annual birthday tradition of spending a couple hours at Starbucks by myself.  A free birthday latte with my ipod, Bible, and journal made for some great time of reflection, prayer, and connection with the Lord. It was very refreshing.  (really, anything quiet would have been refreshing!)

Then we had two couples over for an impromptu homemade pizza birthday dinner.  These are couples that we have been living life with in community and ministry over the past few years.  It was such a fun night.

Once again, my husband was amazing and served me so well.  He got up with the boys while I slept in, made me breakfast, held down the fort while I was at Starbucks, and made all of the pizza (dough and everything) for my dinner.  He made it such a special day!

One more fun thing was the birthday call I got from my brother and his kids.  They sang Happy Birthday in English, then the oldest sang it in Spanish because he goes to a bilingual elementary school, then all three of the kids (ages 5,4,and 2) sang it in Hungarian, their second language!  I've never had such a multi-cultural birthday wish before!

8 Months

A month makes such a difference!

You are crawling, pulling up, even cruising a little as you let go of the coffee table and go to the couch.

You have discovered (and prefer) all of the off limit things like the DVD player, the space heater, the humidifier, any cord you see, etc. We have had to start saying no to you. You mostly smile when I say no. But one time you actually stopped and turned around. I got so excited and smothered you with kisses. That made you really happy and you smothered me with kisses in return. The big, sloppy, whole mouth baby kisses that are so sweet (and that only a mother can love, literally).

You used to be the easiest baby in the world to put to bed. We would just give you something to cuddle with (stuffed animal, blanket, burp rag, anything semi-soft would do) and you would automatically put your thumb in your mouth and fall asleep. Seriously, so easy.

THEN, you learned to stand up in your crib. And now you still cuddle, put that thumb in your mouth, almost close your eyes....and then you see the side of the crib and remember, "I know how to stand up!" And up you go. And you do not want to go to sleep because you just want to stand.

You also know what you want. If I take away the remote control or my cell phone or anything else you want but can't have, you arch your back and cry. (Because babies always know that the bright, colorful, plastic toys are not quite as fun.)

But in all of this, you are learning so much and I love how interactive you have become. You still have the happiest smile. Everyone wants to know if you are always that happy. Yes, you are.

And this week, you are healthy. That's an accomplishment. I'm sure in a week you will have another cough, because it always comes back. I wonder if you might have asthma. I hope you are just a baby during winter.

But no matter what, I love you and love that you are part of our family!

December Memories

Looking back on the month of December makes me realize how many fun things we did to celebrate Christmas all month long.  

Here is a picture walk down memory lane. 

(you may recognize a couple of the pictures from previous posts)

Picking out our Christmas tree.

Mr. Mister's choir concert

The annual cookie making marathon with my mom and sisters

Celebrating Christmas a little early with my family.  We had a video chat with my brother and his family in Colorado.  We miss them at all of our family hangouts!

Christmas with my family - the boys in their new doctor dress up clothes, singing Christmas carols while playing spoons.

Enjoying an early snowfall!

Daddy took the boys to Bass Pro for some fun Christmas festivities!

A walk-through light display at a nearby farm.

A fun visit to Grandma and Papa's for Christmas.

Mr. Mister painting a bird feeder he got for Christmas.

Making homemade pretzels.  They are fun to make and really yummy!

At the museum for the annual holiday train display.

Mr. Newton loved watching the trains go around and around.

The Festival of Lights at the zoo

Our whole family at the Festival of Lights. 

What a fun month we had.  Now it's back to life..so sad!