Christmas Randoms...

This was the first year in a while that I didn't take a whole lot of Christmas pictures!  It wasn't intentional, it's just we kept so busy that I didn't even realize it!  We had some of my family in town this year and we spent a majority of the holiday outside playing in the snow and sledding.  It was so cold that it would have been miserable to have my hand out of my glove snapping pictures so I opted to leave the camera at home and just have fun.  Between all of us, we did get together some on our cell phones, but I need to get those loaded on the computer.  So for now I just have a handful from Christmas morning and a few from Noah's Christmas program at Preschool.  

Better late than never!

 Ella with her very special new American Girl doll!  This was her most treasured gift this year!

 Noah had been eyeing this castle for many months leading up to Christmas so he was *thrilled* that Santa brought it!  Between us and all the Grandparents, he was able to collect all of the accessories and men to go with it and spends many hours a week playing with it!

   Noah got to be Joseph this year.  It was adorable and they gave us all quite the show with many laughs!

 This one is blurry, but it had to be posted.  For the last song, they came around and took the kids costumes off so that the parents could get some pictures of them in their regular clothes.  WELL, when Noah's teacher pulled his off, we got quite the surprise!  Apparently he had taken a trip to the potty and couldn't get his pants buckled...but since he had the costume over top, no one noticed...until of course he was left standing there on stage with his little Superman undies hanging out!!  No worries though.  Daddy quickly sprang into action and got him all situated.  Can't wait to tell his Senior Prom date about this one ;)

Ten Thoughts on Thursday...

1) This week is almost over and I really haven't done anything except relax and spend time with my kiddos.  Amazing.

2)  Last night the hubby and I went out on a date.  I love LOVE love getting to date my husband every week now.  Having time together without the kids gives us an opportunity to connect and communicate the things we need from each other which makes for a happy wife and happy husband!

3)  My kids went straight into nursery with NO tears this week after being out of church for 3 weeks (due to sickness and traveling).  I'm so happy to see how well they have adjusted.  Such a relief.

4) It's ridiculously windy in Wisconsin.  Sometimes it sounds like the wind is going to literally blow the house down!  Crazy!

5) We finally planted our garden this year!  It's a raised bed with lettuce, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, broccoli, and green beans.  

6) Last week the kids and I spent the whole week in Tennessee with my family.  Lots of pics to come soon either on here or Facebook.

7)  I'm so happy and thankful that God has entrusted us with this crazy-adventure-life.  

8) Can't wait for the pool down the street to open in JUNE!  Sooo ready to enjoy this gorgeous weather!

9)  Last week I volunteered with the Kindergartners and 1st Graders at church!  Made me think of my old class at KABC! Can't believe I will have a Kindergartner of my own in only a few short months?!

10)  Life is good and we are blessed.  My cups runs over.  

Deuteronomy 7:9  "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands."

Mother Goose!

I've mentioned in some of my other posts how much we are enjoying the library here.  It' been especially nice for Ella since she was usually in preschool when Noah and I would go to story time.  I think she is enjoying being able to come, too.  During April, the library was doing a reading program on Mother Goose books.  Ella and Noah got here just in time to jump in and participate.  We would check out books that qualified and log each one we read.  On Wednesday they had a special story hour and Mother Goose was there! ;)  The kids loved it, especially the part where a "real" Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall!  They had a lot of stories where the kids could participate and then they all made a paper goose and received their awards.  It was cute and the kids had fun.  I'm looking forward to some of the programs they will have this Summer for the kids to participate in!

Yesterday was so beautiful it may have been my favorite Wisconsin day ever! It was somewhere in the low 70s and had a nice, warm, breeze.  We spent the morning at the library and then the kids spent an hour at the church with Randy. I took some pictures at the hospital of a couple in our small group's new baby.  When I was done I picked up Randy and the kids and we grabbed A&W! After that we dropped Randy back off at church and the kids and I took a walk before they crashed for a long nap.  Then (as if this wasn't all fun enough) we walked up to the park after naps to play on the playground while Randy was playing baseball.  He is going to be subbing some for a local team that plays in the Home Talent Baseball League.  He wishes he could play more often, but the nights of most games will be on Sunday nights (when we have small group) or Thursday nights (when he has band practice).  He's still excited about the chance to play every once in awhile though!  Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures of that soon!

Here are some pics from the library Wednesday...

 This one is hard to see, but on the plastic you can see poor Humpty. 

"All the kings horses and all the kings men, couldn't put Humpty together again" :(

Gettin' Paid!

Oh, lazy Tuesday!  The kids have been wandering around playing and I have been poking around the house getting some things ready to be mailed, paying bills, all of that super exciting stuff.  I thought I'd share a couple of pics I took yesterday with you.  The kids have started helping out around the house with "chores" every day now.  They have been helping with little jobs for a while now, but this is the first time they have been given specific jobs that are their responsibility.  We really wanted to start teaching them about money and how to spend it carefully.  Ella is such a girl and really loves to shop.  (I have NO idea where in the world she got this from..........okay maybe I have a little idea...) But anyways, while in Target the other day I was trying to put into perspective how much things cost in comparison to each other and got the idea to start paying her for chores around the house so she can have her own money to spend.  We will still be buying her things as well, but we will use this money to teach her how to save for bigger things or toys that she wants.  

Noah's chores are wiping down the dishwasher and oven every day and helping to keep his room clean.  He takes these responsibilities very serious.

Ella's chores are to wipe off the table after meals and wipe down the refrigerator daily.  She also has to help keep her room tidy.  She always gets really into it and wipes down the chairs and everything.  She just likes feeling so grown up or something getting to "clean". Ha!

Every Friday we give them a dollar.  We pay them in dimes and they can trade the dimes in for dollars every time they get ten.  When they get paid they put one dime in "Give" one dime in "Save" and the rest in "Spend".  They are loving this so much and I can't wait until they have the opportunity to do something special with their "Give" money.

I found these little jars on clearance at Target and then we just labeled them with stickers we already had around the house.  I was really torn on maybe wrapping them in scrapbook paper, but I thought keeping them clear would give them a better visual of the money they have in each jar.

One of the fun things about being in a new place is the clean slate to start new routines and habits!  That has been really nice!  My most favorite so far that we have implemented here in WI is a weekly date night!  Yipee!  We have never been very good about making time to go on dates or have some time for quiet conversation.  Mainly because Randy spent the last year working out of town for weeks at a time.  So now that he has a better schedule, we found a great babysitter that the kids really love and have a standing date for Monday nights.  This week we moved it to Tuesday so that Randy could meet with the sound team last night.  So that means I have a hot date tonight! ;)

Tractor Watchin'

I've said before that one of our favorite things about our house here in Wisconsin is the beautiful view.  We are literally right on the edge of town so we have farm land behind us as far as we can see.  It's beautiful.  I can't wait to see all of the corn out there this Summer!  In the meantime, the kiddos have been enjoying watching the tractor when it comes by to work in the field.  Yesterday was only the second time we have seen it come by so far, but the kids get super excited.  They spent the afternoon out on the deck just watching it go back and forth.  

Gotta love Noah's yucky mouth-full-of-who-knows-what- grin.  

That's all ya'll!

A week or two ago....

on a rainy day......