Watch out world!

Watch out world... HERE HE COMES!!  Josiah is now officially crawling... he can go from place to place and get where he wants to go.  He just can't get there as fast as he wants... I know that will be coming way too soon!  We are thrilled that he is healthy and progressing!  YEAH!!

Zoo-tastic Friday!

The girls and I wanted to go to the Zoo earlier last week to see the new dinosaur exhibit, but we couldn’t because of rain.  There was so way I was going to take the kids to the Zoo in the rain even if the exhibit that we wanted to see was inside!  That would have been crazy and I wasn’t going to be a wet momma!

SO… we went to the Zoo on Friday – with Danny – and it was a special day there with an inflatable (that Grace did SEVERAL times) and other special activities.  This special day meant that it was going to be crowded, but since we are members we knew we could just go see a few things and then go home.  We LOVE being members.  It is a great thing to do when we aren’t sure what to do and we want to be outside. 

                              

Grace was really impressed with the dinosaurs! We told her to look scared… she couldn’t!!!  She was laughing too much! 

Our family…. we saw a friend from church and she offered to take our picture!  NICE!

                                     

Digging for Dinosaur bones….

                      

                                           

                        

All the kids in the stroller… not really safe, but they were giggling and giggling the whole time!!!

                                           

Need to be creative

I have discovered something about myself over the passed few months… I HAVE A NEED TO BE CREATIVE!  I need something in my life to paint, sew, cut, glue, color, etc. on a regular basis!  Some people would think that picture taking and blogging would fill that need, but it really doesn’t for me.  Since I have discovered this, I have been working on a few projects.  My problem is that I would LOVE to spend a lot of time in the craft store looking, but I generally don’t have that time.  SO… I find something online that I would like to do and then I get the things for it and try it. 

This is my latest easy project… SO EASY and I really like it, especially since the wreath that was on our front door was getting really old! 

                             

UNBELIEVABLE

During my six year of teaching, I taught many kids to read!  It was amazing to see them start to learn the letters names and sounds, put it together to sound out words, and then put all of the words together to make sentences!  It was an amazing scene that never got old!

BUT TODAY... I heard Grace read two books for the first time as I fought back tears!  She had been doing so well reading words on her paperwork but I didn't know how she would do with a book with lots of sentences... it was UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!   She didn't get frustrated... she just sounded out the words like a champ!

Danny took a video later in the evening to prove it... SHE IS READING.. SHE IS REALLY READING!  and she is thrilled with herself!! 

Happy Fathers Day, Daddy

Thank you for being an amazing daddy – one who loves to read books, build forts, tackle, tickle, push swings, chase, play hide and seek, read more books, swim, play board games, teach new things, listen to stories, read even more books, cook, change diapers, buckle seatbelts, wipe sticky hands and faces, do puzzles, read EVEN MORE books, giggle, eat, create surprises, go on adventures, discipline,  tell Bible stories, and MORE! 

Thank for seeking opportunities to learn more how to be the best daddy you can be… you admit that you aren’t perfect and want to get better at being a dad.  You have come such a long way – from not knowing how to put on a diaper to changing a rolling-over baby!  You are the man!  We need your wisdom and your heart for teaching us the Truth and using the everyday times as teaching opportunities.  You have sacrificed over and over for us… thank you! 

Thank you for loving all of us… especially loving Mommy (you did love her first!)!  You are setting a great example to us of who we should marry some day – in like 40 years!  We are so glad that you are our daddy… the best one we have ever had!

We love you! 

Love, 

     Grace Elizabeth

     Hannah Joy

     Josiah James

     (and Mommy, too)

 

Danny with Grace – He is already wrapped around her little finger!

                                             

Danny and Hannah – wow!  another daughter!

                                              

Danny and Josiah – A SON!

                                              

Danny and ALL THREE KIDDOS

                       

Upgraded for Family Fun

A few weeks ago we sold our precious Kayaks on Craigslist in less than 24 hours.  We hadn’t used them as we would have liked because Kayaking isn’t a family activity.  Danny took his out from time to time, but we couldn’t do it together.  They were just sitting around… so we decided to upgrade to get some family fun.

Danny did the research (are you surprised?) and we found some great bikes for us as well as a child carrier and a trailer.  Danny hooked everything up this week and we took our first spin with the kids this morning (we had each practiced riding this week since we were a little rusty!!).  Josiah was on my bike and the girls were in the trailer behind Danny.  We just went around the neighborhood, but it was so much fun!  The kids enjoyed it… not wanting to stop.  I am sure that their fun will exceed our ability to keep going.  We are anxious to really go for a ride to a park or playground.  We will probably do that one night this week!

SO MUCH FUN!!!!

                  

                  

Yummy in a Bag

I found a recipe lately for Homemade Ice Cream in a bag… we just HAD to try it out since we LOVE ice cream AND Grace has been learning about the Letter I this week.  It seemed like a perfect fit!  Here is the recipe:

2 T Sugar                    

1/2 t vanilla                                 

 I cup Half and Half

1/2 Cup Kosher or Rock Salt                                 

Ice Cubes

a Sandwich bag and a gallon bag

                                  

Put the Sugar, Half and Half and Vanilla in the sandwich bag and seal tightly (I put that bag inside another sandwich bag.)  Then fill the large baggie half way with ice cubes and then add the salt.  Put the small bag inside the large one and then shake for 5 minutes or until the mixture turns thicker – into soft-serve Ice Cream.

This is Grace shaking the bag – we tossed it from person to person and danced with it, too!  We should have turned on some music to make it even more fun!!!

                

The finished project….. it made about one cup of ice cream.  We will definitely try this again… making more next time now that we know it works!

                     

The happy customers….

                                          

Yes, they STILL love reading!

I love the fact that Grace and Hannah love reading!  It is a blessing to this momma to have ones that love to read and read and read, but there are days that I have ask them to do something other than reading!  So funny!    Grace will read to Hannah and Josiah, and Hannah will read stories out loud to her animals or Jo Jo.  So CUTE!!!  

                         

What kid doesn’t like this…

 

                    

8 Months Old

Josiah is officially now 8 months old…  So here are some of the many faces of our little man:

 

 

                       

More than enough

We definitely had more than enough activities to keep us busy while we were up at Camp this weekend!  We had the horse barn, carpet ball, the whole gym, soccer fields, ping-pong, the lake, paddle boats, several playgrounds, the indoor pool and hot tub, etc.  We didn’t do ALL of those things, but we did try many of them.  We had fun just being together and seeing the kids do things for the first time. 

Here are pictures from some of the highlights: