S(n)O MUCH FUN!

First, I have to start out this blog explaining the pictures. Yesterday morning, I invited my mom over to play in the snow with us. I dressed the boys up in the typical layers and once she arrived, we put on their snowsuits. My mom helped zip Caleb up, and he immediately fell over. It reminded me of the scene from "The Christmas Story." We giggled at the fact he couldn't move, and he laughed, too. The rest of the pictures are from our snow-playing fun.

 

Backing up to Monday, the boys & I did our typical routines in the morning (honestly I can't even really remember what we did) and that night we went over to our friends' Chris & Lisa's house for supper. Lisa & I had been doing a Beth Moore Bible study, and we were overdue for finishing the last session. Since Chris normally works nights but was filling in on day shift, Lisa invited our whole family over there so Chris & Shawn could hang out, the kids could play together (which they all get along amazingly well) and Lisa & I could finish our video after dinner. She baked homemade chicken corn pie, which was really tasty and I think this last video session was by far the best one of the entire Bible study. We saw new insight into the story of John 8 and the woman who was caught in the act of adultery and Jesus told the Pharisees that whoever was without sin could cast the first stone. Then He told her that He didn't condemn her but to go and leave her life of sin. The new revelation was in His writing on the ground... it's a little long to share here, but it was really cool. We had a fun night with friends. :)

Tuesday night my hairdresser who I just adore (thanks for referring her to me, Becca!) got me in so I could get my hair done before Christmas. My appointment had been the previous Tuesday, but I called her in advance and asked if there was any way to switch it since I was recovering from surgery. She took me the night before she was flying out to Florida for Christmas with her family, and I really appreciated it. She's so quick and so good! :) Grandpa Georgia offered to watch the kids for us so Daddy could work a little late, so I invited him over for dinner first. I baked stuffed shells that our mentor from MOPS had made and given us after my surgery. They were AMAZING! She included salad and bread and cookies and everything was delicious. Grandpa played the gingerbread Candyland game with the boys, watched one episode of Curious George and played the "sleeping" game where the boys jumped on him (he was laying on the floor playing with them) and he would wake up with a start. The boys LOVE that game. :) He said they were both good, but Caleb would steal Joshua's toys and drive the Bean crazy. Yep, that's Caleb pushing buttons! After my hair appointment was over, I went to the 'ghetto' Walmart and finished my stocking stuffers for my handsome hubby. He beat me home then and relieved Dad, who was here about an hour or so without us.

 

After we got home, I quickly changed into my PJ's while Shawn got the boys into theirs and then I told the boys that I would make them a special 'hot chocolate treat.' Joshua was thrilled, and he helped me make it. We warmed milk and then stirred in the diet hot cocoa mix, then made it more calorie intensive by adding whip cream. We took our special drinks downstairs (so I put lids on the kids' cups) and we watched the Charlie Brown Christmas movie as a family. The kids, especially Joshua, thought that hot chocolate was great and enjoyed the movie. Soon it was bedtime for them and Shawn & I got to talk for the first time in a few days... I mean really talk and not just the "how was your day" etc. It's important to always keep communication open, and we stayed up pretty late talking. I love my hubby!

 

Wednesday - the eve of Christmas Eve we started off playing in the snow. It was way too powdery to be able to make a snowman, so I dug out a sand pail and we made a little wall of bucket-shaped snow. Poor little Caleb couldn't move in his outfit, but I don't think he was cold!

 

I, in the meantime, was wearing so many layers that I decided to wear Daddy's coat and hat. It's more important to be warm than look good when it's time to play outside, right? Grandma brought milk with her, since I had used the last of ours on our hot chocolate and breakfast that morning. She went home after our outdoor fun, and eventually the kiddos took naps in the late afternoon (later than normal). The timing of my day worked out perfectly. I had time to get ready, clean the house and do some writing before Daddy got home from work. We had asked the babysitter to come so we could do a special Christmas date night. Lisa & Chris had invited us to Hershey to look at lights and eat out, but since we had already asked the babysitter, we weren't able to make it. Bummer! We'll have to try to go next year. Miranda came and we asked her her preference for dinner, so they ended up eating pizza. We went to Carabba's to use the last of our gift card. The food was delicious, but again it's the company that made the night special. We went home early but still paid her good money and gave her a little Christmas gift.

 

When we got home last night, we put together Joshua's little froggy game from Grandma Good and the four of us played it. It's next to impossible to get the froggy's to land on the tree by flinging them off their lily pads. Joshua tells himself he's doing a great job even though he didn't land a single one, Daddy & I were getting testy as our frogs would go anywhere but the tree and only rarely go where they were meant to, and Caleb was the smartest of all - he abandoned the lily pad and just put the frogs where they belonged. So, he always had the most froggies on the tree. Haaa!!! I called my Dad to see if he'd like to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation movie with us. He said sure, so he headed over as we got changed in our jammies. When he got here, we started the movie, one of my all-time favorites.

Here are pictures of our snowball wall we made with the sand bucket.

 

After Grandpa left, we waited the arrival of our train table I bought off Craig's List. The girl didn't show up until 10:30 pm, but at least it was in time for Christmas. It's huge, and we're about out of place to hide things. I'm glad it will be time tonight to get everything out and put it "under" the tree.

 

This morning after I read Joshua Luke 2 (the story of Jesus' birth), we went to Grandpa's new apartment to check it out and help him with something he couldn't do himself, and then we got our groceries for our Christmas gathering tomorrow. Afterward, we came home to let the kids nap. I read Joshua his new book from Great Grandma Good about the donkey who witnessed Jesus' birth (following closely from the story in the Bible we read that morning, the story told of how he saw the shepherds and wisemen and Simeon & Anna, etc.). While they were asleep, Great Grandma Good came over and Shawn hooked up her iPod. It was nice to visit with her. Soon she was off to the LCBC Christmas Program and we're about to head out ourselves...

Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why....

SANTA CLAUSE IS COMING TO TOWN!!!!

I honestly think I'm more excited than the kids this year...can't wait to watch them open their gifts and see that Santa came with presents. :) :) :) MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!

A "GOOD" Family Christmas

On Sunday, December 20, at 3 pm we arrived at Great Grandma Good's house to celebrate the extended Good family Christmas. As we were arriving, Jeff & Stacy and their son Austin were leaving. Unfortunately, they had other plans Sunday evening (the Christmas event had been postponed from the day before due to the weather). We were also disappointed to see that Gayle Yeager and her four children Kirsten, Kelcey, Colton and Kaley weren't there since Gayle and her older girls had to work. :( Next, we realized that we had forgotten the three dozen oatmeal raisin cookies I had baked with Nonie for the party. They were sitting on the counter (where our keys and the gifts had been!!!) and we left without them in our rush to get out the door. So, Shawn promptly turned around and came back an hour later with them in hand. Other families arrived in the meantime, and everyone was kind enough to wait for Shawn to get back before starting the festivities. The boys immediately got out the train tracks and trains to play with. Grandma Good asked us if we had a set and offered us her big Thomas set, but I quickly declined. While it was a VERY gracious offer, I told her that it was important that she have toys that all the kids can play with when they come to her house. All the kids love that train set, so we couldn't take it. Here's Caleb playing with Jenavieve's chicken doll-baby while Joshua is in the background with the train set. Uncle Brian & Uncle Kevin are on the sofa.

Finally, Shawn arrived with the cookies in hand! The order of events was changed this year, which I thought actually turned out well. Grandma suggested that the kids open their gifts first. That way, they could play with their new toys while the adults continued with their activities. So, she lined up the piles of gifts and then told us parents that she has no idea what each child already has, and if she got something that we already have we could give it to the grandparents to have one there if the children like it or we could donate it to a worthy charity for children who are less fortunate. I thought that was a nice idea. She did great, though. The kids didn't have any of the items and they LOVED playing with them.

Here is Joshua with his stack of presents. He opened the first one, which was a magnetic set of construction tractors & bulldozers in a puzzle form. Then he opened some sort of connectors that you can build crazy construction sets with that have eye balls, etc. I can't remember the name of it offhand, but it looks really neat. We opened it and started playing the next day. It says for ages 3-5, and I would agree. Caleb can't quite put them together and even Joshua struggles a little with getting them snapped in, so I think he'll enjoy growing into that toy.

 Next, he opened a little race car wheel game where you try to get the car back to start to do laps. It already had batteries in it and he started playing immediately. He said "WOW!" He loves his "noisy" car wheel toy game.

Meanwhile, Grandma Good started helping Caleb open his gifts. One of the first things he opened was a set of balls attached to velcro froggy gloves. It looked like fun! Next he opened a Fisher Price scribble writer. He was enthralled since the batteries were already in it. We gave it to Phil (Shawn's cousin Ashley's fiancee) to open for us while we continued helping the kids. Ashley & Phil are pictured below with Ashley's mom Shari.

The kids continued to open their gifts. I could barely keep up with the camera, so why even try? I was enjoying watching them as much as anything.

 

Caleb LOVED his bucket. Each year Grandma Good gets the new little ones buckets for Christmas with their names on it. They are GREAT for storing balls and carrying around toys, etc. Caleb likes to play with Joshua's bucket at our house and knew right what to do with his new toy.

Joshua opened a jumping frog game and a new book while Caleb opened some blocks and some toy cars. Grandma Good is so thoughtful. She came down with tons of batteries, scissors and screwdrivers and told us to take what we need to put the kids toys together and make them work. That's great so that they can play right away. Joshua took his big red car to Uncle Kevin (which you can kind of see behind Caleb) and Uncle Kevin started helping open it and put the batteries in for us. I'm not great at that (plus there was a lot to do!) and Shawn tore his thumb nail off when cleaning the ice and I knew it was killing him, pain-wise.

The boys continued to open and enjoy their gifts. 

 

Caleb LOVED his new froggy book, and both boys have read it over and over again and made the 'ribbit' noises by pushing the buttons. Caleb loves books. He also got another little set of board books of Tonka trucks.

Joshua started playing with his remote-control car, which I think was the big hit of the night. He LOVES his car and actually understands how to use it. Daddy showed him the up and down arrows and explained that it moved the car forward and backward. Benjamin (Shawn's cousin Don & Jess's son) 'borrowed' Grant's (our nephew) car that was identical and played with it the whole night. We said Santa will have to get him one. Grandma Good thought Ben & Caleb would be too young for them, which I would have guessed that Joshua would be too, but he understood it and loved it! Those cars were going the rest of the night. You can tell Grandma Good is used to having kiddos around - when the cars would come toward her, she would simply pick up her foot (or whatever was in the way) and it would keep racing. The funniest thing was that the same frequency (or whatever) was used for both cars. So, if Joshua & Ben were too close to each other, one remote would work both cars. They would get a little confused as whatever button they were pushing wasn't making it do what it should. We'd laugh and laugh. They had a blast! Benjamin is very sharp and speaks very articulately. He's only a couple months older than Caleb, and it's fun to watch them all play together. Shawn is lucky to have cousins his age and such a nice family.

Here's Caleb opening a puzzle and posing for the camera.

After all the gifts were opened, we started the Christmas craft, which this year was making up plates of cookies with decorative bags. Would you believe I didn't get a single picture? Here's Caleb in front of the cookie table as we were setting up. Unfortunately, without even thinking about it, I gave him a cookie after Daddy had said no. I felt terrible about it. :( :( :( It's hard to say no to such a cute little face! But Daddy was right.

After we were done making our cookie craft, it was time for the food. It's always amazing. There is quite the spread of sandwiches, wraps, cookies (of course!), shrimp, crackers & cheese, ham balls, mini hot dogs, fruit, veggies and just about everything else you can think of. It was delicious and Joshua enjoyed the fruit salad the most while I think Caleb's favorites were the Bugles, cheese and ice cream cake, which Aunt Shari had made in honor of Phil's birthday, which had been the day before. We sang to him later that night. We sat with Alicia & Jordon at the dinner table. They're pictured below, and Don is standing in the background.

After dinner, we visited for a little while and then it was time to get in the circle for the 'now you have it, now you don't game.' Each year Grandma Good comes up with a new way of doing it, and I think she is so creative. This was the best year yet, I thought. She wraps presents for little ones and 'gag gifts' like toilet paper and paper towels and mixed nuts and then nicer gifts like bake ware and Bath & Body Works soaps and men's gifts to things like towels, tupperware filled with candy, etc. She gave out numbers and asked if the little kids wanted to be included. We included Joshua but said no thanks for Caleb since we didn't think he would understand the concept. She went around the room and we were asked to pick a gift off the table without touching it. She handed it to us, and sometimes she would say "wow this box is heavy" when it was really toilet paper, etc. You can see the stack of presents in the picture below.

Then we had the chance to exchange it when our numbers were called with the person who had the identical number. The numbers were colored red and green and sometimes red had final say and other times green had final say (so if someone didn't want to exchange and the other person did, the color decided who got their way). We laughed the whole way through it. At the end, there were extra gifts left over, so you could keep your wrapped, untouched gift or you could exchange it for one on the table. Then we went around the circle and opened them. Phil opened his first and he had a nice man's gift. I don't remember most of the others, but his fiancee Ashley got toilet paper (which Shawn was bummed about since he really wanted it...haaaa!!! He's so practical). She had actually traded with me, so I giggled when she opened it. We continued around the room - I think Poppy got cookie sheets he could give to Nonie, Kevin got some chocolate which I'm pretty sure he likes, and Brian & Gayle got some kids toys which was nice since both their kids played the game with us. Shawn got the paper towels, his second choice, Joshua got a festive set of towels and a 50-piece party set of poinsettia paper products to give to his momma, and I received a nice 9 x 13 pan with cake mixes inside. :) Here's a random "circle" picture shot and then one of Missy & Kevin sitting in the circle.

 

Then Grandma Good distributed the rest of the gifts on the table. She started with Phil, since it was his birthday, and then asked who had the next closest birthday, which was Jordon who just celebrated in November, followed by Kevin who's birthday is coming up in January. Next she asked who had the closest anniversary, and it ended up being us (it's coming on March 1). We opened the box with the nice smelling hand soaps, my favorite. Jess also got one, and I don't remember what was called for that. The last ones were for shoe sizes - the biggest being Uncle Jim and the smallest being Shawn's youngest sister Hilary.

Then Grandma Good opened her gifts from all of us. The next generation down went together and got her an iPod, but she doesn't have a computer. We offered to have her come here and Shawn would set it up for her, so she's coming Christmas Eve. We got her an iTunes gift card to go with it, along with a devotional of pastors in the Lancaster County area. Great Grandpa Good had been an author in one years ago before he passed, and this was the latest edition of it. She also received a beautiful wreath, tickets to shows, a homemade ornament and basket of goodies, and gift cards to her favorite restaurants, etc. She then handed out envelopes, which included money for our kids' college savings account. She is so generous! We are extremely thankful.

 

We continued to visit for a little while and Aunt Shari put a bow on Joshua's head. Here's Ben standing next to the Bean. We laughed and chatted and caught up and then before we knew it, it was getting late and kids had to get to bed for school the next day and parents had to get to bed for work the next morning (it was strange to have it on a Sunday night!). So, we said our thanks, cleaned up, and headed home from one of our favorite Christmas gatherings of the year. It is always a fun time to get together with family, play games, eat, chat, laugh, etc.. The kids enjoy it and so do the adults. I think Joshua's expression captures the feeling of the evening...

Thank you, Grandma Good, for including us in this extended family event. May you be blessed this Christmas even with missing Grandpa Good as we all do. And to all a "GOOD" night!

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Around 3 am the night of Friday, December 18, or truly the morning of Saturday, December 19, the snow began to fall. We were all cozied up in our beds, with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads (or not, since I've never even had one)...and the snow continued to fall the entire next day. We had gotten a call the night before that Grandma Good's annual Christmas gathering was being moved up to 10 am. That worked out great for us! But, unfortunately, at 9:30 am we got a call that she was postponing it until the next day at the prompting of a couple families who lived farther out than the rest. We were a little bummed, I'll admit. And even more so the next day when we realized that two families couldn't be there due to work or other plans on Sunday. I called my Dad who invited us out to breakfast. Sure! Why not? We headed out in our AWD sleigh and met Grandpa Georgia, who Joshua begged to come play with him in the snow, and Uncle Jim & Aunt Karen at Dad's favorite 'Greasy Spoon' AKA Bridgeport Family Restaurant. Uncle Jim had a long-sleeved red shirt on along with a Santa hat and his suspenders. He truly looked like good ol' St. Nick (as does my Dad). Two of the waitresses told him to slide his chair out and promptly sat on his lap for a picture. We all laughed. My uncle is NOT the type to usually like the attention, but Dad said that all sorts of kids and folks waved and said hi to Santa and my uncle thought that was neat so he kept it up. He laughed as kids in the Walmart parking lot saw "Santa" going in to buy things and got really excited. Both my aunt & uncle seem to really love kids.

After breakfast, our Santa (AKA Daddy) went to AC Moore to buy some trains and tracks for the Bean for Christmas. They were closing at noon and thankfully Shawn made it over there just in time. Joshua has told us that Santa is bringing Thomas for him, Percy for Caleb, Gordon for Daddy and Rosie for Momma because Momma has an ouchy belly. He's prayed to Jesus to thank Him for all of those trains and continues to tell us that Momma is getting Rosie. Daddy said that we had to find a Rosie, which he found at AC Moore; and when he bought the track set, he got Rosie free. Now we're just waiting on a few other trains from eBay and we'll be all set! I'm excited for Christmas this year!!!

When Daddy was gone, we finally wrote our letters to Santa. It's sooo sweet! Joshua spoke it and I wrote what he said. He asked for the typical trains for each person, a bike (which Grandma bought him), and a dog & cat for him & Caleb. Yeah, right! Not so much!!! It was really fun.

We didn't play much in the snow since it was still coming down so heavily, but Grandpa said he'd come the next day. But, Sunday Joshua woke up struggling to breathe, so we called Grandpa & said maybe another day this week. We gave him a breathing treatment and told him to take it easy. I took Joshua to the doctor's office, and they said he sounds okay but it could be a sinus infection. Dr. Haught gave me a script for antibiotics but told me to wait a day or two to get it filled in case the cold clears out on its own. Joshua's lungs sound okay, his ears look fine, and he might be able to kick it himself but only a day or two will tell us for sure. He is seeming better today, but I'll get the prescription just in case. Joshua nor Caleb should be contagious anymore since they've had it for two weeks now and are at the extreme tail end. Lastly, Joshua's issue with going No. 2 is behavior-related, Dr. Haught thinks. And, he told me it's most important that Joshua gets regular and chooses when to use the potty on his own. He said to give him a pull up and let him hide and go if that's what it takes to make him WANT to go. He can't be scared of pooping, to put it bluntly. So, that's where we're at. He's been going potty just fine, but he does hesitate to do longer business there. So, they think he'll go when he wants to and they don't want him holding it until that time comes. UGH! I know that this, too, shall pass.

Saturday night, Shawn told me he was really in the mood for homemade chocolate chip cookies (hint, hint). I love him so much and it's rare that he asks me for anything, so I didn't mind making them for him. I dug out the ingredients and used all of our brown sugar, regular sugar, etc. We'll need to go shopping! But, the cookies turned out well. I was so sick from eating the dough (UGH! That's why I don't bake! I can't say no!) and the cookies themselves. Caleb LOVES cookies, too, but Joshua doesn't like sweets. No wonder he's so skinny! Daddy ate a ton, too, and I told him that he has to save some for Santa in a few days. He told me he'd try to. I made a double batch, so he darn well better!!!

The roads hadn't been plowed yet and everything was pretty slick out, we'll admit. Thankfully, Shawn is calm as a cucumber so he did just fine with our SUV when he went out. It really was pretty. I don't know the official count but I'd say we got about a foot total. That evening we watched the movie "Elf" before putting the kids to bed (well, Caleb got tired half way through but Joshua made it to the end).

Sunday morning we woke up to our neighbor from across the street snow-blowing our sidewalk and the driveway out to the road. God love him! Shawn was about to read the manual from ours (thanks, Grandma) while Brian did our house and our next-door neighbors who are currently in England for Christmas. We really do live in a nice neighborhood and have great neighbors - we are truly blessed. I took over some cookies to them and wished them a Merry Christmas and said thanks so much for helping us. Each time it snows our sidewalks were cleared almost immediately, and now we know who it was. Over the summer, I had helped him out with a logo free of charge but they've also made us meals when we've had our babies, etc. It's nice to have nice people nearby. :) We are thankful for our cozy warm home, the beautiful snow outside, and the kindness of people around us. Most of all, we are thankful for a God who loved us enough to send a Savior to us in the form of a baby one blessed Christmas day...

A Winter Wonderland

On Friday, December 18, we decided that I was well enough to walk around Dutch Wonderland. I desperately had wanted to do something Christmas-y with the boys since I had been down and out, and we needed to use our free ticket. Our friends from Life Group, Chris & Lisa, had invited us to ride along to Hershey with them that night. We asked them if they'd like to go to Dutch Wonderland instead, and they agreed. As we were freezing that night, we wondered if we made the right choice! In preparation for the evening's events, I put three pairs of pants on each boy. I don't have long underwear for them, so I started out with a form-fitting pair of PJ pants, followed by jeans for Caleb and warm-up pants for Joshua, followed by lined jeans for the Bean and thick corduroy pants for Caleb. Caleb had a onesie, then a turtleneck that snapped at the bottom, followed by a heavy snowman sweater while Joshua had a t-shirt, followed by a long-sleeved cotton shirt, followed by the thickest sweater I could find for him. Next I put two pairs of socks each on the boys followed by their comfortable walking shoes. (Meanwhile I was breaking a sweat and so were they!) I then donned my long underwear, including a shirt variety I had found in my drawer, jeans and a thick sweater with only one pair of warm socks and my shoes. My Dad had come into town and was borrowing our pop-up trundle bed for his apartment, and the kids I & were frantically trying to be ready by the time Daddy got home.

A sweet gal from MOPS, actually our discussion group leader Melanie, called me that afternoon and dropped off a meal. She is so sweet - and she announced that they are expecting again! The kids & I ate her casserole and I ended up fixing Shawn a sandwich that he could eat on the way since he got home later than planned from work. I had dug him out a pair of fleece pants to go under his jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt to go over his gray t-shirt followed by the best sweater I could find. I also dug out warm socks for him and his sneakers. Soon he was home, and I helped put coats on the kids, followed by hats, then their hoods pulled up and finally gloves (which wouldn't stay on!).

We got there just as the Grube's were pulling in. Great timing! They did not have as many layers as us, though, and I think they froze most of the night. They are pictured above with Joshua peaking out one of the holes. I then photoshopped their dog Bailey into the last spot. :)

The first thing we did was ride the carousel, where Joshua was scared (and he loved it during the summer?!?!?) and Isabella was scared and only Caleb & Chris really had fun. Haaa!!! Next we rode on the train, which I think everyone enjoyed. Joshua was so excited when it would whistle and "choo-choo" and "chugga-chugga" on the tracks. We also got to see the whole park lit up with all the Christmas lights, and they had tons of displays to look at. It was fun. Here are Daddy & Caleb on the train, and Lisa is behind them.

After the train ride, we walked around and drove the "big cars" as Joshua calls them.This time Caleb went with Daddy and I went with Joshua. The Bean LOVED it! Chris took Isabella, and Lisa took pictures. I didn't get our camera out most of the night since Daddy & I each had a child and one of us was pushing the stroller, too, at all times, so hopefully I can see/steal some of their pictures at some point.

After the car ride, Joshua saw his favorite "big slide" and begged to go over. We headed that way, and the Grube's all went down together, and the four of us went down together. There wasn't much of a line, so we went down three times in a row before telling Joshua we should find other fun rides to do. He was okay with that, but Caleb & Isabella both cried to leave that area. :) Kids LOVE it! We also enjoyed it, but I had a difficult time getting up at the bottom of the slide with my abdomen and the angle with kids, etc. I didn't want to over-do it. I tried to get pictures, but the lights at the fun slide made my picture turn out dark.

Next, if I remember correctly, we went to little construction ride. Last time Joshua went on by himself, but this time Caleb was a little bigger so we allowed him to go with the Bean. This is the slowest moving ride of all time; in fact, at one point I looked away to the busy bee ride and looked back and thought it was slowing down (nope, that was the speed!). Our kids liked it okay, but Isabella didn't seem to. I think she was frozen by this point. She seemed very cold and wanted to snuggle with her mommy & daddy. I don't blame her. Even with my gloves, my fingers were cold and my feet were a little chilly.

Next, we went to the big trucks. I have no idea why, but the girl who was working there wouldn't let Chris & Lisa go on together. When we were there over the summer, all four of us piled into one truck. Oh, well. At my suggestion, Chris jumped into another truck by himself so he could wave at Isabella while Lisa road with her. I road with Joshua who wanted me to climb into the seat next to him, but I decided it was easier to get in behind him where there was more leg room this time. Daddy went with Caleb once again and  took these lovely picture of me in my red coat, Bean in front of me, and Chris waving to Isabella. He also got a shot of Caleb next to him, having a blast.

There were no lines at any of the places, so the workers told us at each station the kids could keep riding as much as they'd like. We continued to press on, though, knowing that eventually the kids would be too cold and we wanted to make sure we saw as much as possible. We went to the frog hopper ride next, but Joshua said "no fank you, I don't like this one" and he has a pretty good memory. I'm not sure that he liked it this summer and recognized it. At his hesitation, Lisa & Chris said that Isabella would rather snuggle and try to get warm, so we continued to keep moving. We tried stopping at the half-enclosed play area to see if it was warmer, but there were lots of bigger kids there. We saw the place where folks were roasting marshmallows and making smores, and eventually we sat down at a puppet show. Joshua was enthralled and Isabella watched for a little while. They said that Santa keeps from getting sick this time of year by using hand Santa-tizer and it's cold out which is why they call it Decem-BRRRR and lots of other cheesy jokes that made us adults smile. But, poor Isabella was still cold so we said "let's keep going."

Then, we found it. There was one thing that thrilled her (other than the fun slide). First, we saw this little ride and asked Joshua if he wanted to go on. He said "yes please" so we put him on. We didn't think Caleb was big enough for how quick this thing whipped around, so we just put the Bean on by himself while we all watched. I feared he would scream and cry, but I knew the ride only lasted a few minutes. He shocked me, though, and laughed and laughed and laughed the entire way through it. He had a ton of fun and begged to go on again. There was no line, so we said sure! This time we offered to let Isabella go on with Joshua. She decided to go. Her parents weren't too sure like us at first, but then she started to smile at the first bend...then the laughter broke out and both kids were having a blast. They rode it about three or four more times before other kids came up and we continued onward (Caleb was starting to get fussy at this point, probably partly from boredom and partly because the cold was starting to get to him). Here are some shots from that ride that we took. Lisa got a good video of them riding and laughing away. Their expressions were priceless!

The lights show was going on at that point, but we missed most of it. There was music and the entire park "danced" with the lights that were put to the timing of the music. Isabella was crying and Caleb was crying and we figured that it was bed time and time to go. But, Joshua, who had been literally an angel all night asked if we could please ride the train one last time. Shawn said we should reward him for his behavior, and I agreed. We told Lisa & Chris they were welcome to go, but they said one last time was fine. Shawn ended up not taking Caleb who had thrown off a mitten and was upset, so the Bean & I road again with the Grube's in front of us. We saw all the sights of the park one last time before we left.

In the gift shop, there was Santa Clause, which I already posted about in an earlier post. We let Joshua go say hi since no one was in line (and it was warm in there!) and then we were off. Lisa gave us a present that we opened, which was a very thoughtful book of pictures of all of the Life Group kiddos together from the party they had over the summer. And, she had made us homemade potato soup with bacon and apologized for not bringing it earlier since I had had surgery. (What a gal!) We went home and ate soup and drank hot chocolate and got into our jammies. Caleb had a bit of an explosion (if you know what I'm saying) once we got home, and once he got that out, he felt much better. Shawn said he had "tooters" at the park, so I'm thinking maybe he cried as much for that reason at the end as he did about the cold since he had been having fun the whole way through up until the very end. I tucked the kids in bed as Daddy ran an errand that night, and we passed out (almost literally) the second he got home. We were both in a ton of pain from the day's activities and the snow that was to start late that night/early the next morning... it was a really fun time. Ho ho ho... AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

Happy 39-month birthday, Joshua!

On Friday, December 18, Joshua turned 39-months old. It is seriously crazy how quickly time flies! We started out our day by playing his favorite gingerbread Candy Land castle game. Then we colored in his special Christmas Sesame Street coloring book that Daddy had bought for the boys. He loves to color, but doesn't quite understand why you're supposed to color in the lines. :) I colored a picture for him that he put in his big boy room in his night stand. I smiled at how special he felt from me giving him an Elmo page colored by Momma. So, over the course of time as we would color again, I also colored one for Caleb & Daddy.

Joshua's comprehension really impresses me. I love when he "reads" his books that he has memorized. It's adorable to watch. I like that he enjoys reading. He also enjoys putting together puzzles, and Daddy got him a snowman one from the dollar store that we've put together several times. But, it's the things that come out of his mouth that crack me up, and unfortunately I often forget to blog about them in my busyness. For example, that morning I was putting on make-up and he asked me why. I said "Momma is trying to be a pretty girl. Do you think Momma is a pretty girl?" He thought about it and smiled and said "nooo" then he quickly added "you are truly beautiful." I just stared at him and grinned as big as he was. To whoever taught him that one, THANKS! Later, he pointed to the little statues of the Christmas Carol that I have and (referencing the one of Bob Cratchet holding Tiny Tim) he proclaimed "Look, it's Mary & Baby Jesus!" I laughed out loud! I replied "uh, no, it's not, Mary & Jesus are over on the nativity." Haaaa!!! When does Charles Dickens come into play? We've read Christmas books and watched lots of Christmas movies this season, including "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Elf."

After a good day with the kids, we decided to go to Dutch Wonderland to celebrate Joshua's birthday. Well, that, and we saw the forecast of snow and feared we wouldn't be able to go another time. One of my students works there and had one free ticket she couldn't use and offered it to me to take the kids. Caleb is already free, so we figured it was worth the $20 to go, even though it was FREEZING COLD! Joshua loved it, and the picture above is of him sitting on Santa's lap there. The man was very nice (and much more real-looking than the woman-poser at Walmart), and he asked Joshua what his name was (and the Bean answered him right away) and he asked if Joshua was good at helping clean up his toys (which Josh really is) and he told him to continue to be good and help Momma. Then he asked what he wanted for Christmas, and Joshua replied with "trains." And they smiled for the picture. Then Joshua was offered a cookie or candy cane. He LOVES to look at candy canes but doesn't really get how they are supposed to be eaten (he tried one and didn't care for it) and chose that as his parting gift. I, in the meantime, was a sucker for his first real good picture with Santa and bought the digital download for the memory. I was glad I did, too, since I hadn't taken any other pictures of him on his birthday. I love you, my little Joshua (Bean) Douglas Good!

Preschool Party: Happy Birthday, Jesus!

On Wednesday, December 16, Joshua's preschool class had a birthday party for Jesus. It was their last class before the holiday break, and I didn't want him to miss it. I dressed him in his special Christmas train shirt I had bought him. And, the night before we drove all over God's green earth (or it felt like it) to look for a gift for his teachers. I had seen a cute set of hand sanitizer and soap that had a snowman and bow on them at AC Moore and thought that's the perfect gift for a teacher. But, I didn't get it then and should have, evidently, because they were sold out. We went to Walmart and Michaels and finally got the teachers Christmas mugs with hot cocoa and ornaments wrapped in festive wrap with bows. I wasn't thrilled... I assume that teachers get these gifts from everyone, but I also wasn't feeling well and was done with trying at that point.

 

We had signed up to take chocolate milk in for the party (there was a list with items the teacher wanted and you put your name next to one that you were willing to bring in to the class). I didn't sign up for anything I had to physically make, thankfully. Grandma came bright and early to get the Bean, the gifts and the party milk and take them to school. [Thanks, Mom!] Other parents took in things like festive party 'dishes,' and things to make cookies with icing, fruit, etc. I wasn't able to go (of course) but a mom posted the pictures on Shutterfly for the other moms to see.

 

Here is the child that bullies my son. Almost every day, Joshua comes home from preschool and tells me that Ethan "bonked" him on the head or pushed him. The thing is, though, that they LOVE to play together. Mrs. Ford talked to me about it (when I asked her why Joshua keeps telling me he's getting beat on) and said that they are working with Ethan. He's high energy, extremely smart, and they are trying to keep him busy (since he finishes quicker than the other children) so that he doesn't have time to do other things with his hands. They think, and I agree, that Ethan is doing this because he likes Joshua so much and is trying to get his attention. The two boys do get along and play together. But, we've told Joshua to tell Ethan "No, thank you, I don't like that" when he hits him or pushes him and then if necessary to move away. I also said that it's important to forgive him and that we don't hit or push back. When we discipline Joshua now, he also tells us that he doesn't like it and "no thanks." It makes me smile as much as it makes my brain hurt to think of how to explain that we as adults need to teach Joshua discipline. My little man is sharp as a whip!

Here is Liam with his cute expression, but I really chose this picture because Joshua is in the background. My sister picked him up from preschool (thanks, Jen!) while she was getting Emma from her class. Jen told me when she got here that Joshua told her all about his day. She chuckled that her kids never talk as much as he did... I think that's because she asked him and she's his aunt vs. momma. He rode bicycles in the gym (and they don't need helmets inside, he added) and they had a party and he ate cookies and got candy canes from Mrs. Hilton and got a present from Mrs. Ford and made crafts and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. Jen handed me a bag and told me that the teachers said this was a gift from Joshua to us and that there were other things in his back-pack. I opened the present, which had a card attached to it that he colored, and I promptly cracked up! Look at what he gave us...

I LOVE it!!! I put my 'angel' right on my Christmas tree in the front where everyone can see it, and I also hung the hand print ornaments that he made on there as well. And, he told me that the candy cane looks like a J for Jesus and we hung the one from Mrs. Hilton on the tree. That night as he was praying, he thanked God that Mrs. Ford had given him a present. Soooo cute! Happy Birthday, Jesus! Thanks for allowing us to celebrate it this whole month... to love You and love each other. It's a wonderful gift.

Getting Better & Catching Up

My surgery went well on Wednesday, December 9. I canceled classes that day and stayed home in bed...for pretty much the entire next week. Anytime I took the pain medication, I was literally knocked out. It made my tongue even feel weird and my brain fuzzy and pretty soon I'd be sleeping even if I was standing up. But, I felt better when I took it, so... it was worth it! As I mentioned before, my mom watched the boys while I was in surgery, then Nonie came and watched them at our house Thursday and made us dinner in the crock pot, then my friend Becca brought us soup (perfect for surgery - thanks so much!) for dinner the next night and Nonie took the boys to her house on Friday so I could rest (meanwhile my Dad stopped in that morning, which was great because I was probably sickest that morning) and my mom came over later and made sure I was okay to take my first shower since the surgery. Then Shawn was here over the weekend and allowed me to sleep off my pain, Sunday our friends from life group the Dehart's brought us dinner (thanks again!), and Monday Aunt Missy came to stay and play with the boys while I rested. That night I had to go to school since it was finals week. My mom came over in the afternoon and curled my hair and helped me get ready and then watched the boys while Shawn came home early and drove me to school. For my first class, he worked on his laptop in my office to get work done for his work and for my night class, he helped me to the room and sat with me while the students took their exam. I was sore and tired, but I made it through! Thanks, everyone, for your help!!!

Tuesday was supposed to me my first day alone with the kids, but after a rough morning, I called my mom to rescue me around 10:30 am. I had taken a couple elbows to my stomach - not purposefully, but the kids play and want their momma and it wasn't a good mix. She came and I took my pain meds and passed out. She left while the kids napped and I called Daddy when they woke up. Wednesday Joshua had preschool in the morning, so my mom drove him there (since I'm not allowed to drive) and my sister Jen brought him home when she was picking up her kids. Jen lifted Caleb into his crib (I'm also not to lift anything over 15 pounds... like that's really feasible!) before leaving since I had already given him lunch and then I tucked Joshua in and rested while they did. I lifted Caleb out of his crib and down to the ground and changed him on the floor for the few days while I was still taking it easy. I got ready for school that night, and Shawn took me & the boys to Millersville. I went inside by myself while they grabbed some dinner out and came back and picked me up. I am so glad this semester is over! I put my grades in the following day and feel free again for a month!!!

I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday for my legs, which my mom drove me & the boys to. The girls (receptionists, nurses, etc) at the Surgical Group LOVED watching the kids and told me over and over "thanks for bringing entertainment." Grandma was very thoughtful and brought a 'Curious George' book for the Bean to read. He LOVES that little monkey! Caleb played peekaboo with me by hiding around all the different seats in the waiting room (no one else was there at the time) until I went back. The surgeon told me that my leg is still inflamed and surgery isn't feasible in January. I told him that January works best for my schedule with teaching, but I was honestly tired of being under the knife for awhile. (He had already asked how I was feeling since my gall bladder was removed...while he didn't perform the surgery, big pictures of my nasty gall bladder are in the front of the chart...YUCK!). He smiled and said that I should come back in April and we'll try to do the surgery in May once classes are done for the semester. That works out well for me, too. Shawn's taken off enough for me, my mom has helped out enough, etc. My friends have made enough meals, etc. I'm done! And while I was hoping that my legs would be taken care of over the winter so that the scarring was starting to heal before the summer, I guess I really don't care. And, maybe God can miraculously heal them up before then? After all, with God, ALL things are possible. :)

Anyway, a BIG, HUGE, GI-NORMOUS THANK YOU to everyone who helped us in some way during this time of recovery. From prayers, to cards, to meals, to rides, to helping take care of our precious boys, we feel extremely grateful for the support we've received. And, we wouldn't have survived without it! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm starting to feel like a normal person again. I'm trying not to take the pain medicine unless I feel like I can't stand it. And, for the most part, I feel better in general. Slowly but surely... I think I'll be better by Christmas for sure. God is good. All the time!

Caleb's 17-month Birthday

Caleb turned 17-months old on Tuesday, December 8, or the day before my surgery. That night, we had our family pictures taken, so this is him on his "birthday."

 

I had taken some of him earlier in the day while he was sitting (it's hard to get him to stand still and look at the camera!). He said "Cheeeeese" has he always does now when we're taking his pictures (the only problem is that he doesn't quite understand that he's supposed to smile with his pictures).

  

Caleb is talking quite a bit now. He will say some two-word sentences. For example, he said "Momma night-night" when I woke up one morning and Shawn & the boys were already up. He's also said "more pwease" and "more bite." He also tells us when he's gone potty (so now we'll have to work on him telling us beforehand!). He LOVES the little potty so hopefully he's easier than Joshua. I hope to start with him next month since he's so intruiged. Caleb says "Daddeeee" (which is one of my personal favorites), "Mama," "Bye-eee" (which is also cute), "no," "go," "Josh," and our absolute favorite that he says all the time "please" (well, it sounds a little more like "pwease"). He also says "la-la-la U" when I tell him "I lo-lo-love you." I can't even list all the words he says now. Most of them are quite distinct; others are his versions of the words. But he adds more every day.

Caleb also recently learned how to open doors. I emailed Shawn at work with a note that simple said "WE. ARE. IN. TROUBLE." Caleb also understands the Gingerbread Candy Land game that we've played just about everyday since we opened it (thanks, Aunt Erica!). He will get the shape & color and put the piece on his puzzle board when it's his turn to pull the crank. He's sharp! He's also a little defiant, we're seeing. He still likes to push Joshua's buttons on occasion by taking his toys and taking off with them. When I spanked him the other day for doing something he knew was wrong, after I had reminded him, he looked up at me with angry eyes and smacked himself on the hiney almost as if to say "so there!" It was all I could do to keep from laughing. I told him I loved him, and we were off to playing again.

Caleb insists on walking down the steps like an adult rather than sliding backward. It's terrifying to me, but he's doing okay. He also has switched out of his chair at our table into Joshua's booster seat, and Joshua has chosen to sit in a regular chair all by himself. Caleb still needs strapped in or he'd wander the house with food. It is so interesting to watch them grow.

I was thinking to myself as I was folding laundry, how is it that I have two different sizes of little boy pants, socks, etc. besides our clothes? It really is a miracle from heaven. Oh, how I love my boys! I was reading in my Bible this morning where Elisha saved the little boy who died... before that, there was a woman who had given him a guest room in her house because he was a "man of God" so she asked her to grant her a gift and the Bible said that Elisha's servant told him that the woman didn't have any sons and her husband was very old. So, Elisha told her that she would have a boy. As I read the passage from 2 Kings and how Elisha then saved the boy who got sick, I thought of the blessing of boys. I always thought I wanted a little girl, but I am so very blessed by my boys. The Bible says over and over again what a blessing sons are, and I never want to take them for granted. Happy 17-month birthday, Caleb Luke!

Here Comes Santa!

I completely forgot to post about our first Santa experience. When we returned the goofy Christmas tree on Sunday, November 29, we heard an announcement at Walmart that said Santa was going to be there for free pictures. We finished our shopping and ventured to the back of the store. Joshua was timid at first, but eventually climbed on Santa's lap and asked him for trains for Christmas. Then I put Caleb on Santa's lap. Caleb immediately screamed like he was being tortured. Whoops! I guess he's too young. :(

That night, Joshua prayed to Jesus before bedtime and said "Thank you, Jesus, for Santa and for him bringing me trains." It was adorable.

Yesterday, I had to be at the Surgical Center at 8:30 for my gall bladder surgery. I didn't realize that they puff your abdomen up with air to be able to see what they're doing. My entire insides hurt, which they said was normal. They are also concerned that patients don't keep vomiting, which would send them to the hospital. Afterward, I was nauseous but I kept everything down so I could go home. Mom stayed with the boys yesterday while we were gone (we didn't get home until after 2 pm and then Shawn went and got my prescriptions filled, etc) and then Bonnie came over today. I'm so extremely tired and sore, but I guess I shouldn't expect to just bounce right back right away. Caleb kept asking me to hold him, which also breaks my heart since they said no lifting over 15 pounds. Shawn came home from work with these pictures (which I had completely forgotten about!) and some poinsettias to cheer me up. What a man! Joshua & I watched the end of the Polar Express movie we had started last night, and life is feeling a little better. Please keep us all in your prayers! I'm feeling like Caleb looks in the above picture. But, we are blessed. Nonie made us dinner in the crockpot and my friend Becca brought over a delicious looking dinner we'll hopefully enjoy tomorrow, and Shawn's parents sent gift cards in the mail for the fam to enjoy dinner on them while I'm recovering. I've also received get well cards with Christmas cards and lots of nice notes and comments on Facebook. It's nice to feel loved during recovery. Please continue to pray that I feel better and can move around more. I HATE not being able to get out and go or play on the floor, etc.

Hope you enjoyed the Santa pictures as much as I did. I LOVE my boys and my incredibly thoughtful hubby!

Christmas Pictures

 

I had called 'Picture People' awhile back and the first they could get us in was Tuesday, December 8, or the night before my surgery. I said we'd take it. Shawn met us at the mall right after work to get our family pictures taken. I wasn't at all impressed by the daffy gal taking the pictures, but we got a couple okay ones and didn't spend any money since they're having a special right now where you take in an unopened toy for "Toys for Tots" and you get two free 8 x 10's plus I had another coupon for a free 8 x 10. So we got three free pictures, including my favorite one of the boys below.

There were a few other cute ones, including this one below of them playing with the present and giggling.

I thought both of their expressions were priceless in this photo as well.

 

Joshua was really hugging Caleb here - he's such a good big brother! And Caleb's chewing away on his fingers, as he has been for the past few days (I think another tooth is coming in).

 

The girl gave them a Christmas ball to play with, which they both liked!

 

Then we said "where's your back?" to get Caleb's hands out of his mouth.

 

I was disappointed none of the family pictures turned out well, which was the whole point of going in that night and literally wasting our last 'good' night together before surgery.

 

I liked the ones of us laying down, but he couldn't crop the bar out of them and make the picture work with the sizing.

 

The boys wanted to run around afterward, which kept Daddy busy. There was a Santa there to entertain the boys, and Joshua kept running up to him to talk to him about the trains he wanted. So cute!

After we were done, Grandpa Georgia came over and brought a sub with him for me for supper (meanwhile, Shawn had grabbed fast food for him and the kids, which I really couldn't eat with my current digestive issues). Dad had surprised us the other night as I was grading papers. Literally, the doorbell rang and we were all in our PJ's and there he was on our front porch. And, he announced that he got an apartment up here and is planning on spending half the year up here and half the year in GA. I think he's lonely and missing the grandkids. So, he found a cheap little apartment that includes all his utilities including heat and electricity and he doesn't have to worry about the upkeep of the place. He can show up when he wants to and stay as long as he'd like to. He's really excited. I think we'll enjoy having him here. After he left, we tucked the boys in bed and went to bed ourselves, knowing that we had to get to surgery first thing the next morning for me.

A Snowman Snack

On Monday, December 7, it was Joshua's turn to take in snack for preschool. Last time I had taken those "Chew On Your Pencil" cheese sticks, so I looked up ideas in my Family Fun Magazine and saw these little snowmen on a stick that I thought would be perfect!

Three slices of banana are pushed onto a bamboo skewer, followed by half an apple slice (we bought pre-cut apples) and  then a grape for the top of the hat. The buttons and eyes are made out of mini-chocolate chips and we used carrot sticks of the salad bar for the nose. I didn't attach the pretzel stick arms until we got to preschool. So here was the finished product (minus the pretzels for easier carrying).

The teacher's aide remembered my last snack and said about how creative I was (not really - these magazines make it easy!!!). The teacher said some kids loved them (the teacher's aide said they were tasty) while some kids weren't quite sure how to attack them. They were cute, I thought.

 

I'll never be Martha Stewart, but I hope Joshua enjoys the times that his family is involved with his school. Both Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Hilton (his teacher and aide) have had their gall bladders surgically removed, and they told me the ins and outs of it. The teacher's aide is especially skinny and neither one of them are all that old, so I felt better. They both had it worse than I did, it sounds, so I'm thankful that I'm getting mine taken care of before complications can happen. In fact, I had gotten into the surgeon late the last week when I just couldn't take it anymore, and he scheduled the surgery for Wednesday, November 9. He told me that gall stones can, in fact, kill you if you don't get the gall bladder removed and told me that pregnancy was responsible for the formation of them. I didn't realize any of that - and I know far more than I ever wanted to know on how the whole process works! He saw I was a professor and went into great detailed explanation of how things work for my benefit. It was interesting, but I'm just glad to have it be over with. I hate the thought of being 'down and out' for the holiday season. :( :( :(

Anyway, Joshua liked his snack! He especially liked the pretzels. And who doesn't like snowmen??? That evening I had class and did a mini-review session in my office for final exams that many students showed up for (more than I was expecting). Next week is finals week and I'm done for the semester. Yeah!

Cookie Baking

Nonie invited us up to Berks County to bake cookies as another tradition. This year, we are each supposed to take three dozen cookies to Grandma Good's Christmas gathering for the yearly 'craft.' So, she asked if Joshua would like to help decorate sand tarts with Jordon. We grabbed oatmeal raisin dough and headed up to their house in Reading, where Grandma & Grandpa Stotlzfus were along with Bonie's sister Linda (pictured below with Shawn's sister Alicia).

 

Here are Daddy & Caleb. Shawn went along to watch football and help keep an eye on the kids.

Here's Jordon helping to decorate.

 

And Caleb playing with Buddy - he just loves dogs! We all sampled some of the 'broken' cookies (and some of the good ones!) and Bonnie made a big crock pot full of chili that we devoured for supper.

 

The boys enjoyed playing together, and here's Joshua in an Eagles helmet. Even though it's the "wrong team" according to Shawn, Joshua still looked mighty cute!

 

And now our cookies are baked (and frozen) and ready for the Good Family Christmas.

 

The First Snow of the Season

On Saturday, December 5, I woke up in the morning to the snow flurries starting. They had been calling for snow, but I was actually shocked when the flakes started to fall. So I grabbed the camera.

We were only supposed to get a dusting, but the snow kept on coming. So, I grabbed the camera on the way to making gingerbread houses.

When we go outside, I try to grab whatever hats and gloves and coats I can find! It's officially winter in my mind, even though we aren't quite at December 21!

Caleb hates hats, but he'll wear them as long as Joshua keeps his on, and Joshua doesn't seem to mind anymore. Here's our house with the leftover snow in the morning. It also snowed the night before my surgery again. I love it! Now that I don't have to drive to work, I think it's so pretty. Hopefully we'll get enough sometime to build a snowman with the boys!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling Yoohoo!!! Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland.

Gingerbread Houses

On Saturday, December 5, Joshua & I headed out to Jeff & Mary Martin's house (friends of my sisters) to decorate gingerbread houses. I had spent the whole day grading up until that point, so this was a nice break. Joshua started helping me and then got distracted by their room full of trains and toys, where his cousin Daniel was also playing. So, I ended up finishing the house by myself. I enjoy this yearly tradition.

 

A Hot Date on a Cold Night

From the talk on Tuesday at MOPS on men needing to live an adventure, I decided to plan a special date for my hubby. I contacted the babysitter to see if she was available, and she agreed to come. She arrived promptly at 5:30 on Friday night, and Shawn arrived with fast food for the kiddos and a milkshake for her (we offered to buy her some dinner, but she said no thanks.) We figured something quick and easy would be good since last time she accidentally burnt her hand taking dinner out of the oven.

Next, I got the gift certificate my Dad gave us for $25 to Arthur's Restaurant and made reservations. The restaurant was lovely. We sat in the lower level overlooking the middle courtyard, where the Christmas lights were hung and the fountains were going. Friday & Saturday nights are a special Prime Rib buffet, and while the restaurant is extremely pricey, the food was really good. Shawn ordered a chicken dish that he thought was amazing. All dinner entrees come with the soup and salad bar and dessert bar. The soup & salad was the best part, I thought. Everything was extremely fresh and there was lots to choose from. My personal favorite was the crab bisque soup - so delicious on a cold night. We gazed into each other's eyes over the candlelit table and talked. My husband looked particularly handsome that night. :) Even with the gift certificate, our meal was still somewhat expensive, but it was nice to try somewhere new and Shawn said he'd go back again sometime.

After dinner was over, I planned for us to see the 7:05 pm show of "The Blind Side" at Penn Cinema. I couldn't believe movie tickets are now $9 each! We haven't been out to see a movie in the theater for a long time! But, we both loved the movie and would highly recommend it. It made me think about adopting again and how important it is to open your home to people in need. And while I don't love football like Shawn does, the movie was still great. And it showed the 2009 NFL Draft Pick where Michael Oher was drafted. We were both extremely impressed by the movie. When we got home, Miranda had already put Joshua in bed and was rocking Caleb (we LOVE her!). She said that the night had gone really well, and both boys were really good. She even said "easier than normal." I was glad.

It felt strange to be gone that long without the kids, but I realize that we need time out alone. Shawn especially does, I think. We both had a great time. I'm very blessed!

The last weekend of November, the first week of December

The last weekend in November was beautiful. Well, Saturday night was really cold, I remember, because we debated on going to Dutch Wonderland with friends. We opted not to. Then Sunday was gorgeous... really warm and really sunny. We didn't make it then either, though, because Shawn started decorating the outside of our house, and I made the family baked chicken, mashed potatoes and salads for dinner.

After several arguments about the Christmas tree, we returned the tree we bought Black Friday. It was advertised to be 6' and didn't even reach Shawn's nose. It was also skinnier than anyone in our family (including the Bean!). Shawn said it was great because the kids could destroy it and we wouldn't have to be shoooing them away. I said it looked awful in our house with the high ceilings and I was the only one that cared about the tree anyway. He was disappointed but gave in. So, we dug our old tree that didn't light up last year out of the crawl space in the basement. But, it worked this year! And it looks lovely. And, we need to teach the kids boundaries on what they can and can't touch, I think. But, Shawn said that he wants a Charlie Brown Christmas tree for Christmas this year. :( He also said that if Christmas trees go on sale at the end of the season, we'll buy a bigger, nicer pre-lit tree.

We started putting up the tree and thought the boys might be able to help decorate this year. They promptly started playing with the decorations instead. I'm probably too particular about how I like things decorated, so eventually Daddy got the boys interested in other things to do and I finished decorating by myself. I LOVE to decorate the house for Christmas. Shawn dug out one of our instrumental Christmas CDs and the whole house was warm and glowing. I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful family and such a nice house. I felt completely cozy and loved. Here's the finished tree (although, this picture really doesn't do it justice).

And here are some of my other favorite decorations as we continue with happenings this past week. The first is the figurines from Charles Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol." Shawn took me to see this play (was it last year or the year before?) at the Renaissance Faire.

And here is our fresh-baked family... but it looks like it needs another gingerbread to include Caleb Luke. Continuing on with events, on Monday morning I went first thing to have my ultrasound. The gal was extremely nice, and we talked the entire time. She said "oh, I doubt that you'll have any problems... in fact, I'm going to use your pictures, if you don't mind, to get re-accredited. I need someone thin." I almost laughed out loud. She said the signs are 40, fat, fair and female. Well, I had three out of four (I'm just not 40 yet). That said, the surgeon told me that women accumulate stones when they're pregnant, so the above factors really have nothing to do with anything. Anyway, the woman must have called me thin 3-4 times throughout our time chatting. I think she must need glasses. She then told me that I should start thinking about who was going to do my surgery and recommended Lancaster Surgical Group (letting me know that she shouldn't be saying any of this, but she's seen several surgeons botch the job and she wanted me to be healthy). She also goes to the same OBGYN that I did until they discovered she had multiple forms of cancer, and she's been seeing specialists all over this region and beyond. She said when it comes to health, you simply go to the best of the best. I had been going to Lancaster Surgical Group for my varicose vein surgeries, so that made me feel good that she recommended them. She also told me that she hosts a play gym at their church and invited me to come. It's free, no registration required, and she said it's great when the kids can't get outside - this gives them time to get their energy out in a fun atmosphere. I think I'll check it out! Then she showed me my gallbladder, explaining that it should look black. But, it was stuffed full of white stones. There were more than a dozen.

As she pushed on my belly, I could have cried. It was SO sore. I also realized during that time that she was digging in there that I've been experiencing the pain of my gall bladder even without them being severe attacks at night. Not long ago as I was running, I got what I thought was a side cramp. I hadn't cramped up in years running, so I thought it was bizarre, and I barely crawled home. This was the exact same pain I experienced as she was pressing on that area of my abdomen. Likewise, when I was at school the other week, I had severe pain shooting from my stomach to my back and I kept trying to change position as I was teaching to get some relief. Now I know that they were all inter-related. I'm so thankful my friend told me that I should get my gall bladder checked out!!! Hopefully all this pain nonsense will be done soon.

I got home in time to take Joshua to school, then I called the Lancaster Surgical Group who couldn't get me in for a week. That afternoon and evening was class (thanks for watching the boys, Mom!).

Here are our stockings, hung with care by the fireplace. We just got a quote to make our fireplace vent-less gas, and it was over $1,300. As much as I would LOVE to make that happen, I don't think it's in the budget this year. :( :(

The following day was MOPS. I was still sore from the ultrasound the day before and I really debated on whether or not I even wanted to go. After praying about it, I felt like I should, and I got the boys ready and we headed out. I'm so glad I went! The group of gals that were there at my table are some of my favorites (not that that matters, but it does help you have a good time) and the speaker was Keith Walker. He did an awesome job of talking to us about what men & women want out of life. Taking his advice from two books he's read that I'd like to read some day "Wild at Heart" and "Captivating" by John Eldridge, he said men want three things: 1) to rescue a beauty, 2) a battle to fight and 3) to live an adventure; likewise, women want three things: 1) to have their beauty unveiled, 2) to be an irreplaceable part of the adventure and 3) to be romanced.

His entire talk was good, but I didn't feel like I could relate to most of it. He was saying how many times men are so full of themselves that they don't know how to treat their wives and he gave wives some things they could do to help their husbands become the type of spouse they were meant to be. I could have cried... Shawn really is amazing. I don't say that to brag as much as I say it because it's true. He really does all of those things already. If anyone needs to work harder, it would be me. And, I wasn't even sure of how to begin. I asked the other girls at our table what they thought an 'adventure' would be and how you do that when you have babies. It was a great time of discussion, but I felt like there was more. So, I called Shawn and invited him to lunch and we talked about it. Well, I talked about the morning and he said he'd "think about it."

That afternoon, I told him I'd like to buy him tickets to see the Redskins v. the Saints, and he declined the offer, saying he'd rather save the money, it's too cold outside, and he didn't want to see his favorite team get trampled, even though he also likes the Saints. So, I didn't. But then the game was good (although the Redskins did manage to botch a play at the end to lose the game) and while it was cold, it wasn't frigid. I was bummed I didn't buy him the tickets, which were relatively inexpensive for the seats. But, when he said no, I felt like I should honor his opinion.

I'm at a loss of how to incorporate the teaching into our lives. I just always want to be working at making our marriage last and our family one based on the Lord and His love.

Wednesday was preschool for the Bean and school for me. Thanks for watching the boys, Nonie!

Below is a picture of my piano with one of my all-time favorite decorations - I love the candles in the candelabra. They are snowmen and snowflakes. Shawn said they're cheesy, but I LOVE them!

 

 If I remember correctly, Thursday was a bit chilly but it wasn't raining and I was feeling a little bit of cabin fever. So, bundled up the boys good and we went outside. First, we took a walk around the neighborhood. In fact, some strange man stopped me and told me he had a brand new crib that he would give me. I told him I had one, but thanks. He said 'Come inside and I'll show it to you.' There was no way that I nor my babies would go inside his house. He seemed nice enough, but I'm far too paranoid. I told him that I'd keep it in mind if I knew anyone needed a crib. So, if any of you readers out there need a crib, there's an old gentleman in our neighborhood trying to give one away!

That night, Lisa & Isabella came over to watch the Beth Moore Bible study video. We only have one more to go. We always enjoy visiting with them, and Shawn got to do some shopping by himself while she was here. Caleb started to say "Bella Bella Bella."

The picture below is of a snowman that Shawn's boss' wife got Joshua (I think) that says "Jesus Loves You Snow Much!"

 

Here's a picture of the house decorated with the red bows and greens. It's a little hard to see in this picture, but they look beautiful. I love this time of year!

 

Black Friday

Since I was feeling better when Mom came, I made the executive decision that we were going shopping the morning of Black Friday. This is a tradition Shawn & I have had since we were dating, and I look forward to it every year. Thankfully, Shawn had off work already and Mom was willing to come to our house to watch our boys. She arrived around 6 am and we were out the door shortly thereafter. Our first stop was Walmart, where we bought some PJ's for Caleb and a couple other little sale items like matchbox cars (which the boys love). We also bought a stupid, tiny Christmas tree that we ended up returning. We bought less than half of what was on our list for two reasons: 1) We assumed they were sold out and 2) We were anxious to keep moving.

Our next stop was CVS for their deals and then on to Walgreens. By then we were starving and made a pit-stop for some breakfast sandwiches before heading Toys 'R Us. My mom had asked us to pick up a bicycle for Joshua that was a Thomas one and we were lucky enough to find one! They tried to tack on an extra $10, which I didn't stand for. After lots of 'discussion' and them going back and forth, they waived the $10 fee and we had the price that was advertised for the bike. We also got a new Wii game there, and some Mr. Potato Heads for Caleb since he loves to play with them as much as Joshua and it seems like there's never enough. We also looked for a couple Thomas items for the Bean, but they were already sold out.

Next we went to the mall. I bought Shawn a new prepaid cell phone since he loses his all the time, and I got a pair of designer cloves lined in cashmere for $10. Shawn bought a pair of jeans that with all the sales came down to under $20 and I got a $10 sweater. We bought a few other Christmas items and then we were starting to get tired (since neither of us had slept much the night before). We were having a great time together, though. I LOVE my husband! We always have fun.

We got home, and my mom agreed to come with me to check out Old Navy, which was having some sales. I bought a new pair of jeans for $15, a fleece for $5 and two sweaters that were cheap. Losing weight has been great (glory to God alone!) but I don't have much in my closet that fits anymore.

When I got home, I called the doctor's office, figuring I shouldn't wait for the next gall bladder attack in the middle of the night to get checked out. They got me right in that afternoon. So, I took a quick nap and then started grading paper after paper from my sales class. The doctor told me to get an ultrasound that following Monday to check out the gall bladder.

After I got home, we started decorating the house, which I love to do. I love Black Friday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The night before Thanksgiving used to a big 'party' night. It probably still is, but we're much too old for that now. Instead, we rented the family movie "UP" and got take out for dinner and ate downstairs in front of the TV (something I don't think the boys have ever experienced before). The boys LOVED the movie, Joshua especially. I cried the whole way through it. It was great for parents and kids alike because the children didn't understand the underlying messages the way adults would, and yet it was clean and animated for the little guys. We all thoroughly enjoyed it...except maybe Shawn who said "You're not supposed to cry at a movie called 'up'." I guess...

Thanksgiving morning, it was really nice out and I went for jog to Stoner Park, around the loop at the park and back to our house. I love where we live and that there's such a nice running train nearby. After that, it was time to get ready for our activities for the day, so we recorded the Macy's Day Parade to watch later. Just like Joshua mixed up turkey and cranberries, he also told us that if he slept in his big boy bed all night, he could 'watch' Thanksgiving on TV (meaning the parade). And he LOVES to watch football with Daddy.

Shawn helped get the boys dressed while I showered, and I had picked out two potential outfits for each kiddo, letting Shawn have the ultimate option. He chose not to have them dressed exactly alike, so Caleb went into the outfit that used to be Joshua's (one of my favorites) and Joshua had on his yellow button-down shirt from Aunt Erica for his birthday. When Daddy went to put on Joshua's pants, he asked me why they were so short. I looked, and here he had put Caleb's 12-month pants on our three-year-old son. They fit great in the waist but were about up to his knees. I handed him the correct pants (laying right next to those) and we were in good shape.

We started off our feasting at 11:30 at the Four Seasons Golf Club Banquet Facility with Mom and Ken, both my sisters and their families. I tried not to go crazy for two reasons: 1) I knew we'd be eating again that night and 2) I've been trying to lose weight and was at my lowest-yet that morning after running. So, one trip with mostly healthy things and then a sample of dessert and I was good.

We got a newspaper on the way there but that afternoon, we decided to nap as the boys did. When we woke up, I started scoping out the ads as Shawn cooked the sweet potato casserole needed for his family event. Soon it was time to go again! We headed to Berks County and saw the extended family there and had a delicious dinner - the turkey was moist and amazing as usual since they baste it in butter all day long, the potatoes were out of this world, and my particular favorite was the green bean casserole that tasted like cheesy soup. It was awesome!!! The boys enjoyed playing with toys there, and we enjoyed visiting.

Soon it was time to head home and finish our planning for Black Friday shopping. We started watching some of the parade, but it was getting late and we were all exhausted. So, we put the boys to bed and called it a night, too. That night, Joshua came into our room around 1 am. I told him that my back was really hurting so be careful. He laid down with us for a few minutes and then I realized...this was more than back pain. Daddy put the Bean back to bed and I told him I was going to drive myself to the emergency room. Shawn didn't think that was a good idea since I was in severe pain. I told him I didn't want to take the kids to the hospital. I also didn't really want to wake anyone up.

So, I laid there for hours. Shawn gave me some pain medicine, and we decided that as soon as Mom got there, instead of going Black Friday shopping we would go ahead and go to the hospital. First, though, I had him research gall bladders on the Internet since that's what my friend Becca told me this might be the last time I had had an attack this severe. It didn't look like you could immediately die, so I told him to go back to sleep and I'd deal with it for the next few hours. By about 5 am, the pain went completely away. Unfortunately, I never got a whole family picture of us on Thanksgiving. Bummer!!!

Joshua's Preschool Thanksgiving Party

 

On Wednesday, November 25, Joshua's preschool class had a Thanksgiving party. Parents and siblings were invited to attend, and I was one of the moms that help set up and I brought Caleb with me, too. He was the only sibling there. The first picture is of what the kids said they were thankful for. Joshua said "leaves" and then "mama." I knew it was him saying it because most of the others say "mommy" but he still calls me "mama" which I think is precious. Another mom commented that her son said "Daddy" then "the cat." She said "HOW DID I GET BEAT OUT BY THE CAT? CAN YOU TELL IT'S  BEEN A ROUGH WEEK!?!?" We all giggled.

The kids feasted on turkey, cranberries, mashed potatoes, apple slices, corn, stuffing, rolls and butter. Most of the kids are eaters like Joshua (meaning they ate next to nothing). Joshua ate the roll with the butter the class had made together and then kept telling me how much he liked the turkey, which wasn't turkey at all but actually the cranberries!!! I couldn't believe it. But, he finished the whole pile of cut-up cranberries, drank his juice and was done.

They didn't offer anything to poor lil' Caleb to eat. I had assumed that when they said parents and siblings were invited to the Thanksgiving feast that everyone would partake. So, Caleb looked at the table longingly but didn't get anything but one of Joshua's apple slices. Poor little guy! I felt so bad for him.

Joshua & Caleb were both dressed up that morning. Joshua even had on a tie. :) The teacher commented that she loved his little outfit. Me, too! The shirt & tie were from Grandma, the cords were from Grandma & Grandpa Ginder, the sweater was one Grandpa Georgia bought him at a yard sale, the socks were borrowed from Grant and the Fireman shoes were purchased by Grandma. :) :) :)

Here are some random shots of the rest of his class. First, here's Mrs. Ford spreading butter.

And then here's the little girl Kate who told Mrs. Ford she didn't eat any of the rolls but just the butter itself.

And the whole class eating while we took pictures or the adults chatted.

And here is the turkey Joshua made that day out of playdough and a wax paper apple creation we brought home that day as well. Happy Thanksgiving, preschool!!!

Happy 38-month birthday, Joshua!

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of Joshua on his actual 38-month birthday. I thought of it, and then promptly had to charge my camera batteries. Until they were done, he was already in his jammies for the night. But, I have pictures of him near his birthday, which will have to be good enough for '38'.

I can't believe how quickly Joshua is growing. My mom commented on how articulate he is, and Shawn even said how much his vocabulary has expanded lately. We're surprised when he knows the names of some things, etc. He definitely listens and repeats what we say, even when we're not thinking about it.

One of my favorite moments that shows me how much Joshua is growing happened just before his birthday. I was getting dressed in my bedroom and Joshua was sitting on the potty. Then I heard "Caleb, eat it!" Oh, Lord, that's not something you ever want to hear. I went rushing into the bathroom only to find Caleb AND Joshua playing in the clean toilet water in the big potty. I was furious! Both boys should know better. Sternly and firmly, I said "Out of the toilet NOW!" Caleb ran the other way, but Joshua looked right up and me and with his sweet, innocent face on he said, "Mommy, I'm so sorry we were playing in the toilet water. We shouldn't have done that." His tender expression and sincere apology took the anger straight from my heart. I told him that I forgave him and asked him not to do it again. He agreed and away we went.

Joshua LOVES to play games, and his new favorite is the Candy Land game. Our friends Julie, Jude & Kate were here on Tuesday, November 24 and we dug out the game then. The Bean has begged to play almost every day since! Caleb is also getting the hang of it, which makes it fun to play as a family. Joshua still loves books and also likes doing arts and crafts in small doses. He told my Dad that he wanted books, trains and paint for Christmas. :)

I love to watch Joshua grow. He's still cuddly like he was when he was a baby, but he's also got his own unique personality that shines through everyday. We are thrilled to have him for a son. Happy 38-month birthday, Joshua! We hope November 18, 2009, was a special day for you!

More Fall Fun

On Friday, November 13, I met Shawn for lunch and we got my rings sized. From losing weight, my ring size actually dropped two and a half sizes. My rings were falling off, and I was afraid I might lose them. So, we went and got them fixed (which is not cheap, but worth it in the long run). After we dropped them off, Joshua begged to go to a 'restaurant' to eat, so we headed to the pizza shop next door where the kids & I ate pizza and Shawn had a sandwich. They had a big TV on there, so the kids were enthralled and we got to eat. It was nice to see my handsome hubby during the day... a rare treat!

On Saturday morning, I don't quite remember what we did, but I do remember that I had a hair appointment. I love my hairdresser. I was in, out and done within an hour and a half. I may have gone shopping afterward? I don't really remember... sad that time goes by so quickly and my brain can't seem to keep up! Mom & I have gone shopping a few times in the past few months, and I always enjoy the time I get to spend with her.

The next day, I went to Isabella's 2nd birthday party. Our small group friends Chris & Lisa had invited us to go, and Shawn still wasn't feeling the best, so I 'represented.' I had a nice time. That day was beautiful outside, I remember, and I went for a run that morning before going to the party. It was a gorgeous weekend. We've had many beautiful days this fall. The kids have really enjoyed playing with the leaves. In fact, that's the first thing Joshua was thankful for at his preschool Thanksgiving party (his momma was second). :) :) :) 

That week started student evaluations for me. I also got my H1N1 vaccine for free that week from MU. And the pediatrician got another round of doses in and I put on my 'momma bear' mentality and made sure my very high-risk son got his vaccine. At first the scheduling gal said she couldn't help me, but I called and left a message for the head doctor, and the head nurse called me immediately and he got in that day. I am thankful. I also praise God for keeping him healthy and safe during this time and season.I'm trying to remember what else has been going on. We had another MOPS meeting where we made little crafts, we had a MOPS playdate at my friend Margie's house which was fun. Joshua did an amazing job of playing there... he was an angel. Caleb was also very well-behaved admist the chaos; however, he likes to explore a little more, which keeps me on my toes. Daddy & I went to TGIFriday's with a gift card last Friday night while our babysitter Miranda watched the boys. Then after a cheap (but nice!) date, we went shopping at the mall and enjoyed walking around. While we were there, a very nice-looking but extremely gay man tried to pick Shawn up before realizing I was with my very handsome and neat husband. His line was "don't I know you from somewhere? Where do you work? How do you like it? And on and on... and Shawn was too nice to back away at first but he was embarrassed I could tell. Finally, I said "it's time to go." Haaa!!! This happens to Shawn way too often, and it bothers him. I think he should take it as a compliment - he's obviously hot stuff. Hee hee. The kids enjoyed their time with Miranda, who unfortunately burnt her hands taking dinner out of the oven. So, when she called to ask where we kept our band-aids, we cut our night short and headed to take her home.That weekend we hosted life group, and the session was on the unholy use of anger in dealing with our children. I got a lot out of it, and it was a good reminder to always stay calm and use action instead of words. Only one other couple brought their kids, so it was a nice small group. After our friends left, our babysitter came once again and we met some of Shawn's old high school friends at Your Place to watch the football game. They were sort of my friends in college, too, which is how Shawn & I met. It was nice to catch up with them, but I was a little bored (after all, football is definitely not my thing.) Still it was nice to be out and about. The kids didn't sleep for Miranda, so we put them to bed when we got home after I took her home. It was nice she could come. We really like her.While it's nice to go out sometimes and get out of the house, my most cherished moments are times at home with the family. I love my boys immensely, and our everyday interactions make me smile. I don't always write about them on here, but we're building memories everyday. For example, we often go for walks and notice the same things as we go. Joshua will tell me what he sees and Caleb will point and cry out if something interests him. The boys LOVE books and they both have favorites. Caleb loves "Stanley the Stinkbug" and Joshua is enjoying his Thomas books and "Cookie's Day Out" and many others. They both also are enjoying the Eight Little Monkeys. They love playing with each other and soak up the time we can spend together. I'm truly blessed. We have a wonderful family, and God has blessed us with nice fall weather. More stories to come...

Another November Birthday!

On Thursday, November 12, I headed up to Berks County to have lunch with Jane, a former co-worker from the credit union. I haven't seen her in what feels like ages, but we always have a great time catching up. I laughed the entire lunch! We dined at the Toscani Grill, where I feasted on a delicious quiche and fruit. We talked about work and family life; she's now in charge of both marketing & business development, whereas when we worked together I worked in marketing and she was in 'sales.' Nonie was nice enough to watch the boys while I was at lunch.

That day was also Jordon's birthday (pictured above). We hope it was a very special one and that you have a great year!!!

After the kid's naps that afternoon, I went to get new big boy undies for Joshua (since he doesn't wear a pull-up except to sleep) and lost Caleb. My heart sank as I looked in the bathroom...then his bedroom...then our bedroom...then Joshua's room...then the office... where was that sneaky and fast Caleb Luke? I had only been one-to-two seconds tops getting those underpants for the Bean! I looked back in the bathroom and heard a little noise... he had climbed into the bathtub (which is no small feat with how deep our tub is!!!). That silly Caleb Luke! He loves baths, but he also likes to hide. :) :) :) I grabbed the camera... oh my boys make me smile.

Caleb's Birthday & Christmas

On Sunday, November 8, we all headed to Aunt Missy's house for our first Christmas celebration of the  year. We exchanged gifts and ate pizza and enjoyed hanging out with the family. It was also Caleb's 16-month birthday.

I can't believe how 'old' Caleb seems. He's talking a lot these days. He now says 'help' and 'please' and 'brah' for brother and so many other very distinguishable words. He also loves to play the game where he mimicks sounds.He LOVED Aunt Missy's puppies. He would giggle as she would get them to sit for him. I fear one day when he's old enough to ask Daddy for a puppy we may end up with something in our house (please pray this doesn't happen!). For now, the kids enjoy the animals at other houses. The kids enjoyed their gifts and have worn their new Christmas jammies and played with their new games, etc. We enjoyed the fellowship, but it was soon time to go. And to all a good night!

Great Grandma Kennel's Birthday Bash

 

On Sunday, November 8, Shawn's Grandma Kennel turned 90 years old. Grandma & Grandpa Ginder threw her a surprise birthday party the night before and invited the entire family to Bird-in-Hand Restaurant. She didn't know they were coming up from Florida and just thought Missy was taking her out for her birthday. Her entire family, minus one great-grandchild, was there. Grandma Kennel adopted Shawn's Mom and Aunt Kathy, and every time we see her, she tells us how thankful she is for her family and how she's so glad she took in these two girls. I think it's precious. 

Here's Grandma Kennel with her two daughters, then all her grandchildren, followed by the smallest of the great-grandchildren. One of the older gals didn't get in the picture and the other one couldn't make it that night for some reason. The last picture is Grandma Kennel and her great grandsons. 

The food was good and it was nice to see everyone. I think Grandma Kennel was truly surprised. That night as I was tucking Joshua into bed, he prayed "fank you, God, for Grandma's birthday and birthday cake and the big and strong piece of cake Pa-paw had." Haaaa!!! He thanked God for Grandma Kennel's birthday for the next three nights...and her birthday cake and candles. :)

Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer

Once again, I'm behind on posting.  For one thing, it's harder to post with this new format, so I don't have quite the desire to fool around with it. For another, I feel extremely busy with two little ones and school. But, here goes on trying to catch up somewhat. The first weekend in November, Grandma &; Grandpa Ginder along with Aunt Erica drove up from Florida to visit.

We had a great time as usual visiting with them. They stayed at the Eden Resort near our house, which was really nice. The boys enjoyed playing with them. Joshua read them books and Caleb giggled and played. They also volunteered to watch the boys while I was at work, which was nice. They invited Caleb & me out to breakfast their last morning in town so I could see them more since I was working a lot and didn't get to see them much in between.It was a nice visit, and we always enjoy time spent with family. Here are a few pictures, with more 'memories' and celebrations to follow.And the title of this post comes from Joshua's new favorite song. He asks to listen to it over and over again and giggles. He also knows most of the words by now. Since neither Grandma can 'walk home from our house Christmas Eve' I don't think anyone has anything to worry about. :) :) :)