sweet music

His little girl, Adelaide, thought she was hearing fireworks and couldn't sleep. So he thought singing a song together would distract her!  Too Cute!



Happy Monday!

recently...

... we cut some paper snowflakes and checked to see how well they fell before we hung them up.

The boys get better each year as their finger muscles get stronger!

I decorated the front door. This might be my favorite so far.

We inherited a nice train set from my father and my husband set it up in the basement and added some of his trains that were passed down from his father. The kids have really enjoyed playing with it. Thanks, Dad!

We went for walks in the woods.

my husband making "hunting" spears for the boys!

sailing a boat

We took our family Christmas photo over the weekend. I really like how it turned out and I will post it later.

And we have already started baking cookies. We made Snickerdoodles on Sunday and they are easy and delicious! Check out the recipe here.

If you want to make your own virtual snowflake, check out this little link!

bugs & fish

My computer ate a bug.

While it is getting fixed, I have admittedly
done more yard work and laundry than usual.
(shhh, don't tell anyone)

Here is a funny link that
anyone who feeds children will appreciate.
Having three boys, I can relate.


via  nie nie

Good news:

~ Our butterflies all survived and we let them go.
~ We don't have any tornado damage in our neighborhood.  What crazy weather today.
~ We only have one more week of home school.
~ We have four pet fish!
~ I got the chance to play ping pong with my Dad this week. I LOVE to play ping pong and my Dad has a great serve I can barely return.
~ My youngest is taking a month of Taekwondo lessons and loves it.
~ God has answered some prayers in our lives that simply brings me to tears reminding me that He is Faithful.


Sad news:

~ We let our butterflies go.
~ We may only have three pet fish by tomorrow morning.
~ My youngest will have his first taste of heartbreak in the morning.
~ I have never overseen a fish funeral before.
~ It was bittersweet celebrating Memorial Day with family, knowing some close friends and family have loved ones far from home and in harms way protecting our freedom.

fathers

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father’s Day to the men out there who pick up their asses (yea, I just said that) and work hard day in and day out, teach their children what it means to keep their promises and do the thankless, grunt work like nobodies business!!! Also, Happy Father’s Day to the women out there who have to fill both parenting roles and do the same as above!

A Big Shout Out to the fathers who are away from their families and friends sacrificing more than I can ever imagine to proudly serve this country!! Thank You! You make all of us proud!

A big thanks to my husband for all the crazy stuff he did this past week; sitting through a ridiculously long meeting, reading a book with me, banging up the concrete in our back yard every day, buying metal trash cans and a new shovel, riding bikes with the boys, taking son to the doctors, holding son down to get antibiotic shots while he screamed, picking up prescriptions, taking other son to a cool park that is far away, helping oldest son with music theory questions, watching four kids so a friend and I could go to a funeral, fixing the printer, setting up traps, playing LEGO ®, Playmobil, Matchbox ® cars and dress up with the boys, making awesome breakfasts, catching spiders, filling up both of our gas tanks, picking the kids up from grandmas, taking me out for a dinner and a movie and kissing me under the full moon!

He goes above and beyond and we are thankful!

A big thanks to my Dad, who took the time to show me how to use tools and also to not be afraid to take things apart, how to paint a room, made me hand-made birthday cards, helped me buy my first car, taught me to question things further, how to be frugal and how to play a mean game of ping-pong!
But most of all, he showed me how to show kindness to the least of these. Thanks, Dad!

my sister and me (with the 70's sunflowers hat) with my Dad

turtles

a little love



Sorry, Tommy Robin, but I just got

the cutest, little turtle in whole wide world!!!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hanging out

with my other niece and nephews.

My niece is very creative and prolific in her artwork.

At seven years of age,

I am amazed at her skill with a pair of scissors.

She created and gave me a couple hand made gifts

for my birthday and a darling piece of candy.

This is the turtle she made.

She found a part of a nutshell

colored it green,

snipped a piece of plastic for the neck,

drew a turtle head on paper and

attached them with tape.

Pretty creative!

***

If you never thought about

taking a walk with a turtle, have a listen to this.