Men Will Be Boys

I saw first hand yesterday how grown men are still boys at heart.  

Hoping to relive some past glory or think their bodies are ten or fifteen years younger, a group of men from our church took part in a flag football game: the young marrieds Sunday school class against the teen leaders and a few teens.

After battling it out on the field in the cold and wind,  the young marrieds Sunday School class came away with the win.

When the game was over,  the men had bigger smiles, a light in their eyes, and a little swagger in their step.  Even though they were cold, sore, and tired there is already talk of a rematch in the spring.

So for an hour on a wintery day, these men were able to relive a bit of their youth and partake in an old fashioned football game.

teen leader team working hard to make a play

lance playing quarterback

teen leaders team huddling up

great catch for the teen leaders team

lance blocking for his team

Just a Little Late - Mauryn: Christmas 2008

Name: Mauryn

Age: 2 

Favorite new toys: Bitty Baby's stroller, snap n' style dolls, microphone, dress up shoes, puzzles

Our favorite memory: We loved watching you in your first Christmas program. You amazed us with how well you knew the song and the actions.  You would bound around the house singing your song from the program all day, every day.  A definite favorite this year was making all the cookies, being a cookie taster, and eating the dough.  You were a trooper through all the cookie decorating, gingerbread house decorating, and the decorating of Jesus' birthday cake. You were the only kid to stick it out through all those projects.  Of course, you knew there was frosting and candy to be eaten so you made sure to stick close by.  

Did you believe in Santa: Yes - you recognized Santa this year

Favorite Christmas movie: No favorite yet

Favorite ornament: I think you took every ornament off the lower branches of the "kid" tree. You didn't seem to favor any one ornament in particular. You liked to take them off the tree and put them back on it.

Favorite decoration: What God wants for Christmas? characters and the Little People Nativity 

Favorite cookie: All of them!

What filled your stocking:  a stuffed puppy dog, bracelets, view finder, gum

Favorite Christmas carol: The Angels Sing (favorite part - the shefards waf ha ha ha)

Thanks to Sarah for giving me permission to "copy" her idea for this series of posts! :o)

Just A Little Late- Landon: Christmas 2008

Name: Landon

Age: 4

Favorite new toys: Leapster, Hot Wheels, Roaring Springs pass, quiet drum sticks, Cars Leapster game, Mario Kart for the Wii, race car watch

Our favorite memory:  Your excitement about Christmas this year was contagious. You were so excited about Jesus' birthday, making cookies, making Jesus' birthday cake, and opening your gifts.  Every gift you opened you were bursting with joy, no matter what was under the wrapping paper. I think we could have given you a lump of coal and you would have been excited.  We just loved watching you through this entire season.

Did you believe in Santa: Yes indeed!  You were very concerned about leaving cookies for Santa and food on the yard for Santa's reindeer.

Favorite Christmas movie: Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (or reindeer the red nose as you called him)

Favorite ornament: Clifford

Favorite decoration: the star on top of the tree (landon's answer). I would have said the Little People nativity scene with the shepherds and drummer boy. He loved organizing and arranging all the animals and characters.

Favorite cookie: Frosted roll out cookies

What filled your stocking: bubble gum, hot wheels, fun fusion craft, tic tacs, crazy eights card game

Favorite Christmas carol: Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Joy to the World

Just a LIttle Late - Morgan Christmas 2008

Name: Morgan

Age: 9

Favorite New Toys: Roaring Springs Pass, Kit Kittredge movie, Energy GymRockets DS game, Kit Kittredge DS game, Josephina American Girl books, Mix It Up Cookbook

Our Favorite Memory:  This year it became very evident how important traditions are to you.  You wanted to do things exactly like we had in the years past.  We love that you are embracing these traditions we have started as a family.  

Did you believe in Santa?:  Sad to say, NO!  You figured out that there is no Santa about two years ago, but you play along so well :o)

Favorite Christmas movie:  Sound of Music (not a true Christmas movie but we watch it every year over Christmas vacation, usually on Christmas Day)

Favorite Ornament: A peppermint ornament that you made at Kappels Daycare when you were about 3 years old

Favorite Decoration: all our snowmen

Favorite Cookie: Caramel Meltaways

What filled your stocking:  Bubble gum, Tic Tacs, fun fusion beads, lip gloss, nail polish, headbands, card game

Favorite Christmas Carol:  Mary Did You Know

Room Makeover

I have been waiting for this for over 2 years. 

The day when we would move the girls into the same bedroom and Landon would move into his own room.

We have been waiting, dreaming, and planning how we would decorate their rooms when the time came to move Mauryn out of her crib.

 

About two weeks ago we started the process of decorating bedrooms.  Lance did the painting, I worked on finding/creating accessories and today we put the final touches on the bedrooms.  I love how it all came together.  

Here are a few pictures of their made over bedrooms:

Landon's Room

view from his bedroom door - the turf wall

i ordered some bronco fabric and made him two bulletin boards

our friend at lola decor created this bronco head for landon's wall. jamie was amazing and so patient with me through this process.

the view from the back corner

Morgan and Mauryn's Room

view from the door

the corner by Morgan's bed - polka dots by jamie at lola decor

i made the girls each a brown M for above their beds

view from front corner of their room -facing mauryn's bed (ignore the newborn collage of mauryn yet to be framed)

this is the front corner of their room

this is going to the door, i like how lance put the polka dot on to wrap the corner

How long

does it take a 4 year old boy to wear a hole in the knee of his new jeans?

less than 2 months.  Impressive, considering he thinks we live in a tropical climate and wears shorts around the house almost every day. 

Photo Meme

Since I haven't had much time to get any posts up lately, I thought I would play along with this meme that Alana and Janelle did this week.

If you want to play along, here are the rules:

1.  Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer

2.  Select the 4th picture in the folder

3.  Explain the picture

4.  Tag 4 people to do the same.  NO CHEATING! (no cropping, editing, etc...).  If you want to play, join in the fun!

I have had my macbook for less than a year, so I knew the pictures uploaded had fairly recent pictures. This picture was taken last spring on a lazy morning. Morgan and Landon cozied up on my bed to play with their Leapster games.

Wordless Wednesday: Frosting Fun

Steadfast - UPDATE

Last year I chose the word embrace to be "my word" of the year. 

This year I wanted to pick another word to help direct my goals/resolutions for the year.

I started out with diligent, but it didn't quite fit with what I had in mind for 2009. So I looked up diligent in the thesaurus one of the words that struck me was the word steadfast.

According to dictionary dot com steadfast is defined as "fixed in a direction, firm in purpose, unwavering, firmly established, and firmly fixed in place or position."

In the year 2009 I want to be steadfast in:

- spending more quiet time with the Lord

- becoming debate free - a very kind friend pointed this out to me. I meant to write become debt free.  My husband though debate free might be appropriate :o)  Note to self: proof read before hitting publish.

- creating time for reading, scrapbooking, blogging, spending quality time with my husband, my kids, and my friends

- deepening friendships (being honest and real with what is happening in my life)

- continuing with writing handwritten notes and doing a better job of staying in contact with friends and family

- mothering, being the best I can be for my kids

- listening (really listening) to my kids and learning from them

- my exercise routine

- healthy eating habits

- being accountable for my reading challenge - actually blogging about the books I have read and adding new books for 2009 (any suggestions?)

Happy New Year Friends!

2008 in Review

Since I didn't do a Christmas letter this year, I thought I would do a recap of our year.  There is no top ten list or most memorable moments, just some happenings in our life over the past year.  

-Mauryn gets ear tubes.  The results of the tubes have been amazing. Her vocabulary has multiplied and she has gained a pound since getting her tubes.  

- We spent a wintery weekend in Sun Valley, Idaho.  Beautiful snow covered mountains, swimming in the outdoor pools, bowling, and great family time.
- Lance gets on a exercise kick and runs his first race.
- We were able to celebrate the marriage of one of our favorite people, Katie Wilson.

- Morgan learns how to knee board.
- Landon works hard to stop sucking his thumb and earned a skateboard!
- We spent many summer days at the water park, taking in the sun and enjoying the rides.  
- A definite highlight was our first family vacation to San Diego.  We took in the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, the Wild Animal Park, the beach, and a Padres game.  
- My biggest accomplishment this year was training for and completing my first ever marathon. It turned out to be much more than just fundraising for cancer and completing the goal of running a marathon. I learned so much about myself and made some wonderful new friends.
- This year I was able to meet a blogging friend in real life, reconnect with relatives through blogging, and meet two blogging friends on skype.  Who would have thought??

- Morgan finished stage one braces. She now has straight teeth and retainer to wear 24/7.

- Landon learns to ride without training wheels. He didn't even mind learning on his good friend Amiah's pink bike.

- We went on a field trip to tour a private airplane company and it turned into a flight above Boise for all the kids and parents. It was definitely an experience none of us will ever forget.

- Morgan participated on a competitive gymnastics team. Morgan worked hard all year to improve and polish her routines.  All her hardwork paid of in March when she had her best meet of the year and won state for her age group and level.

- Time spent with family and friends throughout the year.