Nevaeh's treasure box

So most days, Nevaeh and I cuddle up on the couch and read from 'mommies big girl bible'. I find a verse every week to read with her for that week and then we do an activity for that verse.

This doesn't happen everyday. I'm not a morning person, and we do all her 'school' stuff in the morning and it really is hard for me to concentrate. What's going to happen when we actually start REAL school? My poor kids.... they are in God's hands... ;)

Last week we went over Luke 12:34. We read the whole passage together, so she gets more of the story, but focus on one or two specific verses.

Luke 12:34, which is also Matt. 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Our activities or crafts after reading are not extravagant. They are simple and made from what I can find. Most of the time, they get thrown away the next day because Gray gets to them and tares them to shreds.

So we talked about this verse for a little bit and I asked Nevaeh, "What is your treasure?" She of course answered with, "my family and friends". We talked a little more and I brought up the verse we read the week before. Matthew 22:37-39 "love the Lord, your God with all your heart....." and so on. After reading that again she said, "God is my treasure, and Jesus."

That made my heart jump for joy! She IS getting it! Not by my understanding, because I tried talking to her, but through God's word she understood! :) Boy, do I love God and His word!

This is what we made...

My little girl is growing up! 

Here is a fun video of Gray walking like a pro.... and his grunting, well it's his talking. 

baking the easy way

Well, actually I think it's a lot more complicated and stressful than regular baking!

This is what Nevaeh inherited today...

This is what it looked like at my age!

Can you believe this is still around! I kinda feel old ;)

Nevaeh was so excited. Off the charts excited, she's her father's daughter, loves food. But I did not realized how so much more complicated it is to bake with this than regular baking. 

Is it even real food? I was looking for an expiration date and there was none! :/

But, like I said, Nevaeh was excited. And I'm not going to lie, I was too! 

So we got everything ready. The little silver round pan, the pusher tool and those powder packs. Nevaeh decided to make the vanilla cake with pink frosting. Oh and sprinkles, can't forget the sprinkles. 

Then we started, it's takes longer than an actual cake! With 20 different directions and takes a total of 45 minutes to make one little cake! CRAZY.  

Then, well, we will just let the picture tell the rest. Oh and there's a funny story behind one of them!

waiting...

 still waiting...

Ok, still waiting..... buuuut, this picture is in here because.... Jason had one when he was little too! bahahaaaa. He says that his mom just had one around and he used it... I don't believe him... he couldn't keep a straight face. Can you imagine a little jason baking with an easy bake?? Hilarious.

 Yay, it's done and decorated! Look at that beautiful little girl. 

 So this is the pic on the package.....

 epic fail!

 but it was good. That's all that matters, and the good, looong, time we had fun together. 

Well, after all the excitement, it was fun. A little ridiculous, but fun. Nevaeh is excited to bake the cookies for dessert tomorrow. I'm excited to do it with her. 

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!! 

Partay!

Partay times 3!!!!  Jason's and the kids' birthdays are all within 3 weeks of each other! 

Also, my great-grandma; Nevaeh and Gray's great-great-grandma, turned 99 on Saturday! WOW! She is still as strong as ever, going to i-cubs games and baking tons. 

Today is Jason's birthday, so Happy birthday!!!!! We are so blessed and thankful for you Jason! That you work so hard for me to be able to stay home, but yet, you still make time to snuggle with your little blessings! We love you!!!

One big bubble partay!!!

Since I combined Nevaeh and Gray's birthday party, I did a bubble theme. 

We had a bubble machine, bubble pizza, bubble station, bubble crafts (well kinda), balls and balloons! It was a blast to just have lots of friends in one place celebrating with us. 

Nevaeh and Gray also had fun with their friends. Nevaeh some how found out it was a bubble party a couple months ago and there wasn't a day that went by that Nevaeh didn't mention it. 

And now.... it's over. Like Christmas... takes forever to plan and it's over in a blink of an eye. 

We are blessed by Nevaeh and Grayson. I am always being perfected in some sort of fashion with them. Whether it's patience, or slow to anger and even showing my love more. They are my gifts from God! 

 Gray's cake

 Here is another set of great-grandparents that we are lucky to have in our kids' lives!

 And another! well the wife half anyways...

 Nevaeh's cakes

 Yep, my cakes are that good! :)

 Nevaeh was somewhat neat with a spoon.

I have a couple fun posts coming up from felt stories to Nevaeh's treasure box! 

365 days later!

On 11:12 a.m., January 13, 2011, Gray was born. It's almost been exactly 365 days!

Happy Birthday my little man!

I can't describe Gray. He's quirky and a really bad sleeper. He has been a hard baby and after a year, things have finally calmed down in the last month.

He makes some hilarious faces and gets super excited if you even look at him. 

He loves Nevaeh and Nevaeh loves him. 

Balls are is favorite toys and he could sit for a while bouncing his little basketball. 

I think he acts like my brother in some ways. I don't know in what ways, but sometimes I think, 'that is such a zach face/attitude.' 

He is definitely more cautious than Nevaeh, but he's strong and will get into places he can't get out. 

He's a pistol.

But I wouldn't change him for anything! 

Here is a little taste of the past year with our little man. 

First day

3 days

1 month- I started taking monthly pics in front of this blanket

2 months

3 months

 Then I dropped the ball and stopped. 4 months

 5 months

 6 months

 7 months

 8 months- his favorite way to be... nakie! He will not sleep any other way.

 9 months

 10 months

 11 months

This morning on his birthday!!!! 1 year old!!!!!!!!!

 He can not smile without closing his eyes now. :)

Little man, this has been a crazy-whirl wind of a year. We have had some very rough times, but you as a one is so much fun. I can't wait to see what God has in store for you, but in the mean time, I'm enjoying you very much. We, daddy and I, are praying that you go grow up to be a wonderful man of God. That you would love him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. 

God- he is yours. Do what you will! 

Happy birthday little man. 

Get movin'!!!

We have been so lucky here in Des moines. 

So lucky!

Why? Well, if you live here, I think you know why. It is almost the middle of January and we just had a 60 degree day! Wooooo Hoooooo!!! 

It seems, though, that on every nice day (or week!!!  :D  ) my kids gets sick and we can't go out and play. So I have had to become quite the inventor with indoor "get-moving" activities. 

This is what I have come up with. The pictures are not great- phone pictures you see- but they do prove that my kids are moving! 

I have a yoga mat that has not been used in forever! I am not a yoga-er (not that kind of quiet spirit). But my kids loved it! In these pictures, Nevaeh is running as fast as she can across it. We did the bear crawl, summer-saults and skipping. It was a good way to act crazy in a small area without Nevaeh falling on her face and getting hurt. Grayson just wanted to lift it up and crawl under. 

 Hop scotch! You can use a lot of different things to do this. Get pieces of card board and tape them to a sheet, or the floor. You can even just draw right on the sheet of you can. Get creative!

-----We also turn music on everyday after lunch and dance before bed.

-----We play catch. Gray can do this with us now, so fun!

-----I brought their mini rock-wall/slide and swing inside.

-----I have created an obstacle course through out the house. Climbing over chairs, under them. Running around the toys, etc. 

-----We do jumping jacks and kicks and push-ups. Yes, yes we do! It was her idea by the way.

-----I have Nevaeh go up and down the stairs trying to find stuff for me. I know, it sounds mean, but she has to get rid of some of that energy! (I don't make her just do it over and over though)

Different kind of exercise

No... Wait.... Don't leave. This isn't what you think. Well, it is about exercise, but of my heart and mind.

I love to work out. If you know me, you know this about me. The great feeling of making it another mile, or going through a hardcore kickboxing class. Even being able to do 10 real push-ups (you know, the "man" kind, with knees OFF the floor).

But as much as I like working out, and as much as working out makes my body fit and in shape, it doesn't do much with my heart and character.

I'm not going to talk about my struggle with my body image and confidence. You all have your own and can relate. I am going to say, though, that it has taken an active effort to change my thoughts, but I finally believe that I am beautiful the way I am... I have accepted the temple God has given to me. That doesn't mean, though, that I shouldn't take care of this temple. And that I still don't struggle, daily, with the way I look (I am a woman and not perfect).

And that is where the exercising of my heart and mind starts.

Psalm 139:14
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

We always hear the part, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, but to me the beginning and end of that verse is the most important. Please, go back and read the words before and after.

I know I was made by God, and am beautiful because if it. Believing it is harder and thanking Him for something I don't like is even more difficult.

Let me get real though, standing in front of the mirror and repeating "I am beautiful" is not going to change anything. Other than feeling just a little bit more desperate to like my body.

But continually changing my degrading thoughts to those of praise and thanks to God for my body will change something. Remember, God's word is living and active and can change the heart and mind.

That is my exercise that really matters.

How can I say I love God with all my heart, soul and mind if I don't love the very person He created?

How can I teach my daughter to love God and her own body if I don't thank God for the temple He gave me?

This is the exercise I am really going to work at in 2012.

This is my new years resolution.

Christmas 2012!

Christmas with kids is absolutely the most wonderful time of the year.

I love watching them laugh over wrapping paper and seeing them smile ear to ear over their gift. I love playing with them and their new toys.

Most of all, I loved hearing Nevaeh talk about Jesus and God, her Abba, and the story of Christmas. She was so excited everyday to hear what our bible says and making a craft with it.

Here are some pictures of our busy, but wonderful Christmas.

Both families, Jason's and mine, live in town. So in a 24 hour period we have at least 5 Christmas's. I enjoy it, it's busy, but it's fun.

Ever since I was born, Christmas Eve is set for my grandparents. Our thing with them is stocking stuffers. Don't know what it is, or how it started, but opening the stocking stuffers is the highlight of the night. It's very smart on their part, because stocking stuffers are cheaper. ;)

Gray and great-grandpa. I am so blessed to have my grand-parents still around. They are amazing and it's so fun to see them with their great-grandchildren. They come over once a week just to play with Nevaeh and Gray and love every minute! My grandparents are amazing.

This is Christmas morning with papa, laying on his new pillow pet. Nana and Papa bought nevaeh one for her first Christmas, and its has become tradition now. 

Grandma Val's Christmas after nana and papa's Christmas. All the cousins, except Keelie, playing with Nevaeh's new doll house. 

 Our own little Christmas. 

                                                  

 Look at my handsome little man! He's going to be one in 9 days!!!!

 Nevaeh's new doll. She loves it.

This is the other half to the man in the first picture. My grandma, with her great-grandchildren. 

 This is definitely one of the high lights of my days, my children laughing and playing together.

Christmas was so fun, but now I have to plan for their birthday party!!!