Family Snow Day

We got alot of snow on Thursday night, I think around 9 inches. School was cancelled on Friday and Saturday we took Emily to Grandma and Papa Mauchs and took the older two sledding. Andrew had a blast, Kelli not so much! In her defense it is a huge sledding hill and because school was out the day before I think it was really packed down and LOADS of bumps! After Brian and Andrew had their fill we took a long walk in the woods! Quite a work out! Brian started out by pulling both kids in the sled, then made them walk and then pulled just Kelli. Then he climbed a hill to see what was on the other side and then he fell coming down so I then pulled Kelli the rest of the way! We were tuckered out by the time we got back!! The last pictures on this post are of a snow fort Brian made for the kids on Friday! It is incredible! Our dear neighbor plowed our driveway (which is about 100 feet long) since our snowblower is broken. This created a huge mound of snow that was perfect for building the snow fort! You get into it through a tunnel!

Crazy Hair Day

Last week was spirit week at Andrew's school...Thursday was Crazy Hair Day and he wanted a mohawk...It actually looked better later in the day because all of the hairspray had worn off so it was soft instead of crispy and looked so funny with his sweet little innocent face! Andrew and Kelli have also developed an interest in taking pictures themselves. I don't let them do it very often because I am afraid they may drop by camera, but here are a few they have taken...

I'm So Excited and I Just Can't Hide it!!

As I have written before, I have been trying to take my health and more specifically my weight more seriously and have set some goals that I hope to meet this year. I started out by walking Andrew to and from school each day when it was warm out and then as it has gotten colder I have been doing excersize videos and working out on the eliptical trainer (that previously was a hat hanger in our bedroom!!) Then begining the Monday after Thanksgiving, I started really paying attention to my food intake. I am unofficially doing Weight Watchers and tracking my points and I am thrilled that as of this morning I have lost 20 pounds!! This also means that I have lost ALL of my pregnancy weight + 3 pounds more! I am so excited and thanks for letting me share!! (not that you really have a choice on what I share!!)

The Grahams

This is a sweet family from our church that are on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship who needed a new family picture for their prayer magnets! I was honored that they asked me to take their pictures! Thanks Grahams for the opportunity!

My Baby

It is hard to believe that Emily is already 5 months old!! I was just looking through old posts and it seems like just yesterday I wrote to introduce Emily Aileen!! We are going to the doctor tommorow for a follow up...she spits up alot and also is pretty fussy, I know it is hard to believe from all the precious pictures of her, but it is truth! Proven so by comments from Kelli and Andrew on a rare occasion..."Mom, Emily is happy!!" Those are joyous moments!! I am hoping that once she is able to sit on her own that it will get better! She has been on prevacid for 2 months, her doctor felt that perhaps her fussiness was due to a tender esophagus from the spitting up, but it has not improved. The blessing is that she does sleep well at night and usually takes a good nap during the day (today being an exception) and will be somewhat content if I will hold her. Which isn't always possible with the responsibilities of a wife and mom of 3!! But we make it through each day! And there is nothing I enjoy more that snuggling with her! So we will see if the doctor has any suggestions...maybe start some food?? I have given her some pureed sweet potatoes, which she seemed to enjoy, but I hesitate to start solids too soon. Here are some pics I took of her this week...she needed a bath (she gets rather sour smelling from all the spitting up!) and happened to be in a happy mood, so I took the opportunity to snatch a few photos!

I love this one....it is kinda fuzzy, but I just love the wonder in her eyes as she looks at the lights...and look at that cute tush!!

And check this out....can you believe it!! I freaked out when she started doing this!! They grow up so fast!!

After the bath, she still was quite content so I grabbed a few more! She loves her toes!! Plays with them all the time!! It cracks Andrew and Kelli up when she gets them in her mouth!
And of course, the big sister and brother can't let a "shoot" go by without getting involved!!

Thanks Heidi!!

My sister Heidi showed me how to add music to my blog! It was so funny, the other night I went to her blog and she had added music, and the song that was on it was one that I thought was just a jingle from an Old Navy commercial!! I sing it all the time and love it so I was super excited!! It is the third song that plays!! Cute and super catchy!! I have always loved it when people add music to their blogs, but never could figure it out!! SO thanks so much Heidi! If you don't like it...you can go to the bottom of this page and pause it! But I hope you will like it! Also, I think I finally figured out how to let you leave comments with out having ot have an account! Give it a try so I know if it works!

Vegetables!!

Well, we are no longer being deceptive with our vegetables! We are being totally honest and putting whole, undisguised vegetables on our plates every night at dinner! And much to my surprise it has been met with little resistance!! Kelli has even asked for seconds of sweet potatoes and spinach salad!! I just told the kids we needed to do it to be healthy and that Emily would be eating in a month and that she would be eating lots of vegetables and I thought they should start so they could be good examples for their baby sister! And they agreed!! I do still plan on making Emily's baby food, so I am not off the hook as far as pureeing goes! But is feels so good to eat food that is good for you!!

Happy Birthday Andrew!!

Today is my sweet boy's 6th birthday and I can hardly believe it!! I don't think I could adequately describe with words what this boy does to my heart! He is all boy, but is so soft and sensitive as well. He has a heart that is so generous and a mind that works non stop to grasp the world that opens itself to his curiousity. He has this new little giggle that is just infectious. And his eyelashes, have you seen his eyelashes?? Oh and I can't forget his freckles, oh those freckles...delicious! I love you my boy! I am so proud to be your mommy and hope that we will have as much fun together when you are sixteen as we do now!

Winter Fun

The view from our room...

And, no, those aren't christmas lights!!

After the kids went to bed last night, we kept hearing "noises" that we assumed were the kids kicking the wall that their bed is up against. Well when we went to bed, knowing that the kids were sound asleep we heard the noise again. I looked out our bedroom window and there was a large van parked in front of our neighbors house that we have never seen before. I watched for a few minutes and there was some weird flashes of light and obviously people in the van. We watched for a few minutes and decided that it was quite a suspicious situation so we decided to alert the police. Long story short...5 squad cars...8 underage drinkers...2 arrested...6 ticketed...6 parents called to come pick up their kids...

It gets cold crouching on the floor by the window that is cracked open so you can hear what everyone is saying!! =)