Owen says

He just told me that standing up on a dining room chair is a poor choice.  :)

I love when my kids tell me back something we have been trying to teach them!

And

I also SOOOOOo love when Owen calls Katie, "girly". I can't express to you how much I enjoy hearing such an affectionate term from brother to sister.  :)

Katie Said...

I have a great memory.  I can remember things way back in the 50's.  That when I was a baby and just born.  :)

Little Dude

Santa Clause gets a Valentines Day Card

Katie told Owen about the project she finished last night, which was a Valentine card.  

Then Kt asked Owen, "Do you know who I am sending it to?"

Owen responded, "To Santa Clause?"

Katie then laughed, "No silly!!"

Talking to Buzz

Owen and I are playing with his cars while Katie is at preschool and this is what he just told me...

"Mom, please don't talk right now, I have to talk with Buzz.  Ahhh, Woody answered."

I love it!

Player of the Week...Dorian Green!

We are so proud of you Dorian!  Way to play hard and earn, Mountain West Player of the Week!

  Check out this-(No Mountain High Enough) video and see what ESPN is talking about within this conference.  

Its pretty exciting keeping up with D in his Senior year.  

We LOVE listening to the games, wearing CSU tatoos and praying that this year they make it again to the Big Dance!

GO Rams!  

*photos from coloradoan.com and milehighhoops.com

And seriously, I know you have lots of fans, but these two think you are SUPER RAM.  You've got to be the best player in the entire NCAA in their eyes.  We all love you, Uncle Dorian! :) 

SING.

When it is hardest — that is when you sing the loudest. The devil flees at a hymn.”

Simple truth that I want to tuck away in my heart, but also pull out everyday.

This post reminded me again of WORSHIP.

May we be people that sing and sing loudly.

Family Fantastically Fun Friday

It's another Friday...Family Fantastically Fun Friday.  And the fact that we got snow just made it one of the best ever Friday's!  :)  Here are a few photos of our family that warm my heart!  And yes, we will have a kid friendly meal...probably hamburgers, french fries, fruit salad and a dessert.  Then we will end with a rousing game of UNO.  Choose today to have a great Friday everybody!

It Came Down in Beautiful White Flakes

Overnight our rain turned into beautiful white flakes.  Though it just barely covered the green blades of grass the kids were thrilled! And with red faced, huge smiles and cold toes they came in to drink a cup of warm hot chocolate.  :)  

Snow is such a simple delightful pleasure!  It truly does refresh my soul, the white, the cleanness (at least before it turns to slush :) the hush that is spread across our city, the amazingness that none of the billions of flakes covering the ground today are alike, each different, unique and intricate, the reminder it gives me of our sins being washed away and we are made white as snow, taken from us as far as the east is from the west, it gives hope of the new earth and of hope to come...

a refreshing way to start today! 

*:) And I did put a hat and mittens on owen!*

Two Princesses

There were two princesses that wanted to celebrate a birthday.  So they were treated to having their nails painted and a hot chocolate/dessert bar at a local five star hotel.  They ate the most scrumptious desserts and drank rich thick hot chocolate, acted like princess and goofy five year olds from the first hug to the last. These two princess were happy and love being the best of friends!

*it is a true bummer that some of these photos are blurry!*

Happy Birthday dear Catie Beth Muse! We are so thankful for your first five years of life.  We pray you have many many more!

Lunch Outside in January

What a treat these last few days have been! Highs in the 60's & 70's are beautiful, unusual (but not unheard of) and great for January.

What the Kids (and we) Were Thankful For Over New Years

We had the blessing of dog/house sitting for a family over New Years.  It was wonderful to play with the kids for four straight days and be a family without the stress of errands, housework, MI work and other things.  

And these two photos show what the kiddos did for those days.  They played with the stuffed animals every. single. moment.

Thankful for this blessing and glad to serve this family!

And then sparklers to celebrate the new year!

Owen quote

"I love my apple cideger (cider) momma!"

I love that he says it this way.  :)

Katie and Owen quotes

K and I
- I was explaining to katie about wasting things like unrolling a whole roll of tp just to get enough to blow her nose is wasteful.  And then I asked her to repeat what I just told her.  Her response?  "You should know mommy, can't you hear yourself talk?"

Owen came running out of Katie's room.
"How many times I keep telling you I want to come in your room!  And she keeps telling me to please go out I need a few minutes.  Waaaaahhhhaaaaaa, I want to play in Katie's room." Total meltdown.  :)

A Katie Quote

"daddy, we can't give a gift that can change the world, only Jesus can.  It drives me crazy that people in the news always get Jesus wrong.  They get North Carolina right, but Jesus wrong.

John 3:16, God gave the gift that saved the world, not us."

The above quote was Katie talking to Daddy while they were out shopping.  The local radio station came on to say if one gives a gift to the station it would help change people.  Katie corrected their theology, only God changes people.  :)

Our Secret Elf Gifts

Another tradition we are trying to begin is the Secret Elf Gift Surprise.  Basically we get up on Christmas Eve and head out shopping with $5 in our pockets to use for another person in our family.  This year we headed to Target and Owen surprised Katie and vice versa.  It was really cute helping them find the right gift (one they would use, wouldn't be completely broken in one hour...) and one that cost the correct amount.  Then we snuck out of the store and each at different times hid our gifts in the car.  After we got home we hid them again and went on a hunt to find where they were hidden.  The kids LOVED this and it gave them something to play on Christmas Eve.  

After the kiddos found their Elf Gift we headed outside to play and it was bunches of fun!  We'd definitely do it again!

Katie gave O a new bat and ball and we played baseball for quite a while!

 I love these photos of our All American.  I couldn't just pick one. :)

 And O surprised Pips with a hula hoop!

She was outside practicing her skills to hula and found out she could use the hoop to also dance around learning some new moves.  And even today she has gotten out her hula hoop and used it for some creative play time.  Horses jump through hoops right?  :)

Love you creative bug!