Our Christmas present from Nana…a visit with her, Dinosaur World and Disney World

     For Christmas, Nana had planned a Disney trip for all the kids/grandkids.  So in February, we went…just in time for my birthday too!  This post may extend to a couple of posts because there is so much to share!  Mind you, I was JUST starting to feel somewhat better from the flu/H1N1 and pneumonia and was so glad to be because the only thing I would be complaining about was morning sickness…haha!  I was convinced already that this little bit was a girl…I was NEVER this queasy with the boys.  Poor Matt, I’m sure he was counting down the days ‘til the 2nd trimester!

     The first day we enjoyed some scooter riding and visiting time.  It was so nice to see Mom again, we really miss her since she moved back to Florida! 

 

We didn’t let too much time get by without goin out and exploring…

The first day we went to DInosaur World, the boys and Madeline had lots of fun!

 

I’m not so sure that Mikey did…

These were some cool looking dino’s!  It was interesting to see the artist/sculptors imagination at work with the large lizards skin color, etc.

Even the dinosaur is smiling…

Ryan wanted an up close view…watch out, your awfully sweet!

Uh oh, Andrew’s next…Daddy keeps feeding the dinos…  hey, there’s a birds nest in there!

Mikey’s turn…

LOOK OUT…a dino is behind us!

Aunt Amy’s dinosaur impersonation…she’s a dead ringer!

Andrew digging for dino bones…

Ryan found something…

I love the way they look up to Daddy, he can answer and do anything!  Truly their hero!

Aunt Amy and our long awaited angel…he was so worth the wait!

 

And all the boys are done!

That evening we got to visit with some old/new friends…we all love to get together!

Headbandz was the game of the week…

 

One of the best parts of our week was the beautiful tulips that were waiting at my Mom’s house when we arrived for Valentine’s Day!  I was totally surprised because the card thanked me for being a wonderful wife…at first I thought my Mom had run off and gotten married!  Then I was even happier when I realized they were for me!  He never ceases to surprise me!  I love him!

Aren’t they pretty?  This was a couple of days later when they had started to wilt as tulips do…I love how he always gets me something different and not always the standard roses!

All this and it was just Day 1!

Some Fun Activities from Jan/Feb 2011

    We had some really fun things going on at the beginning of the year! Especially playing with our new toys from Christmas…

We had more than enough snow this winter and when it came, Ryan couldn’t even wait to get the proper clothes on!

And with the pretty snow, we got to make REAL snow cones!

The boys learned how to play chess…

Checkmate!

Daddy got in on the fun as well as Mommy…we had to relearn how to play also!

Notice the look of morning sickness already in my face!

School restarted after the Christmas holiday, we don’t even have to brush our hair for school!

We even got some nice weather to play in…

Did we mention our house is the neighborhood hangout?  We have no problems socializing our “homeschooled boys”  I have met more people that homeschool their kids than not around here!

 

We go to Northpoint Community Church, and the boys love it!  Their kids group went bowling and Daddy and Mommy were allowed to tag along!  We had lots of fun!

 

Here’s Andrew and his teacher, Karen

And here’s Ryan and his teacher, Dawn

The greatest thing about Northpoint’s Upstreet (kids program/Sunday school) is that these teachers will follow them through 5th grade so they become an extension of us teaching Christian values and being a constant in their lives.  If the boys ever have questions, they will have yet another adult to turn to for answers.  We are so thankful for these two young ladies!

And now, the bowling skills…

They even stopped long enough for some pictures with us!  Sometimes I think Matt and Andrew are twins 26years apart.

 

Mommy and the boys…deep into morning sickness, uh I mean all day sickness.  It was very difficult not to fully enjoy our family time together!  I am so glad that phase has passed!

All of the nausea and exhaustion is paying off…growing belly at 8 weeks.

We also tried to go to Lowes for their Build To Grow program, which we love, but they were not having it this week.  We then got to go to Home Depot for theirs!  These boys are getting really good at their woodworking, it’s Mommy and Daddy that have problems following the directions on the packets! HAHA

Are we going to have to get another kit?

Nope, this fire/rescue boat is perfect!

I was Andrew’s helper, but he didn’t need much help painting his football displayer.

Someone doesn’t want to take anymore pictures!  Here I am still half spaced out from the 1st trimester fog, but am always enjoying our family time together!

It’s so amazing to look back at all the activities and fun we’ve had together as a family!  Our schooling and work arrangements may be different from most, but that’s how we love it!  We may not have many material things, but the love we share and time we are blessed with together are worth every sacrifice!  It makes life worth living in the end to have memories like this and never regret having not spent more time together!  The nice cars and nice vacations may be desires that are unattainable for us at this phase in our lives, but we want for nothing!  Our Heavenly Father takes care of us daily, and apparently he approves of whatever we’re doing, because he has blessed us with another little angel to raise in his ways!

He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands

    Uncle Billy and Aunt Megan got the boys the coolest spherical puzzle for Christmas and since we were in the building mood, we tackled it!  It was quite a challenge…

 

Almost there!

And finally…we finished!

Wow, that was tiring!

Yes, they have their own bed, but who wouldn’t want to snuggle with Daddy?

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