I Prefer My Blizzards From DQ!

After Union County declared a level 3 snow emergency, Honda cancelled work for the day. The kids had so much fun having an unexpected day to play with Daddy in the backyard. We even built a snow fort! The kids didn't understand why Mommy and Daddy couldn't fit in too. I can't think of a better way to spend Valentine's Day than to pummel the family I love so much with snowballs and laugh until our sides hurt!

Chillin'

Saturday night we went to the Chiller in Dublin to go ice skating. We had a blast! Andy and I needed some serious chiropractic work and a foot massage from spending so much time holding up the kids, but it was worth it! Brooklyn was able to take a few "glides" on her own and Xavier did really well for his first time on the ice. We all hope to go back soon. There were many tears when it was time to leave.

Snowy Day

I'm a little behind, but a couple of weeks ago we had our first substantial snow. The kids couldn't wait for it to stop snowing so they could get outside. Once we got them dressed in enough layers to rival Randy on A Christmas Story, they ran out into the glorious white stuff. Brooklyn immediately dove into the snow for a quick snow angel. She also thought snow tasted pretty good. Xavier wasn't so sure. He thought it was awfully cold to be outside. He decided that sledding was a pretty fun thing to do. After all the fun, there was work to do. Brooklyn and Xavier each have a child sized shovel. While Andy and I shoveled the driveway, they tackled the yard?! Xavier decided it would be fun to dump a shovel full of snow onto the dog. Lucky for her, she has pretty quick reflexes and got out of the way. Next, Xavier went after his sister. He carried a full shovel across our entire front yard to where she was loading the sled full of snow. She had no idea he was coming. I was having way too much fun watching to warn her of the impending doom. He raised the shovel as high as he could and let loose, unintentionally,...on himself!! It was all I could do to swallow my laughter as I brushed the snow from his face. Hopefully, that taught him a lesson!

Happy 2007!

We rang in the new year at the Marshal's house. We had fondue for supper, which is always an adventure with two two year olds. During dessert, Xavier kept pointing across the table at Charis and saying "MESS!" He really thought she could use a napkin! After we put the kids to bed, we stayed up way too late playing games and eating way too much Chex mix. Driving home at 2:30 was a little scary, but we arrived home safely. I hope 2007 brings us as much joy as 2006 did!

Water, Water Everywhere!

December 28th and 29th we went to Fort Rapids indoor waterpark in Columbus with the Kings. Brooklyn and Jonathan picked up right where they left off. It was so funny to hear their little "adult" conversations...They will always be by each others sides, they stick together, and Brooklyn will be the princess and Jonathan will be the prince. At one point in their conversation, Brooklyn told Jonathan that when she grows up she's going to be a King(because she's sure she will marry Jonathan) and Jonathan responded that he's going to be an astronaut! They are so adorable together!
We had a great time at the waterpark. Brooklyn and Xavier stayed mostly in the kiddie area. Brooklyn thought the water in the bigger kids area was too cold. I don't want to think about why the kiddie area was so much warmer!
We stayed in a suite with the Kings. When bedtime rolled around, we put all four kids in one room! It went much better than expected! Then, the adults were able to chat and play games. It was a great time to catch up. We miss you, Kings!


I didn't learn from the first time...I can't rotate a video. Oh well!

Over the river and through the woods to Oma and Opa's house we go!

We spent the rest of Christmas day at Oma and Opa's house. Brooklyn spun the day away showing off the "spinniest skirt ever!" Xavier received a party bubble machine and loved filling the living room with bubbles. They didn't taste very good!

Christmas Morning

By some miracle, everyone slept in until 8:00 Christmas morning. That was a gift in itself! After reading the Christmas story out of Luke, the kids dove into the presents. Brooklyn insisted that Daddy open his gifts first. What a sweetie! Brooklyn's favorite gift was the porcelin tea set and Xavier was very excited about his new dinosaurs. It was a wonderful, calm morning!

Christmas Eve

The kids had a great time baking the annual "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake. They couldn't believe I actually let them lick a beater! The icing and sprinkles were definitely their favorites. Xavier dug holes in the cake with his spatula while Brooklyn painstakingly placed each individual sprinkle in its perfect spot on the side of the cake.
After grilling out for supper, we headed to the Christmas Eve service at church. The kids were so anxious to get home to eat their cake! Xavier walked out of the sanctuary in the middle of the service and Andy had to chase after him(much to the amusement of those sitting behind us!)

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's

We had Christmas at my parents' house on Saturday this year. Xavier received a monster Playmobil castle that has a million pieces! The box claims it will take 2 hours to assemble it! Andy has started on it. We'll see how long it actually takes!

In a Little Stable

Brooklyn's preschool had their yearly Christmas program on Tuesday evening. The program had the usual retelling on Luke 2 and dancing angels, but the best moment of all was watching my little angel singing her little heart out. Just before we left the house, Brooklyn discovered that her favorite fish had "gone to a better place." Does the toilet count as better? Hysteric crying complete with red blotchy face and hiccups followed. She did NOT want to go to her school. She wanted to mourn her fish. I finally convinced her to go, but she would only sing because "it makes Jesus's heart happy." Aww!

Here is Brooklyn with her class singing In a Little Stable. She was so excited to discover her buddy Taylor(standing next to her) was also wearing a red plaid dress.

I spent some of the program giving Xavier piggy-back rides in the back of the gym just to keep him quiet. I'm sure everyone appreciated the occasional giggle over a bored scream.

Ballerina Girl

Avery and Brooklyn love dancing together.

What a lovely arabesque!

Every December we are allowed to watch one of Brooklyn's dance classes. I love to watch her dance! She has a great teacher who makes learning how to really dance lots of fun! She knows the five positions and the next time you see her, ask her what she does with her chicken nugget during class. You'll be surprised, I was!

Here is a brief clip of Brooklyn's class. Unfortunately, I can't get my video editing software to work so you'll have to watch it sideways!

Tis the Season

Saturday was our annual ABF(Sunday School Class)Christmas Party. Great fun was had by all who attended! We even braved the cold weather to carol at a few houses. Brooklyn didn't want to go along because "Mommy, you know I don't like to sing." But, Xavier loved joining in with the group. Who knew we had a group who could sing so well? After we all warmed up and watched the end of the UCLA/USC game, we had the ever-amusing white elephant exchange. We tried to keep the kids occupied in the dining room with a VeggieTales Christmas, but the minute they heard the wrapping paper, they came running! The best/worst gift this year had to be the lovely rust colored chair brought by the Bakers. I'm so thankful for this group!

O, Christmas Tree!

We spent Saturday morning putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house for the holidays. Brooklyn and Xavier loved pulling the ornaments out of the boxes and placing them on the tree. We only had one ornament casualty and I think it can be glued. Brooklyn placed the angel on top of the tree for the second year in a row. Xavier got to turn on the lights after everything was put on the tree. Don't worry, it's a remote. We don't let Xavier play with electrical outlets! It was neat to see his eyes light up with the tree as he pushed the button. Both kids were excited to be able to play with the VeggieTales nativity set again. They've been asking for it to come out of the crawlspace since Easter! I'm already tired of hearing Junior sing "O Little Town of Bethlehem."