white friday...

No waking up at the break of dawn or earlier to wait in line for deals at stores for this momma (are you kidding?  lose more sleep?), rather our Friday after Thanksgiving was spent with dear friends having fun in our first playable snowfall.  So. much. fun.

and how cute are these babies?!!

thankful....

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."   James 1:17

"Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."    Psalm 103:1-5 

Bless the Lord, oh my soul!

a lovely evening...

I love my husband so.  His birthday is 5 days after H's, and although I had plans to make it special,  S didn't mind that I couldn't find a gift for him this year, the house didn't get cleaned, G had to leave approximately 30 minutes after he got home from work, my attempt at making steak and potatoes for supper was awful (read non-edible!!!), and the birthday pie was not homemade.

So life is made of a lot of planned days like H's and S's birthdays that don't turn out like we hoped, but it is also made up of a lot of wonderful surprises like last week Wednesday.  S was off for the day, and we didn't have much planned, but on a spur of the moment he asked if we wanted to have a campfire for supper.  And so we did, and what a great evening we had together - pizza sandwich picnic, smores, and playing in the dark on a chilly fall night...

(3 kids swinging in the dark, can you see them? =)

Thankful, so thankful, for wonderful evenings like these, and yes, also for evenings like H's and S's birthdays.  While none of them turned out like I thought they would, at the end of each night I was overwhelmed by the incredible blessings that God has given us.

a birthday...

My baby turned one on Nov 2.  There.  I said it.  I still can hardly believe it, but I said it.  Without tears this time even...ok, maybe just a few. =)

Birthdays are pretty low-key for us.  We celebrate together and usually invite over family and neighbors to join us if they can, but no themes or invites or Chuck-E-Cheese or dozens of little kids running all over.  We also usually go out to eat at Noodles and Co, a family favorite.  Requests are also granted for dessert/cake and some other special foods on the big day.  And of course gifts, which I told you we are starting to do the want, need, wear, read, and also any homemade when we can.

But I really wanted to do something special for this baby of mine for his birthday since he is #4.  I didn't want it just to be run over or forgotten in all the busy that is four children.  Now I know, this was really just for me as a momma, and for photos for him later since all he needs for the day to be special is for momma and dadda to hold and snuggle him a little extra and for big sister and brothers to dote on him just a little extra too.  BUT, I moved forward with plans for a simple gathering after supper with yummy cupcakes and pretzels/crackers and dip to make for low stress and easy visiting (hindsight, I would have forgotten drinks like I always do and would have stressed about it, sigh.).

 (Don't worry, I didn't go totally overboard here, 

I emailed this out using a super easy app that sis.in.law A showed me.)

I also moved forward with plans for gifts for this little boy...a tiny water bottle like his brothers' and sisters' big ones (want), new soft shoes since the hand-me-down ones were almost worn through (need - thanks Aahma and Boppa!), new bibs to let him go to town with eating table food himself (wear - thanks Aahma and Papa!), favorite new book to replace the falling apart one that he can't get enough of (read), a fabulous home-made toy from his siblings, and a momma-made gift.  A gift I have been obsessing about eyeing since this summer and finally decided that I was not going to let the excuse of 4 kids and no time stop me from making it for him. 

I had been working on the gift during naptimes for almost 3 weeks before his birthday and was thinking I would really be able to get it done though I had to promise my dear husband that I would not stress out about it and that I knew if he got it a week late that it was ok.  But I really thought I could get it done (with only minimal stressing!) until it came to the Tuesday before his birthday.   I got a terrible head cold, before I was even done getting over my last head cold.  But I thought if I could just get through to Friday I could rest and be sick after that.  Well, the Lord apparently needed to remind me again that I am not in control over everything even when I am trying to not stress about it.  I came down with the stomach flu Thursday night.  Bluch.  Then H came down with my horrible head cold so he was sick and miserable too!  Fortunately S had taken H's birthday off so H and I were able to just be sick and sleep all day Friday while S took care of everything else.  But H's party was officially cancelled, I officially did not finish my gift, and I was upset about it all.  I thought I was upset for H because I wanted him to have such a special birthday, when really I was upset for myself because it didn't turn out the way I wanted it too.

And then the big kids got home from school and were all excited for the birthday boy.  I was able to be awake for more than 30 minutes.  We got Noodles for supper and I felt like eating.  We stuck a candle in a rice crispie bar from noodles and we sang Happy Birthday 2 times because H enjoyed it so much and smiled and clapped.  We gave him his presents (mostly unwrapped...shhhh! don't tell!) and he loved them.  And...

...H took his first steps.  On his first birthday.

It was SUCH a special birthday, one that all of us will remember.  Yes partly because we were sick, but mostly because of H's laughs and giggles and how proud he was when he took that first step and we all cheered him on!  And how we had such a good evening together despite the sick and no party.

Lesson learned (until 5 days later, but that is a story for another post).  Now onto pictures!

 Happy Birthday sweet H!  (he loved the rice crispie bar, by the way)

(and just so you don't freak out I quickly took the flaming candle away before he grabbed it =)

And here is the game the kids made H!!!  It is seriously awesome.

They decorated the sides and top of an oatmeal container, and I cut the hole in the top.

Then they filled it with plastic practice golf balls.

And now H can have fun putting all the golf balls in the container for a hole in one ("since he is ONE now momma!").

I know he looks skeptical in the photo, but give the boy a break - he was running a fever!  He really loves it and will sit and play with this over and over.  And the big kids loved that they were able to make him a gift!

And is this not the cutest no-haired sipping on a tiny water bottle wearing new tractor shoes one year old ever?

Love him.

Always.

(stay tuned for a post on his accomplishments now that he is one,

and also a post on that gift I am almost done making him!)

fun friday...

 Coon Rapids Dam

supposed to be a special picnic snack of "monkey smores"...

but silly "gettingdarkbeforefiveoclock" time is already upon us...

so snacks were enjoyed indoors instead.  (warmer and easier to clean up the mess too!)

a fair birthday...

Yes I know that I was going to post about G's birthday last week before H's, but there is always something, right?  This time it was stomach flu for the momma resulting in a cancelled 1st birthday party...but that is another post.  Here's G's birthday!

G's birthday at the end of August is always during the MN state fair.  We haven't always gone on her birthday though.  In fact the last time we were at the fair on her actual birthday she was this age:

This year it worked out that S was able to get her birthday off and it was also the only day that worked for us to go to the fair this year.  G, while she LOVES the fair, didn't know if that was how she wanted to spend her whole birthday...but by the end of it she thought it was pretty cool that we got to spend her birthday doing so many fun things at the fair:

*Getting in the fair this year was especially fun for all because we all got in free!  The big kids had earned tickets for reading in a library (not our own) summer reading program, and C's name was drawn to win fair tickets in our own library's summer reading program drawing.  There was even 2 tickets left over for Uncle L and Auntie J to use the following week. =)

*Going to the fair was especially important this year as well because we had gotten a call from G's art teacher the day the fair opened, and she had submitted a painting that G had done during the school year and it won a 3rd place ribbon!  So exciting for G!  We were pretty proud too. =)

Three other classmates of G's also won ribbons for paintings so it was really fun for G to find everyone's names and work.  We thought this showed some pretty good talent in G's class considering the number of entries from how many different schools in the metro.

*Next on the super important list after finding G's art was the Little Farm Hands, being that we missed it last year.  We HAD to get this photo for G (ignore this momma sobbing "oh my sweet baby girl is getting sooooo big!"):

That and the kids just love it.  I like to think they inherited a little farming blood from me...

G was particularly happy that the guy running the tractor booth was kind enough to let her drive the little tractors one more year.  Because as you can see from the chicken pictures above, she was taller than 4 chickens even with the most impressive slouch she could muster.  She pouted pretty good and made a comment about it being her birthday and the guy said, "Well, maybe just this last time."  =)

*Next on the B important fair items was food:

-cheeseburger bites (these were new and suprisingly good)

-wild rice cheeseburgers (S & my favorite)

-corn dogs

-waffle fries

*Then onto the horticultural building where the honey bee exhibits and apple exhibits are always great to go through, and S enjoyed the new craft beer exhibit as well.

And more food was consumed!  Apple cider freezies and cold apples were a huge treat on such a hot day (well above 90 degrees F!).

H was a big trooper and lasted WAY longer than we expected him to.  Some well timed naps in shady spots helped tremendously though.  That and he just LOVES being carried by momma and dadda (this was probably one of only 2 times he rode in the stroller).

*Skyride was next!  This started last year with one ride so the pregnant momma wouldn't have to walk all the way to the food building, and S and I were thinking it was just a special one year thing, but the kids think it should become a tradition.  So S rode with the big ones this year...

*Then came the animal buildings.  These are always fabulous with the kids, and also remind me a lot of going to the fair when I was a kid too.  We ended the animal barn tour with a fun game of B-E-E-F-O and learned possibly more than we wanted to about what other products have cow in them.

*It was now after 3 and the crowds were getting thicker and the air hotter and the kids crabbier.  So we skipped the Miracle of Birth Barn (can't do everything!), and went straight for our other all-time fair must-have, ice cream.  Not just any old fair ice cream, but ice cream from the Dairy Goodness Bar located next to the butter sculpture of Princess Kay of the Milky Way.  Super creamy ice cream topped with local yummy strawberries is our favorite fair treat.  So. Good.

By the time we were done with ice cream and back in the car, we were heading home during prime city traffic.  Like driving less than 10 mph for forever traffic.  I had kind of anticipated this, so I brought along something special for the birthday girl - a present to open from her aunt and uncle and cousins!

She was super excited for the Clementine books that were inside (and she loved the paper cake and tiny doll, G & K!!! =)...

 ...and the rest of the time passed quickly with reading.

Is that all the birthday fun a girl can handle?  NO!  What time is it?  Present-time! (2 points for PBS kid show reference =)

The want-need-wear-read present concept I found on a blog somewhere a while back, and we have been using it to try to keep from going present crazy and so that everyone gets thoughtful gifts.  (the bonus gifts in the corner are from grandparents and her cousins)  So "Want" was a new water bottle that she has been asking for, "Need" was a fun new game, "Wear" was a new dress for a wedding coming up, and "Read" was...

...the Little House on the Prairie Books (found the whole set in awesome condition at the used book store)!  So looking forward to reading these with her this next year.

So I think it is fair to say that G had a pretty great birthday. =)  Happy 7th Birthday to our sweet, loving, caring, enthusiastic, dramatic, happy girl.  We love you so much!