Surfs Up

 Happy March!

It sure came in like a lion, I had no idea it was suppose to snow

but I'm glad it did

we had lots of fun sledding with the boys after school

this years new thing, try and surf down hill

our kids sure are getting big

i haven't had my camera out a lot lately but I'm so glad I grabbed it capture all our fun 

an outing wouldn't be complete without a group shot

say cheese

now, 

throw your hands up in the air,

 wave them like you just don't care

thanks for a great afternoon boys and for the milk and cookies afterwards!

Hello Twenty Twelve

Happy New Year!

The girls and I rang in the new year watching Little House on the Prairie.  We're in season 8 now, it's the years when Mrs Olsen adopts a daughter, Nancy, and she's just like Nellie and Laura is all grown up and having children.  

Jason had New Year's day off, we went to church and out for lunch and then came home to hang out together and enjoy the last day of Christmas break. 

One of my new year resolutions is to eat more salad.  I want to have a green salad at more of our dinners, there are just so many more nutrients in your vegetables when you don't cook them. So, guess what we had with dinner last night? ;o)

 I saw this on pinterest the other day

(source)

and it convicted me.  

Am I giving thanks always? for all things?

I ran across this post and loved the idea but then more recently I saw her talk about this app and liked the idea of that too!

Basically, I've decided it's a great year to keep track of and record one of the gifts I receive each day.  I hope that in doing this it will open my eyes to the many blessing the Lord gives me and how much I have to be thankful for.

1 Thes 5:18

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus

I have to share what Abigail told me, she said one of her New Year resolutions is to be nicer to her sister, how sweet is that.

And Ash told me last night that she wants to be baptized.

It's going to be a great 2012!

Singing for Jesus

The girls were part of the Children's Christmas Program at church again this year.

It is one of my favorite Sundays of the year.

I love listening to all the kids sing praise and worship to our King.

Abigail had a speaking part she memorized Matt 1:20-21

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Merry Christmas!

Handmade Christmas

You know what I love?  All the things the girls are making for Christmas.

Every time I walk by one I can't help but smile.

1. Ash's colored Christmas frog and and herself made out of cardboard 2. Abigail made the elf and Ash made the Santa 3. Right after Thanksgiving Abigail made her own countdown chain, she wrote love on every link

1. Ash's gingerbread house (she was sick the last day of school and missed her Christmas party but her sweet kindergarten teacher sent everything home so she could still make one) 2. Ash's cute pine cone grass 3. Ash has made and wrapped presents for us all and put them under the tree.

This is Abigail's present she made for us at school.  I already love the bag so I know I'll love what's inside!

It sure is sweet to have so many handmade things around.  I'm so glad I took a picture of them all.  It really is the little things that bring me so much joy.

Thanks girls for all the love that you add to our home.  

mini ice skating rink

Back to Normal

Last night as I cleaned up after dinner I couldn't stop smiling.

The giggles and screams coming out of the girls as they wrestled with their dad made me so happy.

I had almost forgotten how much I loved hearing that. Oh  how sweet the sound of 2 girls playing with their dad is.

The new Boise Kohl's is finally opened.  Hooray!  Jason has been working so very hard the last couple of months.  He worked 90+ hours a week which made for long days and nights.  I'm not sure how he could do it, I'm so very proud of him.  Yesterday was his first day off in 10 days and oh how we loved having home with us!  There were many days the girls would only get to see him for a few minutes in the morning and then they'd be in bed long before he came back at night.

But we made it, we survived another store opening! and things are getting back to normal around here. 

Attention! Angry Bird Lovers

One night we got a knock at the door

Cody and Luke were over to hand deliver a letter to the girls

I opened it up and read the following:

Attention! angry bird lovers

here is a angry bird contest

the pigs have grown stronger

we need you to make a new angry bird!

directions: draw a angry bird and tell us it's power 

it must be new

then send it back to Cody, Luke and Ryan

Isn't that such a great idea.  The girls loved it.  

We got the five together and had a little angry bird contest.

They had fun seeing what each other came up with.

 Of course there was no winner, they were all so very creative.  Melissa and I did come with awards for everyone.

Cody - Most Creative Award

Abigail - Most Powerful Award

Luke - Most Dangerous Award

Ashylnn - Most Funny Award

Ryan - Most Birdy Award

It sure is fun to watch these five together.  And you never know what idea they're going to come up with next.

Camp Out Day!

Add up

A hot summer day

5 crazy kids

games

(just dance, water balloons, stepping stone, bowling)

food

(sno cones, bbq dinner, s'mores) 

a pool

(coin dive, chicken fights, glow sticks) 

a huge tent

and you'll get a fun camp out day!

Fireworks with Friends

7.4.11

We had a fun night celebrating the 4th with the boys.

*I love that the boys all had red mustaches

*Abigail's favorite firework was the torpedo, I think (I'll check with her when she gets back home)

*Cody knew all the names of the fireworks

*Ryan would use his sparkler to catch fire to other fireworks

*Ash had a smoke bomb land at her feet

*The new neighbor boy shared his fireworks with us

*Ash said her feet hurt and so she needed a drink, an excuse to go inside Melissa's house

*Luke couldn't wait to light the blood sucker, their $20 grand finale firework

*We didn't tell the kids we were lighting off a string of black cats, you should have seen all their faces. (Melissa and I both tried to get a picture of their reaction but missed it)

*Jason would just all of a sudden set off a fire cracker, scaring us half to death

*Ashy loved the sparklers, Abigail didn't

*Ash covered her ears a lot

*Fighting tanks were a big thing this year

*The kids enjoyed every minute of it!

Crackle your Mood

at our house

the new rave

  is all about

CRACKLE

and

WHAT'S YOUR MOOD

fingernail polish

i'm even sporting the new look

i sure love having girls!

The End

Monday was the end of soccer.  

Abigail's last game was a couple of weekends ago but she was participating in a weekly soccer clinic.  She would go practice with professional coaches, her and J learned a lot.  Those girls were run hard.

Thursday was the end of Tball.  

Ash had her last game and then excitedly said, "Now, I'm going to practice soccer."

Friday was the end of 2nd grade

Here she is on the 1st day and last day.

Abigail had a great year.  At the last assembly she received an award for Most Responsible.  Way to go!  

Ash's preschool days have ended,

she had her graduation program and is now officially a big kindergartner!

The Greatest Title in the World

 MOM

I love being a mom to these two beautiful girls.

They bring me so much joy and laughter.

When I picked Ashlynn up from school on Thursday all the kids walked out holding a Cheesecake Factory bag.  Ash handed it to me, I told her thank you and we headed home.  As we were walking I finally realized there was actually a piece of cheesecake in that there bag.  A piece all for me!  Ash said yes mom and I can't even have a bite, Miss Joy said so. 

Once we got home Ash went through the bag and handed me all my gifts.  A sweet card with a drawing of me on it, a cute little bird house and a chocolate piece of cheesecake. 

Abigail came home Friday and immediately walked up to her room and told me she was working on something and that I couldn't come in her room.  That girl is good at keeping a surprise, many times I asked her if I could have my present and she'd say it's not Mother's day yet.  I told her we didn't know the person who made up the rule, that it had to be the day to get the gift, and she could just go ahead and give it to me.  But she wasn't persuaded.  I had to wait until Mother's day.

Sunday morning the girls each gave me posters they had made and Abigail had the sweetest book made all about me.  On the last page you had to draw a picture of your mom and of course she drew me with braces, ha.

We enjoyed a nice service at church, I was happy my parents missed their service and joined us.  There's something special about sitting in church next to your mom and holding your two girls.  It brought back memories of all the many Sundays I sat their with my parents and Grandma Tuning when I was a kid.

After church we met up at my Grandma and Grandpa's house.  It was nice to celebrate Mother's day with her.

Thanks for a beautiful day, I'm so thankful for all the mom's in my life. 

Bieber Fever

Abigail and Ash couldn't wait to go see the new Justin Bieber movie.

And if I was telling the whole truth I'd mention that I was excited about going to see it too.

The girls talk like they are going to marry to him or at least be his girlfriend.  And Abigail keeps saying, "I just wish I could talk to him or meet him!" and Ash, she just says how much she loves him.

Bieber fever has hit!

So, over our 4 day weekend the girls, Michayla and Abigail's friend, sister and mom and I all went to see it.

Of course, before we could go we had to go find some *cute* JB shirts.

We LOVED the movie!  Really!  I laugh at how many times I actually teared up during it.  And the girls they are even more crazy about him now.

Ash is constantly making a heart with her hands when she talks about him, it's too cute.

And Abigail, she now wants to be a famous singer.

Super Bowl 2011

 This weekend we (okay the girls) played in (what I've decided should be a yearly thing) the first annual 'neighbor super bowl'.

 

It was fun being a spectator for this game.

Children's Church

Sunday was the Children's Program at Church.

I love to hear all the kids singing.

I was happy that Michayla was a part of it again this year. I wish I would have taken a pic of the 3 girls together.

This year Ash and Michayla were in the same group singing How Great Our Joy

and Abigail was in a small group singing What Can I Give Him.

Jason worked, so he missed the program, but the girls decided to put on a special program for him last night.  It was very sweet.  They giggled through a lot of it and were hamming it up but Jason smiled and clapped through the whole thing.

Snow Much Fun

Hello December

So glad to see you and all this snow!

What a great day for a snow day.

Both girls couldn't wait to get out there in it and play.

So, that's just what we did.

 Then the girls couldn't wait to play with their favorite snow buddies, so we did that too.

  

 Melissa built the kids a hill to slide down, what a hit.

 

What a fun day of playing in the snow!