Mary and Joseph....go long...HUT!

Will was playing super quiet one afternoon and when I looked in on him, this is what I found! Priceless!

Christmas 2009... fa la la la la, la la la la!

This year we tried to simplify our Christmas and focus on the true meaning of Christ's birth! The kids each received 3 gifts, just like the Wisemen had presented to baby Jesus....we continued that new tradition through all our family parties throughout the day and the kids still received a bunch of gifts! Here are just a few glimpses into the memories created this year as we celebrated the birth of that miraculous baby.The kids posing with the toy that they received from Ryan and I....of the three gifts I believe this one was their favorite. My friend had given me the idea of doing the three gifts and each one had a purpose. One was for their mind, another for their body and the last was something for them.

Our future football player!
Grandma and Will!Can you see her jaw dropped open? She has been waiting for a swimming baby since her friend Kennedy had one once at a play date at the aquatic center! And it sure was worth the wait as we were headed to a hotel the next day and did lots of swimming:)

Will's most anticipated gift.....he has wanted a loader since the first day we dropped Kailyn off at Threeschool and he saw one on the shelf. Everyday since then he had asked for a loader....well buddy, enjoy!
This year we had baskets made for our parents with their last names on them. We then filled them with things that made us think of them. The kids even made them an ornament!
One of the best gifts I have ever received!!! ( I couldn't get Will to keep one on his head!)Both the kids received guitars from gma and gpa Stehouwer....we have been serenaded on a regular basis since:) Of course Will wanted to put on his boots right then and there! All in all, we had a busy day, but a good day, filled with family and good food. Happy Birthday Jesus!

Almost!

This past June, during one of the big storms, our basement filled with water! It was pretty typical to get a little water, especially if the ground had already reached it's saturation level, but this time it was all the way into the playroom:( Here are just a few pictures of our most recent home improvement project! We are almost there, just a few finishing touches left to go!I had wanted to get rid of this ugly carpet since we purchased the house almost 3 years ago....I guess that's one way to get it done!

A work in progress.....Everything but the stairs are done....but we have been using the big beautiful room a ton. Thanks for all your hard work honey...even when you didn't feel like it or things weren't going to plan:)We were blessed to receive free couches from a family friend and have now filled the room with toys and a TV too! What an amazing transformation from what it was..........we have made it our home!
The kids love their chalkboard wall.... it has afforded many hours of entertainment!

Holiday Baking!

Over the last few days we have been baking and decorating!!! The kids and I have made peanut butter tempation cookies, traditional Christmas cookies and our reindeer cookies! It is so much fun to bake with the kids and to give goodies away.....we just need to get everything out of the house so we don't eat it all:)The kids this morning putting frosting and sprinkles on their cutout cookies!

Kailyn kept with it and ended up doing about 10 cookies before she was finished and I think that was just because she had run out of frosting!I found these reindeer cookies in the "Family Fun" magazine last year and they are just so cute and easy! This morning Kailyn's job was to put on the chocolate chip eyes and Will's was to put on the nose......well Will kept eating the M&M's so I took over his job:) All in all another wonderful season of baking completed! This year was so much more fun with Kailyn really getting into it and being able to do alot of it herself.....can't wait to see what Will does next year:)

Sled and Shovel.......

After work yesterday, Ryan went on an errand of love for the kids! We desperately needed some sleds for the kids and he even came home with little snow shovels for each of them:) Will was so excited that he used his the rest of the night indoors....he watched TV in it, sat with daddy and pretended to ride down a hill and even took it to his room when it was bedtime!It goes to show that it doesn't take much to entertain our kids....I think Kailyn would have probably done the same if she hadn't had the stomach flu:(

Snow!

Although we didn't get as much snow as the surrounding areas, we had a blast playing in the snow on Friday morning:) Snow angels were up first and then it was a free for all including some swinging and a baby snowman!

'Tis the Season!

Tuesday night was a busy one for our family!!! Ryan and Will headed to the parade of lights downtown and had some great father-son time watching the floats. Will came home exclaiming that he saw the "Grinch" and lots of dogs! What a mild, beautiful night for a parade.Kailyn took Grandma and Grandpa to her school for the "Over the River and Through the Woods" grandparent night! They got to do some crafts, games and hear a story, as well as some snacks.

Kailyn eating a yummy cookie!
Picking just the right pinecone to make her ornament:)Showing grandpa around.Thanks for a great night Grandma and Grandpa....I know that Kailyn had a great time!!!

And while everyone else was away, I actually had almost an hour and a half at home by myself......I can't tell you the last time that had happened! So..... I washed the floors, took a bubble bath with a good book and painted my toenails (all while listening to my favorite Christmas CD)....it was great!!!!!