Easter 2009

He is risen! Happy Easter everyone! I hope you have all had a great time celebrating with friends and family. We've had a great Easter weekend. Daniel and I have been reading the crucifixion and resurrection passages with the girls. They ask so many questions! IT can get overwhelming sometimes thinking, "Are we saying the right things? Are we leading them to Christ?". But then we remember that they are His children and He is drawing them to Him, it's not on our shoulders to answer the perfect way, but to show the way to Him and show His love. Whoo...what a job! =)

So, we had a great Easter Sunday. There was a kid-friendly service at church this morning and then we went to Pam'ma and Grandpa's for lunch with the Greenwiches and the Dunnings (our duplex neighbors and good friends). The food was great, the fellowship was wonderful, and the kids had a fun Easter egg hunt. Also, they LOVED getting to dress up so cute in the dresses that Pam'ma brought them from the States this Christmas.

house changes

Well, we finally got our headboard made and painted our bedroom! Yay! Also, I moved Sydney into the bedroom with the girls, she sleeps better. Her nursery is now half office and half playroom. We are all loving it. The playroom makes it easy for the girls to entertain themselves even while Sydney is napping. Their kitchen is still in the bedroom, but they are cool with that being something they can do while Syd's awake. The whole set-up will change even more this summer when (I HOPE) we get bunk beds. Then the dresser in the office will be moved into the bedroom, the rocking chair will go to our neighbors, and I will get one more desk for the office. Then I will set up an L of desks, one for computer and one for scrapbook space. Yippee! Also, I am hoping to get beanbags for the girls for Christmas to make their play space have a little comfy corner for reading in. Anyway, here are some pictures of how it is right now.
I got the bookshelf painted too. The walls were a glossy sea blue (think cheap Florida resort). =) They are now brown, called Apache. Daniel and I are both very happy with it. Here are the nursery/playroom/office pictures (remember, it's a TINY room, so I coudn't get many angles).

Chef Abby

You all know how much Abby loves cooking and cooking shows and everything. Her life's dilemma right now is deciding if she is going to be an artist or a chef. I told her there is art in cooking and there can be cooking in art. That made her happy. SO, she is going to open a restaraunt and be an artist. So, all this to say, we have started one night a week "fancy dinners". The girls help me cook and we do candles and special place settings and all. The other week we did chicken nuggets and french fries. Here is a picture of how Abby set each plate. She went to teh garden and picked little purple flowers to put one in the center of each plate. Then she made a "sunshine" with teh french fries adn placed a nugget on the side. She was so proud of her artistic creation! And, of course, we're so proud of her. =)

found a little time

We cut Kaylee's hair about two weeks ago. Her hair is so fine it gives it more body to have it shorter. It was down past the middle of her back. After we cut it she was so proud that she had "short" hair...like Finley! =) Of course, she wasn't thrilled with getting her picture taken. I'm tellin' you, Dee, she reminds me of you in SO many ways.

Also, this silly green t-shirt looks SO good on her with her coloring...yes, I have to force her to wear it! Silly battle of me to pick, I know. I try not ot pick it too often.

life

Well, so I know it's been TOO LONG since an update. I apologize, but what do you expect from me? =) Well, life is just life right now. It feels like things have been really busy, but I can't tell you what we've been doing. Someone here said it just right this weekend...we've jsut been being a family. When there are so many people involved, plus campus community family, life just gets busy. You all know exactly what I am talking about. Anyway, my big thought for today is just that Abby did her Kindergarten screening test today! I mean, I have been thinking about her starting school for a LONG time, but it's so fun and big to me to think it's starting now! She's going to be in school next year and she'll never NOT be in school again as a kid!!!! Craziness.

I subbed a couple days this week in first grade. It was fun...and tiring. I got to meet some of the kids that will be in my class next year. That was fun. I will be teachign second grade for sure now. I am looking forward to it, but of course and prepped for a long hard haul at the beginning (like, the whole first year).

Anyway, I am just going to search through some pics and post a few. I know the girls have grown SO much since I last posted.

These are a couple shots that a friend of ours took here. The one with me and Syd isn't fixed or anything, but it's a shot of her.

So, have run out of time, kids need snacks of course. I will hit this again today and post more pictures. I PROMISE!!!!!!!!!!!

Abby and Kaylee enjoying watching us make fools of ourselves attempting to square dance!








Our newest friend...Madelyn Alana Greenwich! Two weeks old and sweet as can be. Of course she'll be Sydney's best friend forever. =)















Yay! We caught a smile!







































First family photo, I think.

October 2008

So, here is our chunked up Sydney! Every time we get her smiling and laughing, it stops JUST when we get the camera out. Someday we'll get you a smiling pic.
The school social committee planned a hoe down Oct 11th. This horse was there for the kids to ride. Abby and Kaylee had been pumping themselves up for a WEEK saying "I'm going to ride the horse!!!" Of course, when it came time to do it, Kaylee just flat said NO and Abby kept thinking she would get on and then chickening out. One time she even said she would ride with this older girl that's here, but then SCREAMED when the man started lifting her up! Yeah, it was embarrassing. THEN, she decided she really did want to ride, but with me and she wanted Daddy to lift her up. SO....here is our brave girl!
Dan had a fun time roasting hot dogs and marshmallows with the girls over the bonfire.
This is Sydney at the hoedown, so it's a nice recent picture. Like her double...or triple...chin???
CUTE!!! So Caleb missed out on the photo op, but the kiddos were "cheesing" so well we couldn't pass up the chance.