Valentine-ish recap and what we are up to...

I amight have said this before but Valentines is one of my fav holidays...it is about love, it requires ALOT of red, and is full of candy... what more could a girl want???

Being that it fell mid-week we didn't do too much as a couple but we shared lots of fun time with the kids, special treats etc. I love being able to spend time with family and here's what takes place when we do - laughs and twirls! The laughter during this should've been recorded - Abbi is dizzy, Taylor is dizzy (aka supergir), but both screaming for more:)
This little party at church took quie a bit of time but was totally worth it. The Lord was faithful and all were "in love" with the results. The cupcake liner pom poms were a HUGE hit! and not terribly expensive. How did styrofoam balls get to be $6 though - like a solar system science project must be worth a fortune these "many" years later.

Braden was the only one to do Valentine's for school - we did the shovels and the wording "I dig you!" on it. Just realized I have no pics of the finished project - how does that happen???

And just for kicks.. my sweet girl..growing so fast. We are anticipating some major changes with middle school on the horizon. I am trying hard to hear the voice of God with where they are supposed to be. School is supposed to be challenging. It is supposed to be about academics. Do I think my chilren will be Nobel Prize Winners - the chances are slim. Do I want them to get into great colleges .... YES! We must take this one day at a time. Do i want to be chained to a dining room table for three hours a night with homework ...NO!!!

But these children are my life... I want the best for them... if that means some changes and inconveniences on us as parents...that should be o.k. with us...Their success is our responsibility. Am I nervous...You better believe it! What if they struggle? Didn't I struggle? Sure! But it is much easier I think to be the one struggling than to watch your loved one struggle - particularly your children. Please Lord, Guide us and give us the ability to follow that guidance!

As I am typing Braden and Abbi come in to ask this "we want to take a picture. I will be in a tux and Abbi wants to wear your wedding dress." They have just spend nearly an hour giving foot massages, and he used the straightener to straighten her hair. Oh how I wish they could play like this all the time. Stay tuned for the wedding picture soon:)

Right Back at ya...

or interpreted means "I love you!" - (in Abbi language) She is a super loving, amazingly kind spirit but it is severly like pulling teeth getting her to say she loves you. One thing I want to remember about her is her heart but yet her "arms length" style. She is not a touchy, feely kinda girl (wonder where she gets that from?) She would rather have an arm chopped off than actually say the words "I love you" Her Aunt Lisa tried to get her to say it back the other day and it was the funniest thing - almost like who could hold out the longest. She doesn't give in easily!

Sometimes I have to remember that this blog is as much for history keeping as it is for sharing craft projects. I know I can look back and remember some great stories that I might've forgotten.

Here's hoping you are having an amazing Valentine's Day - this is the first time I feel like it's an ordinary day but yet very extraordinary - sounds weird, I know. I spent the day at the school with the kiddos doing all sorts of Valentiny stuff. I had their goodies with love notes laid out for them this morning when they woke up. They all loved their stuff and I was surprised when Mason decided to bake me breakfast - unfortunately Daddy got it since we had to bolt early for Valentine's Breakfast at school. He can be sweet when he wants to:)

I wanted to give you guys a look at our family photos we took last month.

This was one of the last shots of the day - and of course Abbi's face tells her disdain for public affection - LOVE it!
A kiss in the park (note: these shots are harder than they look!)

He HANDS DOWN is my most photogenic child - melts my heart everytime!

Eyes are the window to the soul....

Fun stuff, again, NOT easy!

A picture of us girls -

Here's to remembering the reason for this day....loving those dear to you....showing them small pieces of your heart...hope you enjoy your day!

There is snow somewhere!

I found the zip drive of our TreeTrek in Canada and thought you might enjoy seeing our adventure. Here is a shot of how high we climbed to then be sent flying down the wire - it was AMAZING! We have done this before but in a different country with MUCH different weather. The snow added a whole new element:
See...we totally enjoyed ourselves!

Look ma... not hands:)

Hopefully I can be back to a "normal" blogging schedule soon. My to-do list has apparently eaten it's Wheaties because it won't.quite.growing!!