Comfy Kung Fu

Here they are all comfy, ready for Kung Fu Panda. Do you notice the haircuts? They both got one!

I don't know how comfortable this really is, but they love it!

Christmas Day - Video

This is Boxing Day, in the afternoon, after nap time (notice the bed head!). I lost my voice due to my cold. It's still gone, but doing much better. At least I can talk a little louder without cracking. Here is "Glorious", revisited.

Star light, star bright

Just some more of his little jabbering, I haven't put any video of him talking on the blog yet, so I am making up for lost time:-)

Counting, for some reason when we got to five it inspired him to start our phone number (the zeros come after the 5 in our number), too cute.

Family Greeting - Video

First some alphabet fun, then a big hello to everyone from Kenna!

Here is Brooks. singing his ABC's. Smarty pants!

Kenna's turn!

A little greeting, saying everyones names...

Too many names for one little clip to hold! I like at the end when Brooksie says "and babies". He loves babies.

Dancing & Singing - Video

They love to dance together

Some great gymnastic moves from Kenna

She loves the song we sing at church "Glo-ria", but she says Glorious and doesn't know any of the other words

Toy Fun - Video

They were playing so nicely with the Geo Tracks Saw Mill & Train...then he figured out how to make it chop the lumber!

Another little "I Did It!" belly dance.

A little talk about football

Movie Mania - Video

Here are a few video clips from our present-opening.

Watch how fast he shows his disapproval when Daddy motions "No" to him!

A gift for me? Brooks was very excited about Kenna's stroller!

A sad cry, he wanted to play with it first!

Come see

"Mom! Mom! Come see all the stuff we bought!" They are going to love putting it all back!

We are really working on the smile nicely for the camera instruction. It's a slow process for this crazy girl.

Motherhood at it's finest & worst

It's got to be the true test of motherhood, and unconditional love...to be barfed on in the middle of the night, and say "it's ok, it's ok" over and over to a sick kid. The delightful child obviously knew something was amiss, but instead of staying in his bed and thinking about it, he decided to come find Mommy. Just in time to vomit all over me, the bed, and my pillow. What do they say about counting it all JOY! Laundry, baths, showers, and an adrenaline rush that kept me up for a couple hours. Poor little Brooksie.

The cause for the sickness (I think), is his vaccines and (against my better judgment) the flu shot. He has a low fever, and his arms are very hot and sore, but he seems to have bounced back and is doing fine today, aside from looking pretty tired.

At his appointment yesterday they weighed him naked, and he was 27.8lbs, which is the 75th percentile (he is 90th for height!!). I threw Kenna up on the scale, clothes, shoes and all, and she was 28 lbs, so it looks like he's surpassed her in weight, and it won't be long with height...he's almost there. She's always been just below the 50th percentile, so we have one teeny one, and one big one!

This is the second time I've had to deal with barf (on me) in the middle of the night. Last year it was Kenna's turn to share the love. I'm sure it won't be the last time either...but I sure hope so!

Christmas Letter 2008

This is our Christmas letter for this year. Click on the image to read it. Click here to see the best pictures and posts of 2008! Merry Christmas to all!

Cranberry Hootycreeks - Recipe

I found this cookie-in-a-jar recipe on a Stampin' Up blog I check out. It seems so good, and looks so pretty in the jar, I will have to try it out. Love the name too!

Layer the following in a quart-size jar:
5/8 C flour
1/2 C rolled oats
1/2 C flour (yes, another layer of flour)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/3 C brown sugar
1/3 C white sugar
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C white chocolate chips
1/2 C chopped pecans

Print these instructions on the tag:
In a large bowl, cream together:
1/2 C butter
1 egg
1 t vanilla

Beat with a mixer until the mixture is fluffy. Add the entire jar of ingredients and mix together by hand until well blended. Drop small rounded balls onto a greased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until edges start to brown. Makes approximately 24 medium sized cookies.

Cake in a Mug - Recipe

I got this recipe in an email from my mom, it's a really fun one to try! I made it once and will adjust the cooking time slightly for my microwave, it was too dry. My mom made it too for bible study one night, and they were perfect. 3 T of chocolate chips is too many though, they mostly sank to the bottom. A very fun thing to do with kids, Kenna loved it!

1 coffee mug
4 T flour (plain, not self-rising)
4 T sugar
2 T cocoa
1 egg
3 T milk
3 T oil
Small splash of vanilla
3 T chocolate chips, optional

Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well with a fork. Add egg, mix thoroughly. Pour in milk and oil and vanilla, mix well. Add chips, if using. Put mug in microwave, and cook for three minutes on 1000 watts. Cake will rise over top of mug--do not be alarmed! Allow to cool a little; tip onto a plate if desired. Eat! (This can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.)

Laptop Fun

Last night I came to the living room to collect my little kiddos for bed, and they were all huddled around Daddy and the laptop, "working".

I got Brooks down first, when I came back out for Kenna, she had made herself comfortable again.

Movie Time

Yesterday we had fun watching Mickey's Christmas. Eating raisins instead of popcorn!

Christmas Party

We had our Sr High Christmas Party last Friday, and it was really fun. Lots of Rock Band and a bonfire too.

This is Kaye, a pic taken by her friend, Aimee. Not the best pics but something is better than nothing! We are all in the background doing the gift exchange. Sam & Heather's tree is gorgeous, I wish I had a better picture of it.


Libby & Kenna pigging out in the kitchen.

Christmas Angel

"I can fly! But I get dizzy" Kenna tells me this morning. She made angel wings in her class last night at church. She's loving them!

Oh Christmas Tree!

As I was trying to snap a picture of our Christmas tree, a little angel came 'flying' in!

Christmas 2008, we put it up and got it mostly decorated on Sunday. We still have a little more to go, and I have to hang the stockings...it's getting there! Kenna is very excited about "decoration Chris-mos". She tells everyone we have "decoration Chris-mos at our house". Her favourite ornament is one of my grandparents, a little picture in a frame...she insisted on putting it inside a little stocking ornament to keep it safe. But then she wanted it out so she could look at it.

Our nativity set. I just love it, it's so cute. I just need the cresh and angel to finish the set. Kenna and Brooks love looking at it and talking about it too. It's very funny...in her little mind, Jesus is a man who died on the cross...and Moses is a baby in a basket...and Mary is our friend from church. So she always says "can we look at baby Moses?" It's Jesus. "oh, and Mary? Mary is my best frien' she is so so so nice". I am trying to explain that Jesus was a baby first, then he grew up and died on the cross. And Mary is another Mary...and Moses...it is pretty confusing I guess if you're 2. I think it's slowly sinking in!

Stuck!

Brooks is now famous for following his soccer ball, football, every ball anywhere. So he goes under the couch, the futon, the coffee table, or end tables...and can't get out. Shrieks of "guck! guck!" are heard daily, if not hourly.

Stuck!

Victorious! After being dragged out by the ankles:-)

Quotes Archive 2008

I've always loved quotes, and have quite a collection of them. I love to share one per month on my blog. 

"I have gathered a posie of other men's flowers, and nothing but the thread that binds them is mine own" John Bartlett
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. Dr Suess

If at first you don't succeed, find out if the loser gets anything. Bill Lyon

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. Ann Landers

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. C.S. Lewis

I complained, "God hasn't answered my prayer." That's because I was not looking for help in my weakness but for the removal of my weakness to the praise of my own glory. Andree Seu

Every human has influence. It is inseparable from existence. Its effects are as penetrating as ointment. Its presence is as manifest in everyday life as the leaven that swells the meal. James Henry Morgan

Gaol, dilseachd, cairdeas
Gaelic (translation: love, loyalty, friendship), inscribed on our wedding bands

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve; I was made weak, that I might learn to humbly obey. I asked God for power, that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God. I asked God for all things, that I might enjoy life; I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing I asked for, but everything I had hoped for. I am among all men, most richly blessed.


...and what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

In times like the present, men should utter nothing for which they would not willingly be responsible through time and in eternity. Abraham Lincoln

Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed. G.K. Chesterton

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin