To Infinity...and Beyond!

Happy 5th birthday, Noah!

(a few days early)

Tinkertoys, Woody and Buzz Lightyear...how much better can a birthday party get? Add streamers, balloons, pizza, cake, and grandparents who are willing to make new creations with the Tinkertoys, and you've got the "best party ever", as Livi kept exclaiming.

Noah's second set of Tinkertoys in two weeks - his new favorite toy.


This is Noah's impression of Buzz Lightyear.

We missed you Grandma and Papa Ice!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Livi had fun taking Chloe for a trip downstream in Chloe's little bathtub. The blankets wrapped around them are supposed to be life jackets "so we can be safe, Mom". The orange building block is her paddle.

Gotta love it when the older children amuse the younger ones.

Lists

I am a person who simply delights in making lists, probably so I can enjoy the simple pleasure of crossing something off the list! Ever since I found this list through a link on the Girl Talk blog, I cannot stop thinking about it. This list of questions has been a real inspiration to me as the new year begins. Maybe you will find it as encouraging and challenging as I did.

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God? (I loved this question. I started a new journal of songs and hymns that I love that focus on worshiping God.)

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year? (Ouch - I can list many things!)

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

Cheerio Baby

Mmmmm...yummy!

A Resolution

I'm making a resolution to memorize a new verse or set of verses each week. I'm doing this with the help of Bethlehem's Fighter Verses. I did this last year, too, which was a different set of verses, and I'm sad to say I did great until about July/August when I lagged behind and never caught up again. So I decided to post the verses weekly on my blog so that whenever I check on everyone's blogs, I can take a look at the verse, too, and maybe the repetition of seeing the verse will help me learn it! I invite everyone out there to memorize these verses along with me.

Christmas in Minnesota

It was so good to be back in Minnesota for Christmas! We were blessed with safe travel and good weather, not to mention healthy kids and reliable transportation! Some of the highlights were seeing all the extended family on Christmas Eve, attending Jeff's church for the first time, and having lots of fun being together. I was able to have a loooong breakfast with my good friend Kelly. (When you notice people having lunch instead of breakfast, you know it's time to leave - our breakfast lasted 3 1/2 hours!). It was so wonderful to celebrate the birth of our Savior with a loving family and good friends.

Merry Christmas!

We have been enjoying the last few days of preparation as we get ready for Christmas. On Sunday, each child in Olivia's class was dressed up as Mary or Joseph and they acted out the story in class. Being the little mommy that she is, she loves carrying her little baby Jesus around the house.

Noah presented us with a gift he made in Pre-K. How sweet!

Then the real fun began tonight when we decorated gingerbread houses (thank goodness they came in a kit!). Notice Noah's overloaded roof. He enjoyed licking each piece of candy before putting it in place.

Olivia's house featured a skating rink out front.

Sneaking a peek in their stockings - oh, man! Still nothing!

We wish you all a very merry Christmas! May we all feel a renewed sense of hope and wonder that "The Savior is Born!"