Disneyland 2009 (40 inches)

It's a magical place!! Filled with wonder and excitement!! We love Disneyland!! And this year was an exceptional trip. By lunch time we had ridden of all our favorite rides with little or no waiting. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and we were having an epic day!!

Our plan is to arrive the night before our big day in time to watch the fireworks from our hotel. Try our absolute best to sleep (which of course we never really do). Then, hit the front gates at opening and never stop until closing!! It has been our plan since Josiah was 1year old and never failed us yet...

Of course there was Mommy and Daddy's favorite rides... Dumbo and Mr. Toad's. And the timeless classics like the Carousel and It's a Small World.

But, this year was a year of 1st for Adalie. She was 40inches!! That is tall enough to ride the big girl rides!! And of course she smugly stood next to every measuring stick to prove her new prowess!! She rode Matterhorn, Space Mountain, Star Tours (that guys is a really bad driver, I hope we don't get him again!!), and Thunder Mountain (with no hands) multiple times..... and loved it!! It was soooo much fun!!

This year Papa and Grammy joined us for all the fun. And you know the bestest part of Grammy and Papa coming to Disneyland with us...... TEACUPS!! Only Papa who loves us soooo much would ride the Teacups HURRAY!! Funny thing was because some guy stood up in the middle of the ride, we actually got to ride twice!! Papa almost didn't make it on the second go around, but the girls had smile from ear to ear!!

Once again, a magical day from start to finish!!

1st Grade Christmas Program

Well, it is that time of year again. Time to get all gussied up. Time to get there early so that you have an aisle seat up front. Time to wait in anticipation. Time to enjoy seeing all the local families. It is time for the North Fork School Christmas Program!

We were excited to see our little star shine. Especially since she told us the night before the program that she had a "special part" in the program. A part she had to audition for. Our interests were peaked, but she is a great secret keeper!

Adalie and Ashlyn (both 4yrs) socialized while we waited for the curtain to rise. Then the program began. I studied the program guide in order to memorize my timing for Josiah's class. Because, I am indeed, one of those Moms that crouch down the aisle to the front in order to video tape her precious daughter singing "Oh Christmas Tree" (in English and German) and the "Turkey Woogie".

Oh..... and Josiah's special auditioned for part...... was that of a turkey woogier!! And boy can she woogie with the best of them!! Arms tucked under and knees a knocking... she was a sensation!!

Mrs. Lemmon's 1st grade class. We are again grateful this year to have such an amazing teacher!!

Let the fun begin...

Well after much anticipation, the Norway travellers were finally here and it was past time to dive into our Christmas fun. So we invited them to join us in making some ginger bread (graham cracker) houses. And who knows, maybe ridiculous amounts of sugar is good for your jet lag?? So while some were very serious creators/builders, others just ate all the candy. All in all, the houses turned out beautifully and it was a fun kick off to all our family holiday extravaganza!!

Josiah 6yrs, Adalie 4yrs, Elias 2yrs and Freney 10mos.

Grateful for Wednesdays

Adalie and I save every Wednesday to be our special day. On Wednesdays it is just her and I, no other distractions, no agenda, just special time of fun! And in the past few weeks I have savored her in our time together more deeply. I have paused to drink her in, to make eye contact with her, to listen to what she has to say, to remember how sweet she smells, to appreciate how funny she is and how I love her little voice. Because call me crazy, (and I already know that I am) but all too soon for my liking, she will be starting Kindergarten. And then I will have to share her too. I thought everyone said that it would be easier with the second, but through my recent tears, I can see that it will not be! And so I am grateful for Wednesdays and will continue to cherish them for as long as she is all mine!!

Anticipation

After visiting our cousins in Norway last spring, we have waited in great anticipation for their coming. And they will be here tonight!! We are so excited we can hardly stand it.... but because they will be coming in late and probably be very tired (we sure were when we last made that trek), we will have to wait yet another day. But the girls wanted them to know just how excited they were. So they created this welcoming sign to hang on their door.
I am so proud of these 2 girls!! They are kind and generous in spirit. I hope this labor of love warms the hearts of the travellers like it does mine!!

Let it Snow

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!

We got our first snow of the season,

and somehow you forget from year to year how beautiful it is.

And so we ate our breakfast as fast as could be, threw on our snow clothes and out we went to rediscover our winter wonderland just outside our front door.

Even Wally the WatchBear joined in the fun!

Oh if they could stay this way forever. We spent hours stomping through the snow, building snow nests for the birdies, making snow balls, shovelling snow and more.....
I love their smiles of pure fun here!! (Josiah 6yrs and Adalie 4yrs)

12 years!!

Happy 12th Anniversary!!

12 years!! That is so exciting!! We have had a fantastic ride thus far.... so many incredible memories made in those 12 years!!

While our girlies spent the night with Amma and Grandpa, Seth and I slipped away to Shaver Lake. It snowed the entire time we were there which reminded us of our 1st Anniversary. It was really fun to sit in the hot tub and watch the world turn white! We had a wonderful time of rest and relaxation. We enjoyed our uninterrupted conversations. Reminiscing over our years together. Most of all, we are just grateful for one another and a chance to escape for a day. Grateful that the Lord joined us and has kept us. Grateful that our lives could have turned out so many different ways, but we love where we are. Grateful for the many blessing we have, lessons we have learned and roads we have been privileged to travel together.

Definitely looking forward to another 12 fun filled years!!