To Make You Smile...

(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day)

Dear
Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.

I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.

From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smith

Pink Eye...it isn't pretty!

This past weekend Pink Eye hit our home...I vaguely remember having pink eye once as a kid..J and A have never had it...my first child to receive pink eye is Seth. So sad!! He's a trooper though! He doesn't whine about having 'yucky eyes' as we call them, he only complains when we put the drops in his eyes. As you can see the pictures, it's not pretty. So far it has not spread to any of the other kids or to Dan and I...I pray it stays that way!! Beware, the pictures you are about to see are NOT pretty! His eyes are looking MUCH better today...thank goodness!

The Princess Goes to the Ball

Last night was a VERY exciting night at our house. Daddy and Alayna went to a Daddy-Daughter Dance! Alayna had been looking forward to going on this very special date all week. She got all dressed and we put curls in her hair...daddy even got dressed up for this special night!

Alayna waiting so patiently while I fixed her hair...

So pretty and soooo excited to go get her dress on! Last night was the first time I've ever really seen my little girl truly act like a 'girl'. She even told her dad that with her hair so pretty and curly she couldn't wrestle him!

They had a lot of fun and shared many dances together. Alayna was on Cloud 9 all day and all night...she had a great time! Her favorite dance was the "Chicken Dance"...she even demonstrated the moves when they got home. I pray she always remembers these special times with daddy and won't ever settle for less than a guy that treats her like her dad.

Nicer Weather....

When it gets in the 20's after a cold winter like we've had so far...everyone is OUTSIDE!! When Josiah got home from school yesterday we all got bundled up and headed outside to play.

Seth is actually happy to be outside...even though it doesn't look like it in this picture. He had a lot of fun running up and down our sidewalk.
It's wonderful to be able to have the kids wear off energy outside!

He was hard at work chopping the ice off our driveway...he was on a mission and got a lot of it cleared off. Definitely a perk of him being older...he's very helpful!

He Cares For You 1 Peter 5:7

This was our verse for the week. There are a variety of ways we could have talked about the verse, but after dancing (which Seth really enjoyed last night), reciting the verse, and talking about how God cares for us, we chose to focus on how we can care for those in our family.

Over Christmas we focused on how we can care for people outside our home, but last night we focused on showing how God cares for us through people within our family. We made a family list...the kids shared how we (mom and dad) can show them that we care for them, how they can show us (mom and dad) and then how they can show each other. Before they went to bed they had to choose one thing off the list to 'do for someone' to show that they care for them.

Organizing For A Good Cause

In January I scheduled a time for our MOPS Leadership Team to go to the YWCA and help organize their donation room (it was a need that was mentioned when I called). I was warned before hand that it was in DIRE need of help and when we got there...her words were confirmed...it was bad. For those of you who know what this means...think Bethel Rummage Sale...times 3!! We spent a few hours organizing that night and when we left the room looked MUCH better than when we got there, but there was still A LOT more work to do. I talked to one of the groups I'm in for MOPS to see if they'd be interested in going back there with me to organize again and they were very excited about going! Well, since this was my 2nd time going...I felt a little more prepared because I was able to visualize different ways to arrange and organize the room....it still needs more work and I hope to go back again soon, but here are some pictures from our fun times last night!

Yes, organizing to me is FUN!!!!

Our group minus 3 who needed to leave or weren't able to make it last night

Mary (our mentor mom) and Trista

Below are pictures of what the room looks like after...I wish I had before pictures...oh, well!

Cabin Fun!

We went to my sister and brother in law's cabin this weekend. My brothers family, our family and my sisters family all got together for a great time. We had a lot of fun and the weather could not have been nicer! Here are a few pics of the fun....

Getting ready to go outside....

All bundled up and ready for fun...

J got to reel in a fish and was very excited!

3 snow mobiles...1 large sled...2 small sleds...and 15 people...we were a long train going for a slow trail ride. Seth LOVED it!! He was so relaxed Dan kept making sure he hadn't fallen asleep!

Ready for a ride in the big sled

No...we didn't let them drive, but they enjoyed pretending!