Q and A with the boys

I recently asked our boys some questions...

How old is mommy?
Jackson--32
Joshua--29
Jonathan--48

How old is daddy?
Jackson--36
Joshua--91
Jonathan--38

What is mommy's job?
Jackson--Teacher
Joshua--to take care of us (!!!)
Jonathan--homework

What is mommy's favorite food?
Jackson--eggs
Joshua--cookies and cream ice cream
Jonathan--eggs

What is daddy's favorite food?
Jackson--bacon
Joshua--eggs and bacon
Jonathan--cheese

My mommy likes to...
Jackson--teach
Joshua--teach
Jonathan--homework

My daddy likes to...
Jackson--work
Joshua--play
Jonathan--eat a cheese sandwich

Their answers made me smile!

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

Our family had a lot of fun ushering in 2012 and saying good-bye to 2011.  I saw several different ways to countdown the hours until midnight online, but my favorite was to put an activity in each balloon and then pop them to reveal the fun thing for that hour.  I made balloons that would take us from 9am until the boys' special late bedtime at 10pm.  Jackson really wanted to stay up till midnight, but we didn't think he was quite ready for that yet.....maybe next year!

Joshua was so excited to pop the first balloon

Pop!  The first activity was...

painting with shaving cream!  I added drops of food coloring to add to the fun!

  We took a break to go out for lunch and then it was back home for more family fun. 

The 2pm activity was playing games.  Jackson chose Chutes and Ladders.  (The little boys were sleeping.)

At 4pm we were reading books by the fireplace---first time we had it on all season

This was probably the highlight of the night---a sock snowball fight!  It was kids against parents and it was so much fun!! 

So much fun!!  They wanted to grab as many socks as they could and then throw them all at once, saying "AVALANCHE!!"

After watching Cars 2, it was time to put on party hats and celebrate the new year!  They each picked out their own hat at Party City. 

My goofball, handsome hubby!

Sparklers were so much fun!!

Love that face! 

Our littlest! 

Happy New Year, boys!!  Love you to the moon and back!

All of our activities.  It was a very fun day!! 

Happy New Year!  Have a blessed 2012!

Low-key Christmas

Earlier in December we had read an article that convicted us both to do things differently this Christmas.  The article talked about how much emphasis was being put on material things and how the focus had really shifted away from Jesus' birth and the real meaning and celebration of Christmas.  This year, we did not put out our Elf on a shelf--that has become a toy for the boys to play with.  We did not set out cookies for Santa, we did not label any gifts from Santa.  We talked more about Jesus' birth than we had any other year.  We also went very low-key on gifts.  In the past, we would charge gifts on credit cards and end up with huge bills the following months.  This year, we took what the article said and toned it all down!  For each of the boys, we bought "Something you want, something you need, something you wear, and something you read."  They each got a game (want) (Operation for Jonathan, Sorry for Joshua, and a model helicopter for Jackson).  They all got new toothbrushes (need) in their stockings.  On Christmas Eve, they all got new pajamas (wear) and then Christmas morning, they each got new books!  It was wonderful!!  And we have no credit card bill to dread in January!  I love this new way of taking the focus off gifts! 

He was SO excited to get Sorry

J3 was so happy to have two gifts that were for him

Jackson couldn't wait to start building his model

We are so blessed, not because of any material gift we have, but because we have Jesus!  That's the biggest blessing of all!!  Thank you, Jesus, for being born and coming to save us!

Christmas Eve

We have the tradition of opening stockings on Christmas Eve. We came back from church and after seeing the lights around our neighborhood, opened our stockings.

Not a great picture, but it shows just a small part of the lights of this house in our neighborhood

Stockings hung by the chimney with care...

Jackson

Jonathan

Joshua

This was the best shot I got on Christmas Eve

When can I see what's inside?

If I smile cute, can I dig in??

I'm grumpy and don't want my picture taken!

Daddy gets a stocking, too!

Our three little hams!

Love that chocolate coins make him happy!

Christmas with Family 2011

We celebrated Christmas three times this year~~~first with Krista and her family, then with my extended family, and then with just our family of five!  It's so good to be with family!  Our boys loved spending time with their cousins and were really good!  I didn't have my camera at Krista's house, but it was a fun day filled with yummy food, nice gifts, and even a bit of playing in the snow!

We always celebrate Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve since that is also my dad's birthday.  It's so nice to go back home~~feels so comfortable and such yummy food!  :)  We are certainly blessed by our family!

Ice skating adventures

Last winter, Jackson and I went skating for the first time.  He had a great time and wanted to go again this year.  I took all three boys this time around, which made for quite an adventure!  Jackson was great and went ahead of us, while I stayed back and tried to help Joshua and Jonathan, who were holding on to the wall for dear life.  We only made it once around the ice because Joshua had had enough, but Jackson skated a few times out on his own.  It was a fun afternoon, but we may have to wait till the boys get a bit bigger before we try again...or maybe we'll just have to talk AW into coming with us so I have another person to help me!

All smiles before going out on the ice!  Love that they're all pretty steady on their skates...at this point!

That face says it all---he was so afraid to let go of the wall!

An old pro at this skating stuff!  :) 

Poor little guy spent a lot of time down on the ice!

They look so cute!  Jonathan had a fun time, despite his falls. 

We watched as Jackson went out on his own!  So proud of my little man!

This was as close as Joshua wanted to get to the ice after the first (and only) lap!

Ready to go home! 

Three??

How is it possible that our baby is THREE??  I can't believe Jonathan turned three last week!  We had a fun friend and family party to celebrate his third birthday.  It's hard to have a birthday so close to Christmas, but it was a great time!

The birthday boy showing that he's THREE!!  (I made his birthday banner from Disney paint samples from Home Depot--love how it turned out!)

Jonathan's Mickey theme was easy to work with and he loved his cupcakes!

Being cheesy with Grandma and Grandpa!

The cookies are usually the first thing to go at our parties!  YUMMY!!

The last Santa hat cookie---had to get a picture before someone snatched it up!

Happy Birthday to you, sweet boy!!!

That present is for you!  "For me?!" 

Having pancakes on  his actual birthday. 

We are so blessed by Jonathan!  He has such a funny and sweet personality.  We love you to the moon and back, J3!  XOXO