Jesus at the Children's Museum

Our local children's museum has a medical/doctor exhibit and in it is this man. I think at one time, he lit up and taught body parts. Now he is just a torso sticking out of a hole. To Evelyn, though, he is Jesus. At least that is what she said when she saw him the other day - she pointed to him and said, "Mommy - its Jesus."

Merry Christmas

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and pray you can share it with those you love!

This was one of our Christmas card picture attempts at home by ourselves. It actually turned out pretty good, but we had a hard time getting Isabelle to look at the camera. She was too distracted with looking at the girls as they yelled, "Cheeeeese!"

The Bracelet

Its been mentioned in previous posts - the bracelet - and here it is. What??? Did you expect more? It is a simple green beaded bracelet, but Evelyn *L*O*V*E*S* it! She wears it daily and I think it truly brings her comfort. Sure there have been other bracelets, but this is the one she always goes back to.

I fear for the day we lose this bracelet and there have been some close calls for sure. I have searched far and wide many a day for this bracelet. Its been found so many places, but thankfully always found. For example, it was once underneath the rug in the kitchen (we looked for it for 2 days before we found it there). Once it was, gasp, left outside. I found it that time with a flashlight late at night. After our babysitter came one night we could not find it the next day. We had to text her and it was of all places put up with the other bracelets. :)

But perhaps the best story of lost and found of this bracelet was actually the first time we really lost it. I remember it all so clearly. It was a Monday. Kevin was out of town for a few days. I went to a church meeting in the morning and then went straight to the grocery store from church. I distinctly remember seeing Evelyn playing with her bracelet on the way to the grocery store. We did our grocery run in a yellow and red car cart, came home, ate lunch, had our nap, played and around 4ish, Evelyn asks for her bracelet. We look and look and look. It is no where in this house.

I begin replaying the day and it hits me...we lost it at the grocery store. I tell Evelyn that I think the bracelet is gone. She begins to cry. I distract her, we play and then she asks for the bracelet and it starts all over again. So I do what any Mother would do, I load up all 3 kids at 5:00 to go brave the traffic at the grocery store to find that yellow and red car cart in the hopes that the bracelet is in the bottom of the car part of the cart. I even called the grocery store on the way asking them if they had a little green, plastic bracelet turned in. I think they laughed at me.

I think Evelyn was holding on to all hope that the bracelet was there because as soon as we pulled into the parking lot and she saw a car cart, she started squealing and kicking and pointing with excitement. You could see the hope in her eyes. I park and go check with probably just as much hope as Evelyn had. I just knew we were gonna see a green bracelet on the floor of that shopping cart. I bent down and looked and my heart broke as I saw the floor of the car cart had slats in it about the width of the bracelet. Oh no, it was gone.

I got back in the car and told Evelyn the sad news. Sweet Josie then says, 'maybe its in another car cart.' Poor Evelyn buys into this hope and so I drive around the parking lot looking for another red and yellow car cart. I find one, I stop. Evelyn again, squeals with excitement ready to hold the bracelet again. I realize its futile, but for some reason, I get out and check the red and yellow car cart as well as the blue and green car cart just beside it. Nothing - they are empty.

I get in the car, and again, tell Evelyn how sorry I am and that the bracelet is gone. We drive out of the parking lot and almost as if Evelyn realized all of her hope was leaving in the car with us, she begins to sob. Not a fit cry, but a true cry. She was mourning the loss of something she loved. It broke my heart.

Dinner was normal, we did baths and after bath, we cleaned up the living room and bedrooms before going to bed. I grabbed Josie's Hello Kitty cloth lunchbox to put it in her room with the other bags and when I grabbed it, it shook a bit as if something were inside the lunchbox. I peeked and sure enough - it was THE BRACELET!!!!

I quickly zipped it back up and told Evelyn to come look inside the Hello Kitty lunchbox. She came running and when she saw the bracelet, her face lit up with such joy and relief and happiness! It was pure, innocent happiness. She danced, she giggled, she stared in awe.

Christmas Baking

The girls and I did some Christmas baking for the folks at Kevin's office last week. We had a great time and they were a huge help especially with clean up. For all the folks at Kevin's office, I promise I did use soap and water to clean the utensils rather than the licking method as shown in these pics. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the experience:

Josie: "Evelyn, the pieces we lick...we can have!"

After tasting a piece of white chocolate for the first time, Evelyn says: "I like that cheese."

Josie: "Mommy, have I told you you are a great Mommy?"

I love the mid drip off of Evelyn's chin!

This ones for you Aunt Bonnie

As I'm fixing Josie's hair today, she says, "Aunt Bonnie is really great at fixing hair and you're not Mommy."

Pretty good compliment to a Mom of three boys!

A cold morning

When its too cold to go outside...no worries, we just ride our bikes and trikes in the garage.

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving was a blast this year as we really made the rounds and got to see all the family.

Thanksgiving almost always includes a celebration of Daddy's birthday and then when Jessica joined the family, we began celebrating her birthday with Daddy's. And as of 2 years ago, we now celebrate Evelyn's birthday too. This is Daddy with all of his grandchildren except for Mary Kate and Jessica is really his daughter-in-law. :)


Here we are blowing out those candles again. Notice Jessica and Lane blowing down while Evelyn blows up. Interesting technique.


We have a sick but fun habit of licking each and every candle of every bit of icing on it. Here Tye and Lance are teaching Evelyn this practice.


We don't think Evelyn really understood because she was actually eating the candle (notice her little candle is missing quite a bit of wax from its bottom)


Of course, before we celebrated the birthdays, we had to clean the deer that were killed that afternoon/evening. Josie is enjoying the view safely from her Daddy's shoulders.


All clean and ready for bed. Aunt Bonnie with Josie, Evelyn, me and Isabelle


Aunt Bonnie getting some Isabelle love


Allie getting some Isabelle love


An intense game of Boggle. Mom brought us a dictionary so we could look up words. The problem was it was her dictionary from school so some of the words were not in Websters circa 1955, but since it was the official game dictionary, we had to follow its rules. On a different note, I do believe Logan is cheating in this picture.


Jenna showing Josie how to ride her tractor


A four generation picture - Great Grandma, Isabelle, Grammy, Josie, Kevin and Evelyn


Because every 2 year old needs 3 birthday celebrations, we are celebrating again!

Evelyn turns TWO!

Our sweet Evelyn turned two last month. I can not believe it and I'm sure I'll say that every year on her birthday for the rest of my life. Time really does fly especially with kids.

Evelyn, you bring so much joy to our house!!! The faces you make are priceless and you have the most hearty laugh. Its a deep laugh and your Daddy and I giggle every time we hear it.

You prefer to run everywhere and you still sometimes run the way you did as a baby where you hold one arm still and close to you and pump the other arm. Of course, this running and your big head (its in the 90th percentile) causes you to fall down a lot. So you often have bruises, bumps and knots on your head. We've been to the emergency room with you twice and a third time, we almost went, but decided to stay home because the bleeding from the back of your head stopped by the time we got everyone loaded up.

You love to wrestle and if Mommy or Daddy or even Josie get on the floor, you try to tackle us so that we will wrestle with you. You and Josie have been playing horsey lately and you've actually been riding on Josie's back. Its pretty cute, but given there is only about 8 pounds between the two of you, you fall off a lot. This of course contributes to the extra bumps and bruises.

Independence is your middle name. I hear "I do it!" all the time. You already want to dress yourself, buckle yourself in the car seat and wash yourself in the bathtub. You won't let me help you in and out of the car at all. (again, more reason for the bumps and bruises) But with so much independence, you still need us to hold you almost immediately after you wake up in the morning and after your nap. You just need about 10 to 20 minutes of snuggling and you are a much happier girl. To ensure you get your hold time, you have perfected the 'hold me' move where you simply step in front of us even if we are trying to walk somewhere so that we either knock you over or we do what you want and drop everything and hold you. On a sweet note with the snuggling comes us still having to hold your milk cup for you while you play with our fingers.

We love to watch you pretend to talk on the phone. You walk around and speak some sort of gibberish and then laugh, and say a little bit more and then laugh....its pretty much a lot of laughing with a little bit of talking. You love to read books, play with your doll house, play in your kitchen and you love shopping carts - particularly car carts. You also love jewelry particularly bracelets. Many a day, we have had panic attacks looking for "the bracelet."

You are uniquely you and bring many gifts to your sisters and your Mommy and Daddy. Happy Birthday Evelyn!

We started the morning with a birthday doughnut for breakfast.


You crack us up when you try to blow out candles. You blow up instead of out as you can see in the picture as your hair is actually blowing up.


With a few more tries, the candles go out. And for that, you get a high five from Daddy.


The birthday cupcakes. Thank you to Meghan for letting me use her punch so I could make these cute toppers. We had a "bling" party because if Evelyn loves anything, she loves her bling.


All ready to hear the happy birthday song...
Who would have thought your Momma would let you wear a tank top for your birthday in November?


Blowing out that big '2' candle. I love the look on Ev's face - its almost as if she is saying, I don't think this candle is ever gonna go out.


Josie enjoyed her cupcake - I think she actually ate 2. :)


Evelyn definitely enjoyed hers as well - I'm not sure why she chose to not use her hands. Oh well - it made for a cute picture.


Cousin Maci and you admiring some presents.


Bling and more bling! Aunt Jessica gave you these bracelets because Maci has some just like it and she says that no matter what, every time you go to her house, you find these two bracelets and put them on. You were so excited to get these. It was funny though after the party for the next few weeks when you would see these bracelets, you would say, "Maci's." I think it has finally soaked in that you have some of your very own.


Our sweet 2 year old with her big and little sisters.


Daddy and Mommy even stole a moment during the party to pose with you. What a blessing you are to us - we love you always Evelyn!