Fact or fiction?

Logan: *burp* (making burping noises, but not really burping)
Logan: That's just a pretend burp, I'm just making the noise.
Brayden: Well it's actually a not-true burp, which means it's a fiction burp.

The things these boys say sometimes, just cracks me up!

Christmas fun

We had a really fun Christmas this year. I love everything about the day, it is such a fun holiday!!

This year we attended Christmas Eve service at our new church. We hadn't been to a Christmas Eve service in a few years because the one at our old church started later and went a lot longer and it was too late with bedtime and everything. The boys did well and enjoyed holding the candles for the last song. And of course, they love any excuse to wear their ties!
We have had a tradition (only the last 2 years, but I hope it sticks) of staying home Christmas morning as a family and opening presents and eating breakfast before heading over to a grandparent's house. I like having this time to ourselves and it just makes it so much calmer when we don't have to get up and rush out the door right away.
And as you can see in the background of some of these pictures, we did have a white Christmas!! It wasn't actually snowing, but there was plenty of snow on the ground and it was very cold. White Christmases are the best!!!!

So "hand-cy"

I broke down and bought Brayden and Logan nice dress clothes this year, the first ones they've ever had. They have a few polo shirts and nice khakis for church, but they've never had dress pants, dress shirts or ties. They're just so expensive and they don't dress up that much. I take that back, we do have about 4 tuxes that the boys have worn in weddings, but those aren't something you break out to wear, even for church!

Logan says "Don't I look handcy?" every time he puts his new dress clothes on! I like how he mixes up the words handsome and fancy, it's cute! And yes Logan, you look very "handcy"!I didn't buy Preston any nice dress clothes though, he has a lot of cute sweaters and corduroys and doesn't care if he has a tie yet.

Great-grandparents and Brayden's new quilt

I feel very blessed to have grandparents who take such an active interest in our boys. They make several trips over the mountains each year to see all the family in the Denver area and when we go visit them, they go out of their way to show us a good time, complete with tractor rides, picking fruit from the garden and lots of fun games.

My grandma made Brayden a new quilt for his birthday, and he loves it!!! I am amazed by how nice it turned out, not because she doesn't do good work but because it looks like it took a lot of time and it's something I don't think I'd be able to do. My grandma made me a quilt when I was a little girl and I still have it, use it often and will always treasure it!!

We love you Grandpa and Grandma!

Christmas program

Brayden and Logan were in the Christmas program at our church again this year. The 1st-6th graders sang songs and a few had speaking parts. Brayden was one of the ones to have a speaking part and he did a great job, despite the fact that he wasn't feeling well and barely had a voice! The 4- and 5-year-olds dressed up as animals or people from the nativity and then came back out on stage later without their costumes to sing Joy to the World. Logan was a cow, he was such a cute little cow. He was more excited to wear his new tie and dress pants for the second part though!

Logan likes to sing!

If you can't see the video, try this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRlHvL-k5ac.

Brownie in a mug

Last week was a bitter cold week here. With temps barely out of the single digits most days, I didn't dare venture out except to take Brayden to and from school. I couldn't stand to get out in the weather, let alone with 3 kids.

So, on about the 3rd day being inside cooped up with nothing to do, I got a little bored. Nothing cures a little cabin fever like some good chocolate, but unfortunately, I didn't have any and I didn't want to make a whole big cake either. Then, I found this recipe for Brownie in a Mug. It helped with the chocolate craving and it was fun to watch it cook in the microwave. (*FYI-I had to cook mine about 4 minutes and it was still pretty fudgy in the middle*)

This would also be a fun thing to make with kids as it is on a smaller scale and really easy!

A boy and his dog

Logan is the animal lover in our family. He especially loves our dog, Sequoia. He loves to give her hugs, pet her and especially cuddle with her on the couch!

Love letters

Brayden got his first love letter from a girl at school last week. It's really nothing though. They are friends and 1st graders say things that sound all grown up but they just mean to be innocent. It's still really sweet though and it totally made Brayden's day!!

Brayden also writes me really nice notes and letters. They are something I really treasure!

Hallelujah!

This is very funny! And it's one of my favorite Christmas songs. ENJOY!

Things that don't have to match

My mind wanders these days. Probably my baby brain, but I have thought up some weird things lately. Today while I was driving home from taking Brayden to school, I was making a list in my head of things that don't have to match. And lucky for all you readers, I am sharing with you!!

• snow clothes - hats, gloves, coats, snow pants, etc -- who cares what color or pattern it is as long as it keeps you warm
• pajamas - the boys think it's hilarious to wear mismatching pajama tops and bottoms, I do it every night because I don't have anything that matches
• Christmas decorations - the whole of them match a Christmas theme, not each other, but it's still festive
• play clothes - especially when potty training (and you're down to the last clean pair of pants) or when staying home all day
• pillow cases - whatever is clean and whatever the boys want is fine with me
• flip flops - I'm not sure how this one came to my mind since we are so far away from flip flop season, but I don't really care too much if the flip flops match the outfit (they do have to match each other though!)

Aren't you glad I shared my little list?! Just be glad I don't share all my weird dreams and other random thoughts......

Getting ready for Christmas

I LOVE this time of year. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I get Christmas fever about the middle of November and I am ready to put up all the decorations and get my shopping done. This year, we put up our tree and all our decorations the day before Thanksgiving. It was probably a little early for Chris, but it was a compromise as if it was up to me, it would've been up a week earlier probably!
I also like to get my shopping done early. I feel like when I put off my shopping till December, it detracts from what I should be focusing on, the real meaning of Christmas. I have all but 2 people done and both those people are men (they are always hard to shop for)! I love giving presents to others, it is really fun to pick something out I think they'll like and see their reaction when they open it.

Everyday I have to answer the question "how much longer till Christmas?" about 5 times at least. Yesterday I realized it is just about 3 weeks away! Man, it really feels like it snuck up on me this year. I am so excited though. Did I mention I just LOVE this time of year?

Moving day

Because of the new baby coming and needing a room upstairs for her, we have spent the last few months redoing a room in our basement to make it functional to live in. This past weekend, it was finally complete enough that we could move the boys down there. Brayden and Logan are now sharing a room downstairs and Preston moved into their old room upstairs. They were all so excited to be in their new rooms and Preston was really excited to get a big boy bed.

The boys spent the entire weekend playing in their new rooms, they really like it, especially Brayden and Logan. Chris commented how clean our basement/playroom stayed this weekend, but that was because they were just playing in their room all weekend.

Preston has done really well in his bed so far. He hasn't gotten out of bed once after we've put him down, we are very pleasantly surprised!

10 final things...

And now, for the final installment of "Things I'm thankful for".....

1. Living somewhere it's sunny most of the time. I love the occasional cloudy, snowy or rainy day, but I don't think I could handle it every day.
2. Digital cameras. I can remember the days of taking pictures and being so excited to finish off the roll of film, taking it to the store to get developed and waiting a week to be able to see if/how the pictures turned out. Definitely not really practical with kids....so glad they figured out how to do it all digitally.
3. Sundays. They are usually a family day for us......church, football, AFV, popcorn and lots of family time!
4. Crossing things off my to-do list. I love the feeling of getting stuff done, and having a list where I can cross it off once it's done is even better!
5. Target. It's such a fun store to shop at, I could spend hours there just looking around.
6. That I can now cook and eat again without getting sick and only craving one thing. It's nice to have an appetite back. I especially like being able to eat ice cream again!
7. Our pets. They drive me crazy and there are days I'd love to get rid of them, but the boys really enjoy them, especially Logan just loves on them all the time.
8. Our boys are pretty easy to put to bed at night. I'm usually fried by that time and I'm glad it's not a nightly fight with them to get them to stay in bed and go to sleep.
9. My sisters. I miss them and love them. I'm sad for our daughter that she'll never have a sister. She will have 3 brothers though, that's pretty special.
10. My God. This is certainly not the least of things I am thankful for, even though it is the last. He loves me, takes care of me and guides me each and every day. I wouldn't be where/who I am today without Him.

Homemade bread

My breadmaker broke about a year ago and I really miss it. I miss dumping in all the ingredients, turning it on, and three hours later having a fresh, warm loaf of homemade bread.

However, I found this bread recipe and really like it. I've only made it twice because I still would prefer the ease of a breadmaker, but for made-from-scratch, let-it-rise bread, this one is pretty easy. I served it the other night with some Black Bean Soup (noticing a pattern to where these recipes are from?). Chris, who normally hates beans, said he loves this soup, he says it tastes more like chili. What a yummy, easy dinner!

10 more things I'm thankful for

I'm continuing my "Things I'm thankful for" post from awhile ago.

1. Cute maternity shirts. This will be the last time I'll get to wear them. I love how they show off the cute baby belly and are usually loose-fitting and comfy. (I wish the same could be said for maternity pants.)
2. Christmas. It's my favorite holiday! I'm so anxious to put up the tree and start celebrating Christ's birth in all the ways that we usually do (and maybe some new ones).
3. Brayden. He is so inquisitive, intelligent and animated. He is also a very good big brother and a good helper to me.
4. Logan. He is so tender-hearted and especially loves animals. He moves through life at his own pace and really takes time to enjoy what's around him.
5. Preston. What a sweetie! He can be very strong-willed, but he is also persistent and knows what he wants. He is so excited to be a big brother, he kisses my belly all the time and tells me to be careful to not hurt the baby when I bend over or something.
6. Facebook. Some days it is the only adult "conversation" or interaction I get (till Chris gets home) and it's nice to be able to log on and see how my friends are doing.
7. Wrestle time. I'm not involved in this, but I just love watching Chris and the boys play rough and bond while they roll on the floor and tackle each other.
8. Hot chocolate. I especially like it with a little peppermint melted in it, yum! I shouldn't drink much caffeine and all the really good coffee drinks have caffeine in them, so hot chocolate it is, for now.
9. Having more than I need. I know that God says he will supply all our needs, according to his riches in glory, but he has definitely blessed me above and beyond what my basic needs are. I am thankful for the jobs, possessions and family that Chris and I have that make our lives comfortable and bordering on extravagant, compared to most of the world.
10. My friends. I don't have many, but I really enjoy the ones I do have. I love getting together for playdates and just chatting all morning while the kids play.

Big helpers

The boys have been such good helpers to me lately. We've been cleaning out all the baby stuff, books, toys, puzzles, games, etc because we just have too much and don't need it all. We are giving it to "kids who don't have any toys" (that's what the boys say when they explain it). This week Preston and Logan helped me for about 2 hours sort through all their stuff and didn't complain once about having to give away some things they used to play with. In fact, they kept asking what else we could go through and get rid of, even when we were done. When Brayden got home from school, he was eager to find a box of things to take to church and donate as well.

Preston even took it a step further, asking me if he could help sweep. He has asked every day this week.

I'm glad for my big helpers, I hope they're always this eager to help me!

Corrrrrecto

Chris and the boys have this spelling game they play sometimes. Chris will ask Brayden or Logan to spell a certain word and if they get it right, he says "corrrrecto". The boys think it's hilarious.

Preston, not one to be left out, wanted to start playing too. However, he spells everything "P-H-I-K". We think maybe he's got a future in a fraternity or some kind of Greek language study!

10 things I'm thankful for

I need to be thankful today. It's so easy for me to focus on the not-right things in my life that I wish I could change, but that wouldn't be very obedient. "...Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God for everything..." (Ephesians 5:19-20).

I have a bloggy friend (I hope I can call her that...I only know her through her blog, but we have a lot in common) who is doing one thing she's thankful for every day, and I think I'll steal her idea. But I doubt I'll find time to do it every day, so I'll probably just have a few longer posts.

1. Chris's job, which is pretty much recession-proof. There will always be a need for teachers, right?
2. Our house, which is just the right size for our family.
3. Being able to stay at home with our three boys. There are days I get a little sick of the job, but overall I love it and am glad I have the option (some moms don't)!
4. A husband who loves me no matter how crazy, emotional, naggy or demanding I can be.
5. Living close to our families. They help us with projects around the house and are always willing to babysit (for free!).
6. The Bible. I daily take it for granted, but I know I am very lucky to own several copies of it and that I can read it without fear of being put in jail.
7. Our church. It has been a breath of fresh air for us. Our boys are growing in the Lord and making new friends. So are Chris and I.
8. 1 o'clock -3 o'clock in the afternoon. Preston and Madison are usually sleeping and Logan is resting on the couch watching a movie. I can get stuff done around the house, play around on the computer or take a nap myself (I usually choose the latter).
9. Our baby girl, yet to make her appearance. She is already so special to us.
10. Music. It calms me and keeps me company. The boys love it too, each one has their favorite CD that they listen to in the car or at bedtime.

Only in America

I am so tired of complete strangers telling me how sorry they are for me that I have 3 boys, or how happy they are for me that I am "finally" having a girl.

Why is it that boys are so looked down upon in our culture? In almost every other culture in the world, having boys is regarded as much more special and prestigious than having a girl. In fact, some people will kill their baby girls just to wait until they have a boy.

I treasure the boys I have and I also treasure my unborn baby girl. But I don't treasure her more or them less. All my children are a gift from God and all were given to me in the exact right time for a special reason and purpose.

Please strangers, quit telling me how horrible my life must have been up to this point and how great my life will be after my baby arrives! It doesn't make me feel very good and I'm pretty sure it doesn't make my three boys, who are standing right there listening, feel very good either.

I just love this picture of Brayden and Logan. We went to a fall festival at Brayden's school a few weeks ago and they got to get their faces painted. They thought that was pretty cool!

A new creation

This morning Logan was crying while I was trying to get lunch ready. This isn't an altogether unusual occurrence, but this time I didn't know why he was crying, so I asked.

Logan: Because my heart hurts.

Me: Why does your heart hurt Logan?

Logan: Because Jesus isn't in it.

We proceeded to talk more about what it meant for Jesus to come into your heart and he prayed to accept Jesus right there on our kitchen floor! He was so excited, he wanted to call Chris right away. Chris and I of course, are ecstatic. This is an answer to prayer for both of us.

In the past when we have talked to Logan about why he would want to ask Jesus in his heart, all he ever mentions is that he wants to ask Jesus in his heart so he can have crackers and juice (communion). However, this time, he didn't really talk about that. He mentioned how he wants to go to heaven someday and he wants Jesus to clean his heart. Obviously only God knows Logan's heart, and only time will tell if Logan is showing the fruit of being a Christian, but I am very happy that he has made this decision today!!

H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N

Every time Brayden hears or says the word Halloween, he spells it too. It was on his spelling test a week or so ago and he is very proud of himself that he learned to spell such a big word. I am too!

Brayden - Darth VaderLogan - Buzz LightyearPreston - puppyThey called this their "superhero pose"

We went to Boo at the Zoo again this year. It is fun to get outside and we've found if we get there early enough, the lines and crowds aren't too bad.

Chris also took the boys trick-or-treating in the neighborhood at night. This is the first year they've done that in the neighborhood and they thought it was pretty fun. We have SO much candy to show for the fun day, oh boy!!

Ned the Snowman

We got almost two feet of snow this past week and Chris and Brayden had two snow days off from school. The boys loved going outside with Chris to shovel and play in the snow. I mentioned to Brayden after they had been playing in the snow one time that we had a book about snow. It was one of my books when I was a little girl and I loved it! I still have most of it memorized. It's a classic book, if you haven't read it, you should!

So, Brayden and Logan decided to make a snowman too. They named him Ned the snowman, after the one in the book.

It's a......

GIRL!!!!

We are excited, although it is a little weird. We are nervous for a baby girl, it's an unknown for us, but we are excited for our 4th child! We're eager to meet her!!

Balance

This is my final pregnancy, unless something unforeseen happens or God just really wants us to have another one. That being said, I am really trying to enjoy it and not wish it away. I always have said I would like to know it is my last pregnancy and my last baby so that I could really enjoy it and savor each moment.

However, now that I find myself in my last pregnancy, with full knowledge of it being just that, I am having a hard time savoring and enjoying it. I have always really enjoyed pregnancy, although towards the end I am always ready to deliver and be done with it too! This time, however, I just seem to be so much more uncomfortable, so much more tired, so much more sick, etc, (and I'm not even quite halfway yet) and it's hard to enjoy. Maybe part of it has to do with the fact that I'm 29 now and I was 23 with my first pregnancy! My body just isn't what it was (not that 29 is old, but my body for sure isn't the same).

So I'm trying to find a balance. A balance between being so uncomfortable and really just wanting to be done with this so I can hold my baby and stopping to savor each moment, good and bad. Savoring each kick, each milestone, each sleepless night, each afternoon nap, each weird craving, each food aversion, each maternity outfit I'll never be able to wear again when this is done, etc! It's harder than it has been in the past.

I am really trying not to complain about my problems, although I know some days I do a lot better than others in that area! It helps a lot that I have several friends that are due almost the same time as me, so we are all in the same boat and we have each other to compare notes and sympathize with. I thank God for that, I guess He knew I'd definitely need that this time.

Muscle man

Crazy hair

This week has been spirit week at Brayden's school. On Tuesday, it was crazy hair day and Brayden wanted me to spike all his hair up (which is ironic since usually he hates when we want to spike his hair just in the front). I just put gel all over in it and it was sticking straight out everywhere. Brayden loved it, he thought it was hilarious!