Joseph Turns Four

We had such a special time celebrating Joseph. His birthday request this year was that Nana was there - and he got his wish. It fell on a Monday, so Daddy took the day off and we all rode the trolley downtown and had pizza and ice cream for lunch then came home and had dinner and cake with friends. A perfect day in every way.

Our family is so blessed to have this little man in our lives. His compassion and thoughtfulness cannot be matched and he continues to amaze us how a boy can be tender, wild, loving, and crazy all at the same time.

Our handsome birthday boy!

Andy made Joseph a toolbox.
He stained it with coffee to avoid the toxic chemicals.
That man is amazing.

Joe got a batman costume.

Joseph with his beloved Miss Rachie and his gift "California."
He thinks he invented that name. Haha!

Such adorable super heroes. I feel very safe with them all nearby :)

Joseph chose this cake all my himself for me to make.
So glad he was please with the finished product.
Dinner was spinach ravioli and this was for dessert.
This kid has some mature tastebuds.

Opening up his tools.

Such a supportive brother. Loves that his brother is so happy.

Joe the toolman

Annabelle was dying for a superhero costume too,
so this is what Daddy came up with.

Potty Time

Annabelle loves to sit on her potty seat. She will ask to sit on it and when I ask her if she's all done, she'll say "a little bit more." More often than not, she'll have done nothing, but will declare, "I'm all done." What a hilarious phase with children. We'll see how long this lasts!

Sunday Snow

This was our view on the way to community group:

And this is what the boys did when we got there:

Guns are a must for sledding.

Our community group leaders are a couple that has 6 amazing children. Our kids are obsessed with them. They are such a pleasure to be around. Such an example of what godly teenagers can be like.

After church each Sunday, their kids and ours can be seen playing together. Not because they are driving their kids crazy and they wish our kids would go away, but because they truly enjoy their company. Tre, their son has had a picture of him and them as his facebook picture a few times. It's going to hit the boys quite hard when he goes away to college next year.

I just love how the kids could care less about the age gaps between them and can unashamedly enjoy being together. They have no idea what an impact they are making on these boys. What a blessing this family is in our lives.

New Chalkboard Wall

I found a great idea on pinterest! Using chalkboard paint on a wall for the kids. They adore it. Here they are trying it out for the first time.

Warms my heart to see Joe deciding to draw Jesus on the cross for his first drawing. He's labeling the crosses and what the men were accussed of :)

It's been great for school! We can all practice whatever we're doing side-by-side and aren't limited by space as much. For about $20, I'd say it was a huge success.

Our Outdoor Classroom

With the weather warming up, we have been taking our school work to a park and alternating between playing and schooling. I love it that I have the opportunity to enjoy my children during their peak hours. I can't imagine having to rush them off early in the morning only to pass them off to a semi-stranger to enjoy them during the best hours of their lives, and then have them come home exhausted and not have any energy left for meaningful family time. Homeschooling is such a gift to our family!

This little treasure sure is glad that her older brothers get to learn at home, too!

Happy Valentine's Day

Rock A Bye Baby

Annabelle now has a baby craddle. I wanted to wait to give her the craddle with the mattress, pillow, quilt and baby all together, but that might be a long time until I'm finished with it all. So for now, she has the mattress and pillow.

Thinks it's for her.

Learning how to properly place our babies in their bed.