The true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas has always been such a special time of the year for me... I start singing Christmas songs about as soon as my birthday has past in September and I used to wear my Christmas hat every minute I was home starting the week of Thanksgiving. I'm so thankful that Brian has the same passion for this season.
Each year there is always something new that makes Christmas more special but this year that something seems even more apparent to me. Now that Ella is almost 3 she has questions about everything we see and do. And the responsibility/ privilege that I have as her mommy is to share the Joy of Christ that we celebrate at Christmas. I was trying to teach her that if someone asks her about Christmas and presents she should respond with "the real reason we celebrate Christmas is because baby Jesus was born". When we practiced all she was thinking about was opening her presents under the tree. In a way I'm glad that she doesn't just repeat the little "sunday school" answers we try to teach her because it shows me that we have such selfish hearts that take a lot of bending to become focused on True things! Though it does bless my heart when she gives a God honoring answer or recites one of her Bible verses.
It's just amazing how a two year old can reveal so much about my own sin nature to me and bring me to my knees before my Savior with thanksgiving for His undeserved love, grace and mercy.

Little Lucas

The Two Sides of Lucas:



Ok, not as literally as the pictures...

This was on our Thanksgiving "camping" trip. A friend passed on these adorable turkey jammies so we had to put them on Lucas just for a little while even though they were a little short from shoulder to toe. Still just so cute! Thanks Amy!





Lucas is such a bright eyed boy! His eyes are just so big! 95% of his pictures look just like these! He is really starting to scoot now! He got himself stuck under the coffee table this evening. The funniest part is that he was content to just sit there where he was.



And his super sweet side... We have recently been noticing that as soon as he gets a toy he wants to make noise with it, banging it or shaking it. But his soft side is super sweet and cuddly!



Daddy is the best at making him laugh yet can calm him down like none other.

Sweet and Silly Ella

Ella has been quite creative lately! She has the most vivid conversations with herself! The other day I left her in the kitchen to eat her lunch while I went to tend to Lucas. I could hear her talking in a high story like voice. In my mind I thought she probably hadn't take a bite of her lunch since she was doing so much talking. I found her lunch almost gone and learned that she was making up some kind of story about which hand could "eat" more. All I could do was giggle as I saw her imagination working.

Here, her little people are having a feast!

This is an advent calendar that she took all the boxes out of and made a train. If you look closely you can see that snoopy is riding in a "train car".

When we are out running errands she always find some way to be creative and a little silly!

Her kids meal bag from Chick-fil-A became a hat.

She found a spot on the cart that is "just her size". She likes anything small... that means it's "just my size" as she says.

After we went to see the movie "Bolt" we went for burgers and milkshakes! She was quite excited to get her very own... and yes, it was "just her size".

Ella was very interested in decorating our tree this year! She was concentrating so hard to get those little hooks to stay on the branches.

This is her new face. She looks a little ornery but she is trying to look nice.

Six and Seven Months

Oops... Last month slipped by with out my remembering to blog about my baby boy growing up...

Lucas' Six Month Pictures:




And the Seven Months Pics:

Catching up -October

A look at October...


Lucas isn't sitting up on his own here but he likes to be in the middle of the action... This "bumbo" seat has been really great!


Lucas is helping Daddy do some "work". (We have a very similar picture of Ella helping Daddy at this age)


We got a little distracted while doing laundry... Who could resist this kind of cuteness!!


Bath Time! I just started putting them together in the big tub. It sure is easier this way! Lucas is such a kicker... I think if we put him in the pool he would just start swimming. He kicks so intensely for several minutes then looks at you like "do you see what I'm doing, isn't it great!"


I just love bath time pictures... They just looks so clean and cuddly!


Lucas loves to watch Ella! She makes him laugh so much! In this picture, Ella wanted to be just like Lucas and lay on a bear!


This was our Family Dedication at church! Such a sweet reminder of the precious gifts God has given us the opportunity to shepherd and train up in righteousness.


Lucas is just starting to sit up alone. It only lasted long enough to snap a couple of pictures. He hasn't really progressed much in sitting but he is starting to scoot these days.


Snuggled up and ready for bed! They are in Ella's bed here.


Our little Colts / Bears fan! We can't forget our roots!

And of course we also had our trip to the pumpkin patch and the harvest festival but you can read more about those in previous posts!

Catching up -September

Some Pictures from September!...


Brian and Ella playing with her sewing cards... Go COlTS!

As I was sitting in the living room I heard one of the kitchen chairs being slid across the tile floor... this is what I found. When I asked what she was doing she proudly replied, "Just getting a little snack Mommy!"

We have been making our own pizza lately! Our grocery store sells the dough so we just have to roll it out and add our toppings! YUM!

Lucas sure loves Ella! She can always make him laugh! I think she likes the attention too!

Playing this his toes!

At the beach... first we buried Ella's feet then she and Daddy buried Mommies feet!

Having brownies with friends! (This little table was my dad's when he was Ella's age and I played with it as a little girl too.)

Wearing new outfits from Aunt Angie's trip to Key Largo.

Lucas is sitting up much better but not on his own quite yet. Thank you Great Grandma Engle for the teddy bear!

First bites of baby cereal! He's liking it quite a lot lately!

Catching up -August

A few pictures from August...


Ella is learning to match Daddies socks! And Lucas likes to watch us as we work on the laundry.


Daddy and the kids!


Ella cooking in her kitchen. She chose to wear her shoes and sweater with her jammies and her apron and chef's hat. Quite stylish I think!


Getting a little trim.


Tummy time for Lucas... playing with his first tonka truck!


This is the first and only time Ella has fallen asleep at the table. So so sweet! I guess lunch was a little dull this day.


Lucas is starting to sit up... with support!

Harvest Festival

The harvest festival at our church was especially fun this year! Ella had a lot of fun with the games and was super excited to collect some candy in her new pumpkin bucket!


Ella was Snow White and Lucas was Happy the dwarf. Don't they look so precious!?! I made Lucas' costume... It's the first costume I have made and I was pretty impressed with how well it came out! It seemed like such a "Mommy" thing to do. Lots of fun!

Jumping in the bounce house.

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Cinderella (Naomi) and Snow White (Ella).

Bat Girl (Claire), Queen Isabella (Karys) and Snow White (Ella)

Getting her face painted, it's a flower. Last year this made her cry. She's growing up!

The end of the night... Ella has lots of candy and Lucas has become Sleepy the dwarf!