A little mini-vaca to Minnesota!

The four of us piled into our van and headed to the Twin Cities for a little get-a-way. This fall was extremely busy for us and daddy was gone a lot (Africa and working on the farm), so we were excited to have some family fun.  And that is just what we did!  We stayed at the Grandstay (has a bedroom and living area which is absolutely necessary with young children so we don't have to go to bed at 8:00 with them!).  We did some swimming in the cold pool and the hot pool as Ev calls the hot tub, enjoyed cable (we don't have cable at home) and ate up the yummy (Mommy didn't have to make or clean up) breakfast.  We hit up Ikea (we scored some majorly cheap closet storage, some kitchen organization items, and some fun things for the kiddos-i.e. a huge footstool so Evan can help in the kitchen and a race car rug for the basement).  We met up with my cousin Emily and her fiance, and got all the wedding details-it is going to be absolutely beautiful and they are a fantastic couple.  Better yet, Ev and Alea are going to be in the wedding, so fun!  She gave us the idea to head to the downtown Macy's to Santaland which is staged on the 8th floor.  It was so cool and free!  A double bonus.  The kids loved seeing all the elves and especially enjoyed the rice krispie treat at the end.  Last, but not least, we went to Toddler Tuesday at Mall of America, which means Dora was there and it was only 12 dollars to ride about 8 rides.  Ev absolutely loves the all the rides and man, did Alea want to go on them, but still too little.  Next year!
We definitely didn't get the best sleep and we dealt with some wicked tantrums,  but it was all worth it.  Maybe we will make this an annual thing!  :)

Evan at Santa Land in the downtown Macy's

Alea loved looking at all the little fake elves! (she also bonked her head pretty hard on this ledge about 5 minutes prior, but she is tough!)

Evan loves the rides at MOA-on the balloon ride with daddy!

Alea would probably love the rides, but not big enough yet, she had fun walking around and looking at them though!

Evan and Alea would hold hands walking down the long hallway to our hotel room-precious!

How is my little girl already 1?

Alea turned 1 on November 12th and I feel like it was just yesterday when I found out I was pregnant (much to our surprise!).  What a year it has been, being blessed with a little girl, adjusting to having two little ones, and finishing her 1st year with a big celebration.  We had a b-day brunch with lots of family and friends in attendance.  She was little bit overwhelmed but it was so awesome to have so many people there for her special day.  Her favorite part of course was eating the yummy cake-she had absolutely no interest in her presents.  The funniest part of the day was when she wanted to wear two headbands my friend Erin made her, when all year, I couldn't get her to keep one cute headband on!  She's apparently aware of how she wants to style herself after turning 1!

Eating her yummy pumpkin cake!

Her two pretty headbands!

Anyways, here are some things she is up to now that she is 1:
-Has been walking since 11 months, loves to climb, be chased, wrestle with daddy
-Says da-da, momma, hi, door, dog, duck, ball, horse, and your favorite word is no!  She just started saying belly button too while you lift up your shirt and point to it.  So cute!
-She understands a lot of what we say, meaning she can go get something if we tell her to, point to correct body parts
-Has an outgoing personality and is always making funny faces.
-Always ready to laugh /smile
-Very strong-willed and will not back down. Screams when her brother takes something from her and holds onto it with all her little strength. Once, at story time, there was an older boy trying to take her train and she just screamed right at him, not at all afraid that he was twice her size!
-She loves when the school bus comes and runs to our living room window and presses her face against the glass until it leaves.
-She still loves music and is dancing now!  She either bobs up and down or takes one foot and stomps it to the beat.  It is hilarious!
-She is a picky eater which is so different from my son.  It is a struggle to get her to eat most veggies!  And she likes her fruit cut a certain way or she won't eat it!  (Girls...)
-She loves her juice/water mix and kind of holds her cup off to the side when she drinks from it-so goofy! 
-She loves eating out of her snack cup-maybe I should sneak some veggies in there! :)
-She will play, then come check in with me by giving me a hug and patting me on the back-I must do that to her without realizing it. 

-She loves when I let her down at the store to wander around-she walks around like she owns the place! 

-She is still fearless-climbing on everything, standing on top of things, heads up the stairs whenever she thinks I am not looking! I really have to keep close watch of her!
-She loves her daddy for roughhousing, but is still a momma's girl right now.
-She LOVES her big brother and follows him around everywhere, playing cars with him, giving him huggers and kissers and generally annoying him, but out of love!  :) 

Thanksgiving 2011

Well, Thanksgiving was a little different for my crew this year, but we made do and it was wonderful.  I hosted my first Thanksgiving, but it was only my parents and my kids, so it was a perfect trial run.  They are pretty easy to please!  Mickey had to work so it was my mom and I in the kitchen.  We made all the usuals, but my best contribution was mashed sweet potatoes (a recipe I found on Pinterest) and my mom made some yummy corn pudding casserole and pumpkin pie!  It was a great day.  I got to run with my dad in the morning, watch the parade with my kiddos, and just relax (after all the cooking and cleaning of course!)  My mom and I don't do the Black Friday thing but thankfully, my in-laws do and they scored me a $180 carseat for $99!  Woohoo! (Thanks Cathy and Cari!)  Alea is ready to move into a big girl car seat so this was awesome.
We left for Omaha on Friday morning to spend a couple days with Mickey's family at a waterpark hotel.  We swam, ate lots of food, had a mini-Christmas, and just enjoyed catching up.  Unfortunately, Ev got a little sick on Saturday night and we had to head home early.  He is doing better now, I think it was just his allergies and asthma bothering him.  :)

Anyways, made it home safely and Mickey had to work today, so the kids and I had a bum around home day.  We did nothing!  And it was just what we needed after some busy days.    

Finally, my thankful list-These were the 1st 10 things that came to my mind in no particular order and is not a complete list whatsoever, I have so much to be thankful for.  

1. Staying at home this year to become a better wife and mom and servant of Jesus Christ-I LOVE being at home!  

2.  In this season of us not having two paychecks-God has provided for us over and over again.

3.  My marriage is improving-not perfect by any means-but God has us right where He wants us!

4.  Health-I take this for granted sometimes or overlook it, but I shouldn't.

5.  I have two of the most beautiful, amazing children-they bring smiles to my face everyday and I still can't believe sometimes that I get to be their mommy!

6.  Our church and our small group from church are my lifeblood for staying in the Word and drawing closer to the One who gives me Life.  

7.  Prayer runs-I have been running a lot and I purposely don't take music most of the time so I can just pray.  God has really used this time in great ways.

8.  Titus 2!  This group of women at my church that I meet with on Tuesday mornings to learn how to be a Titus 2 woman never cease to amaze me.  So thankful I know these women!

9.  I have incredible, loving, and generous parents.  They would do anything for me, my hubby, or my kids with no strings attached.  

10.  Peace and contentment from Christ alone.  I am so thankful God takes my fears and worries upon Him.  I wouldn't know any other way except to give them to Him.  
Happy Thanksgiving!

Beggar's Night

Beggar's Night was so fun!  Mickey didn't have to work so we actually got to trick or treat together.  (kind of)  I took Evan and Alea around the cul-de-sac, then came home with Alea.  Daddy took Evan and they were gone for an hour and a half.  I couldn't believe Evan made it that far.  He walked the whole way and carried his little pumpkin of treats.  Too bad he can't eat 90 percent of them because of his peanut, tree nut, and egg allergies!  There were a few things he could have, like Skittles, suckers, and Smarties so he was still happy.  Evan went as a firefighter (just like last year-he insisted even though I tried to tell him he can't be a firefighter every year just because that is what daddy does-haha!) and Alea was a little ballet dancer.  Enjoy a few pics below!

 

A loving and talented daddy!

Well, when my son said he wanted a Lightning McQueen pumpkin carving this year, I laughed and said, "Ask your father".  And that is what he did!  Mickey said, "Sure, why not?"  And he went to work.  He found an image online, then free hand drew it and carved it,  I am so impressed with how it turned out!

Evan loves it! 

Now, what to do for Alea's pumpkin?  Well, she is not old enough to have any favorites, so Evan chose for her.  "Alea wants Mater, daddy."  Oh my goodness... So, my hubby, the wonderful daddy he is, went to work at 9:00 at night after a long day of harvesting at his family farm.  He worked his magic again, and he accomplished the Mater pumpkin.

Apple Orchard Fun

Fall is by far my favorite season of the year (even though I am not too fond of what it leads up to...brrr!).  We have had such a beautiful fall here in Iowa and we love taking advantage of the great weather and scenery by going to apple orchards.  Our most favorite place to go is....Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge.  Oh my goodness, it is an orchard on steroids!  :)  I first discovered the place because a former co-worker of mine from Terrace Elementary (Trisha Romig) grew up there!  It is her family's place.  They have done an amazing job making it beautiful, fun, and festive.  They have animals for the kids to look at, a pool filled with corn kids can dive into, a humongous jumping pillow to flop around on, and a super duper huge slide to go down.  Oh and they have apples too!  haha!  We bought season passes this year and have already been there about 5 times and have plans to go many more times while we still can.  Below are some pictures of my kids (and my hubby and me) having a blast at Center Grove!

Alea loves making noises back ath the animals! Hilarious!

I love the corn pool, it is a good workout to wade around in!

I am just so happy she never even tried to eat the corn! Good girl!

I honestly think my hubs enjoys the jumping pillow more than my son!



Look of pure delight and terror on his face, priceless!



Evan's Dresser

Hey all, just wanted to share a pic of Evan's very cheap and fun dresser!  We bought the dresser at IKEA for $34.99 and a couple cans of spray paint at Walmart for $3.00 a can and now he has a dresser in his favorite color!  He loves it and it is a perfect size for underwear, socks, and pj's. 

Alea is 10 months!

My precious baby girl is now 10 months old as of September 12th (the same day her new best friend Vera Port was born!).  She is up to all sorts of new things, like saying momma (love this!), and dog (she will point at the dog or say dog when she hears a bark).  She loves waving and waves every time she hears someone say hi or bye.  She is also all about the clapping!  If others are clapping or if she hears music or if someone says Yeah!, she will start clapping.  I think she is going to be musically inclined too as she starts bopping her head every time a song comes on and she tries to sing along with me when I sing to her.
She is still pretty tiny; I am not sure how I have such a petite little girl!  She weighed in at 18 pounds, 11 ounces and was 27 1/2 inches long at her 9 months appt.  This was approximately the 40th percentile.   I think she is going to be an athletic little thing, she is very coordinated-not walking yet, but will be anyday.  She is also quite the daredevil, wanting to climb on anything she can get her feet up on! 
I love having a daughter and I thank God for her everyday! What a beautiful gift God has given me in Alea. 

   

The Music of My Life-"It's Good to Know"

Second installment of the lessons I am learning from a certain cd that my son still has to listen to everytime we are in the van and the same cd that my husband says I must destroy before he gets back from Africa.  (he likes the songs and the messages from the songs, but is a wee bit tired of listening to it over and over!)  The cd is Francesca Battistelli's "One Hundred More Years" cd. This particular song is titled "It's Good to Know". 

Verse 1:
Hello, old friend
I know it's been a while
I'm here again
And it won't be the last time
I fall apart
But You won't let me get too far
You're speaking to my heart

(Chorus)
It's good to know
It's good to feel the arms of grace
To know that my mistakes are covered by Your love
It's good to know
It's good to see that You won't change
When it's said and done
You'll always be enough
To know that I can always come back home
It's good to know
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
It's good to know
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh

Verse 2:
Goodbye, old me
Yeah there's so much more that I
Know I could be
So take my worries with
You when you leave
There's hope that I am counting on
'Cause I'm never too far gone

It's good to know
It's good to know
I'm covered by Your love

Isn't it sooooo good to know?  That you are covered in love by His grace?  To know that you can always come back home to Him?  I have no clue what I would do without this reassurance.  I think about the times I have failed, that I have given in to sin, and the guilt that comes from that...But God in his infinite goodness reminds me that it doesn't matter what I do, he loves me no matter what!  There is not a sin so great He doesn't forgive.  Does this mean we can go do whatever we want in life and sin because we know God will forgive us?  ABSOLUTELY not, God calls His people to be holy, set apart, to love like Him.  We should daily be striving towards this, but we are not perfect and God knows this.  He knows we will make mistakes, but loves us anyway.  Everyday I set out with the best of intentions-I am going to be patient with my children, I am going to be selfless and put everyone's needs before my own, I am going to extend grace to my husband instead of nagging at him, I am going to stay pure in my thoughts and actions, I am going to spend quiet time with God, and EVERYDAY, at some point, I do not do these things! Not because I don't want to because I do, but because I am a sinner... This would be so depressing if it weren't for the fact that I know God loves me and that is not going to change. I get to feel His "arms of grace" around me all day long.  I hope you get that experience too and if you don't, there is a way, and it is so simple!  We can always "come home" to God with no fear and no guilt. 

The Good Old Iowa State Fair

Yes, we made it to the Fair, the only day it was raining I might add, but we made it.  It just worked out we couldn't go on any of the nice weather days, but we still had a blast!  The highlight was the Little Hands on the Farm, Evan could have done that all day!  He also loved going around and getting "tattooed" in the Varied Industries building.  This is where he got to see Clifford too!  He hammed it up with him and it was hilarious!  Alea didn't care for the fair too much since she was in the stroller most of the time, but I know she will have a great time next year. Mickey and I gained about 5 pounds a piece after eating giant tenderloins, fries, and chocalate chip cookies, (we could literally feel our stomachs expanding with each bite!) but it was sooo worth it! 

The Music of my Life-"This is the Stuff"

So, lately myself (and my son, much to the dismay of my hubby) have been obsessed with the Francesca Battistelli album "Hundred More Years".  Each and every song speaks to me.  I am going to do a series of blogs about each song on this album and what they are teaching me.  First up, "This is the Stuff"!  Lyrics and thoughts below:

V1: I lost my keys in the great unknown
And call me please 'Cuz I can't find my phone

Chorus:
This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use
V2: 45 in a 35
Sirens and fines while I'm running behind
Whoa

Hook:
So break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I've got a new appreciation
It's not the end of the worldOh Oh Oh

Simple song, right?  But it packs a powerful punch for me...1st of all the first two lines are soooo me since I hit motherhood.  I used to know where everything was and where I was supposed to be!  And I really did lose my keys in IKEA of all places, never to be found again.  I have NO CLUE where I lost them or how, didn't even know it until I went to leave!  I can never find my phone or it is always on silent so it doesn't wake kids up, so I never know that people call...I have such a mommy brain!
Ok, on to more serious stuff, I love the chorus of this song, the part that is bolded.  Wow!  I am guilty of letting the little stuff get under my skin instead of focusing on how blessed I am.  For example, my kids have been ruthless this summer with waking up early.  At least one of my children gets up between 5 and 6 every morning!  I'm sorry, but that is too early to start the day!  At the same time though, I should not be upset about this.  At least I have two beautiful, healthy, growing, happy children to wake me up every day.  Getting up that early is definitley not what I would choose, but it is what God has for me right now.  I am definitely growing spiritually because of it too- I pray more (for patience mostly), I am learning to practice God's grace more, and I am committed to loving my children even when they are not being very lovable!
The other part of this song that hits the nail right on the head for me is the little hook about it not being the end of the world.  Seriously, kids getting up early is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of life. And neither are the other little "messes" I have during the day. 
So, how can you apply this?  Think about your day and the stuff that drove you crazy.  What do you think God is teaching you in those moments?  
Below: an updated picture of my little darlings that wake me up so kindly every morning!

Smores and Cupcakes

As most of you know, my son Evan is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and fish.  I know, it is not fun!  But we make do and we are finding some treats he can have and ways we can make treats so he can have some.  For the most part, I don't encourage sugary treats, but c'mon, I gotta let my kids have something fun to eat once in a while!  So, we made Smores on the grill the other night and Ev, of course, loved them!  Believe it or not, he can have the 3 main Smores ingredients!  Also, we have found you can replace the eggs in cake mix with a can of pop (light colored pops for light cakes, dark colored pop for chocolate cakes), so we made cupcakes tonight to honor of one of his favorite books: "If you Give a Cat a Cupcake..."  Pics are below!  (Daddy even snuck Alea a few bites of cupcake, her first taste of sugary goodness!)  Notice we ate outside and for the most part, without shirts on!  :)

What Have We Been Up to this Summer?

This summer is flying by in a whirlwind!  I have meant to keep this blog up a lot more regularly and hopefully, I will do a better job now that basketball is almost over...  Coaching high school girls travel bball for Kingdom Hoops has kept me quite busy the last few months!  Between that and having an active two and half year old little boy and a 8 and a half month old baby girl, there hasn't been much computer time.  We have managed to have some fun at the Mall of America and Lake Minnehaha in Minnesota, hanging at the farm for Mickey's bday, Ankeny Summerfest, swim lessons for Ev, Alea learning to crawl, stand up and cruise along furniture, wave, and give kisses, swimming in hotel pools, a cousin's wedding, hanging in the backyard, going to the park, enjoying Chicago and downtown Naperville, and so much more.  Since I am so behind in posting, I am just sending you too look at some pictures if you would like, since there are way too many to fit on here!
https://picasaweb.google.com/MKinzenbaw/Summer2011SoFar?authkey=Gv1sRgCMfXs_uPzoeVSw#
 My fave ones are below though: