Bluff Valley Lights

I forgot to tell you all that Saturday night we loaded all the kids up around 6 and drove out to Zumbrota (about 1/2 hour away) to go to the Bluff Valley Lights. It was really fun. I didn't bring the camera because it was enough to get everyone bundled and out the door..and I can't imagine taking any time to click some pics now that I look back anyways. Bluff Valley Campground has lights set up so that you can drive through this 15 min'ish show. We turned our radio to a special station and they talked to us all the way through it. Jaclyn and Oliver moved up to the front seat while I sat in the back and fed the babies their bottles.

Some of the kids' favorites were:

the football player kicking the football,

the fish jumping out of the water,

and the waterfall that we drove under at the end.

After we drove through, we parked and walked into the light maze. I pushed the twins in the double and Jaclyn led us all through. It was crazy cool. It wasn't easy either. We had to turn around a couple of times. Some things that we didn't do was glow-in-the-dark mini golf, basketball, and frisbee. Even, Geneva and Layla were very entertained by all the flashing lights.

Rub a dub, dub!

Every Tuesday morning Luke goes to Allison's to play and the girls and I take a shower together. Mitch and I started bringing J and L in the shower with us as soon as they could hold their head up good. It just seems to work well for us that way. I kind of laugh looking back to a period of my life while living in our last town....J was not 2 yet and L was about 3 months old and we would all get in the shower, me holding L in one arm trying to scrub down J, L, and myself with the other. It must have been a much more convenient process than it sounds now since that is how we bathed. So after a few months of bathing the twins one at a time over the kitchen sink I decided it was time to share this family tradition with them. Sure enough, they love it just as much as I remember the older two loving it...kicking, splashing, laughing, and smiling throughout. It's not really any harder, or easier I guess, this time around. Obviously, I can't hold both babies at the same time so they go in infant baths on the floor leaving both arms available to clean all 4 of us. However, there are two of them...so twice as many armpits, ears, and necks to get extra clean. What are some things you have found that works in your house?

Don't let the bed bugs bite!

I felt like today was a pre-childbearing Saturday. Mitch took the day off, my mom came to watch the children, and I spent the day with my hubby. To start the day I got to choose the restaurant for breakfast. I was craving crepes so we went to Pannekoken but they didn't have any so we turned around and walked out. Then we called two other restaurants, nope. Then we called my mother-in-law and were sent to Cafe Primo. After Strawberry Crepes we moved on to Toys R Us for a little Christmas shopping, then to Select Comfort in search of a MUCH needed new bed. This is where my little known fact comes in. Do you know where the phrase "Don't let the bed bugs bite" comes from? Stephen from Select Comfort shared his knowledge of beds with us. You see, back in the day people would take their sewn "pads" out to the barn and stuff them with straw. While they slept at night, bugs would crawl inside the pad and make their way up the straw where they would feast on their sleepers. To keep this from happening people would wake and flip their pad over so that the bugs were at the bottom allowing a few more hours of sleep before the bugs made their way back up to the top. Here is where the phrase comes in. Fun huh? Well, we learned more than just that....My sleep number is 35 and Mitch is a 50. How many of you have a Sleep Number? Do you recommend it? We loved it.

Thanksgiving is in the Air!!

Being an elementary teacher by trade, I naturally engage our children, Julia especially, in arts and crafts. (Luke still has a hard time keeping crayons, markers, and glue out of his mouth. So, he usually makes sticker collages.) I'm so happy that she loves them almost as much as I do. It seems like as soon as November rolls around we could do a Thanksgiving or Christmas craft every day and still not get all my favorites in before Christmas is here and gone. Here is our first craft for the Thanksgiving holiday. We made a Handprint Turkey. I made mine a couple of days ago as an example for her. She did so good. What a budding little artist!

Thankful Thursday!!

1. Egg bakes with Hashbrowns in them.

2. KTIS.fm

3. A long hot shower before anyone is up.

4. Cool days with a hot sun.
5. My MOPS leader, Becky, she makes me laugh.

6. Hazel's smile. Most of the time it's a side smile.

7. My husband coming home for lunch.

8. Miniature candybar bites.

9. Crockpots

10. Norah's squooshy cheeks.

Harvest Party

They're on their way!
The only thing scary here is the Red Eye Reduction flash.

Tonight our church had a Harvest Party which included 2 blow up jump cages, games, face painting, a dark tunnel maze, chili and hotdogs with chips and dessert, and a cake walk(..shoot, we forgot the cake that we won at church). The kids had a blast and so did Mitch and I. Grandma Net came to watch the kids enjoy the night. J was a ladybug and Luke was a dinosaur. Norah and Hazel were just festivally dressed in white and orange striped outfits. After we came home I put the twins to bed and Mitch took J and L to a couple of houses on our street. He said that they did great saying, "Trick or Treat" on cue as each door opened. One house had a dog barking inside and Luke heard it so he took off inside to find it. I guess he was the entertainment at that house. Hope you all had a great day.

Forcing Family Fun

Last night, I reaaally wanted all of us to go to the Apple Orchard that the "big kids" and I went to a couple of weeks ago. For the past 2 years we have made it a tradition to all go each year. I should have known that 5:30 mixed with a baby that is fighting a cold, mixed with hungry children and tired parents wasn't going to work. But we went anyways. I do have to say that it was fun besides the fact that Layla was crying off and on most of the time. And Julia and Luke enjoyed jumping on the straw bales. Then on the ride home we decided to pick up KFC and that's when Hazel really let us have it.

The right side of the crib...

Julia stayed at Grandma Net's house last night so today it was Lukie and the girls. While Mitch and I were feeding the girls at 7am in the basement on the couch...I was thinking in my mind, "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease let Luke wake up on the right side of the crib." Some mornings he acts like a bear that hasn't eaten in weeks. And then he sometimes doesn't calm down until about 20 min's AFTER breakfast when he realizes his stomach has food in it. Well, God heard my prayer and Luke woke up calling, "mama!" Yea! I ran upstairs eager to give him kisses all over. The rest of the day was great. Here's what Luke did to make me smile.

Let me snuggle with him while he was wrapped up in his towel after his shower.
Watching him suck his thumb so peacefully in his carseat as we drove to Target.
Seeing how excited he got to see the big red balls outside of our new Target.
Seeing how excited he got when I set him on top of the big red ball.
Hearing him talk about "Juju's" when we walked past the little girl clothes section.
Listening to him giggle when we walk into his room for naptime. He loves his nap.
Watching him help daddy from the bed of the truck while they work on the ski rack.
Seeing how excited he got when he thought Julia was home but it was the neighbor's grandchildren playing outside.
He gave me tons of "kissies" today. And he gave in numerous times when I would ask for, "one more, one more, one more."

As much energy as this little boy takes out of me. I love him with everything in me!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful:

1.For the ladies that work in the nursery at MOPS. (They are just adorable and love the twins. I know the girls will be in good hands while I enjoy a couple hours with other mommies.)

2. That J can dress herself.

3. For how Luke loves to snuggle in the rocking chair before nap and bedtime.

4. For our new washer and dryer. The number of loads I do is significantly lower.

5. For the water and ice dispenser on our frig door. I drink much more water because of that.

6. For the beautiful fall weather we have had the last few days. The kids and I have went on a walk every day after nap because of it.

7. That I got NINE hours of sleep last night. I don't know when the last time was that happened.

8. Iced Chai from Starbucks.

9. For the changing leaves.

10. That my dh doesn't care if I'm still in my pajamas when he gets home from work. ;)

www.resadesign.com

For Website Wednesday I'm braggin' about the company a college friend of mine started called Resa Design. Her name is Resa and we lived across the hall from eachother in Tulsa at ORU. My freshman year there were about 30 girls on our floor and they were all really nice girls. My three closest friends were Resa, her roommate Moe, and Joy who was down about five doors. After I got over the homesickness of being 12 hours away, I had a blast at ORU. The friends that God placed in my path were so great.

Some great memories of freshman year are:
Running through the mud one day during finals week.
Going to aerobics Saturday morning with the girls.
Trying to unwrap Starbursts in our mouth during chapel.
Pulling my mattress across the hall to Reese's and Moe's room for a movie sleepover.
Walking to Taco Bell with Moe during Thanksgiving break for our Thanksgiving Dinner.
(We pretended we were undercover and on a top secret mission.)

Anyways, with Resa's "better-than-Martha-Stewart-skills" she started this great website. http://www.resadesign.com/

Not feeling so hot...but trying to.

I wish I had the non-stop energy that kids have even when they aren't feeling so hot. Luke is battling a cold. He woke up with a fever on Saturday after his nap and since then his nose has been a drippy faucet, he had a potent diaper yesterday causing a diaper rash that he wants no one to touch, he has the coughs sometimes so bad that he gags, and now a little rash on his cheek. Today I looked at him while we were reading books and his eyes seemed droopy and tired. Dispite all these symptoms he still wants to run, jump, kiss everyone, giggle, and make us laugh. I love that about him. And as much as I hate seeing him fight this cold, I love that he is extra cuddly.

"Let's Talk about Jesus"

This year my hub has taken the opportunity to teach Sunday School to the 3rd and 4th graders at our church. He shares this responsibility with 2 other people and they trade off throughout the school year. Last Sunday he taught for the second time...he "teamtaught," that is, because Julia accompanies him in the classroom. She thinks this is soooo cool, probably because she sees so many children sitting nicely and listen to her daddy for almost an entire hour. I attribute the following conversation between Julia and I to this newfound love of Sunday School.

(Julia had just went potty, brushed her teeth and crawled into bed. She chose to have me snuggle in bed with her instead of rocking in her rocking chair.)

J-"Mommy (as she's holding my face in her hands), let's talk about Jesus."
Me- "Ok, what do you want to know about Jesus?"
J- "I don't know."
Me- "Ok, well, Jesus was a baby once. And, he was born in a manger. Do you know what a manger is?"

J-"No."
M-"It's like Grandpa Thorson's barn where all the cows and cats are."
J-"He was born there?"
M-"Yes, because they didn't have any hospitals to have babies in back then. And the barn was the only place to have Him."
J-"What was Jesus' mommy's name?"
M-"Mary. Can you say Mary?"
J-"Mary. What was His daddy's name?"
M-"Joseph." (I knew those questions were coming since lately Julia has been sooo into knowing everyones mommy's and daddy's name...the deck guy's mom and dad, our landscaper, our neighbor, grandma Net, etc.)
J-"What is God's mommy's and daddy's name?
M-"God doesn't have a mommy and daddy."
J-"Why not?"
M-"Because God was the the first one here and the one who made mommys and daddys. (I know...but how else are you supposed to explain that one to a 3 year old?!)
M-"So, let's pray."

Thankful Thursday

Today's "Thankful Blog" is about the conversation Julia and I had this morning.

Before breakfast we always pray for our food, the day, and daddy. We pray for his safety while he is driving, for a fun time at the office, and a successful day. Well, today Julia wanted to pray for daddy again while we were downstairs playing. It went something like this.

"Dear Jesus,

Thank you for daddy that he is strong. Thank you that daddy gets us food. Tell him that I love him soooo much. Thank you for keeping him safe. Thank you for Luke and Norah and Hazel...and mommy. Aaaaamen."

I am so Thankful for this little girl!

Sibling Love

Back when I worked in Member Services at the YMCA I met an adorable sister and brother duo. They were about 12 and 13 years old and would come in with their parents a couple of times a week. They were always so kind and respectful towards everyone at the desk, and they always seemed so loving towards oneanother. I remember thinking, and praying, that our children would have that same love for eachother. It seems natural for siblings to go through some sort of stage where they don't get along so well....but does it have to be that way? I wonder what it is that parents can do to encourage a positive friendship between their children. Well, here is an adorable picture of Julia and Luke loving on eachother. They love eachother more than not....and we have so much fun watching it.

Some favorite past and present memories of Julia and Luke loving eachother are: Julia and Luke laughing at eachother from their own cribs when they shared a room in our last house, Julia getting out of her bed to go crawl in Luke's crib when we moved and they had their own rooms (Luke would already be sleeping and Julia would snuggle up to him), Julia squeezing Luke's ears while saying, "I love you, I love you, I love you," Luke saying Julia's name first thing after he wakes in the morning and after naps.