January Reading

Some of our favorite books from this month...

Miss C loves the book poor puppy and can "read" it to us she has heard it so many times. So when she found Bad kitty meets the baby at the library she couldn't wait to check it out.

 We put this book on hold back in late October and just now got it from the Library. oh well Pinkalicious is fun anytime of the year right?

Mr C has enjoyed reading Big Nate and Frankie Pickle both books are a mix of paragraphs and comics.

 Guys read is a website by a group of authors looking to create more books for young boys. You should check it out they have lots of great recommendations! For Christmas Mr C got this collection of short stories. We have only read a few of them so far but they are kind of fun.

 The Invention Of Hugo Cabret is by Far the families favorite book this month and I would also say my favorite children's book that we have ever read! I loved this book! The story and the art work were fantastic. I am so happy we read the book before we saw the movie! The book will decently be one we will be ready again and again.

 Some of the art work from the book

Mr C's non fiction pick of the month. He gave a great book report at school on Albert Einstein. 

 My books this month ....

The Associate is about a young lawyer choosing between what is right, what is wrong and the lines between them.

One Thousand Gifts is an amazingly wonderful poetic book of beauty! It is one of those books that requires your full attention so I had to make my self pick it up sometimes but once I did I had a very hard time putting it back down. A book that hopefully I will grasp and use to change my life and find ways to search and see Gods gifts all around me.  

 Technically I am not done with this book but as I only have a few more chapters and plan to finish it tonight I thought I would included it in today's post. A story of two young adults who meet in a cancer support group work trough the meaning of life together and form a friendship that caries them though the struggle before them.

    Happy reading! Do you have any suggestions for us?

Gratitude...

A few from my list this week...
-Laughter after tears
-honest friendships
-a clean house
- the I just need my mom kind of snuggles
- 1st book reports
-falling in love with a book together as a family
- the wonder of watching a movie in 3D
-special "dates" with the each child
-Libraries
-phone calls of pure delight and joy
- seeing wishes coming true
- people working together all over the world to make wishes come true.

Game time....

We started a tradition last spring break by getting a new game for the break. My favorite part is we look for the games at goodwill or garage sales. I found 3 or 4 of the games brand new at goodwill just damaged boxes. Last spring break we got disney yatzee, Summer break was whack a mole and sequence for kids, Thanksgiving Clue Jr, and this Christmas Break was Sorry. Sorry has become my new favorite game to play with the kids. We have so much fun! 

As we are always on the look out for a new game for each break, would you please give me some suggestions. What are some of your family's favorite games?

Way to go dad!

A few weeks ago Brian had his first deadline for his book. He has finished the whole thing and now just has edit deadlines to look forward to. I wanted to do something special for him but I must admit did not do a good job of planning ahead. So I asked the kids what they wanted to do and I loved there answer. We made a poster for every room of the house to tell dad how great he is. So we spent the afternoon coloring and being creative. We now have the poster hanging all together in our room so he can see them every morning and know we are so proud of him. 

 Mr C just learned a secret code at school ... which explains the Backwards "book week"

Valentines day project

I found a tutorial last year I wanted to try but I just ran out of time to try it. Well as February approaches I could not wait to give it a try this year. With my favorite 7 pictures of the kids together and some time in photoshop and I was ready to order prints from costco. Most of the pictures I used are now posted on the header of my blog :)

After finding left over scraps of paper and some twine I was excited to decorate . 

 Garland hanging from the mantel.

 Hanging in the Hallway ...

With the left over pictures and paper I made this on the kids wall in there room. It was hard to get a picture that shows you just how big it is. I plan on writing on the squares different things I love about each of the kids.

snow day

One day of a bit of snow is a big deal to the kids.  

          The funny faces we make when we have such plans as throwing a snowball at little sisters.

December reading....

 We decided to just share our favorites from December as we did lots of reading!
From Miss C

From Mr C ... 

Grandma gave us some books that belonged to Brian that she thought Mr C might like. We started with Castle in the Attic and it was a perfect first choice! We all loved this story of a boy and his gift and a silver knight who comes to life. Mr C was so up set when it ended because he wanted to hear more adventures about William. Lucky for us my good friend informed me there was a book two! So Christmas eve Mr C opened a copy of Battle for the Castle and started reading right away. 

Non Fiction pick of the month...

There is something about Christmas time that makes we want to read light hearted "easy" read books. However I started out with a non fiction and I really needed the light hearted after finishing "A Stolen Life". Defiantly a story of courage but very disturbing to read about what happened to her. 

A funny lighthearted novel of a wife and mom finding her way through a Christmas full of change.

Cheesy yet fun Christmas love stories...

What have you been reading? We have some amazing books we are reading this month and can't wait to share some with you.

Gratitude...

I told you I would share some of our list as I look to write down one thousand blessings. I had hoped to have a picture to share with this post however the picture is in my sisters camera. So here are a few gifts I couldn't wait to share. To be honest I am not sure  a picture or words can even begin to sum up the emotion that swells with in my soul every time I think about that one moment in time.

- A Smile full of joy and hope

- no more Chemo song!

- God's love through nurses who truly care

- Chemo pals

  I long to properly put in to words the amount of joy, sorrow, hope, and love wrapped into one magical moment. Please forgive my inability to truly share with you just how amazing it was. As Ammy lay in the bed tired, feeling sick, and annoyed. Her face changed in a mater of seconds, when the nurses gathered around and started to sing. I wish I could remember the words to a simple song sung by voices who sing not because of their gift in music but their joy in seeing lives healed. I wish I could remember the words to the song that I know so many have longed to hear. I however could not take my eyes of Ammy's face to even hear the words. The smile was huge, her eyes light up with promise and joy. In that moment I saw the last few years flash before me the ups and downs the people who have touched her life and the lives she has changed. I realized in that moment I was seeing what The author in the book One thousands Gifts was talking about when she spoke of the "Ugly Beautiful". Cancer is ugly! But this moment, the one I was blessed to be a part of was one of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen. Not because the chemo is over because we know the time will come when that will start again, not because of the next step because that is a nervous waiting game. Beautiful because in that moment I saw pure joy, a heart awaken with hope again. A moment where you could see love poured out in a small hospital "room".  A moment where this little girl was about to enter into a new phase and she was excited!  Is there a part of me that still wishes that even this unbelievable moment never happened that never the ugly word cancer became a part of her life? Yes! But it did and it is part of her life so I choose to look for the beauty and the gift in the middle of the ugly cancer. I feel blessed that through her courage she has shown me and allowed me to see God at work, God full of grace, God offering hope, to see truly HIS Face.

Year in review...

I found this great worksheet on a blog for the kids and could not wait to see what their answers would be!
The site I found it on is Thirty Hand Made Days. ( I had lots of fun looking around her blog). Keep in mind you should not have your kids fill this out while taking a quick break from playing video games with dad. Note Mr C's answer for favorite memory :)

The kid's answers cracked me up and also gave me ideas of what to focus on this year. 

Miss C's answers:

Age: 4 1/2    Favorite Color: Purple   Favorite Food: Pizza   Favorite Activity: Board Games

Favorite Book: Finding Books   

Highlights From 2011

Greatest Lesson Learned: Writing my name the kindergarten way 

Hardest Thing Of The Year: Learning to ride my scooter

Favorite Memory: Going to Grandma and Grandpa's house

What I Loved Most About 2011: Family Vacations

Looking Forward To 2012

Want To Learn: to read

Want To Get Better At: remembering

Biggest Goal: to learn to swim

Mister C's answers

Age: 7   Favorite Color: Green, Yellow, Blue   Favorite Food: Corn, Soup, and Baked Potatoes

Favorite Activity: Staying Home   Favorite Book: Magic Tree house

Highlights From 2011

Greatest Lesson Learned: music

Hardest Thing Of The Year: First Grade

Favorite Memory: Watching Dad Match Skeletons and Family Vacations

What I Loved Most About 2011: Learning Music

Looking Forward to 2012

Want To Learn: More Non Fiction

Want To Get Better At: Cartwheels

Biggest Goal: Learn to ride my Skateboard

Did you make any new years Goal's?

Word of the year

As each year comes to an end I love to reflect back and remember the joy, struggles, lessons learned, and moments Celebrated. Last years word Celebrate was inspired by the book "Cold Tangerines" a blessing wrapped up in a book given to me by a dear friend.  Well this years word came to me the same exact way. My dear friend seems to know just what my soul needs and each year gives me a book for my birthday that is refreshing, challenging, and life changing with each and every page. Just like the year before the book was given to me in April and it seems I don't open it's pages till December. For what ever the reason I wait to read the book I am always annoyed that I waited to read such eye opening heart changing words. This years current book "One thousand Gifts" which has touched my heart, challenged my thoughts and inspired me to truly stop and see God. So not only have I found my word of the year within the pages of this gift but I too have found a challenge. This year I will with my family make our list of one thousand gifts and make this year are year to be GRATEFUL!
 My highlighter sits ready to use as I read through this book. It is one of those books you make yourself read but once you start you don't ever want to put it down. I will leave you with one of the many quotes i love from this book as I challenge you to even just for today stop and find one gift to say Thank you for. 
"In naming that which is right before me, that which I'd otherwise miss. The invisible becomes visible. The space that spans my inner emptiness fills in the naming. I name. And I know the face I face. God's! God is in the details; God is in the moment. God is all that blurs by in life- even in the hurts in a life"
  If you are willing I would love to hear your word of the year or one thing that you are grateful for today. I will try to share with you some things from our list through out the next year. 

The Photo Process...

Getting a good picture of my kids is getting harder and harder!

This is the face I see most when I ask if I can take the kids picture. (If I don't have the very funny Aunt Sissa around to help)

 Then ask really nice and I get this...

 Make a joke and have Miss C say daddy or Mister C say soup and I get the half smile

 Then one silly word or joke and if I am fast enough I might get this.

I then hope I got at least one useable photo from the day.

New Years Day

Well exhausted from staying up the night before and boredom from being home was not a pretty way to start the new Year. So we loaded the kids in the can along with their scooters and we were off to the park. Ok secretly I wished to get a great picture of the kids on one of the bridges for my mantel but we were having to much fun and that never happened.  Well and the fact they were on the run the whole time we were there. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. We headed home for some hot chocolate and to watch Ghostbusters.