May you all have a wonderful time with friends and family, enjoy good food, and good
fellowship!
I'm learning a little bit about HTML and changing the look of blogger, so you'll be seeing a lot of (hopefully good) changes!
I have lots of plans for the new year and this blog! I look forward to see you all around. :D
Love you all!
December 31, 2009
December 29, 2009
Teenage Parent
My friends are calling me Grandy Mandy. It's a little surreal. I was there as a teenage mother. It was HARD!
Z is now a father. He's a very good father at that. I'm very proud of how he's stepping up and taking responsibility.
I was, at first, disappointed. I wanted so much more for him before he took on such a heavy role. I wanted him to be young! When you are a teenage parent you instantly feel older. You aren't free to be "just a kid" anymore. Someone else depends on you. This will make all his decisions that much harder.
He will have so many roles to balance. He'll have the normal teenage things like school, family, and friends. But now he has to add fatherhood and work. It's a heavy load. He'll see his friends being carefree with sports and just hanging out at the mall.
But there will be so many beautiful blessings in store for him too. When Z-2 starts talking and calls him "Daddy" for the first time. The first time he picks her up when she's learning to walk. So many firsts. Seeing her become another independent person. Beautiful.
When he's tempted to waste time and get into trouble, being a father will temper him with restraint. He's the type to feel the responsibility keenly. He'll shake his head at the foolishness of his friends and finish his homework. He'll have to give school everything he's got if he wants to graduate. He has to think about the future and plan for it now. The needs are real for him and for his daughter. Time is short. There is no diaper fairy. Clothes are expensive. He'll need transportation for his little family.
I feel for him, having been there myself. But at the same time, I'm glad for the man he is, and the man he is going to be.
Z is now a father. He's a very good father at that. I'm very proud of how he's stepping up and taking responsibility.
I was, at first, disappointed. I wanted so much more for him before he took on such a heavy role. I wanted him to be young! When you are a teenage parent you instantly feel older. You aren't free to be "just a kid" anymore. Someone else depends on you. This will make all his decisions that much harder.
He will have so many roles to balance. He'll have the normal teenage things like school, family, and friends. But now he has to add fatherhood and work. It's a heavy load. He'll see his friends being carefree with sports and just hanging out at the mall.
But there will be so many beautiful blessings in store for him too. When Z-2 starts talking and calls him "Daddy" for the first time. The first time he picks her up when she's learning to walk. So many firsts. Seeing her become another independent person. Beautiful.
When he's tempted to waste time and get into trouble, being a father will temper him with restraint. He's the type to feel the responsibility keenly. He'll shake his head at the foolishness of his friends and finish his homework. He'll have to give school everything he's got if he wants to graduate. He has to think about the future and plan for it now. The needs are real for him and for his daughter. Time is short. There is no diaper fairy. Clothes are expensive. He'll need transportation for his little family.
I feel for him, having been there myself. But at the same time, I'm glad for the man he is, and the man he is going to be.
December 28, 2009
December 25, 2009
Christmas!
On Christmas Eve we let the kids open one gift together.
In our home, it's the parents that drag the kids out of bed too early.
The very first thing we do is open stockings.
Then, we all got bundled up and went outside to play a good old family friendly game of war.
In our home, it's the parents that drag the kids out of bed too early.
The very first thing we do is open stockings.
Then, we all got bundled up and went outside to play a good old family friendly game of war.
December 20, 2009
Family Christmas Party
Mom, Andrew, Karen, Matt, and Emily came out for our annual Christmas party.
Every year Andrew buys war toys so we can have our annual Christmas Battle!
This year it was Nerf guns. But not just any old Nerf gun. These things were insane! We had SO much fun!
Every year Andrew buys war toys so we can have our annual Christmas Battle!
This year it was Nerf guns. But not just any old Nerf gun. These things were insane! We had SO much fun!
December 17, 2009
SNOW!
We rarely see snow in our neck of the woods. So you can imagine the sheer enthusiasm running through the house when snow flakes began to descend on us.
We didn't get very much. It turned to rain that night so it was mostly gone by morning. But it was SNOW! And we had a few moments of unadulterated bliss!
We didn't get very much. It turned to rain that night so it was mostly gone by morning. But it was SNOW! And we had a few moments of unadulterated bliss!
December 14, 2009
December 13, 2009
Annual Christmas Banquet
We let the boys go up and pick out their own dessert. We weren't paying attention, but normally our rule is to start out with one dessert. We failed to remind the children of this rule. Joshua and Ishmael were reasonable.
Jeremiah was stone cold busted.
HAHAHAHA!!!
There was plenty of entertainment, but I have to say that little Joseph and Mary stole the show.
December 10, 2009
Cinnamon Ornament "Cookies"
I really love to make these with the kids. They smell so yummy.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Apple Sauce
1 Cup Cinnamon (2-2.37 oz bottles were close enough to a full measuring cup)
1 TBSP Ground Cloves
1 TBSP Allspice
2 TBSP craft glue
Mix in dry ingredients and then add apple sauce and glue. Easy Peasy.
Dust surface with cinnamon and roll dough out to a 1/4" thickness.
I put them in a sunny spot to dry. It takes a few days and you need to flip them. I think this way preserves more of the yummy smell. You can bake them in a low temperature oven if you are short on time.
I hung the kids on the tree and decided I wanted to make a string of them to hang over the "window" in the dining room/kitchen.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Apple Sauce
1 Cup Cinnamon (2-2.37 oz bottles were close enough to a full measuring cup)
1 TBSP Ground Cloves
1 TBSP Allspice
2 TBSP craft glue
Mix in dry ingredients and then add apple sauce and glue. Easy Peasy.
Dust surface with cinnamon and roll dough out to a 1/4" thickness.
I put them in a sunny spot to dry. It takes a few days and you need to flip them. I think this way preserves more of the yummy smell. You can bake them in a low temperature oven if you are short on time.
I hung the kids on the tree and decided I wanted to make a string of them to hang over the "window" in the dining room/kitchen.
December 7, 2009
They're Finished!
Thanks to my very talented mother, all of my stockings are done just in time for Christmas!!!
I finished the final touches of the last one while she was here, and then she whipped them out like nobodies business!
I finished the final touches of the last one while she was here, and then she whipped them out like nobodies business!
Christmas Cookies
We get together with my mom every year to make Christmas cookies.
This year we made sugar cookies, shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate, and we also dipped bread sticks in the chocolate. Yummo!
This year we made sugar cookies, shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate, and we also dipped bread sticks in the chocolate. Yummo!
December 6, 2009
Laundry Day
My kids love going to the laundromat. They get so excited and fight over the work.
Their enthusiasm just gets me all teary eyed.
And the laundromat is such an exciting place! So much to see and do.
3 Cheers for Laundry Day!
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