Prayers

Sydney's prayer tonight at dinner was, "Dear God, Thank you for this day, thank you for our house so we don't have to live outside. The end"
Dylan's prayer at bedtime went like this, "Dear God, Thank you for the whole world, thank you for everything....Thank you for my toys...I don't need them. I just need food and a house....so thank you for my toys."
I absolutely love listening to my kids pray.

Dylan's Birthday

Dylan is 6 years old....seems like just yesterday I was at the hospital holding my brand new baby. He is such a charming, funny, sweet little boy and I love every minute that I get to spend with him. I'm so glad that I'm his mom. We celebrated his birthday, every day leading up to his birthday...for 6 days.

We sang a song that Dylan actually taught us..."Three Cheers for Dylan, Three Cheers for you...It's your birthday in 6 days, Three Cheers for you." and he got a present every day for 6 days. He was very excited....then we had a small family party at home for him, with sports cupcakes. We went to Bandidos for his birthday lunch, had pancakes for his birthday dinner and went to build-a-bear with his birthday money.

Soccer Star

Our kids are playing Soccer at the church again this fall. We have 4 out of 5 playing. Sydney, Dylan and Macy are all on the same team...and Garrett is on the older team. Dylan has been a scoring machine. After scoring 3 goals in his first game, he told me that he was the BEST SOCCER PLAYER EVER....he was so proud of himself, and we were proud of him to...so we let him gloat a little... Then we all went to Bob Evans for lunch. He was sure we were going because of him being such a great soccer star. We'll talk about good sportsmanship tomorrow... today I just love knowing that he is proud of himself. :)

I Wanna Meet God

Nathan was measuring our roof, while all the kids were outside playing. They were so curious and of course, the boys wanted to join Daddy on the roof. Not gonna happen! I told them that it was dangerous and they couldn't get on the roof, only daddy's were allowed up there. Dylan insisted that he wanted to go on the roof. I explained to him that he could fall off the roof and get hurt. He asked if he could die, and I said "Yes, you could die if you fell of the roof. It is so high." Dylan did not react at all how I expected. He said, "I wanna die, because then I can go to heaven and meet God." I said that would make me so sad and didn't he wouldn't get to be with us anymore. He said, "But I'll see you when you die."

So Dylan wants to go to heaven and meet God, sweet thing....but he's not allowed to go for atleast 90 years!!! Mommy's rule.

A Date with Mommy

What do you do when your little ones are sad that they don't get to go with Daddy and the big kids to Outbreak (the big outreach program at church just for elementary kids and so much fun). You take them on an awesome date to see a movie at the theater that they have been waiting to see for months. That's what I did with Dylan and Sydney on Friday. We went to see the much anticipated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. We had popcorn and M&Ms and milk. They loved the movie, sat through the entire thing. Then because Burger King had Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs toys that is where we decided to eat dinner. It was so fun, just taking the 2 of them out. They really enjoyed the special time and having a date with mommy made them forget all about Outbreak.

A Semi Ride

Dylan got to go for a ride in Grandpa Brent's semi today. He had so much fun, boy was he excited. He packed his backpack full of fun things to do on the ride, got his sunglasses and his lunch bag and was ready to go.

All morning long, Dylan kept talking about having special time with Grandpa and going on a trip with Grandpa. On our drive to meet Grandpa, Dylan said, "I've never done this before! You know what I'm gonna be when I grow up? A semi person." When I watched him climb up in that big seat in that huge truck, he seemed so tiny to me. Even with the booster seat, you could barely see him out the window. He was smiling and giving peace signs and thumbs up. He was ready to go. I teared up thinking about how blessed our kids are with wonderful grandparents, how blessed we are to have those people in our lives that love our kids.

Thank you so much Grandpa Brent, for loving our kids, and for the wonderful memory you gave Dylan today.

In God's time

Dylan is amazing to me, he is always saying things that just make me smile. He has been praying for God to give him a new wii game. So we had a talk about how God isn't a magic genie who grants us wishes and just gives us stuff. He had been upset because God didn't answer his prayer, he had prayed and prayed and prayed and God didn't give him a new wii game. Seriously pulled at my heart and I had to fight off the urge to run out and buy him one. I told him that God heard his prayers, because he always hears our prayers but sometimes his answer is yes, sometimes it's no and sometimes it's a not yet. That God does things when it's the right time, not always when we want him to. So Dylan's new pray. "God thank you for the whole world and for Jesus, please give me a new wii game in the right time. Amen"

"God goes 'POOF'"

On the way home from a Boy Scout Round Up Nathan and the boys were talking about the rock climbing trip. Garrett asked if the harness would hold him. Nathan said, "Yes, it would even hold Daddy." Garrett asked if it would hold God....if it were that big. Nathan said, "I don't think God would need a harness to go rock climbing." Then Dylan chimed in, "Nope, if God wanted to rock climb, he'd go 'POOF' and he'd be there.

First day of Preschool

Wow!!! I sent 3 little ones off to preschool today. What a day.

Dylan and Macy begin their 2nd year of preschool and Sydney begins her 1st year. I've been really hesitant to send Sydney, she's so little.... a new 3 year old, but she really wants to go with her best friend, Dylan.

I wasn't sure about Dylan either, but something happened over the summer and he wants to go to school. The past 2 weeks he has run down stairs every morning asking if he is late for school. This is not the child I sent last year. He has grown so much.

For the first time in 6 1/2 years my home will be empty of children for 2 hours 2 days a week. What on earth will I do with myself?

My kids, Right Now

I thought I'd share a little about our kids, and who they are right now. It changes so frequently that I don't want to forget any of the things they're interested. I don't want to forget a moment of this time, because it all goes by so quickly. Too quickly!

GARRETT
Loves to read
He loves math
Has read 130 books so far this summer!!!
Likes to ride his bike, skateboard and rollerblading.
He is a saver, not a spender....unless it is on someone else....he is always buying things for his brother and sister.
He loves to help around the house, loves to do dishes - I know that won't last ;)
He eats nonstop, he is always hungry and tells me it's because he's a growing boy
He collects joke books
He loves to do magic
His favorite animal is a panda bear
He is a sweet, generous, tenderhearted, funny little boy with so much love and joy to share.
He wants to grow up to be a children's minister/builder/chef


DYLAN
Dylan is 4 now, almost 5.
He is a whiz at games, new or old, wii or gameboy
He loves batman, indiana jones, jimmy newtron,
He drinks chocolate milk all the time
He'd eat peanut butter and jelly or pancakes with syrup for every meal if we let him
He's learning to read this summer and already can read words
He loves to run, jump, cannonball off the couch and kick.
He loves to throw balls and do karate spins
He likes to swing on the swings really high
He is a risk taker and a little bit of a daredevil
He is a night owl, he could stay up all night with me
He is not a morning person
He loves to be at home most of all
His favorite animal is an elephant
His favorite type of books are ISPY books
He is a funny, sensitive, sweet, honest and cuddly little guy
He wants to be a daddy when he grows up

SYDNEY
Sydney is 3 right now
She likes to bop her brothers on the head
She loves animals, especially dogs and cats.
If we are out and about and we see a dog, we have to ask to pet it, she can't see a dog and not pet it :)
She likes to play dress up
She loves Dora the Explorer
She loves milk and will rarely drink anything else
Her favorite animal is a giraffe
She is a sweet loving girl, who has a very stubborn streak and can melt your heart with the tiniest little smile and look
She loves to do everything her brothers do, no matter what that might be, if they can do it, she's sure that she can too
She wants to be a puppy when she grows up, and a princess, but mostly a puppy

Building with Dad

One of the boys favorite things to do is build with their dad. It doesn't matter what Nathan is doing, if there are tools involved they are right there to help. Nathan took Garrett and Dylan to Lowe's today. They have a free activity twice a month where kids can build things. The boys got a Lowe's apron, a pair of goggles and a patch for the project they made. Garrett made a basketball hoop and Dylan made a putting green. They had so much fun they plan to go as often as possible. Nathan said it was great and very kid oriented. They even had snacks for the boys. They got to build with their dad and have a snack. What a great day :)

Gramps and Grandma Linda Visit

It's the end of May, which means it's almost Sydney's birthday. It's hard to believe she'll be 3 soon. Gramps and Grandma Linda came from Ohio for a visit to celebrate her birthday with us. It was a great visit and the kids had lots of fun. Garrett and Gramps painted a memo board they had put together at our Christmas visit and Dylan and Grandma took a walk around the block, several times. Dylan saw 7 robins and 1 blackbird and even found treasures on his walk: a puzzle piece, a pen, and a button. Grandma brought quarters for Sami, Garrett and Dylan's coin collector which is always a big hit. Dylan really just wants the quarters, no need to put them in the book, just put them in his bank please ;) . After they left for home, Garrett said, "I am H-A-P-P-Y that they came to visit." Dylan was sad and wants to go to their house TOMORROW. We'll have to get to Ohio soon.

Dylan's Preschool Program

It's hard to believe that Dylan has finished a year of preschool already. That means just one more year until Kindergarten. It can't be!!!! My kids are growing up way to fast.

He really likes his teacher, "Mrs. Boom" (her name is really Mrs. Broom) and Mrs. K too. She was Garrett's preschool teacher as well and hope she sticks around long enough to have all of our kids.

He was so cute up on stage and was doing all of the motions and singing all of the songs. He smiled and waved at us the entire time. Which is proof that he has come so far and really likes it now. At his Thanksgiving program he got on stage (big step for him) and turned his back to the audience. He did not want anyone to look at him. We were proud of him for being so brave and he's cute regardless. I wasn't expecting him to be so into it this time, and seeing him up on stage, smiling and waving is a memory I'll cherish forever.

"Who is the moon in heaven?"

We have the most interesting conversations in the van. I love listening to Garrett and Dylan talking. Today Dylan asked me, "Who is the moon in heaven?" I said that the moon was just what God made it to be, the moon. He said, "But who will the moon be in heaven, because Jesus is the SUN, so who will be the moon."
Cute isn't it.
Then Garrett started talking about baptism. Dylan said he didn't want to get married. Garrett told him that baptism was when you dunk in the tub up high at church and Jesus washes away your sins. Dylan asked him what sins are. Garrett said that it's when you are naughty. Dylan said, "Oh, Jesus washes away my naughties" Then Garrett told Dylan how to pray for Jesus to wash away your sins.
Nothing better than listening to them talk about God and seeing what they understand.

the faith of a little one

Dylan told me today that "the Bible is like a flashlight". I was so impressed that he had been listening to Daddy at church. Then he said, "let's take the Bible in the playroom and turn out the light and see what happens". How cute is that, sometimes we forget how literal their thinking is.

Cute things kids say

Cute things from my kids that make us smile

Garrett wished on his birthday candles that he could hear Jesus talk to him.
Garrett also wished (while breaking a wishbone) that it would snow inside the house so he could build a snowman.

Dylan calls Jack Frost "Jack Frosting"
Dylan asked if he could knock Santa off the roof next year, so he can put on the santa suit and be Santa Claus (after watching "Tim Allen's The Santa Claus")

Sydney calls Pinocchio "Hokey Pokey No"

Macy told us that she doesn't need swim lessons because if she goes underwater she'll turn into a mermaid and swim all around.

The Safari

Garrett got a telescope/microscope kit for his birthday this year from Grandma Theresa. He needed things to look at under the microscope so Nathan took he and Dylan on a Safari looking for BUGS. They found a lady bug, not that exciting... Garrett said, "I already know what that looks like!" They had a lot of fun hunting for bugs and I'm sure that when it is warm outside there will be lots of interesting things to look at.

A "Build-A-Bear" Birthday

Dylan loves elephants. Dylan loves Batman. What better birthday present could there be than to make an elephant and have him dress up like batman? On Dylan's special day, we headed to the mall for Dylan's first ever Build-A-Bear. Well Dylan was so excited to go and make his elephant. Though he is typically a little hesitant to participate in new things, he jumped right in and did EVERYTHING. He picked out his elephant, picked out his sound and his heart. He even played along and gave his elephant brains, love, and muscles. He loved stomping on that petal to shoot the stuffing in and then giving the elephant a shower and picking out his costume. Garrett was there the whole time being a super big brother. The girls were all there too, and they really loved watching Dylan and have all decided that's what they want to do for their birthdays too :). It was all so much fun! And look at him, isn't he precious with that Elephant.