Happy 6th Birthday Henry!

Henry's birthday was on Sunday, November 13th. Happy Birthday Henry! It's so hard to believe you are six. I'm sure we'll be saying that for the years to come. You are turning into a very fine young man. You are very independent, very responsible, and for the most part, very dependable. You are a very hard worker especially when it involves doing something that makes you feel important... like cutting down branches with Daddy, painting with us, or taking care of little brothers.



Aunt Beth made you a Star Wars cake this year! This was your request. You loved it. We invited Anna and Payton to come celebrate with us. 


























We made a craft with our hands being turkeys, and then collected leaves from outside to make their feathers and glued your faces on. They were super cute!









































































You were sincerely excited and thankful for each gift you got. You had priceless expressions! It was a wonderful evening of celebrating the life God has given you. We hope to celebrate many more to come! We asked you what you were most excited about when it comes to being six... you said that you hoped you could play basketball in the front drive with no adult outside :) When asked if there was anything you weren't excited about, you said having more chores :) We love you!

*On the actual day of his b-day, we had a donut cake in the morning... very exciting since we do donuts here very rarely!*

Memorable Things Kids Say - Volume 23

Henry got some new goggles... he's pretty pumped. They are soooo much better than what we've been doing. In case you need a rec, they are the Kids Hydrospex goggles by Speedo. The first night he wore them to lessons, he never took them off once. So great. He had been taking his old ones on and off constantly and it was becoming quite a distraction.

I needed to rake the other day. So I grabbed the boys from the backyard to do some quick pictures. I wish I would have had them change their shirts... but oh well. It was so amazing outside... vibrant... felt like we could live in fall weather forever and be perfectly satisfied!



The 'Memorable Things Kids Say' part... Dinner time. The other night at dinner, the boys were talking. Jonathan wasn't home, so it was just the four of us. Somehow we got on the topic of what life would be look like if Wyatt didn't exist.
Henry: Well, we just wouldn't know Wyatt b/c he would be in someone else's family.
Mom: No, he wouldn't. If Wyatt wasn't in this family, then he just wouldn't BE b/c he came from Mommy and Daddy.
Wyatt: Hmm... how did I come from you?
Henry: You came from her belly Wyatt.
Wyatt: But how did you and Daddy make me?
Mom: (said nothing...b/c Wyatt already had something else coming out of his mouth)
Wyatt: I know! God made us in heaven and then put us in your belly to come out.
Henry: No, that's not true. I don't remember being in heaven.
Wyatt: Yes, it is true Henry. God made us in heaven (says this with exasperation in his voice).
Henry: Then why don't I remember what it looks like there?
Wyatt: B/c you weren't alive yet.
Henry: Oh yeah, that's right. I was just a baby so he made us there, but we weren't alive until God put us in mom's belly. That's why we don't remember heaven. B/c we weren't there with our eyes open yet.
Wyatt: Yeah.
Mom: Finish up your plates guys.
**(a few minutes later)**
Henry: (while eating his bread) NOOOO... don't do it... don't eat me...Oh, you're dead. I ate you.

NEVER A DULL MOMENT. 

Wyatt and I do "pre-school" work about 3-4 days a week. It's been going great and he is a very quick learner. I have a lot of fun doing it with him. I have noticed that he naturally has a love for learning and his brain is always working in ways that surprise me. Henry's desire to learn came much later than... more like 4.5 or 5yrs old, and ironically we did more to try and encourage Henry at that age b/c he was our first. Just a good reminder to myself that all kids are different. At any rate, both boys now are eager to learn and excited when we take time to sit down with them. But, as we all know, learning is happening ALL THE TIME! :)

October 31, 2011

I've never been one who gets too excited about halloween. I don't remember doing too much as a kid. I think we may have dressed up a few times for a harvest party at church or to trick-or-treat at my grandparents. But it was definitely not a 'holiday' made much of... When I was little (under12), we lived in the country, so there wasn't really anywhere to go.

When I was in high school, I always had friends who wanted to dress up and go out to get candy. I'm fairly sure, if my memory serves me right, I was always the hesitant one... never wanted to dress up, felt weird asking for candy when I was 16, and most of the time would hold back. When we started having our own kids, we didn't really have a plan for halloween. However, since our kids have gotten older, I realize how much fun it is to dress up and pretend to be someone else! And, we have also found it is a great way to interact with neighbors. We have met a lot of people over the past three trick-or-treat evenings, and always try to make it to houses of people we have met in the neighborhood.

*Our neighbor girls loved the boys costumes!*

Henry was a fireman, Wyatt was a policeman, and Myles was a pirate. The older boys got their costumes for their birthdays last year, and we borrowed Myles'. He was pretty much stunned the entire night. You'll see we got ONE smile out of him at the end of the evening, but that was it. I'm not sure if it was the fact that he was in the stroller in the dark past bedtime? Who knows... :) We had a nice evening and did indeed get a chance to interact with lots of families!

*After about 45 min, the boys were done and wanted to go home. We were happy to oblige!*

*Everyone carved created their own face.. Wyatt is on left, Henry on right, J's is the little guy*

Wyatt's Photography

Wyatt is getting quite adept with the camera. Here are his recent photos. I let him use our camera all the time... he is very responsible, and it's on its last leg anyways. I keep hoping he might break it so I can get a new one :) But, he is so responsible that it will probably last forever!

Happy Friday!

Henry recently had donuts for Dad's at school. He was SO excited that Jonathan was coming, and it was also the day of the book fair (well planned, huh?) so they were able to pick out a new Star Wars book together. It worked out well b/c Jonathan had that day off. They had a lot of fun!  

These are my two early risers. I'm not sure how I got two out of three! Myles is awake by 5:30am.. no matter what I try, he is up. He is happy, but the happier he gets, the louder he gets! So I end up bringing him into my room while I shower b/c I don't want the other two awake. However, Wyatt is up by 6:15-6:30am anyways, so I guess it's not a big deal. Henry is like Jonathan... a tornado could be going through and he'd still be sleeping! So every morning, it's me, Wyatt, and Myles. I never set my alarm b/c Jonathan's alarm goes off at 4:50am, Myles is awake by 5:30am, and Wyatt is up by 6:30am at the latest. Seriously, even if I tried to be a heavy sleeper, I don't stand a chance!!! :) 

Thursday chores are primarily basement related. Henry dusts everything and Wyatt cleans up any outstanding messes. We always turn on music... usually 'I'm Gonna Be (500 miles)' and it's loud. On this day.. I guess they were in gangster moods. I'm not sure where Wyatt picked up those moves, but they were classic.

Raising kids is so wonderful. I'm confronted with that all the time... the sheer frustration that does come at times can never overshadow the absolute gift they are (at least not yet it hasn't!). I have no idea if this is biblically-sound thinking... but I was just imagining the other day that if we, as sinful and imperfect parents, experience so much joy from our human, earthly, sinful children... then how much joy a perfect God must receive from his perfect Son. Wow! Anyways, chores are going well... we have settled into a nice fall routine, and I'm always amazed at how much a 3.5 yr-old and almost 6 yr-old can help share the load.