Our winter hodge podge

Valentine's Day was a treat this year for a number of reasons :
daddy was home to celebrate with us and both sets of g-parents planned special events with the boys and their cousins. We made the kids a special breakfast and loved on them all day. My parents had a party with all the boys and their boy cousins the night before so Matt and I went on a double date with the Cupps. It was so fun for the kids and the parents! Thanks Grammy and Padge! Saturday night they went on their first cousin crew outing to the TCU basketball game. They had fun and it gave us time to have a quiet dinner. Thanks G-Mommy and G-Daddy! We love you all!

Since the party was boys only, sweet Annie joined the adults for a night on the town. We "dolled" her up and took her to dinner with us.

I don't remember when this was, but the kids loved playing in the snow/ice wintry mix.

Here is silly Annie posing for the camera. For some reason she really wanted to lay down. I thought that the lighting was pretty and this is one of my favorite hand-me-downs.

This was a lovely attempt to get some pictures in the gorgeous daffodils. Annie wouldn't smile for anything and of course the sun was in the boys eyes. Oh well, we tried.

Ukraine Mission Trip

Matt, along with a team from church went on a week long mission trip to Ukraine. They were there to work along side several of the pastors supported by SGA. The pastors ministered tirelessly to people in the villages. Matt was encouraged and convicted by their passion for the gospel. The weather was very cold, some days it was -10 degrees. They ministered to several villages in the Chernobyl zone as well. Most of those villages were abandoned, but not all of them. They also spent a great deal of time in orphanages doing skits, playing basketball and sharing the love of Christ. The team was able to hand out Christmas gifts sponsored by our church. It was special to hand deliver gifts to the children that members of CBC have been praying for throughout the Christmas season.

This was the seminary where the team stayed. The accomodations were wonderful. They had warm beds, hot showers, good food and indoor plumbing. Yay!

These are some of the children recieving their stars and gifts from Calvary.

Here is the team with the children from one of the orphanages. They had a lot of fun with our wild and playful guys!

Here is Damon and Jeff showing one of their breakfasts that was a little harder to stomach. The white logs that look like fingers were sausage and the noodles I guess were pasta.

The team heading to the Chernobyl Zone. It was a cold cold day!

New Years Eve

We celebrated Christmas with the Schefflers on New Years Eve. We had a wonderful time opening presents, building projects and playing Guitar Hero. The kids had a blast and Grandmommy and Granddaddy gave special gifts as always.

Here is Annie immediately playing with her precious new kitchen from G-Mommy and G-Daddy

She played with it all night. It was so sweet. She new just what to do.

Here are all the cousins (except Annie) with their gifts from their grandparents. They got "cousin crew" t-shirts to all wear to the outings that G-Mommy and G-Daddy will be taking them on throughout the year. It is such a thoughtful gift! I love that it didn't have a million peices. haha... The daddys worked on the basketball goal down in the shop and it came together quickly and w/o any problems..lol! Way to go guys!

They are numbered in order from oldest to youngest....too cute!

To ring in the new year, we headed down to Ben and Laurie's to see what this Guitar Hero thing is all about. They have the whole band set and it was a blast! Madelyne is awesome at it! She plays the guitar on the hardest level! You rock Mady! Matt and I, not so much, but it was fun none the less.

Christmas Morning

I don't know who Christmas morning is more fun for, the kids or Matt and I!

We were so excited to give the kids our gifts! After gifts and stockings we packed up and headed to my parents for a day with cousins! Annie loved her new brown skinned baby and her cooking utensils. Hudson wanted weapons, so we got him his own bow and arrow. The big hit was the air hockey table. Matt and I couldn't believe that they made stand alone ones that are kids size. Fun!

Christmas Festivities

We have been busy and blessed this Christmas! We have celebrated with sweet new friends and family. It is always a wonderful time because the Jacoby family comes and stays for weeks around the holidays. We were blessed to be able to host our families on Christmas Eve this year and the Scheffler annual gift exchange. Praise God for our new home!

Since the Jacobys have been here, we have packed it full of fun. Cousins barbecue and caroling, building gingerbread houses, performing for the new annual talent show, acting out the nativity and playing Prince Caspian in the backyard with the daddys! What fun!

Peter Pan

Grammy picked up Hudson Monday morning and brought him back dressed like Peter Pan. She had sewn him a precious costume so that he could be his favorite character. Thanks Grammy!
He has been Peter Pan ever since. We let him wear it to his bowling party, but had to draw the line at the Thanksgiving service.

Nate and Hudson Hudson bowling at his birthday party with the Scheffler cousins.

Cosmic Bowling with the cousins

Annie girlying it up with her baby plus it kept her from crawling on the nasty floor.
First time overstimulated by video games.....aaagh!! All my kids were mesmerized the entire time by all the lights and sounds and videos.

Thanks Grandmommy for the fun!

Our Girly Girl

Annie loves all things girly. One of her few words is "bow" and when I say "where's your purse?", she crawls away to find it. She hauls it around and pushes her baby stroller all day. Too cute!

This is a video of Annie doing something weird with her ear, and also her hiking her purse up for the first time. The voice you hear in the background is Hudson wondering if Annie is going to Sonic or Wal-Mart.