{iPhone Rewind} :: December

Sometimes math is hard.

Versailles masks!

I got to help with some of our Christmas decorations for church; it was fun to put the different languages represented on the wooden circles! {And yes, we caught the misspelling and fixed it haha}

We got our first snow early this year!

Some friends invited us to a Christmas band concert, and they had fun crafts, balloon art, and yummy treats!

I'm so thankful for these ladies (minus one!) These Bible study leaders faithfully serve week after week, pouring into our women, helping them to know the Word. I have learned so much from each of them, and I am so thankful for how they love the women of our church. I have missed them over this holiday break and can't wait to dive back into the Word together for our Proverbs study in January!

Science experiments are fun when they actually work! :)

When you get a large box, and the kids are entertained for days...

Homemade peppermint hot chocolate!

Sweet flowers from Mike's family, sending prayers and love from Texas on Michael's anniversary.

The kids sang in church for Christmas, and it was pretty fun, as always :)

And sometimes math is fun, when you get to play a snowball fight with Daddy!

They're cheap dates: a $1 Sam's pretzel and let them watch the changing LCD menu and they're happy as clams :)

Maddie: Aiden isn't smiling!

Aiden: Pooh is smiling. He's always smiling

Well, as long as Pooh is smiling...

Maddie got to try eggnog, and I think she is a fan...

National Twin Day!

We enjoyed a fun staff Christmas party {thank you, Parkers for hosting!} I know Mike is the one who gets to work with this lovely group, but I am so thankful for each of them, both for him, and for our church. I'm thankful for the friendships I get to enjoy from this staff {and their spouses}, and I am reminded of God's grace to us at CBC.

We took the kids to see their first official movie in a theatre! They LOVED it, and I would say it was a pretty awesome experience :)

When you find a giant Christmas tree, you have to take a photo! ;)

We made some gingerbread right before Christmas! I'm on a quest for the perfect recipe; while these were tasty, I am looking for a chewy recipe and these were crunchy. They were still fun to make!

Cutie Patootie :)

We didn't quite get to all of our prompts, but we did this fun Christmas reading advent calendar from Everyday Reading + Pippi Post, and the kids loved coloring it!

LEGOs and Chipmunks!

For Eli and Maddie's 9th birthday, we celebrated with LEGOs and chipmunks!

Their birthday fell on a Sunday, so while they got to wake up to their usual birthday excitement and decor, we had to push some of their celebration off until after church. But we tried to still make it special by celebrating with their friends in Sunday School. They got to hand out cupcakes and their friends sang Happy Birthday, as well as prayed a special birthday blessing over them. 

Amen. 

After church, we got to celebrate at home. Eli and Maddie opened presents, and there were lots of LEGOs for Eli, and chipmunks and Calico Critters for Maddie. 

They made cards for each other...

...and read them to each other :)

The afternoon was spent playing and creating and imagining, but they did also get to play outside in the beautiful weather. And of course, there were cupcakes and birthday singing!

We got to zoom with Granny and Grumpz, and there were messages from so many people that love Eli and Maddie. It was a fun and special day, and I pray that they always know how much they are loved and cared for. 

Happy 9th Birthday, Eli and Maddie!

Eli + Maddie :: 9 Years

Happy Birthday, Eli and Maddie!

You are 9 today, and I am looking back at the years, wondering how we got here so fast. It was only yesterday when we brought home two tiny bundles, not really sure how we were going to manage two babies! And look at you both...growing so fast, doing all the things on your own, on the verge of the pre-teen years, and all I can see are those two tiny bundles. Time is such a thief. But I am so thankful for these past 9 years, that I have had a front row seat to all of your firsts and changes and growth. Because you are both so fun and funny and wonderful! 

Eli, I have grown so fond of our "grown-up" conversations. You are so sharp and interesting. I love hearing about the things you are learning and thinking about. You find the world interesting and you enjoy sharing it with me, and I love hearing about it. You think about things in new and exciting ways, and I love how you think outside the box.

Maddie, you, too have grown into a lovely young girl, and I enjoy our "Maddie/Mommy chats." You have so many fun things to say! You just want to be at the center of all the things and be in-the-know, because you just love to have fun and be with people. You want to be on the go and doing all-the-things. I love watching you walk up to people without fear and start conversations, even when I am not around. You love animals, and have made friends with all our neighbors with dogs :)

My heart is always want time to slow down, just a bit, because I want to savor this sweet time and age. Where life is carefree, filled with riding bikes, playing LEGOs, building forts, and playing pirates and dress up. I love watching you grow and helping you find your interests, and I am so thankful to be your Mama. I love you both so much, and I cannot wait to see how you grow in the year to come. 

Love,

Mama

ELIJAH WINN

MADLELINE GRACE

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Happy 9th Birthday, my loves!

{iPhone Rewind} :: June

I think the weather forgot that it was June...

We wrapped up our soccer season with a fun field day! We were grateful it wasn't raining and that we could enjoy a final day of soccer games. It was a great season!

Eli found a book at the library that showed different things to build with LEGOs, and he from memory, he was able to build the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower!

We attended a Grad Banquet at church for our graduating seniors, and we were able to snag a family portrait while we were there. I was already tearing up thinking about how too soon it will be our turn...

We had Mike open up his Father's Day gift early: a hot house to grow his spicy peppers! :)

Our deer finally came back! We hadn't seen them this season, but they have certainly reappeared, eating all our hosta plants haha!

He's such a little organizer...a kid after my own heart :)

We have started our summer reading, and the kids are ALL over it, wanting to be sure they get their credit!

We got to have Kourtney and Chris over for dinner! It was sweet to have some Texas friends visit.

June started cold, but quickly got HOT. We had a massive heat wave, and we were hotter than Texas. 

We had a church picnic and the fire truck came to cool off all the kids! {the other 2 were deeper in the water spray, soaking wet haha}

Maddie wanted to put ice on her forehead because she had a pencil mark on it. Eli was convinced he could feel the coldness of the ice pack just sitting next to his sister. #foolishness

His two front teeth are going to come out any day now!

With the heat wave, it definitely meant a trip to the pool! After a nice swim, we stopped off at our little library to see if there were any treasures...and the kids were so excited to actually find some kid books!

Aiden couldn't even wait until he got home to start reading :)

98 and sunny one minute, then rainy and storming the next. We lost a tree branch in the wind. Scared me half to death when it came down!