{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!

Trick or Treat :: Transformers + an M&M

We had another fun year of trick or treating in our neighborhood! This year, we had 2 Transformers and a green M&M :)

Aiden knew right away that he wanted to be Bumble Bee. It really surprised me because I thought he was going to be Captain America {see his 7th birthday}. But apparently the Avengers were out, and Transformers were now in. Now, you have to understand that my children know most of their characters from reading books at the library. They have not seen any movies or shows. He read some books about Transformers and thought they were the coolest thing...hence the Bumble Bee costume.

And because that costume looked super cool, Eli decided that he wanted to be Optimus Prime! Because why not also be a cool Transformer and have a cool costume, complete with face mask?!? The duo were pretty cute awesome, if you ask me :)

Maddie was not at all interested in Transformers, but she also knew exactly what she wanted to be. She immediately asked to be an M&M! I knew I could make her costume, and it was fun to take her to Hobby Lobby to pick out the felt. I think it turned out perfect, and she was pretty adorable. 

We had great weather {though it was a little windy}, and we love our neighborhood. So many neighbors make it fun for the kids, and so many people are out and about, so it's a great way to be out in our community. The kids, of course, had a blast! They made out like bandits, with many full-sized candy bars, and it was a fun night of memories. 

As we were getting ready for bed and saying prayers, Aiden prayed, "thank you, God, that candy was invented." Amen.

{iPhone Rewind} :: October

Eli decided he wanted to learn how to crochet too. He picked it up pretty quick, and like in most things, he was very serious about it :)

We learned about the Mayflower and built some of our own!

The kids were rolling down the hill, and a herd of deer came walking through, completely unbothered by their antics. We were able to get the kids to stop and watch them, and it was so fun how close they came!

Snowball fight in math! Because why not make it fun? :)

The Chronicles of Narnia are a big favorite around here

I love it when we get the first glimpse of the change of season!

So focused...

Kisses from my crew :)

The cooler weather = s'mores!

A sweet welcome home from my loves

We got to enjoy our local high school's band competition!

I took the kids with me to vote, and we made it an entire history and civics lesson. The polling place was really great, including the kids in the entire process. 

Maddie wanted to be an M&M for Halloween, so I pulled out my sewing machine to make it happen! :)

I want to pause this stage of our lives, when every surface of our house is covered in sword-wielding LEGO men :)

"Look Mommy! I can touch my nose with my tongue!" Haha

Avengers...Assemble!

This year, Aiden picked an Avengers theme for his birthday! It started with Captain America, and then Hulk, and then he kept learning about all the fun superheroes...so Avengers it was!

This year was extra special because Grandma and Papa were here to celebrate with us. They got to be a part of our birthday fun, from decorations and presents to cake and the park. It was a fun day, and Aiden loved every minute of it!

Eli and Maddie had made him sweet cards/drawings and notes for his birthday, and it was so sweet to see them excited to give them to their brother. 

All of his presents this year were Avenger-themed. So he now has all the action figures he needs for epic battles! He is also outfitted in full Captain America gear to save the universe :)

One of the highlight gifts was a DK Marvel Character Encyclopedia. He has sat and poured over that book for days. He made Grandma sit and read him all of the character profiles haha. It has definitely been a favorite!

The rest of the day was filled with Avengers tattoos, cake, and a fun trip to the playground. And of course, more epic battles with Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor. At one point, Maddie got involved with her Barbies, and there were battles for Barbies to be matched with each Avenger haha. So lots of fun times, had by all :)

Happy Birthday, Aiden!