enjoying the snow

What's a person to do when that's all there is... snow.  I want to have these snow play pictures in our blog books for the record.  Soon enough we will be living FAR away from anything snowy.  (I'll post our "where, when, why, how philippines" soon!)  And these snowy memories will be all we are left with.  In my opinion that is fine, but my kids are truly Minnesotan and they LOVE the stuff.  

winter fun in our back yard

family

I was looking though old pictures tonight and just had to post this video.   I'm so thankful for this bunch of people God has allowed me to share this life with.  They sharpen me and make me laugh.  I know more about Christ because I know them.  I love you Jason, Jonas, Ella, Kate, Isaac, Mom, Dad, Mark, Anne, Titus, Ezra, Simeon, Levi, Mark, Amy, Ian, Emmaline, Justin, Stephanie, and Max!

Christmas activities

grandpa entertaining the little two with his movies and music:

 decorating the gingerbread house with grandma:

grandma ended up "decorating" their mouths!

 enjoying our beautiful creation:

 Isaac's first look at our gingerbread house when he woke up from his nap:

 This is our annual draft:

We have an overload of stuffed animals.  Does anyone else out there tend to accumulate these like we do?  The kids LOVE their animals and play with them and sleep with them and take them everywhere. Some of them are very special and others aren't so much.  Before Christmas it's necessary to purge and make room for more so this is our way of going through the animal friends.  We place all of the animals on the couch and Jason leads the draft.  The kids choose one at a time in an organized fashion which animals are their favorites and we let them keep a certain amount and then the left-overs disappear. ;)

 We played lots of games: 

(Amy's thrilled that I have my camera out )

holiday baking:

(Isaac "helping" me with his choo-choo)

 Some for giving, some for eating:

Heritage Days

Jonas was Sir Gawain, one of King Authors knights, this year for Heritage days.  He recounted the story of nobility when he cut off the head of the Green Giant!  We thought he would be put in the category of a character from historical fiction, but instead he was paraded to the front with all of the pioneers,  pilgrims, and Indians.  He definitely stuck out as well as his story! ha!  

 Ella was Louisa May Allcott, the author the the novel Little Women.  Ella loves the book on cd of Little Women and the movie (also one my favorites!).  This was her idea.  Maybe we'll have a writer one day. :)  We looked through many google images of Victorian period dress and came up with this hat made from half of a paper plate.  I decoupaged black fabric onto it and as it dried formed it to this shape for her head.  The fabric flowers were from another project I've done before.  So, it was simple and cheap and turned out perfect for our little author.