Monica and her best friend Leah

Across the hall from us are our good friend Kristin and Roelof. They have a little girl that is about 6 months younger than Monica. Kristin and I joke that they have a "love hate relationship". Whenever one sees the other they get super excited and want to play together, but after awhile of being together they fight like sisters. I captured this picture of Monica and Leah fighting during their daddies' hockey game. I LOVE THIS PICTURE.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Monica LOVES Mickey Mouse. She got a HUGE minnie mouse from Aunt Richell for Christmas and she sleep with Minnie every night. Here Monica is about to watch her favorite thing in the whole world, "Mickey Mouse Club House." And of course her "best friend" Minnie wanted to watch as well.




PS. As adorable as this picture is the end of the story is not as cute. I was sitting in the living room feeding Olivia, and I hear Monica call very calmly saying "mommy mommy." I told her to wait just a minute I was feeding Olivia. So after I fed the baby I went in and Monica looks away from her show for a minute and was all calm as if it was no big deal said "mommy I peed in the chair." And then she turned and continued watching the show! I guess she did not want to miss even one second of her favorite movie and the chair seemed like a "good enough" potty. Needless to say I was not pleased so I turned off her movie and took her to the bathroom to get her cleaned up. Her not being able to finish her movie was punishment enough for her.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday and when I ponder what Christ has done for me, I cannot say it better than Charles Wesley has in his hymn "Depth of Mercy".

Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

I have spilt His precious blood,
Trampled on the Son of God,
Filled with pangs unspeakable,
I, who yet am not in hell!

I my Master have denied,
I afresh have crucified,
And profaned His hallowed Name,
Put Him to an open shame.

Whence to me this waste of love?
Ask my Advocate above!
See the cause in Jesus' face,
Now before the throne of grace.

Jesus, answer from above,
Is not all Thy nature love?
Wilt Thou not the wrong forget,
Permit me to kiss Thy feet?

If I rightly read Thy heart,
If Thou all compassion art,
Bow Thine ear, in mercy bow,
Pardon and accept me now.

Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood!
He disarms the wrath of God;
Now my Father's mercies move,
Justice lingers into love.

Kindled His relentings are,
Me He now delights to spare,
Cries, 'How shall I give thee up?'
Lets the lifted thunder drop.

Lo! I still walk on the ground:
Lo! an Advocate is found:
'Hasten not to cut Him down,
Let this barren soul alone.'

There for me the Savior stands,
Shows His wounds and spreads His hands.
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Pity from Thine eye let fall,
By a look my soul recall;
Now the stone to flesh convert,
Cast a look, and break my heart.

Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my sins lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

If you give a 2 year old a small book...

If there is 12 inches of snow on the ground and it is 12 degrees outside you might think it a good idea to go to the library...

If you go to the library you will begin reading books to your children...

After reading a few books you might think it is a good idea to go and look at the books on CD....

While looking at the books on CD you might notice "if you give a mouse a cookie" which is one of the kids favorite....

While looking at the book you might quickly realize that the book is only 2 inches by 2 inches big....

The size of the book should probably persuade you from getting the book, but it does not...

Because you got the book the kids love to listen to it and look at the pictures....

After listening to the book and looking at the pictures they might be asked to put it back in the library bag...

After putting it back in the library bag, and then playing for awhile they might realize they want to listen to the book again and so they get it back out of the bag...

After getting it out of the bag the kids listen to the story and look at the book again...

After listening to the story they might remember this "super cool toy" that is in their room and forget to put the book back in the library bag...

After forgetting to put the book back in the bag the book somehow gets lost...

After the books gets lost the mother has to spend hours looking in every corner of the house, tearing apart every toy shelf, and book shelf, since the book is only 2x2 inches...

While looking for the book you might realize how dumb it was to allow your children to check out a book that is not much bigger than the palm of their hand...

Then you might also realize that you might just have to start searching online for a replacement book to give back to the library!

Giving Something Up for Lent

This coming Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. Lent is a season in which we consider the death of Christ. For 40 days prior to Easter, we contemplate the price that was paid for our freedom. We consider our sin that made Christ's death necessary. We allow sinful patterns to become entrenched. Lent gives us reason to pause.

The Lenten season was formally established in the 4th century. Athanasius was a church leader in Alexandria, North Africa. He was concerned with the cheap grace of his day. People were quick to join with Christ in his life. But far fewer were willing to join with Christ in his suffering (Phil. 3:10-11). It was easy for the significance of Good Friday to be lost in the celebration of Resurrection Sunday.

One common Lenten practice is fasting. Fasting is a way of removing our dependance on other things and reasserting our dependance on God. Fasting has a way of revealing how much we look to other things for satisfaction. We might skip a meal inadvertently. But when we consciously decide to skip a meal, it consumes our thinking. We realize how important food is in our lives.

A fast can be full (i.e no food) or partial (i.e no meat or sweets). And of course the principle can apply to more than food. There are many things that have a potential to be controlling influences in our lives (i.e computer games, coffee, facebook, ect.). The common practice of "giving something up for Lent" has its roots in the discipline of fasting.

-Pastor Jeff Burr- Forest Hills Baptist Church

Valentine's Day

Daniel is very excited about Valentine's day. This is the first year that he has really been excited about it. He is having a party at school tomorrow. He took great care in writing his name on each valentine card and putting a sucker in each one. It was cute that while he was writing his name he said "Mom do I have to write Daniel or can I just write Dan?" I told him he can write whatever he wants.

Tonight he got out a different box of cards and made one for each one of our neighbors. Monica got her box (my little pony) out and did the same. Then my darling little children walked around to each door in the two buildings here handing out valentines to everyone who was home. They came back with huge smiles on their faces, and a snickers bar each. I guess someone decided to give them a little valentines gift as well!

Guess What??????

IT'S A SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

some little boy is very excited! We had fun playing in "all that snow... all that deep deep deep snow."

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Last wednesday night at church was the biggest night of the year for Daniel. It was the Awana Grand Prix. Every year Daniel waits for this day with great anticipation and excitement. This year he made Dinaco Mcqueen. He painted him and got him all ready for the big race. The past two years Daniel won second place speed. This year he did not quite rank but he still had a lot of fun. Daniel's car is in the yellow lane.


Here is Daniel with our neighbor Jessie and her friend from school.
Daniel with his participation ribon after the race. He was trying really hard not to be sad because he did not win. That was the night he learned the word "sportsmanship."


Tomorrow my darling baby girl is going to be 8 weeks old. I cannot believe how big she has gotten in that time. She loves to be cuddled and kissed on by everyone. She now smiles and coos when you talk to her. She is also grabbing at toys and loves watching her moble.

Monica is very creative and loves to play dress up. She loves her minnie mouse dress.
Monica also loves to play mommy. Here she got her hat on, baby on her front and her other baby in her car seat and was ready to go. And yes the baby in the car seat is her baby Elmo. He may be a red monster but this little mommy LOVES him. She loves to take her baby and do exactly what I do. She will repeate every action and words that I use when dealing with Olivia. I love my little two year old!