Tis the Season

Is it just me, or did December arrive sooner than expected? (And snow on the ground already, too!) So, we've been scrambling to decorate and bake and memorize lines for church programs. All fun, but scrambling none the less. :)

I let the boys decorate the tree again (with just a few minor adjustments from me, of course). And I skipped some time consuming tasks like stringing popcorn for the tree, and lights on other shelves and windowsills. I really don't miss any of it, and it saved me loads of time. Instead, we spent time on Christmas projects the boys could enjoy, like making green and red paper chains, paper snowflakes and other ornaments, and Christmas themed bulletin boards for school.

Yesterday was almost entirely devoted to getting a Christmas card photo taken. NOT an easy task, I must say! Getting the boys and their dog all bathed, the boys haircuts, clean clothes, and all smiling and looking at Mommy and the camera simultaneously. . . pretty much impossible! However, after MANY clicks, there are a few photos that will work, I think. And while the dog was freshly bathed the boys got to enjoy playing with her in the house for once. All in all, a pretty good day! :)

So far December has been cozy and festive! I'm so excited for the rest of the month spent celebrating the precious birth of Jesus with family and special friends! What a joyous season, indeed!

An October Day in Pictures

Cousins Come to Play

It's not often that all these cousins get the chance to play together, so last month when the mid-western faction of our family came to visit, the kids packed as much outdoor play into one sunny afternoon as they possibly could! Complete with pirate sword fights and lots and lots of mud, thanks to the previous week of rain.
This is the gang after chowing down at Mom Mom and Pop Pop Barr's. My how times have changed! It used to be six adults at the table and now six kids have taken our spots! :)


My boys so enjoyed their cousins that it took a few days for the sad faces to disappear after they had gone. I'm sure by the time they have another play date, they will all be a few inches taller and be interested in different things. But for now the boys have great memories until then! :)

The Letter "I", Tomatoes and Pulleys

So, we are in the swing of things as far as kindergarten goes. However the fact that school begins in the weeks when the gardening harvest is at full tilt is kind of tricky.
I've got tomatoes coming out of everywhere, along with string beans, carrots, and peppers. And I'm still in the beginners category when it comes to knowing what to do with it all!


And I have no interest in learning that right now because I'm having a blast focusing on teaching my firstborn his phonics and math! I'd never in a million zillion years have predicted that I would enjoy this teaching stuff, but I'm LOVING it! Now, almost twenty years after I should have known what to major in at college and possibly pursue career wise, I may have figured it out! How's that for a little late! :)

Anyway, like my mom told me the other day, the Lord may have just planted this new love and desire in my heart in order for me to do my best teaching my little guys! My mom always has an insightful and very encouraging word for me! Love her to death!

Here's my kindergarten guy practicing his letter "I" all on his own. :)


And here the boys are consuming themselves with discovering everything you can do with a pulley. Thanks, Daddy, for a little science lesson. :)

Just Hikin' Around

One of the things we love to do as a family is take a long drive and go exploring! The hubby usually has a place in mind and me and the boys just ride along and see where we end up. It's lots of fun! This past weekend we spent some time checking out a state park and campground area. Great scenery, beautiful weather, and so relaxing just to be outdoors!

July is Flyin' By

I always have good intentions about blogging daily, but then life gets in the way! So here's a glimpse of what we've been up to the last few weeks!

July 4th, we had a family picnic at the Moyer farm. These times are so precious because I'm not sure how many more years we will be able to share these times together! My mind is flooded with so many childhood memories whenever I'm at the farm. The memories are especially poignant when I'm there watching my own children enjoy the farm the way I did at their age! I'm so blessed to have my children know their great grandparents!



We had a church picnic July 5th and the kids wore themselves out for a second day in row! This over-sized ball kept the kids busy for quite a while!














Garrett playing kickball with the kids who live across the street from our church and came over with their mom for the picnic. They seemed to enjoy getting to know the church people better, so hopefully they will visit for a service sometime soon.














Carson playing a little catch with Daddy.














Jeff proving he can still keep up in a game of volleyball! (I believe the married men team soundly beat the teen guys team!)














Carson and Garrett ganging up on Caleb, one of our pastor's sons. :)
















Then we finally got the boys some sand for the sandbox! Don't ask me why there's never any sand left by the end of the summer, but, they are now using the sandbox for what it was intended once again!

Of course, helping Pop Pop mow his yard with the riding mower is high on their list of favorite things to do! :)

And Mom Mom had some new gadgets for blowing bubbles, which was tons of fun, too!

All in all, July has been lots of fun! Whew! I think I'm just about caught up for now. FOR NOW! Ha, I'm sure I'll be falling behind again quickly. It's just the story of my life! :)

Swimming Fun!

We had the opportunity to spend the afternoon at a friends' pool the other day, and the boys had so much fun! I have a feeling their little kiddie pool at home will not provide as much excitement for them from now on! :)