sisters

Katie (6) and Jenny (4)

Lucy (6) and Cassidy (4)

s.w.a.k.

My little boy just keeps growing and changing.  His language has just taken off.  He repeats many words and sounds and just today added grandpa to the list when Grandpa joined us for lunch.  He says Jack, cracker, more, nursey, mama, dada, num, and many more I can't remember right now - all of course in his own little dialect, but they are words to us, none the less.

photo courtesy of Lucy.  Yes I bit the bullet and gave my least clumsy child a short tutorial on focus, camera shake and camera use. Not bad for a first shot.

I taught him to blow kisses and it recently morphed into something new.  He occasionally goes on this adorable little kissy-face tirade.  If a few of us are sitting on the floor, he will smack his lips as he goes from person to person, showering us in kisses.  I just love that little smacking noise he makes, knowing I am soon to get a nice wet wide mouthed kiss.

bring on that spit

And another thing he is working diligently on is walking.  He usually starts out his pursuits in walking form;  they usually last for 3-4 steps before he loses balance and resorts to crawling.  He is usually proud of himself when he is successful and will occasionally clap - especially if he has an audience who is encouraging as well.

Here he is taking a few steps recently:

See, I did it Mom!!!

Christmas

We had such a wonderful few days of Christmas.  We all started getting into the real spirit of the season at church on Sunday.   In primary the kids got the opportunity to re-enact the Nativity.  They each got to wear a costume and had a part to play.  Our wonderful Primary President read from Luke in the scriptures and the rest of the teachers helped to guide the kids through.  To say they loved it would be an understatement.

The next night was Christmas Eve and the kids wanted to re-enact the Nativity again so we did just that.  I made a special picnic for us for dinner and we turned all the lights off except for the Christmas Tree lights and ate upon a blanket.  We pretended we were the shepards abiding in the fields, waiting for the sign of the birth of the Savior.  We watched Joy to the World, a movie that depicts the Nativity- starting with Mary and Joseph coming to Bethlehem to pay taxes and going through the birth of our Savior- and also features beautiful music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  To see the looks on the faces of those in the movie as they saw the Savior for the first time gave me chills.  It must have been so amazing to be a witness of this miracle.  After we watched the movie, we read as a family together and did our own reenactment.  I think my favorite part was when Isaac, dressed in white and held up in the air, proclaimed the good tidings of great joy.   It really got us all in the mood for the real reason why we celebrate Christmas.  

We woke up Christmas morning and opened gifts as a family.  I got a few pictures but haven't been feeling the greatest, so I didn't have the energy to try to master the environment... and I turned the flash on (gasp).  

 This has to be my favorite group shot! Love those genuine smiles:)

We had the kids open their stockings first.  They each got a few treats and smaller toys.  When it came time to open the big gifts they were confused... you see I wrapped them all and left the tags off.  They were flabbergasted at how they were ever going to know which ones were theirs.  I made them do some investigative work.  I told them all of the presents were wrapped same for each child but different from anyone elses.  Then I told them to look for a clue in their stocking.  The clue was simply a small piece of paper that matched one of the types of paper under the tree.  I thought Jack would totally eat this up, but I actually heard him say under his breath 'This is dumb', and had to chuckle to myself.  I guess there is no messing around when presents are involved!

 I hadn't gotten Isaac any of these yogurt drops since he first started eating solids but he yelled 'mow mow mow!" and wanted to eat them all; we ended up having to hide them so he would concentrate on his other gifts.

they each found their gifts and made a pile 

i loved how Isaac thought the big boxes were chairs

We got them each a pair of ice skates and hope to go out to the rink that is nearby this winter; they will also be a fun addition to our ice fishing outings.  Cassidy enjoyed her mermaid doll (mermaids are her obsession lately); Jack loved his Lego set and science kit; Lucy loved her fashion hologram scratch-off sticker kit and new basketball and Isaac loved his train set and bobble punching toy (and those yogurt drops!).

We spent the morning lazing, playing and enjoying the happy loving spirit in the house.  Then we headed up to Macie and Vijai's with the rest of the Lindner family members for the annual Christmas feed featuring venison loins, egg, hash brown  and sausage bake, egg nog, sparkling grape juice and a yummy almond and a yummy berry cheese kringle to top it off.  It was a happy day full of family, food and fun times:)

the 12 days of Christmas

One evening I was making dinner and Jack was helping me out by playing with Isaac. (dinner is typically Isaac's needy time)  I was moving about the kitchen, attending to the various steps necessary to make dinner, and only partially paying attention to what the boys were doing.  All I knew was that Jack was being a great big brother as he and Isaac played with a basketball and a few cars.  I smiled to myself as Jack started singing the 12 days of Christmas to Isaac.  He was doing it all fancy using an accent like the man on the version we have on a cd.  Jack's song was a special version that he made up which incorporated bouncing balls, cars and other things that Isaac really enjoyed.  I was thinking to myself how creative Jack was being and was so proud of him in that very moment.  It carried my spirits and I got lost in the moment.  I turned over to the sink to wash some vegetables and I hear out of one ear:

 'fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive craaaackkkkk-hoooooores'

I stopped what I was doing. 'Sing that verse again buddy, I didn't hear you clearly.'

He obliged, ' fiiiiiiiiiive craaaaaaccckkkkk- wwwhoooores!'   

FIVE CRACK WHORES?

'What are you saying?' I asked, a little bewildered- but knowing in the same instant he had no idea what that was.

'Mom.  five CRACKERS.'  

All I want for Christmas...

Is my two front teeth!!

And this is the debut of Lucy's new glasses.  She was so excited to get them but now that she has to wear them, is not quite as fond of them. 

And this is her grinchy-poo sassy look.  She can get away with sticking her tongue out because she looks so cute.

Christmas visit

Lucy gets crafty with a napkin and makes an ornament

We had such a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa and the Rodgers' gang!  The kids just adore them all so much and the reuniting of cousins in really a sight to see.  Cassidy and Carter's greeting was my favorite, I think.  After a huge bear hug they broke out into a wrestling session, giggling and loving every moment of it.

We enjoyed playing together and eating some yummy dinner that evening and when the kids had to say good night- there were tears from both sides.  (Seeing each other in only 12 short hours again wasn't good enough at that moment:) )

The next morning, we opened some presents.  Cassidy kinda ran that show too.  When I came up from sleeping downstairs, she had already gone through all the presents and put all those with her name on them into a pile.  She then proceeded to bug us so much that we decided to open gifts before breakfast.  They had all been really good on the ride down the night before and we were feeling in the spirit at that moment, so we gave in. 

I love how Isaac is peacefully looking at a book while the girls are a blur of excitement and energy skittering around him.

Jenny, Matt and the kids showed up a little bit later and we then opened up gifts with them too.  It was an extravaganza of bits of flying paper and cheers of joy.

Jenny is about to get tackled in a hug by Jack

Lucy is pleased with her stylin' new boots. Which I tried to shove my adult foot into.  (Sometimes we are so similar I wonder if she is my clone....)
  

The kids played nice the rest of the day and we all relaxed together.  The older I get, the better it gets to give gifts and to see others enjoy them.  

frosty

I couldn't resist...

a few more projects

I managed to get a few more projects done before Christmas.  First:  the preserved boxwood wreathes.  I soaked them in a mixture of gylcerine and water for a few weeks then took a wreath form, some floral wire and formed three wreathes in different sizes... a large door sized one about 14" and then a 7" and 10".  LOVE how they turned out!! And I think they will become a year round decoration by just swapping ribbons. 

 Olliblocks:  I made these for Isaac.  I found the pattern at Olliebird.com.

I used my trusty chop saw to cut some blocks, sanded them, mod podged the papers on and sealed them and.... whalaaaa! (AND HE LOOOOVVVVED THEM!!)

 Finally, I made a few more birdnest necklaces.  In like 2 minutes a piece.  The little ones are for the girls!

Andes Candies Cookies

Cassidy and I have been baking machines lately.  Before the cookie exchange we baked so many cookies I didn't want to look at another mixing bowl for a long time.  She is a good helper, and loves adding the ingredients (especially the eggs which she cracks all by herself) and turning the mixer on. We made some yummy Andes Candies Cookies for the exchange this year.  It is a recipe we got from a friend when we lived in Milwaukee.  She would bring the cookies in to church and they were the kind of melt in your mouth AhhhhIcan'tstopeatingthese kind of cookies.  Brings back memories just thinking about it.  There was just something special about Christmases in the city.  I remember the lights and the snow- (and the snow that would pile up so high in front of our building that we had to continually fight the plows to keep it off the sidewalk... and the ice storms when we could hear college kids fall flat on their butts right outside our window because our bed was right under the window that was ON the street.... like 'open the window and crawl onto the sidewalk if there weren't bars' close, and that quaint (= tiny) apartment that we would stuff our Christmas tree into...)  Even in that busy hustle and bustle of a city, later at night when the snow would drift down peacefully, one could feel a little closer to Heaven around the holidays.  Whoa, I got really sidetracked there.  Where were we... oh yes, cookies. Right.

Andes Candies Cookies

Disclaimer: You are going to want to do this the entire time you are mixing the dough which can result in this:

the look of utter delight induced by repeatedly indulging in an Andes Candy. However beware that you might run out!!  We may or may not have had to break a few in half to cover all of our cookies.  Something that could have been avoided if we had been able to control ourselves.
Side note: I now know why my mother would tell me that my eyes would stay like that if I crossed them.

Ingredients:

3/4 c butter                                                        2 1/2 c flour

1 1/4 c brown sugar                                         1 1/4 t baking soda

2T water                                                             1/2 t salt

12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips                  48 Andes Candies

                                      2 eggs                                                                                          

'why hello yummy morsel of awesomeness. meet my mouth.'

"I got a golden ticket!!!! It's mine!!"  Cass yelled this as she was opening Wonka bars Andes Candies.
If you don't know Willie Wonka well enough to quote from it, let me indulge you.  Think Veruka Salt when one of her father's factory workers finds her a ticket.

Directions:

1.  Melt sugar, butter, water and chocolate chips in microwave and then let cool to room temperature.

2.  Mix in one egg at a time.

3.  Add dry ingredients.

4.  Chill dough for one hour.

5.  Roll into small (approx 1 Tbsp size) balls and place on cookie sheet.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes

7.  Immediately after taking cookies out of the oven, place one Andes candy on each cookie.  Unless you ate too many and need to break a few in half. ha ha. I warned you.  Wait a minute and then swirl with a spoon to spread melted candy.

8.  Cool cookie on wire rack until candy hardens.

                                                

9.  Lick all that yummy gooey goodness off of the spoon and enjoy every second of it.

 
 the pile of spoons that was collected from Cassidy... she liked to lick them throughout the whole process so I had to watch her like a hawk

10. Then find the batter bowl and spatula and give them a few licks.

You will not be disappointed!

rockin' it

  I can rock this chair (backwards as usual)...

 And I can rock these beads...

And just you watch out because I am going to rock this walking thing before you know it!

Isaac gets closer and closer to walking each day.  The most steps he has taken so far is 12 and he experiments with more confidence each day.  I am really in no big rush for him to be flying around the house, but as with every milestone, I get a little excited.  

holding tight

image copyright Frances Hook

I would be lying if I said my mind hasn't been doing somersaults today.    The alarm went off and I wasn't excited to get the kids off to school.   I held their hands as they waited for the bus- a little tighter than I usually do.  And we said a prayer together for a safe and happy day as the cars whizzed past us.  I gave them each an extra kiss and told them probably 5 times in the 15 foot walk from the sidewalk to the bus that I loved them.  Then I turned and walked back to the house. In tears.  I know that there is only so much we can do to protect and prepare our children for whatever they encounter in the world and I know we can't live our lives in fear, but we can't take this lightly either.  We must walk in faith, preparing ourselves and our children for the evils of this world.  

This picture brings comfort.  Christ loves our little children so much.  And there is no doubt that those 20 little children (and 6 adults-- he loves them too!) who joined him are happier and safer now in his presence.  That thought brings comfort. But as I held Jack and Lucy's little faces this morning, in a similar fashion to the way the Savior is above, I couldn't help but think about the parents and families who didn't get to do so this morning.  They will be reunited someday and that thought brings comfort as well, but rest assured that I will forever now, be holding tighter to those I love.    

embracing life

Yesterday was filled with excitement towards our upcoming Christmas celebration with family in Milwaukee.  All morning I scurried about grabbing last minute things that we needed for a long trip in the van.  I was preoccupied with that magical feeling that is associated with all things Christmas and family and didn't have time for the TV or radio until I checked facebook and saw that something happened in Connecticut.  At that point in time I was unsure as to the magnitude of happened.  I continued with my preparations and we were finally on our way. We enjoyed a happy reunion with Grandma and Grandpa, Jenny, Matt and the kids; they played so nicely together and we relished the time together -- time that we don't get to spend often enough.  We drifted off to sleep as the news in Connecticut ran through my brain again. The next morning (this morning) the whole awful truth hit me like a ton of bricks.  The hair on my back, neck, arms and legs stood up as I read the horrific details and came to comprehend the magnitude of the whole situation. My heart went out to those poor, poor families who didn't get to bring their sons and daughters home.  I still tear up thinking about them; and the children who have to deal with a situation such as this.  When I was a 16 year old girl in gym class, I was part of a similar incident.  We were playing volleyball; I remember seeing teachers run through whisper something to each other; instantaneous looks of panic on thier faces then composure for the benefit of those they were in charge of.  As more of us caught on to the fact that something was up- that we should have been dismissed a half hour ago, we cracked the exit door on the gym and saw police cars lining the parking lot.  Before we knew it, we were rushed into the locker rooms, locked in and left for hours with a radio in the gym teachers office as our only source of immediate information as to what had happened. When the police were confident we were not in any more danger- about 5:30pm- we were allowed to gather our things in an orderly controlled manner- and were exposed to the truth.  Earlier that day, a mentally ill ex-student had hunted our vice principal down and shot him in cold blood in the upstairs hallway of our high school.  I remember gathering my things, and numbly walking though the halls, to the one door we were ushered out, through a metal detector. We walked out to a flood of people, a media frenzy of bright lights, and cameras; the parents crying joyful tears when they were reunited with their loved ones; everyone grieving for the loss of life, the feeling of invasion and the loss of innocence that occurred that day.  Those memories flood back; this time as a parent myself; an entirely new perspective.  I am hopeful and prayerful for those involved in this horrible tragedy.  My heart is full and I am humbled.  I feel ashamed at myself for getting angry over a spilled drink; for raising my voice when my children don't buckle up fast enough for my preference and for complaining about having been woken up 5 times last night.  What a wakeup call.  Priorities. Gratitude. Love. EXPRESSING love. Embracing life and living it to the fullest.  This holiday season may we all take a step back and truly appreciate all that we are blessed with.  For we never know when it will be taken away.

crafty christmas tid bits!

adorable little santa I found at my favorite shoppe- the Briar House!

I have been aboard the Christmas train for quite a while now... leaving trails of hot glue and mod podge footsteps wherever I go!  I was waiting to get more of my projects done before doing this post but fear I might never get it all done as my list magically keeps getting longer and longer.  So here are a few of the projects I've been up to...

Clothes pin wreath that I just love!!  You can find the tutorial here.

It is sooo simple and I just love how it turned out! And the best part is that I can make another wreath, for say spring, and all I have to do it flip it over to do it!

These winter wonderland snow globes are another favorite.  I hit the local antique shoppe, got a crazy good deal on these (and many more) old canning jars and added a few trees, deer and sparkily snow from Hobby Lobby and whaaaala!

They are seriously all over my house. I love the old world charm. ahhhhhhhh 

I have also made a whole load of adorable new hair clippies out of hot glue (no way!), fabric scraps and goodie hair barrettes.  They are freakin' adorable and even easier to make than they are cute but I am not posting any pictures because they are for gifts. (hint... If you read Kelle Hampton's blog, Nella always wears them... and now so does Lucy). So after the holidays maybe I will indulge you with the details in a little tutorial.

I have some boxwood preserving down in my craft room and will be making wreaths in a day or two... there is a certain wood pile that is calling my name (Marta Martha!) and oh, I got a chop saw for my Christmas Present (early!) so I am making Isaac some cute Olliblocks and myself a cute Nativity set.  The list goes on and on....

So I better stop typing, finish packing for some Christmas Festivities and take a shower so I have time for it all!!