The Greats!

Cameron and Emmy are very blessed to have three great-grandparents. These three people are so full of love and are considered some very special people to us. Matt had a wedding today so the kids and I headed for Winona to go see the great-grandmas.

We first stopped at G'ma Rosemary's. She is a woman of strong faith, has a gentle heart, and is as sweet as they come. She always sends us home with some of the best raspberry jam and dill pickles when we come to visit. Cameron always remembers G'ma Rosemary for the following:

• The G'ma that always has a stash of Cheetos...our favorite!! (See picture below of Emmy)
  
• The G'ma that stores G'pa Gary's boat for the winter
• The G'ma that has trains going by in her back yard
• The G'ma that has the duck/goose flower planter (this one always cracks me up!)

Next we headed to G'ma Sylvia's. She is a spunky English woman that has a lot of get up and go. She is an amazing gardener and the inside of her house is like an intricate doll house with all sorts of tiny knick knacks. The kids love to go to her house and play with all of the little things she has all over. She is a truly amazing woman with so many stories of growing up in England and coming to America. Cameron knows G'ma Sylvia for the following:

• The G'ma that always sends him home with candy - he even asked if she was the candy maker today
• The G'ma that always drinks tea and pretends to have tea parties with him
• The G'ma that finds the best stuffed animals and sends them home with him
• The G'ma whose bathroom he locked himself and Emmy in!

We also feel extremely blessed that our kids know their Great-Grandpa Clarence. G'pa Clarence has a big heart for all the little ones that are on my side of the family. Whenever G'ma Deb is babysitting, G'pa Clarence comes over to play and wrestle around this the kids. Cameron knows G'pa Clarence for the following:

• The G'pa that pulls out his false teeth to show the kids and makes them giggle and scream
• The G'pa that shares his pickles with him
• The G'pa that has a fun and squirrly puppy
• The G'ps that will play with tractors, balls, and read books

We are so thankful that Cameron and Emmy are growing up knowing each of these three. We don't always get to spend a lot of time with them but when we do it is very special. Having these three grandparents in our lives and in our kids lives is GREAT!!

Moms' Know Best....or at least try to!!

Cameron and Emmy have both been sick in the last week. Cameron got the stomach flu last Tuesday and even though I thought he was better on Thursday he was throwing up again. As much as these two are together sharing their love and germs, Emmy was throwing up on Friday morning.

The thing I love about little ones is that they can throw up one minute and the next minute they are smiling and laughing. It melted my heart when Cameron got sick on Thursday and in the next breath he said "mommy can we still go to the park!" Each time my kids have been sick, I learn to grow a little more observant, a little more adaptable to my own plans, and a lot more patient!

Today, we woke up to Emmy screaming! It was a type of screaming we hadn't experienced from her before and so it really stumped us. It was if she was in pain. She didn't want to eat, she didn't want to drink, she could not be consoled and it seemed there was nothing we could do for her. She seemed to be tugging her ear so I instantly thought...ear infection. She felt a little warm but didn't have much of a temp at the time. My mommy instincts kicked in and called the doctor to set up an appointment in the clinic...you can never be sure with little ones that cannot fully communicate! By the time we got to the doctor she had calmed to her normal self and of course she was all smiles for him. We came out of the office with a happy and healthy baby. I thought for sure she had something but she is great...we are so thankful for this!! At this point I felt very sheepish and I think the doctor wondered if I had it all together or not. I couldn't help but think to myself that moms do know best and I probably would have been sorry if I had not brought her in.

Even though I am constantly trying to think I know everything when it comes to my own kids...I really don't. I have to admit that many times it feels like trial and error and a lot of prayer! My chosen verse of the week hits the nail on the head for me today and always when it comes to raising kids. I really need God's wisdom and help to raise them...it would be really hard to do so without it! I think I can better claim that this mom knows best when God helps me know best!

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5 (NIV)

A Little Sunshine...

Because it is cold outside again....

Because we are a little under the weather around our house...

Here is a little sunshine and some smiles to fill the day!

Breaking the Bank - A Lesson Learned!

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

This passage came to mind on Sunday during church. Cameron has started to enjoy collecting and receiving coins and money that he can put into his piggy bank. If by chance we leave change sitting out on the table or within his reach he is usually grabbing it and asking to put it in his piggy bank. I have to admit that I like that he wants to save it. I want our kids to grow up with good money habits and understanding the benefits of saving money (I want them to learn this better than me as I am not always so good at it!).

Before church on Sunday, Cameron found a nice little stack of quarters sitting on the kitchen table. Immediately he wanted to put it in his piggy bank. We talked to him about putting some in his piggy bank and giving some to Jesus during church. He agreed and put some into the piggy bank and some into his pocket to put in the basket at church. At the point that the offering basket was being passed during church, Cameron went into a shutdown mode. Matt held the offering basket in front of him for a good minute before we got embarrassed enough to pass it on to the usher. Matt even whispered "God wants a cheerful giver!" and so his money stayed in his pocket. We both noted this teachable moment and talked to Cameron about it after church. By the time we got home, Cameron was wishing to go back to church to put his money in the basket. Instead, we started Cameron's offering cup for next week at church. These moment to teach our kids are so precious and so important. I want it to be Cameron's choice to choose to give back to God and not us pushing him to do it or want to.

Later that day, the kids and I were upstairs putting clothes away. I heard a bit of a scurry coming from Cameron's room where he and Emmy were playing. All of a sudden I saw Emmy running across the hallway...carrying Cameron's piggy bank. In the next instant the piggy bank was shattered and coins were scattered everywhere. We all felt awful as Cameron sobbed.

I couldn't help but think there was a lesson in all of it for all of us. As much as we want to store up and save things for ourselves - even our pennies, nickles and dimes - we have to caution ourselves to not become too greedy and want to keep it all for ourselves. As important it is to teach about saving money, it is just as important to teach about sharing our wealth and gifts with God and others. Funny how simple little things can turn into big lessons!

A Trip to the Museum

"Play is the highest form of research" - Albert Einstein.

This was my favorite quote on the wall at the Minnesota Children's Museum. Matt, the kids and I headed out early this morning to St. Paul. Matt did a quick photo shoot at the state high school hockey tournament while the kids and I ran some errands and then it was off to the museum.

We prepped Cameron last night on our fun outing...there would be dinosaurs and lots to see. All morning, Cameron would look up at the tall buildings in downtown St. Paul and ask "is that where the dinosaurs live?" or "do the dinosaurs walk around?"

I hadn't been to the Children's Museum since I was in elementary school but still remembered it being a really fun place. Once again, we were not disappointed. Everything about this place is for kids to look, touch, feel and experience things. Some of our favorites were the bubble and boat station, simulated city bus, the grocery store, the rock band station, the Habitot gallery and of course the dinosaurs! We had a great time but Cameron cried for a good 20 minutes after we left because he wanted to go back!

Check out the pictures from the fun family outing...

Go Knights!

We are into section play for basketball now and tonight was the first game. We were fortunate to have a 3 seed which gave us a home game and court advantage. We played Lake Crystal Welcome Memorial and had a great win 76-43! We had a great crowd in the gym tonight and the boys played well. Now we have another game on Thursday night in Jordan. Should be a good game...a tough game. The plan is to have a team meal here tomorrow after practice....a house full of boys!

Here are a few of the Knights biggest fans...

Puddle Jumping!

It was another glorious day with bright sunshine and warm temperatures. We are really loving the warm up. The only thing I think I don't like about the is the mud and muck that is everywhere the snow used to be. My kids on the other hand are absolutely loving all of the puddles and mud to walk and jump in. Needless to say we were wet and dirty when we came in from being outside but they didn't seem to mind and I didn't either because they were both grinning from ear to ear!
Tonight at supper I asked Cameron what his favorite part of the day was and he said "jumping in the puddles!" I think we may try to hit the puddles again soon!

Times Flies...

I have been looking back at Cameron and Emmy's baby pictures lately. It is amazing how fast babies grow into toddlers and toddlers into preschoolers. When I picked the kids up from daycare today even Colleen commented on how the baby in Emmy is almost gone and being replaced by what she called "a two-year old mentality". It is really hard to see your children grow out of being babies. I love who they are becoming but I can't help but miss each phase that has passed us. It is truly important to cherish every day with your kids because they go through each stage (good and bad stages) so quickly.

We are enjoying seeing the people that our kids are growing to become. Their little personalities are so fun to get to know. I don't want to miss what they are doing so thought I'd write a little bit about what Cameron and Emmy are doing at this point in their short lives...

Cameron (almost 3)
Personality - He is sweet, loving, emotional (like his mommy), passionate, likes routines, intelligent, has a big imagination (this can be good and bad as he scares himself at times), and loves Jesus!

Likes - Playing with trains, reading books, playing farm, shoveling snow, watching movies (Curious George, Dora and Word World), treats (suckers, candy canes, cookies), looking for things when we are driving in the car, playing hide-n-seek, fixing things, and going to both G'ma Deb's and G'ma Carol's house.

Dislikes - Messes (this includes messy hands!), sleeping by himself, when Emmy gets in his way, walking to and from the car by himself, and the buzzer at the gym

Favorite song - Blessed Be the Name

Favorite colors - Green and Purple

Emmy (17 Months)
Personality - She is happy (when she is not hungry or teething), loving, stubborn, independent, strong, confident (as confident as a 17 month old can be!), laid back, and funny

Likes - Food (most anything), her daddy, following and doing what Cameron does, reading, her dolls, blankets and kitty, hats (you can usually find her wandering around the house in a hat), dressing up, purses, making messes (check out the picture in her room tonight...is this a glimpse into her teenage years?!!!)

Dislikes - When Cameron gets in her face, when she doesn't get her way...she screams very loudly!

I'm unsure of her favorite color or songs but we are finding her to really love music as she dances to the songs on the radio throughout the day.

It is fun to think about who Cameron and Emmy will be and what they'll be doing in the future. We pray that God will help us guide them as they grow. We are so thankful for the blessing of these two precious little ones in our lives.

Golden Nugget of the Day: We had a family meal and our first night of grilling for 2010!