Superman

After the hustle and bustle of the birthday and holiday seasons, I occasionally have time to post a few pictures and write a few words. This year I'm not sure I'll keep up any better than last year, but I'm finding ways to prioritize what's important and I'm hoping blogging makes the list. So if this birthday post is the only one that goes up on the blog this year, please know it's not because I love Wesley more than any of the others, it's because I am spending my time in the role God has blessed me with as wife and mother (and because Wesley's comes first in birthday season).

 

Two VERY short months ago, Wesley turned 5. He celebrated by

 

posing for pictures (okay, that wasn't really part of his celebrating),

opening cards,



counting his birthday money,



listening to his brother pass along birthday greetings,



opening presents,



showing them off (along with his excitement),



eating cake,

aaaaaannnnd...posing for more pictures than he would have liked.

We did eventually let him eat the cake and not just hold it up for us to take pictures.

 

In the past year, Wesley has shown us that God has gifted him with a servant's heart. He loves to be a helper and we are so grateful for him and his helpful attitude during the busy days that are so frequent in our household. He is FULL of energy, loves to laugh, is learning to read, is shy in new situations, thinks he's superman (I mean, he really* thinks he's superman), is his sister's best friend and the baby's biggest fan.

 

Happy birthday, sweet Wes. We love you very much.

Snow Day

Like many families, our weekends are full of appointments, practices, get-tegethers and commitments of varying kind. This particular Sunday's agenda included church, caroling and choir rehearsal. Though we did make it to church (and back!), the rest of the day's activities were canceled and we enjoyed our first "snow day" of the season.

When it looks like this outside...



it looks like this inside.

Finding winter gear for six people isn't always easy. Sometimes you just take what you get and you're thankful if it keeps you warm and dry. After what seemed like hours of pulling, tugging, zipping and buckling, everyone was fully covered and ready...

to go...



outside.

First on the agenda on this snowy day was a maiden trip down our hill to blaze a trail for an afternoon of fun. Not wanting to take turns, these three decided to go down together.

After the first few trips (and a little "coaching" by Daddy) Wes was running...



jumping...



and soaring down the hill...



after a speedy start.



Not to be outdone by his five-year-old son...



Sean soon joined Wesley in this "advanced" sledding technique.

Although Jack was more interested in building a fort out of the bottom third of a toppled snowman,

we did eventually convince him to go down the hill.

And come back up.

Which isn't always the most fun part, but necessary in order to receive the hot chocolate waiting inside.

Three...Literally

Recently our evenings have been filled with a Christmas countdown, taking a look at the many names of Christ. I'm not sure which name lead us to a discussion on meeting Jesus face to face, but Sean began asking the kids how they thought they'd feel the first time they see Jesus. Jack was the first to answer with "scared," so of course the others thought they'd be scared too. After we told them they could no longer answer, "scared," Elise assured us that she'd be happy. "Why do you think you'd feel happy?," we inquired. "Because I like babies," came the quiet response from our sweet three-year-old.

 

Despite the potential disappointment at discovering that Jesus did, in fact, grow up, we think she'll be jumping for joy when she actually gets to meet the Saviour of the world.

Over the (Mini) Hill

I guess I'm not sure what you'd consider "over the hill" for a baby. Or if you'd even associate the term with someone younger than 40? Regardless of what you call it, we are now on the fast downward slide to Miss Evie's first birthday. I know. I can't believe it either.

At six months, our sweet girl is proving to be the easiest of our four. She's happy playing by herself or with her brothers and sister. Although,two-thirds of them get a little over zealous sometimes and she needs to remind them that she's still just a baby. She has no trouble making her voice heard. She's enjoying the newly discovered volume at which her squeaks, sighs and squeals come out.

Bath times are quickly becoming some of Evie's favorite times during the week. I don't know if it's the warm water or the protection solitude from her bigger siblings, but she loves to sit and splash.

 

This girl also LOVES to eat! Despite her lack of teeth, she's enjoying the newly introduced Cheerios spread on her tray before meal times. Approximately one out of every ten actually makes it in her mouth, but when she gets frustrated her biggest brother is happy to patiently feed them to her. One...by...one.

 

I think I can safely say that Evie's sweet temperament, bright eyes and big grins have us all wrapped around her pudgy little finger.

Have a Seat

"The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night."

(Piper, John. A Hunger for God. Crossway, 1997.)

Excuse me, but...

could someone please tell me where the last nearly 5 months have gone? I'm pretty sure our life has been in fast forward because I can't believe that next week this baby girl will be 5 months old. I feel like I'm going to wake up tomorrow and she'll be leaving for college.

At 5 months old, Evie is beginning to enjoy the banana, apple and sweet potato she's offered for dinner. She's on a sleep-through-the-night strike. And she's a sitter! (I call her "big sitter" and Elise copies me, but calls her "big sister" despite several failed attempts to explain how it's not quite right).

Anyhow...enjoy these few smiley pics!

Costa Rica - The Food

While still in Costa Rica I hinted at doing a post on Tiko food. WARNING: this post may make your mouth water and your stomach ache for sustenance. We ate marvelously while we were there. Between our hotel's breakfast buffet, Christian brothers and sisters hosting us in their homes, and the occasional restaurant visit we were able to try many different local dishes.

Personally, breakfast is my favorite meal. The options for breakfast foods are quite diverse and enjoyable to my palate. Also, when I get up in the morning my stomach is almost always growling.