It's been a great weekend. On Friday my mom and Al kept the kids for me and I had an amazing evening. I got up the next morning at 8 which is impossible at my house. I then headed to Barnes and Noble and sat for thirty minutes all alone reading. It was lovely. I went and picked up my sweet nerds and headed home. After a nap we went to the library and roamed around looking for our selections.

From there we went to the park and enjoyed the nice weather. I had this great idea to pop the tent in the living room. I couldn't find the tent but we went ahead with the rest of my plans anyway......

or at least we tried.

When we got home I had the boys gather broken branches from the backyard. I thought it would be so fun to roast marshmallows for s'mores and let the kids cook their own hot dogs.

Aren't they precious.

About two seconds later we had no fire. Apparently keeping one going is harder than I knew.

So I decided we would use our gas stove in a whole new way. Bear said, "This is the best night ever. I'm having so much fun."

Guess what, this didn't work either so we pulled out the George Foreman grill. I so wouldn't make it on Survivor.

We had yummy hot dogs and chips while we watched an interesting movie about snakes. I really enjoyed my sweet babies tonight.

She gets it from her Daddy

I have 6 pounds to my goal weight and 11 to my dream weight but I have been stuck for a while. I can't be to disappointed because I haven't been working at it lately.

Yesterday I was looking through old pictures when I came across this one from before I started loosing.....
I wouldn't even post this picture last year because I was too embarrassed. Look at how sweet Bear looks, what a loss.

This one was taken of me yesterday. Six pounds to go or not, I've done real good.

Letters

Translation:
I love you Jared.
I want to marry you.

That would be Uncle Jared. How cute is that!

I got a call from Jeffrey Thursday morning to ask me if we were covered in snow too. It was breath taking. I hated that Kati had to go to school.

As soon as we dropped her off I headed to a spot I had just seen recently for pictures.

I parked on a side street and walked over to take some pictures when I heard a car approaching. I quickly step off the road and hoped they wouldn't stop to ask if I was okay or that they wouldn't loose control of the car and hit me. Really I was more worried about them talking to me. Anyway just a moment before they got to me I realized my mistake..........and then I was covered from head to toe in slushy muddy snow.

Surprisingly I wasn't at all angry. Which is just further proof to myself that I really am changing.

I couldn't pass up this opportunity for pictures, wet and cold or not, so I headed to the park to take pictures of the boys. Bear didn't really feel up to it so there aren't many of him.

We went home and bundled up to play in the front yard.
We had a great time throwing snow balls at each other, chasing one another around.

I thought we needed to make a snow man since I have never made a real one before. Guess what? There is an actual technique to it and I didn't know what it was. We tried our best.
Not only did I not know how to properly form one we didn't have the right supplies either. Our poor guy had an asparagus noise and chalk for eyeballs but the boys didn't care. Bear even went and got his own hat and made it a "teen-ager" snow man.I couldn't wait to go pick up Bug from school so we could play in the snow some more. On our way we passed the fire station and it looks like our firemen had some fun in the snow as well.

She pegged me with a snowball.Bear couldn't keep his gloves out of his mouth.

I love his face here. He is just absolutely giddy from the excitement.

"Put you camera down Mommy. I'm gonna get you with this big snow."

More pictures to come

This seems like a life-time ago.

Getting to know you

When we sit down for supper at night I ask the kids two questions; what was your favorite part of today and what did you hate? I get so much more information out of them this way. When I ask the "what did you do at school today" I get 'I don't remember' or just a tid bit of information. I really enjoy hearing their answers and I learn so much more about them.

Another thing we have started doing as a family lately is talking about what we are thankful for at breakfast. I was beginning to lose sight of how blessed I am by our awesome God and this keeps me more centered. I love hearing the kids answers as well. One morning everything Bo answered was food related. I should mention that he chose not to eat dinner the night before. I want my kids to have a more positive out look on life than I do.

There is one more thing that I have started with the kids that has me get a good look at who they really are and what they are really feeling. I have begun asking them what I can pray for about them that day. I wasn't sure how it would go over but it has worked well.

I don't share all of this because I am bragging, truth be told I have felt like a crummy mom from the second day Kati was born, I share this to give you ideas you may not have thought about to get to know your own kids.

I love my little stinkers.