A Whole Lotta

Nothin goin on at our house...we recently buzzed Gunner and Ryder's hair. Here are a few pics of that, and we finally seeded our back yard, this is john letting gunner drive the 4 wheeler, he loved revvin the engine up! gunner is a little bit naughty lately, we are going through the terrible 3's. he can do everything himself and when he can't he gets frustrated...easily! he is still a snuggle and is so funny, he has been riding ryder's bike lately and goes really fast for a little guy, sometimes he falls, but doesn't fuss, just gets back on and goes! love you gunny!




I tried to take a few cute pics of Taylor in her pretty red dress (well, claire's dress) but she wasn't havin it! she needed something in her hand for her to sit still, the camera cap helped but got in the way, and she loves my belts, she could wiggle the heck outta that belt all day!






These jammies are ryder's favorite, nanny vanderpool got them for him! lately he has been the polite police, (stephanie tanner, full house) he is saying, yes ma'am to everyone. and then asks if that makes God and Jesus happy. he loves praying at the dinner table, and today he said, "do you know who made you?" and i said, "who?" and he said, "God and Jesus!" he melts my heart! One more funny quote is for christmas we got the boys (Ryder) a radio control bobcat loader. ryder was driving it around the kitchen and said, "thank you for getting me this remote control bobcat from china for me, dad!" as you can tell we support american made products as much as possible!

Taylor

i thought i would put a few sweet pics of taylor up. she's getting so big and standing up in her crib! i found her like this last week, now she stands and bounces! the gate must stay up all the time now. i love my baby tots!



my rock star...the high tops aren't quite big enough for her kankels! and this is not very sanitary taylor.

Boys' Birthday Party

happy birthday babies!

sunday we had ryder and gunner's birthday, they are five days apart from each other. ryder turned 5!!! and gunner turned 3!!! i can't believe it! we had a construction party, walking tacos (can you tell from the dorito faces above?), pico, traffic cone cookies and cake! here are some pics of the partA!

nanny vanderpool's creation! the bottom pic is neat how she made the cake inside look like a caution sign!


poppy made the boys a graham cracker/choc./banana cake that we put in the bobcat, and john drove it out to them to blow the candles out!

Owen needed a nap so he got put in the jumperoo..apparently that puts him to sleep! isn't that hilarious!

Claire being a cheeseball!

john took the boys and aviah, caden and briston on a 4 wheeler ride!


lilly being a sweetie!

here are future bffs! our dear friends the kains even showed up! i love them and miss them so much! their baby girl is named ellie. these two are a little john and a little key! we both had girls a 1 1/2 months apart. aren't they stinkin adorable!


they had a great night! thank you to everyone that could make it! love you boys!

Be a Pineapple!

one of my new year's resolutions (besides losing 20lbs by my birthday..i gotta 10yr reunion this year!) was to teach my kids more about the Bible. i think a few years ago my pastor asked us if anyone could name all the fruits of the spirit? i think i named like 6 and repeated 2! it's been in the back of my mind to really learn them and to understand them, something so simple--and yes it's been a long time! so a few weeks ago i sketched some actual fruits down and wrote next to them what fruit of the spirit went best with that fruit. (the picture is a little messy gunner loves to color)

Love-strawberry-my boys LOVE strawberries, i thought that would be the easy one and to tell of unconditional love that God has for us.
Joy-raspberry-raspberries are pretty close to strawberries! they love them and bring them so much joy!
Peace-blueberries-i chose this fruit mainly for the color blue/purple it a very peaceful color.
Patience-orange-because you have to be patient to peel an orange.
Kindness-peach-becuase i have heard the expression, "you're a peach!" for a kind person.
Goodness-grapes-johnny thought of this, the two "o's" look like grapes and they are soo good!
Faithfulness-apple-when has an apple ever let you down? it's probably the go to fruit of them all.
Gentleness-banana-gunner loves bananas, but squeezes them trying to open the peel, i always say you have to be gentle!
Self-Control-pineapple-i chose this because it was a better fruit than the lemon! and you have to have a controlled face to eat it sometimes! this is one that we have been working at in our house probably the most, "be a pineapple!" the boys are both crazy both fighting for the alpha position right now.
ryder has learned all these in no time, and we cheer him on! it's so exciting to see him learn about the Bible in my home! this week john thought we need to put Bible verses down with the fruits...so smart that man!! so out first one we thought of for love was John 3:16. we are continuing to find perfect Bible verses for every fruit for our kids to memorize. even little gunny is getting them down! i didn't want to boast in what i'm doing, i just want to encourage everyone who has little ones to start young, we all know their little minds are like sponges! and we should grow our children in wisdom and stature!

These Days...

January flew by! i can't believe i am trying to plan the boy's birthday party! Ryder will be 5 and Gunner will be 3! that's nuts! here are a few pics/stories of the kids from the month...


john reads to the boys every night, it is so sweet! one night john fell asleep early so i got to read with them, and i read, from the Bible aunt juju got them, the story of Abraham and Isaac. they were at the part where abraham was getting ready to sacrafice isaac, i paused for a sec. wondering if i should read them this at night time...it talked about a knife and it could of been scary for them, but i felt at peace about it and continued to read. i got to the part where the story was explaining that one day there would be a perfect sacrafice, and right then Ryder said, "Jesus". i said, "you're right, ryder!" it was amazing how things are starting to click with him about what Jesus has done for us, and i just continue to pray for the day of salvation for my little ones!

gunner is obsessed with the movie tangled. they play some parts at our house, and ryder is obviously flynn rider, gunner got pascal (the cameleon sp?) and i, of course, got to be the princess. (when the boys don't wanna do what i say i sing to them, Motheeeer knows best!) well, one night john and i were watching american idol and gunner yells, "mommy, mommy, a princess, a princess loook!" and points above us, and on the shelf is a picture of me in my wedding dress (john was in it too)! i mean come on! my heart melted! i felt so special, he captures my heart!
taylor is just my little doll, she is spunky, aware, army crawling, eating like a champ, getting her second tooth, fun to dress, show stopper, we are in love at our house! here are some pictures of her while she is doing what she loves to do...be upsidedown! loves it!




she had a bath and while i was lotioning her, she started to fall asleep, and this is what her hair looked like when she got up from her nap!

Ryder had just eaten something red, not sure, and i am still in my PJ's.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (the best picture we could do anyway)

a lot has gone on since the end of october, i have been overwhelmed the last couple of months, here is an update of the kids...

this is ryder clinging to briston, he usually is doing this or has his arm around him...loves his DS, tried to hide and steal it this christmas...


Ryder
he is soo cute to me, reminds me so much of john! he is doing really good in preschool. he still has a few skills (just a few social, he thinks he can do whatever he wants...and he can't) to mash out before kindergarten, but we are a work in progress! he is so sweet with his little taytertot! and gunner and him are best friends. he has always been a guzziler when it comes to drinking, if anyone leaves a glass half full around him he will drink it no matter who you are or what coodies you have. i have been getting on him about it and one day he told me, "i can't help it, i'm a scavenger...like a seagull." i just laughed. another sweet story of ryder was he and gunner were outside and john was still getting his shoes on inside, and ryder came in and said, "come on dad, we need someone outside to protect us, we are by ourselves out there!" i just loved that, it reminded me how our Father in heaven protects us!


gunner in his little woody underwear...no pun intended!
Gunner
he is such a sweet boy, always in an adventureous spirit. john and i always joke about how he will be the life of the party. he loves wearing his eye patch and wearing his hook like a pirate. his speaking is getting a lot better, for awhile ryder was the only one that could understand him! all three of us were getting frustrated but john and i have been working with him a lot and their is much improvement. he loves reading Go Dogs Go. especially about the part where the dog doesn't like the other dogs hat. it's negative and he thinks it's funny, he can pretty much read the whole book to me, and ryder is reading/sounding out some words too, its exciting!


Taylor (Tatertot)
she is our precious angel! she is sitting up, eating non-stop, has one tooth, and working on another, clicks her tongue, holds her turkey legs and eats her little toes, blows bubbles, and coughs on command. this is such a fun age! aunt jenny and my mom made some bows for the tot, and i love putting them in her hair, it is so fun, i have even worn a few in my hair, just around the house, maybe i shouldn't have admitted that, small mid life crisis, i am going to be 30 in 2 1/2 yrs...it's weird! i love dressing her and going shopping with her, i can tell already someone will have to tell me to be the parents and not the best friend to her.
Poppy Flug and Taylor

taylor and santa (poppy vanderpool) christmas morning, santa had to wear sunglasses, last year he was found out!

im kinda proud, this is a picture of the cake i made me mom for her birthday, she is into northwoods decor, and thanks to pintrest i found this and made it! cakes are such an artwork, not sure if i really like it...

we have like 20 eagles just west of us and john took them all down to see them, and took misty with, she loves the woods/hunting, and you can see her smile in all the pictures. i love to see her in the woods and so happy. this picture cracks me up because the boys were complaining about the sun in there eyes for the photo and misty is smiling so much! i love it!





cant wait to see what this new year brings, we have been so blessed our cup runneth over!

Carazy October

we have had a lot happen this month, which this month is probably one of my favorite out of the year. it's a month with perfect weather in my opinion. and we have had gorgeous weather! ok, john's sister had a baby sept. 30, fisher samuel, and he is a little peanut! we finally got to meet him last weekend at our anual family outing to the apple orchard. and in the middle of the month john's cousin, katie, had their first sweet boy, bowen, which he is also super cute, not sure what number that makes it for gramps, but he has a ton of great grandkids, not sure who will be next! (ashley, go for the girl!)
Fisher

Bowen


Apple Orchard
i think this was the third or fourth year of us going to the apple orchard. it is probably the best one around, soo much stuff to do and you can let your kids run free, it's awesome. i will let the pictures tell all













after the apple orchard we all hurry off because we are starving and go to grandpa's for a yummy potluck (yummy soup, bread, pies, crisps, cheesecake (thanks ash) and so much more), and a campfire. this year was extra fun because all the kids are getting older and they know how to play games, they played hide n seek, and the kids had to find the "werewolves" in the dark (sara, colby, and chris). ryder loved it, but he is "mister i wanna be in control of everything" and was getting mad because he wanted to be a wolf! haha! and then we sat around the campfire talking, singing, and playing a round of mafia, which is hilarious when bruce is the narrator, he makes fun of us all because we all can't keep our eyes shut for some reason, the main rule of the game!