We went bowling last night...

...in our living room! My cousins came over last night with their Wii and we played all night. Its such great fun and you get a workout too!


Jonathan and Aaron duking it out in a game of boxing. I must say it is quite amusing watching them hit the air. Intense match! :)


Aaron and Kobe boxing. Guess who won????? thats right Sir Kobe took out his ole pops!;)


Here's Maddie doing a little bowling. She had so much fun and was actually really good!
I am not usually that fond of game systmes, but I have to say this is great family fun, especially for having to be inside so much thru the winter.

Love is...

I read this today during my quiet time and was reminded again of how we are called to love.

" Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
I Corinthians 13: 4-8a

The word "always" really stuck out to me today. Sure, sometimes I love like this, but I am no where close to always showing this kind of love. But it is my desire! I want to love not only my husband and kids like that, but my neighbors, people I like, people I don't like, everyone! I want to love like Jesus loves me! Another thought I had was how the Father loves me like that and how I can rest so securely in His love because He ALWAYS loves like this...good news for me! I love these verses and was challenged and encouraged from them today. I hope they encourage you too.

Highlights from Christmas...

Wow. What a great holiday we have had. I have loved having this time off with Aaron and the kids. Christmas 2007 is officially over now. We just had our last "Christmas" with Aaron's family 2 nights ago. It has been a wonderful 2 weeks. Christmas morning was lots of fun with the kids. I was excited for Maddie to get her telescope. That little booger slept in until 9:15 on Christmas morning! Finally Aaron, Kobe and I snuck in her room and started singing We wish you a Merry Christmas to wake her up. She looked at us and smiled and pulled the covers over her head! :) hahaha. When she finally got up she was excited to go and open presents. We had our breakfast together first and then read the Christmas story and then.......the big reveal of her telescope!!! She was so completely ecstatic. It was really cute. She loved it! We had a great time together and then headed to my family's house for the day.

Here are some highlights of our Christmas. And yes, I know there are a million pics of Kensi. When I loaded my pics on the computer I realized how many I took of her. It is her first Christmas after all and I wanted it to be well documented. ;) That and the other two won't sit still for more than 2 seconds to let me take lots of pics of them especially with all there cousins around to play with. So that left me alone with my camera and Kensi! hahaha She was absolutely adorable and loved eating all the paper she could get her hands on....yum!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and are ready for a great 2008!

Merry Christmas!!!!

We finally got around to taking a picture for our Christmas card. What, you don't think its to late do you?!?! I figure you get so many Christmas cards before Christmas, so wouldn't be exciting to get one when you aren't expecting it. Ok, so maybe I am just trying to make myself feel better about my procrastination. ;) Anyway, we got this picture in only 3 shots! Usually we have to take a ton of them to make sure everyone looks ok. Besides Kobe looking at his friends play and Kensi's blank stare (at least she is looking at the camera!), I think its pretty good! My sweet, little family. Here is a funny tidbit...I didn't even know that Kensi and Maddie's dresses were the same until I dressed them that morning. I knew they both had a christmas dress hanging in their closets, but had no idea it was the same dress. Kensi gets all the hand me downs from Maddie and my 2 nieces, so I guess I just never noticed before it was the same...but don't they look cute?!?! ;)

Aaron has 4 days off that started yesterday! How the rookie on the force got Christmas off is a surprise to us, but we will take it! I have so been looking forward to these days where we have nothing to do but just be together with each other and family! Yesterday we spent the whole day at my parents house. It was so nice to just be able to stay all day and relax and not have to rush off. It was a nice start to our holiday week. And we all got to watch the Redskins take out the Vikings together!! Can we get a great big WOO-Hoo for that?!?!?! (Sorry Betty, I know it must have been extra painful for you watching the Vikings lose while being up there. ;) )

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas filled with lots of family, love and celebrating the greatest gift of all....JESUS!

Merry Christmas!

Only Maddie....

With Madison around, there never seems to be a dull moment! I am sure those of you who know her personally will agree! ;) Here are a couple of cute conversations we have had recently.

Conversation #1...

One morning she was getting ready for school and I was helping her do her hair. Now, she is usually pretty good about me brushing all the tangles out, but I guess this morning she was extra sensative in the scalp area. As I brushed through her hair once she let out a scream that would have made you think she had just lost an arm and said, "AAAAGGGHHHH, I am calling 991!!!!" I asked why and she said, "because I am having an emergency." ;) I guess we need to (1)review the number for calling in an emergency and(2) talk a little more about how tangles in your hair doesn't quite qualify as a true emergency. :)

Conversation#2... :)

We were sitting around in the living room one night and were asking the kids what they might like to get for Christmas. Expecting to hear from Maddie that she wanted Polly Pockets or Pet Shop animals both of which she is really into right now. Maddie speaks up and says, " I really , really want a telescope." huh? I did not see this one coming. So over the next few days she kept talking about how she really hoped she got a telescope. So when Aaron and I went shopping and all we could find was the really nice telescopes. We couldn't find any toy telescopes. We found a nice one that was for middle school age kids that came with a microscope but being that she is only 5 yrs old we thought we better not get that. SO me being the smart mama I am said lets just get her binoculars and I am sure she will love it. So we went home and wrapped all our presents that night. The next morning when the kids got up they went and felt all the presents trying to guess what was inside. Maddie picks up a box and says, " i know this is my telescope, oh I just know it is." She was so excited and I started to panick a little. SO I said to her, I bet you would like a different type of telescope that is for both eyes instead of just one eye ( pretty smooth, huh?!? haha). And she says, "NOoooo mommy. The kind I want is for one eye and it is long and skinny and it has legs it stands on." What can I say, the girl knows what she wants. And then she keeps running around the house with the box she is convinced is the telescope. So I asked her, "Maddie, why do you want a telescope so bad? And she says, " because I want to see all the stars and the planets....and I also want to find Jesus up there too." How sweet is that! I called Aaron and told him, and we both agreed we had to go back and get the telescope or we would have one disappointed little girl on Christmas morning! So I am sure you can guess how this little story ends. I unwrapped the "two-eyed telescope" (did I really think she was going to fall for that? ;) ) took it back to the store and got the telescope kit for older kids. Can't wait for her to open it! And we will keep you posted on any "Jesus" sightings we see with the telescope. ;)

Let the Christmas Festivities Begin!

Wow. What a crazy week it has been. I was so sick with strep last week. I used to get it alot when I was younger, but I don't remember it being that bad. But after lots of prayer and some good ole antibiotics, I was good as new. This past weekend was so busy, but with all things Christmas so it was lots of fun! Have I mentioned how much I love the christmas season, because let me just tell you I do! It truely is the most wonderful time of the year. I am one of those people who like to listen to Christmas music the beginning of November, put my tree up day after Thanksgiving, love to bake christmas cookies, go christmas caroling (haven't been in years, how sad) etc...you get the idea. I like for Christmas to be a "season" not just a week or two. :) Ok, let me step off my Christmas soap box and continue on now.

So our festivities began on Friday evening with the Christmas Parade. Kobe was in it this year with his boy scout troop, so it was extra special!

Here is a bundled up Maddie eagerly waiting for the parade to begin! She came prepared with a gallon zip lock bag which she filled to the top!

Their they come! Have you ever seen a cuter cub scout, well, not that you can see his uniform or anything, so you will just have to trust me when I say he is completely edible in his uniform!!! He hooked Maddie up big time throwing handfuls of his candy at her. I am not sure if it was being nice to give her extra candy or the opportunity to throw something at her and not get in trouble. Hmmmm?!?

Afterwards we went out for a nice dinner. It was lots of fun.

Saturday morning we went to church for the dress rehearsal for the kids Christmas program and then had a birthday party for Jesus afterwards. It was fun, but after 5 straight hours with umpteen kids, I was ready to come home and relax! Not to mention the craft we did that made me want to poke my eyes out. Well, it wasn't that bad, but it was pretty close. ;

Sunday morning was the big day! The kids had practiced for so long and were so excited. It was fun seeing how excited they were to be in the play. They did such a great job! Maddie played Mary and Kobe was part of the choir. Here are some pics

After they play we were off to Charlottsville to see Disney Playhouse Live! It was a great show. I am still not sure who enjoyed it more...Aaron or the kids...the jury is still out on that one. Even Kensi got into it jumping up and down and squealing with delight along with the songs.

It was a great weekend! Lots of fun. But low and behold, Monday morning Kobe woke up with a sore throat and sure enough he had strep! uggghh! But got him right on antibiotics and by lunch on Tuesday he was as good as new! And no one else has gotten it, thank you Jesus! So I am ready to get back into the routine of our week just to rest from the weekend! :)

Sick...ughh...

I have come down with a nasty case of strep throat....yuck! I HATE BEING SICK. Well, I suppose their are very few people that enjoy it, but I am the biggest baby when I am sick. Hot flashes, naustious, chills, a lump the size of a basketball in my throat and to round it off a fever. Anyway, I am on antibiotics and should be up and running again in a couple of days! I am praying for protection over the kids so they don't get this from me. So, there explains my abscence from blog land for the past few days. Hopefully soon I will be back in business....