For this year’s valentines I used the Christmas pictures we had taken of the boys. With a picture like that on the front, of course the valentines were adorable! On Valentine’s Day, the boys and I drove to Stephen’s office and picked him up for lunch at Chick-fil-a. Then Silas, Cooper and I met some… Read More Heart Day & Other Days
As I look back through these pictures from our visit to West Virginia, I love seeing my boys interact with my mom, dad and sisters. The boys had lots of fun discovering all the new things at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. My dad kept bringing out toys–some I recognized and some I didn’t–for the boys… Read More Playtime at Grandma and Grandpa’s
It snowed just a bit the morning after Christmas. Though it wasn’t much, the snow did cover the grass. Silas saw it and said, “It’s a lot, Mommy!” We bundled up the boys and took them outside to experience the strange, icy, white stuff all over the ground. The snow was very wet, so it… Read More Frosty
My Uncle Tim drove down from Pittsburgh on the day after Christmas. It was good to see him again and have him meet Cooper for the first time. The last time we saw Uncle Tim two years ago, he was meeting Silas for the first time. We had another little Christmas, opening presents and singing… Read More Special Visits
Grandma and Grandpa live “far, far away in West Virginia” (as Silas says). And the boys had their first Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Manka and the Aunts. We landed on Christmas Eve day, and Mom and Dad picked us up at the airport. I was so glad it was cold–it felt like winter! At… Read More A West Virginia Family Christmas
Early, early tomorrow morning we’ll be headed to the airport to catch a Christmas Eve flight. This will be our first Christmas with my parents and sisters since we moved out to Arizona in 2009. The family celebration should be a lot of fun with two little grandsons/nephews visiting West Virginia for Christmas. Silas and… Read More Our Merry Little Christmas
Last night we loaded the boys into the car after supper to see some neighborhood Christmas lights. Silas sang carols with us as we drove. Stephen found a map of the Valley where neighbors could register their homes as light displays for others to come see. Our first stop was impressive for a single home, and… Read More Christmas Lights
Making tamales at Christmastime is a Hispanic family tradition. It’s a long and involved process, so it makes for a great bonding experience for family and friends. This year a friend from church invited some of us to make tamales with her, and I thought it would be fun to learn how to make them… Read More Christmas Tamales
Christmas is less than two weeks away! We’ve been busy putting up our 9 foot Christmas tree, decorations around the house, Silas’s mini tree, and a 6 foot tree in our bedroom. We added a new little tree for Cooper’s room this year too. His tree had been decorated with Colts helmets and blue and… Read More Let It Snow! (Kind of)
At our CBC Ladies’ Bible Study meeting last Thursday night, Jen encouraged each of us to make a list of 100 things we’re thankful for and then to pray that list back to God. Last night I sat down and made my list. It took some real work! While I could have just written down… Read More 100 Things