Cookie Art

The same night that we were in the town of Celebration with the Farr's we found this store--I didn't even catch the name. They had tables and you could get a little artist's pallet with a cookie (or they also had pretzels or other kinds of cookies--we all chose chocolate chip and they were awesome!) and you could pick different toppings to decorate it with. We chose melted chocolate, m & m's and sprinkles.

Beyond that, what is so amazing is that JJ got so interested in decorating he forgot that it was all "Good Eats!" (also the Food Network show I am watching as I write this!) He was so focused using the little spatula to put the chocolate on the cookie. Then he started with the sprinkles and then the m&m's--and even though I told him he could eat them, he was still very focused on putting them on the cookie. It was sooo cute!!! And gave me great hope that he doesn't have ADD, and will be able to focus well on tasks like this without getting frustrated.

Ok, so now, he's getting it and EATING! I broke the cookie and gave him a quarter to a third of it. I had the other part not wanting him to eat so much...then, at one point, he gave the part he was eating back to me, "here go mommy!" and promptly took the larger portion for himself. It was yum yum good!

Here is precious Devante. He is a foster child that Jamie and Anita have had in their home and he just went to a different home today--which will hopefully be an adoptive home. Please pray that he will be adopted by this family or another soon--the perfect family for him and them, and that they would be believers.
(I'm wondering if the Lord used Devante in Jared and my life to really open us greatly to one day adopting children like Devante who are in the system, ready to be adopted, they just need someone who is willing to make them their own...)

Brandon and Abby--this is just about the sweetest I have ever seen them. They had a cookie to share (unlike JJ who had his own because Susie is not big enough yet for any cookies!) and decorated and ate! it without any arguments and even with Brandon offering Abby the first bite and keep on offering bites...IT WAS JUST TOO SWEET!

Florida Snow

Yes, you read this right...Last Friday evening, we went to the town of "Celebration" (only in Florida!) with our dear friends, the Farr's, and their kids where, during this time of year, every hour on the hour it SNOWS! It was a really fun atmosphere and actually refreshingly cool high 50's and we are so thankful for this great evening with friends.

This is where the snow comes from...little boxes that look like "birdhouses"...

JJ was actually scared ('cared') of the snow! I thought, "what happens if he sees real snow in PA??!!" Maybe it was the artificialness of it?

Ok, I would just like to say that I married a CUTIE! especially with his baby girl in tow:)

Jamie and Anita...fun-filled as always! We are so thankful for them!

Daddy and Susie: he was protecting her from the chill as she was still pretty congested with her RSV (more on that in another post)...but she was "cozy as can be" with her Dada:)

JJ starting to embrace the idea of this crazy snow coming from birdhouses!

Do you see the snow in Anita's hair?

It was a great time with great friends!

Which one is not like the other ones...

Ok, so here is our son at his first attempt at a Christmas musical performance. In defense of our son, he is by far the youngest up there and it was a HUGE step that he went up to the stage (after failing to do so, or at least, stay, for two practices and one performance). But you can see why the title is true!

Video recording disclaimer: My laughter makes the video pretty shaky, hope you don't get seasick!




Ok, here's where JJ continues with "his own thing" by going on all fours...

Big Brother...Little Sister

My twin sister passed down the "Big Brother" shirt that her son had outgrown and then recently, my friend Christina passed along the brown "little sister" shirt (I had a couple others, but not brown) so, as soon as I saw it, I decided we needed to take some pics! JJ did pretty good holding her but notice top left and then top center and right Jared's hands are re-positioning because she is lying back rather precariously. JJ is also sitting still because he is watching "ba ba" (still his term for basketball).
(btw--you can see the duvet sets I got as a "Merry Christmas" to update our bedding...It's been nice to change things up a bit)

Oh Christmas Tree...

Since we travel during the Holidays (at least for now:(, it can be tough to know how much to decorate. Last year, we put some ornaments on a little tree and I decorated our mantle. We also have an advent calendar that Jared got me one Christmas which has a Nativity scene on it--it's beautiful. However, I was thinking about how, even though I want the result of being with family during Christmas, it is pretty tough to "gear myself up" for the energy it will require of packing everything for two small ones, travelling over 2000 miles round trip and then spending time at various places. So, I decided that setting a festive, Advent type tone in our home would help prepare me and center me on Jesus and the beauties of family time I have always enjoyed.

So, I did what I've never done on Black Friday and ventured out to some deals (I did not get anywhere at 4am...that will probably never happen) including one at Jo-Ann's for a pre-lit 7 foot Christmas tree. When I arrived there after first going to Kohl's it was a little after noon(might as well have been midnight according to Black Friday standards) and the doorbuster deal of $35 for a $130 tree seemed probably out of reach. I went to the display and started to pick up a tree, only to realize it wasn't pre-lit (they were all out of them), when a woman came to the display and brought back a pre-lit one and said, "here, this one's pre-lit and it's for you." I don't know where she came from or how long they had been out of the pre-lit ones, but I was so excited! Not only this, but upon checking out, the cashier gave me an extra 20% even I though didn't have the coupon and it was only supposed to go until noon!

So, I got some simple ornaments and some ribbon to make a tree topper and later that night we got our precious son dressed in festive footy pajamas (it was actually chilly for us--so no, he wasn't roasting;) and showed him how to hang the little maroon and gold jingle bells I had gotten. It was priceless to see his concentration and determination as he placed several on the tree--many in the same place:)

So thankful that the Lord would give us the "gift" of starting some of our own Christmas traditions which may become our Christmas in the future if it's just too tough to travel...we plan to have our own little Christmas before we travel home on December 18th.

Priceless, Blessed Baby...

Can you believe these 2?

This little guy is just growing so much! Can you see in the pictures with his legs how much they've stretched out?? People who see him regularly here have just said how it's like he's grown a few inches overnight! Yes, sniff, sniff I have to agree...but I can still pinch those cheeks and they giggle when he walks/runs...if I lose those, I WILL BREAK DOWN AND SOB:(


And here's our growing-so-much sweetie, all smiles and moving and kicking like crazy...wow!

Cute as a button...

...in her Sunday dress...

"mommy!!!! get me out of this!"

my cutie pie!

ok...BEYOND cute!

we were trying for a smile, but it doesn't quite look like one, does it?

Daddy's little girl

Someone at church was saying how they saw Jared holding Susie and it was pretty clear that he saw her as "24 karat gold". I must agree and it is quite obvious that there is no one like Daddy for Susie either...he can hold her any which way and she will be so content because she is with Daddy...

Visit with Chelle...

My friend and former college roommate, Chelle, was staying with family in Florida and came to visit us...it was wonderful to see her and as she is done having her own kids, she was happy to hold our Sweet Susie and Susie was happy to be held by her...
I only wish I could have spent more time with her...

Thanksgiving Day...Great Friends. Great Time.

For Thanksgiving we were invited to our good friends', Ben and Carrie, house. It was a fun day as we joined our other friends Luke and Erin and Laura and Sean (all from church) for a thanksgiving spread full of good eats and great times!

Ben and Carrie working on the stuffing and turkey (gravy too?). It was their first turkey and they did great!

Laura and Erin (holding Susie)...

They had a slide out back and it was fast--so fast!!!
as you can see from the pictures with the blurrs!

Ella-Bella is Luke and Erin's youngest daughter...what a cutie!

Carrie holding Susie...she's definitely a surrogate auntie:)

The kids table...JJ has his pick, eh?

Kate and Shelby decided to play dress-up while we were waiting to eat!

"Romeo, Oh Romeo, where for art thou Romeo?"

"Don't worry, I'm comin' for ya!"

Notice the fast slide again...JJ's quite the blurr!

Shelby (Ben and Carrie's daughter) prefers to do everything with a bouquet of flowers:)

"Happy Thanksgiving everyone..."

"Little Turkey" do you see?
it wasn't the most feminine outfit...

Our first official attempt at a family pic...what do you think?

JJ wanted no part of the flowery bathtub...but the girls were lovin' it...
JJ was graced with a couple of stickers though!

Erin wants you to know that no alcohol was consumed that day, but there was one-too-many diet cokes!