Random Afternoon...

So Joel decided to cut some holes in a paper bag one day...

This last picture just melts me...he looks like such a little boy! Not a baby anymore!

Let's Read the Mail...

This is what we decided to do with some free stickers we got in the mail the other day...

We all had fun!

Catch Up

I'm finally ready to catch up on posting pictures.  Caleb is in bed, Joel is working out, and I'm content on the couch!  Caleb turned 13 months last week!  Time sure flies!  He's been entertaining us lately by clapping, talking, and "helping" with many little chores.  He insists on throwing out the diaper for us after each change, helps us carry things around the house, wipes things down with a paper towel, and shares his food with us.  He also finally started saying mama!  Of course, it melts my heart each time he says it with his sweet little voice.  He says "hi" lots, including to any pictures (in frames, on the fridge, on a magazine or a cereal box, etc).  Today he was also trying to say "uh-oh."  He has the greatest giggle and often makes me laugh when I need it the most.  His fourth molar has been giving him some grief this week.  The evenings have been pretty rocky, but I'm hoping that the tooth will finish poking through so that Caleb's easy-going nature can come back.  So with that update, here are a few pictures from the past few weeks.

He's enjoying climbing these days!

Hanging with mom!

Playing tractor!

Just lounging with Dad!

Prayer Request

So I've been meaning to blog for over a week now, but there just never seems to be time while I'm at home.  I have many adorable pictures to share, so hopefully I'll be able to find time this weekend.  It seems that the last week or two Joel and I have been so busy and exhausted that as soon as Caleb is in bed we have any necessary communication about life and then collapse in bed.  

Anyway, the reason I'm writing now is to ask you to pray.  But this will require quite the background story, so bear with me.  One of my biggest passions in ministry is speaking to teen girls about purity.  Two years ago when I first started working with the youth group at my church here I initiated a girls purity event.  It turned out to be a weekend event (called Simply Pure) with the whole community involved (about 5-6 churches) which culminated at a 2 1/2 hour service at our church.  We learned a lot from planning that event and decided to make it an annual tradition.  Last year we did something a little smaller scale with just our church, but this year we're planning a big event again.  

So we got started planning early in November, set a date in early April, and hired a speaker for that night.  Well, last night I found out that our school's prom was rescheduled for the same weekend that we had booked with our speaker!  Ahhh!  This wouldn't be such a big deal if there were other possibilities for when we could schedule Simply Pure.  We quickly looked at the schedule for March and April and realized that between girls basketball, prom, Easter, and softball, every weekend is full!  Right now we are trying to go ahead with a weekend in late March during girls state basketball tournaments.  Our girls won't be going to state, but sometimes they go to watch.  We're praying that this year they will be drawn to Simply Pure more than the state tournaments in the cities.  Our speaker is checking with a couple of people to see if she can reschedule for that weekend also.  We already paid a non-refundable down payment to reserve her, so we really want this to work out.  Please pray that our speaker will be able to come on Mar. 20 or 21.  Please cover this whole event in prayer - from the planning to which girls will decide to come.  Pray for Molly (our speaker) to bring the truth from God's Word.  Pray for me to trust that if God wants this event to happen, He will make the details come together.  I'm relying too much on my own strength.  He is sovereign over it all.  

Brrr!!!

So today we have school two hours late because it is so cold.  Our thermometer only measures to -25 degrees, and it's been staying there all morning!  I am so thankful for our warm house!  I know many schools in the state are cancelled completely today, but I don't mind going to school because then we don't have to make up another day.  I really think that schools in Minnesota (and other midwest states) should always build in at least one snow day in the school calendar.  Ours doesn't have any built in this year, and we've already had one snow day.  I'd rather be in school in January than June!  

I am finally feeling back in the swing of things since getting back after Christmas break.  The first week back felt like a whirlwind, and then our weekend was so busy that I never had a chance to catch up.  I ended up staying home from school this Monday with the flu.  This week has been much slower-paced, and it feels so nice.  We've had no evenings filled all week, since youth group was cancelled last night.  Instead, Joel and I curled up on the couch to watch American Idol after Caleb was in bed.  

Caleb started a new daycare last week, and it is going so well!  It helps that he is such a social butterfly!  He has the best time when other kids are around and there are plenty of distractions.  Trina's daycare is full of little boys around Caleb's age, so they have a good time together.  Caleb already learned one new trick that I'm sure came from some of the other boys - pushing trucks around on the floor as he makes the classic truck sound.  It's pretty cute!  Trina is amazingly organized and keeps up a strong routine, which I appreciate so much.  I think she's amazing; I could never keep a house running that efficiently with so many kids around!  The atmosphere is so calm - I never walk in and hear any yelling or screaming or see kids running around wildly.  They're always engaged in something, seeming very content and happy.  I am so thankful that Trina had an opening for Caleb, especially since we're only sending him part-time.  

Enjoy your day - hopefully indoors!  Cuddle up with some hot chocolate and praise God for the warm building sheltering you from this bitter cold!

Christmas with the Thompsons

My mom graciously shared these pictures with me from the time we spent with them Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.  We spent the early part of the day Christmas Eve relaxing and enjoying the time together.  Caleb loves being at my parents' house because he gets to play with their little dog, Belle (a pug).  April also brought along Stanley (her gigantic mane-coon cat), so Caleb spent some of his time chasing him also!  We opened our gifts early in the day between Caleb's naps and before our early dinner.  It's always a fun time to give to each other - I wish we could give gifts more often!

Then we headed out to the Christmas Eve service at my parents' church.  I love going to that service because it's such a quaint little white country church and it is extra beautiful during the candlelight service.  Caleb wasn't feeling the greatest because his molars were just beginning their revenge that night, but it actually worked out very well because he sat quietly through the whole hour-long service!  That is completely unheard-of for him!  Like I said, he wasn't feeling well.  Last year they threw a double baby shower for Caleb and a little girl who is five days older than him, so it's always fun to get the two of them together.  

Here are the two little ones with their mommies.  

All the kids had a blast playing together after the service.

Santa also showed up after the service, so Caleb got to check him out.  He played it so calm and cool!  After this picture was taken we added the little girl to Santa's other knee and snapped a couple more quick shots, but she was screaming!

Heading to bed on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning we got to open our stockings - such a fun tradition!

I love the expression on his face in this picture!!!

This is April's sled from when she was little, so my parents thought Caleb would be the perfect age to enjoy it this winter, and enjoy it he did!  Even in the living room!  We did take him out in the yard with it over break and he loved it.  Hopefully he'll forgive us for dragging him along in a pink sled!

Happy New Year!

Joel and I decided to have a New Year's Eve party at our house this year. We kept it pretty low-key, but it was very fun to have a large group of our friends together. We haven't been able to spend much time together as a group lately, so we had a great time. I was all excited and prepared for a few of the kids to enjoy playing with Caleb's new toys, but then they came in sleeping already at 7pm! Oh well, the adults had fun! We chatted, ate, and played Loaded Questions - and laughed a lot! Here is the only picture we have of the night: Our friend Becky and her son Malachi welcoming in the new year.