3 Years

Has it really been 3 years?  I can't believe Gorgeous is already 3 and then at times it seems like she has been 3 for awhile.  We celebrated Princess style, with Princess and pink balloons. :) 

The morning was just fun time, to play and goof around.

 We rolled out the pink carpet (pink bubble wrap) which the kids enjoyed jumping, dancing, stomping, etc. on to make the bubbles pop.

Then, off to the park for the party, with a pink princess cake, presents, and family to help celebrate.

Remembering

Scripture Study

I don't want to come across as conceited, and hope I don't.  But I LOVE to hear from others as to what they do in their family to teach the gospel.  So I am sharing what we do...

A new tip:
Thanks to my home school friends I got a helpful tool for scripture study for my kids.  Since my kids are young we are reading from the Scripture Stories from the church (currently the New Testament).  I wanted my kids to learn the stories now so that they have a knowledge reference to learn the more in depth meanings as they get older.  And I love how they give a simple version of the main stories.  But I have also wanted to have my kids learn the scripture language, and I've heard many times that it is important to read straight from the scriptures, to invite the spirit.

Well, I learned about this website The Storied Scriptures where they have taken the main stories from the scriptures and written down the references that go with the stories.  We have been using them for the last week and I love it!

What we do:
So in the morning we start our day with family prayer (and because we are learning the difference of what we are thankful for and need blessings on, we each take a turn and name one things we are thankful for and one thing to bless, then the one saying the prayer can use our list of ideas; added bonus the kids are now praying for each other, there is something special about hearing your name in a prayer either thankful for or a blessing).

Then we use the print out from The Storied Scriptures and read from the actual scriptures as we learn the stories.  This has helped Handsome in many ways (just a more basic thing; he has learned the difference between art and aren't, and deaf and death).  We only read a few verses.  All together we spend about 5-10 min. with prayer and scriptures.

At night we still sing our primary song, do our primary monthly theme, and monthly article of faith, then read the church version of the scripture stories, then we take turns picking a church song to sing, then family prayer, hugs and kisses, and off to bed with personal prayers.

So now that I have shared what we do... I would LOVE to hear what you do... and I also need good ideas on how to do family council with little ones.  Do you do it? what does it look like?  Any good tips/suggestions you have?  PLEASE share!

Haircut

Kent is always wanting me to cut his and Handsome's hair shorter than I do.  I refuse I like the length I cut it and will not go shorter.  Well... while in the middle of cutting Handsome's hair Adorable was crying and needed to eat, so I handed the trimmers over to Kent to finish.  The end result.....

I say it makes my little boy look like a cancer patient.  Kent wants me to cut his hair the same (NEVER!) and thinks it's wonderful.  Handsome loves it (I think because his daddy does) and has to show everyone we meet (including random strangers in the store or doctors office).  I make him wear a hat anytime we go outside, it doesn't help that it is cold and rainy again.

Even Adorable has longer hair than Handsome.  But don't those two brothers look cute together!

Now Handsome has a cold and with it his asthma.  So, back to the nebulizer treatments as well as steroids (and he was doing so well, darn!)  But with the hair cut and the mask, now he really does look like a cancer patient!

Similarities and Differences

So Adorable has had a cold, and of course any mother feels bad when her little baby does not feel well.  To keep him happy he is usually fine if I am near and talking to him or rubbing his tummy.  The other day I was doing this as he was on the verge of crying and it made me think of Handsome.  I knew I had a picture of Handsome making the exact same face at the same age.  I couldn't help myself, I had to take a picture and compare the two.  Can you tell whose who?

I guess it's a good thing that Adorable has birthmarks on his face, so I'll be able to tell the difference.  Have you noticed Adorable's birthmark?  Look closely.  Kent and I joke that he will be Harry Potter for Halloween because of his birthmark on his forehead between his eyes.

One dream came true!

Ok, so I mentioned that I had a dream that I forgot that Adorable was a boy and dressed him in girl clothes......

Thanks to that dream I found an answer to a problem.  I didn't have enough cloth diaper covers that fit Adorable.  Then I remembered my dream and remembered that I had 2 diaper covers that I didn't pull out because they were very girly.  Well, needless to say Adorable does get "dressed" in girl diaper covers.  (who will see anyways? besides all those who read my blog :)

So I guess that dream did come true!

(Sorry Adorable, I'm sure you will not appreciate this picture when you are 16.)

Dear Laundry,

Please fold and put yourself away.  I have some many other things I would rather be doing, and as you continue to grow and envelop my couch, I feel less and less motivated to start in on the process.  So, if you could just take care of yourself, I would really appreciate it.

SUN!

We have had a few days of sun lately, so where have we been? OUTSIDE enjoying every minute, or at least trying to.

The kids and I have had fun with friends,

Taken many walks to a park and played,

And because of the nice weather and the high gas prices today we walked, Handsome rode his bike, and we went to the bank and store.  It was so nice!  Wonderful weather please stay!!!

Dreams... sleep?

I defiantly believe that dreams can mean something.  Lately I've had a number of dreams with a common theme

* I've dreamed that I was driving the car with the kids in the back and I kept falling asleep while driving.
* I've dreamed that a good friend came to visit but, try as I may to stay up and chat with her, I kept falling asleep.
* I dreamed that I got up to get Adorable dressed for the day, but was extremely tired and forgot he was a boy and dressed him in girl clothes.
* And in one dream my husband was there twice, two husbands, and I was very concerned about this, but yet was too tired to figure it out, I just wanted to sleep.

Interpretation.... I think I need more sleep if I am dreaming about being tired and needing more sleep!

Doctor says...

Just got back from my wrist surgeon.   He said I am in the clear for my bone tumor!  It has been 5 years now and no sign of it coming back.  Bone growth? yes after Gorgeous was born, but no sign of a tumor. Yeah!  I will still have to get an x-ray after any future pregnancies, because the hormones from pregnancy could still cause a re-growth. (Thus, why I was just there, to make sure nothing happened during my pregnancy with Adorable)  But other than that, we are good.  Also, it looks like down the road I may need my wrist fused together because of arthritis (my wrist is bone on bone) but I'm fine for now, so no surgeries now please.

Handsome also had his appointment a few days ago with his asthma specialist.  He too is doing wonderfully, and so he is coming off of one medicine, and in a week we will take him off the other!  Then we will just have the emergency medicine, but crossing my fingers that he has out grown his asthma and we won't have to deal with them at all. :)

I am loving the results of our doctor appointments. :)