Year in Review - April

walking around Downtown Arvada

me and my girl  

bath toys - sometimes you just have to document how messy day to day life with littles can be

oh my, guess who so helpfully served sister her breakfast???  She didn't get to keep all of those craisins.

  I can't believe this crazy boy was still in this carseat this time last year!  It's his sister's seat now.  

One good use for the cast - keeping the balloon anchored down so she could play with it!   Gotta look on the bright side!  

Everybody's got to take a turn doing it!  I have a picture of David doing the same thing!  

Even in her cast, she can still get into mischief!  AND I LOVE it!!!

Have you read Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts?  I have heard a lot of people say they either love it or hate it.  I will admit that it was tough to read in parts but I did love it and the perspective it gave me and how God used it to tune me into gratefulness.  So I began recording 1,000 gifts - I don't remember when I started, perhaps the summer before this?  And in March I reached number 1,000!  One thousand big and little things that God has poured into my life AND that I have given Him credit for!  

David's first time to write Nana all by himself!  Not prompted by us or spelled out by us, we just walked in and he had done it.  So exciting.

These two!  She has a special laugh reserved just for him.  This was on her actual birthday when he greeted  her in the morning.  Now at 21 months and 4 1/2 years they fight but they also love and laugh like crazy!

The kite festival!!!  This is a semi-annual tradition for us to go to and I do love it so.  Free, wonderful, springtime!  Ahhhhh . . . 

David likes it too!

And I think even Little Miss thought it was pretty cool (both literally and figuratively that day!)  Spring in Colorado . . . 

Spring in Colorado may actually be one of my hardest adjustments from Texas.  In Texas, you are wearing flip flops and shorts in March for sure.  Easter dresses are no problem and winter is short.  Here in Colorado, the weather is such a tease.  AND it is SUPER, SUPER windy so even if it thinks about being fairly warm or sunny the wind makes things quite chilly.  

But . . . in March it was also warm enough at least on some days to begin eating in the sunroom again.  This is a summertime ritual for us that I think we all truly love!  Windows open, sunshine pouring in, a less formal table to eat at, iced tea with mint, lots of grilling, burgers, chicken, kabobs, etc.  It is a true joy!

This boy LOVED these "Dusty" airplane wings that he got at a friend's birthday party - a friend with a very creative mom!  He wore them safety pinned to pjs and clothes alike for days!

April 15th we got to say good-bye to the cast!!! Oh my we were so, so very ready and so, so, so very thankful!!!!

Free to play with her toes!!! 

Messy mouth

David got a new job - putting away the cutlery - now lest you think our household is all organized and that this has kept up and he cheerfully puts away the cutlery - and that his parents have followed through on asking him to - each time the dishwasher is emptied, think again!

But I am pleased with the responsibilities that he is taking on lately and the way he is helping more with things around the house without fussing or complaining when I ask.  Sometimes he even says, "I'd be happy to." in this cute little voice and it melts me.  It also usually helps if we are playing waiter/chef/bus boy when it comes time to help with meal things!  

Sweetie came to visit!  She brought a book that we cousins greatly enjoyed from our childhood to read to the boys.  

Mealtimes are LONG with these two!  They can eat forever!

Playing with one of my favorite baby toys in one of my favorite dresses that she has!  Thank you Betty and Ruby!!

Pure happiness!  Do you use washi tape?  I really, really enjoy my collection, added to by friends, my mom, Adrian and my prayer sister from church!  I had seen storage like this on pinterest and REALLY liked it.  I had trouble finding a crate and my mom gave me this one last Christmas!  I was so excited.  Remember when I bought that fun pink tape dispenser?  Still love it!    

So there you have April minus both kids birthdays and Easter (separate posts!) in a nutshell.  Oh and the end of April began our family flu fest.  Blah!  We all four got it and I think we had 21 straight days when one or more of us needed to be quarantined at home to keep from spreading our icky germs around!  We had to cancel a trip too.  BUT God was so faithful and really saw us through it and *especially* was at work in my attitude about the whole thing.  I relied on the verse John 3:27 "For a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from Heaven."   Not like I feel like God GAVE us the flu but just remembering that nothing comes our way that does not pass through the hands of God.  There are no surprises with him.  Our "messed up plans" were what He knew would happen all along and what was happening was okay.