Daddy and Matthew playing in the snow!
Matthew kept falling down and had a hard time walking in the white stuff, so Daddy put him on top of the partially finished snowman to rest while he finished building it.
The finished product... sorry it's blurry, I dropped the camera in the snow! If you can't tell, Matthew is giving the snowman a hug in this picture!
A few weeks ago we tried out Paige's Winter Jumperland with Matthew and Jacob. As you can tell, Ella was really enjoying herself!
Yes, Jacob is in this picture... Matthew just plowed him over coming down the slide together!
Lots of fun and a great way to burn energy. Best part: It's free for kids under 3!!!!
New hat!
Ella got a new hat, too!Well, the time has come. I am headed back to work on Monday. Part of me is dreading it: leaving my babies, having to get up at 5 AM, dressing up, dealing with other people, more responsibility, being gone 20 hours. Part of me is excited: adult interaction, getting to show off pictures of my babies to some friends, having my Mom who is taking care of my kids while I am away, only working 1 full day and 2 half days each week. During my maternity leave, I have had many opportunities to consider why I work. Some of the reasons are completely selfish, like getting out of the house a couple days during the week. One of the main reasons I work is because I provide the insurance for myself, Matthew and Ella. Working in the medical field has allowed us to have 2 children and only pay our deductible for their deliveries/hospital stays. I know many people who do not have this luxury and I know we are blessed. Part of me wishes I could be a stay-at-home mom, the part that misses my kids like crazy everyday when I leave for work... this is also the part of me that has dissipated by the time Ryan gets home on the days when I don't work. I know being a mom is the hardest job I will ever have and I admire the women who do stay at home with their children. A larger part of me knows that being able to have some adult interaction and provide a small portion of my family's income for me is the right decision. I am probably typing this more to convince myself of this than anyone else. I do know that I am so blessed to be in the field I am, where I am allowed the flexibility to choose where/when I work. I know going back to work is going to be difficult... maybe even more this time than with Matthew because we do not plan to have anymore children and I will never again have this long of a stretch of time to spend at home with my kids. However, I also know that my kids are in the best possible care and even after a long day on the job I come home refreshed and excited to play with them and be the best possible Mommy I can be!
Hope you have a great week!
Well, I am sure to be banned from the "Parent of the Year" nominations for posting this picture of my darling little girl, but I couldn't resist. I just love this stage where their eyes go crossed just about every time they are opened, and I was able to capture it on the camera last weekend. I think she looks a bit like a caricature in this picture! As you can all see, she is definitely not starving! We are planning to grow into our cheeks in 2011! Have a great day!As I was reading Facebook posts this morning and thinking about the upcoming year, I was thinking that wishing people a HAPPY New Year really didn't make that much sense to me. As much as it would be nice to have a HAPPY New Year, I realize that there are going to be times throughout the next year that will inevitably be unhappy. There will be moments of sadness, there might even be full days or weeks of sadness. There will be times when I do not feel at all HAPPY, when I am upset, mad, nervous, scared, etc. Not to be a total downer as we look ahead to the New Year, but I have decided that I will not be wishing people a HAPPY New Year for 2010. Instead, I think Joyful is a much better choice of words. No matter what happens during the next year of my life, I know Who I belong to, and that God has a master plan for all that happens in my life. I have little control over the day to day happenings in the world, whether they are happy, sad, devastating, or exciting. In fact, there are moments when I have no control over myself, but regardless of what happens in my world, I will still have JOY in my heart. The best news of all is that even in moments of great sorrow and pain, I have seen and experienced JOY in my own life and hope that each of you have as well. So, as we move forward in 2010, I wish you the JOY that comes from knowing how great a God we serve! JOYFUL 2010!