Alina and her brothers

I had the idea to take a picture of Alina holding the latest ultrasound pictures of her twin brothers. I think they came out super cute. After the picture was over, she, of course, wanted a picture holding her cousin Zoey's picture. Notice how she's holding Zoey's picture :)

Elf Yourself: Hip Hop

Tommy, Andy and I were cracking up at these videos!! So funny - ENJOY!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Elf Yourself: Disco Dance

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Countdown

I am so excited about this Christmas!! Alina is old enough to do all the fun traditions! I loved advent calendars growing up and was so excited to make one this year!! I decided to make an "activity" advent calendar. I made the calendar out of scrapbook Christmas gift tags and hung them on a string with an ornament hook. Everyday in the month of December (until Christmas), I have a fun holiday activity planned for Alina.

So here it is:

1. Decorate for Christmas
2. Read the nativity story
3. Color nativity picture
4. Pray for needy children
5. Horse and Carriage Sleigh Ride
6. Act out the story of Jesus with a nativity scene
7. Dance to holiday music
8. Make a gumdrop tree
9. Read a Christmas book
10. Sing happy birthday to Jesus
11. Decorate a gingerbread house
12. Make a Christmas craft
13. Collect change and give to salvation army bell ringers
14. Go shopping for gifts for others
15. Snuggle and watch a Christmas movie with popcorn
16. Have a fun holiday photo shoot
17. Paint a Christmas tree
18. Look at last years Christmas pictures
19. Take a drive or walk looking at Christmas lights
20. Make homemade Christmas cards for family
21. Drink hot chocolate with marshmallows
22. Pick out a gift for Jesus
23. Try on new pajamas.
24. Open stockings.
25. Merry Christmas! Celebrate!

Great 2B 2

Alina is turning two!! I cant believe it! We celebrated Alina's second birthday a month early this year. It was a last minute decision - but I'm glad we did - it worked out great. We had family come over for our little pink farm animal celebration.

I cooked a spaghetti dinner for everyone and had fun....even being 21 weeks pregnant.

Alina loved all her presents - from a new step 2 art desk to tons of new toys and Play-Doh & art supplies. She has yet to put down her new Dora purse, Dora doll, and wants to read the Dora book every 5 minutes.

Alina's dada accidentally bought trick candles for our poor lil 2 year old daughter. She didn't seem to mind though lol

All in all a great party for my favorite little girl in the world!
She sure has grown up since here!

I'm Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I'm thankful for:

1. My Lord Jesus Christ who saved my life.
2. My most wonderful husband who I would marry over and over again!
3. My precious daughter Alina who can make my heart smile.
4. My healthy twin babies growing inside of me that are going to be mighty men of God someday.
5. Seeing my brother Andy seek the Lord and grow everyday.
6. My parents who raised me with all the love in the world and pointed me towards God daily.
7. My sisters who are truly the best friends a girl could ever have.
8. That I know I am pleasing God with my life and that my family and I are living wholeheartedly for Him.
9. That Jesus is my provider, healer, savior, comforter, and teacher.
10. another day to give glory and honor and all the thankfulness in the world to Jesus!!

Naptime for Jesus

As I was blow drying my hair this Sunday morning and getting ready for church, I looked over into Alina's room and I hear her say "goodnight Jesus." I see her tucking in a little Jesus figurine into her doll house bed. I started laughing.

Then, I actually started thinking about it: Jesus sleeping. The story that first comes to mind is Jesus sleeping in the midst of the storm (Mark 4:35-41). Despite the circumstance, Jesus had no worries and no cares. He rested in the Lord. He knew that He had all the power and authority.

We too need rest: not the physical kind (even though many of us need that too), but the spiritual kind of rest.

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your cares on Him because he cares for you." God says to take your burdens to the HIM and leave it there. However, when we are interceding for healing or for an unsaved loved one, how hard is it to rest in the Lord. We fight with prayer and intercession but then do we continue to worry about the circumstance or do we let God be God and rest in His promises?

Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

10 little babies

Is Alina ready for new twin babies in the house? I'll let you decide.

With a Thankful Heart

Thanksgiving is in the air and Alina and I are having lots of fun!

Alina and I did the "I'm Thankful for" craft. We painted and colored our pumpkin. Then, I asked Alina who she is thankful for and (with some help) she named off all the people she has grown to love. I wont tell you which names she was extra happy about and screamed their names ;)

We read the pumpkin patch parable book and played with our little pumpkins. We counted our mini pumpkins, put them in size order, sorted them by colors, and found the pumpkins in the book that looked the same.

Baking pumpkin muffins (out of a kit) and eating them.....YUMMY :)

Everytime Alina and I go for a walk outside, she has to collect as many leaves as she can. She loves finding the pretty leaves and handing them to mama to hold. She caught me one time when I put some leaves back on the ground. She said "uh oh mama"....(picked up the leaves)...."here you go mama" ha ha.

We decided one day to take the leaves inside and do a Turkey craft. We didn't quite get it done. The poor turkey has no body parts, but I guess that's more realistic for a Thanksgiving Day turkey... :)

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. -Psalms 100:4

Before & After

We made some much needed home improvements this week: 2 new front windows and a new door!!! The old front windows had snow leaking through last winter so we knew we had to save up some $$ to make the improvements before this upcoming winter. Thanks to the Dave Ramsey Financial plan and to our church's financial class - we were able to save up the money and pay in cash for the new improvements! Praise God!! Goodbye diamond cross door.....forever!

11-11 @ 11

ULTRASOUND DAY!!!!

Im 19 weeks pregnant!! We had our second ultrasound today for our growing lil twin babies. Twin #1 was calm and collected just like the first ultrasound. HE was laying peacefully at the bottom of my belly. HE was 11 ounces. Twin #2 was energetic and bouncing all around - again same as the first time. I'm starting to notice distinct personalities beginning!! HE was 10 ounces. Twin #2 was at the top of my belly bouncing on Twin #1 :) They are both healthy and I loved seeing both of their hearts beating strong!! If you haven't caught the SUBTLE hints.....We're having TWIN BOYS!

Varsity Letter

Tommy, Andy, and I headed to Sterling High School's soccer banquet today. Andy received his varsity letter in soccer :) So proud of him. My husband was also honored at the banquet for his great coaching contribution and fresh training skills he brought to the team.

Special thanks to Casey who babysat Alina for me last minute!!!!!

How to Work in any Environment

Since its Sunday night.......that means the work week is right ahead for most of us. I came across this recently and found it to be a huge blessing.

HOW TO WORK IN ANY ENVIRONMENT

By: T.D. Jakes

1. Don't expect to be appreciated. Your only expectation should be to get a paycheck.
Don't allow what you do to affect who you are.

2. Do your job well, but remember your mission. God put you there to be a Light.

3. Seek opportunities to change the atmosphere without commenting on the problems.
You have a God to talk to. You are on an assignment.
Quietness and competence shall be your strength.

4. Don't let your environment get inside of you. You should influence it, not let it influence you.
Stop going to work to be fed. You didn't come to receive, you came to give.

5. Increase your capacity to work with different personalities.
God will often bless you through people you don't even like!

6. Remember, where you are does not define where you are going. This will deliver you from frustration.
God has a plan for your life. Keep your eye on the prize.
When Peter did this, he was able to walk in what other people sank in!

7. Get the optimum results with minimal confusion.
Be effective without making the environment worse.

8. Don't be associated with one group or clique. Labels limit your usefulness.
God wants you to work with everybody but be labeled by nobody.
Use all your gifts.

9. Always keep your song near you. Keep a consecrated place in your soul.
Hold on to your praise.

10. Understand that God anoints you for trouble.
Put on the whole armor of God before going to work.

The future Mr & Mrs...

...Lance and Jeni CUPP!!

Yesterday, the bridal shower for Lance and Jeni went perfect! I am excited for Lance and Jeni because I DO KNOW this is true: that they both love God with all their hearts and put HIM FIRST and that they love each other. Everything else has a way of working itself out when you have those two requirements ;)

I love these girls!

Much love to my most wonderful husband (and future groomsman) who entertained our daughter during the bridal shower :)

Visiting Ga-Ma Neva

Alina and I visited Grandma Neva today because it was her 86th birthday!! Alina loves her "GaMa Neva" and played with her the entire time. Alina's favorite finds at GaMa Neva's house: easter eggs filled with M&Ms, small snow globes that were "snowing mama," some good reading books and tiny chair and pillow that fit Alina perfectly.

When I told Alina we had to leave to go to church, she asked "I stay wit GaMa Neva?"
Super Cute :)

Stamp Fun

I bought Alina a Melissa & Doug stamp kit for Christmas last week. This is why I don't buy Christmas gifts early!!!

Rockin' at the Palace

We came across 4 tickets to see Disney's Live Rockin' Road Show, so Jeni and I took Alina and Isaac to the Palace today for an evening of Disney fun. Isaac and Alina both did not get a nap so we were a little nervous - but they did great and really enjoyed the show.

Before the show, we did have to stop to recognize the great Joe Duuuuuuuuuuuumars!

Jeni trying to resist Isaac pouting for the crazy expensive cheaply made spinning mickey mouse toy that he wanted so bad.

Alina slept for the first 5 minutes of the show cuddled on my shoulder but then she woke up and was bouncing around with Tigger and dancing with Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

Isaac liked the show except for one little part: "that girl part" (Cinderella) lol. He wanted to know why in the world would Mickey Mouse be friends with Cinderella. He is def ALL BOY!

Here's a little video of Alina before we left for the show.

Fall Frenzy

Fall frenzy highlights: friends, pumpkin painting, church opening their doors to the neighborhood, hay ride, cute costumes, lots of candy, miniature golf, cake walk and inside mini toddler roller coaster :)

I didn't bring my camera so thanks to Lori & Jeni for taking pictures for me :)

Prior to fall frenzy, we had Zoey over our house for a few hours. Alina loves her little Zoey. They were super cute when I first put on both of their bug costumes. They were laughing and dancing around the house - adorable!

Crunching, crinkling autumn leaves

"I love the leaves
I do not know why.
Is it their colors
or how they fly?
They crunch and crinkle
Under my feet;
I pile them up
And take a leap!"

Author: Beth Paulsen

My "in loves"

My inlaws were in town this week....Im so sad I didnt take many pictures while they were here. I did get a few of Alina ha ha. Here is us out to eat at Olive Garden. Alina was not the only one there lol but she was the only one eating her spaghetti with her hands and getting sauce everywhere :)

Ending the day painting pictures :)

I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to my mother in law who scrubbed my house clean, cooked delicious spanish food every day for us, and spoiled us all with lots of love and gifts :) We love her lots and we miss her already. We also are missing Uncle Steve. In fact, Alina has asked several times throughout the day "Where's Steve?" She LOVES her uncle Steve!!