Beating the winter blues

Winter Weather

It has been cold and blustery here lately. While we are trying hard to fight off the YUCKIES...our family has been hit pretty hard with crummy germs. Right before Christmas Carter and Ella had strep throat. (Carter and I spent a lovely Christmas Eve in Urgent Care since his came back a day after finishing his antibotic). Then we were relatively healthy over the break. Then all the kids and Scott had a bad case of the stomach flu. Thursday morning 5:15 Ella came in to tell us she wasn't feeling well and she was burning up. Soooo we ventured to the doctor and she has a bad case of strep. While there, I just decided to have Carter "swabbed" to make sure he was ok. His test came back negative. Here's praying everyone is on the mend and that we stay healthy. Yikes! The boys and I decided to "surprise" Ella one day afterschool. We picked her up and headed to Fredrick Meijer Gardens to explore and enjoy some warm, almost tropical indoor weather. Carter had his class pet, Wooliam, home for a couple days so he joined in our adventures. Of course we didn't want Wooliam to be lonely so Ella brought Coconut along too! Here we are in the "desert"

Christian was trying to wake the turtles from their nap. No such luck!

It was a beautiful snow so we went for a walk outside.

Coconut and Ella

Enjoying a brisk walk

Afterwards we met Scott at Arnie's for dinner.

Wooliam and Carter ate a cheesburger and fries and a raspberry cupcake for dessert!

A big thank you to Grandpa and Grandma Moorlag for the membership to FMG we love it already!

Missing our cousins

We are missing our cousins! Our house was bustling with energy at Christmastime and while we still manage to have energy to spare here, we would like all the cousins to come back, right away. All 8 of them had fun. Seeing them interact and play and make memories was so heartwarming. So here are a few pictures to bridge the miles and spark a few of our great memories. Grandma and the babes.

Ella reads Josie a bedtime story.

Grandma's glamourous girls!

A lively round of Ring Around the Rosie

Our family enjoying a little baby fix: We LOVE those babies.

Ella lovin up the baby time.

The girlies

"Christian~ Wake up! I want to play with you!"

Hurry back! We'll have cookies and hot cocoa waiting for you!

The best 25 minutes of the day

Somedays just drag on...like the Mondays following a Sunday full of throw up. Yep, both boys were sporadically tossing cookies yesterday. It was odd and disgusting. One of those hard days of mothering. Because seriously who enjoys being thrown up on at least three times and then kissing the perfect faces to tell them it is going to be alright?? Scrubbing walls, carpets and all possible surfaces of the house that could have been contaminated was my least favorite part. The boys were generally unphased by the whole ordeal. They'd throw up, be fine, go back to playing and then throw up again. No fevers really no crying. Thank goodness it just lasted the day. Scott stayed home this morning and they were restless to get out and see others and play in the snow. But we said no. Stay in. Be low-key....and for those of you who know my family well, you know that's not my boys. I engaged them in painting and building while trying to conquer the immeasurable amount of laundry I had created in my attempt to cleanse the house of germs and smell. We may still be a tad woozy from the bleach fumes. But a mom must CLEAN!

But the best 25 minutes of my day was putting Christian to bed. He still loves his snuggle time. We curled up under a crazy amount of blankets to read Curious George and the Snowy Day. He was precious. We read it.three times. {Heaven forbid I change just one word} Then we laid in his bed and these are the moments I hope I never forget. He kisses both of my cheeks and tells me lovingly that I am his best friend. He rubbed my back and said the prayer (which by the way melts a mothers heart instantly) and then we had a little chat about sweet dreams and crazy, silly things we wish for. I wish for cozy days with the kids and we eat cupcakes for breakfast. He wishes for random, tangible things like a new green closet, a new gaggie from grandma, building a silly snowman, and for me to sleep in his bed all night. As I try to leave his bed-which I don't particularly want to do, he says, " mom you lay here and I will draw you a picture--on your back" {I'm such a sucker}. Then he proceeds to draw the most adorable snowman with all the fixings. I seriously did not want to move. SO precious! So perfect! Can he stay this way forEVER? Ahh christian love, you break my heart into so many pieces. The things you say don't always sound age appropriate. Like tonight when he says to Scott as Scott is walking in the door late from the gym : "Wow Dad, I was praying for you to come home. I missed you today"

Sidebar- I have been so emotional this holiday season about this being my last year with a "baby" in the house. It is these dear moments that make me yearn for another. As a disclaimer, I do also have other moments--like the ones that make me want to pull my hair out and throw and adult size temper tantrum when he is sooooo naughty. So I look at that as a balancing out factor. But for now, I chose to tuck the sweet moments away in my memory that I hope never fades of just how precious and ridiculously CUTE this baby of mine is. Thank you God for today.

Magical Memories

If I flash back to my childhood I have so many cherished memories. I recall all the fun I had with my cousins mainly in the summer and at Christmastime. This year we spent the holidays at our home with Scott's side of the family. It sure was a lot of fun packed into a few days. The kids and adults alike were giggling, playful, and downright jolly! Here are just a few pictures from the start of our fun. There are just too many from Christmas day so......I'll have to put together a slideshow someday soon. As for now, I am relishing in all the fun we had.

Christian and Logan in the tubby! Who would know Christian is almost three and Logan is 16 months! Oh, he is such a honey. I'm not sure I've met a more calm little guy...surely doesn't follow in the footsteps of my boys.

The kids had a lot of one on one time with grandma, grandpa, an aunt, uncle, or cousin. We love games....but are a slightly competitive bunch. Who knew? I'm pretty sure they come by it naturally!

Enjoying another meal together.

Could Christian possibly LOVE his grandmas anymore? We call him 'grandma obsessed'.

Snack-time!
Of course craft time with Aunt Carrie! Elle loves to color and chat!

Gathering for another meal!

Stay tuned for lots more!

Enjoying the season

Ahh today marks the first day of our Christmas Vacation 2010! The kids had an exciting change last night. In preparation of the Moorlag clan traveling here to celebrate Christmas, we changed up the sleeping arrangments. Much to our pleasure, it all went uber-smoothly. We put up the bunk beds in Carter's room and a queen bed in Christian's room. Ella and Carter had fun "bunkin" together and they even each slept in...just a tiny little bit. Christian slept like a baby (and looked like one too) in that ginormous bed. We know the house will be packed (with 14) but we are all looking forward to fun family memories together. We are anxioulsy awaiting their arrival. Now we don't have this kind of snow. But we are ready for some festive fun. Here are some pictures from a few of the fun things we've been up to lately.

Cookie Decorating at Little Lambs Preschool....

Finger Licking good

Fun in the snow around home!

What a Week.....

Monday...

Was mom's and my birthday! We celebrated it like we usually do...together... HERE! Everyone is happy with the food and atmosphere, we don't do any cooking and it is generally relaxing...er well as relaxing as dining out can be with three children. :) It was fabulous, as usual. The kids showered us with kisses, signing, and tokens of their love namely, crafts they spent hours making. Ella picked out the perfect candle for me since she knows I love them everywhere! I think I will coin this my BOOT-iful Birthday seeing how my feet were totally spoiled. Scott and the kids picked out chocolate colored UGGS to keep my feet comfy and warm while my parents indulged my trendy side and bought me a pair of the boots that go with my new "skinny jeans" from my in-laws! It was so fun! And my feet shant be overlooked this winter season.

Since it has been a long time in the works I must brag that my most favorite gift of all was from Scott....he booked out January ADULT get away to the Riviera Maya..Oh. MY. GOODNESS!!! I am downright giddy for those 4 days and nights and mornings and in betweens! Thank you honey you are the best!

Tuesday

On Tuesday evening we attended quite a shin-dig here in town. See below for the details.. just a few pictures to start. They even fed us dinner!

Look at some of the amazing artwork that bedazzles the walls???Awesome!

Now the kids thought this was awesome a wall of moving jellyfish and if they hit them with their hands, they popped! very cool!

One of the waiting rooms had a bubble wall.... we LOVED it. I think I would like to come sit here in the white noise on my way home from work...just to feel zen

More love for the bubble wall

Demos of some of the radical technology we hope our family never needs

The Kid's ER waiting room...woW!

The cafetria and entrace into FAO Schwartz... I mean the gift shop

On Tuesday we were blessed to attend an open house and touring of the brand new Children's hospital downtown Grand Rapids. Scott had worked on this particular job at work for more than 2 years and it was amazing to see it all come together. We are so fortunate to have this amazing hospital so close to us. All the technology and capabilities they have just blew my mind and to think it is all right here in town. The kids were amazed. I did share with them that regardless of how awesome it is, I still would not like to NEED to be a patient there! They have a pediatric ER there that I am sure we may visit before someone turns 18~! Here are some of the inside pictures.