Puppet Show

The kids got puppets for Christmas so I used some material to make them a little curtain on a movable tension rod, so they can create & do a puppet show just about anywhere in the house. They seem to be enjoying it!

Christmas with the Redfords

This year Kevin's parents joined us at our house the day after Christmas to celebrate. This is the first time I've ever done a holiday at my own home, so it was fun for me to think of creative ways to make it special. Isabelle loves to use our "Chinese" plates for all special occasions, so I knew I would break out the China dishes. That alone makes it pretty, but I found this great idea in my favorite magazine, Family Fun, for candy cane place card holders, so Isabelle & I had fun making those.

The kids added to their playmobil collection which I think between all the grandparents & us was a fantastic idea. They have spent hours creatively playing & enjoying each other with the awesome sets. What a great treat for us all, they are having fun together, and Kevin & I are having quiet time!

Isabelle was thrilled to see her new pink bible cover. We have had a hard time finding a small one for her Bible she uses for BSF. But, good 'ol Parsons, KS had one!! YIPEE!

JM was thrilled with this John Deere truck & trailer w/ skid steer. He says it's just like daddy's.

One of their favorites were these dress up costumes. JM has one Lightning McQueen costume, but needed more "boy" costumes. Kevin didn't like seeing him dress up in princess dresses. They thought these were pretty neat.

Then came the snow. We were glad we had gotten Christmas done with & a little shopping b/c Kevin had to go back to work. The blessings of these snows have been great, but it has been physically exhausting & it was a bit of a bummer since his parents were here to visit. We got about 3 inches this time & the kids quickly got dressed & headed out for fun with their Grandpa. He had the idea to build a fort, so to work they went. They had fun!

A Playdate with a New Playmate

Alek & JM enjoyed filling up connect four & then watching the chips all fall out. Only boys!

We had a very special playdate the day after Christmas. Alek Platter, home from Russia for 1 week came over to play with Isabelle & JM. Isabelle kept saying "I can't wait to see what he looks like in real life." Isabelle has fervently prayed for the Platters over the last 2 years & Lynn has shared pictures & stories with her so it was very exciting that we were getting to play together. JM got him a Jesus Monster Truck for Christmas - and that helped him quickly warm up to JM. Alek loved playing with the kids toys - I think he was in overload to tell you the truth. We are looking forward to many more playdates!

Alek really wanted to try this "bouncy ball" thing, so Kevin tried to help him - he was amused.

Future Bow Hunters

Kevin & I got the kids a new beginners bow. . .they are so excited to practice with it to get ready for when they are old enough to really hunt with their dad & me. Please don't panic - the tips on the arrows are rounded and can't stick into anything except the wet, mushy ground. That's why this is a good bow to practice with and to begin to learn hunters saftey! At lunch Kevin remarked, "Maybe when the kids are older we can take a week long hunting trip as a family". His wheels are really turning!

Christmas Morning

We had a very special 2007 Christmas. Last night, we went to church and came home for the kids favorite dinner - TACOS ( I know, Kevin has reminded me that that isn't a traditional christmas dinner, none the less everyone gobbled it up!) After dinner, Isabelle & JM exchanged the gift they got for each other - it was very sweet. Isabelle got This morning, we all slept until 7:30, and the presents were opened by 8:30am. It was very quick - and they haven't stopped playing yet. Kevin got me a new bow for Christmas so I can go hunting with him - so be on the look out for my first trophy (probably not 'til next fall! :) ) He is pretty excited to get me out on the deer stand. We shall see!

JM is opening the gift Isabelle gave him - 3 new race cars!

The kids constantly want to use my water bottle, so now they have their own!

This was a big hit w/ Isabelle - it is a wooden mailbox, with real mail, stamps, a key, etc. She LOVES to play pretend & this works perfect in her "house"/"store"/"restaurant" in the basement.

Playmobil was the HOT item for both the kids this year. They have thoroughly enjoyed spending hours playing with the different things they've received from us & both grandparents.

P.S. I am making a more traditional sit down dinner tonight & when Kevin's parents come. He really made a stink when we had plain cereal for breakfast & grilled cheese/tomato soup for lunch. I think he was expecting big meals today! Sorry, honey!

Christmas at the Stones

We had a great time opening gifts together at my parents . . . we even had a special visit from Santa. It was a special Christmas also, because it was our first with my niece Olivia - 5 1/2 months old. We stayed up really late opening & playing with gifts, b/c it snowed over the weekend, and Kevin & my dad had to work on Saturday into Sunday. So the kids got LOTS of time to play whil we waited on daddy to finish work, then we headed home for naps all day Sunday. It was a quiet afternoon!

The excitement over Santa couldn't be contained by any of the children!

Olivia really got into ripping the paper. You would have thought she knew what she was doing.

Gingerbread Houses

Our friends the Willis' invited me & the kids over to make gingerbread houses . . . it was a hoot.

look carefully to see JM is putting candy in his mouth, again!

The girls were very detailed, while the boys went for simplicity and well how much icing & candy they could eat. I think JM ate 2 pieces of candy for every one they put on the house. JM was working with Sam Willis - he's 12 and JM adores him. Isabelle worked very hard with Ellie - she is 8, her and Isabelle get along very well. We spent one morning a week with them this summer - the kids played & Jennifer & I prayed together. It was so sweet. The kids developed a cute bond. The Willis kids are so great to put up with kids younger than them, and in Sam's case, MUCH younger.

Their finished projects (notice JM can't keep his hand out of the candy). The boys even look ornery, while the girls have such pride & joy in their work. They were cute!

Thanks for inviting us over guys - we had a blast! Can't wait 'til next year!

The Ramsey Family

We were blessed to have lunch with the Ramsey family from NYC. Kelly & Bonnie went to high school together and have remained very close. They arrived in K.C. to spend Christmas with their family, but took a little time out for lunch with us! We love to spend time with them, just wish we had LOTS more! (Bonnie is holding their oldest, Alister, & Matt is holding Magnolia (7 months old) LOVE YOU GUYS!

Isabelle's Christmas Party

Isabelle's Christmas Party at school was last Friday. . . she had a great time with snacks, games, crafts, & more. It was fun to see her class & meet some of her friends. We found out that the teachers aid in her room is from St. Paul, KS and knows the Redfords. Small world!

This is Isabelle's table. They rotate tables every month so she gets to sit with new kids.

Here was pin the tail on rudolph.

Isabelle made a beautiful snowflake with patterned beads.

Her final station was the cookie decorating - - yummy!

Isabelle's Christmas Cookies

Isabelle came home after school today and decorated Christmas cut out cookies. She labored over each cookie - it was a great little project for her, she was very proud of her creations & did not want them sitting around for long. They were yummy!

John Michael's Christmas Party

Today was JM's last day of school before Christmas break. . . he had his class Christmas party with a surprise visit from Santa. It was very exciting. Santa asked what he wanted and he said a race car - Santa asked "like Nascar" to which he replied "yes". They talked a bit about getting a REAL Nascar race car & then Santa asked if he wanted anything else - JM replied in a very serious manner, "actually I'll take 2 big race cars." Nana, Papa, Grandma, Grandpa - anyone have ties to Nascar????? Just kidding . . . I think he's getting something from us that will satisify this desire, at least I hope. I don't know if I want him racing cars some day. Look for pictures on the blog of Christmas goodies to see what it is!!

Here JM waits anxiously to sit on Santa's lap. He had such awe & yet was very reserved, which is amazing for him.

In these 2 pics, they plated a game called "feed the snowman". First they had to carry a cotton ball to the snowman's mouth on a spoon without dropping it & then they had to balance it on their heads. JM got a big kick out of this fun game!! Great for your house on a cold day!

His craft project was a magnetic foam tree with star decorations on it.

This also marked his official last day of preschool at this school. He and I are going to hang out next semester and use the homeschool materials I had for Isabelle for preschool. He is pretty excited to spend time with me & get to do big boy homework like Isabelle. We are both looking forward to our extra time together.

Welcome Home Platter Family!

Scott, Lynn, and Alek Platter

It is a blessing to walk in community with others and celebrate together the goodness of God. Our prayer group gathered last night at the airport to welcome home our dear friends, Scott & Lynn Platter and their son Alek. They meet Alek in a Russian Orphanage when he was 9 months old, it was Christmas day 2005. Their LONG journey of waiting ended as they stepped off the plane in K.C. last night to return to their home. They have been gone awaiting court dates in Russia since Oct 16 - so I'm sure their home felt like "home sweet home" last night. Lynn & Scott have been such an example to many as they waited and trusted God's timing. I know He has done great things in them and will continue to do great things in them as the parenting journey begins. I hear Alek had a great first night & is adjusting. Please pray for them and especially little Alek - that he would know Jesus at a very young age. Thank you Lynn & Scott for sharing your hearts & your lives with so many. May God bless you this Christmas in amazing ways.

Aren't we a cute bunch!

They were the first off the plane and I can't tell you the excitement & joy we felt.

Alek was a trooper, but with only 2-3 hours sleep after 18 hours of travel, he was exhausted. He stayed very close to daddy and got lots of snuggles.

Welcome Home Platters, we rejoice with you! One journey is over another is beginning.

Snow Days

Saturday December 15th was a SNOWY day for us in K.C. Kevin worked 18 hours while the kids and I enjoyed a quiet day at home. It was especially quiet for me because the kids wanted to be outside "ALL day" - which translated to about 3 hours total. They had a blast. They came inside and we made Christmas trees - which you'll see in process. We enjoyed our snow day, but we are so thankful to have daddy back home & to see the sun again!



Here they were pretending to be at "work", doing something with the ice they chunked off the swingset. They were irritated that I asked them to stop so I could take a picture.


Many of you know, JM rarely has a "normal" smile. He likes to be silly. He keeps Isabelle & me laughing all day!

More bags

This weekend we were inside due to ice/snow stuff . . . so I pulled out the sewing machine to finish some projects.

This bag I made for my friend, Jennifer, who loves Peyton Manning. My aunt Paulette sent my the Colts fabric from Indy. . . "Thanks Aunt Sissy".

This bag I made from some scraps from my friend Suzie . . . It turned out really cute - I ended up with 2 small purses, one for Isabelle & one for her friend's b-day! I hope she likes it! Isabelle is enjoying using hers!