Presidents' Day

It's Presidents' Day and the boys are both home from school.  I'm going to see if I can sneak in a little time blogging while they are downstairs playing the Wii, and in between loads of laundry!  :)  I've started my 5th load of laundry of tiny clothes, blankets, and bedding from the nursery.  I was going to wait until closer to the due date, but couldn't contain myself!  :)  It's really only 4 1/2 weeks away from the due date!!!  I've been feeling it lately as well...achy muscles, waking up multiple times each night, heartburn, etc.  But I know that the last month will go very fast so I'm going to try to chose to enjoy the journey and continue to be amazed at this new little life kicking wildly inside of me.  :)

 

The boys love to soak in their daddy time on Saturdays and Sundays!  They have been enjoying playing Carcassone, a new game that Nathan got for Christmas.  And I love how Dorian has Molly as well since it's usually the case that he can't leave her alone.

Nathan knows that I have been concerned lately that the boys aren't getting enough reading time in at home.  Dorian says that he already knows how to read so he doesn't need to read to me.  And so often lately, if I ask the boys if I can read a book to them they will turn me down.  I don't want to be too pushy, but I do want to be encouraging.  So one evening when I really had wanted Dorian to read some books that he took home from school, Nathan informed me that instead the boys were going to go downstairs and play with their marshmallow guns.  He thought it was kind of ironic and funny.  I do want them to just be boys...but I am torn because I also want them to enjoy learning and gain confidence as they grow.

Before...

And after! 
I was noticing how bare the coat rack looked while the boys were both at school.  It gave me kind of a lonely feeling I think, although I do really enjoy my quiet breaks at home.  But it inspired me to take a before and after picture to remember this stage in our lives!  :)  The sweatshirts remind me of how Levi loves to wear short sleeves...even when it's below freezing...so our rule has been that he needs to wear a sweatshirt with it before he may leave the house.  I love the camouflage and snake backpacks!  They are adorable.  And I love how the boys are both very good about hanging up their coats and putting their shoes away when they come home!

 

One week ago, Dorian came home from school sounding quite disappointed that he didn't have any Ninjago legos to play with.  After our discussion, it was clear to me that it was time for us to buy him some.  And I couldn't wait to get him some because I knew how much he wanted them.  He has been so super excited after receiving some for Valentine's Day, that he has brought them everywhere with him.  To school to show his friends, to Grandpa and Grandma's house to show everyone there, and he's begged to have Jayden (his friend from Kindergarten and our neighbor) over so they could play with them. 

Last week Sunday was a day of affirmation.  The day before we had made our first step at becoming members at Living Water Community Church, which was a big step for me.  During the service as I was looking around, all I noticed were the people that have and are becoming our church family to us!  The Wallaces, the Schuttingas, the DeGroots, the Baarts, the Kuipers, the VerVeldes, the Postmas.  I saw Mrs. Julie and Mrs. Shawn which are the boys JAM teachers.  I saw our neighbors that live down the street from us.  I saw Sherwyn Bolkema and his wife who had kindly invited us over for lunch a while back.  And I was sitting next to my cousin Janelle and her boyfriend.  Since it is a congregation made up of many people from different places, each Sunday there are many faces that I still don't recognize...but last Sunday, I believe that God was giving me peace about the decision that we had made to become members.  I especially love how the boys have made some friends that they play tag with after the service each week and they really look forward to it!  Are there things about Living Water that I'm not a huge fan of?  Yes.  But I do believe that it is the best fit for our family right now and for knowing that I am very grateful.  I have said many prayers asking God to help us find a church home and a church family to love.

On another random note, Levi's suggestion tonight for our baby boy's name was Fake.  He's come up with some others that are equally ridiculous.  :)  It makes me laugh.