Snow Fun!!

When it snows, it is minimal here in Germany. So, when it was a decent amount, enough to have fun out in the backyard, we layered up and played in the snow. Brenne was fascinated by the white stuff and put some in her mouth right away. She did not stay happy for long though; her gloves kept coming off and her fingers were getting cold. She then went for a nap so Layne, Liam and I built a snowman. It was a fun morning. Although not pictured, we did make another snowwoman.

Happy Valentine's Day

The kids had great Valentine's Day parties at their schools and enjoyed treats at home. Layne and I made 'play clay' for her classmates. We also made chocolate covered strawberries for her snack to bring to school. With the leftover chocolate I made some chocolate covered cherries and made some of them look like mice, but I have another recipe for chocolate mice I would like to try some time. The kids also made homemade cards instead of the traditional character cards from the store and enjoyed the compliments from their classmates.

Being entertained

We have just been doing our normal fun activities at home, so there hasn't been much to update on since Layne's birthday. It has snowed a few times, so carefully, I have the kids sitting at an open window and playing catch the snowflakes with cups. It doesn't last very long because it starts to get cold.

Right now, Brenne loves to spin around on the computer chair and dance her body to music. She is very talkative with her sounds and babbles and absolutely loves to play with Layne and Liam, especially being chased around the house.

Layne's Party

Layne had a great turn out of friends at her 7th birthday party at an indoor fun park called Yabadoo. As I wanted her to have fun with her friends and kept up with all the other details of the party, I didn't take any pictures of them playing. The only pictures are of the cake cutting and singing. She overall had a great birthday celebration, loved all of her gifts, and picking out party favors for her guests.

As for Layne's cake, I took the decorative napkin and drew freehand the little princesses on tracing paper, then shrunk them onto copy paper. I colored them in and placed contact paper and a popsicle stick on them to make them more sturdy. Layne colored in the castle coloring page and I placed it on a piece of cardboard and then placed contact paper on it as well.

Down Memory Layne-Birth to Seven

Layne has grown up and oh how quickly. Here are a few photos and a video to see how she has changed.

Happy 7th Birthday Layne

WOW! Layne is now 7 years old. She has blossomed into a loving, caring, and creative girl who loves her family and really loves puppy dogs, loves to draw and color, and be helpful with her brother and sister. She is happy at school and enjoys learning and being with her friends. We are blessed to have Layne in our family. She is a treasure and a joy to be with. Her 7th year will be an adventure and we await many new memories to cherish for 2009.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

We had a wonderful Christmas, here again in Germany. It was great to see the kids excitment and watch them open up gifts. Brenne even got into opening gifts and was very enthusiastic with her toys. We thank all our friends and family who provided us with wonderful gifts. Each gift showed us your love and appreciation for our relationship.

My favorite memory this season was singing Christmas songs with the kids in the car. Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph were their favorites. Liam loved Feliz Navidad. We also enjoyed making festive crafts to decorate the house. It warmed my heart to hear them request the 'Christmas Story' of Jesus' birth be read almost every night before bed.

As the 2008 year ends, I am thankful and blessed for the many cherished and precious memories that have been created with Layne, Liam, and Brenne. I thank our family and friends who have kept in touch with us and shared their lives and happenings. With the new year, 2009 will bring us many new adventures and stories to share. So Happy New Year to all, cheers to a great one!!!