Our little All-Star!

Davey's first word besides mama/dada was "ball."  A lot of the time the first thing he says when he wakes up is "ball."  If something is round, it's a "ball."  This video is from Tuesday.  David LOVES playing basketball with his Daddy.  We just got this basketball hoop for him about a week ago and as you can see he already knows what he's doing. :)  Thanks to Grandma Ann for his Christmas money that went towards this basketball hoop.  Hours of fun!

Blessed

I'm so happy to be caught up to real time on my family blog.  It was fun looking back through pictures of the past 3+ years since Michael and I became parents.  Children bring so much JOY!  We just love our little Clara and Davey.

Of course the past 3 years hasn't all been perfect and fun.  What I highlighted in pictures has been all the good stuff, the stuff I want to remember.  But there has been a lot of hurt and struggle and things that are out of my control that I wish would have been / could be different.  Those things have really weighed me down and have consumed way too much of my thoughts and energy.  Lately, as I have been really wanting to grow in my faith and relationship with Jesus, I have been realizing that I have more control than I thought.  I have the choice to take my thoughts captive and to give them to God.  In other words, when I find myself dwelling on an injustice or a painful experience, I am working on taking those thoughts and letting them go into Jesus' hands and focusing on Him.  I am just a big mess myself and need Him constantly.  Constantly.  The more I seek Him, the more I realize my ever present need for His strength, His love, His guidance, His grace... everything.  Does it make those hurtful things go away?  No, it doesn't.  But it does remind me that I don't need those things to be better.  I just need Him.  I am also reminded that I am so blessed.  Truly, truly blessed.  I have a loving husband, the two most amazing children, so many wonderful friends and family members, and most important of all, I have Jesus.  God sent his only Son to die for the sins of the world, including mine, including yours, so that we can have a relationship with Him.  It's pretty incredible.

So while I want to keep it real and not pretend like my life is perfect (far from it), I want this blog to focus on "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy…" (Philippians 4:8).

This past month...

has been busy!  We sold our house in Aberdeen and moved to Tea.  At this point I consider us professional movers.  We've moved nine times in less than eight years of marriage.  That's an average of less than a year in between moves!  Needless to say, I'm ready to retire from the profession.  We are currently in an apartment (that we love!) and hopefully only one more move (into a long-term house) is in our foreseeable future.  But until we find our "forever home" we are staying put… right God? ;)  So as I'm sure you know, moving is a lot of work.  We are finally feeling (almost) settled and really feel at home coming back to the Sioux Falls area.  We've been cleaning and unpacking, jumped right back in with our old church which we love, have visited a few friends, and Michael spends most of every day doing school work.  He's taking his final 18 credits for his Computer and Network Security bachelor's degree so he can graduate in May.  We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am so proud of him for his diligence and determination to finish his degree.  We are praying his degree will open the door for a great, career job!

So these pictures highlight this past month for us...

Clara and Jillian wearing similar Target shirts. :)  Not the first time - they wore the same dress for their Christmas program.  Our sweet small group from church in Aberdeen threw us a going away pizza party.

Liam & Davey

my beautiful sister-in-law Emily

We miss living near her already!

My sweet friend Erica was a Godsend angel friend who I met shortly after we both moved to Aberdeen August of 2012.  She has been such a blessing to me.  I'm looking forward to seeing her again when we visit this summer.

one last play date at Liam's house

Clara and her puppy family snuggled in for a nap.

hanging out in the cupboard

Had to get a picture of this frequent game at our house where one or both of the kids would sit on the fridge and "jump" to Daddy over and over.

Just about ready to go!

Davey helping take the bed frame apart. ;)

All loaded up thanks to help from friends and family!

Davey checking out the dryer at our new home.

I had a rare day without my babes and piled in a car with family and drove to the cities to celebrate my beautiful cousin Kelly at her baby shower.

She looks fantastic!

One day for a few hours I got to take care of my sweet friend Jessica's little ones.  So I had a 3 month old and 1, 2 and 3 year olds.  It actually went really well, especially since baby Will smiles nonstop.

Grandpa Ellingson came for a short visit.  He volunteered to drive our second car down to us after we moved.  He's the sweetest.

Since we moved our babies have been napping and going to bed together at night.  It's pretty precious and we're hoping it will help them both sleep better to have a snuggle buddy.

Our church had a bowling party so we took the kids bowling for the first time.  They loved it!  I think the last time we went bowling was the night I went into labor with Clara! :)

Oh yeah!

my little superheros

Super Readers

I loved getting to meet baby Ellie and see her mama Renae!  What a beauty.

Clara and Amelia watching Curious George

I didn't get to hold her near enough.  Can't wait for their next visit!

Valentine's Day cookies - Clara helped decorate them.

making Valentines

my 3 loves

Since we moved the kids have become obsessed with "helping" me vacuum.  

It's serious business. ;)

My forever Valentine.  Michael and I had such a nice night snuggling and watching a movie.  We've been so busy those nights are too few and far between.

My little artist.  Her favorite colors are purple and green.  We are out of green paint so she had fun learning that blue and yellow make green.

They have this adorable mini piano in the nursery at church.

Our tired little one.

Finally a nice day to play in the snow!

I'm enjoying his curls because we're taking him to get his first hair cut soon.  We love his hair but it is starting to get too long and out of control.  It's time.  I'll try not to cry. :)

Clara is 3!

Clara turned THREE December 15th!  This little girl made my biggest dream come true… to be a mommy.  Our family is so blessed by her.  She is pure joy and brings so much love and happiness to our home.  I adore being her mama!  She is so sweet, thoughtful, incredibly smart, and loving.  She loves to dance and sing, hang out with her Ducky, do crafts, and help take care of her baby brother Davey.  Daddy, Davey and I love you sweet girl!

One tradition that I've started for my children (thank you Pinterest!) is to interview them every year on their birthday starting at age three.  Here's Clara's answers this year:

Nicknames:  Clarie, Sissy, Sweet Girl, Dolly and Baby Daughter

How old are you?  "3"

What is your favorite color?  "purple"

What is your favorite animal?  "piggies"

What is your favorite book?  "seahorse" (Mr. Seahorse)

What is your favorite tv show?  "George the monkey" (Curious George)

What is your favorite movie?  "Cinderelly" (Cinderella)

What is your favorite song?  "Life's a Happy Song" (from The Muppets movie)

What is your favorite food?  "broccoli," "pizza and breadsticks"

What is your favorite food for breakfast?  "o-ma-meal" (oatmeal) and "donuts"

What is your favorite snack?  "bunny crackers/goldfish," "pretzels," "carrots"

What is your favorite drink?  "chocolate milk"

What is your favorite game?  "Candy Land"

What is your favorite toy?  "tea set"

Who is your best friend?  "Ducky and Davey"

What is your favorite thing to do?  "coloring"

What is your favorite holiday?  "Christmas"

What do you sleep with?  "Ducky and Blankie"

Where is your favorite place to go?  "park," "dance class"

What do you want to be when you grow up?  "like a mama"

…"Like a mama!"  Melt my heart!  She is so incredibly sweet.  Clara's birthday is right in the middle of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  These pictures go till mid-January of this year.

Davey is so helpful!

Thanksgiving Day 2013

We had the BEST Thanksgiving at home with just our little family.  We made yummy food, watched the parade, made handprint turkeys and just relaxed.  It was wonderful.

Davey's turkey on the left; Clara's turkey on the right.

before Clara's 1st Christmas program at church

This was the most precious thing ever.  I was one proud mama.

Clara's last Mommy & Me dance class

Clara's birthday party at Grandpa & Grandma Ellingson's

We also celebrated Christmas that day.

Clara adores her uncle Robert.

fun with auntie Em

Clara's 3rd birthday

our beautiful birthday girl

my bestie Keira and our baby boys

So happy to finally be holding baby Parker!

Getting cozy at uncle Billy & aunt Heather's for the week of Christmas!  So generous of them to host us!  We had the best time.

uncle Billy

Christmas 2013

Yes, this is Clara's 3rd cake!  We had a mini birthday celebration for her with my family as well.

cousin Isaac & Davey

my family

(We missed you Daniel and Atika!)

long day

Grandma Ann & Clara

visiting beautiful Great Grandma Bisson

Clara and Tess (who she kept calling Sparky:)

love these baby boys

1st annual Jammy Cocoa Christmas!  We put our pjs on, got hot chocolate from Starbucks and drove around Sioux Falls looking at Christmas lights with Billy & Heather.  

We made Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning

Boxing Day 2013

Every year my girlfriends and I get together the day after Christmas.  We don't always all make it, but it's always a great time with some of my favorite girls.  This year we missed Renae who just had her first baby girl Ellie 9 days earlier in Nebraska.

Look at all those beautiful babies!

the boys

We visited Brandi & Brecken too!

Bisson Christmas 2013

most of my wonderful aunts & uncles

We drove to Minnetonka, MN for one of my favorite days of the year.  I love celebrating Christmas with my extended family.  They are all so wonderful and the time always goes by too quickly.

cousins and spouses

great-grand children

my little helper

We made play dough!

Davey finally fits into his superhero shirt great aunt Michelle and family sent him when he was born.  Adorable!

Of course Clara wanted a cape too so we used her play kitchen apron.  Superhero pose!

Grandpa giving airplane rides

Davey coloring - obviously someone had already started coloring that page. :)

My sweet friend Shelby moved to Aberdeen just as we were about to move.  Glad we could get together once though.  I used to babysit Shelby and her sisters a long time ago!