Snow Day Hats!

With all the winter weather, mom & dad have each had 2 snow days. While we have certainly enjoyed these days, the cold blizzard-like conditions have meant increased "family" time - at home, INSIDE, with only so much to do! The novelty of ALL the toys & even the new Christmas toys has seemed to have worn off.

It has been a joy to see the two of them use their creativity and imaginations.

One morning at breakfast, Addie announced that her pajamas looked like a space suit. She needed to make a space helmet/mask out of her craft supplies. She (with a little help from dad) did a pretty good job!

Holden has decided that EVERYTHING is a HAT. It doesn't matter what - his sister's pull-ups, bowls, buckets...you name it!

Addie has spent her time building spaceships, forts & race cars out of couch cushions & blankets with her daddy.

And Holden has spent his time (when not creating new hat-wear) demolishing his sister's creations, thus often resulting in a wrestling/screaming match!

Christmas Pictures!

Christmas 2007

It's hard to believe that the holiday season has come and gone. The tree is down and the decorations have all been put away. We had a wonderful Christmas, which lasted about 2 weeks, with a number of family members and friends.

We were all healthy this year, and we were able to attend a number of family parties - Ruiter & Glupker immediate family; Ruiter, Walthorn, Glupker & Kietzman extended families; gathering with friends on New Years Eve; and our own immediate family Christmas on Christmas morning. We are overwhelmingly bless by God to have such a loving and caring extended family all around us!



A few highlight for Addie: She is our little princess. She enjoys playing dress-up, reading her "Bible Stories," playing with dolls, dancing and anything DORA. She is now able to identify her capital letters consistently, state her birthday, and tell the entire story of Jesus' birth in detail (thank you Grandmas!). Okay, she does much more, but you'll all think I'm just a proud, bias mommy =) She enjoyed playing with friends & her cousins this Christmas, and she really missed her "other" cousins Olivia & Audrey who weren't able to make it home for Christmas.

A few highlights for Holden: He is our little (okay BIG) BOY. He is all boy! He loves tractors, balls, ELMO, and chasing his sister. His vocabulary is expanding every day (daddy's favorites are Combine and Tractor - yes, they are accompanied by the correct sound effects!). Our little climber, he is either on the run or climbing onto the kitchen table...His holiday stitches are out & the boo-boo is healing very nicely, but he'll definitely have a scar to go along with his story!

Ho...Ho...(Ho) & the Seashell

After enjoying a peaceful Christmas morning at home, opening presents and enjoying time with just our family, we loaded up and headed over to Granny & Great Grandpa's to celebrate Christmas with the extended Kietzman family. This is an annual tradition, with the most common danger being the slick, wet stairs upon entry to the basement...that is until this year.

We made our timely entrance at 1 PM. Feeling good because we all made it down the stairs without falling (I'm not kidding!). As is the tradition a number of us sat in a large circle downstairs, with the children running around inside the circle of adults adults looking on.

Exit Daddy to the next room to get some yummy holiday grub, while mommy sat and watches the little ones play. Reenter daddy.

Enter the seashell (not by the seashore, but on the coffee table in granny's basement). This looked enticing to little Holden (Ho-Ho, as those who love him call him), as he'd been told a few times to leave the presents alone. He began to play about with the seashell in hand.

Exit mommy to the next room to also get some yummy holiday grub. Just as I pick up my plate to begin, I heard such a clatter & looked over to see what was the matter. When what with my wondering eyes should I see? But a child full of blood and a husband a flee-ing.

Anyhow, I wont embarrass myself by trying to make this cute.

Somehow, Holden had fallen on the SHARP seashell (no, we didn't realize it was sharp until now) and sliced open his forehead. I was in quite a panic & my husband was in a state of near-passing out, (Neither of us was calm, Chris was not cool, and I was not collected) so, thankfully Grandma Glupker escorted the 3 of us to urgent care (and, no, for those of you keeping track this is not our first time).

To make a long story short (or longer), in addition to his presents, Ho Ho received approximately 26 stitches - 13 inside & 13 outside - on his forehead on Christmas day.

He was quite a trooper. I think the urgent care doctor asked 4 or 5 times (seriously) "Now how did he do this...a seashell?" Yeah...I can see it's that time of year here!

Winter Wonderland

Addie made her first official snowman (with daddy's help) this past week. She was quite proud of herself. After making the body, she was insistent that her snowman have a carrot nose! Mom provided the carrot nose & cookies for the eyes, while dad found the other pieces around the card.

Holden tries for alternative methods of warmth while helping mommy do the laundry!

While daddy loves to play outside in the snow, mommy prefers to stay nice & warm & cozy inside during the lovely Michigan winters. Both Holden & Addie enjoyed helping me make our annual Peanut Butter Balls for all their teachers at church. Addie is getting quite good and rolling the "balls," but she much prefers the peanut butter pancake! Don't worry...we all washed our hands - several times!

Catch-Up!!

Okay...It's been a while since I've updated so I thought I'd try to quickly update on our happenings since I last wrote!
We've had a fun and busy month! Some highlights have been our trip to North Carolina to visit our new niece/cousin, Audrey Elizabeth, for Thanksgiving, Addie getting her ears pierced, Holden running & falling & climbing & falling & running & falling & climbing & falling & on & on....


Cousins!

Bling Bling!

Who Me??? Black & Blue What?

Happy Halloween!

Halloween was a few days ago, but my little Froggy and Elephant were way too adorable not to post any pictures of!

Despite the rain, we had a fun & eventful evening. We were able to have our cousins, Aiden & Elena over to visit, go to grandpa & grandma's house and trick-or-treat at Uncle Aaron and Aunt Lynn's (until it rained too hard).

We then headed over to "Light in the Night" at Calvin and met up with some friends. The kids enjoyed seeing their friends dressed up, and the parents enjoyed trick-or-treating INSIDE!
We ended the night by stopping at Granny & Great Grandpa's to visit. As you can see, Holden was whipped by the end of the night!