Cozy girls' night

Just a cozy night at home with the girls...started watching youtube videos. Loved this one.

And this one, with tears down my face, the girls hugged and kissed their momma.

Breanne's Poetry Cafe

Blond hair, smart
Reading to Mom
Energetic
Aliya and Madison are my sisters

Never lies to friends

Not just nice super nice

Exciting

                                                                     Ice Cream                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I love

                                                    ice cream                               

                                                                                          when it
                                                                                              drips on your chin!
                                                                                           It is 

                                                                                                       as cold
                                                                                                           as ice.
                                                                                                                     I love

                                                                                                                           Ice cream!                                                       

                    

Podge

 A podge of emotions as we spent Easter with the Sechler family yesterday. Truly a blessing to be close enough just to hang out and enjoy watching cousins be cousins, conversation and just "being."

The big girls were hardly seen, playing games, doing make-up and hair and hanging out in Rebekah's room. However, still one is missing! We miss you Micah. I bawled, reading Traci's post on Caring Bridge, "See you in the morning, Micah!"
Daniel continues to hold a very dear place in Aliya's heart and I was fortunate to snag this shot of some Daniel cuddles for Aliya. And Derrick would gladly report that he beat both his nephews (and Mike) in a Mario Kart (not to mention Madden against Daniel). So proud of our daddy!

Aliya doing dishes last week with her "hair net" on.

Dancing and Birthday Parties

 Our little dancers, Madison & Breanne had a short stage show this past month. It has been really fun to watch them develop in dance over the year. Madison especially has come to develop a passion for dance, works hard and looks forward to practice every week. Their team performed a very smooth show to "Magic." The words fit Madison like a glove,

Do you believe in magic
in a young girls' heart?
How the music can free her
whenever it starts
oh it's magic...

And Madison sang along the whole performance!

It seems to this momma that I am a level-headed, not over-indulgent parent. However, there are a handful of times that I become a complete pushover! For example, I don't think my parents would have every let me buy an Easy Bake oven...but Breanne just had to have one. And they had a blast "cookin' with a lightbulb" (as Madi sang..she's into writing songs) even though their first endeavor tasted ummmm...alright. It's not the taste but the experience that counts, right?

 Derrick has been hard at work on the past month of Saturdays building with his hands. He has built some amazing shelving in our basement. My canned goods now have a home (not a box) and the camping gear a special spot as well and lots of other goodies too! I am so lucky to be married to such a well-rounded man!

Aliya announced this Monday on her way down the stairs, "It's Sadie's Birthday today." Who knew March 18 was the "Canadian Girl" Doll's birthday? Breanne so graciously agreed to bake Sadie her own Easy Bake Oven Birthday cake (this one tasted better) when she got home from school. Breanne talked Aliya into having Sadie turn 2 because that was the coolest candle we had on hand. They wrapped presents for Sadie and she had her weekly hair appointment with mom. We sang "Happy Birthday" and Aliya blew out the candle because we wouldn't want a two-year-old to get hurt. Everyone keeps telling this momma that someday I'll look back and miss these days.

 Sadie has also been living the life of luxury in her new $4 built from Dollar Store Treasures bed. Beat that...$94 on the American Girl Doll website.

Snow Cream

"Okay, so I need you to have sort of plan for your day today so we don't all go crazy," I announce at breakfast anticipating the snow day ahead of us. Ideas are blurted out one of which includes making "Snow Cream." Great idea. Let the pictures be your own tutorial the next time you get a foot of snow!

The big sisters bundled up to gather the snow.

Dang it, that milk in the bag is a bugger to pour. Let mommy intervene.

Start with 4 cups for clean snow.

"Mom, I promise the snow was white when we brought it in....Oh, the milk made it yellow."

Add 1/2 c. milk, 1 tsp. vanilla & 1/4 c. sugar.

Be sure to take turns stirring.

Breanne takes a taste. Oh, this one is a keeper. In an instant, she adds with permanent marker to the recipe they found on youtube: "Snow Craem." Madison makes a spelling correction.

Recipe

4 cups clean snow

1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

Dish it up any way you like it...but beware. It melts really fast!

Anything but frozen and lifeless

Winter can seem so dull and lifeless, but spend ten minutes around this house and you'll realize that although everything is frozen and dead outside, our little girls are full of life and energy. This winter has been a pretty busy season.

After the first of the year, Breanne began piano lessons. She is thriving! It appears to be her niche. She delights mom and dad's ears by playing constantly. One afternoon, I walked down the stairs to the sight of her at the piano playing away in her pajama pants and her headphones around the neck blaring upbeat music. "Very interesting," is a phrase often used at our house. Indeed.

Aliya began swim lessons in January and just finished her first session, passing her class. She's being very brave and enjoying the social interaction.

Breanne's entry: "Can an egg float in salty water?"

Madison & Breanne both participated in the Science Fair at school. We're very much the newbies around here and I'm constantly saying, "I don't know, this is my first rodeo..." It was a learning experience and the number one thing we learned was....don't procrastinate until the last night to finish! 

Madison's project: "What are the primary colors of light?"

We made a drive down to Pipestone to help cut and package up beef at Lucas and Kelly's. We were blessed to bring home lots of beef, learned much about the cuts of meat and enjoyed time with family! 

Brae & Bre

Good thing we have a boy cousin who likes to drive the 4-Wheeler and tie up the sleds.

Oh Chloe and Aliya...don't eat yellow snow!

 We were also able to watch both Carter and Braelyn get baptized at their church. 

 On President's Day, Madison was busy stitching up a present for Auntie Kayla who is now the owner of Madison's second pajama pant project. I don't think Madi's starting a business anytime soon...it was a long day of stitching, although a successful one!

We were saddened to hear of the Giffey's friend passing away unexpectedly over a week ago. They made a fast dash up to Ottertail, MN and our home was a stopping place for them on their journey. Even though the time is was short and the reason for the visit so tragic, we were blessed to see all these Tennessee faces and have good times sharing games, laughs, and even stomach bugs...oh well!

At the beginning of February, Madi and Bre had a sleepover with a few friends...the night was full of Rock Band, fort building, dolls, fashion shows (complete with hair and make-up), pizza, popcorn, candy and a movie.

Tender toward

 It has struck me deeply lately how much I learn from my children. Our "baby," Aliya, is no exception. Just a little over a week ago, on January 26, Aliya asked Jesus to be the boss of her life. Just she and mom were driving to SW Minnesota for Grandma Great's wedding when she said, "Mom, maybe Grandma will have a baby." That led to a conversation about it's not likely that a 76-year old woman has a baby, but nothing is impossible for God to do. Sarah and Abraham had a baby at 100! She then says, "Yea, that's why I made Jesus the boss of my life." My mommy ears perk up...back the train up, "You already did?" "Yes, in my head." "Well, sometimes, you say a special prayer and ask God." We talked through the ABCs: Admit that we are not perfect and sin; Believe that Jesus died on the cross because we sin and three days later was alive; and Commit our lives to Him (make Him the boss is the lingo we use.) After all that theology, yes, she wanted to pray. We did it right then and there...on I-90.
Since then, it has been so humbling to watch such a small heart tender toward God and absorbing who He is. On the way to Community Bible Study this morning, she says, "I'm gonna tell everybody that God is the boss of my life!" as she names several people. "Mom, you're not the boss of my life. God is." She has an insatiable appetite for memorizing scripture as part of our preschool and is so quick to pray. She often talks about Jesus coming down on a cloud to take us to Heaven with Him. Yesterday, she expressed concern about what her sisters might be doing in Heaven (she's convinced that mom and her will be gardeners together in Heaven) and maybe by going to school they'll find out what they're good at. She's asked me, what it means to serve God. She'll say, "I just noticed in that song they're talking about worshiping God." She has begun to attempt grasping the idea of Jesus and God are the same, but have different jobs and talks about it from time to time. (I don't think any of us understand the Trinity fully.) And last night, while driving home after bringing Madison to Derrick's office so that they might enjoy a Timberwolves game together, she said, "Mom, I just feel like we should pray for Madi and Daddy," and so we did.
I love how she injects God into her day. He's in a time slot of her day, only thinking of Him while we read the Bible or go to church, it's throughout: while driving, reading a book, a conversation over lunch... May I never cease to thank God for my little goldenheads that teach me how to be holy.