December 3

There are truly some great memories from today... I'm not exactly sure which story I'll tell for my album from today, but I wanted to record some memories from today so I don't forget... 

1. drinking hot cocoa with the kids... the way the two of them slurped theirs down with true joy and pleasure. Noelle sneaking marshmallows from the bag once her cocoa was gone. 

2. dancing in the kitchen with Noelle to Christmas music, teaching her a little jump and kick dance... the laughter it brought us both. 

3. making paper snowflakes. watching Parker cut with real scissors for the first time. The intense concentration he had on this for a good 10 minutes or so while Noelle & I were dancing. All the wincing I was doing while watching him, hoping and praying he didn't cut his fingers...  he was being quite careful, his technique just isn't quite there yet, but he was definitely focused and enjoying himself. 

4. finishing up the decorating... hanging the stockings, stringing lights through the garland, setting up the nativity scene, pulling out a few more candles. 

5. Noticing the way the kids had arranged their Little People nativity set... 

It stopped me in my tracks really... seeing the way they had pointed every character (minus the missing wise man) to look at baby Jesus and the reminder to me that this is exactly where I want and need my focus to be this Christmas season... on the Savior. The entire reason for the season. 

Isaiah 9:6-7

December 2nd

This is the treasure Noelle brought home from school today. She is always so excited to show me what she makes at school, barely even getting into the car before she's got her backpack opened up and is pulling something out that she's created or that a friend has given her. It's so sweet to see things like this come home from school with her and to see how proud she is of her work. And of course, we are so proud too! ;)

This year I am doing a December Daily album. I did one in 2008 and loved it! Last year I fizzled out over a couple of days but this year I am determined to complete another one. So, I have decided to use this blog to keep track of photos/documentation for some or all of my album. The idea is that you tell one "story" of each day in December up through (or even after) Christmas to document this special time of year. If you want to follow along and see my album as it unfolds, I'll be posting those on my other blog (www.thispaperedheart.blogspot.com). 

I'm excited to share with you our December adventures this year and hope you enjoy being a part of them too! :)

Edited to Add: I just found this really awesome free download I thought some of you might be interested: http://aholyexperience.com/1000/AJesusAdventCelebrationDevotional.pdf

Welcome December!

We are so excited December is here! On Saturday we went and chopped down our Christmas tree at Cedar Valley Forest. Here's a pic of the kids posed in front of our tree! 

And here is the excitement our first day of December has brought... a broken TV... it was attacked by a little boy and his plastic golf club... the golf clubs found their fate in the dumpster to be taken away by the trash man on this Wednesday and will hopefully be burned in the incinerator... the boy's life however, was spared... looks like Santa will be bringing the Johnson family a new television for Christmas.

How We Spent our Sunday Afternoon...

In the Children's Mercy South Urgent Care Center... about 2 1/2 hours

Because this little guy got a little bonkers right on his eyelid. The kids were crawling around in the basement with the lights out and he misjudged and hit his eye on a glass table top! Since it wasn't bleeding profusely we opted to go to Urgent Care verses the ER. After a long time waiting to see the doctor she told us she thought it best to avoid stitches (thankfully) since the location of the cut is right in the crease of his eyelid and it wasn't deep enough to make it worth all they would have had to do to put the stitches in (they would have had to hook him up to an iv and put him under since it was right at his eye). 

Here he is showing off his arm band. Since he was such a strong brave little guy we stopped for McDonald's on the way home! :) Now it's just some prescription ointment for a week and some time to let it heal! Whew... thanks to the Lord for his protection over our little man!

Halloween!

Tinkerbell & Bob the Builder were the costumes of choice in our family last night in celebration of Halloween. Although "Bob" didn't think he needed his tool belt or hard hat for the majority of the festivities, in fact he wore it for all of 2 minutes while I snapped a few photos. Thanks Buddy, at least I got a couple good shots in full costume! :) 

They both had a ball trick or treating. Noelle was into it from the get go and Parker was a little slower, but once he figured it out there was no stopping him! These two are quite the pair! Hope your Halloween was as great as ours was! 

Meet Benjy

Meet Benjy... Noelle's preschool class' "pet". Yesterday was her day to bring Benjy home with her for the evening. She had a grand time with him. Pretty much whatever she did, Benjy did too. At first I wasn't too sure what we were supposed to do with Benjy... right after I picked her up from school we went to Target and she wanted to taken Benjy in... well, I didn't want to leave Benjy at Target and LOSE the class pet, so I said no and then upon getting home I read the letter from Benjy that was included in the bag and saw that Benjy could go anywhere Noelle went (except the bathtub) and realized I should have let her take Benjy into Target... oh well... Noelle & Benjy still had a splendid time watching Clifford, helping me make dinner, reading books (Benjy was even choosing the books, he's a puppet and so Noelle would put her hand in and Benjy would pick out the book), yes Mom even got him a "water" dish and pretended to put water in it for Benjy... she slept with Benjy and his water bowl sat right next to her cup in bed with her. Benjy definitely was loved in the Johnson home for his 24 hour stay!!! :) 

And, just in case you're wondering what Parker has been up to lately... well this pretty much explains it... 

I can assure you that he has no idea what he's looking for in here... when I take him out of the fridge, or out of the pantry, or off the countertop, etc... and ask him what he needs he says... (after screaming and crying for a bit) "Wewa, actuee (actually) want um, um, stuff..." We should have named him George, as in Curious George!!! LOL!! He absolutely gets into EVERYTHING... I thought it would get better as he got older, like I remember it did with Noelle, but it's actually getting worse, it's almost impossible to leave him alone for more than 1.2 seconds!! Haha! It's a good thing he's so stinking cute!!! : D

First Day of School

Yesterday was Noelle's first day of preschool at Aldersgate Preschool Plus! She was so excited! 

Here's her backpack... it's almost as big as she is! :) 

Walking into school... she's getting so big! I didn't think I would get emotional at all as I think I was almost as ready for her to go to school as she was. ;) But, getting her dressed and ready I got a little teary... knowing this is the beginning of a new journey for her... school.

Parker was a little disappointed when he didn't get to stay at school with Sissy. There was a car there he wanted to play with and when I told him we couldn't stay he started crying and when we got home he mentioned again that he wanted to stay with Sissy. :( Poor guy. 

Here's Noelle in her classroom (Blue PM class), meeting her classmates and one of her teachers Ms. Susan. After picking her up yesterday I asked her all about her first day. Here's a little bit of our dialogue: 

Mom: Did you make any new friends? 

Noelle: Yes, but I don't remember their names. 

M: That's ok, you'll learn them soon. 

M: What was your favorite thing you did today? 

N: Ms. Leslie had a wand and she tapped me on my head and then I went to put my bunny rabbit mat away. 

This is going to be a fun new adventure for us both. I am so excited for her and know that she is going to have a blast and learn so much this year! We are so proud of her!