A Snow Angel For Uncle Dave

Hi Uncle Dave and all our friends and family, It snowed last night, we got about an inch of snow. Joshua and I ran an errand and when we got back I decided to make a snow angel. Uncle Dave this snow angel is just for you. What do you think? I hope you like it. Love, Amy

Happy Thanksgiving

We hope that you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving. What a special time to get together with family and friends to celebrate all the things that God has given us and will continue to give us. I hope that we will remember to give thanks not just today, but continually throughout the year. We are very thankful for each and everyone of you! It is very different celebrating Thanksgiving here. We are so far away from everything that we have known. We miss all our friends and family, but God has blessed us with a new church family and friends. We have much to be thankful for-especially being able to move out here as a family (beside what God has done for us). We are very thankful to be here. We will be eating at our Pastor's house and then spending a majority of the day at the new house unpacking. We hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends. Let us thank God for His many blessings- both now and in the future.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us!!!!

Update On Us

Sorry I have not written in a while. We have been very busy getting the new house ready. There are so many boxes and so much stuff! Half of the things I forgot I had :). My mom has been nervous about moving everything into the new house, so my sister and I are doing most of the work. I just about finished the kitchen. There is still so much to do. In the mist of all this, I have not been getting enough sleep because Peter is still waking up once or twice a night, Paul is getting up early, and my hip has been hurting from all the up and down and going up stairs. It is starting to look like a home and feel like home. Please pray for my mom as she goes through this emotional time, my sister and I as we try to come along side and set up the house, and my hip to heal so that I can do what is necessary in the house as well and take care of the boys. My mom is going to see the house for the first time since we moved everything in and got the new carpet. Please pray that she will not be overwhelmed with everything and able to enjoy herself. Thank you for all your prayers.

Inside The New House

FINALLY!!!! WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR- PICTURES OF INSIDE THE NEW HOUSE. We are done with the carpet and painting and now it is time to show our new house that the Lord has blessed us with. We are very excited and can't wait to move in. As you know we are spending this weekend moving our stuff. We are very grateful for all the help that our new friends are giving us. They are such a blessing and God sent. It would have taken us long to move in if we were doing this ourselves. I will try to take some more pictures of when we have everything in its place so you can see what it will really be like. Enough talking, lets get to the pictures!

101 Things Not To Do To A Cell Phone

Here is a continuation of the list of things NOT to do to a cell phone:

21. Don't let your baby drool on your cell phone.
22. Don't let your dog chew on your cell phone (especially poodles).
23. Don't test the amps while phone is charging, you might short it.
24. When throwing your cell phone, make sure that it is your cell phone, before throwing it across the room.
25. Don't fall off your motorcycle with your cell phone.
26. Don't go skating and fall down with your cell phone in your back pocket.
27. Don't fall in the pond with your cell phone.
28. Don't use your cell phone while giving your child a bath.
29. Don't try to text someone by holding your cell phone out the window (because your battery was low) while driving on the freeway. It might just drop out of your hands.
30. Don't drop your cell phone while getting out of the car to confront the person who backed into you, and have your cell phone run over by a car.
31. Don't have your cell phone in your pocket while using power tools, you might drill a hole in it. Of course, this guy was blessed that he drilled in his cell phone instead of his leg.
32. Don't kneel on your cell phone when you are trying to protect it while working on construction.
33. Don't use your cell phone as a hacky sack.
34. Don't work under a blown propane truck after the firefighter put it out. It can cause water damage, especially when it falls out and lands in a puddle.
35. Don't let your cat play with your cell phone. They might just drop it in the water.
36. Don't set your cell phone on the counter where it can get wet while you are in the kitchen. It could cause water damage.
37. Don't get excited about something, forget your cell phone is in your pocket, and jump into the ocean.
38. Don't put your cell phone in your back pocket and forget its there and sit down.
39. If you have a dog that likes to chew, don't buy a Blackberry cell phone.
40. Don't let your one year old get ahold of it and throw it across the room.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I did writing them down to post. God Bless.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!

Today is grandpa Steed's birthday. He spent most of the day at the new house painting because the carpet is going to be installed on Friday. Grandpa is having some people help him (two guys named Jeff). My sister, the boys, and I are going to be going to the shop to spend part of the day and eat dinner. Grandma baked a cake and we are making a special dinner. Paul, Peter, and I went over to the new house and played in the backyard for awhile. We are very excited about the new house. We then went to the shop and met the rest of the family there. We ate dinner, opened gifts, and ate cake and ice cream. It was not anything major, but it was nice to be able to spend time together as a family. We all had a great time. Maybe I will have pictures of the new house for you this weekend. On Sunday, some of the men from church are coming over and helping us move our things over to the house. It will still take some time before we are completely moved over.Can I help grandma?Yum! It tastes like chocolate!Okay mom, let's go see grandpa.Do I get to eat too?All of us together.The cake.

My Walk With The Boys

Today the boys and I decided we needed to get out of the house. It was too cold to sit outside and let Paul play, so I decided that we should go for a walk. I need the excerise and the boys need the fresh air. Since the weather has turned cold, we can't get out of the house that much (sometimes I wonder if Paul feels traped). Peter does not like the stroller. He much rather have someone hold him. It has been hard to take him on walks. I did not know if he would ever grow out of it. Today things changed. Almost as soon as I put him in the stroller, he started to kick his feet and get excited. He would pull himself up in a sitting position and hold on to the front seat where Paul was. Then he would hang over the edge and watch the ground go by. Usually what happens is that he screams all the way. He was very happy and excited, he did fuss a little. I wish I had my camera on the walk, but I did take some pictures after.

We Have A Family Blog

Joshua and I started a family blog that we are going to be doing together. I thought this would be something fun for us to do about us and the boys. It will be more focused on our family (what's happening and cute sayings and doings that the boys do). We hope you enjoy it. You can either click on the word family or scroll down and on the right hand side look under family link. Enjoy!

My Sister Has A Blog

I wanted you all to know that my sister has started a blog. Click on the word sister and it will take you there. You can also find the link on the right hand side under family links. I think you will enjoy reading her blog about her, the boys, the house, and everything else. Don't forget to stop by and look.

I Am Truly Blessed

I am so blessed. I am blessed with my family and that we all were able to come here to Colorado. I am blessed that my parents and sister are able to be apart of my children's lives. I am blessed that I have a husband that loves me and my children. I am also blessed to have the Lord as part of my life and that He provides for my every need (even before I ask him). I am very blessed that I can write these posts knowing that you read them and are blessed. I am so thankful that I can keep up with everyone of you and you can still be apart of our lives. You were all so special to us and we miss you. As I write each one of these posts, it surprises me that so much can happen in a short amount of time. Sometimes I wonder if I will have alot to write each month and something new happens. I now realize that so many things to happen that I want to share with you so that you can be apart of our lives. I hope that I don't bore you with all my posts and pictures. May you all be blessed today and always. Thanks for being part of our lives and sharing in our adventures. Know that as I write these posts, I think of you and pray for you all. I also think about how you will laugh, praise God, and pray for us as you read these. I also love hearing from you.

The Weather

I thought that you would like to know that while you are having 79 degree weather, we are down to 28 degrees and it is snowing. I don't know when it started to snow, but when I got up this morning the ground was showing snow and it was snowing lightly. You could still see the sun behind the clouds. As the morning progressed the snow became thicker and now you can no longer see the sun. The ground is covered and snow is flying every where. Paul does not like the snow. I think it is too cold for him, plus we did not see that much in California. Grandpa took him out there when it was lightly snowing and he cried. Paul and Peter both are excited about watching the snow fall. Paul loves showing us that it is snowing outside. Maybe I can get some work done with them being distracted :). I don't have my camera with me because we went over to the house and took some pictures so we could decide on paint. It did not make it back. The snow is coming down in large flakes and the wind picks it up and it is very interesting to see. I will try to take some pictures later this afternoon, if it is still snowing and if my sister makes it back from the shop (hopefully we won't have a blizzard).
P.S. The house is closing today. My parents are going to pay and sign some papers. Then on Saturday we will start to paint the rooms. We are very excited about this and hope to move in before Thanksgiving. Thanks for all your prayers.

Update On Us

We are all doing well. The boys have been fighting colds for about a week, but so has everyone else. They are just starting to feel better. Peter is getting teeth, and has been for the past few months. He has two teeth now (the bottom ones) and I can see the two teeth on top, but they have not popped through yet. The shop is going good. When I call my mom, they seem to be more busy. I have been staying home with the boys because of their colds. The shop is not meeting our bills yet. It seems like we are having a hard time getting ahead. We are having to pay money up front for advertising and having the help we need, which is hard on us starting a business. We are hoping not to have to take money that we can use to fix the house for the bills. Please pray for health as winter arrives and we are adjusting to the new climate. That Peter would not be in so much pain as he gets his teeth and that we would have the patience as he does. That God would continue to provide for us as He has been since we moved. The Lord's blessing on this new house and that everything would go smoothly as we move into it. That we would give all our worries and cares to Him. Thank you for all your prayers. You all mean so much to us. God Bless.

Paul Sings

I have been wanting to tape this for awhile. Paul loves music and he has been hearing it while he was in the womb and very young. He loves when Joshua plays the violin and to listen to different c.d.s we play. In church, he would copy the song leader by waving his hands up and down (of course he did not know what he was doing), but we thought it was pretty cute. The first time he did this we were trying hard not to bust up laughing. After church the song leader came up and asked, "Did he do what I thought he did?" We replied with a hearty, "Yes!!!" He has been doing it from that time on. He also loves to sing to the music as well. He is pretty good at singing (at least as young as he is). Here are some movies of him singing to the music (yes, it is Christmas music).

Our New Home

Here are some pictures of our house that we just bought. I only took pictures of the front and back because I wanted to wait until we painted and got the carpet in before taking pictures of the inside. I will post pictures of the inside as soon as I can. The house is located in a cul-de-sac, which will be very nice for when the boys get older. I think that the house suits us very well. It has alot of personality. We are going to remove the big bush in the front which will open it up alot. I love the cute, homey look the house has. The backyard is big and has alot of trees in it. Paul loves to play back there and hid around the trees. We have many plans for the back such as a garden, play house, and maybe a tree house. I hope you enjoy these pictures.

What Do You Think?

I was talking to a friend of mine, telling her that we were already out growing this house. I told her she should see what the house looks like with all our stuff in here plus the stuff that was already there. I thought that it would be interesting to post pictures and show you how much we need a house of our own. This is what the house looks like with us living here and someone elses things already there.The dinning room has a buffet that is covered with our stuff and the swing and bouncer are in that area too.
This is where we keep all our food in the kitchen.This is another area in the dinning room.This is our coat rack.The book shelf has been converted to an area to keep important papers, books, and toys.This is right by the front windows where we keep diapers, diaper bags, and blankets.Christmas in the making.Paul's and Peter's closet.Paul's bed.Peter's bed.Clothes on the floor. Now please don't get me wrong. We try to keep the house clean and organized, especially since it is not our house. Ed keeps his house clean and organized. We are very grateful to Ed for letting us bring our stuff into his house and make a mess of it. This is just what happens when you have 3 families living in the same house.

It Is Snowing

They were calling for snow and it actually happened!!! Can you believe that they can get it right once in awhile. The snow has been very exciting for us. I loved it when it snowed up in the mountains. Hopefully it will continue to snow and give us a few inches. I am so glad that I don't have to go anywhere today (I already ran my errands). I can stay home and relax with the boys in the nice warm house. The boys are fighting colds so we have not wandered out to much the past couple of days.
This is it snowing in the backyard. It was just starting to snow.

This is it snowing lightly in the front yard. As I was taking the second movie the wind picked up and started to blow snow in my direction. I was standing in the doorway with the door open and it blew in my face. I don't know if it will continue to snow and give us some inches. It is snowing off and on and very lightly. It is so beautiful to see the snow on the mountains (yes, they are covered with clouds) and on all the pine trees and bushes. Thank you God for the beautiful snow!

Some Exciting News

WE OWN A HOUSE IN COLORADO SPRINGS!!!!!
I have been waiting a long time to say that (about 4 months). The owner decided to except our offer and we will be buying the house. There is going to be alot of work needed on the house, but it is so cute and it fits us so well. Its a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, with a BIG backyard. I can't wait to take pictures so that all of you can see it. My parents plans are to finish the basement into a bedroom, laundry room, and bathroom for them to live downstairs. The rest of us will be upstairs. Like I said the windows, carpet, sinks, dishwasher, and painting will probably be done before we move in. I wish we could start the process now so that we could move in sooner. I would like to be living there around Thanksgiving. I am so ready to have my own house. We are out growing this house (mostly because someone is already living there). It will also be nice to be able to hang up clothes, get organized, and have everything we need when we need it. It is also hard when you are planning for things (such as my dad's birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas), there is just not alot of room to put things (especially when they don't have their own place and are put into piles). We feel very blessed that Ed did not mind us staying for so long, but we would like to give him his house back. It is hard to work around someone else (especially when its their home). It has been a challenge because of all the work he is having done on his house. Thank you for all your prayers concerning the house. We really appreciate it. God bless you all.

My Popcorn Muncher

Paul loves popcorn. He LOVES popcorn. Whenever we make popcorn, we make sure that we save him some. We put some in a bowl for him and he loves to sit down and eat it. It is so cute to see him enjoying it that much. Here is a movie of him eating popcorn.

We Have Started Them Early

It has been busy around here with the shop and getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We all have been buying stuff and wrapping like crazy (we already used up 6 rolls of wrapping paper!). I had wrapped some presents for the boys for my mom and put them up in the bedroom that they are staying in. Paul found them and loves to take them out and pass them around and even shake a few. He loves going into that room (especially since he knows where they are now) and playing with all the boxes. I am looking forward to having him more interactive in Christmas now that he is older. Last Christmas he did not do much with the presents. Peter is also having fun, learning from his brother's example. It seems weird to see how quickly the second child learns compared to the first. Peter loves to grap at the gifts and pull off the bows. He even has been tearing the wrapping paper! I can't wait until they are old enough to understand what Christmas is all about and the interaction of everything (presents, decorating, the tree, Christmas lights, and everything). Here are some movies of them with the presents.

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P.S. The update on the house is that the owner counter-offered to us for $2,000 less than the asking price. We counter-offered with $220,000. I should know more the beginning of this week. Please pray that we would know God's will concerning this house and that we would make the right decision about it

Family Fun

I bought this cute cooking set at the Dollar Tree. I could not pass it up. It was for Paul and he loves to play with the cooking utensils, but I can't get him to wear the hat and apron (at least for very long). So we put it on Peter and it looked just as cute.

My First Hat!!

Since I have learned how to crochet, I have always wanted to make a hat. Well, to say the least I have never been successful. The patterns seemed to hard and it was difficult to do one without the pattern. Today I was able to make my first hat. It was easy and it fit! I am making hat and scarf sets for Christmas. This one is for Joshua.

Update On What's Happening

Well, yesterday we had the inspector out to see this new house. There are quite a lot of little things that need to be fixed on the house. We already knew that we would need to replace the window, but we thought that we could do that later on down the road. If everything when well, we were going to re-carpet and paint the upstairs bedrooms before moving in. My parents were going to finish the basement with a bedroom and a bathroom where they would be living. It turns out that some of the sinks in the bathroom are going to need to be replaced and that the window have condensation in them and are rotted, so they are going to need to be placed right away. We have a counter-offer into the seller and we are waiting to see what the owner has to say. We are hoping that they will help us with some of the repairs or that he will drop the price, so we would have money to fix up the house (if we decide to buy it). We will have to hire out for most of this work because we won't have the time. It has been hard not to get discouraged about this happening to every house we have looked at. I know that God will lead us to the right house, but I am so ready to get into a house. Please pray for patience on our part and that God's will will be done for finding the perfect house. I will post more later when I know more.