Home Improvement

We have been doing some repairs slowly on the house and this time we decided to replace some of the carpet in the hallway and kitchen area. The carpet was getting ready bad in these areas as they are high traffic areas. My dad and Joshua did all the work and the boys had a great time helping. It took us all weekend to complete this BIG project. The kitchen looks alot bigger and its nice because you don't have to take off your shoes if you are working outside and need something inside because you don't have to worry about getting the carpet dirty.

Daddy Time

The boys love it when Joshua comes home from work. They get to do things with Joshua that I can't do with them. They also seem to have more energy when Daddy comes home as well.

Christmas Lights

We finally got all the lights put up and it was a warm day. Paul and Peter had fun playing outside and looking at the lights and the new snowman we just got. Then after dinner, we took the kids out to look at the lights on the house. The kids loved to look at the lights. Paul can't wait to go out in the car and look at lights on all the different houses.

Grandpa Bill Comes To Visit

Joshua's dad came from California to visit us and to see Stella. We are so glad to have him visiting us. The boys were so excited about his coming and kept asking when he was going to get here (he drove and it took him two days). Thanks for coming to visit us and all the special memories. Here are some pictures of Grandpa Bill, Daddy, and boys reading devotionals before bed.

The Boys' First Airplane Ride

Joshua took the boys on their first airplane ride a few weeks ago. Joshua wants to fly again so much, but it costs alot of money (and that doesn't come easy when you have alot of kids). At first the boys were scared, but Paul enjoyed getting to ride in a "real" airplane. Here are some pictures that Joshua took. I was not there.

Peter and Daddy

Peter Hangs On

Peter has such upper body strength that he often hangs onto our arms and will hang there, even when we lift him up. Here is a movie of Peter hanging onto Joshua.

Joshua and boys

The boys love it when Joshua pulls out the violin. They each take turns playing it and you should see the smiles on their faces. They were playing the violin for Grandma Cathy (Joshua's mom) who came out to see us.

Family Fun Day

On Joshua's day off, we took the boys and Stella to the playground close by the shop. They had so much fun playing (the boys did). It was a beautiful day to be outside and it was nice to spend time as a family. Here are some pictures of our outing.

Firewood

My dad bought permits for us to get wood from one of the forest around here. We love to be able to have a fire in our fireplace during the winter. My dad and Joshua woke up early to get a good start so that they could come back and go to work. They were both sore after the first day. The boys loved to watch them unpack the wood and even helped carry the wood in their dump trucks. They love to help with different things. Here are some pictures and movies that I took.

Rockets

Another yard sale find. My parents brought these home for the boys (that includes Joshua :)). Paul and Peter had fun learning how to use them. It was sure cute to see Paul trying to jump on the pad to make the rocket go.

Our Fourth of July

Our fourth of July started with us getting ready to go to church. We had a nice service, in which Stella slept the whole time. Then we headed home and made lunch and ate together as a family. We were all super tired and decided to take naps. After getting up, we all headed out the door to a picnic that our church was having. It was really nice to get to talk to more people and get to know them. The boys had fun playing ball and football and bubbles. The weather was not too hot and it cooled off when the sun was going down. We stayed for a couple of hours and then went back home and the boys were able to play out in the front. They sure did go to bed good for all the exercise they got. We did not go and see the fireworks that night (when you become a parent going to be at a good time sounds great :)). We hope you all had a great 4th of July.
P.S. The dessert I made for us to have after lunch. It turned out great and was easy to make.