Playing around the house...

Isaac still loves playing with his wooden train set. He has become much more imaginative lately, so he makes sounds and pretends when he is playing. This particular day, he took one of his trains and "towed" it on top of another train.


Elise enjoys playing with anything that she can open and close or put things in. If she can open it and put something in it, so much the better. Bags, purses, or Mr Potato Head, it doesn't matter. Here she is with the Potato:

Elise's favorite song

Elise's favorite song right now is "Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher. It all started with Steven playing it a few times on the guitar because Isaac requested to hear it after he'd listened to it on the radio. Over the summer, it's become Elise's most requested song at naptime and bedtime. Sometimes we sing it together as a family and other times Steven or I sing it to her a capella. When she wants to hear it, she says, "Haa 'bout Tys is risen from duh ded?" ("How about "Christ is Risen from the Dead"?) It is super cute to hear her say it. She can also sing most of it herself or along with us if she's in a singing mood.

It amazes me that this is her favorite song because it is not a simple song. It has lots of words and explains the core principles of our faith. We pray that this song stays in her heart and the truth of it goes with her throughout her life. Here are the words:

Christ is Risen
by Matt Maher

Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love

And bled for us
Freely You've bled for us

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but Heaven's will
No scheme of Hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold You down

In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night

Sing it, o death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead, He's alive, He's alive

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Here is the video of the song:

Sweet little girl!

Elise at 22 months.

Fun in the backyard!

Isaac and Elise love playing outside. Lately they have really enjoyed playing together in our backyard. They are really growing into the playset that we got at the end of last summer. They can both climb the steps to get to the playhouse and then come down the slide. They also love to dig in the mulch, play with ride-on toys in the yard, and push dolls on the swings. Currently there is a Simba doll and a baby doll in our backyard who enjoyed being pushed in the swings this morning. Here are some pictures I got of the kids outside last week:

Elise is eating her snack on the table under the playhouse:



Isaac in the playhouse:


Look how big he is!!! He has grown so much since last summer!


I am so thankful that we've had some milder weather lately and they have been able to play outside. There's nothing like hearing the sound of little ones running around, laughing, and having a blast!

Ice cream for breakfast?

Lately, Isaac has been going downstairs to get a snack while Steven and I get ready in the morning. He usually gets raisins or cereal, but a couple weeks ago, we found him downstairs with this:



And then his little sister joined in the fun...



Needless to say, we didn't let them have only ice cream for breakfast. We did, however, let them get as much as they could stuff in their mouths while we took these pictures. :)

Family Zoo Trip

Last Saturday, Steven, the kids and I took a drive to Asheboro to visit the NC Zoo. It was totally on a whim; we just woke up, had a leisurely morning and then decided we wanted to do something fun as a family. Steven suggested the zoo, and pretty soon afterward, we were on our way! We had a great time walking through the zoo (drinking lots of water and orangeade along the way because it was hot!) and seeing lions, giraffes, elephants, chimpanzees, and more. The kids seemed to really enjoy themselves. The biggest hit was when we got to see the chimpanzees being fed. After they got their food, they came near where we were watching and ate their snacks right in front of us. Isaac studied the chimps for a long time before saying, "He looks like he has a flum on his foot!" (Flum is how Isaac pronounces the word "thumb". It is too cute!) And indeed, the chimp did look like his big toe was actually a thumb!

Apparently the chimps intrigued Steven so much that he decided we had to see Planet of the Apes that night. It just made sense. So, we did. We got home, our babysitter came over, and we headed out for date night with the Apes. Pretty incredible movie, and a perfect ending to a great day. :)

Latest sayings...

Isaac is always saying something funny! Here are some things he's said lately:

While getting out of the shower, Isaac said, "Shampoo. That's funny! Sham-poop! Hahaha!"

After we drove by Steven's childhood home, Isaac said, "Daddy, was that where you used to live? Then you got too big?" (because I had told Isaac a while back that Daddy lived in that house when he was little.

Steven took Isaac and our nephew BJ to the Carolina Panthers' Fan Fest this past Saturday. Isaac asked why they weren't able to go on the field. Steven told him that the Panthers needed to practice, so the fans weren't able to go on the field. Isaac said, "No, those are not the Panthers! We are the Panthers and we need to go down on the field!"

Elise also has been talking a lot more lately. Here's some of the things we've heard her say:

"I wone Idee!" wone = want; Idee = Isaac

"I wone Lay-dee [her Lady and the Tramp stuffed dog] and Dog [another stuffed dog] and bane-tee [blanket]"

"I wone my pappy!"

"Pop-si-taw" = popcorn

"Peese" = please

"I ready eat!"

"I wone read."

"Haw bout??" As in "Haw bout book?" "Haw bout song?"

Sweet siblings.

Awwww!

Elise in the sink

While I was out of town a couple weeks ago, at the Thirty-One national conference, Steven sent me this picture of Elise. This is how he found her one night when she had a couple minutes to wander into the bathroom and get into some mischief:


Maybe she was ready for a bath and decided to take it into her own hands!

2011 Beach Trip: Heading Home

We thought this was a sign that we should stay an extra week...


Yes, this picture was taken from our van on our way home. We had never seen a boat in the road like this. It was one of those times when you feel really sorry for the guy who owns the boat, but it's so crazy that you get your camera out and take a picture. ;)

2011 Beach Trip: Last Day

Here are Isaac and Elise on our last full day at the beach. You can see their passion for life and love for the ocean in these pictures. They were so fun to watch!!












These kids are SO fun! We are thankful for another awesome trip with them. Each year it's a new adventure, with new joys and new experiences, and this year included it all. Lots of laughs, songs, playtime, good eatin', sleep, and just being together. Priceless.