Just For Fun :)

Mason, 11 Months

So i'm a bit late on this post (as usual!).  Mason turned 11 months on the 10th. ELEVEN months!!!  So hard to believe that a year has passed since we were anxiously awaiting his arrival!

He has changed so much over the last month, and he still doesn't sleep through the night.  We're working on that.

He eats pretty much whatever we do and his favorite food is still butter toast.  And oh, that hair...I think we're going to go with the mohawk look until it grows out some!  He has that one thick piece that grows right down the middle!

He cruises around the furniture, can reach onto the dining table, and is constantly taking the batteries out of the TV remote!  Not long ago I downloaded a baby app on my iPhone to keep him happy during a car ride.  He now thinks the phone belongs to him so I have to hide it quite a bit.

The train runs in front of our house a few times a day, so since he was tiny we'd hear it coming and say "choo choo".  Last month he started saying it!!  Now we run over to the window to watch it go by and he gets so excited.  Last night we heard it coming and he crawled really fast over to the window, squeeling the whole way!  Maybe one day i'll be ready with the video camera!  He also calls the kitties, and will repeat juice and eat if we say it to him.  And of course DaDa alot, but MaMa every now and then.

Natalie taught him to point at things and now he does that a lot!  He still loves books and will entertain himself for quite a while with one!

He has cut 6 teeth over the past 3 weeks, so he now has 8!  I love how much they change once the top teeth are in!

When we were in MS, Aunt Suzanne gave him this little toy that plays music.  He loves it!!

At church there is a toy that has a door and fun activities on it, but it's on the toddler side--blocked off from the babies.  Mason got to play with one at a friend's house and I noticed him watching the 'big' babies playing with it at church, so Grammy got him this barn for Christmas!  He loves it!

I just thought this one was cute :)

He will sit and stack these blocks on the sofa or table...they are really neat with lots of cute details on them!

That's about all I can think of....our next update will be ONE YEAR!! 

If Mama Ain't Planning!

Last week I had the privilege of reviewing a new daily planner and devotional by Anitra M. Elmore.  I was thrilled since I have been on the lookout for a planner as well as a simple daily devotional for women--what better than having the two combined?  I will go ahead and tell you that Anitra had Moms in mind when creating this, no doubt!

This is a set that you will print from your home printer and can place in a binder or even take to your local office supply store and have it spiral bound!  I love cute things so I printed mine on this fun polka dot paper that I got at a dollar store!  Isn't it cute?  The printing instructions are really simple to follow so it should be a breeze for anyone to do.

I like that when I scan my to-do list I also see the key bible verse that i've chosen to memorize.  I struggle with getting up and starting my day and not taking the time to do my devotions first thing (and sometimes at all!), so having a clear plan right in front of me is great.  I look at my calendar daily so am easily reminded to open God's Word!   It's also nice to have a spot for my menu each day, as well as my "must-do's" and "might-do's".  I think I could use an entire book for that last one!

Each month Mrs. Elmore has given a prayer focus.  For January the focus is Righteousness, and I highlighted something she says in the opening page for the month:  "if mama isn't righteous, on the right track, doing the right things, she's creating an unnecessary mess for those she's been blessed to care for."

Amen!!

Here's what you'll find inside:

 12 monthly devotional articles
 12 month at-a-glance calendars

 52 week at-a-glance calendars

 A prayer focus for each month

 A spiritual habit for each month

 3 key memory verses per month

 Reflect, Project and Connect each month

 Space for what you must do and might do

 Space for daily meal planning

 Space for weekly goals

 Print all at once or one month at a time

 Supplemental pages added to the website regularly

I will say that i'm not sure about all of the printing and then taking it to be bound (so i'd probably keep it in a binder), but for everything included the price of $9.99 is a great one! 

*this planner was provided in exchange for a review through Mama Buzz.

If Mama Ain’t Planning, 2010: Daily Devotional Planner

Format: e-book

Price: $9.99

Available at: If Mama Ain’t Planning!

Affiliate Program also available!

Yep, he's tying flies!

Yep, Ben is learning to fly ties :).  Honestly, i'd be happy just buying them from the fly master himself, but Ben is really enjoying this.  I couldn't believe that this year he didn't even get a hunting license--he's so focused on fishing!  He even said that he'll be taking a few days off starting March 1 (the date that you can actually KEEP what you catch!).

Ben's New Hobby

Can anyone guess what it is?  Becki and Denise, you aren't allowed to guess :)

The One Year Devotional for Preschoolers 2

When we were asked to review the new One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2, I knew that we would most likely love it as much as the first...and we do! The illustrations are brightly colored and fun for kids, helping them to see the beauty in God's creation on each page.

There is one devotion for each day of the year, paired with a bible verse that relates to the topic. These are just the right length for a preschool child to sit and listen to without losing interest, and each one is written at a level that is easy to understand. This isn't intented to replace a child's bible, but rather supplement biblical themes and stories, providing a tool for parents to explore God's Word with their child. Natalie (almost 6) still loves for us to read hers on occasion and once she is reading independently I don't doubt that she'll sit and read them on her own!

Title: The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2
by Carla Barnhill; illustrated by Elena Kucharik
Age range: 3-6 years old
Publisher: Tyndale
Price: $14.99 (hardcover)

This is a review for Mama Buzz. This book was provided free in exchange for a review.

New Year, New Goals?

My word it's hard to get back into the swing of things after taking almost 3 weeks off from school! We have enjoyed the break (me mostly) but I am excited to get back into a little bit of a routine!

Today started with a visit to the dentist first thing (what a way to start off!) and Natalie did amazing! So she earned the day off :)

Our only goal for the month is to get onto a good schedule/routine. It's going to take a lot of work from all of us, but i'm pretty sure we can do it!

Unless we freeze first, because it's barely 20 degrees outside! Brrrrr...

We had a great --really quiet-- Christmas this year! We went to church on Christmas Eve, then attempted to get the kids in bed at a decent time so that Santa could make his rounds. Apparently we got them in bed too early, because they had us up at 4am!!!!! Needless to say, that was a very long day!

Mason on Christmas Eve

Wyatt and Natalie got some cool label makers! It didn't take Natalie long to have one on her door that says "only natalie"

Not sure what Santa was thinking, but apparently Wyatt has wanted a whoopie cushion for a long time. I was pleased that it busted not long after this :)

Mason got a sofa that he loves!!

I can't believe I didn't get more pictures than this. I think I must have been half asleep for most of the day!