From Our Home to Yours

May you all feel the love of God this Christmas day and throughout the New Year!

Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Now THAT is good news!!

Merry Christmas!

Our Day

We have had the best week.  I do have to say that even though working full time does bring with it a lot of hustle and bustle and rough patches here and there, these breaks are so refreshing to simply enjoy the little things.  Getting to walk Cameron into school, being there at the bus stop, not rushing bed time and enjoying simply waking up and staying home has been so relaxing and fun.  We have done a little bit of everything...daycare(yes, mommy takes a day for herself to get things done--one of the perks of having an established daycare!), baking, playing, organizing, shopping, wrapping and family time just to name a few! Here is a snapshot of a day in the life of Christmas break.....

The first fun part of my day was waking up with these 2 handsome and oh so big boys!

(NOW they decide to sit nice to one another and both smile AFTER the Christmas cards have been mailed!)

We were going to go decorate cookies later in the day so I thought it would be fun to make some cookies and memories with the boys and make some to bring along!  Oh dear.  By the time we were done flour was all over them(and I only made them from a bag!), Haiden had way too many nibbles of dough and Cameron wanted to play with the dough.  Sweating mother?  Yes!

Yes, I know what you may be thinking!!  No, I do not have any cookie cutters so I had to improvise.  And after this escapade,  I will hold off putting them on my Christmas list!  Cameron did really well with cutting them out as long as Haiden did not bug him ;)

Showing me his taste test and being the ham he is!

Cameron at work while little man tries to sneak another little piece of the dough..can you see his little finger?!

Then we made a fun fort....over and over again ;)

We ran a few last minute errands and then went to meet Daddy for lunch at Logan's!

Going out to eat is finally starting to become more enjoyable and to the point where Tor and I can actually carry on a conversation(while still trying to hide the salt, pepper and knives from Haiden!)

Then it was off to our annual cookie decorating with the Vruggink cousins.

Concentrating very hard on his creation!  Not sure where the cookie is on his plate?  I think it might be the big white blob?!  I was too occupied with this one.....

Notice the trend in our cooking today?  More tasting then doing!  Oh this child keeps me busy!! 

We watched a Christmas movie before bed(where I actually sat down with them to watch instead of unpacking and packing bags or making lunches) and then I got to tackling wrapping!

Somehow the husband was with me but was doing this...

(I quick snapped this and he asked if I was going to put it on here..ha!) And please pay no attention to my messy house in the background...more on that to come!)

And 3 and a half hours later(while watching my own non-animated Christmas movie)....

And with 3 days to spare ;)

Oldies but Goodies

Life shall we say has been a little busy lately.  This time of year does add a sense of "extra busyness" and lately I have been trying to tell myself to slow down.  I have not enjoyed just being with my boys nor have I taken the time to meditate more on what the true meaning this season brings.  I live in THE blessing because of the miracle of Jesus and the sacrifice of a God who loves me beyond measure.  I have life in abundance, to the full, till it overflows.  It's this I have been trying to remind myself of instead of the to-do lists that never seems to end.

So, in this busyness that has tried to push out the enjoyment of everyday life, I have not taken many pictures of things!  But here are some oldies but goodies of life with my boys.

I took this picture of the finished masterpiece the day we put it up.  Cameron was very into putting ALL the ornaments in the tub up(which means some that should have been donated or disposed of a long time ago!)  He did a great job placing them all in one spot--ha!  I did manage to get a few up higher ;)   I love it.

This is a nightly adventure in our house--wrestling.  Have I posted this picture before?!  The boys LOVE to wrestle.  And yes, usually someone gets hurt and there are usually some tears but not for long.  Cameron tries to get me to wrestle and he says he'll go soft on me!  Wonder where he heard that from?!

The other weekend we went to Chucky Cheese for the first time.  The boys LOVED it!  I did not get many pictures.  I was working up a sweat trying to keep with with Haiden and stopping him from sticking the coins in the wrong slots.

Second attempt on a Christmas card photo.  This session actually went better and we did get a pretty good shot.  This one came in a close second but that obviously is not Cameron's natural smile ;)

  I hope you all are able to take more than one moment to just give presence this season and enjoy the abundance of blessings all around you everyday--are you looking for them?  I am trying to!

A Hunting We Will Go!

What a glorious few days we have had here in the Vruggink household!  A fabulous Thanksgiving with both sides of the family, play time, catch up time, rest time, shopping time and just all in all a great time.  We decided to keep up the excitement and head out hunting for our Christmas tree!  Last year was my very first year with a real tree and I was not all that amused with the constant dropping of pine needles as soon as we brought it in the house up until we took it out.  It was pre-cut, so Tor talked me in to trying to cut one fresh this year.  At first I was a little disappointed because I was not seeing "the one".

Haiden decided he needed to bring a long a saw like daddy and he was right behind him not wanting to miss his chance to help!  It was so cute to see him strutting all over looking for a tree with a little plastic saw!

He pretty much tried to saw anything he could reach!

And of course Cameron is not into the toy saws anymore and just thinks he needs to use what Daddy does.

After about 20 minutes of "what about this one?" and "this one might work but look over there" and "this one is to fat/short/thin/pokey" we found our Christmas tree...the perfect one!

It was a quick chop down(after Haiden got to "saw" it, a few photo ops, a dropped camera case in sap, then Cameron's turn to saw and a relocation of where Haiden explored off to--ha!) and we headed back(a LONG way) back to the van.  Cameron was the photo man(not the most centered pic above but I guess this is what an almost 6 year old sees!) and Haiden tagged along at the top hanging on to his saw and the very tippy top branch of the tree(you know, where the star goes--not sure if it has a name and if it does I cannot think of it!)  Anyway, it was too cute but between stops for me to switch arms, let Haiden catch back on and Cameron(well, he actually kept up pretty good on this trip) I did not get a pic of him.

It was a great day to get a tree and we got it up and in the house before the rain came.  The lights are on(I am so in love with colored lights for trees now that I have kids!!) and the ornaments are in the box ready to be put on tomorrow!  Hopefully pictures of the finished product will be up soon after, but seriously, no promises for this blog lately!

And so far....no needles to pick up ;)

Sign and Seal

This is what happens when you turn your back on a 2 and a half year old...

 

I guess he was reliving his sign and seal at baptism..pretty good, huh?!

Take 2, and 3, and 4, and.......

Today was a beautiful day! We decided to take advantage of a warm fall day and head out hiking with Torrey's family after church.

So, I thought to myself what a great opportunity to get a jump start on our Christmas card photo. Beautiful scenery, we're outdoors which suits our family and we had oodles of entertainment to help capture the attention and muster up some super smiles from the boys.
We knew a great spot on the trails and got all set up. Scenery-check. Both boys still not full of mud-check. Entertainment-check. We are all dressed and somewhat decent-check.

And this is what I got.
Take 1. Seriously. Haiden was being silly back to the behind the scenes entertainment.

Take 2. Nice.

Take 3. "Haiden, we are not doing a silly picture anymore. Let's take a good one quick and we'll see if Grandpa has a treat in his bag." Yes, we bribe. Hey, we're talking our Christmas card here!

Take 4. Ugh. Haiden was already trying to get down to get his treat and Cameron, well, that's Cameron.

Take 5.....and we're done. And I didn't show takes 5-10. Not any better.
**sigh**

The Best

The {2} best parts of my day yesterday.....

Having some one on one time with this favorite little person helping me make some muffins.

And then getting to see this in the afternoon...
I was able to get Cameron from the bus stop! As funny as it may sound it was THE highlight of my day!
He thought it was pretty cool, too!
This teacher mommy LOVES days off!

Teachers Really Do Make A Difference

Cameron really likes school. He's never been one to choose to sit and do something "academic" or even coloring and crafts. And oh how I have tried. Working with him this summer to get him on track for Kindergarten was interesting and a lot of bribing took place. Lately, I have seen such a turn around in him. He is showing interest in the world of letters, sounds, reading, counting, measuring and writing. I can't tell you how it makes this mommy teacher heart happy. And the smile on his face when he reads word.....precious.

Everyday I look through his folder and ask him about his day. At first there was not much to hear about other than he had 3 recesses again and to please not pack peanut butter and jelly ;) But lately he has been so excited to share about all the things in his folder.
The other night he was particularly proud of this page where made words by sounding them out(cat, mat, sat). He was so excited to be able to read them and tell us about the rocket he drew on another page and how he did the dot to dot all by himself! He even kept talking about his day at dinner. Yes! Breakthrough!
And then, the best part. We were downstairs as the boys were riding bikes. Cameron spotted a big old box and asked if he could get the markers. Thinking it would be some fun entertainment as he(and of course then, Haiden too) colored I could get a quick run in. Little did I know that he wanted to write words!! He started sounding out the words that he learned that day. He was so proud of what he was doing...sounding out and writing real words! I saw the excitement and smile and decided this was going to be WAY more fun than a run. So, I sat on the basement floor next to him and we made words! It was so much fun. I helped him think of words, even a 1st grade word....flat ;) Of course I had to snag some pictures. Here is the impact of just one of the many ways his teacher is making a difference in the life and learning of my little boy.
And to top it off not bad fine motor skills for writing them like he was writing on a whiteboard! Pretty good Mrs. Sloothaak don't you think?! The "mer" was his sound spelling of mirror. ha!

Out of all the words he wrote, this one by far captured my heart.....
Having this time with Cameron, seeing how much of an impact just one day, one lesson, one moment can have on a child has me challenged me in my own life in the classroom. What am I doing to enrich and challenge my kids in my room? How are my actions and words making a difference in their lives on a daily basis? Am I making a difference? Do they see my passion and love for learning, teaching and desire to see them happy, safe and cared for? Many times I simply don't know. But what I am learning through the eyes and ears of Cameron is that I have at my fingertips daily moments to make a difference in the life of every child in my classroom. What gives me hope that I made a difference, is that I can see it in Cameron and strive to make writing words on a box the hilite of the day for a child in my room. I love what I do. I love that I can be a mom, and finally see that teachers do really make a difference.

All about Tools and BIG NEWS!

My boys are all about tools. Not the toy ones. Those are "no fun". We're talking the tools that daddy uses. The ones they should not be left alone with and that some might consider dangerous for little boys to play with. Us, well, their a part of our day. Especially the ones that turn on and have something sharp(and why this is I do not know?)!

And when you get the chance to take things apart with said tools and use them all by yourself, it's loads of entertainment.
Last weekend(you know, when it was pretending to be summer again!), Cameron and Haiden were entertained with this old jeep that does not work (and Mommy can't seem to get rid of the clunky thing out of our already overflowing mess of toys!)
Looking for just the right spot to clip.


Little brother of course had to get in on the tool action. And please pay no attention to the fact that he has winter boots on! A battle not worth fighting, but at times I have serious worries about what our neighbors think the way Haiden is attired at moments!

And then when you add to the tools an actual project with Daddy and Grandpa Vruggink, you have a little piece of heaven for these two!
We finally got our front doors hung up this weekend. They turned out okay. I will have to see what I can find at Hobby Lobby to add some pizazz to them, but they look a little blah. And by pizazz I mean something to hang over the doors that is multi-seasonal. Remember, no crafty lady lives here! So no pictures of the blahness. But here is some cuteness at work!

Both boys eagerly searching for something that the tools could be used for!

HA! How many Vruggink's does it take to hang a door?! Many hands make the job easier, right!? Of course with these little hands you have to be on your toes so that they don't cut something a little too quick ;)

And now for the BIG NEWS!!! Are you curious? Cameron can now say.........


"I can curl my tongue!"
Seriously this boy has been trying this for SO long. And now with every bit of concentration and as deep as breath as possible, he can do it! All. Day. Long. And every time he accomplishes this feat it's like it's the first time because someone has to look or he needs to run and find something he can see himself in.
Now seriously, the 3 of you who read my blog did not think any type of preggo announcement was coming, did you! HA! That's not going to happen, but I thought it would be fun to tease:)

Whirlwind

When I looked at the date of my last post I laughed out loud! Simply put, it has been a whirlwind of activity of things at this household. From taking a little mini vacation a few weekends ago, catching up from being away for only one night(yikes!), Wednesday night church starting(where I TRY to teach 3 and 4 year old's about Jesus--it's quite comical), reading with Cameron...yes he is becoming a reader!!, playing outside in this beautiful weather while it lasts, trying with every last bit of energy to exercise, packing lunches, bags and trying to enjoy every moment of it all, has to say the least, consuming my time.

So as the boys actually sleep in this morning, here are some pics as a quick recap. Hopefully as life becomes more routine, I can keep up with the happenings in this life of mine!

Attempt to get a fun picture of my boys. Ha! This makes me laugh! I guess this captures real life, though!
We took a last minute mini vaca to Cabela's. We headed out early Saturday morning(basically got the boys out of bed, changed them and gave them breakfast in the van!) and came back Sunday evening. It was a perfect little time away. We spent some time in Cabela's but the boys had the most fun at the hotel. They got to sleep in bunk beds, open the door with a card(why is that SO fun for kids) run in the halls of he hotel and play in the water park! It is so much easier the older Haiden gets!
I can't tell you how many times he went down this slide!
Why go down the normal way!?
Ha! These 2 are hilarious! And yes they have suckers to keep them entertained! I had fun walking around with them while Daddy looked for his new gun! This is one store they actually liked being in too and didn't ask to leave!

After our apple orchard adventure, we took on the task of making applesauce! One of those time consuming, messy and not much to show for it things that we have fun doing!
Just look at the concentration!
And the tongue adds some added strength!

And now the boys are awake! So no time to proofread this one!
Time to start our Saturday!

School Pictures

Cameron had his school pictures taken this week so I thought it would be a fun idea to try to capture a quick pic myself just because he was looking so handsome ;)

Well, he wanted some gel to put in his hair. Not a big deal until little brother decides he needs some too. I got at Cameron and Daddy got Haiden. Daddy forgot how little gel you actually need to make a cute statement.
Then Haiden of course needed to get in on the picture. So, my fun idea turned into this....

Nice. So let's quick try again.

Good thing these 2 are cute.
Guess it's the most I can expect from them at 7:15 AM ;)

That Face

Isn't is funny how when some kids watch TV they get that face of total "tuned outness"?! Well, my boys get that face ;) And as I was watching them tonight I felt I needed to capture the moment. So here are my boys' TV faces ;)

Crinkled brow....this must have been during a critical moment in the movie!


Totally zoned out.

One Last Adventure

Last Thursday we packed up and headed out for one last adventure to CranHill Ranch. This time it was just us and Torrey's mom and dad. And although the weather was not ideal, we still did all that a fabulous weekend of camping can bring(I did not get more pictures of us eating ice cream, holding the bunnies, taking baths or playing at the beach, though:)) But I did get......

one last picture of our summer home...ha! Notice the big blue and gray tarps to block the wind and rain, nice hillbilly look, huh! But it's cozy and we like it ;)

One last "biggest catch" ever.....

one last morning cup of coffee by the fire......

one last kayak ride(amid a few rain drops!)

one last s'more(not sure why his hair is wet and wild in this one!?)

one last slide down the sand hill....

and one last picture of Cameron's first REAL day of Kindergarten. HA! Can you feel his excitement of yet another picture!
One last great family vacation for the summer!
School......we're ready!