Visitors from Denver

In September we were very excited to have our good friends from Denver come for a visit.  The boys were very excited.  We had 4 adults and 9 children in our house for 3 days.  Sadly, I didn't get many pictures.  I guess this means the Melius family will have to come out for a visit again so we can rectify that. You can catch a few more pictures on Jan's blog, here.

 The boys and Anna playing Zingo.  It was a very loud and crazy game.

 The boys.

We all had a lot of fun and can't wait to see our friends again.

Denver Fun

Yet again I will remind you that I didn't take many pictures in Denver.  But that doesn't mean we didn't have tons of fun.  It is always fun with the Melius clan.  I don't think we realized how much we missed our friends until we were able to spend time with them again.

The night we came into town, we had a little get-together with some of our other friends in the Denver area.  Unfortunately time did not allow us to see all of our friends.  But we thoroughly enjoyed the friends we did get to see.  I was having way too much fun catching up with everyone that I didn't take my camera out once.  Check out Jan's blog for the pics from that night.

After doing VBS every morning we were all pooped.  But that didn't keep us from having some fun by the pool.

 Gus was so tired he couldn't keep his eyes opened.

Then there was also the night we took all the kids out for Pizza at BeauJo's.  With 4 hungry adults and 9 hungry kids, it could have been a disaster of an outing but it was absolutely fantastic!  We happened to go on family night, so there was a magician there who entertained the kids while we waited for the pizza.  But, yet again, you have to go to Jan's blog to check things out.

VBS in Denver

I find it utterly amazing that it has only been a little over a week since we arrived home from our trip and I've already been through pictures from the first leg of our trip.  I guess it helps that I didn't take very many pictures while we were in Denver.  Why should I?  We were visiting Jan and her family and she always has her camera ready.  She also takes WAY better pictures than I do.  So I'll post my pics and refer to her blog for the rest.

In the midst of planning this big trip, Jan called me and asked if I would teach music for their VBS while I was in town.  I had no idea they planned the week of VBS around the time we were going to be there.  I feel completely honored.  I think we should make it a tradition.  And even though the kids kicked me to the curb and had Hans take my place, I still feel honored that the folks at Mt. Zion still remember us and love us.

Since we couldn't get there in time for Monday, a nice young lady took my place and taught music.  We managed to make it to the church at the end of the VBS day and I heard from a couple of kids that they were excited for music the next day.  I was happy.  My ego was a bit inflated.  However, Tuesday morning rolled around and Jan was going to be thrifting with a friend and I really wanted to go.  So my wonderful husband offered to take my spot as the music teacher.  He said the day went well, but was more than ready to hand over the reigns.  I went into teach the next day and fielded 682 complaints from 35 students about the lack of a certain "funny guy" music man.  I was no good.  I wasn't funny.  My normal awesome teaching tricks and hit songs failed.  My ego deflated.  Thus, I fired myself and handed the music back over to the funny guy for the rest of the week.  The kids were overjoyed.  Don't feel bad for me though.  I got to go shopping with my friend while the music man had kids hanging all over him.

Hans was so focused on teaching that he neglected to notice Anders climbing the communion rail.

 The Wise Man Built His House Upon The Rock was a big hit.  Even with Anders...who is still on the wrong side of the railing.

The kids especially loved the part of the song when the rain came down and the floods came up.  While I would sing this in a normal voice, with actions, while sitting, Hans took it to a new level singing about the rain coming down in a very low voice and the floods coming up in a very high voice.  The song will never be the same.

And this is where my pictures end.  Take a look at Jan's blog to see more VBS photos.

Decorating Cookies

Jan and I decided to decorate cookies with the kids again this year.  The kids always have so much fun, and the moms do too.  I have just a few pictures, but you can check out Jan's blog for more pictures.

John actually decorated cookies this year, instead of just eating them.

This was early on in the decorating process...you can still see the table.

 

What a mess!

The kids all had a great time and the moms actually got some baking done too.

Thanksgiving Week

So, I'm a little behind.  I've been posting pretty regularly but those pictures have been on my camera or computer for awhile.  I just got these pictures off of my camera today and thought I'd better post now or Christmas would come and go before I got around to it.  I think Hans took all of these pictures after he fiddled with my camera for a few hours earlier in the day.  He is very particular about settings.  In his defense, we did buy an expensive camera and it should be used to the best of its ability.

We spent Thanksgiving day with the Melius family.  It seems we spend every holiday with the Meliuses.  We are very lucky to be in an area with several other young Lutheran Pastors and their families.  Hans and I don't remember having close relationships with other pastors' kids, so this arrangement is uncommon and very much appreciated.   You can also see some pictures on Jan's blog.

This is Gus enjoying his first feast.  He was getting fussy waiting for all of the food so we sat him down to eat about 15 minutes before the rest of us sat down.  Not to be left out, Gus was still eating when we all sat down and didn't demand to get out of his highchair until we were done.

 

 The kids all gathering around to look at the pictures Rebecca took.  She also took some movie clips and was making movies for all of the kids...this was a big hit.

Hans says there aren't enough pictures of me.  I think there are more than enough.  But, Jan also mentioned the fact that I wouldn't let her take a picture of me in her blog, so here you go.  I was watching Jan's former next door neighbor cut Jan's hair, trying to get some tips.  But I'm pretty sure Jan stays still for a haircut.  John and Gus don't know the meaning of still.

Yay, dessert.  Gus didn't get any dessert, but he was happy about watching everyone else eat it all up.

The day after Thanksgiving, Erika, Jason and their daughter Maren came to see us.  John wanted to hold Maren and Erika actually let him.  John is an old pro at holding babies since Gus has been born.  But Maren is a lot smaller than Gus was, since Gus was about the size of a toddler at birth, and Erika is a first-time mom.

John just sat there and loved on Maren and when she started to fuss he said, "Don't worry Maren, John's got you."  How sweet.

I love this picture because Maren looked pretty content being held by John, but isn't sure how she feels being held by Hans.

Halloween

John was excited about Halloween this year, but I think that is just because he gets excited easily.  He didn't remember trick or treating until we told him about it and he didn't seem to have a preference as to what he would be.  My mom sent me several Halloween costumes that she had made for my brother and me long, long ago.  John was just the right age for the scarecrow.  So, that is what John was, a scarecrow.

This is my brother and I in 1985.  I knew I was Dorothy one year for Halloween and I thought it was the same year that Mark was a scarecrow, but pictures don't lie.  Isn't Mark so cute?

My little scarecrow.

John came with me on Friday to the preschool and Kindergarten's Halloween party.  He has only been to school a couple of times, but he remembers everyone and couldn't wait to go.  He had a wonderful time and was bouncing off the walls.

sad scarecrow

Dancing

John loves to dance so it didn't take him long to bust a move.

Musical Chairs

 

  He played musical chairs this summer at VBS so he knew what to do but he kept running around and around after the music stopped.  To my surprise he made it three rounds.

Making Mummies.

 

John loved the chance to unroll toilet paper and not get yelled at.  He did a lot of unrolling, but I'm not sure how much he actually helped to wrap it around the mummy.

Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin

They blindfolded him, but didn't spin him around.  I'd say he did pretty good, how about you?

Rosie

Miss Muffet from the Butterfly Pavilion came out to teach us about spiders.  At the end of her talk the kids could hold the tarantula named Rosie.  John was very excited and didn't hesitate to take his turn.  When he held her he started laughing and said Rosie tickled him.

At lunch time the kids has a special lunch of octopus (hot dog cut in such a way that is had legs), monster snot (applesauce with green food coloring), and bloody fingers (french fries with ketchup).  Miss Renee just got finished telling the kids what was on their plate and John, who was still for the first time that day, threw up.  The two kids sitting next to him were very grossed out.

On Saturday night we went over to the Melius' house to trick or treat.  All of the kids were just so excited. It was hard to get a good pictures with them all bouncing off the walls.

Getting ready to go out trick or treating.

Checking out all of their candy.

Seriously!!!  So far we've been lucky because I put all the candy in a bowl and put in a cupboard and John has not asked about it.

After trick or treating, every time the doorbell rang, John would run up to the trick or treaters, stick out his bag and say "Trick or treat".

John and Rachel.  My mom made the Dorothy costume for me a long, long, long time ago.  Even though Mark and I weren't the scarecrow and Dorothy the same year I'm glad it worked out that these two pulled it off.

John had a great night and was bouncing off the walls by the end of the evening.  We were just thinking about heading home when John started doing a dance I'm all to familiar with, the throw up dance.  That's right, two days in a row!  No more candy or parties for this kid.

Happy Birthday John

John turns 3 today. Time sure flies, I can't believe he is that old!

On the day of his birth.


We had a birthday party for him on Sunday and his friends came over to eat and play.




He loved the Henry cake and he knew we were suppose to sing to him and then he could blow out the candles...where did he learn that?

Christmas Day

Christmas Day started off with just the three of us again. I made the danish pastry wreath that has been a tradition in my family for many years. I don't think it would be Christmas with out it. I was very nervous about making it being in high altitude, but I not only made one for us I bravely promised two of my friends pastry wreaths for their families and everyone loved them.



John got Great Gramma-jammas which he loves because they are soft and have trains on them. I love them because they fit his short legs!




After church we picked up my brother, Mark, at the airport. John was very excited to see Uncle Mark and managed to monopolize all of his time. Mark is now familiar with all the Thomas and Friends names and their respective colors.

Later that day we went over to our friends house and enjoyed a great dinner. John had a great time helping the kids break-in their new toys.






The guys decided to play poker after dinner. Mark won several times, so I think he enjoyed the game. We also learned a card game called Nertz and Mark became very good at this, almost to the point where it wasn't fun playing with him.


What we all thought would be a nice, but short stay for dinner ended up lasting 9 hours!!! We all had a lot of fun and look forward to doing it again...Jared and Mark need a Nertz rematch.

Making Cookies

Three blogs in one day is more than enough for me, so this will be my last one until after Christmas.

Last week, I got together with my friends Jan and Linda and their kids and we made cookies. The kids started by decorating cookies we had made the day before. There were 13 kids in all, but only 11 that started decorating and in the end only 8 remained after the fun of licking off the frosting wore off. John didn't actually decorate, he sat at the table and as the kids finished putting on frosting and sprinkles he would take the cookie off the tray and lick off the good stuff. Then he would thoughtfully put the cookie back on the tray. I ran around throwing away cookies so no one would have to eat John's slime.


These are some of the kids eating lunch.


John eats like a dog right now...don't know how to stop that.


Here are some of the cookies.

I was horrible about taking pictures this week so I will again refer you to another blog site so you can see a little of the mess the kids made. Jan is the one who got me started with this whole blog thing so have fun checking out her site.

These last two picture were taken at our open house on Sunday. This is John's future wife Elizabeth. He already loves her!! I told Hans I didn't care how he made it happen, but I have to have the Meliuses as my son's in-laws.

Elizabeth wasn't too sure about this.

She is just the cutest little girl, but my picture does not do her justice so you will have to check out Jan's blog.

Merry Christmas everyone!