Sweet Potatoes!

Do you think she likes them?

God is GOOD!!!

Well after my venting session earlier, I was beginning to feel a little better just getting all that off my chest. But I have to give credit where credit is due...God really brightened my day simply by giving us some sun shine and stopping the snow. Yes, you heard me right the snow has finally stopped! For a couple of hours this afternoon I actually saw the sun and what a beautiful thing it is!

Then after complaining that I had to take the kids to bible study. I was truly blessed tonight! We are studying James and tonight we were talking about worldly wisdom v. Godly wisdom and finding peace in the midst of a feud.

We have been going through a feud with some people who we used to call friends. All this started back at Thanksgiving, long story short...We have tried to reach out to them and discuss our differences and there has never been any reciprocation on their part. So just last night Joe and I were talking and I expressed to him that I was done trying to reach out to them. We have gone around a little about this and he and I finally saw eye to eye last night. He is still friends with the husband and I think that's great.

So tonight our bible study group helped me to see that sometimes you can find peace even if the situation is not resolved the way you think it should be. Or that it doesn't have a happy ending. So tonight I am at peace, not necessarily with Minot or the weather but with Thanksgiving!

_____________________________

On another note.

My blogging friend Kimba is having a challenge tomorrow to unplug. So all the time that I would spend reading about all of my friends and emailing and all the other internet related things, I will be spending that time with my kiddos!


See you Saturday!

Yell It, Scream It or Just Plain Let It Out!

Today I have decided to open my blog for venting to all who are interested...I want to vent a bit so read on if you like.

Today is the 3rd day of this BLASTED winter storm. It started Monday night and basically has NOT stopped. I am sick and tired of SHOVELING snow just so I can open my front door!

On Monday evening, Josiah spiked a fever after everything here was closed (which all you parents know is how it always happens!) so we had to deal with a sick boy who fussed and cried all night. So Tuesday when the blizzard was hitting, Joe had to go to work (for some unknown reason they didn't close everything until noon) and I got to take our sick boy to the dr. Thank God my friend Karie called and asked if she could watch Makayla! Turns out as NO surprise to us that he has ANOTHER ear infection. That would not have been such a big deal except that we now had to drive home in this blizzard. Yet, another bonus (since the sarcasm) was that my windshield wipers had MASSIVE chunks of ice on them so they are completely useless. So I had to drive home like an OLD lady looking through my steering wheel to see out the very bottom of my windshield only to SLID all the way home anyway.

Fast forward a head to today because yesterday was pretty much the same as Tuesday. I got up did my usual business except I had to go out and SHOVEL yet again! just so I could get out of my driveway to the gym. But by the time I got home, of course, I need to shovel again! But I refuse to go back out and SHOVEL AGAIN until we have to leave for bible study tonight.

Which on another subject...I get to drag the kids to bible study tonight solo because Joe is flying. Not that I am complaining that Joe is flying, I am complaining he doesn't land until 2 AM! So I will not see my hubby until tomorrow. On the bright side I do get to sleep in the middle of the bed!

Now for the real good news/prayer request, we are supposed to drive to Fargo next Friday to fly out for Florida Saturday morning. Problem is that Fargo is flooding! And I HAVE to get out of this place. Please pray that the weather clears up and we have good traveling weather to drive the 4+ hour drive. Well I guess pray for those in Fargo who have to deal with the flooding just to live their everyday lives.

Steppin' Out

I decided after much research that I would make Makayla's baby food. My friend Karie lent me her Fresh Baby book and trays which gave me a boost to get started. After reading up on her method, I dove right in.

Yesterday in about 15 minutes I made 24 servings of peas! This is soooo easy and I am really looking forward to making more.

Another bonus Makayla seemed to really love it!

Free Entertainment & Biscuit!!!

We don't have a whole lot to do up here in the frozen tundra, but Friday night we discovered a real gem. Joe took off a little early Friday afternoon (its all fair he did work 2 weeks straight - weekend included!) and we went in town for dinner and to run a couple of errands. (some do not know that town is 13 miles from the base and its pretty small) We ate dinner at my new favorite restaurant here, some of you might have eaten here before, its Ruby Tuesdays! Yes we just got our first and only Ruby Tuesdays about a month ago.

But on to the part that really matters...at Barnes N Nobles here on Friday nights they have story time. As you may know story time is FREE! This was our first attempt and we picked the best night to go! Biscuit was the theme of the stories being read and he was even there! Josiah had a blast and there were tons of kids there. However he was a little uneasy about having his picture taken with Biscuit so here is the best we got.

Another awesome and FREE event this weekend was a SNEAK preview of Monsters V. Aliens.

Joe and Josiah went Saturday afternoon and enjoyed some father son time. While Makayla and I enjoyed some mother daughter time. All in all it was a great weekend. Now we are bracing for the storm that is coming. Stay tuned for more pictures of our endless winter!

Recycling...

I am not really big on recycling but I am definitely big on creating something out of nothing. I had a bunch of formula containers left over and I really hated throwing them away. So here is what we created...

Green Eggs and Ham

One of our Joy School stories this week was Dr. Seuss', Green Eggs and Ham. Well, we just had to make them...This looked totally disgusting while I was making it. However, it didn't look that much more appetizing cooked! Tell me what you think?But the kids loved it! (All except Amelia, she would not have anything to do with those green eggs.) That's all that mattered to me and Karie.

The same day happened to be St. Patrick's Day so of course we had to decorate cupcakes and have just a little fun with that. This may very well have been Josiah and Lane's favorite part! What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday - Really Mom?

Ever heard of...

Have you all ever heard of this book?

Well I discovered this week that Josiah could very well be the "pig," not literally a "pig." In this story once you agree to do something for this pig, she then turns around and asks for more.

So Josiah has gotten into a habit of asking for pancakes for breakfast. Of course, I am more than happy to make him pretty much whatever he would like for breakfast. This past week for example I made Josiah pancakes three times. However on Friday morning it wasn't just pancakes! The conversation went something like this...

Josiah: Mommy, can we have pancakes?
Mommy: Sure.
Josiah: Can we have eggs, too?
Mommy: Sure. (its early, I don't like to say much!)
Josiah: And bacon, too?
Mommy: Of course.

You see Josiah has learned very well from this book. Now I would like to thank Lauren for buying this book for him!

No in all seriousness these books are awesome and I would recommend this series to anyone with kids. They are fun and Josiah truly enjoys them!

Sisterhood!

I have been nominated for my first blogging award...


My friend Lauren nominated me for this sisterhood award. So now I am sharing the love with some of my favorite bloggy friends! This is how it works:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 5 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

The nominees are Martha, Tiffany, Audra, Karie and Sarah Mae!

Please check back later, I have a great story for you all. Happy Saturday :)

TGFT!

Thank God for Thursdays...I know that the real saying is Thank God its Friday! But here we are thankful that its Thursday because on Thursday's in the Ehrenfeld house is Joy School.

Today was a super busy day for Joy School. We are learning about Trust and that is a very difficult topic to teach 3 yr olds. But I think just maybe they are getting it! We did lots today talked about the seasons, things that we can trust in nature, we made puppets, had a puppet show and then we played a new game. I don't know if you remember what its like to be 3 but a new game is exciting and scary for them. Our puppet show was to encourage them to try new things and both Lane and Josiah were very good at the beanbag toss game!

Now on to a new discovery...The other night Joe was bathing Makayla while I was washing the dishes. (by hand b/c no dishwasher, YUCK! Can't wait for our new base house!) When there was a hurry up and come up stairs call. So I came to find Josiah in his birthday suit asking to join Makayla for a bath. How can you say no to that?

We decided that it was do-able it we just added water and told him not to splash. Josiah obeyed very well. He loves to do things with his sister and bath-time is one of his favorite things to do. Here are a few pictures all PG of course!

Daddy I will do anything you say!

Some of you may know but for the others. Joe is gone on a TDY (temporary duty) to sunny San Diego, CA this weekend. He is there to do an airshow, basically answer questions about the B-52 and be a hero for the kids (the most important part!). This will be a nice break for him, he could use to get out of the office and get excited about his plane again. Between work and his masters program he has been really busy! So I hope that he enjoys himself this weekend :)

P.S. We miss you and love you Daddy! Have a great trip and enjoy yourself!

Glad this one missed us!

As most of you know we are becoming rather tired of the LONG winter here in North Dakota. Well once again its snowing outsidethis is rather disheartening seeing as it is March 10th! Does anyone know when its going to stop?

The snow is not the only problem that we are having today. Here is what weather.com had to say:


Cloudy and Windy -8°F Feels Like -33°F

Honestly does anyone know what -33 feels like???

Actually I am writing all this to tell everyone that we FINALLY lucked out. The current blizzard is missing us. YAY! But over in Fargo they are getting it really bad. Expecting 10-12 inches of snow to then be followed my high winds and blowing snow. YUCK! We here in Minot are all grateful that this one steered clear.On a brighter note we are actually supposed to reach ZERO tomorrow! That will be a welcomed temperature.

Hopefully these will be the last snow pictures from this season.

25 days until we are back in Florida thawing out for a short vacation. Bring on the sun, Gulf of Mexico, warm air, most definitely YUMMY food and GRANDPARENTS!!!

Makayla Grace

Its been a while since I have solely blogged about Makayla Grace. She is changing sooo fast, I really don't remember time flying by this fast with Josiah.

But today I want to share her infectious smile. She is not shy, she will smile and talk to strangers. However, she saves her biggest and best smiles for mommy and daddy! Here are few pictures for your enjoyment.
Makayla has a kissing game that she really likes to play. But I think daddy is enjoying it more!

Pajama Time!

Here is a little glimpse into our new bedtime routine. We have this really fun book Pajama Time, it talks all about putting on your pjs and going to bed.
So tonight we brought this book to life. There is a little song that you sing and it goes like this...

It's Pajama Time
Pajammy to the left
Pajammy to the right
Jama, jama, jama, jama P!J!

Now for your viewing pleasure!

Date Day

Today Josiah and I went out on a mother-son date. We had a great time! First we started out our day heading in town for an oil change. I know that doesn't sound like a good time for most. Josiah however, is totally into cars so it was really exciting for him, especially with all the tires in the front lobby. Unfortunately on the way into town, which if you remember is 12 miles on a highway at 70 mph, I hit a pheasant.

Now the only problem for me was the fact that I didn't see the poor bird shoot out the other side of the car nor did I see her lying on the ground behind me. I know some might think that I am an awful person for hitting this bird, but I have a strict rule that I DO NOT swerve for animals in the road as that is a much greater risk for my family. Well we arrived at the service station and I surveyed the damage and to my surprise it was only some feathers!

I must tell you how at the service station it came up in conversation with some locals and I am pretty much a really bad person. Apparently the "hen" had not layed her eggs yet and therefore we will be short a few birds to run out in front of cars this spring!

Sorry for the digression, now back to our outing. After we watched the "cool guy" under our car changing the oil then we headed to the bookstore. This has become a favorite spot for Josiah and I! We could spend hours there but the more time we spend there the more books Josiah has to add to his library. So we usually keep it to about a hour. Today we were looking for books on dinosaurs in particular. They really didn't have a good selection for his age. (If anyone knows of some good ones please share.) However we did look at everyone that we could find mostly for kids 8+. We moved on from there and he found this really cool "look and find" Disney book. Then he decide that he needed more Little Einstein books. So as you will be able to see that is exactly what we left with. On a sad note mommy did not get to look at any mommy books today.

On a side note...these books are great for preschoolers. They offer interactive learning, so they do not get bored!

After our bookstore adventure Josiah and I went to enjoy some yummy Mexican food. I know this may be hard for you to believe but we have 2 Mexican restaurants here in Minot. So we went to our favorite, Mi Mexico, and we had Josiah's choice, chips and cheese, for lunch. It was nice to sit and enjoy his company.

One might think that was good for one day but we then went to look for some ideas for our garden that we are going to plant this year. Josiah informed me that we must grow tomatoes and carrots. Not that he eats tomatoes but we will grow them! When we finally exhausted all of our garden prospects we went in search of a new bathing suit for him. (NO silly I am not going to put my child in a bathing suit in negative temperatures!) But he will need one for our visit to Florida in about a month! (in case you were unaware) Look at what we found.

Yes Lightning McQueen! Once he laid eyes on this one there was no convincing him otherwise. So then he needed a shirt to match according to him. That pretty much concluded our date. But, do you think we could come home and not have something for Makayla?

Of course not. So in Josiah's words here is her new "bouncer." Its actually a twist on an exer-saucer. I did some research and this is supposed to be the "best" on the market. We purchased the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo. Makayla seemed to really like all the bright colors. It has a really high back so I don't have to worry about her head. Only problem is she is not quite tall enough, what do you think?

Breakfast Guest

As on most Saturday mornings we have a "Big" breakfast. You know what I am talking about...eggs, bacon, hash browns and of course pancakes, too! Well this morning was slightly different thanks to Grandma. Our special breakfast guest was no other than...
Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the pancake mold! This was actually really quite easy to use, compared to other ones on the market.

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday is courtesy of Danielle. Join in the fun!

Question of the week..."Who was the very first tape/cd that you got?"

Well I am not sure that you have heard of this group before but they were really awesome way back in the day. The only problem is that they still think they are awesome!

My first TAPE was the New Kids on the Block album "Hangin' Tough." I think I was about 8 yrs old when I got this tape and I thought I was hot stuff.


On another note...Last August we were at the Mall of America in Minneapolis and it happened to be the day that New Kids on the Block were having a concert. Yes, I can actually say that we saw, listened and danced to New Kids on the Block! However I can tell you that they were much better years ago and should have left us all with that. But how could I not share these with you?


Happy Friday to all!

One of the CUTEST giveaways EVER!!!

So Krystyn along with SeeKaiRun are hosting a giveaway of some of the cutest shoes I have ever seen! I am a total shoe freak and I wholeheartedly intend on passing this wonderful trait on to Makayla. So please check out Krystyn's for all the rules and the MANY ways to enter. But first check out the shoes that I like... Can't you just see Makayla running, ok, walking around in these shoes! They are adorable!

Hurry and enter so you have a chance at winning a pair of these shoes, check here.

Way Behind!

Well to all who read...sorry! I have been sick the last week and this nagging cold won't GO AWAY! I don't know about you all but when I am sick everything falls behind.

Please check back on the Ehrenfelds later this week when we are back to normal. (whatever that is?)

Hope you all are doing well!