Too much fun

For Hannah's last dance class of the year they let the parents come in and watch their kids to see what they have been learning.  Hannah did so good and is learning much more than she knew last year. 

Getting ready for dance each morning always takes a little persuading because she doesn't ever want to stop what she's doing to get dressed, but once she's there she has a blast. 

I'm so proud of this little girl and I'm excited to see her perform in April on the big stage!

On another note, I went to an ugly sweater Christmas party. I didn't win any awards with my sweater, but my friend Angela totally rocked the 80's Christmas and won the best overall dressed.

If you are my age, can you totally see your mom wearing what she has on to her office Christmas party in the 80's? And her hair! She looked awesome.

I also went to Hannah's Christmas program at school.  She wanted NOTHING to do with singing. She just cried the whole time...even though I let her choose her headband that didn't match. 

Brother was watching and tried to comfort her, but it didn't seem to help.

Oh well, maybe next year!

Christmas, Christmas and more Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas. Always lots of traveling, but it's always good to see family.  We started our Christmas at home with our little family of 4 on December 20. We made cookies for Santa and left them out for him with a cup of milk.  Our dog, Jersey, got to the cookies before Santa could, but it was after the kids were asleep, so no tears were shed. 

Santa brought new ride on toys for the kiddos. They loved them!

Ethan LOVES his tractor, but he doesn't have the steering thing down quite yet and just rides in circles. 

Sister giving brother a ride. 

The kids also loved what mommy and daddy gave them.  Hannah got a Hello Kitty airplane set, walkie-talkies, and a doll she named Sarah that she doesn't let get out of her sight for long. 

Ethan got a guitar, a lego set and a new bath toy. His stocking had a toy gun and mask that is one of his favorites. 

Daddy got a new hat and Ethan took it over. 

With no prompting, Ethan had been saying for a few weeks that he wanted a guitar for Christmas. When he opened it, his reaction was priceless! He was yelling: "my guitar! my guitar!" It was so sweet. 

After playing with presents for a while we asked the kids what they wanted to do and they said they wanted to go to McDonalds...so away we went. 

Hannah chose a specific McDonalds because they have small tables with chairs where her feet can touch the ground. Whatever makes her happy!

It was such a fun, fun time and we made so many memories on our "Christmas" morning with the kids.  I've learned that they don't really care what day we actually celebrate Christmas. It's just about family time and celebrating Jesus' birthday and having some fun with Santa. 

Saturday we packed up and headed to Grannas. I didn't take many pictures, but there was a surprise visit from Santa, so made sure to get my camera out for that! It took Hannah a minute to warm up to him, but once she did she didn't want out of his lap.  Ethan, on the other hand, wasn't so sure and left as soon as he could. 

After spending a few days at Granna and Pawpaw's we headed to Nana and Grandpa's.  Unfortunately, this trip was taken over with sickness. The only picture I have from our time in Houston was Ethan's ER visit on Christmas Eve at 3:00 a.m.  Poor pumpkin had croup and was having a tough time breathing. Wes took him to the ER and sent me a picture (which I can't find) of him receiving a breathing treatment.  Poor baby had a rough Christmas Day!

It was such a great time with family and we are grateful to have spent the holidays with everyone we love! 

Christmas Adventures

This is really sad, but I have not taken any pictures with my actual camera in the entire month of November or December.  I have some pictures that I have snapped with  my phone, though. 

It's been really, really cold the past couple of weeks, so we've been trying to do things to stay warm.  We went to Discovery Science this week with some friends and had a fun time.

Ethan explaining how this works to Addison. 

 After Discovery Science we headed to Don Juans (my favorite) to eat. 

Earlier in the week we went to a friends house to decorate cookies and gingerbread houses. This was one of Hannahs' favorite things to do and has asked if we can decorate another one. 

We also went to the movies to see Frozen this week. The kids had a good time and Ethan just got a little squirmy towards the end, but we had a great time with friends and Ethan enjoyed his popcorn!

One of our favorite things to do right now is sit around the fire and watch Christmas movies!

Lately

We have just been living life around the Tyler house lately. Getting ready for Christmas and the busyness of the season.  I have been helping direct Hannah's choir class this year at church and this past week she had her program. It was a PJ party, so the kids and teachers wore their pajamas. 

Hannah did good on stage and really enjoys going to choir each week.  I hope she picked up some musical talent from her daddy!

While Hannah was at school on Thursday Ethan and I went to Toys R Us to look around for some Christmas ideas.  Ethan grabbed this mask and loved it.  Our cousin, Grayson, had this same mask at the beach this summer and Ethan loved it then, too. It made the list!

After I picked Hannah up from school on Thursday we headed to my sisters house.  Christie and Justin went out of town for a night for their anniversary and so we were on kid duty. It was my first time to get this many kids ready for school so early! Next year is going to be a rude awakening when Hannah starts kindergarten.  6:40 is early for us!!  

Uncle Wes posed with the kids since he had on his back pack, too. 

Hannah and I planned to go see Beauty and the Beast Saturday evening.  Our local high school was putting it on and we heard it was great.  Hannah was so, so excited to go!

Unfortunately, at intermission Hannah wasn't feeling good at all, so we had to leave. She was sad to have to miss, but I knew she wasn't feeling good because she kept asking when we could go. Poor darling.

Sunday we stayed home and decorated her Christmas tree.  She looks forward to this every year. 

Little girl is feeling so much better now! We are ready to head out for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Fun times ahead! 

4 1/2 & 2 1/2

On November 1 Hannah turned 4 1/2.  She's been really excited for this day to come.  She has some friends who are 4 1/2 and they are always so quick to add that 1/2.  I figured now would be a good time to do an update on the kiddos.

At 4 1/2 Hannah is in dance, choir at church and Awanas.  Her favorite activity is probably dance.  Each morning she wakes up and asks what we are doing that day.  She's a social butterfly and loves being around friends.  She loves Chuck E. Cheese, Brookshire's park and Discovery Science.  Her favorite food is chicken nuggets (with ranch) and she's a sucker for candy. 

Hannah has a tender heart and gets her feelings hurt pretty easily. Any time she is reprimanded she bursts into tears. She's a people pleaser. She behaves well in group settings and isn't usually a troublemaker.  She's great at turning tears on and off at an attempt to get what she wants.

She enjoys crafting, but also enjoys getting dirty outside with daddy.  She doesn't jump head first in mud puddles, but she doesn't mind a little dust on her face.  Her favorite toy is still her little princess dolls and she also enjoys following mommy around and "helping" with chores.

It's hard to believe this little girl will start kindergarten next year, but I have no doubts that she will thrive. She's smart and observant and loves to learn.  I try not to push too much school work on her, because those days will come and last far too long, but anytime we take a minute to teach her something, she grasps it quickly.  Hannah has my heart and I love her more every day.

Ethan will turn 2 1/2 on November 19th and I think we are all happy that we are half way through his terrible 2's.   He's such a sweet little guy, but he knows how throw a fit.  He can stick out his bottom lip past his chin and it's the sweetest, most pathetic thing all at once.  He's got big brown eyes that will take your breath away, even when they are filled with tears. 

Ethan's favorite food is probably a corn dog, and he gets his fair share of candy, too.  You only live once, and a sucker for breakfast never hurt anyone, right?  This little boy tugs at my heart strings daily and his little physique and big personality are just too precious to me. He can just look at me and I melt.  He's ALL boy and loves doing anything his daddy is doing...whether it's mowing, building, burning leaves, playing guitar or riding in the 4runner, Ethan wants to be right by Wes.  It's a sweet relationship those two have and I love it. 

Ethan goes to school once a week for a few hours a day and I'm not real sure how he feels about it.  He's happy when I pick him up, but he never seems thrilled to go.  Maybe if he could sit still for an hour a week so I could grocery shop I would consider taking him out of school, but "sit-still" is not in this little dude's vocabulary. He's always moving, jumping, running or climbing.  He lives with bumps and bruises. He's a momma's boy alot of the time and knows who to come to when he needs extra hugs or an extra cookie. 

Ethans favorite toys are still tractors and monster trucks.  He also enjoys his train set, but sometimes gets frustrated because he can't do it  by himself. He likes doing everything big sister is doing, which means climbing to the top of the jungle gym or the tallest slide. He does pretty well keeping up with the big kids.  For the most part, if he is outside, with no boundaries, he's a happy camper. 

I love my little loves so, so much. They keep life new and exciting and I feel so blessed to watch them grow! 

Camping

Saturday afternoon Wes and Hannah headed to Tyler State Park for a camp out.  Hannah has been so excited to go! They went on a little nature walk and met one of Wes' college roommates out there.  They had a great time.

Me, Ethan and cousin Andrew headed out there after nap time and ate, roasted marshmallows and threw rocks into the water.  It was a fun time.

It was cold outside! Me and the boys left at about 8:00 to head home to sleep in our warm beds.  I think Ethan's a little too young for tent camping. Maybe soon, but not yet!

Wes said Hannah did great and slept all night.  In the morning she woke up and bundled up around the campfire.

Little girl had a good time and Wes had fun, too. I think I'm going t have to start enjoying tent camping very soon!

Uganda - the pearl of Africa

This trip has been a long time coming.  Our team, the first all-girls team, committed to going in May and purchased our tickets.  We had meetings to plan, organize and prepare to go, but nothing could have prepared my heart for what I would really experience.  This trip was even more special to me because I got to share all my experiences with my sister, Christie. 

As we got to the Uganda airport, we were welcomed by Pastor Emmy, the main guy behind Parental Care Ministries.  If you have never heard this man's story, you should. He has a heart for poor and needy children and would go to almost any measure to make sure kids feel loved, protected and cared for.  I got the privilege of spending hours with him talking about the ministry, life, and his hopes for the schools for the future.  Pastor Emmy is a one of a kind man. If you know him, your life is definitely richer. 

Driver Emmy, known as Emmy D, is just as amazing himself.  Our team got to know him this trip and wow, what a blessing. This guy is incredible. Has a heart for Jesus and a love for people.  Not to mention, he is absolutely hilarious and will keep you on your toes with his driving.  He's an awesome driver, which is a blessing to have if you've ever driven the streets of Uganda.  Let's just say, they don't have little white stripes in the road.  The roads are a free for all!

As we got to Uganda the first thing we did was drive straight to the airport to pick up Catherine, Emmy D's sister.  She has been in the hospital for over a month due to several different illnesses.  It just so happens that Catherine is one of the children Wes and I have sponsored since the get-go. She has been in our family for over 4 years and we just love her.  She's a precious gift from the Lord and has such a calm, sweet spirit.  Meeting her for the first time was a sweet, emotional time.  I hated to find her in a hospital bed, but was so joyful to know that the Lord had ordained our meeting for months prior. How many people get to care for the sick sponsored children that live halfway across the world? It was a very special time for me. One that I will never forget. 

After leaving the hospital we took Catherine to Emmy D's home to rest and get comfortable. I got to meet all her family members, including her mother, and they were all so grateful for what the US is doing in their lives.  They are such sweet people. I got to pray for them and thank the Lord for bringing us to them. It was a special time, once again.  After leaving Catherine for the night we headed to the first PCM school in Mbarrara. I got to meet one of our other sponsored children there, Lamson.

Lamson is just as sweet and tender as he looks.  He's a precious boy that loves the Lord and loves his sponsors.  He loved being near me and wanted to hear stories about our family.  What a "coincidence" that he wants to be an engineer, just like what Wes does.  When I told Lamson what Wes did for a living, he quickly wrote a note to Wes telling him that he was so happy that he wanted to be the same thing as him. I know with the help of PCM that Lamson will fulfill his dream. I'm so happy we get to watch him accomplish that.

At this same school I also got to reunite with our sponsored child, Julie. 

Julie has been to the US and I got to meet her on the choir tour.  This girl is something special.  She is the daughter to Pastor Emmy and Supermom, and with two parents like that, you can't help but be a blessing to others just like them.  She is an outgoing thing. She just loves to talk and laugh.  It was a blessing to watch her learn and play with her friends.  She loves people and loves her sponsors, too. She calls me mom and it melts my heart.

The day after meeting all my precious kids, we headed to another school in Katyazo. I met a boy there named Matthew. I fell in love with this kid. He had so many questions about the US and was so smart and kind.  He was a typical high school boy with jokes and messing with his friends.  I just love him and the best news....he's coming to the US in April with the choir tour number 2!!

We also got to go on an African Safari while we were there.  It was so incredible to see elephants, baboons, zebras, hippos and monkeys all within 100 yards.  It was just so cool that you could just drive down the street and see an elephant on the side of the road. A really neat experience. 

The coolest thing about the entire trip was just seeing how the people of Uganda care for each other and worship.  Everyone looks out for each other. There is no jealousy, gossip or envy.  They all have what they have and share whatever they have with one another. Even the smallest ones know how to worship and thank our God. 

I left this trip with a new perspective.  In one of Pastor Emmy's sermons at church he said "If you have 2 dresses, or 2 coats, you have something to give." Think about that. Many of us have over 10 dresses and more than 3 coats, yet we hold on to them. There are so many people in Uganda that really only have 2 dresses and they still manage to give. Many of us make thousands of dollars a month, but keep it all for ourselves.  These people make $125 a month and still you see them helping one another. What a blessing this trip has been.  Half my heart was left in Africa and I assure you, I'll be back to see my Ugandan family as soon as the Lord allows.