It's Christmas time

Love this time of the year. Boys visited Hershey's Candleland so many times during this season. The cold doesn't bother them at all. We had to get our letters out to Santa and also wish Jesus Happy Birthday.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We made a Thankful Tree this year for thanksgiving. Everyone said what they were thankful for this year and mommy wrote each one down on a leaf. I believe this may be an annual craft for our family. Turkey, ham, stuffing with roasted chestnuts, and all the fixings were prepared for our family. Grandma and papa; Uncle James and family joined us for the family feast.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Then we were thankful to arrive at Uncle Jeff and Aunt Peggy's house with all the Strohecker family for a dinner feast. A special dessert that Uncle Jeff made were woopie pies for the kids....yummy.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

We got plenty of wear on our Halloween costumes this year. From Trick-or-Treating at home, to school Halloween parties, the Renaissance Fair with good friends, and Hershey Park in the dark. Adam was brave to have made a waxed hand with a real pirate at the fair....pretty neat!
We got 5 inches of snow which made it fun to build a snowman in October!

Brother's Birthday Splash

Yes, I know it's been awhile and this post is a bit late. But it's one of those I must post. It was Jonathan's 5th and Adam's 3rd Brother's Birthday Splash. First year we decided to have a joint birthday party this summer since most of their friends have siblings of all ages we wanted to invite. We had fun splashing at the Friendship Center's indoor pool with a neat froggie slide and water sprinklers. Then we topped it off with our very own neighborhood ice cream man who dressed up as a clown just for our birthday party. Juggling, games, balloons, and lots of laughs for all the kids. Theme: ocean animals. The cupcake toppers were a big hit and we ate yummy pizza. It's amazing how fast time flies. These friends may not know, but they have been together since they were in all their mommy's bellies...and hopefully many more decades to come. Happy Birthday to my little boys.

LOVED Brenda's visit! Thank you so much Brenda for organizing my pantry! I have to say it makes me so happy to open the door up and easily see what I need to grab! Jonathan and Adam put the bracelets together and hung them on their ceiling fan so that at night they could see them glow. And they continued to put those puzzles together! They are perfect. Thank you so much for their fun gifts!
NKOTB was a fun concert! Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh hanging tough! Just think in another 10 years, we'll be going again and perhaps that time around we can get front row : )

Jesus Is My Hero!

That's right, Jesus Is My Hero! We had the best time at church camp this week in Mount Asbury in Newville. Thank you to our chuch, First United Methodist Church of Hershey for making camp possible for my family. Our leaders Laura and Shawn were so organized and made it fun for all of the families. The crafts we did were so much fun, enjoyable and geared for the whole family. I loved how it was good for all ages and all the games were exciting. The songs touched my heart as we learned about them and sang, prayed everyday. This will be a treasured memory for a lifetime.

The boys loved the bunk beds they got to sleep in. There was a nearby lake and the boys loved being at the "beach" for the first time. They got to catch little fish swimming by, played catch with a football with their friends, and played in the sand. The loved the lake as much as the Hershey park pool.

As for my family and me, we will serve the Lord! It was truly an awesome time.

Hershey Park Happy

The Hershey characters are Jonathan and Adam's new best friends. Forget the rides - let's win stuffed animals. What we didn't realize in the last two years is that with a season pass, you buy one game, get one free. Who knew? The boys love these little guys and they have been going everywhere with us. Welcome home Hershey friends!

Summer time is here and we are living at the Hershey shore every weekend now. The wave pool has been our most favorite for our whole family. Clear water, no sand, and lots of fun. 3 days in a row though, Jonathan finally asked when he was going back to school today. It was the 4th of July holiday weekend, so even though he had a blast at the shore, he apparently is ready to go back to school and be with his friends. Hershey Park IS the sweetest place on earth and we are excited to spend more weekends there in the sun!

Lake Tobias

A visit to Lake Tobias with our neighbors was the highlight of our weekend. We couldn't have asked for a better day. We took a safari ride and stopped many times to feed all the animals. The one deer actually walked right on the bus so our driver enjoyed feeding him mouth to mouth. It was surprising to see just how friendly the animals were. The we took a walk into the petting zoo. The baby monkey was my favorite. Lake Tobias is so close to where we live; makes me wonder why we hadn't gone before this weekend. Lunch was good too. The adults tried buffalo burgers while the kids enjoyed chicken nuggests that were shaped in different kinds of animals. With a full belly, we headed home with peacock feathers : )

First Dentist Visit

Adam goes to the dentist for the first time! He did so well, actually really loved it! A tip my sister always told me was not never surprise your kids with doctor's appointments. So, we talked about it the entire day before his appointment about exactly what was going to happen and went through the steps on brushing, flossing, opening wide, and having to lie still. And we didn't forget to mention about the stickers at the end. But at this dental office, Adam got to pick two toys and two stickers. He was quite excited to pick up his brother Jonathan at school to share his prizes.

We spent Saturday morning at Touch a Truck. Firetrucks, ambulances, dump trucks, school buses, and so much more were everywhere. The boys loved climbing through them and touching everything. We even enjoyed the firemen's chicken bbq.

What do you do on a rainy day...........

...that's right, we dress up as superheros! They are the power ranger brothers with super powers. It's been pouring all day long and we are stuck inside. Adam decided to put on his spiderman costume and Jonathan didn't have a costume and asked to get one. Party City saved us! Month of May to dress up - why not? They are planning on wearing them to the movies tonight to see Rio! Whatever that makes them happy we will adjust!

What's Happening in April?

It's April already? I've been snapping pictures here and there and none to post this month. Jonathan is enjoying his swimming lessons at the Friendship center. This time around, no parents in the pool with them. It's going much better than I expected. He is learning to jump into the pool, going under and getting his head out the water. Soccer is once a week and gives him time to burn energy. Adam is doing well in school . He enjoyed his friend Aidyn's birthday party this morning at Bounce-U. After completed his JumpBunch activity, and we didn't sign up for anything else at this time. Hershey Park opens up for Spring time this coming weekend so that is our fun time through the warmer months. And this year includes Dutch Wonderland too. House hunting has begun. We've looked through a handful of homes - nothing yet that is anything we want to settle for but we still have time and it's been fun searching. And to end today's post, I had to copy this quote from the Undivided Heart - words of wisdom. (and a BIG thank you to my friend Amy for inspiring me daily!) "......motherhood, especially when it is carried out according to God's design, is more than a full-time job." "Loving my children, protecting them, and building them into a godly heritage is life's work worth far more than any money or status I might find in a career."

Ready for Spring.....

We are so ready for Spring! It poured all day today, and as it did it reminded me so much of Spring when my flowers would soon be peeking through the dirt. Anyone who knows me well knows that Spring is my favorite season. Gardening, seeing new blooms, hearing birds chirp, and smelling that fresh air makes me so happy. Jonathan and Adam have been wanting to ride their bikes, play hockey in the driveway, and have fun in the yard for a while now. Let's put the winter coats and boots away!

For now, here is a picture of grandma and papa enjoying the boys once again. And a quote that has me thinking (from our Love Dare couples study group): "Happiness is not getting what you want, but wanting what you already have."

Pocono Great Wolf Getaway

The Great Wolf Lodge was a fun weekend getaway for the entire family. This lodge has an awesome water park unlike any other. Adam who is 2 years old was able to enjoy the water slides on his own; Jonathan particularly liked the wave pool, Mommy enjoyed the huge hot tub; and Daddy of course enjoyed it all!

Our feet walked all over the entire water park for 3 whole days. This seems to be our winter getaway starting this year! 85 degrees inside, and the water slides take you outdoors all enclosed....at night it was pitch dark, what a ride!

We spent the last day getting tattoos. Adam got the star and moon, Jonathan wanted the bat, and mommy got a butterfly.

Ice Skating

sunday evening and here we are at the Hershey Bears hockey game. It's been a while since we went to game and so the boys were so excited! You can see Jim, Jonathan and Adam right against the glass watching the players very closely. And after the cotton candy, they were running the hallways of the arena with no fear....what a sugar rush. But believe it or not, they are both sound asleep in their own beds.

We are always able to find cocoa the bear.

Jonathan is taking 8 weeks of ice skaing lessons for the first time. He's enjoying it but he seems to want to end his lessons about a half an hour early so Adam gets to play around on the ice. His smile cant get any wider, loves to be on the ice. Can't wait for them both to be able to skate on their own. Until then, it's a good thing that Daddy is a natural skater since it's been too long since Mommy's been on ice skates....Rockefeller Center in New York City was the last time and it's been a good decade. Wow, time flies so quickly, doesn't it?

tomorrow, January 24th is Grandma's birthday. Taking the day off to spend a special birthday with her!