Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts

Friday, December 2, 2016

Thanksgiving 2016

This year we spent Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa Bishop's house. As always, the food was delicious and the company was just what we needed. I love being close enough to Brad's family that we can have holidays together and all of the cousins get to see each other and grow up together. That's what it's all about right?

This year we are just so thankful to be parents for round #2. Adding Colton to our family has been a wonderful blessing and we cannot thank God enough for him. We are blessed.




Oh and P.S. - We bought a van!? Yep, it happened. We bought a Honda Odyssey. And I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I love it...so far. Two words: sliding. doors.



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Thursday, March 31, 2016

Easter Day 1, 2016




I love holidays. I may have mentioned that before (*wink*).  I love holidays even more now that we have a kiddo to enjoy them with. Having one kiddo during the holidays is fun, so I know having two will be even better! Like I said, I love holidays; even the little ones. I love building traditions and making memories during those special days of the year. Gotta make busyness of life a little more light-hearted, right? And who doesn't love seeing the look of excitement on a little ones face.

Easter is one holiday that we like to celebrate as Christians and as parents. Our goal this year and from now on with our kids is to help them understand why we celebrate Easter. This is the day that our Lord and Savior defeated death and rose from the grave. This holiday is why we know we'll go to heaven.
Romans 6:3-5 says,“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection”
We also celebrate Easter with the Easter bunny, an egg hunt, and all of the fun that surrounds the light-hearted traditions of the Easter season. This year I found a local farm that was hosting an Easter egg hunt. They would also have pictures with chicks and baby goats, a petting zoo, tractor hay rides, a bounce house, and arts and crafts. It sounded right up Dayton's ally. He loves farm animals, so I knew he would enjoy this event. The event was on Saturday afternoon and the day did not really turn out all that great weather wise. It was pretty chilly and the wind was horrible. We bundled up, grabbed the Easter basket and headed out to the farm (which also happened to be during nap time).

Dayton was pretty excited about his Easter basket and would not let go of it the entire car ride. Once we got to Ankre Farms, we parked (a long ways away) and walked quickly to get to the Easter egg hunt on time. We got there with just a few minutes to spare! We lined up and then someone yelled 'Go!" and all of the kids (an parents) went rushing out into the yard to collect the Easter eggs.





Just as side not here. I'm going to put in my two cents worth... Some parents are ridiculous. This Easter egg hunt was supposed to be for the kids. Brad and I both could not believe how many 1) parents were picking up the Easter eggs, 2) how many parents were making their kids run around to snag eggs out of kids hands and reach, and 3) how many parents let their kids get over 20 eggs. Dayton got 5 because he wasn't pushing, we weren't pushing, and we were letting him hunt the eggs and pick them up, because that's what an Easter egg hunt for kids should look like.

Dayton was happy with his five eggs, so we were happy too. He loved walking around finding them, picking them up and putting them in his basket. He didn't run to the eggs, he walked. He would walk to a different egg if another kiddo started reaching for the egg that was reaching for. He was just... typical Dayton. Happy to be there, happy to pick up eggs, and happy to spend time with us. Even though it was cold! His poor little lips were quivering. Luckily, we had brought an extra jacket and another hat, so Brad ran to grab those so that we could bundle him up some more.

The rest of the day was spent petting baby goats, doing crafts, holding a baby chick (and loving it!!), attempting the bounce house - that didn't quite go as he had planned, pointing at and yelling tractor a million times, looking at the horses and sheep, and never once did he want to put down his basket!













And yes, he had to kiss the baby goats, " bye bye." The sweetest!! What a fun afternoon!


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Monday, February 15, 2016

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is one holiday that I've always enjoyed. Mostly because I'm a teacher, but also because 'm a wife and now a mom. The hubs and I have always celebrated Valentine's Day, but because of Brad's large (or should I say more expensive) birthday present we didn't buy each other gifts. We did go out to dinner and splurged a little there though.

Dayton got to celebrate Valentine's Day at daycare with all of his friends. I know I shouldn't, but I am one of "those" moms who goes a little overboard on the Valentines. I can't help it. They're just so darn cute! Dayton brought his bouncy ball Valentines and fruit cups for his party.


Cute, right? Thanks Pinterest for the perfect boy Valentine and the free printable!

Happy Valentine's Day y'all!

Oh and this... Thank you for the book grandma and grandpa Bishop!!


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Saturday, July 11, 2015

Fourth of July 2015

I love patriotic holidays. Nothing says, 'Merica like the 4th of July. I love the food, the colors, the symbolism, the parades, and most of all the fireworks! Any chance we get to show our American pride, I'll take it. This year, we spent the 4th of July in the Quad Cities and in Cedar Rapids.

We drove down to Grandma and Grandpa Bishop's house on Friday morning since the hubs had the day off. Dayton took his typical two hour nap, so we I had some much loved kid-free pool time. I cannot even describe to you how much I need the sunshine. The weather was perfect and the afternoon couldn't have gone better! Little man woke up and took a dip in the pool for a bit before we got ready for dinner. We went to Copper River, the hubs and I's favorite, and then headed to another part of town for some 4th of July festivities.


Saturday morning we headed to downtown Davenport for the 4th of July parade!









Later that morning, we headed to Cedar Rapids for our nephew, Cal's, first birthday party! (here). We got home after Cal's party in time to see our neighborhood yard flags!


Happy 4th!

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Monday, June 29, 2015

Sturgis Falls '15

I love our little town and I love small town celebrations. Every year, Cedar Falls celebrates the founding of the town, which was originally named Sturgis Falls after the founder of the community, William Sturgis. The entire town gets together to throw the three day celebration, Sturgis Falls. This year marked 40 years of Sturgis Falls! The festival includes live bands on three different stages in the parks throughout the day and night Thursday through Sunday, a carnival, fair food, a craft market, the parade, kids races and games, dances, and more. So much fun!


Dayton and I went to the fair with friends on Friday afternoon. We watched the older kids go on rides, saw the Budweiser Clydesdales, and enjoyed live music and fair food! Saturday morning was the parade. It seemed like the entire town and the adjacent town attended the parade. It was packed! We had to park so far away and walk all the way to where the parade would be held. It was totally worth it. We enjoyed the parade with three other family friends. The kiddos had so much fun and so did we! Happy Sturgis Falls y'all!







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Sunday, June 21, 2015

Father's Day 2015

Dear Hubs,

I love you. When I was a little girl, I prayed for a husband who would love me and love our kiddos with a strong love. When I met you, God answered my prayers. You are everything I knew I needed in a husband and so much more. Yeah, you're not perfect, but you're pretty darn close (at least in my eyes) and you are smokin' hot. I'm also pretty sure that from Dayton's point of view, you can do no wrong.

There are so many things I love about you, but one of the main things I love is that you take being a "dada" seriously. You pray, you seek God, you read your Bible and other spiritual books, and you listen to God when He speaks to you. This is why I know that although our parenting path will definitely not be perfect, I have all the faith in the world in you. I know that you know that your role as a daddy will be one of the most important roles you will ever have. You're our rock.

So, thank you. Thank you for loving Jesus. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for making a conscious decision to put our family first. Thank you for continually growing in your faith and leadership. All (two) of us look up to you. Keep up the good work "dadadadadada." We love you!

Love you more,
-wife

P.S. - I love that you're the kind of dada who...

helps your kid side step goose poop at the park.
pulls your kid + the neighbor kids around the street.
never smiles for the camera while your son does the same eyebrow thing as you.
makes our son squeal because he laughs so hard.
let's me take 1,000 pictures till I get the perfect  almost perfect one.
carries your son on your back in a baby carrier.
and carries him on your shoulders so that he can see everything in the woods.
tales your kid to a small city parade and plays with him instead of standing around talking to the other dads.
plays peek-a-boo and "boo" even when you'd like to relax for like, five minutes.
You're cute. I love you bear.

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