Haley's Haven

"Haley, we're HEEEERE!!" "Ooooh! We're HEEERE! I SO XIIITED!" Yes, we chose to spend our winter break in rest and relaxation at the Country Springs Indoor Waterpark in Waukesha. We went in the morning and got day passes, went home for naptime, and then back in the evening! YES! It was no Kalahari, but still it was so awesome to play in the water - Haley is a maniac for the waterslides "Again, Again!" - and I am talking about the adult waterslides. I think we must have taken her 10 times, at least. Her commentary about the Lazy River wasn't so complementary - "I all DONE WITH THE LAZY RIVA!" (loudly) Ana liked it though - we went around 3 times. (Sorry the pics are so lousy)

We were so happy to get this on video - what a fun time to see little kids - when they first wake up from a nap.

I wish we could relate to you just how funny Haley really is. There is just no short way to describe it - if I journaled about the things she does I would be writing all day - there is always something new and hilarious. I think the main thing is that she can talk so well, so there are countless opportunities for her to make us laugh because we can understand everything she is saying, or at least trying to say. :)

I kept trying to fix Haley's hat, but she INSISTED that it should be pulled forward like that - we thought it was hilarious enough to take a picture. Hope you enjoy matching hat day as much as we did, and thanks again Auntie Kate (you may remember, friends, these hats featured on our site close to this time last year!) Oh, and check out Haley's awesome accessories - she picks all these things out and wears them in style and pride. Key items: Pink Dora wristband, Valentine's Day necklace and bracelet, Aunt Cindy penguin bib turned backward like a cape, some sort of hat, some sort of pretty in the hair, and "my red slippers!"

Haley absolutely LOVED Valentine's Day. All the special cards and the box from Mema and Mepa were total hits - she was really funny all day. We were watching the news last night and they said something about V Day and she freaked out.. "MAMA! They said VAWENTIMES DAY!" And I really should have gotten a picture of her very accessorized outfit. Sorry! But here are some attempts at sister pics!

Well, here are some shots of Phantom Ranch - Haley was of course super happy to be out in the less than 20 degree weather. The funny thing was, Matt said she was going crazy to get out on the ice to play broom ball with all the "big kids" - broom ball happens to be a very violent game - a broken collarbone and a black eye were two of the injuries this year, so I am glad she didn't get too close. The snow was really pretty, and our cabin was warm and decent except for the dirty carpet (kind of a pain when Ana wanted to crawl everywhere). All in all it was a really nice time of hanging out with friends - our roomies were excellent, and the girls all slept fine. Someone else doing all the cooking & dishes was nice too. Matt got to give his senior testimony and did a really great job talking about what God has taught him while here at NTBI.

This will show you Ana's excellent standing, crawling, climbing and peculiar laughing abilities!

Check out my new buddies on our links section! Yes! We are converting the WORLD!!!

How do you like my poetic, dramatic excellent title for this post? Well, I feel every word, because this past weekend, Haley acted pretty much the worst she ever has. She kept screaming weirdly and everything that happened invoked "superdrama" - she was rude and mean and totally just a little stinkhead. Well, Sunday night we got home from a Super Bowl party (earlier than intended, because she was hideous) and Matt was brushing her teeth, and he said "HEY, what's THIS!!!???" And there it was, the first 2-year molar, beginning to poke out of an inflamed gum on the bottom right side. And it was then that I began to feel much better, and much was explained. So she got some Tylenol and has been much better, though still way higher strung than usual and we noticed that she reacts a lot more to bumping her head or any sort of mild pain inflicted. So it is definitely teething and I feel bad for judging her :) It probably won't be the first time!

Has anyone but me ever heard that song before? Anyway, God, through His people, has super blessed us lately. We have been thinking a lot about how we will be raising support this summer and are probably too concerned with how we were going to pay for the next phase of training, since we won't be able to work. But God is faithful, despite how little trust we actually have in Him. It is ridiculous, really, to think that He would tell us to pack our bags and take Jesus to people who have never heard about Him before, and then say "But hey, you are on your own as far as money goes - be prepared to SUFFER!" No, instead people have just been so generous with us, and we have just been super encouraged to know that we will be able to at least begin the year at NTM's Missions Training Institute in the fall. It is so awesome to know that people believe in what we are doing, and want to be a part of it. Many of our classmates are having to wait, in order to have more tim...

Since it has been impossible to go outside, here are some more boring indoor shots. I am getting really tired of the same things in every background of every picture. You might like to know that Haley and Ana are beginning to think that the sky is flat cement and that trees and grass don't exist. And the sun has burn itself out and don't even mention the beach...it has been dried up due to global warming. Our world is our building. One neat thing - Ana is trying to balance a lot more (standing on her own), and is doing this interesting waving hi motion, though I don't think she knows what it means. But she likes seeing her hand flop around. And her hair is beginning to curl over her ears - cute! Haley's hair is getting a lot longer too, but unfortunately is still to short for me to trim into anything that would lessen the mullet effect.

This might be funny to just moms, but I am chuckling. Haley woke up at 6 this morning, and woke up Ana, so we all joined Matt in his getting ready process for going outside (-35 wind chill, -15 actual temp). Side note: everywhere is cancelled except for his schools - ugh. Anyway, right after he left the girls got really grumpy and lousy, so without any comment I just put them both back to bed. As if it was normal. And guess what - they are asleep! YES!!! Maybe I should go take a morning shower for once in my life! :) Maybe I should do this EVERY day!

Well, we turned off our movie tonight at about 9:30 and switched on the news. Apparently there is a wind chill warning in effect...lasting until Tuesday. Would you like to know the stats? Would you like to know what I will suffer when I travel to church tomorrow morning? ( Alone , since #1) we would never take the girls out in this weather, #2) they both have a cough) Let me say first that, in a way (not a spiritually minded way) I am hoping that other parents decide to keep their kiddies home tomorrow too, since the idea of dealing by myself with 20+ 3-year olds in my Sunday school class doesn't really give me much of a charge. Anyway, you have waited long enough - here are our highs - that's right, highs for the weekend through Monday. 0 That's a zero, and apparently we are struggling to reach it. The wind chill tonight is expected to get down to -30, and will continue between 20 and 30 below zero until 10 AM on Tuesday morning. Can you tell that this is of real ...