Child-like Faith and other things to catch up on

I have been welling inside, mentally trying to keep track of things the kids have said lately that I just have to write down so we can remember this stage.  I love how the holidays & Christmas season, especially, instigate a bunch of talk about baby Jesus.  Jack is super interested in Bible stories (we've been reading to them through a Children's Bible every night before bed & are almost through...)  My Mom has a very delicate nativity scene on her mantel at their house - which he is enthralled with.  He will go to bed talking about baby Jesus, and how baby Jesus is crying and needs him and we need to go to Grandma's house right now...   It makes me crack up inside - and smile in my heart - whenever he starts in on this.  And just to throw out a handful of Jack theology & cute phrases at age 4, here are some other quotes:

"God wears a blue shirt and blue flip flops..."  (hmmm... wonder  what illustration from the book he is correlating that one with!?) ;)

"Maggie, we don't throw rocks.  Jesus tells us we don't throw stones."

"I love you Mom.  (followed with a big hug he gave me)  But sometimes I don't love you.  When I was a baby, I didn't love you.  But now that I'm big, I do love you."  (said as he was looking at a baby pic of himself in his room....turns out he meant that when he was a baby he couldn't say "I love you," like he can now that he's big.  What a relief to know that's what he meant! hahah

"I'm going to fly  up to the clouds and see Jesus.  Maybe I can take a helicopter up there.  Or maybe an airplane.  Yeah, that's right Mom.... an airplane would be great!"

Something else that (perhaps is a tad inappropriate to put in the blog, but cracked my Mom & I up a bunch)... was when Jack said he has butt flaps.  You know, when you fart.  That's what he called it.  He said it so matter-of-factly to my Mom at her house because he was just getting out of the shower & I don't know, maybe it was louder in there or something?  I know, it's disgusting to talk about this, but how can you not laugh at the innocence of kids?!!  To him, that's what happens.  And NO, he did not hear that from Ken or I.  And as for Maggie... she was with my Mom the other day shopping, and they happened to walk through the women's lingerie department and my Mom said she was looking at all the bras and exclaimed, "Some day, when I get big, I can wear bras too!"  My Mom couldn't stop laughing at how thrilled Maggie was at all the pretty nighties... to Maggie, those are right up there with princess dresses.... ;)

Oh gosh.  You can slap me on my wrist for posting this.  Maybe I shouldn't, but I want to remember these things about this stage too... the funny comments that are interjected and mixed in with the amazingly sweet & innocent faith concepts they are grasping too. 

Switching gears completely...

The kids had a double grandparent date to Disney on Ice and LOVED it!  Oh what a fun night that was... they got all dressed up (since it was an extra special occasion), had great seats, then got to go out to dinner with the 4 grandparents & they all walked over to River Park Square downtown to check out the new Christmas decorations.  They had an absolute ball & came home talking a mile a minute, then crashed hard. :)  We are so thankful to be close to our parents; that our kids get to grow up having a relationship like they do with their grandparents.  It is a special gift for sure....  

We had a dear friend take family pics for us & they are soooooooo fun to look through!  Any of you with kids knows how hard it is to get family photos.  (or at least it is for us)  Annie did an amazing job & we had a ball.  I'm putting together our Christmas cards in hopes of having them ready by Christmas - yes, it takes that long around here - but I'll post a few, quick sneak peaks...

Love you all & hope you are enjoying this Thanksgiving season, and for those here in town... wowsers is it ever a beautiful Winter wonderland out there or what?! ;)  Hurray for the snow!!  There's nothin' like a cozy fire, Christmas music/decorations, and snow falling outside!
~Katie