Love Note Wreath

Last year I created a countdown to Valentine's Day for Michael and wanted to do something similar for Cole since he's now old enough to celebrate these fun holidays.

I took a craft I had viewed during the Christmas holidays (used as a card holder) and adapted it for a Love Note Wreath.

You'll need:

* white wire hangar

* clothespins

* Valentine themed or colored paper

* glue or Modge Podge

* ribbon

(I had all these supplies on hand so it was FREE to make - love it!)

Step 1: Bend the wire hangar into a heart shape and attach clothespins for visual reference

( I used 13 clothespins to hold a love note for each day from Feb. 1 leading up to Love Day)

Step 2: Using a clothespin as a guide, cut paper into small strips to cover each pin - front and back.

(Some people spray paint their pins before covering with paper. . . I skipped this step and left them au natural)

Step 3: Using glue or Modge Podge, attach the paper strips to the front and back of each clothespin.

Step 4: Bend hangar hook into a closed loop and attach ribbon. Wrap heart shape with desired ribbon for color (or leave white) and voila!

Using foam pieces, cardboard, and stickers, Cole and I also made a special Valentine mailbox that will stay in his room.

Each morning, I plan to place a love note and small treat in his mailbox for him to find. After reading, we'll display his love note on his wreath. I have a feeling he'll love it and may have to add more clothespins to accomodate notes throughout the whole month :)

Moreover, I pray that Cole continues to realize, through these small expressions of our love, how much we treasure and adore him!

Beautiful Day!

What a gorgeous weekend! I know these 60 degree temps won't last for long, but they have been a welcome relief from the snowy weather.

We couldn't let this beautiful day pass us by, so we spent the majority of our Saturday outside enjoying our spring teaser :)

Late morning, we headed to Lowes to pick out paint for Cade's room then swung by Zaxby's for a to-go lunch which we enjoyed at the park. I believe we spent close to two hours letting Cole play and simply enjoying the sunshine.

As we ventured out of the playground, we spotted a young man using a 'throwing net' to catch fish. Cole was mesmerized and watched him for at least 20 minutes. Other kids/parents alike aslo began to gather. . . who knew fishing could be so entertaining? He would catch TONS of fish in his net, but would throw most of them back - only keeping the teeny-tiny ones which he was going to use a bait later that evening. It truly was a highlight of our day!

We then headed home for Cole to nap, Michael to work, and myself to complete a Valentine craft (post to come soon). Grilled pork chops w/ fixin's for dinner was the perfect way to complete our evening. Such a fun day!

Buddies

Cole and Tank have always been buddies, but have really become best pals these past few days. After showering, I noticed that the house was eerily quiet - usually meaning that Cole is snuggled on his bed or ours with a book. As I began my way to his room, I spotted him lying on the floor with his blankie, beside Tank's bed gently petting his head and back. Super sweet. . .

Special Delivery

Watching the UPS truck pull up outside our home always brings a bit of joy and anticipation. Yesterday was no exception - Cade's bedding and other room accessories arrived! I waited for Cole to wake from his nap so he could help me unload all the goodies. He loved unpacking the box for me while oohing and ahhing at the sweet things. I must say, it's so much cuter than I imagined!

A Boy and His Blankie

This has been Cole's favorite blanket since he was teeny-tiny. It's seen us through many nursery drop-offs, comforted on those sickly days, traveled the USA, and laid beside my sweet boy every night while offering it's soft security.

There's a special corner that Cole loves - it's fairly worn with a hole from his gentle winding around his fingers the past three years. Although my boy's growing up, he'll always be my 'baby' :)

Sweet Notes. . . Sweet Cause

I received an email today from a friend with the sweetest message written by her 8 year old son - I just had to share!

www.sneadventure.blogspot.com/

This precious family has four kiddos, two homemade and two adopted from Rwanda (they actually just celebrated their 1 year Gotcha Day on Sunday).  Their oldest son, Silas, truly has a heart for orphans and for sharing God's love around the globe.  To support our church's final 'Crazy Love' offering (all proceeds have gone to build an orphan village in Haiti and one is in the process of being built in Uganda - 1.8 million given so far!) this little boy is selling notecards made with his original artwork.  They are precious!  Click on the site above (their family blog) to purchase - I know I will!

** Please pray for our orphanage/village in Jeremie, Haiti.  Cholera has struck and we've lost two of our precious boys. . . Job and Jackson.  Eight more are sick, but their recovery is optimistic.  Our church is providing a medical team asap and we've already placed five doctors on site.  They have detected the source of the cholera into the village so hopefully this disease will cease to spread in that area.

Haiti is filled with witch doctors that claim to have all the answers. . . voodoo is rampant.  We're praying that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will go forth, even through this tragic time to show the healing and redemptive power of the TRUE God.   

Loving to Learn

* Disclaimer: Posted by a proud mama - slight bragging may ensue :)

Cole is truly an amazing boy. His actions and speech many times seem well above his young four years of age. Michael and I are constantly surprised at how much he comprehends and stores in his sweet, little mind.

This morning, while riding the bus from BHS to church, Cole struck up a conversation with a precious lady sitting next to us. He proceeded to talk about his name, age, and birth date which then lead to talks of planets (a favorite subject these days), Creation, God, Jesus, etc. She kept repeating, "he's only four?". We just smiled and answered that we are truly blessed to parent such an amazing son.

Part of Cole's personality that we're still adjusting to (especially these days) is how much he loves to learn. Beginning at a young age, he would choose books over toys. We have pictures of him around 14 months old sitting in a pile of books he'd taken off his shelf, gently thumbing through the pages.

He would sit forever in our laps and listen intently to story after story. As he grew, these favorite story times began to incorporate writing, art, puzzles, and the like. Many days, Michael and I would have to encourage 'play'. . . he just wanted to learn (which of course thrilled my teaching heart!).

These days, his attention span continues to increase and he's now the one reading to us. Forget the Level 1 and 2 readers. He picked up his new Imagination Library book he received in the mail (never heard the story before) and literally read the entire thing to me - with help on just a few words such as 'journalist' and 'reality'. Of course I had to explain some of the vocabulary, but his phonetic awareness is truly extraordinary!

If it gets really quiet, you can bet he's probably on his bed or ours with a book. Dressed in his handsome church clothes, he especially looks like such a little man!

(We joke that Cade will leave all studious traits to his brother and that he'll be our little wild child. I can't wait to see how different (or alike) they will be!)

More than ever, I'm convinced of the overwhelming need for parents to read daily and regularly with their children. I was an advocate during my teaching days, but we seriously have not 'taught' Cole to read. Friends and strangers alike ask what we've done and I don't have the magic answer. We never did alphabet drills, rote memorization, or any other formal schooling early on. He just learned reading patterns through our fun times of cuddling together with books. . . love it!

Cole,

Mommy and Daddy love you so much and are so proud of the boy you are becoming. Your spirit, love, and joy captivate us daily and remind us how blessed we are to have you in our lives. We love that you love to learn and will try to teach you all that we can in the coming days. Most of all, we love that you enjoy learning about our Savior. . . how He came, died, rose, and is coming again for all who believe. We await the day your heart opens to His knocking and you receive the precious gift of salvation. That will truly be a day to celebrate!

For now, here are a few things you love. . .

* the United States - you know where the states are located on a map, along with their individual shapes and names. Daddy and I have learned a lot from you!

* working 60-100 piece puzzles. This love has trickled down from your great-grandmother Mom G I do believe :) You now know how to begin with the edge pieces, working your way to the inside.

* the planets - your favorite is Saturn and you are learning facts about each one

* rhyming words - a favorite car game is Mommy and Daddy naming a word with which you name others that rhyme

* Alphabet Match Up - a letter is mentioned and we all try to think of words in a specific category that begin with that letter. You often beat us!

* reading ALL kinds of books. If a word stumps you, you will try to sound it out while looking to context clues from the sentences and pictures for help.

* Reciting Scripture - you will recite a verse and we have to recite one back to you. Mommy and Daddy have been quite embarrassed at our lacking knowledge of Scripture - you challenge us buddy! Many times you recite what we've worked on from the day/week, but sometimes you create your own. Your concoction today was, "The Lord loves us and heals us and is powerful. 1 John 14:16" Love it!

* writing and drawing on your easel - constant pictures are pizzas and rainbows

* making any kind of craft - you enjoy painting, cutting, and gluing the best

* I Spy books - I pulled down the large hardbacks from the attic. . . you've LOVED reading the rhymes and searching for pictures.

* Board games - Memory is a favorite. . . you are constantly reminding us where the matches are located.

I can't wait to see what learning adventure we'll encounter next!

Reality

It's overwhelming how real this pregnancy and impending little one joining our family has become.  Watching my belly move and pop, ordering baby bedding, and filling Cade's closet with the tiniest clothes has been such a joy these past few days.  Partner these events with cuddling a sweet three week old baby boy last night, and I can't wait to love on our precious son.

Cade's Lil' Explorer bedding by Cocalo

(To clarify. . .not his actual room :) )

Cade's wardrobe is definitely growing.  Thanks to sweet friends and Cole's baby things, the closet is practically full - with only the 0-6 month outfits.  Add our multitude of sweet sleepers and gowns and we're practically set!  Michael is now thanking me for keeping all of Cole's sweet things :)

If you're in need of storage, Target has these 4-shelf closet caddies for $2.50 each.  LOVE them for Cade's shoes, sheets, etc.  We've enjoyed them now as pre-storage for onesies, etc. until we have the room furniture.  

      I know these next three months will fly by and I will miss these pregnant days. . . trying to treasure each moment! 

Crafts and Cooking

Although the past few days have been drizzly and dreary, I enjoy the 'musts' of staying inside where it's warm and dry. It somewhat forces me to be creative in activities with Cole and find fun, new ways of staying busy.

Although we haven't done anything new per say in the past few days, we've enjoyed two favorites - crafts and cooking.

Crafts:

Cole filled one row on his new behavior chart and got to pick a prize out of his handmade Treasure Box.

All the wrapping paper in the attic was either Christmas or b'day themed, so polka-dots is what we ended up with. Cole loves it, although Michael is quite apprehensive of the 'girly' look :)

His first prize was a finger bowling set (LOVE the Dollar Tree!). It's provided hours of fun and he's already well on his way to earning a Treasure Box treat again.

Cooking:

I've been doing quite a bit of extra cooking this week. I made a 7-layer salad and garlic bread for Bible Study Tues. night as well as a meal for a friend that had a sweet baby boy just a few weeks ago.

As I've mentioned numerous times, Cole really enjoys helping me bake, mix, stir. . . just about anything kitchen related. He's quite the chef!

Sweet Conversations

Last night, after prayers, singing, and tucking in, Cole asked Michael and I a question. . .

"Why couldn't we save Jesus?"

It took Michael and I by surprise. Our Bible story for the evening was Jonah and the Big Fish - no idea where that sweet thought came from other than the Father himself.

I responded, "What do you mean?"

Cole: On the cross. . . why couldn't we save him?

Mommy and Daddy: Jesus came from Heaven to live on earth and die for our sins. He is SO POWERFUL and could've saved himself, but he chose to die because he loved us. He could've run away or climbed down off the cross, but he stayed, and died, to save us. Even though it was a long time ago, he loved YOU and US - even then - he wanted us to be with him forever!

And remember, he didn't stay dead. . . he rose again!

Cole: Mommy, when I get bigger, I'm going to die on the cross and save you too.

Oh my goodness. Michael and I just looked at each other with tears in our eyes. The love, faith, and innocence of a child. . . so overwhelming. . .

We of course explained that no one has to die on the cross again for us to be saved. That Jesus made a way to Heaven when he died and rose again.

Cole just smiled and said something like, "Daddy, I got a prize out of the Treasure Box today!"

Little minds. . . always on the move :)

Lord, help us. . . strengthen us. . . guide us as we try to take advantage of the short, sweet moments to teach about your love.

Six Hands, One Gun

Scanner gun that is. . .

Today, Michael, Cole, and I ventured to Babies-R-Us for an afternoon of all things baby :) We set up a registry, grabbed a scanner and went to town. . . I forgot how much fun it could be!

Oh . my . word. Check out that basketball belly :) After viewing this pic, I turned to Michael and exclaimed, "Am I really that big?!?!" He just smiled and said, "You're beautiful honey" :)

26 weeks and counting. . .

Cole looked forward to our outing all morning. We've been talking of our trip to the 'baby' store for some time and how he could help pick out things for Cade. Add a scanner in the mix and he was a happy camper!

We let him pick out a few books and toys for Cade. It was so sweet watching those brotherly instincts in action as he selected special things.

On the way home, he fell asleep (who knew registering could be so exhausting?) and Michael and I enjoyed driving around town looking at homes for sale. . . a fun pastime that we enjoy.

Such a great evening celebrating our growing family!

Hidden Treasures

I heart Goodwill. This past year, I've actually become quite good at scouring the store for great deals on name brand clothing and other items. Many times I've left empty handed, but when you find a hidden treasure, it's so worth the trip! Not sure if Michael is on board with my new found fettish - I just keep reminding him, "Janie and Jack would be $30 in the store, I got it for $1!!".

Between the Hendersonville and Gallatin stores, I found 11 items for $13. . . not bad!

Along with these items, I found GAP carpenter jeans, Tommy jeans (both with adjustable waistbands), a cute Gymboree sweater, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD for Cole. Cole's wearing his new found purchases and is currently napping, so no pics today :)

Knowing that Cade will be a spring baby, I've been on the lookout for sweet short-sleeved outfits. Cole was born in November, so even his little sleepers are fleece - some things we can reuse, but this new little buddy will need quite the wardrobe of his own. I've been restraining myself on buying 6-12 month things for winter. . . trying to wait and see how he grows (so hard to do. . . especially when all the winter things are now sooooo cheap!). Cole was always (and still is) much smaller in clothing than his actual age. If Cade follows the 'average' curve, he'll catch up to his brother in no time and may not need many other items at all.

We also hit up another favorite store, Little Ones and Reruns, today. All of their fall/winter clothing and shoes are 50% off - talk about self-control. . . whew! Believe it or not, I left with only one outfit - a cute Janie and Jack overall set for Cole. There were tons of sweet things for Cade, but again, I'm waiting patiently to see how he grows.

I also keep reminding myself that spring consignment sale season is just around the corner. I shout for joy. . . Michael groans :)

Lastly, another sweet treasure given to us were spring/summer baby boy clothes from Jessica. Jonah was a March baby and she's letting us borrow his precious 0-6 month things. With the arrival of Eve come May, her home is on the lookout for all things pink :) We're so thankful that she thought to bless us with this wonderful gift!

Looking at all these things strewn about in Cade's soon-to-be nursery makes me long for his arrival even more. I can't wait to meet this precious boy!