Sweet sisters and Motor Skills

Hadley is going to be an artist, I have a feeling.  She wants to color and paint all day, every day.  I finally went and got her some water color paints at Walmart and they are already used up.  She just loves it and goes to town making pictures for Joni and Mom and Dad and Caleb and Joni and Nate and Joni (and for her awesome grandparents too---be watching for those!).

She is very into rainbows too---she colors in rainbows and also paints rainbows!  The more color the better in my opinion.

 Hadley can do nothing without her sister wanting to join in.  Joni likes to paint her face instead of the paper so it makes for a little more interesting time.  She likes it just the same.

 I have been noticing more and more how much these girls love each other.  When they aren't fighting over the same toy, they are sharing the same toy or reading or playing babies or chasing each other around the house or watching a movie together on their couch or.......  I really think they are going to be good friends.  

 While watching JoJo's Circus one morning, they were supposed to walk like an elephant and so they both walked like an elephant.   

 I came out of the kitchen and there they were.....just hugging.

Dad was reading them a story on our bed and they were both listening intently.  I then noticed how Joni was holding onto Hadley's arm......so much love!

Hadley is finally old enough for the first time since we moved to Louisville to be involved in one of the many children's programs at the Seminary.  This one is called Motor Skills and she looks forward to every Tuesday when she can go to "her class."  They do all kids of active things while still making it fun for the kids.  They have to walk in a line.....

 Follow the leader....

 Lots of running.....

 Doing sit-ups.....

 and leg-ups....

 and push-ups.

 They also play with balls and walk on really low balance beam and other fun motor skills type things.  Hope you are all well and enjoying your winter.....we have had a couple of very warm days here and it is getting me in the mood for the spring!  Love to you all!

Short and Sweet

It's zoo time again!  I'll try to only post zoo pictures that are fun or interesting or have an adorable little girl or two in them, or I might just post all of them.  ;)  Who doesn't love the zoo (besides Andy :))?  These first ones are mostly for my mom who loves the "big cats."  They are normally laying around....very boring....but this day it must have been lunch time because they were pacing.  We have heard the male lion growl from the other side of the zoo and it is loud and awesome.  My goal before we leave is to hear it up-close.

They have a number of ducks, geese, and peacocks that walk around the zoo.  This one walked up to us and that little boy gave him a chicken nugget.  Hadley, meanwhile, started screaming because it scared her.  Joni thought it was awesome :)

So I didn't get the girls looking at this snow leopard but had to take a picture of him with HIS TAIL IN HIS MOUTH.  Whatever floats your boat I guess.

 I have been exercising in the afternoons with a dancing game on the Wii.  Hadley and Joni also enjoy a good dance off :) and the exercise doesn't hurt them either!

 Joni LOVES "glubs" and often finds our winter wear basket and puts on as much as she can.  Too bad it is usually too warm to wear it all outside.  If she only knew where we came from....I think she is going to love the snow (when she is finally introduced to it) just as much as her dad and Oma. 

 This is Mr. Mustache.  One of the malls has a 1st Tuesday of the month kids fun time that a dear friend invited us to.  This month was Mr. Mustache the Magician.  It was actually pretty good......  

 and judging by Hadley's reaction, she liked it too.

 Joni loves gloves on her hands as well as her socks.  Andy had a good idea, after seeing her walking around with her socks on her hands, to make a sock puppet.  She thought it was great fun until I wouldn't let her color on her socks with a permanent marker.

 I have been noticing that I need to take more pictures.  After our awesome picture opportunity filled Christmas, our poor camera hasn't been used much.  We do pretty much the same things every week but I will try to change it up a bit :)  Love to you all!

January Days

We took it a little easy after our vacation and enjoyed time with Andy before he headed back to school (this week actually).  We have been doing lots of things at home since it has been somewhat cold (although we have enjoyed some 60 degree weather recently).  They love this stool and I love this stool except when I break my toes on it in the middle of the night.  We might need to look into getting another one as they won't be able to share much longer (my toes don't agree).

Hadley and Joni both love to read (and being read to).  I'm always fascinated with the mental capacity of a 3 year old.  We get books from the library and read them a few times and Hadley can "read" them to Joni.  

Remember these.....a quillow (a quilt that folds into a pillow)?  I'm sure they are still around and I just haven't seen them.....the pillow pets are in now.  My Grandma Alice made this one for me years ago and I was folding it up the other day and the girls thought it was a sleeping bag so they jumped right in.

One of Nana's awesome Christmas presents for a cold day (which we had on a Saturday that we had nothing going on) was to build an Arabian Tent (all supplies included) and watch Aladdin.  Andy got busy making the tent and I headed to the kitchen and made ebelskivers for breakfast.  It was a fun, special, relaxing morning thanks to our Nana and Papa!

Eating breakfast in the tent....

and watching the movie.

Sweet sisters.

Then, if that wasn't enough fun, we decided to go ice skating.  It was Hadley's first ice skating experience and I think she may live my dream of being an olympic ice skating champion.  She and Andy were the only ones that skated because they didn't have skates small enough for Jo.  I won't say anything more expect watch the video below!  She watched some other girls "jumping" and had to try it.

Andy did take Jo out for a quick spin on her shoes.  She laughed the entire time!

And making some Valentines for the grandparents.  They love getting dirty!

Love to you all!

Part 6---Last one!!!

Just a couple more fun excursions and our Christmas blogging will be complete.  We took a road trip to some shopping outlets about an hour away from San Antonio so Nana and Papa could spoil their precious granddaughters and on the way home we stopped in Gruene (like green), TX.  It's just a tiny little town that has become a tourist spot because of its folksy charm and old fashioned country feeling.  Mom, you would have LOVED it!!! 

 We ate at the restaurant that has been built into the old flour mill and everyone told us that whatever we ordered would be good.

This is the waiting for your table area.  As you can see, it is quite the popular place.

 Papa and Hadley waiting for order.

 This was the view from our table.  Those people are eating outside....it was just a fun (delicious) place.

 I thought their Christmas tree was awesome and tried to convince Andy that should we ever live in a house where we need a chandelier (highly unlikely), this would have to be the one we get.

 The onion rings......and Joni.....who loved the onion rings (that's my girl).

 One night Andy and I took advantage of the free babysitting we had and went on a date.  We tried to make it more interesting than dinner and a movie so did the progressive date.....

1st Stop:  Coldstone for some Carmel Apple Oatmeal Cookie Creation (any date where you start with dessert is going to be good!)

 2nd Stop:  Mission Impossible 4 is it?  Very entertaining!

 3rd Stop:  The Starbucks inside the theater for a cup of coffee.

 4th Stop:  Las Palapas....the best (and cheapest) mexican restaurant ever!  We had some tacos and closed the evening with a giant plate of really really really good sopapillas.  Don't think about how many bajillions of calories we ate that night because we didn't.  We are trying to make up for it now (and will continue to for the next couple of months :)) 

 The shopping trip was a success....look at those cutie-patooties!

 Helping Dad and Nana build their little tent which had to be assembled from the inside.  I'm pretty sure some pieces were left over when they finished but it was standing and the girls didn't care :)

 Another fun activity....painting our nails....Hadley does a lovely job, no?

 Playing in a box....typical kid stuff---while all the awesome store-bought things sit inside :)

 Another hair-cutting adventure.  This time, Dad got to go with Hadley and Nana and Papa and Hadley the she got a professional hair-washing for the first time.  I think she may be a fan :)

 Playtime.

 And this wonderful vacation ended on the highest note ever......Jason and Kaylan Snyder (Andy's best friend from high school and roommate in college) live in Dallas where we had a 4 HOUR LAYOVER on the way home.  They came to the airport and we had a good hour to visit with some of our dearest friends (who we never get to see *sniff*).  It was wonderful meeting their sweet Abigail and we were so so grateful they took the time to come see us!  We love you guys!

Well that's all everyone!  Thanks for sticking with us this long!  One more thing before we go.....I have pasted our 2011 Christmas letter below.  We would LOVE if you took the time to read it.  I know some of you may have already seen it, but for everyone who hasn't....here it is.  LOVE TO YOU ALL!!!

To all our beloved friends and family—

We had big plans for another witty Christmas letter 

this year, but recent circumstances have motivated us to write 

this letter instead.  A few months ago, we were overjoyed to find 

out that Megan was pregnant with our third child.  Last week, however, we discovered that we had lost the life of our precious baby.  The last few days have been filled with much sadness and pain.  We want you to know, however, that they have also been filled with even more peace, joy, and encouragement.  We have received much kindness and love from family and friends.  What we have received from them, however, pales in comparison to what we have received from our loving God.  In the first chapter of 2 Corinthians, God reveals Himself as the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction” and we have certainly found that to be true.  As we turned to God with all of our sadness and grief and asked Him to help us through it, He blessed us with a “peace that surpasses human understanding,” just like He said He would.

Please don’t misunderstand—we are not trying to paint a picture of the Christian life as one in which people are happy despite painful circumstances.  We are not happy that we lost our baby.  Neither is God.  Death, disease, sadness, and despair are a result of the sin that has tainted this world ever since the first man rebelled against God’s good commands.  The good news is that God graciously promised that He would reconcile his people to Himself, even though we had become His enemies.

That first Christmas morning over 2000 years ago, God’s promises were fulfilled.  Philippians 2:6-7 says of Jesus Christ, “though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a servant and was born as a human being.”  Jesus’ miraculous birth was only one part of the story, though.  That “Baby Jesus” we talk about every December grew up and lived life on this earth experiencing all of the pain, heartache and sadness that this sin-cursed world has to offer.  He did this in order to identify with our suffering, knowing it firsthand.  God is able to comfort us the way He does because He experienced our human suffering for Himself.  

More than just suffering with us, the Bible says that Jesus Christ suffered for us in His death on the cross.  Because of our rebellion against God’s good commands, our relationship with Him has been severed and can only be restored by God Himself, through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.  With His blood, Jesus has paid for our rebellion and offers us a restored relationship with God—including access to true peace and comfort in this life.  

As we have been reflecting on how faithful God has been to us, we want to remind you that hope, satisfaction, peace and comfort in this life cannot come from anything you do, anything you have, or from anyone around you.  True Hope is only available to us through our God and Savior Jesus Christ.  As you celebrate this Christmas season, our prayer is that you, too, may experience the peace and comfort that comes to those who recognize the true significance of that Baby born so many years ago.

With much love and many blessings to you all,

Andy, Megan, Hadley, and Joni Huber         

        (Here’s a very short bit about each of us.  There’s lots more (with pictures!) at our blog: www.wyomingaandm.blogspot.com)

            Andy is almost done with Seminary!  There is a light at the end of the tunnel.  We have no idea where the Lord will lead us come August, but we are excited to find out!

     Megan is still loving her job as a full-time mom.  Between story-time, MOPS, church activities, and Children’s Bible Workshop teacher, there is never a dull moment.

     Hadley is 3!  She acts much older, of course.  She is very smart, but we realize there could be some bias there.  She still LOVES the zoo and being outside!  So fun.

       Joni is 18 months and is going to be the comedian of the family.  She wants to do everything her sister does.  Her loves at the moment are books and babies.  

So sweet.