Thursday, December 31, 2009

My Dream

I have a dream that one day all of the Lego pieces owned by my three sons will be neatly stored and organized. Every Lego set will be built to its proper specifications. Every room of our home will not have miscellaneous Legos pieces scattered in all corners. Every time I sweep I will not have to pick out Lego pieces from the dirt and grime (because I'm a nice mom like that). When I go into my son's room at night to pray, I will not step on tiny Lego pieces and almost curse under my breath. One day all the Lego heads and bodies will be organized by race and gender. I found this Lego storage case the other day, and maybe this will be the start of my dream actually coming true!!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

My CHRISTmas pictures

I did a horrible job capturing Christmas memories on my camera this year. Most of my pictures look like this...

and this....

and this...

So I may not remember what my children looked like the Christmas of 2009, but I will always remember what their gifts were!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Christmas is Coming!

Here is our annual Christmas card picture. Our friend Dean comes over to our house every year and takes a bunch of pictures of our family. And every year we get one good enough for our card. Megan asked this year why we don't just set the timer on our camera. But it is our "tradition", and so much more entertaining. I have a copy of every card and love getting them all out and comparing them. I'm like an eight year old boy with Yu-Gi-Oh cards!

The boys begged me to put presents under the tree. I was a little afraid to do this, but after giving lots of rules to everyone, I finally relented. So when I saw the "present sidewalk", I had to laugh. No rules were broken, and they had fun with this all morning!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

How We Roll

Welcome to Christmas decorating Evanoff style. With 3 boys, you never know what you'll find. The other day I walked by my small Christmas village and noticed all the house tops had been colored with green marker. My son told me green snow is better than white snow. Sure it is!!

I find Yu-Gi-Oh cards everywhere. Seriously these things have a way of escaping the rubber band wrapped around them. I had to laugh when I found one in the Christmas tree!

This little tree was put together by my lovely daughter. It has an outdoor hunting/fishing/animal theme. I love the orange cap on top. The boys added the sesame street train around it. Hunting and sesame street go together, right?!?

And last this is my all time favorite nativity set. I get it out every year and get so happy! Then every day I set it up neatly, and in a few minutes it looks like this! Oh well...one day I won't have little boys around. And I know I will miss this!!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Forgotten Posts of 2009

When I have a really good picture, I'll drag it to my desktop in hopes that I will remember to blog about it. Sometimes it happens, but more often it doesn't. So here is what you've missed this year.....

The best picture I have ever taken (in my humble opinion). It helps that the subject is so adorable!

Noah dancing to "Beat It". He was our Thanksgiving entertainment. I have to say he knew EVERY word. Now if he can only memorize his spelling words!

My 3 month long search for peep-toe shoes! It ended in a sassy gold pair that I found in Colorado for 13 bucks. They really are so cute!

The bears we saw in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. And the park ranger yelling "keep it moving" at us. Good thing Steve's quick with the camera!

And lastly Bike Night at Cheeseburger in Paradise with our motorcycle group. We are not a gang, just a group. But we have lots of fun!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Noah's Book Review



My eight year old son Noah and I read this book together. So I decided to get his help in writing this review. He is a third grader and loves to read (just like me!). So these are his thoughts with no editing by mom!!

1. On a scale of 1-10, what would you rate this book? Why? I would rate this book an eight. It had a cool mystery.

2. Who was your favorite character in this book? Why? Dorcas Potts was my favorite character because she solved all the mysteries.

3. What was your favorite part of this book? When they found out who Miss Olivia really was.

4. Would you recommend this book to your friends? Yes. This book was fun to read and my mom had fun reading it too.

5. Will you read more books by this author? Possibly...

I thought this was a great graphic novel (my first graphic novel!). I loved the pictures, and my son did too. The ending definitely makes you anxious for the next book.
Thanks for reading!!

NOTE: Tyndale provided me with a complementary copy of this book.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Early Christmas For Us


The old Kenmore Power Miser 9 finally gave up. This morning I went to the garage and was met by a trail of water leading to the water heater. It was dripping from the bottom in several places. So it looks like we'll be getting a water heater for Christmas this year. What an exciting family gift for us all!! It is all okay. It definitely beats the alternative, and I am so thankful for my awesome and extremely handy husband who will be installing our new one tonight!!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Meganoff

With all the boy talk lately, I decided I needed to infuse a little estrogen into my blog. So in no particular order are just a few of the many things I love about my favorite daughter! (I can call her my favorite because she's my only daughter :)
1. She is a great sister. With 3 brothers in Indiana and 2 in New York, she puts up with a lot.
2. She shares a bathroom with 3 boys who have very bad aim, and she rarely complains.
3. She cooks dinner for us one night a week. And it's usually better than what I make!
4. She is beautiful from the inside out!
5. She is cute, smart, and funny!
6. She will go get a blizzard with me whenever the need strikes.
7. She will stop at the store and get random things I need.
8. She makes the best salsa and dip ever.
9. She is a great scrapbooker. I am jealous of her skills.
10. She is going to make a great teacher, wife, and mother one day! Her little babies are going to be so cute!!

And I almost forgot...she gives great piggy back rides!!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Indian Summer

We have had a few cold days here in Indiana, but the past 2 days have been beautiful! Today the boys and four of their neighbor friends spent the day making forts, picking teams, and taking every toy gun we have outside!


We are all taking advantage of this weather, because we know winter is coming! And with that brings snow, slush, boots, mittens, scarfs, and no more playing outside!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

My Kid's Love Languages

If you've never read Gary Chapman's book about love languages, I highly recommend it! It is very insightful and helpful as a wife and mother. When our trip to Colorado was over, I asked each of my boys what their favorite part of the trip was. Their answers confirmed their individual love languages at this stage in their lives. Noah's favorite part was going to Kmart and buying legos. He loves browsing and buying!

Dalton's favorite part was hugging Dakota. He loves all physical touch....hugs, kisses, back rubs, and snuggling.

And lastly Devin's favorite part was hanging out with daddy working on Poppy's motorcycle. He loves spending quality time with anyone!

So I learned a lot about my boys by asking them this question. And I plan to apply this to future "dates" with my boys!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Colorado

We traveled to Colorado for fall break to hang out with Meme and Poppy (Steve's parents). We arrived in a snow storm and had a ton of fun hanging out in Pueblo. I learned it's not fun to hike in the snow with Birkenstocks on!

The boys loved playing in the snow!

We had to eat at Souper Salad....the restaurant I miss the most.

And these boys rock!!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

She Did What She Could

I am so excited to be a part of the Tyndale Blog Network. I was introduced to this program at the MOPS convention in Nashville, Tennessee last month. If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to read. Seriously, I always have a pile of books I am plowing through. So I am excited to introduce you to this book.

This book was written by Elisa Morgan, former CEO of MOPS International. She recently moved from CEO to the role of President Emerita. I had the privilege to hear Elisa speak about her book. I must say she is very passionate about this.

So the question I have been asking since reading this book is WHAT CAN I DO? This is the question I will be asking myself for the days and weeks to come. Elisa takes a simple story from Mark 14:3-9 and then explains it in simple terms. Starting with the idea we are all loved by God, she then challenges us to action. Because of God's great love for us, we are changed. And when we are different, we can start making differences in our homes, churches, communities, schools, and the world. She also encourages one to look at what they have and go from there. This can be done in the simplest of ways and using resources already available.

If you are looking to be encouraged and inspired by the many real-life stories in this book, you will be! Elisa gives practical examples of how to live out Christianity and simply do what you can do!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

A few....

A *few* months ago we bought cabinets, a countertop, and a sink for a kitchen renovation we planned. They have been patiently waiting for us to get started.

A *few* weeks ago my husband built the pantry that would start the renovation project.

And a *few* days ago the cabinets started coming out gradually.

I never know what I'm going to come home to next!!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

MOPS Convention!!

My sweet awesome husband let me escape from every day life for four days! I was able to travel to Nashville, Tennessee with a group of great girls for the 2009 MOPS convention. I had the best time learning, laughing, worshipping, and being real. I came away with tons of ideas to think about and process. Here are some of our trip highlights.
I was able to meet Rick Johnson, author of "That's My Son". His book became a favorite of mine this summer while dealing with three boys!

Another very cool author we met was Margaret Feinberg. I bought her new book "Scouting The Divine". She is an amazing speaker and writer. And yes she has her dog Hershey in her coat.

One of the more tragic events was finding Bob and Larry on a platter! My friend Susan decided to collect small condiments (from the room service carts) for her camper while we were at the hotel. We were both saddened by the passing of our friends!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

My song pictures

My God is so BIG, so STRONG and so MIGHTY...

He's got the whole world in his hands...

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Are You Ready For Some Football?


I cannot believe Noah is playing tackle foot ball this fall! He is very excited about his first game on Saturday. Go Hoosiers!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Rain Rain Rain

It rained A LOT here in Indiana today! Ironically, it was also the release of the new VeggieTales movie "Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella". So the boys and I took a trek to the bookstore in the monsoon! I had promised them the movie for good behavior. And my Noah was so excited to finally have a VeggieTale movie named after him! As luck would have it, you got a free umbrella with purchase. This came in very handy!

When we got home, we saw this in our backyard. Steve and the boys are out repairing our fence as I type.

What do we do on a rainy day? You guessed it. Wrap up in blankets and watch a good movie!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Random Summer Pictures

In case you've always wondered what the underside of a stingray looked like!

This is the only picture I have of me on our summer vacation. Ugh! I really want my kids to know I went places with them, but will never have any proof.

This is a lovely seafood display made by Noah. After he ate his weight in crab legs, he moved on to arts and crafts at the table.

And for those who want to build an airplane, this is a close up of the inner workings. My garage is NOT big enough for an airplane!

My husband won this award at Cheeseburger in Paradise! I was so proud of him. His motorcycle obsession finally paid off!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Iced Mocha Addiction

This evening we were outside playing with our 3D sidewalk chalk (which by the way, really works!). I started writing all my kids names and adding descriptions to their names. So Noah decided to write one for me.

It says "MOM IS MY ICED MOCHA BUDY". Yes, my eight year old is addicted to Iced Mochas. It all started when our neighbor came over slurping one from McDonalds. I told Noah I would take him to get one after we dropped off his little brothers at their preschool summer camp. Since then we have tried them at McDonalds, Starbucks, and even a homemade version. The verdict....McDonalds Iced Mochas are the best.

I love being Noah's Iced Mocha Budy (Buddy)!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

My Favorite Poem

I found this many years ago when I was a newlywed. I think it describes perfectly how I feel most days.

Me and Her

She is compulsive.
I am impulsive.
She likes it hot.
I like it cold.
She is neat.
I'm a slob.
Andy Rooney says, "A's marry Z's."
But we are in different alphabets.
I push.
She pulls.
She says, "Up."
I say, "Down."
She is night.
I am day.
Living together is hard.
Living without her would be impossible.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

I'm a Single Mom (just for 10 days)

So this week and part of next, my husband is in Colorado. He had plans to go to a wedding over the weekend, but his grandfather (who we call "Gramps") died last week. So he took off 4 days earlier than planned. Where does this leave me? At home with 3 boys who miss their daddy like crazy. If anyone has the bright idea to come rob us, you'd better think twice. We have things like baseball bats, nerf guns, butter knives, tigers, and giant worms to scare you away!


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

They're Having More Fun Than Us

Over Memorial Day weekend, I got to go camping for 2 nights with my four favorite guys (my husband and my three sons). Going tent camping with the family takes A LOT of preparation for us. There are tents, sleeping bags, pillows, favorite blankets, clothes, extra clothes, food, drink, ice, bikes, air mattresses, chairs, and the list could go on and on. So packing all of this, and then organizing all of this, and then stowing all of this takes a while. My eight year old, Noah, was outside with my husband and I while all of this work was going on. We were hot, tired, and a bit grouchy with each other. As we were working our tails off, a neighborhood dad and two little boys rode by peacefully on their bikes. Noah's comment (which happened to be very loud) was, "They are having more fun than us!" I stopped in my tracks and read him the riot act. I told him we were doing all of this for him and his brothers so they could go camping and have fun, fun, and more fun!!

A while later I had an eye-opening moment. I wondered how many times I have told my Father that someone else is having more fun. I have a bad habit of comparing myself to others way too much! But in the meantime, He is preparing me for something bigger and better. It might just take a while to get there.

Preparation is rarely fun. It is work. Hard work. You will get hot, tired, and maybe a little dirty. But when the destination is reached, you will see that you are having fun!

The next day I asked Noah if the dad and his two boys were still having more fun than us. His answer: "No Way!"

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

A Book Review


Several months ago I found this blog by The Preacher's Wife. It is a great blog for ministry wives. They extended an offer of a free book to any ministry wife willing to write about their book. So of course I signed up. I love to read, and reading free books is even better! So a couple weeks ago the book came in the mail, and it took me just a few days to read. It is a great book with an even greater message. The premise is about four PWs (pastors' wives) who secretly meet to discuss life and support each other. Each wife comes with her own set of problems (like us all!), and I love the way they work through each struggle with God's help.

I will leave you with my favorite quote...

"God had been so good to her. He had heard her cries for help and grace. He had answered her pleas for mercy and for her family. He had shown up and had proved faithful again. Even when she hadn't deserved it."

This is what I pray God does in my life on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

My Four Year Old Twins Rock!




These shirts were made by me (with a lot of help from Dean) last night. The boys will be wearing them all week. They got to wear them to preschool today, MOPS tomorrow, then our family birthday party on Saturday. I cannot believe they will be four years old tomorrow! I am so thankful God gave them to us!