All's quiet on the Moss front

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. My mom said something to me today and I was like "oh yeah, my blog...". I've been slack. It's been a busy '09 already and there's more to come...

I'm getting ready to head out of town for a few days with my best friend while Patrick hangs out here with the kids. It will be nice to get some R&R, especially with a girlfriend; I know she needs it too.

Anyway, I hope to be more faithful with this little peak into our lives because I really enjoy blogging. I just haven't been making time for it; so many other things have taken the fore front. BUT, it will be nice to have this back up and running again...more regular posts, that is. In the meantime, here are some pics of the kids getting a ride on the "tractor" with Daddy. Don't worry, the blade was off. Mal was VERY skeptical at first, and Ethan, of course, will try anything. so after watching him have a turn, Mallory was a little more willing, though still very skeptical. Both kids had a ball!

Happy Birthday Mallory!

At 7:58am on April 19, 2006, Mallory was born and our lives became rich...my firstborn, my daughter, my joy. I can't believe it's been 3 years! We read through her birthday story book this morning...3 times per her request. She loved seeing all the pictures and it was sweet for me to remember.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!

Easter!

We had a great time over Easter with my parents. The kids had a great time with Gommy and Poppy; it had been since December since they had been able to visit us. The kids warmed up to them very quickly and it was so much fun to watch all the cuddle action.

I did lots of cooking last weekend, something I enjoy greatly but don't get to do often because of the time it usually takes to make everything from scratch. But, I had an excuse and people to help entertain the kids while I could enjoy my kitchen and making things to feed hungry bellies. I tried my hand at a carrot cake, which ended up being very, very good. We ate on it for three days and it was GONE!

As a family, we had spent holy week reading Mark's account of Jesus' last week and singing hymns. We were amazed at what Mallory remembered in both the story and in song. On Easter, we tried to have an exciting day remembering that Jesus did not stay in the tomb, but lives...and will live...forever. In addition to the true meaning of Easter, we indulged in the excitement of hidden eggs and Easter baskets, though we did nothing to hype up an Easter egg hunt or the baskets. It was fun to watch the children enjoy the day, open gifts, and dress up in their Easter finest.

On Easter Monday, my folks took the kids out to "Old McDonalds" to play and drove them around for a while so I could have a quiet morning at home. Any time I can get peace and quiet, I try to enjoy it as much as possible (as I'm sure other moms can appreciate). We had a great holiday and can't wait until we get another visit from Gommy and Poppy!

Ethan's first barber shop haircut

Ethan has officially become a little man. We took him last weekend to get a "real" haircut at Patrick's barbershop. We had such a great experience! When we walked in, there was a shelf of toys and coloring books to keep the kid's attention. I had never seen that in a salon, let alone a barbershop!!!! Mallory was very entertained while Ethan sat on Patrick's lap to get his hair cut. The barber, Earl, did a great job keeping Ethan's attention and distracted from the razor. He didn't cry or fidget one bit and we were very pleased with the results. And as a treat for his (and Mallory's) good behavior, they were given a sucker (yet another first for Ethan).

Here's our little man:

Have been offline...

Oh, the computer woes we've been having!!! Our 5+ year old computer has been infected with some nasty virus and the Internet is moving as slow as dirt. I've wasted a bunch of time in trying to fix it and decided that it would be much better if I finally sucked it up and bought a laptop. And so, we did.

Now that we have seemless Internet access on a spiffy new 'puter, I'm back for some updates and LOTS of pictures to share. But, please be patient...we've had lots of DRs appts this week (scheduled/non-emergent) and Mallory's b-day is this weekend. BUT, I will eventually get around to the much-needed Moss family updates (and pictures, of course)

An update on Ethan

We had Ethan's 15 month well visit yesterday (he's really 17 months, but we had 2 cancellations with this appt, so it's been late). He's in the "greater than 95th percentile" in height and weight and we were pretty much told he's the size of an average 2.5 year old. Yes, he's a big dude. One of the questions that they asked me was "so, how is his appetite?". I wanted to laugh, but I respectfully responded that it was very good.

He started getting another nasty runny nose on Saturday in addition to some eczema patches on his legs and face, which are signs of allergies. We have an appointment with an allergist next week to get him tested to see what he may be allergic to, if anything, that's causing him this sinus woes. His DR said that his little sinus system is more susceptible to infections now that he has had RSV, so what he has now may be in regards to that. BUT, he did prescribe Ethan an antibiotic in case it was a bacterial infection so that he can be more cleared up by the time his allergist appointment rolls around next week.

So, other than the nose stuff, he's doing very well. He says lots of words, eats great with a spoon, shares, plays with Mallory, imitates Mommy, and is just a happy, and very active, little guy.

Hiding God's Word in our Hearts

I think this is going to be a new series of posts...at least I hope. Patrick and I have been talking a lot lately about how quickly Mallory is soaking in information and remembering it. She knows at least 50 songs or more and she remembers things that boggle our minds. I know that a lot of her scripture memory relys on the faithfulness of me and Patrick to teach them to her. I pray that she learns to hide God's word in her heart at a young age.

I tought her John 3:16 a few weeks ago and just finally caught it on video. She knows Ephesians 4:32 in song and a few others (in song, that is), which I need to figure out the references to.

John 3:16: