Hold Your Horses!

This week I went to a kid's consignment sale in our area. I always find such great clothes and toys for Brayden each time I go. This time I found some clothes and also some cowboy boots and a wooden stick horse. You see, I have a son who is thoroughly obsessed with everything Toy Story. I knew this would be a big hit with him to put on some real Cowboy boots like Woody and ride around on his new stick horse "Bullseye" just like in Toy Story.

He loved it and had been playing with it all night. After dinner, it was time for his bath. I was in getting his bath ready, and Jonathan was about to come in to actually give him the bath. I told him it was ready and asked him to come on in to the bathroom. He jokingly said, "Hold your horses!" He told Brayden to come in and tell me to hold my horses. After a couple seconds, Brayden rounded the corner holding his new wooden stick horses and said, "Mommy, hold the horse!"

Cracked me up! I loved his interpretation of that and nearly fell on the floor laughing.

Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic

This past weekend, Jonathan took Brayden to the Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic. They put them on about every 2 weeks at Lowe's, and it's a really cool (and FREE) opportunity to teach kids how to build and create things. This week, they built a Ball Toss. They gave the kids each their own Lowe's apron and safety goggles to wear (and take home), and once they completed the project, they received a patch to put on their apron and a certificate. It's such a neat idea, and I can't wait for the boys to do it again. I think it could be a really cool tradition for them to have some good Daddy/Son time together.

Learning to use the mini hammer.

Such concentration!

Project complete! Now on to playing with it...

Donut Day with Daddy

Saturday morning was Donut Day with Daddy again! The boys love these times together, and Brayden always loves the yummy treat of donuts!

Guilty!

Brush Strokes

The kid loves to paint. Any time he can get his hands on a brush, he LOVES it. We have an art easel that has a chalkboard side that tends to get super dirty...chalk, ick. I found that an amazing way to let him feel like he is painting away, yet it comes without the mess and helps me clean up the icky chalk. I gave him a paintbrush and a cup of water. He painted away for what seemed like at least an hour and thought it was so cool.

He also loves to get his hands on some actual paint. The high chair is a perfect place to put him with just a diaper and a paint brush and let him go to town.

"All done!"

Changes...Welcome to "Creatively Purposed!"

Welcome to the new blog!

I'm excited to introduce some changes to my blog - not only to the look, but if you've made it here, you've noticed it's a different blog name and website. I've decided to make the changes, because I want to make it known what I'm all about in this blog.

Not only do I love posting pictures of our family and things going on for friends and family to see, but I also want to share what I believe God has called me to do and be as a person. In all I do, I want to glorify Him. I feel that our Creator is creative in His gifting of each one of us. He gives us each different gifts and abilities, and we are purposed to use those for His glory.

I hope that through this blog, I can use what God puts into my life, and that He will use me in a way that will honor Him. Whether I share about the daily stuff we do as a family...or a creative endeavor I dive into...whether it be a funny moment I have with my very active toddler...I hope you can get a glimpse into who God is. He is the most Creative One, and He has given us each purpose in life. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10

I want a full and abundant life; may my life point you to the One who loves us and has given us a life that is very creatively purposed.

Blowing Away

He almost blew away! After church today, while we

were walking to the car, he literally got pulled about

10 feet back and spun around from the wind

while holding the umbrella. It was pretty hilarious!

What Really Matters

Lately, God has been challenging me to evaluate my life to see if I am truly living according to His Word. I desire that my life be one that exists to glorify God, and I pray all that I do and say be living according to His Word.

As I look at this in my own life, I'm realizing that the way I live is being modeled to a little 2-year-old who is such a sponge! He is beginning to love to mimic and repeat all that we do and say. Man, does this keep you in check!

It's been really neat lately to see him beginning to understand how God loves him and has made him. He's been coming home from church telling me about what he's learning. This last Wednesday, when we got in the car after church, he said, "Mommy, God made me!" He is beginning to sing songs about Jesus that we sing to him at home. It brings such joy to my heart to hear him learning about the Lord.

As we head into the new year, I desire that this year be one that we all grow to know more of the Lord. That we would seek Him in every facet of our lives. To see God move in amazing ways, that there is no other explanation than that it was ALL God. To know Him and make Him known even more than I could ever imagine...that is what I want to be about. And that is what really matters.

Gingerbread Goodness

This is the last post (I think) of Christmas-related stuff. Every time we drive down our street, Brayden asks why there are no more Christmas lights; alas, we must move on. It was a fun year full of Christmas festivities and such, and it's one I've truly enjoyed seeing how Brayden is beginning to understand what Christmas is all about. I love it!

I bought a Gingerbread House kit from Target for us to put together. It was a really fun activity for us to do while Amy was in town. We had a blast...and Brayden had fun licking the icing.

Icing the house and the beginnings of all the candy-goodness.

The finished product!

And the best part...licking the icing!

Christmas Sledding

This is my favorite video of the boys sledding this Christmas in Utah. They had so much fun...and screamed the whole way down each time!

Christmastime with the Fam

Christmastime was a whirlwind, and I just realized I forgot to post a few pictures from the week before Christmas when my parents and sister were in town. We were so glad they got to come down and spend a few days with us. We packed lots into our time with them, but we truly enjoyed just having them with us during Christmastime!

At the REALLY REALLY BIG Christmas Show at Woodway

Brayden had so much fun making puppets with Amy and Mimi.

Cruisin' on his new toy

I think he MIGHT like Toy Story just a bit...

Brayden watched the Yogi Bear movie trailer

probably about 50 times on Papa's iPad.

Mini-TOMS...gotta LOVE!