Helping out around the kitchen...

Happy New Year! I've fallen a bit behind with keeping up to date on this blog. It's hard to be motivated to do it when I'm not sure if anyone really even reads it! :-) I'll post some pictures of Christmas soon. Isaac loves to help around the kitchen...sometimes too much. His tiny fingers have been accidentally stepped on a couple times when Brian is cooking and Isaac quietly sneaks up behind him and waits to be picked up. He loves to check out what's cooking on the stove and seems genuinely interested in it all...maybe he will be a great cook just like his daddy! That would be nice...it would ensure that I don't ever have to somehow learn to enjoy cooking. I can continue to only make my specialties of spaghetti, mac 'n cheese, eggs and grilled cheese on days that Brian needs a break from the kitchen. Brian has told me that I am better at making breakfast food than him...what a compliment! :-) I am definitely blessed to be married to a man who is not only a wonderful husband and daddy, but a wonderful cook, as well. He keeps us well fed...I only wish I had his metabolism!

 

Baby's First Christmas

This past weekend, we took Isaac to Gertens in Inver Grove Heights to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. They also give reindeers rides, but there was a long line, so we opted out of that...maybe next year. After waiting in line for about 40 minutes, Isaac was able to sit and listen to Mrs. Claus read a story. He sat so nicely and listened very attentively...we had to pick him up when it was time to go see Santa...he would have sat there for quite awhile, I think. He didn't seem to mind sitting on Santa's lap...we showed him a picture of him on the computer before we went...I'm sure that helped him to not be scared ;-) Santa told Isaac to be a good boy and to go to bed when his parents told him to.

Even though Santa Claus is a fun tradition, he is far from the real, true meaning of Christmas. This story I found is a bit long...but worth the read...and some cute pictures await you when you're done ;-)

Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. This is how it happened...I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out next to the fireplace. "What are you doing?" I started to ask. The words choked up in my throat and I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement . . . "TEACH THE CHILDREN!" I was puzzled. What did he mean? He anticipated my question and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. As I stood bewildered, Santa said, "Teach the children! Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that now-a-days Christmas has forgotten. Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle. "Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven." He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. "Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise." He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE. "Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness." Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. "Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection." He then pulled from his bag an ORNAMENT of himself. "Teach the children that I, Santa Claus, symbolize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December." He then brought out a HOLLY LEAF. "Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood shed by Him. Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said, "Teach the children that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. "Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherds' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper." He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. "Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men." Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. "Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return. Santa looked back and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, teach the children the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship him, our LORD, our GOD."

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May He alone be your peace, your comfort, your joy, your strength, your center, your hope, your Everything...Always!

 

 

Santa Baby

Isaac decided today during his bath that trying to eat the bubbles and drink the water was great fun! He made himself look a bit like Santa in the process...

 

Our little Schroeder...

Here's a video of Isaac playing the piano at my parent's...

Monkeying around...

Isaac LOVES his little monkey that Grandma and Grandpa Burmeister got him on their trip to New York this fall. Whenever he sees Monks (very original name, we know) :-) he gets a huge smile on his face, gives him a big kiss, and then starts talking to him. He gave Monks a piggy back ride at his Great-Grandparents' last weekend, and fell asleep with him last night in the jumperoo at Grandma and Grandpa Burmeister's. Life is great when Monks is around!

I'm growing some hair!!!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is definitely not my favorite holiday...in fact, it's probably my least favorite. First of all, I really don't like the color orange...that too, is probably my least favorite. I also don't care for spiders, ghosts, goblins, witches, etc. and think that they make for some rather ugly decorations...though I have seen a few cute ghosts. However, Halloween does happen to fall right in the middle of my favorite SEASON, and I do love pumpkins, pumpkin flavored foods, and seeing the joy in children's faces when they get to get dressed up for Halloween, and when they see their newly carved jack-o-lantern lit up in the dark outside. There are some fun things that go along with Halloween, I have to admit. Isaac enjoyed his first Halloween dressed up as a little bear (thanks, Jill, for the costume!).

The week before, we went to Grandpa & Grandma Nelson's to carve his first pumpkin. Needless to say, as you can see in the pictures, he was not impressed. In fact, he seemed downright scared of the pumpkin.

The little bear had a difficult time playing with his toys once his hands turned into paws...

We were at Grandpa and Grandma Harrison's for the weekend, so went trick or treating to three of their neighbors. Isaac looked at us like we were crazy and was definitely wondering what in the world we were doing, but he seemed to have a good time, anyway.

Isaac with the pumpkin Grandpa carved...grown in his garden. He seemed a little less scared of this one...maybe he's getting used to this whole Halloween thing.