Slideshow of Christmas 2007

Oh Christmas Tree!

The tradition of cutting down our own Christmas tree continued this year, and despite the cold the boys had a great time! AJ was so excited to put "nonaments" on the tree. Jordan followed his brother's lead at first, but was more interested in taking them off the tree to play with them.

Crazy Month!

November was crazy! We had two episodes of sickness, first ear infections and croup, and then the stomach flu a couple weeks later. Thankfully we were healthy when we needed to be. Our good friends from Illinois visited us this month. The boys had a blast playing with Tor, Bruce and Alice. We went to the Children's Museum, MOA, and of course had fun swimming at the hotel. I also enjoyed a visit from a friend who I haven't seen in 10 years. She lives in NC.....I'm trying to convince her that she should move to MN. She's turned off by the cold. Good thing she's not here today.....it's freezing!!!

I did some teaching at Crossroads Elementary School (a year-round school in St. Paul). I had a wonderful group of 3rd graders (only 17 of them!) for a week and a half during the school's Intercession. They have 3 of these during the year, and it's a perfect opportunity for me to keep my skills sharp doing something I love. The boys were troopers, being taken care of several people. Thanks to our amazing support system!

We spent Thanksgiving with my family in Rochester. There were 18 of us, and Lawrence did most of the cooking. He made a fabulous 25-pound turkey.....guess who'll never cook a Thanksgiving meal again? :-)

November also marked the first preview service for Living Stones Covenant Church! We're part of an exciting church plant in South Minneapolis (meeting at South High School). Check out the blog....next service is Dec. 16. http://www.livingstonescov.blogspot.com/

Happy Halloween!

The boys had fun trick-or-treating with their cousins. Mom and Dad are enjoying the stash of candy as much as the boys :-) (the benefit of having kids too young to know any better!)

Birthday Boy

Jordan turned 2 this week! We had a fun party with family over for dinner and cake. He had a lot of "help" opening gifts!

My birthday was spent at the cabin this year with friends Elisa and the Runions. We had a blast playing in the leaves, roasting marshmallows, and enjoying the gorgeous weather. Fall has always been my favorite season....weekends like this confirm that!

AJ is at the age now where he can help pick out birthday presents. When daddy brought him to the store to buy a present for me, he picked out matchbox cars. After showing me my "present" I asked him if I could play with the cars and he said, "No, they're just for little kids."

Living in the Moment

There are many days when I look around at the mess my house is in and then I stop and watch my boys playing. I love getting down on the floor with my kids. I’ve heard countless wisdom from other parents that tells me how fast kids grow up, and even though some days feel as if they'll never end, I trust that wisdom. So if anyone should decide to drop in unexpectedly, be prepared to trip over some toys! (And try to overlook the dust. :-)

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

Micah has recently mastered sitting by himself, so we decided he's ready to join his brothers during bathtime. He was actually a little fussy this evening but was happy as soon as he got in the tub with his brothers. AJ was very concerned about being careful not to splash him or scare him.

Apple Orchard

We went to Afton Apple Orchard yesterday to go apple picking. It was a little chilly, but the kids had a great time. They loved the bumpy hayride and AJ felt like a big boy carrying the bag of apples. This has become a tradition for our family!

First Day of School

This was a big day for the Wangs. AJ started preschool and Mama started grad school. This picture is the best I could get. He had been very excited to start school but then got hesitant when the actual day arrived. He wanted to stay home with Grandma, his cousin and his brothers. He ended up having a great time and on the car ride home said, "Thanks for bringing me to school, Mom."

As for me, I've entered Hamline University's graduate program. I'm pursuing my K-12 Reading Licensure. This will work towards renewing my teaching license, to equip me in the area of education I've always been passionate about.....helping struggling readers. My first class went very well. The reason I'm writing this at 2:30 am, however, is because of the caffeine in my system. I needed it to get through the 4-hour class! I'm so excited about the program and am thankful for the support of my mom and husband on the home front.

Lack of Fear

Here's a clip of AJ riding a little zip-line while we were up at Covenant Pines camp. I don't know if it's lack of fear or lack of realization you could get hurt, but AJ tried this without hesitation and loved doing it over and over again.

Last Summer Days

We've had a fun and busy summer. We spent some time recently in Rochester visiting Grandma and Grandpa, and last week we had a great time with cousins at the cabin. Good-bye, summer!

Running in Circles

No, I'm not talking about the craziness of work right now. Rather, we thought we'd share just another day in the life of the Wang family. This video was actually taken from a nice quiet Sunday morning. Is it any wonder why Micah really doesn't do well when his brothers are gone?

Also, we went to the Great Minnesota Get Together (State Fair), and strapped on the feedbag. Lately, Jordan has been demonstrating a canine-like ability to lick a bone clean. So, we thought we'd give him a new challenge with this Turkey leg! Needless to say, he didn't finish it. But where else can you go and have permission to eat with your hands and make a mess of yourself in public. The fair was definitely a little more challenging with three, as compared to two. But, our friends the Wohlrabes were there with their double-stroller to help out. It is our 6th year in a row with them at the fair, and 5th year in a row where someone has been pregnant!!! Also, one interesting note, the deep fried cheese curd stand was advertising that they were Trans Fat Free. As if that is supposed to make me feel better.

A rare moment where Micah actually quietly
tolerated his brothers smothering him for an
extended period of time (10 minutes)!

We don't get out much....

...so with the one night that we do get out, we decide to go to Prom! Chris & Lee Blum decided it'd be fun to put on a Prom for us grown-ups.

Aren't we a hot couple!!! Walking through the club scene in downtown Minneapolis in our prom outfits was quite interesting. Good thing we're more self-confident as adults!!

Pine Beach

We just returned from a week-long vacation with the Wang family to a resort "up north." The boys had a blast with their cousins, and the weather was absolutely perfect. Why is it that we return from a vacation completely exhausted? Welcome to parenthood!

Pine Beach

We just returned from a week-long vacation with the Wang family to a resort "up north." The boys had a blast with their cousins, and the weather was absolutely perfect. Why is it that we return from a vacation completely exhausted? Welcome to parenthood!