Favorite Things

Halie - 4 1/2
Favorite Color - Depends on the day, most the time pink and purple. Today I was informed it was white or black.

Favorite Toys- Barbies and dress up clothes. Also occasionally enjoys playing with her baby dolls and coloring.

Favorite Books - anything you will read to her! Bernstein bears are always a winner. She loves her bible stories that dad reads to her each night too. We read Rumpelstiltskin for the first time tonight, she just laughed and laughed and asked to read it again, but i think that was because she knew it was time to go to bed

Favorite Food - peanut butter and jelly/or honey sandwiches, yogurt, any type of candy, berries of any kind. unfortunately at this point she has more unfavorite foods than favorite. Oh, how can i forget, chocolate! but could she really be mason if that were not one of her favs?? i think not.

Favorite restaurant - unfortunately it is Cheesecake Factory. All she ever gets there is pasta noodles with no sauce though. hmmmm, what else could it be that makes her love it so much???? oh yea, dessert! once again, the masons very rarely pass up the opportunity for a good dessert.

Other favorites - her bike and scooter, dancing, going to the lake house, hot bubble baths, tv - how could i forget that! school!

Favorite TV shows/movies - Curious George (not sure who likes it more, her or dad), Jungle Junction, Handy Manny, Clifford, Little Einsteins, All Disney Princess movies, Barbie movies, unfortunately the list could go on and on. That is why we make rules about how much TV can be watched each day. One day she'll understand.


Austin 16 months

Favorite Toy - anything that is not a toy. Water pitchers, kitchen utensils, brooms (as seen above), coffee mugs, vacuum cleaner, cups, my makeup bag, occasionally he will still pick up a ball and throw it, keys, cell phones, etc....

Favorite Book - doesn't believe in reading yet, looks at one page and shuts the book.

Favorite Food - 2 weeks ago i would have said "anything you put in front of him", but since then, he has started to become more picky. He pushes away quite a variety of veggies, pears and even some carbs now ( he once was a lover of all things carbs). I am hoping maybe it has something to do with the 4 eye teeth that are coming in right now. Surely he'll reacquire his taste for vegetables, right???

Favorite words - or only words, however you would like to phrase it - Daddy & Doggie are by far the 2 favorites. Occasionally while crying, mama will come out. He has started saying Halie - very cute. ball, nana, coffee (seriously, i really think he says it while he is holding a mug) and that about sums it up!

Other favs - daddy, loves his daddy, but loves his mommy too :) loves Halie, he is much more at peace when she is home, loves Chewy...Chewy tolerates him, loves his blue soft blankets, don't try to put him to bed without it! and baths, i have found him crawling into the empty bath a couple of times!


Family favs - having dad at home and not studying!!! we love it, but unfortunately, he started back yesterday. hopefully this semester will not be as trying as ones in the past.

My goals for this year -
Continue to grow in my love for Jesus, I have spent so many years doing for Him and not loving Him, and you know what, it was very unfulfilling and tiring. Learning to love Him has been incredible and the "doing" is enjoyable now!

Grow in my love and appreciation for my husband. I love him so much and he has so many wonderful things to offer, I want to continue to fall in love with him and those incredible things about him and to encourage him as he seeks God's plan for our family in the future.

Show more patience and grace to my kids. I need to remember "she is 4, not 30".

Drink more water. Goal - 2 L a day

Run a Half-Iron Man Triathlon - already signed up for it in April, guess that means i'd better get after it or it is going to be a rough day!!

Utilize my calendar and lists more this year. I have lots of thoughts up in my head, but they get confused and I make silly mistakes. I am going to approach this year in a more organized way.

Stay in better touch with my friends.

I am sure I could name tons of other things, but this seems like a pretty good list to get me started!