Merry Christmas from the Steyaert house!

We had a great Christmas this year, spending it with our family and playing with all the new toys! The boys had an exciting morning, waking up to find stockings at their doors and drums and a kite waiting by the Christmas tree for them. Stephen came into our room at a decent hour, 7:30ish, wondering why Santa didn't bring him the Bakugans on his list. I assured him that Santa could have put things under the tree that were on his list and with that he tore out of our room and down to the tree. The next sound from him we heard was pounding on drums that were waiting for them. Scottie was having a hard time waking up and didn't understand "Christmas Morning" until he heard the drums and he ran downstairs too.They were amazed at the gifts they received from everyone, Scott with Buzz and Play Dough from Grandma and Grandpa Tim, drums from "Santa", a knit zippered hoodie from Grammy Jo, Nerf gunandammo from Grandpa Steyaert, more Play Dough fun from Aunt Steph and Uncle Jarrod, Toy Story movie collection, train set, Wiggles movies, and some Toy Story shirts from Mom and Dad. Stephen got Bakugans from Grandpa Steyaert, Star Wars light sabre from Grandma and Grandpa Tim, a knit zippered hoodie from Grammy Jo, Hungry Hungry Hippos play Dough set from Steph and JarrodDSI and games and Wii games, along with some clothes and shoes from Mom and Dad. Peter spoiled me with some Ugg boots, Pampered Chef items, a sweater and some money to go maternity clothes shoping. Steph and Jarrod also sent me some nursing wear and baby stuff, and GrammyJo sent me some beautiful knit hats and wash cloths. Mom gave me a cookbook and a cookie cookbook along with a cool bread/dessert pan. Peter made out with a PSP and some games (thanks Caleb, Steph and Jarrod!) movies, and PS3 games he desired along with a racing wheel to go with one of the games.Grammy Jo also sent him a nicehat knit with love. Mom and Tim sent us some great signs that are now hung around our house. My two favorite say "Mothers of boys work from son up to son down", and "The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." Kris and Jer sent us some coffee!! Thanks!

After all the gifts were opened, we had a breakfast of cinnamon rolls, eggs, and fruit. Then we quickly headed on down the road to Dad's house for a family get together. It was nice to see everyone who could make it including Grammy and Granddad Cole, Uncle Roger, Uncle Chris and clan, and Dad, Bobbie-Mom, Christiana, and Caleb home from the Air Force Academy. I love to spend time with the family and eat good food! We were able to hear about Caleb and David's trip to Korea, see pictures and videos, including one of them and Steph eating a live octopus!Well, kinda anyway, they cut off the tentacles and they ate them while they were still squirming!Glad it wasn't me!!! After a gift exchange with the family, everyone started splitting up and going home. We (all the kids) were able to give a gift of a performance at the Kennedy Center to see South Pacific and dinner out at The Melting Pot to our parents and Skyped with Steph and Jarrod in Korea and Rachel and Craig in Ohio while it was opened. It was a special way to end the evening.With all the focus on gifts this year it was put on my heart many times to not just focus on the materialism of the time but the true meaning of this time of year. I try to teach my boys that the real meaning of the season is the gift of a baby to all humans, given by our Father in Heaven. Jesus's birthday is what we celebrate and the greatest gift of all which is given freely to those who will accept it of eternal salvation. I hope to do better in this next year, focusing more on giving than getting and instilling that in our children.

I hope that you had a great Christmas and would love to hear your stories. Merry Christmas to all!

"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

Good News for 2011

So the word is out!! We are expecting again and will be due in June of 2011! I am through the first trimester and the boys are looking forward to a new sibling. They are sure it will be a girl... at least Stephen is. I was able to see the baby at 6 weeks by ultrasound, the heart was newly formed in the last day or so before it. I was also able to hear the heartbeat nearly 3 weeks earlier than expected! We are around 15 weeks right now and will find out the gender on February 1st. Pray for a healthy and happy baby and energy for mom! Keep watching for updated news on new Baby Steyaert!

Snow has come to Berryville!

Our first snowfall happened earlier last week! The boys were so excited to get out and play in it! We were able to catch snowflakes in our mouth, eat some snowballs, play on sleds, slide all over and enjoy the first snowfall with our friends, Carson and mom Krissy. We played on their trampoline in the snow, went down the slide, had a small snowball fight and got really cold!! We are sure looking forward to more snow this winter... our next chance is tomorrow!! We will be keeping our fingers crossed! Enjoy some snow pictures!

It's Begining to feel a lot like Christmas...

We hung up our lights, made lots of Christmas cookies, had holiday parties, town parades, Polar Express movies, and decorated our tree! Its feeling a lot like Christmas! Not only does it look like Christmas around our house with our tree decorated, stockings hung, garlin around, calendar with gifts wrapped hung, but it is COLD!! We are having one of the coldest Decembers in a long time for Virginia.

Stephen, Scott and I made lots of cookies this year. We made spritz, chocolate crackles, snicker doodles, and cut out sugar cookies. We have a lot of fun in the kitchen. I can't imagine next year when things will all be different, Stephen will be in school so we won't have fun baking days whenever we want... :(Stephen also helped me decorate our house with lights this year. It is so nice to have someone help! It was a great time with my oldest son, teaching him how to wrap lights around a tree, where things should be and with input from someone with such a sweet spirit! I love my big helper!

Our town had a Christmas parade that we go to each year. We met up with a lot of friends and

watched the parade together. The kids collected a lot of candy that was thrown out to them. The high light though for the kids was to see Santa riding on the Berryville fire truck!

Stephen, Scott and I were able to go to the Polar Express movie at the Alamo Drafthouse. If you haven't been to a Drafthouse theater, it is fun.

You can order food or drinks and servers will bring them to you. With our special movie, we were able to meet the train conductor, get our own golden tickets and have hot chocolate and cookies in the movie! Scott actually sat through this one (the first time for this) and Stephen had a blast sitting next to his best bud, Tyler Chinn. It was a fantastic time and a fun memory to make with my kiddos.

Peter and I went to a holiday party for his work at his boss's house and had a great time. We are looking forward to the company party that will happen later this week. I just like having the alone time with my sweet, hard-working husband (and its fun to dress up!)

I can't wait to hear how everyone else is preparing for the holidays. Please send me updates on your family and I will send you a digital copy of our Christmas letter!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year with Peter's Dad, Uncle Chris and his family, and Grammy and Granddad. I am so thankful for all my family, extended and close, abroad and down the street. We went to Uncle Chris and Aunt Helen's house for dinner this year, along with Peter's Dad who was out to visit from Seattle, Washington. We celebrated Stephen's 5th birthday the day before with going to Chuck E Cheese with some friends and lunch at Chickfilet and he was able to open his gifts after breakfast. We had a great time seeing cousins home from college, eating great food, and playing lots of games. The boys had a blast with their cousins Amy and David as they entertained them into the evening playing DS, Wii, and board games. With all of this, it made my heart miss my family, Mom in Maine, sister in Korea with her family, another sister in Ohio with her family and my Dad, Bobbie-Mom, Christiana, and brother Caleb, who is in the Air Force Academy. I am truly grateful for all I am given and the opportunities I have including catching up with my loved ones on the computer or phone. It makes it like they are not so far away. I am reminded of the first thanksgiving, when the pilgrims were here for their first winter and they didn't have many of their family members or loved ones or easy ways to communicate with them. They didn't even know if they would make it through the winter. Here is a copy of the first Thanksgiving proclamation by George Washington. It really puts things into perspective!

FW: A Thanksgiving Proclamation...
George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.


Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

G Washington

Happy 5th Birthday Stephen!

Oh my son, how I am thankful for you and your 5 years of life! It is amazing to see you transform right before my eyes. It seems as though only yesterday that I held you for the first time in San Antonio, Texas, that I fed you your first foods, that I found you in the midst of a pile of trash because you were no longer contained! It seems as only yesterday that we taught you to walk, talk, and throw a baseball. It feels like only yesterday that you learned to count to 10, became a big brother, learned to ride a bike. Man how these days pass by too fast. Now you are getting ready to go to school, go on play dates, and do so many new things that you were too little to do. I thank God for giving me a son that is so sweet, smart, kind, sharing, giving, loving, gentle, and desires to do what is right. I am thankful for you and can't wait to see the boy to man you will grow to be! Know I am your biggest fan, Son, and I love you with all my heart!

Random Pictures of the Steyaert Boys!

Hope these pics give your day a lift!!

Fun in the night...

So this year we decided to go trick or treating... Scottie wasn't sure about what he thought about it when it was finally time to go. He practiced and practiced for the days leading up to the event but when time came he got shy. He wouldn't dress up and even refused to go to some houses. But then he just wanted to keep up with the big boys and was stoked when he saw the amount of yummy treats he got for being so cute! We went around our neighborhood with some of the boys up the street, Carson and Tyler. Peter stayed home and handed out candy to the kids as they came around.Later that night, Peter and I headed out to his work party. We had a baby sitter for the boys, dressed up and had a good time. Peter dressed as a convict of the Virginia State Prison and I dressed as a pretty convincing cop. I was able to fit into my old Citadel uniform and it made a great costume!

Our town decided to have trick or treating on Saturday night so it worked out when Uncle Chris and Aunt Helen invited us up to their house for the Redskins game and to stay for Trick or Treating around their neighborhood. It was fun to dress up since Scottie was in a better mood this evening. Stephen just took off like he owned the world and knew just what to do. Scottie tried his best to keep up with the big kids but got tired by the end. He got back and got into jammies and then passed out on the couch.

Stephen was a night owl and stayed up until we decided to leave the party. I was able to hang out with my cousin, David, home from U. of Alabama, and play cards for a few hours. Aunt Helen and I won one game and David and his girlfriend won the other round of Spades. I sure miss game night with the Cole's but it was fun to get it in when we could. It was a great night and I look forward to it again.

Fun at the Farms!

We had a blast the last week getting to go to 2 farms and having fun with family and friends. We went to Cox Farms on Friday with Aunt Helen and Amy and had many fun adventures on slides, tractor rides, feeding greedy goats, and in a corn maze!

We also went to Great Country Farms with our friends, the Wallace's, Pellamen's and the Bracken's and had more adventures, with animals and a big pillow! We also went on a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch and was able to pick out a pumpkin each. We had a great time and look forward to going back again. Hope you enjoy the pics as we enjoyed the time with friends and family making lasting fall memories!

Square Dance 2010

So between the fun of the two farms our church, Emmaus, held a square dance and bbq. We used the fair grounds and I think a fun night was had by all. We had friends from Northern Virginia come and they stayed the night and watched Narnia with us. Stephen won best dressed for boys, and Peter and I got best dressed couple... Kinda fitting since Stephen was born in Texas! Line dancing, chicken dancing, learning to square dance, and doing the Hokey-Pokey were on the night's activity list. I sure look forward to next year's dance!

Check out my boy's moves!

Sunday School

Hope this does your heart as well as it does mine each week.. We are doing a new take on Sunday School at our church to be more like Bible School. We start out each class all together and sing songs; then we have a group lesson, and finally we get in small groups and talk about what we learned this week and go over our memory verse. This is a short video of the kids doing one of the songs... Scottie wants to be just like his BIG Brother!!

Pumpkin Carving

We decided to carve pumpkins with some friends this year. Scottie of course wanted a Buzz pumpkin and Stephen wanted to do his own. I was so proud of him; before he wouldn't even touch the seeds or guts and this year he scooped them out almost all by himself! We had over Jenny, Gavin and Sully to carve, share a dinner, and some play time. The boys had a blast gutting the pumpkin then creating their own faces. The mom's helped some but for the most part they did it themselves. Thanks for the fun and the memories Holmes family! Enjoy our pumpkins!!

Fall is for Soccer!

Stephen started playing soccer this year. We started him in a homeschool rec department program that is focused on building skills and the players rather than focusing on games. We thought that this would be a good introduction to the game for Stephen and Scottie. Every Friday from 1:30-3:30 we are out on the field, forgoing naps. It is a fun time and a great way to meet some more kids. Stephen has a couple of close buddies in his age group, Teddy and Brianna. They are like the 3 Musketeers on the field. Stephen is having a great time playing and loves that Mom is super involved. We play games, practice dribbling, shooting, and passing. Stephen and I look forward to either the spring or next fall so he can have the chance to play on a team against another team! Enjoy some soccer mom photos!

Sleep~overs begin (kinda)

Stephen and Scottie reached a new milestone last night. The boys had their first sleep over~ with each other! They were so cute cuddling in bed, tickling each other, and licking each other. They started off the night together, reading stories and singing songs. At 10:00 I heard some pounding on the stairs and here comes little Scottie wide awake. A few seconds later, Stephen came popping out of his room. I was on Skype with Steph at the time and so the boys were able to say a quick hi to their Auntie in Korea and then I took them back to "Bubba's room". They were in there for a few more minutes and much more laughter until I went back in and had Scottie go to his own bed. He was disappointed about this but I said we could try it again another night. So this morning we have tired kids, a tired mom, but lots of fun memories from our first attempt at a sleep-over!

October!

So October is here and with it is the cold weather! As I am out running in the mornings with my friends and it is in the 40's, it is cold! Then it is still cloudy and chilly throughout the day. Fall is finally upon us I believe! So now is the time for pumpkins (Scottie's newest favorite thing), cookies, and dressing up! Stephen and Scottie got a "Boo" last night, which is a package on the front door of some goodies that goes around the neighborhood. You aren't supposed to know who you get the package from and then you are to "boo" two of your neighbors. It is a really fun October tradition in our neighborhood. So we got ours yesterday. Scottie won't stop carrying around his pumpkin basket that he received. Stephen got a bat the first year we were here and he still carries his treasures around in it. I wasn't so sure how I felt about it, since it is in celebration of Halloween, which I am not sure how I feel about either. But the boys loved it. They were so excited and even more excited to "treat" some of our neighbors.We gave them some coloring books and candy, or a cake mix and frosting with a fall mug. Then we weren't playing into the "Halloween" stuff, but it was still fun. I am not sure with all the spiritual relm and stuff what to do about this "holiday." I have a conviction not to participate but then I just see my kids dressing up and having a great timewith their friends and getting some candy. What do you think? I would love to hear what you have to say!!

Here are some updated pics of us. Hope you like the ones of the boys together! They are such good brothers. And look at our horse! He has grown so big! (forgive the pic of me... I am in confies and not looking my best!)