Christmas Letter 2012

This Christmas, we went back and forth with sending out Christmas cards, for financial reasons.  I've sent one out every Christmas since we've been married 7 years ago, so not sending one would be super hard.  So we compromised, we decided to get photo cards made and not include a letter, but just put one on here instead.  Also, as much as I would LOVE to send a card to all of our family and friends, we only got enough for immediate family (my mom's been married three times, so that's a lot of family:), so here's our picture and letter:)

Dear Family and Friends,

Adeline is 18 months already, and if you ask anyone that's been around her, they'd say she's so calm and easy going...spend a day at our house and you have a different child, ha!  She is so funny, independent, smart and curious, which means she's always exploring and discovering new things to play with.  Usually she's pretty good about helping clean up the messes she makes.  She loves to look at books, step on books, tear and rip books...I now have a library repair kit that comes out on a daily basis.  Sounds are constantly coming out of her mouth, and I think one day soon she's just going to start talking in sentences.  Following Hakan around is a fun game for her, she loves him:)  She's our little peanut.

Hakan is 3 1/2 years old.  He is the sweetest little boy!  Helping mommy and daddy cook and bake is one of his favorite things to do (daddy has more patience with this).  He really loves building forts with every blanket in the house.  And since we got over 10 inches of snow this last weekend, all he wants to do is go play outside.  The things he says and remembers are so hilarious!  I've started a little homeschooling with him, he loves shapes:)  After Christmas, I hope to start working on letters. He is also guilty of following Adeline around...two peas in a pod.

Derek is starting his 8th busy season at Abdo, Eick, and Meyers, Accounting Firm, as a Manager, mainly working on audits for businesses.  This past year, he has done a lot of traveling, going to Miami, Fl, once a month for a client who's a famous artist, really awesome!  Also, to Colorado, Vegas and all over Minnesota.  Not so fun for me and the kids, but they're usually fairly short trips:)  We did all go with him to Miami in May, where the kids got to swim in the ocean for the first time, it was a very fun and eventful trip, that you can read more about here, here and here.

I have the privilege of staying at home with my kiddos every day.  They keep me super busy, two words, potty training.  Being with them to experience their every day is truly an amazing experience.  As difficult as some days can be, I cherish this time that I get to spend with my kids that is so short.  They make me laugh all the time and fill me with so much joy.  I'm so thankful that I get to be their mom.  In the middle of being a wife and mom, I have my own business, Anchored Hope, where I sew and knit (you can like my facebook page here). I pray that there will be good naps during the day, so I can get stuff done...a rare occurrence for both of them at the same time.  I've done a few shows this year, where I've met some really amazing people, and friends and family are always my best customers:)  Thank you so much for your support!

I can't forget about Bear, she puts up with a lot from our other two little ones.  She's 7 1/2 years old, 48ish in cat years and considered a senior, but she still acts like a kitten:) She loves  naps and laps...as long as they're not a certain 3 and 1 year old's.

Overall, it's been a really great year.  We're all healthy and happy.  If you want to keep up with what we're doing, you can follow this blog, or subscribe via email.  Thanks for reading!!

We pray that God protects and blesses all our family and friends in 2013.  Merry Christmas!!

Love, Derek, Lacy, Hakan and Adeline

Xlear SparX

I am a Mom Ambassador for Moms Meet, which means I get to be part of a group of moms who have the opportunity to sample new and different products, always exciting!

My most recent sampling opportunity is a product called Xlear SparX.  When I first saw the name, I thought it was a little strange.  Then I got my samples in the mail and both me and Hakan, my 3 1/2 year old, tasted them, a deliciously sweet little candy that comes in three different flavors, Fruit, Berry and Citrus!

The best part, they actually help clean your teeth, because it uses xylitol instead of sugar, I know, a candy good for your teeth, what?!?  The only thing I knew about xylitol, was it was in some sugar-free gums, so I knew it was some sort of sweetener, but after watching this webinar, I learned it was so much more than just a sweetener!  It actually helps keep your teeth cleaner, because bacteria cannot break it down, like sugar, to create acid that leads to tooth decay.  In turn, it prevents bacteria from reproducing, their numbers decrease, and they lose their ability to stick to the surface of teeth, making the body able to wash them away, awesome right!?  I think so:)  This is such a great alternative to regular sugar filled candy, and I have no problem feeding them to my kids, who love them.

In order to get the amount of xylitol needed to protect your teeth, they recommend 5 exposures a day, which just means, brushing your teeth with a xylitol toothpaste, chewing gum or candy, or mouthwash, not really anything we don't already do:)

A study in Belize with children who started chewing gum with xylitol had a 70% decrease in tooth decay, that's really amazing.  The gum you choose to chew with xylitol needs to be the first ingredient and the only sugar, otherwise the effectiveness is decreased.

Not only does it benefit oral health, it also helps with upper respiratory health and diabetes.  So many positives, I'm not sure why I didn't know about it sooner.

There are so many great products to choose from.  We also got samples of the Kids Spry Tooth Gel with Xylitol, our kids love it!  I'm super excited to try some other products with my family made with xylitol and start reaping the benefits!  I completely recommend xylitol products!  Check out the webinar or their site for more info.

Also, speaking of oral health, a good friend of mine, Heather, and her brother started an amazing company called, Bogobrush.  They make these beautiful biodegradable toothbrushes, and the best part, for every brush you buy, they give one to someone in need.  You can help by pre-ordering yours today!  I can't wait to get mine:)

Disclaimer:  I received the product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer.  As a Moms Meet Blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog.  My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Ho Ho in MO

We took a little road trip down to Springfield, MO to visit Derek's sister, Jessica, and her family, as well as his mom, brother and sister, who also traveled down.

This was one hour into a 9 1/2 hour drive...she hates being confined, she has since being inside me...

She cried for the next hour, determined and stubborn:)

Derek went to school in MO for a couple years and the Nature Reserve was one of my most favorite places to go with him when I visited.  It was so special to take our kids on such a beautiful day and share this wonderful place!

  

Our first time eating at Chick-fil-A, yum:)

Yes, this is me being pushed up by my butt onto a hay bale, ha!

How could we go to Missouri and not go to Bass Pro Shop?!  Plus, Ho Ho was there (what Hakan calls Santa).

  

Oh man, trying to get four grand kids to smile or even look at the camera in a picture with Grandma is next to impossible.

  

Pictures with Santa always make me laugh, my kids were no exception.  Adeline freaked, classic, and Hakan had a weird, deer in headlights, look on his face.  This had to have been one of the sweetest Santas ever, he said we could try one with just Hakan...he made the same face, and then he said we could try a family one...still the same face.  Oh well, we got them all for free!  Good memories:)

This is Adeline emptying yet another bag, she's really good at it.

One of our other favorite places in Springfield, Andy's Frozen Custard :)

Another stop at Chick-fil-A on the way home, solely for the little play area.

 We had a good time with family and can't wait for all the visits coming in the next month!

Rooooaaarrrr!

Halloween is so much fun and adorable with little ones!  Last year we went to the Mall of America, which was really nice since it's indoors and we had a 4 month old.  We got there right away and it wasn't busy at all.  Our plan was going to be the same for this year, but it turned out to be a beautiful day, so we went to a friend's neighborhood (ours doesn't really do trick-or-treating) and had a lot of fun!  Hakan got the hang of it so quick, and was so cute when he said "thank you," he had to wait for the person to nod or say "you're welcome," before moving on to the next house.

Our little monkey:)

Derek just stuck on this wig...creepy all by itself.

 

This house giving out toothpaste is after my mom's dental hygienist heart, ha!

Going through their loot.

We ended the night with $2 chipotle burritos, mmmm.  The line was out the door and around the store, but we ordered on our way there, went to the front of the line and voila, in and out in 3 minutes, awesome!

The day before, we carved pumpkins, not a strength of ours, but fun and made pizza mummies.

The pizza mummies were super easy, fun and yummy!  All you need are english muffins, marinara, string cheese and something for the eyes, we just used bacon that we had in the fridge already. 

Hope everyone had a fun Halloween!