January fun

 We had fun making a Valentine for our shut-in friend from church, Mrs. W. I first used masking tape to make a heart on card stock. Then, Ian enjoyed using the watercolors Aunt Amy and Uncle Jason gave him for Christmas to paint over the masking tape heart. He thought it was GREAT to peel off the tape, too.

 Here's Ian's finished product. He also made one that said "IAN." :)

 We also had fun making Mrs. W. (and US!) some chocolate chip cookies. Of course, Ian is eager to help at every step along the way, including grinding the walnuts, dumping in the ingredients, turning on the mixer, and sampling the dough.

Since he's such a big fan of singing, Ian thought making paper towel roll kazoos was hilarious!

 We got lots of rain this week, which meant Ian got to wear the rain boots from Grammy and Papa quite a bit. Besides splashing in the puddles while it's raining, Ian really loves watching water rush into the storm drain.

 Our friend Melissa spent part of a day with us this week. It's always so fun to watch the two of them play together. They built with blocks,

 and then we made potato-print Valentines together. I was really impressed with Melissa's idea to make butterflies out of two heart-shapes and then make a body with her finger dipped in paint. (Enlarge the picture for a better view.)

 Ian most enjoyed "swirling" the hearts (spinning the potato around in a circle) so they didn't look like hearts at all when he was done. :)

 I was SO proud of the "LOVE" potato stamper I carved ... until I realized that I needed to make a mirror image. Ha ha! I also got a big kick out of what Melissa chose to type on her Valentines ... "I want it to say, 'Peace on Earth!'" she said.

 We went outside to play with bubbles. First Ian blew bubbles for Melissa to pop with the wand,

 then they switched roles.

I gave both Ian and Melissa the option to either play or help make lunch. They both eagerly asked to help make the pigs in a blanket. They pressed down the dough, and Melissa helped to roll the hot dogs and cheese inside. Yum. What a fun day!! Thanks, Melissa, for coming over to play!

We can finally share some good news with everyone. You already know that we are expecting a little one in May. You already know that Kim's sister, Amy, and Matt's brother, Jason, are expecting two boys in June. But you may not know that Kim's brother, Andrew, and wife, Sarah, are expecting a little one in August! They shared the news with us at Christmas (when Sarah was about 5 weeks along), so we all posed for a belly shot along with a head count of who's inside. :) Now that Andrew and Sarah have had their first OB appointment, they know they have just one on the way! What a blessing to go from 1 grandchild on Kim's side to 5 in just a few short months! God is so good!

If you're interested in following Amy and Jason's pregnancy journey, feel free to check out their NEW blog at http://schleicherfam.blogspot.com/.

We just passed the time when our second baby would've been born if the Lord hadn't already taken him/her home to heaven. Of course, it was sad to pass January 21st and be reminded of our loss, but we certainly celebrate our victory over death through Jesus ... and the gift he has given us of another baby on the way. Thanks to many of you for your thoughts, prayers, cards, and sweet words over the last week. :)