The Swishers: January 2012

January is over, I can't believe it. I didn't do great at keeping up with pictures this month but I hope you enjoy them - a lot are taken with our phones this time around.

Posing in front of the flowers at King Soopers

Making brownies, Henry loves getting to help out in the kitchen.

Katie and Kevin came for a visit. It was great to see them and catch up on our lives a little bit.

Henry's favorite thing, he runs up to you and says, "I want to be naked boy!" Which means he wants us to get his clothes off so he can run around crazy in his diaper. :)

We met one of my co-workers and her kids at Jumpin' for lunch. Jane just wanted to hold her new baby Zane.

Cruisin' in the jeep.

Jane's new game - she's Jesse and I'm Emily. I pick her off the toy shelf and carry her with me everywhere, just like in the movie.

It snowed on Jane's birthday and the next morning we went sledding with a couple families from our small group. It was really fun watching the kids play together.

"The moms" :)

Watching the terrible last Bronco game of the season with Kelsey.

A sewing lesson...my skirt still isn't done...

I took Henry to get a haircut during preschool and he was amazing! He sat perfectly still while the stylist cut, textured and styled for 15 minutes. You could tell he thought it was really special he was sitting in the big chair in front of the mirror. As soon as he was done he hopped down and ran straight for the treasure chest full of suckers. :)

Jane holding another baby, our friends' little girl Norah.

Snuggling in their sleeping bags.

Henry wearing Jane's new Merida wig. What a goof!

Playing pirates with Henry. It is so fun to see the differences between boys and girls!!

One of Jane's friend from preschool moved this month so we went out for a special going away lunch just the girls and their moms.

Their goodbye hug! :)

We've driven by this obscure park on 39th Ave on our way to the post office for two years and Jane has been convinced that it must be an amazing park because it had large animal statues. So, I decided we better check it out. It is actually pretty lame, only a camel, an elephant, some weird jungle gym and 4 swings. They thought it was great though!

Nathan took Jane to the Father-Daughter Dance hosted by the Greeley Rec Center. Jane thought it was a magical evening and couldn't wait to go!

Henry just wanted to give her a kiss but Jane thought he was going to get her dirty.

Dinner at Kenny's before the dance.

Their professional photo :)

During the dance I was on call so Henry and I hung out at Papa and Nana's house in case I got called in.

Packing apples for a picnic lunch with Daddy and Jane.

How did I get such goofy children?? Oh yea, I married Nathan :)

Nana was sick this past week and I told Jane, "Maybe we should take Nana some soup for lunch." She said, "But Mom, Little Red Riding Minnie takes her grandma cough drops and cookies." So, of course we had to make a few cookies and find some cough drops to throw in too! (thanks Disney for re-writing the story!) :)

Poor baby has been fighting off something this past week, random fevers and a little nighttime coughing but hopefully he's starting to recover. I haven't minded the extra snuggles.

Nathan took Jane to dance this week since I was home with Henry. It was fun for him to get to see her in action!

There was serious work to be done...

Henry LOVES his new Elmo towel from Gramma Jo. This night he didn't want me to unwrap him to get his pajamas on. He said. "I want to stay in my towel!"

Making cookies with her new Easy Bake Oven from Aunt Shaina.

Jane taught Henry how to paint this week. Look for a hilarious video soon! I have to post it!

That's right, he has a frozen lasagna box on his head! Don't ask me why, I was napping before work. Daddy was in charge.

Princess Jasmine!

For those of you who are still reading/looking at pictures, I felt like I didn't want to include this next part chronologically because it not really a fun part of the update but it is important to me to acknowledge it anyway. These pictures were from our family weekend in Estes Park.

Over Matthew's birthday we decided to spend the weekend together as a family in Estes Park. It was a really difficult weekend and to be honest we weren't really sure how it was going to be or what to expect or what to plan even. We just knew we wanted to be together and in the end that is what we did. We played games, sat around, shopped a little and at least for me, thought a lot about Matthew and how it would have been his 25th birthday this year. In the midst of the day, Nathan reminded me of this verse:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1, 2

I know that this is truth and it does give me joy and hope to know that we will see Matt again and that he is in that "great cloud of witnesses" right now. I am so thankful for that hope and try to think on that hope every day. I wish it could, but knowing that still does not change how much we love him and feel that we were somehow cheated out of our lives together that could have been. I pray that God gives me more of His hope and less of the anger in the years to come.

Farther along we'll know all about it

Farther along we'll understand why

Cheer up my brothers, live in the sunshine

We'll understand this, all by and by

Tempted and tried, I wondered why

The good man died, the bad man thrives

And Jesus cries because he loves em' both

We're all cast-aways in need of ropes

Hangin' on by the last threads of our hope

In a house of mirrors full of smoke

Confusing illusions I've seen

Where did I go wrong, I sang along

To every chorus of the song

That the devil wrote like a piper at the gates

Leading mice and men down to their fates

But some will courageously escape

The seductive voice with a heart of faith

While walkin' that line back home

So much more to life than we've been told

It's full of beauty that will unfold

And shine like you struck gold my wayward son

That deadweight burden weighs a ton

Go down into the river and let it run

And wash away all the things you've done

Forgiveness alright

Still I get hard pressed on every side

Between the rock and a compromise

Like the truth and pack of lies fightin' for my soul

And I've got no place left go

Cause I got changed by what I've been shown

More glory than the world has known

Keeps me ramblin' on

Skipping like a calf loosed from its stall

I'm free to love once and for all

And even when I fall I'll get back up

For the joy that overflows my cup

Heaven filled me with more than enough

Broke down my levee and my bluff

Let the flood wash me

And one day when the sky rolls back on us

Some rejoice and the others fuss

Cause every knee must bow and tongue confess

That the son of god is forever blessed

His is the kingdom, we're the guests

So put your voice up to the test

Sing Lord, come soon

- Farther Along, Josh Garrels