Incredible Pizza!!!

We discovered a new, FUN, cure-for-cabin-fever place in Des Moines. It's called Incredible Pizza, similar to Chuck E. Cheese, only bigger, better, and crazier! It had a HUGE buffet with salad, pizza, pasta, "kid food" (hot dogs, fries, chicken strips, tacos, nachos, gold fish crackers) and desserts. It had TONS of games, including your typical arcade games...but it had kid sized bowling, bumper cars, mini golf, and "race cars"!!! Grant had fun, even though he was kind of sick...oops, we may have spread our germs to half of DSM, but we HAD to get out of the house.

Kid sized bowling!

Papa met us there and tried to entertain Brynna :)

Lee and Grant racing...

...they won FIRST PLACE, although Lee did have to bump into a little girl to get in front.

Mommy and Grant racing, we didn't quite get first...but it was SO fun!

"A Year with Frog and Toad"

I took Grant to see the play/musical called "A Year with Frog and Toad" on Friday at the Des Moines Civic Center. It is based on the "Frog and Toad" books by Arnold Lobel. The books have been around since the 70's, but we just recently discovered them. They are intended as beginner reader (grades 1-3) books, but Grant LOVES listening to the stories. He also enjoyed the play and said it was, "neat!" However, he did say his FAVORITE part of our day was the sky walk! Well, at least I'm TRYING to introduce him to a little culture :)

This is one of the books.

Almost ready to go.

Waiting for the show.

The stage, we had great seats!

My little country boy in the big city!
He loved walking through the sky walk to the food court to have lunch :)

He slept all the way home, which was good because it was snowing HARD and the roads were horrible!!! This was the day they predicted less than an inch of snow and we got SIX inches!!!

And a picture of Brynna, just for fun. Most of her photos are blurry these days because she doesn't sit still long enough to get a clear picture :)

Our crazy life

Nothing too exciting today, but thought I'd give you all a quick update on us.


Grant is into taking pictures (thinking he may need his own "kid" camera, don't really want him using mine)...but anyway, he thinks it's pretty cool. Below is some of his work.

Self portrait

My Mii on the Nintendo Wii, hula hooping!

Me, hula hooping :)

The computer, yep, Matt and Tiffany's blog...he keeps wanting to look at the tractor picture! Tiff, I told you that you would have to put the tractor away next time he came over :)

Brynna is still her crazy, busy little self. She's learned how to give "kisses" (open mouth, slobbery kisses) and will do it over and over, she will take a few, wobbly steps by herself - mostly for Lee, I think she wants to impress Daddy, and she is starting to go from one piece of furniture to another without holding on IF they are close. I think actual walking is still a ways off, but she's got the idea AND the courage to do it! She is THE MESSIEST eater I have ever seen and she has learned how to stand up in her high chair, the little seat belt thing doesn't even really contain her...YIKES! I'm so surprised by how emotional and dramatic she is. Now, I KNOW that girls are more emotional than boys, I just didn't know it would start this early!!! WOW!!!

Lee has been keeping busy at work and trying to get answers on the upcoming deployment. All we really know is AT (annual training) in June and then mobilization sometime late summer. Not sure how we'll give details about the deployment due to security issues...maybe individual emails or a "generic" blog that Lee will update...we'll have to see when the time comes.

I'm not sure what I do all day but I am BUSY! I guess between diapers, bottles, snacks, playing cars, coloring, reading books, cooking, grocery shopping, and keeping a (somewhat) clean house there isn't much time for anything else. I LOVE my Tuesday night Bible study and the girls that are there. I try to get a little time each day to dive into God's word and figure out exactly what He wants this crazy life of ours to look like.

Hope you all are well and I look forward to getting out of the house and visiting some of you when hibernation (aka winter) is over!

Valentine's Date!

Saturday night Lee and I got to go out, without the kids! It's nice to go to a restaurant that doesn't offer crayons or cups with lids every once in awhile :)
We went downtown Des Moines to a place called Centro, for dinner and then got cheese cake "to go" from Cosi Cucina...yummy!!!

We are SO thankful that Matt and Tiffany live near us!
We have been trading nights/kids so we each get a "date night" once a month.

Valentine's!!!

Grant and Brynna opening their Valentine box from Grandma Cathy. Grant LOVES getting stuff in the mail with HIS name on it!!!

Candy AND a new truck, he's pretty easy to please!!!

Grant's Valentine Party...
It was a GREAT time: games, lunch, lots of cookies, and a Valentine exchange!

He wasn't so sure about getting his picture taken...

Grant's Valentine box, he got lots of cards and MORE candy at his Valentine party.


This may be news to some of you, but we are seriously considering (and praying about) home schooling. So, we have joined the home school group here in Madison County (MASCHE, Madison Area Support for Christian Home Educators) and they are the ones that put on the Valentine party. He also goes to a once a week preschool class with the same group. It sounded crazy to me too, but God is really changing my mind lately (and those of you that know me well, know it HAS to be a "God thing" because my mind doesn't get changed easily). LOTS more to come on this subject in the future...

Happy Valentine's Day ~ We love you!!!

Cabin Fever!!!

Not much to report from the Madison County Vandewater's. Too much snow, too cold, and no end in sight :( We're trying to keep busy in the house, Grant has already gone crazy and I don't think I'm too far behind him!!!

Dreaming of a hot, sandy beach...still dreaming...

This is Grant's "puzzle board" a piece of sturdy plastic so he can do puzzles on the carpet. It also works as a "ride" for Brynna, I guess :) Grant pushes her all over the floor while she sits on the puzzle board and plays with her toy.

After church on Sunday, look at that wild hair!

Lee may have the worst case of cabin fever.
They made bird feeders...poor guys, no birds have even came near them yet.

Making pine cone bird feeders, MESSY!

Brynna's turtle from Grandma Cathy at Christmas. She liked it, until she fell off, now she will NOT get on, but she'll stand next to it and dance...when Grant is not hogging it.

She loves the walker, she's fast too!