Letter to Baby

Dear baby in my belly (aka Thing 3),
I just wanted to take time to tell you I am so happy that I am pregnant with you!!  I have prayed for you for many years, as I have always wanted another baby but the time just wasn't right.  Well 9 years after having Kayla and 10 years after Nathaniel the time is now perfect for our family and here I am blessed to have you growing inside of me.  God is so good and I praise Him for giving me you.  I LOVE feeling you move and even enjoy watching my belly move.  It is absolutely amazing and I am already madly in love with you.  The day to meet you can't come soon enough!  We are super excited!!  I pray that you will be healthy, happy, and grow to love Jesus.
I love you with all of my heart.
Love,
Mommy

Mommy at 33 weeks pregnant!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
Psalm 139:13-16

Here is a sonogram picture of you at 20 weeks.  I will have an updated one this Thursday!!!!

And yes...You're already a nose picker!!!

I really need to start blogging again...maybe tomorrow :)

The Big Surprise

So we tricked the kids into making their own shirts for their own surprise.  I told them I was going to a baby shower and wanted to make shirts for me to give to the baby's siblings.

Then we sent them to the basement and added our own text to the shirts...Here's how the surprise went...

They were SO SURPRISED they actually had a hard time processing it all...

They were happier than words can express.  Along with Nate's fairy dust wishes they had been praying for a baby for several years now.  Roy and I did not even discuss that a baby was ever even a possibility.  A happy moment we never want to forget!!

Kayla age 8 (almost 9)

Nate age 10

"Pay the Maid"

Our Chore System

Around here my kids earn a dime for most every chore or task assigned to them. They keep them in a little jar on the kitchen counter.

Some chores are worth 2 dimes, and some chores they have to do "just because".

After I've asked my kids to pick up their things...every toy, shoe, or item belonging to them that I put away it costs them a dime. In other words, they have to "pay the maid".

All money left at the end of the month can be cashed in and spent.

Christmas Eve 2010

Traditon #1 - Opening gifts from Aunt Patty and Uncle Dana (notice our mix matched PJ's)

Our new Christmas PJ's!

Thanks Aunt Patty and Uncle Dana

Dressed up for candle-light service at Fellowship Bible Church

Traditon #2 - Pickle Hunt

Nate was the winner this year!

Reward $5.00

And we also got to pick 1 stocking gift to open. Kayla got to pick 2 since she didn't win the pickle hunt.

Christmas Pizza

A Vella family Christmas tradition is making pizza from scratch. We are improving every year. This year we had Courtney with us to help.

Yummy!!

Santa

First Snow in WV

The school called "It's Snowing...Come pick up your kids"

Driving up to our house

Ginger the "SNOW DOG"

Just alittle excited!!!!

Already on his board!

Tubing with Family

After we finished sking...Charity, Steve and Courtney met us to go tubing!

We picked the perfect time to come. No lines...no wait. It was like we were the only ones there. We had tons of fun!

Great way to end the night!

Whitetail

Nate and Kayla's first time to ski/snowboard

Nate really didn't enjoy Snowboarding...next time he's going to try ski's.