Christmas

 Here the kiddos getting ready for Christmas.  Getting this picture was a challenge.  I thought it was suppose to get easier to get a picture as they got older?  But I like it, how can I not love a picture of such cute kids!

 We have been intentional about getting all of our Christmas things done.  Cookies, shopping, gingerbread houses, the lights in Marshfield, etc.  We went & saw the lights last Thursday - and there was hardly any people there.  It was so nice.  Easy parking, no crowds & we were able to also do the drive through without any waiting.  Going on a week night is definately worth it!  The kids love all of these things where they put their heads through the holes.

Here they are sitting on the ice sculpture.  This week on Thursday after school we are ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at County Market - come say hi!  We pray that you are all having a wonderful Christmas season.  Celebrating the gift of Jesus is a precious time.  Enjoy your families and the goodies.  But never take your focus off the reason we have Christmas in the first place - the birth of Jesus.

Merry Christmas from the Kapitz Family!

Kap

In college Jon became known as Kap.  Pronounced like c-a-p, cap.  Not like c-o-p like our last name actually sounds.  Everyone called him Kap.  The above is a picture of Jon in college.  Yes, he is wearing an earring- oh how I remember that day so clearly!  Wasn't he such a hot guy (sorry, can't help it)

After some years together he asked me to be his bride.

After that day, I became affectionately known as... Mrs. Kap.  Our group of friends consisted of mostly slightly younger guys and it worked for them to refer to us as Kap & Mrs. Kap.  I've always said that I wanted to get a license plate for our vehicle that said Mrs Kap - maybe next year when I renew it.

Then we had a baby.  I know I look not so fine in this picture but oh well.  I did just go through my first labor & delivery you know!  Although we did have an overflowing waiting room which consisted family - sisters, parents, cousins, aunts, friends, roommates, and even some that I didn't know.  It was kinda weird, but a memory we will never forget, everyone coming in 2 by 2 and the awkwardness of "oh, it's nice to meet you, I'm glad you came to meet me & our baby 30 minutes after he was born".  I say that in a laughing way not a mean way, because I love that memory!  And none of that has much to do with this post, but I couldn't stop myself.

The point is that now that little baby boy plays football.  And my heart is overjoyed when I hear all of his friends & teammates refer to him as.........T-Kap!  Those boys don't even know the story and he naturally became T-Kap.  He loves his nickname.  And I love seeing how we are the Kap family.

Kap...Mrs. Kap...T-Kap... and well those other two.  I'm not so sure that H-Kap & C-Kap work.  For them we will stick with Hannah Bo Jangles and sweet pea/green bean.

Cute Kids

 Chloe on her first day of preschool.  I can't believe she is that old already.

The kids on school picture day.  New haircuts and new clothes.  Chloe missed school picture day because she has been sick.  But thankfully, we seem to be on the better side of that now.

Lifest

 In July we went to Lifest in Oshkosh.  It was an awesome 5 days and 4 nights in a camper.  With our 3 kids.  And my parents.  In one camper.  It was hot.  But for real - it was a great time and I am so grateful for my parents taking us so that I am able to take our kids to these kinds of things.  On my own, it would be hard to handle.  I stole the pics from mom (she has a bunch more on her facebook).  The kids broke our camera so I am without one right now, so I just used her pics.  Tyler & Hannah got their faces painted & balloons.  It was quite the design!

 The girls had a great time dancing during the shows.  This night was Casting Crowns.  Earlier in the day, a security guy came up and said "Hey, do you want to move your chairs to the very front row?"  I was like "Sure!  Thanks!"  So he moved us up to the very front row.  It was awesome. God is so good.  He also blessed us with a friend of Tabby's who worked there by driving the golf carts.  So when we would need a ride, we'd give her a call and our very own taxi cart came to carry us around.  It was the good life!

 Hannah has talked about it for a year - she was going to do the bungee jumping this year.  And she did it and she loved it!  Tyler did do it also, but blogspot is still only letting me do 5 pictures at a post.  She is our little dare devil.

 Tyler was so excited about being this close for Shonlock.  He also loved seeing Brian Head Welch, although I didn't take him this close for that one.  He has an amazing testimony, which you can see at http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/brian-welch .  (That website also has a ton of other amazing testimonies).  But even though he left Korn, it still sounds like Korn type music.  Tyler loves it, I sucked it up & took him. But I did really like Shonlock.

We also got to see Tracey K each day.  It was good to get to see her so much.  Here is Chloe getting mad about TK taking her picture.  It was quite the ordeal.  But as TK pointed out, she was so concerned about TK, she didn't even notice Hannah taking her picture.

Lifest was a great time.  We got to hear some great evidences of God's grace in people's lives.  And the music was moving.  My favorite was The Newsboys.  Jon & I saw them together in 1997 & they were good, but this was amazing.  Chloe is still singing "God's not dead - he's surely alive!"  Mom & Dad already booked a site for next year.  We're praying that Daddy will be with next year. 

Rejoicing & living life, yet always prayerful & finding hope in the truth that God is not dead, He is alive & moving.  Watch and see His glory revealed.

Camping Fun

 Last weekend we went camping for the first time...ever.  It was fun!  And I was blessed to have so many people help me out that I actually became so spoiled, that I'm not sure I can call it camping on my own with 3 kids!  I'm so thankful for friends & family!!  Tyler caught tons of fish.  And there were so many helpful people around to take the fish off the hooks for him so I didn't have to (even though I don't know how either)

 Chloe loves green onions from the garden.  She went to the camper for a snack.  Onions dipped in ranch & salt.  Yummy.  And she eats all of it - the green part is her favorite.  She is also known for going out to the garden and just taking bites off the tops once in awhile.  Who needs bunnies when you have Chloe to eat off your garden!

 A fight over the bread to feed the fish.  Not really a fight, but it looks like it!

Friends :)

It was a great time and we can't wait to go and do it again sometime!  We also pray for the day when daddy will come with us.  It is a fun time, but also bittersweet because the kids & I all recognize that he is missing and that he would absolutely love it out at the shack.  He would fit right in.  

Praying & waiting yet living & loving life in all of God's goodness & grace.

Chloes Kapitz is 4!

 Last week we celebrated Chloe turning 4.  I can not believe that she is 4 already!  We got her a real bike this year.  We hid it in the neighbor's shed for a week, and Kelsey brought it over bright & early for us.  She loves it.  And we have only had 1 scraped knee so far.

 The birthday girl being all smiles for the camera.

 A brother & sisters picture.  They all have the same smile!

 I love how she has to stand up and blow the candles out from the top.  Although this is the second round.  Tyler & Hannah couldn't stop themselves from "helping" her the first time so we had to re-light them and do it again.

And then the next night we went to Happy Joe's to celebrate again.  

Chloe is an amazing gift from God.  He has entrusted His precious gift of Chloe to me and Jon to raise. I'm grateful beyond words that He would give her to us.  By His grace alone may Jon & I raise her to follow the greatest gift of all - His Son.  Chloe is a bundle of energy and happiness and love. She is the family clown.  She is the troublemaker and she is super bossy yet we love her to pieces.  She always has interesting things to say such as... "and you are welcome for the thank you that you should say".  She melts my heart when she says things like "mommy, you are so beautiful today".  She thinks her sister walks on water, she copies everything she does and always greets us when we pick her up with a huge hug.  She loves to get her big brother into trouble.  She always takes notice of fashion - shoes & dresses in particular.  Although she lacks a sense of her own fashion! She is a perfectionist - things always need to be lined up perfectly in a certain order.  She loves to sing & dance.  And she can write her name!  She loves Jesus and her family.  Her prayers for her daddy and others that she loves are heartfelt and touching.  May we all come to our Heavenly Father as children - from the mouths of babes.  My cup overflows Clo-Clo, sweet pea, green bean, coco puff.  No wonder she needs to declare "My name is Chloe Kapitz."  We love you!!!!

The Rodeo

 We went to the rodeo last weekend.  The kid always love it.  The girls ate the whole bag of cotton candy in about 5 minutes.  And they wanted more.  

 

 I loved this picture with Chloe sitting so close to Hannah.  She really sticks close to her all of the time.

 She thought she was so so funny when she was wearing two hats.  What a crazy kid.

 Here was our best shot at a picture of us.  I was missing Lisa's cowboy boots though!

Chloe didn't make it to the end.  She feel asleep on my lap.  I laid her down while packing up and it didn't even phase her.  The next day we told her she fell asleep and she didn't believe us.  I showed her the picture and she said "Oh Mom, I was just pretending."  Sure you were Chloe.