He is almost 5.

A photo shoot, so we can have a 5 year photo for the birthday banner:

Family Worship

We like to sing to the Lord together at night. This Sunday we skipped church because we were sick, so we sang in the living room. Lukas thought we better add some preaching to the service, because what's a service without 3-5 sermons?! And a baptism?! Now we have a little preaching each night. But we still sing. We are not worried about heresy, or legalism, or a perfect family worship program. As Farmor pointed out, (and it has been a constant encouragement to me) we are gathering to worship, and the children are enjoying it.

November

November News

Apparently November is "Focus on Frida" month, judging by the photos. 

You'll also notice an impressive lego tower, inspired by the Tower of Babel. This lego tower was destroyed (by a two year old, not God) as quickly as the original. We ordered curriculum for homeschool last month and Mama is REALLY enjoying the outside authority of a book telling her what to do. She is not constantly crippled by am-I-doing-enough syndrome. We read a LOT, build things about the stories (Babel), act out stories, make art about stories, listen to letter sounds in stories, pour milk back and forth between containers to make math out of dairy farmer stories. We are liking it so far.

Frida now feels just as safe with Theo as Lukas.
Two fantastic big brothers to dote on her.

Starting on screen time at a young age. With grapes.

Applesauce!!

The shaved stump Papa hopes to make into something
someday when we have time for extra non-essential projects.
Will that be a thing at some point again?
#wepreferchildren

Quite a dance move, eh?

imitation = development

When Daniel and Lukas picked the apples at the house of the generous lady by Lake Harriet for the cider press, Theo and Frida and I took a walk and saw a great horned owl in the bird sanctuary there and also spotted some nice climbing trees. We've been wanting to go back ever since. We went on Saturday, and stayed out until the late hour of 5:30, 30 minutes past the give-me-supper-now breaking point. We heard the (an) owl but couldn't see him. We climbed trees. We ran outside. It was everything we hoped. 

Can you spot the almost-5 yr old?

The Hoilien family 4th quarter
BIRTHDAY PARTY!!