Christmas Cabin Fun!

We had a wonderful and peaceful Christmas this year. It was great to be cabin bound with the family (though with all the snow at home, we would have been home bound there too!) The kids LOVED the snow and Christmas morning was pretty darn cute!! Jake was in heaven with all his Star Wars stuff and spent most of the day doing his new LEGO sets. Grace served everyone tea with her new tea set and called several people on her new phone that came with her first purse (she's such a little girl!!) We missed my sister and her husband this year-- they're in Baja kiteboarding until May!!!!

I'm now looking forward to a fresh start to a new year. I feel like we have a full year under our belt as a family of 4. It seemed to take longer to just get in the groove of being home with two kids and adapting to two totally different schedules-- I have a napper again and one in school and activities. Not that it will ever be perfect, but I'm feeling out of my "cloud" and ready to tackle a new year!!!

Happy New Year!

Stringing popcorn and cranberries for the tree.

Our Christmas Eve walk
New jammies-- this is such a classic Jake/Grace interaction!
Getting ready for Santa.
Calling Grandma on her new phone.
Busy at work with new Star Wars Lego sets.
I know I'm cute!
Snowshoeing with Grandma at Lake Wenatchee

Family photo at the lake (Grace passed out in the backpack!)
A little cross-country skiing in front of the cabin.

Let it snow!!!

Well, we have been hit by quite the snowstorm this past week. One we Pacific Northwesters haven't seen in decades!!! It's been fun and beautiful, but a bit restricting in terms of trying to get out and finish the last of the Christmas shopping! This year, my family is packing up the car and heading over the mountains tomorrow to spend a quiet Christmas at a cabin in the mountains!!! We've filled our last two weekends with extended family Christmas celebrations, so come Christmas day, it will just be my family and my parents. Nothing like a back to basics, simple Christmas to celebrate Christ's birth!

So, we wish everyone a VERY Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! Enjoy this holiday season.

And I leave you with some cute pictures that my friend took of the family the other day. I think she did a pretty fantastic job. :)

Tis the season to be crafty!

Well, I got the crafting bug this Christmas. My motivation was to save some money this year... but it ended up a lot of fun and I think I'll be continuing the craftiness. It's been a nice outlet for me. :) Jake even enjoys sitting next to me while I sew, etc... and makes his own "crafts". He informed me that he wanted to make a bumblebee doll for Grace and said that Grandma would knit the body and then we'd do the rest. We went to the fabric store, picked out yarn, felt, thule, etc..... it was pretty cute. :)

(I have found some pretty fabulous crafter blogs that share tutorials, patterns, etc. for their projects. I've listed a few down in my blogroll.)

sewing on the wings

The finished product
Grace's doll and one for my cousin's daughter

tile necklaces-- the blue Africa one has a little crystal where Ethiopia is. :)

These are art clips-- I just glued little chipboard shapes to mini clothespins and then you can hang your child's art work with these clipped to a yarn/string line attached to the wall.

Go Congratulate.......

Our friends from church, the Savages, just heard today that they passed court and will be traveling on Dec. 27th to pick up their VERY cute little man, Elijah!!! Grace can't wait to have her buddy home to play with at church. (and we know he won't be wearing his princess sleeper once he's home. :) )

God is good!!!

Love this!

I saw this poem on one of the "story people" prints. I switched the boy/girl around so it would fit my two kiddos. I have ideas swirling in my head as to what I want to do with it. I LOVE it!!! :)

(I know it's more for "couples" but I still think it's perfect for my family.)

"There was a girl with skin as dark as the earth and a boy with eyes as blue as the deep and they loved each other so well that people could not tell them apart, for in their hearts, there was no difference between them."

Finally!!!

I think Grace is finally starting to get the "smile for the camera" deal! She takes cute pictures, but I really haven't been able to capture her true smile, where her eyes light up and sparkle! When the camera comes out, that smile seems to disappear. But, this morning... she actually posed and smiled for me. So, of course, I had to share! Jake's a great smiler for the camera.... now the trick is to get them to smile at the same time!!!!

Not a fan of Santa......

This is my first "crying child" Santa picture. I think everyone needs at least one of them. :)Things got better with a candy cane and sitting on a stool.

And of course, there's always lots of love for brother.

Best buddies!!!!

Just Life

The boys watching football and Grace hoping to have a dance party very soon!

Swim guy

Here's Jake heading to swimming lessons. What I love about him is that he's quirky and confident. He dressed himself. That's the outfit he wears almost every time we head to the pool for lessons. He walks into the pool area, filled with high school swim team kids, in total confidence. I'm holding on to these days... hoping the insecurities won't creep in too far and one day think he's not cool enough, or that he looks like a dork, etc. Because he's one pretty cool kid (and yes, I'm a bit biased!!)

He may not look like a "jock", but he's a pretty good little swimmer for a 5 year old!! :)



And not to be outdone.... little Miss Confidence struts her stuff in her new hat (she's been wearing that hat non-stop!! :)

No words....

I really can't even begin to imagine or rationalize the "why" on this story. Puts a pit in my stomach!

UN and Their 23 Million Dollar Mural
(money for foreign aid used to buy the mural!!!)

It's tough......

being this cute sometimes!!

Photo Tag

I've been tagged by my blog friend Michelle. I am supposed to post the 4th picture on the 4th file on my computer & tell about it. I could have lied and put another picture up... but no. This is the fourth picture in my 4th picture file on my computer. Shoot!!!!!! I never thought I'd ever post this picture. :)

80's party this summer. No, not just a night out for Mike and me! I'm calling it my "Desperately Seeking Susan" look. I never dressed this way in the 80's..... it was too "harsh" for me. But Mike, this was his coined 80's look. I told him he would have been labeled the dark, brooding, art major type at my high school. :) (no offense to art majors-- I was one in college!!) And yes, that's a real Swatch watch I have on. Good stuff!

Now I tag 4 people: Kristin, Laurie, Natalie, Amy B.

Update

Thank you everyone for your prayers for Grace. She is finally starting to feel better. It's been a LONG week! She still has quite a rattling chest and the cough and GROSS runny nose is still hanging on, but she's breathing much better and she's not gagging/choking/throwing up from all the mucus as much! Praise God. She's actually been quite spoiled this week.... we've been trying to avoid most things that would make her mad/make her cry. The crying fits would put her into quite a coughing fit. Now, it's going to be another long week of undoing the spoiling and getting back to reality. :) Lucky me!!

Now Jacob has the start of a cold. He usually doesn't get too sick-- just cranky. Hmmmm...... kind of sounds like his dad!!!

Please Pray

Grace is one sick little lady today. She was in the ER on Saturday with pneumonia and then at the Dr. yesterday with a double ear infection. The Dr. called today to say that she now has RSV. Grace was premature and she's had several respiratory infections already. We're hoping she'll just outgrow the lung issues, but until then, it's unsettling when she gets such terrible "colds".

Thanks for the prayers.

What a weekend!!!

Fun Halloween night: check
Mom gets stomach flu: check
Spend 5 hours in ER with Grace for pneumonia: check
Mike's still in no-man's land hunting: check

Yes, and it's only Sat. night!!!! Grace is feeling much better. I'm feeling better. Jake's been a trooper. And, yeah for the Daddy on his way home!!

But, we still got some cute Halloween pictures!!

My cute Bee and Lizard Man (from Johnny Quest, of course!)

Grace was very serious about her little cat tote/treat bag. She HAD to carry it with her!!
I don't think Jacob even ate any of his candy. He just wanted to sort and organize it all!!! (that's not all his candy. He confiscated Grandma's pass out stash to organize as well. There were just too many matches to be made!!)

My "Quiet" house.... and 18 months!

My kids are loud. There you have it. Jake is ALL boy and Grace, well..... she yells A LOT! I'm hoping and praying that as more words come, less yelling/screeching... and trips to the "no no spot" will happen! Grace is becoming more and more "opinionated" (or strong-willed as some would say). She definitely lets you know what she wants/doesn't want and she's even learned the fine art of tattling on her brother!! (if she's upset, I ask her what's wrong and she shrieks and points at Jake!) It's lovely. I had kind of forgotten that 18 months just might not be my absolute favorite stage. She's not a baby anymore, but she still doesn't have the language or skills to totally communicate her desires, but wants to do so much by herself..... so there's lots of frustration and yelling. I'm exhausted!! But, one benefit of 18 months is that she's entered the wonderful stage of independent/creative play. Grace played in the family room for almost an hour by herself this morning..... cooking in her kitchen, feeding her baby dolls, changing their diapers, pushing the babies in the stroller, playing in her little pop up play tent/house. It was pretty darn cute. Grace LOVES baby dolls!!! Grace also loves to help around the house. Whenever I change her diaper, she insists on throwing it in the garbage all by herself!! (I wrap it up nice and tight so it's not gross!) She loves to help put the laundry in the dryer, hand me the silverware as I unload the dishwasher, and she even loves to wipe down her hands, face, and tray after eating. Can you say Little Miss Independent??? So, even though things are a bit exhausting right now, on this evening of Grace's 18 month b-day...... I have to say that having this silly, loud, independent, confident, sweet, loving, snuggly, beautiful little girl has been the most amazing blessing of my life!!!

I leave you with a video-- proof of the "loudness" I call my children!!! (Grace is in Jake's bed. That's her new thing. She loves climbing in his bed, pulling up the covers, laying down, and saying night night.... and then giggling!! She would LOVE to sleep in his bed-- but NO WAY!!!)

Halloween Fun

Today was our annual Family Halloween Party. We invite some neighbor's and friends and it's always a pretty cute time! Mike makes his famous chili and it's accompanied by other ghoulish fare.

My Clone Trooper and Bumble Bee

Neighborhood pals

There's always something interesting in the Witch's cauldron! (Mike was a computer wizard. Fitting. His shirt says, "No. I will not fix your computer."
Donuts on a String game. Always a favorite!
Of course Mike had to show the kids how bobbing for apples is done!
Grace wanted to be a part of everything. It was pretty cute.