Christmas 2011.

  Love, love, love spending Christmas with family.  And even with the stomach bug and the flu going through the house, it was a wonderful week.  (Just hoping we're not taking the flu back with us to share with Bella.)  Because of the stomach bug getting Brian and I on consecutive days, we only got to spend one day at his parent's house, which was a big bummer.  I think they appreciated us not sharing the pukes though.

  This year, Brian and I did Christmas as homemade as we possibly could.  With the exception of two presents, all of them were made by either me or Brian.  It took a long time, but we were more excited to share our presents this year than any other.  They were all personal and took lots of time, love, and effort.

Our homemade Christmas was also partly inspired by participating in the Advent Conspiracy.  It was helpful in not just deciding what Christmas shouldn't be, but what it should be. 

As our family grows, we are keenly aware that we are teaching and creating what Christmas will really mean to our kids, and we definitely want to avoid, as much as we can, the consumerist score-as-much-loot-as-you-can Christmas attitude that is so pervasive.  Apart from the fabric store, we didn't set foot in a store for our Christmas gifts this year, and I think that alone will make for a different kind of Christmas growing up.  We had time to focus on waiting expectantly to celebrate the coming of our Savior.  We are so thankful.   
  Even at one gift per person and drawing names, our Christmas gifts added up.  Gifts of time and meaning.

 My long lost family from Seattle.  So good to have them visiting.

 Helping Nana make dinner.

 I'm on the nice list.  Trust me.

 Naomi is clearly having fun.  No, really, this is just the beginning of the drama at our house.  She is crying only because Sylvia was getting close to her.

 Excited to be with my Papa!

This is the part of Christmas where Brian loses his wedding ring and has to rent a metal detector to find it.  More on that later.

It was a wonderful Christmas.  So thankful for family.  So thankful for Jesus.

8 Months.

  I think this is the first month that you have stopped looking like an infant and have started to look more babyish.  Subconsciously, until now, I have been able to keep telling myself that you are only four or five months old – because you still looked it.  But now I have to face the music. 

You are growing up.

 

(Your sister rocking her baby while Daddy rocks you.)

  This month is also the first time that you and your sister have been able to interact more.  I love seeing you two make each other laugh and love on each other.  (Not so much when your sis is not so very loving.)  It is a glimpse of a beautiful relationship that I will get to watch grow.  I can already tell you two will get into all kinds of things together.  It will be ridiculously cute though.  She loves you.  Even on her crabbiest mornings, (she wakes up like your Daddy.) when she sees you, she lights up and says good morning.

 

  You are crawling all over and you like to be right in the middle of the action.  If your sisters are running circles in the kitchen, you prefer to be in the middle of their sloppy circles, inches from losing one of your itty bitty fingers.  You are pulling up on things now, too, but you aren’t sure how to get back down once you get up.  You get very frustrated and look at me to come rescue you.  Gladly.

 

(You and Mayah.  If you two are anything like your older sisters, you’ll be good friends.)

 

You just decided today that you would really try baby food for the first time.  I’ve been trying it out for a few weeks, but you completely hated it until tonight.  Sweet potatoes were a winner.  It’s kind of ridiculous how excited I was that you were actually eating instead of puking it back up on me.  But it was mixed with a twinge of sadness, knowing that if you start eating food, you’ll start nursing less and less.

 

You still sleep with us full time.  Your dad and I keep saying we’re going to start putting you in the crib at the beginning of the night, but we just can’t do it just yet.  This month.  Maybe.

  You aren’t really making any new sounds, but you are sure as heck loud.  Nana says you sound just like I did.  Turns out you’re a lot like me so far. 

  I want you to know that you love Bella.  And she loves you too.  I know you won’t remember her, but she really looks out for you.  I think you’ll always have a big sister in her.

 

 

I love you more than you know, sweet baby.  I pray for you, and worry for you, and am thankful for you all the time.

love you, love you, love you,

                                   Mama.

Project 365 – Week 19

Sylvie going on a walk with cousin Simon and Nana

 

Makin faces with my brand new nephew, Desmond.  Sooooo sweet.

 

Sylvia is now into everything.  She loves to help me unload the dishwasher – unfortunately she favors doing this when it is full of dirty dishes.

 

These four babies are good friends – we all hang out a lot.  We were trying to get a picture of them, as one of them is moving away.  Of course, Sylvia is not capable of sitting still for more than half a second.  Luke volunteered to hold her down, Zack is just shaking his head - “what’s wrong with this chick?”

 

Jae’s already gotten to the stage where he’s too cool for most things.  Especially if it involves me.  Or Brian.  Or anyone under the age of 10.  But listening to his radio?  Very cool.

 

My bouquet from the boys this week.  Somehow they seem to find unique flowers every week, even in our little yard.  Love the flowers this week. 

Colorado, Part Two.

The camp had so much for us to do!  The boys enjoyed every new experience.

….Like rock climbing

Horseback Riding…

(Of course it was hard for the boys to get past the part about the horses pooping. “What? Bodily functions are involved?  Alright!”)

 

We also got to go to a wolf preserve called Mission:Wolf.  They talked to us about how the wolves communicate, and how to act around them to show them that you are their friend.  The boys did a really good job being calm with the wolves and listening to directions.(which may or may not have been influenced by my telling of Little Red Riding Hood on the way to the preserve. Ha!  Not really.  But not a bad idea.)  They actually got to go in the area where the wolves live (I stayed outside just in case Sylvia looked too much like a pup.).  They were instructed to show the wolves their teeth, and….

 

The wolves came right up to them!  They even got to pet them – not something they’ll forget.

Lots of snuggle time.

 

On the final night they have a banquet night.  Everyone dresses up and we were served a four course meal.  yummmm.  The boys were excited because I got them their own ties like Brian wears. 

 

We had a really great week.  The boys had a lot of fun, and it was nice to get to spend so much time as a family.  Next year I think we may try to get to the last week of camp which is specifically for adoptive and foster families.  It would be neat to get to build relationships with others who have similar experiences.  I’m hoping that experiences like this end up being treasured memories for our kids.  I hope that the boys never forget it, and that they remember it as ‘family camp’ where they really felt loved as family should.

Colorado

Well, we just got back from Horn Creek.  It was great – I’m not really even sure where to start…

The first 24 hours were rough for the boys.  They ended up having to spend a significant amount of time in the cabin as a consequence for their behavior.  We went out to dinner after we arrived, and they did all they could to make sure they made a scene.  I was afraid that night was a preview of our week to come…but overall they did pretty well for the rest of the week.  We had a few bumps, but nothing major.

There was so much for us to do together, and in the down time we didn’t have to worry about who the kids were running around with, so we just got to let them run and play.  They made a pretty substantial fort against a boulder, explored the woods surrounding the cabin, and made lots of friends.

So much fun, I’ll probably have to do it in two posts.

 

This is the part where I have to close my eyes and hold my breath until my husband regains his sanity.

 

Zee spending some extended time in the cabin after making some ‘bad decisions’.  At least he’s happy!

 

One night they hang a log from the ceiling, two people straddle it without touching the floor, and you have a pillow fight until someone falls off – great fun!

One day we went into Colorado Springs and went to Whit’s End.  And Adventures in Odyssey fans out there?

 

mmmm….Sylvie loves her some ice cream.

 

We also went to Garden of the Gods – gorgeous.

The boys did some climbing.

Sylvie did some climbing of her own…

 

One morning we had a pancake breakfast, but you have to catch your pancakes as they’re flipped off the griddle – Sylvia obviously was not a fan of this idea.

 

Bowling at the rec center… Jae has an…interesting form.

 

Western night!

Both the boys developed severe crushes on a couple of the teenage girls…

Sylvie even developed a little crush of her own…