This space...

Its been 18 months since I have written in this space and I don't even know where to start in order to catch up.  Perhaps a top 12 from 2012? I stopped writing for no reason at all except we got busy and life got messy and it was hard to write without sharing the mess.  New jobs, sad days, missing my friends back home, vacations, family brokenness.  Pictures are better for now!  :) So if anyone is out there, here a few favorites from 2012:

So nothing fancy or edited...just slapping it on here to maybe get a fresh start.  Tomorrow, 2013?

Christmas Day 2011

This year for Christmas we were away from family and friends for the first time in my entire 38 years.  And I survived.  It's one of my favorite holidays and I love the traditions we had in California but I also looked forward to starting new ones and bringing the old here to Texas.  We did a little of both and thank God for Skype because it makes the distance bearable, seeing faces and sharing the moments together.

We had a Christmas Eve dinner just the four of us, it was strange and quiet, small and simple.
We attended a Christmas Eve service at our church.
We tracked Santa online, watching his every move.
Caeden had a hard time going to sleep, so did Maisie and then Maleiah.
It rained.  A lot.
The kids were up early and it was magical, like I wanted it to be.  There was awe and a bit of wonder.
There were bikes {we have spent days riding in the afternoon}.
There was glitter glue {I say "was" because it's gone...in one art project}.
There were grandparents on Skype and text messages with pictures being sent.

It was different and good.  This year was a transition year, feeling our way around this new city, figuring it all out.  Next year we will do more, add more and I am looking forward to it.

Ballet

I have been trying to have some activities at the table for the kids to do so we don't have the "I'm bored" problem.  Here are a few of the things we have been doing around the school table!

Perler Fuse Beads...found them in the school cabinet and found patterns online for anything you would like to make.  We have a lot of them so the kids have been busy.  I just keep them on the table and every couple of days they pass by and decide to make something.  I printed out a bunch of the patterns and laminated them and stuck them on a book ring.  Some are too difficult for Maleiah so I know we can pack it away and bring it out next Christmas.

 
We read the story of the Nativity this week from this bible and then Maleiah colored stick figure puppets {original idea, here...Love this blog, I don't know how she does what she does}.  She then pulled every chair we own to give only Caeden and I a puppet show.  For some reason Caeden and I couldn't sit next to each other...he was a front row guest...I had to sit in the second row.  Perhaps it made it look like there were more people?  Anyway, it was a cute show...somehow Darth Vader was involved {King Herod} and they all took a trip to the beach.

Glitter

It's the week before Christmas and all through the house

Everything sparkles, our noses, the dog and even the couch.

Glitter is everywhere and so are the sprinkles

The lights here in Texas, oh, how they twinkle....

Here is a glimpse of what we have been up to this week!

We made these delicious sugar cookies and took them along for our annual Christmas light tour.  We taped the tickets to the bathroom mirror and told the kids to wash their hands and face after dinner.  They found the tickets and lots of squealing ensued.  So we were off to see some synchronized lights in Katy!  This is one of the houses we saw that night:

We made chocolate covered pretzels for our church Christmas party....very easy and fun for the kids to make.  I made chocolates when I was little with my aunt and cousins and I am so happy to be carrying it on with my own kids.  

We made Sugarplums and gave those to friends this week.  

The kids spent two days around the dining room table making Christmas cards which included the use of glitter.  Either you love it or you hate it.  If you hate it, you send it to Texas with your friend when she moves there.  We love it...especially Maleiah and if you know her, this is no surprise.  We had glitter from our friend Sarah and we had glitter from Grandma Carol...altogether this made for lots of sparkle, everywhere.  

There is still much more to be made.  Cookies, shortbread, pies and gifts.  Pajamas are being sewn {most likely late into Christmas Eve} and the cutest magnetic paper dolls are being made this week too!  I can't wait to show you all!  More to come, SOON!

Sam.

We have a lot of arguing going on lately, so a picture like this makes me happy all over.  Justin and I were primarily only children and so really the whole sibling thing does not compute.  I don't understand the fighting, or torture that is involved.  I didn't become a "sister" until I was 14, they were 18 and 10...I thought it was cool to be in the middle and there are only a few major fights that I remember (our parents could tell a different story, I am sure) but over all it wasn't torture.  This is so different.  Here are the tactics I have learned:

• If I stand in the hallway and stare at you, it will cause shrieking.
• If I touch something that belongs to you, it will cause shrieking.
• If I ask you a question, it will cause shrieking.
• If I don't poor the right cereal for you, it will cause shrieking.

Mainly we try to avoid the shrieking around here, the condescending tone of voice that often comes from 10 year old brothers who are SURE that if he continues to fight he will win in the end.  However, the 5 year old always has to have the last word (I have no idea where THAT came from....)so him winning never happens.  Mom just gets irritated.  We are growing and stretching a lot around here.  But at the end of the day, when sleepovers are requested and sometimes the playing doesn't end in a wrestling match or tears, it's all good.

I keep getting a certain request from some little people I know (not mine) that I need to post more frequently so I will give it my best. I feel like we have gotten into a bit of a routine, not as much new going on so I just have normal life stuff to share, projects and such so I hope that will be sufficient!

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This morning we were running late to ballet and I forgot to brush my teeth.  I know, nastiness.  So I RAN into the house, brushed at warp speed and RAN back to the car. This is the song that was playing on the radio as we raced to ballet, singing along:


November was a busy month full of birthdays and gratitude...

Our first fire of the season.

1. Pumpkin patch   2. Autumn nature walk treasures  3. Tiny pumpkin

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I can't believe Caeden is 10.  He can't believe he scored on so many lego sets this year.  It keeps his hands busy, for that I am grateful.

Maleiah LOVES to help cook.  We made applesauce and apple pie filling with some apples from the co-op.  

October in Pictures

When Justin left for Texas the kids slept in our bed with me and it has been a hard habit to break since we moved here.  Maleiah was having a hard time sleeping without someone in her room, once she was asleep we would sneak out and inevitably she would come in our room in the middle of the night.  I started telling her the week of her birthday that since she was going to be 5 (!) she had to sleep on her own.  This was her first night (her birthday)...

And she has been so brave and I now have my evenings back!  It was bittersweet, her growing up and showing me her independence.  However, we still get visitors in the night.  :)