first snow

We are all getting very excited for Christmas around here! Yesterday we ended up taking all of our ornaments down and cut the tree up for fire wood. We didn't actually NEED fire wood, but the tree was beyond dead. Throughout the day I would hear ornaments falling off the branches because they were drooping to the floor. Luckily for us, my mother in-law bought us a little 3ft fake tree last year when life was too crazy to get a real one. So we pulled that out, set it up on a platform, and redecorated our tree! I think next year we should probably wait until December to cut a tree down.
(we went out thanksgiving weekend this year)

This morning, I got to dig through all of our boxes to find the kids snow gear. Once it was light out, We all bundled up and tromped though our backyard to play in the snow before it all melts. As always, Wyatt loved it, and Ruby focused on trying to make the perfect snow angel. All Shep wanted to do was stomp in the mud puddles that scatter our driveway. It was pretty cute.
I wonder if we will have a white Christmas this year?

decorating time!

This Christmas, we decided to go up to Mt. Pilchuck to cut down our tree. We brought hot cocoa, snacks, and a lot of warm extra clothes. The kids got to play in the snow and mud while we searched for the right tree. We ended up picking one that had split off into two trees midway up the trunk. The next day we put on the Muppet's Christmas album while we decorated the house and tree as a family!
I can't wait to start making more family traditions in our new house!

a little musician in the works

On Christmas Day, Ruby got a wooden harmonica in her stocking and fell in love right away. She played it all day long and even joined in with Grandpa Nick and Jeremy while they were playing a song on the guitar.

holiday bliss

I can't believe we are already in 2012! Merry late Christmas and happy new year everyone! We were very blessed this holiday because we got to be together as a family for over 2 weeks in Seattle. Even though we weren't in our own home, we got to be together and spend some really quality time with all of our families! Thank you to everyone who has been hosting us as we continue to try and find a house in Seattle.

      Our Christmas was so wonderful! It included lots of family hang time, Chamorro food, and a surprise visit from my sister-in law who lives in Palm Springs, CA! We hope to soon start this new year with making the final transition to Seattle and hopefully stay put for a while!

 

 

 

 

 

Expect the unexpected

I was about to post an update on our lives last week but got so overwhelmed with all that happened! Here is the quick update. We got a house, then it fell through, went to the urgent care and E.R. at Children’s Hospital 3 TIMES within 4 DAYs, participated in toys for tats at Liberty Tattoo in Seattle (our friends shop), and viewed 3 other houses that were all flops. We have been home for the weekend to see the Christmas pageant that Jeremy’s mom put together at church, and then we pack up again to head to my mom’s then my dad’s for the holidays. With all of this craziness going on around us we have managed to continue to take one step at a time and enjoy our time together. I also made sure to bring the advent calendar with us while we were in Seattle so Ruby still had a chance to enjoy the little surprises in each pocket. 

 

Poor sweet girl, She got an outer eye infection that made her eye swollen shut. She was quite the trooper though and had a really good attitude through it all, until it came to all the doctors constantly staring at her eye.

Since there was so much going on Ruby's advent calendar didn't get touch for a few days. Which meant she got to open 3 pockets in one day! She was pretty exited to get the mickey mouse card game and of course the M&M's!

Both Jeremy and I got traditional rose tattoos, except mine was pretty easy to get whereas his was on his neck.

Hopefully this week will be a bit calmer and relaxing...

Day 3: Advent calendar

Our Day told through pictures

Day 2 : advent calendar

We got through half the night with Ruby sleeping in her toddler bed! Yesterday at the grocery store I found a tinker bell night light for her room which helped... I think. Man, what that kid will do for tinkers and princess things.

        Anyway, the rush to the advent calendar was not immediate this morning. After breakfast she finally realized that she hadn't looked in a pocket yet. So we went through our routine of finding the date and today she got pez candy to put in her hello kitty dispenser. I love that simple things like one pack of pez can satisfy a two year old. I am sure I could have gotten away with even a picture of pez...well, maybe not. Candy is pretty desirable at that age.

         

DIY advent part 2

Well, I finished! I made it my goal to take every opportunity today to work on the advent calendar and it payed off. To find the first part of this DIY click here

       The next step in making the calendar is to sew your squares on your canvas. Again, I made 5 rows and 5 columns. Once you have your squares sewn on, you can go ahead and hem your canvas around the perimeter of the calendar. I used red thread to give a little hint of some Christmas color.

Finally I cut out 2 inch squares for the numbers and attached them on the pockets with paper clips.I like the idea of being able to switch where the numbers go each year. This is where you can get pretty creative. There are so many ways to print, paint, or draw the numbers. I love the idea of using mini cloths pins to attach the numbers too. 

We are so blessed!

Home again. We arrived safely back in Yakima yesterday. I am not going to lie, I was secretly hoping that the pass was going to be dumped on by snow so we could spend more time with Jeremy, but no such luck. God had other plans I suppose. As we got closer to home, Ruby was talking all about her pretty books that she is going to read, her many dresses that she is going to wear, and the long list of food she is going to cook in her kitchen. I can tell she missed being home. Right when we walked in the door she rushed right back to her room to do just those things, while I unpacked our entire luggage and got lunch made. It makes me so thankful to have a house to come to where she feels comfortable, but I also ache because it is not where Jeremy is. This long distance living is taking its toll on me. This whole experience has further engrained in me that my home is where Jeremy and my kids are, not a material home that will one day be gone. So if that is all four of us crashing in a guest bedroom at my sister-in laws house than great!  As long as we are together it feels like home, it feels safe, it is where we belong.

                Thanksgiving was quite the event this year for me! I have never made a thing for this holiday before, and this year I dappled in just about every dish that was devoured on the table. Thanks to my sister- in law who usually makes all the food for the day, I got to contribute and help her through-out Thanksgiving. It was such a fun time to share with her and see our relationship grow as we are scrambling around trying to get everything chopped, blended, basted, mashed, and baked! One thing I did make myself was bacon cheddar deviled eggs for an appetizer and with dessert Tom and Jerry’s to drink for the adults! Delicious! I cannot express how meaningful this holiday was for me this year. Being thankful for my husband and family has a whole new meaning to me this year; from my mother-in law continuing to be there for me while Jeremy is away, to my sister-in law and her husband opening up their home for our family. Without them I am not sure I would be able to be as strong as I am right now, two and a half hours away from my love.