Jackpot

Happy New Year friends! 

Ah, I've failed at keeping up the past few weeks.

I know I've been jumping around--

fall, winter, warm, cold…

These seasons are all very novel to us. 

Abby and Arthur playing in the leaves.

This was a homework assignment….

"Take Arthur on an adventure."

I love her preschool.

The kids and I headed over to our cousins house after a full day of rain.

And we were ready.

Boots, hats and motivation.

My leaf picking boy...

And although you cannot tell, it snowed here. 

It snowed.

As I went for a walk with the kids day after day in early December

wearing a down jacket from the 1990s

(thank you mom and dad for keeping it!)

I finally realized that this was a cold snap.

Dur!

Catching flakes on her tongue...

With our cute next door neighbor mid-snow fall...

And this cute boy, wondering why it isn't white on the ground.

They're going to love Tahoe this winter, aren't they?

And as a side note, Chic fil a has been discovered…

And the cutest, young owner you've ever seen told them that if they turn in their toy, they get ice cream.

Jackpot.

1118. my little yellow tea pot

1119. enough napkins

1120. healthy through Christmas

1121. the hope of connecting

1122. gloves for dishes = saved hands

December Field trips

December held a few fun field trips! 

Abby and Abram went to a local production of Peter Pan that was absolutely fabulous. 

It's a brand new theater that is not only beautiful, but small enough that every seat is a good one.

Here, a rare moment of pure cousin love between them as they waited in the lobby...

And at intermission, stretching their legs (literally) and enjoying some sugary snacks to get 'em through the second half!

And afterward, when Peter Pan flew across the audience, he dropped plenty of pixie dust on the floor.

Abby raced to pick it up -- "so we can fly later, mommy!"

Precious.

Next stop : the local Salmon Hatchery.

Little Grandma went with us to explore and see how the life cycle of salmon works.
I'm not sure they totally got it, but they loved feeding the fish!

We went back 3 times for .25 fill ups. 

What a bargain!

We're now hooked… local field trips are the best!

We want to explore every inch of this place.

1127. honey in my tea

1128. skin deep website for checking soap toxicity

1129. free beth moore kindle books - thanks hillary!

1130. texting as if i'm still across town

A Fried Thanksgiving!

We were at Uncle Kev and Aunt Christi's house this year for their epic fried bird this year.

We hear every single year how amazing their turkey is the stakes were high.

We wanted good bird.

We wanted it bad. 

Can't you tell?

So, when things weren't working out perfectly outside at the fry area

(despite a few beers, the right equipment and lots of cooks in the "kitchen")…

Grant jumped in and caused even more trouble.

But thankfully, everything worked out. 

And truly…. it was delicious.

Unbelievably delicious.

Just like our little guy who we just can't get enough of.

Even with this haircut.

And cousin Katy had stations with things to do

(color this, write this, do this, do that…)

which Abby loved.

With Katy's help ("how do you spell thankful?")

she wrote this:

"I am thankful for mom, dad, fordy, red, my family"

(Can you believe she didn't mention anything about a princess?! Hallelujah!)

Now that Christmas has come and gone, Happy Thanksgiving!

1114. motivation for the healthy menu
1115. a forgiving family
1116. daddy's bed time stories
1117. the sparkliest holiday polish

Surfer Hair

I keep talking about this floppy haircut being cut to high heaven recently...

but before that, it was very surfer-y and fun. 

I hated to cut it but it was looking ratty. 

Some mornings I could not get the brush through the matted back.

Eeeek. A red flag.

So, Grant told him he'd look handsome like George Clooney if we cut it.

To which he cried, "I don't want to look like George Looney! I want to be Fordy!"

Amen.

A few other fall updates that I failed to relay...

We've been having some sweet reading times with Little Grandma lately.

Abby has a wonderfully complicated relationship with her cousin these days.

In this moment, she said, "let's hold hands. Because we're cousins. Come on!" 

And he did.

For thirty seconds.

And a few moments later, when what we thought was a big truck (but was actually a helicopter, hence the looking up) was coming around the corner, 

Abram said, "I'll protect you!!!"

Be still my heart.

We also introduced the kids to the finer points of wine tasting 

(trying to walk and not run around the table - do you see the number of glasses on that table?)

And finally… our thankful tree this year, day 2. 

By thanksgiving it was a bush!

1109. two hours to get the house picked up
1110. easy naps
1112. catching up over instagram
1113. online sermons

Stop.Growing.Up.

I'm sorry- but let's just start this by saying…

who is this high schooler?

Abby's preschool picture.

Stop.

Growing.

Up.

So here's what I've been wearing recently….

A little different from last year when i was wearing a sun dress like this…

Just another day at bible study for Fordy. 

Sheep hat that Grandma made and a warm coat.

Yes, we truly are wimpy at 55 degrees.

So, why not  heat up the kitchen and make cookies?

My little chefs….

(need to get this boy an apron, eh?)

And one of the best Truth In The Tinsel crafts we did…

Here is Mary and Elisabeth, both pregnant at the same time.

With Jesus and John.

I don't think Abby will forget it after water-coloring this

and adding prego bellies!

1104. a garage

1105. that isn't rat-infested

1106. the cool car shopping cart that the kids love

1107. abby's amazing eating

1108. texting = remaining close across the miles

Falling Behind

Oh, dear. It's been awhile! 

Christmas is creeping up so fast, these pictures seem like ancient history!

I've fallen behind on our fall updates.

That said….

Fordy before his awesome new hair cut at our "big park" just minutes away.

We got to see a few of Katy's soccer games this fall. They loved watching their cousin rock the field and learn how to dribble. 

I think they're both ready to start next year.

Don't you think?

Falling down laughing...

Or perhaps cheerleading…?

We'll have to work on using our hands and our funny faces...

You can see that this is from awhile ago…

soaked from the sprinklers and eating a show cone. 

There is a cute little train that is near our local zoo. 

(Thomas the Train is on the list for Christmas!)

And Abby's new favorite job :

caring for cousin Sloan.

Or, as Abby calls her, Sessy or Bessy. 

Hysterical.

She's got us all doing it.

She's such a daredevil, it takes both of them to keep her from falling down the stairs!

A fun moment with my girl after a run...

Some deep reading while at Trader Joes…

(The Case for Christ that he found in the car and insisted on bringing in)...

And while Trader Joes does not have us searching for Rosie the Monkey (like on Del Mar in Pasadena) or Cap'n Jack (like in Hastings Ranch in Pasadena), and there are no popsicles, at least there are animals they get to impersonate.

And…of course, stickers.

So, there's our recent info download. 

Merry, merry to you all!

1100. 5 grocery stores close by

1101. stools

1102. cards out early

1103. surprise LA friend sightings

Fall Into Winter

A few weeks after the cousins were reunited here, the moms and kids took a walk to the lake just before sunset. It was lovely once we got there (over the river and through the woods…)

(The bigs posing with a very low lake behind them…)

and terribly sad when we couldn't go down to the water seeing that the sun was setting.

(it's hard being two, isn't it?)...

but we all rallied and had such a fun time.

Just days after Thanksgiving, we took a walk down to the lake again - on a different trail.

It was glorious.

All of  God's creation in dry patches of grass and dirty and sand.

Red loved running around and even got shoved into the water.

I should've been home preparing for advent but instead….

we walked.

We laughed.

We felt like we were on vacation.

And I'm so glad that all of the Advent prep had to wait or I would've missed it.

This year we're doing The Jesus Storybook Bible coupled with Truth In The Tinsel. 

Print and go.

So easy.

More on that coming up!

1094. actually needing a jacket (and finding one from the 90s that works!)

1095. leg warmers

1096. wearing the warm boots

1097. personalities coming on strong

1098. a telling teacher conference

1099. help while at the conference