CHRISTMAS #1 with OPA and OMA

Jeff: “Most of the time it doesn’t feel like we have a lot of kids but every time I see our stockings I think wow, we do have a bunch of kids.”

Christmas Eve day my family came from Abilene.  We went to a Christmas Eve service together and then came home and opened stockings.  We ate hamburgers and played games.  We watched The Nativity Story and toasted cider at midnight. 

Christmas morning Tyler and Micah made us sausage and chocolate chip crepes with a cream cheese filling and fruit on top.

We opened under the tree gifts.

We sang Christmas carols and we read the Christmas story from Bible.

We had a big lunch of ham and lots of sides and we finished our advent reading.

We had (and have had) lots of desserts – candies, iced cookies, pies, candy canes, and cakes.

We played games, did puzzles, built new Lego sets, and some of us went to see the movie Unbroken that night. 

 And we waited for a baby to be born…I was 39 weeks on December 25th...but we will hae to wait some more...

OTHER DECEMBER HAPPENINGS

December 19: Jeff has epi-Lasek on both his eyes.  The first couple days after surgery were rough but about 4 days post-op Jeff was a new man and could see great without contacts!

Jeff found out that he passed his board exams.

Ryan got great scores back from his PSAT.

The kids had a two week break from school work.  We played a lot of games.  Some oldie but goody favorites include: Monopoly, Boggle, and Carcassonne.  

Some new games that Ryan got for Christmas and have already been played TONS include: Ticket to Ride and Acquire.  

Julia began sleeping in her own bed.  She’s always shared a bed with either Joshua or Ginny.  Her toddler bed is pushed up right next to Ginny’s bed (Ginny shares a bed with Josiah).

Speaking of Julia, she is excited to meet the new baby inside her mama’s growing tummy.  She frequently asks when and how it will come out.

She loves to carry around and care for her own baby dolls and I know she will be a great big sister to #8.

Right now her favorite movie is Monster’s University and she LOVES going to the library for Curious George books.  She really loves all things monkey. 

This guy will soon be a BIG BROTHER!

Josiah continues to make us laugh with his antics.  

His newest words include: Wawa (water), Julia, Hot, broken, off, no and yes

He’s obsessed with belly buttons and turning off the lights and coloring on himself.

He loves to sing Happy Birthday…blowing out the imaginary candles and then clapping for himself.

He started to pray with us at bed time.  When it is his turn he closes his eyes and says “birthday” then he claps.

He loves mandarin oranges and calls them (and every other fruit) “apple”

TIME with GRANDPARENTS

Something that our kids are enjoying during this time in the U.S. is time with grandparents,

Since we live just a block from Jeff's parents we get to see them almost daily.

In December Grandma helped Ginny sew 25 mini stockings to create a super cute advent calendar.

Like most projects around here, the little ones like to be right in the middle of it.

 They also made a beautiful Christmas tree skirt together.

Grandpa's birthday lunch

  My family lives just 2 1/2 hours away and have come to visit several times.

They were able to come for Ginny’s birthday and stayed the weekend.

They also came back a week later to spend Christmas through the new year with us…which included Claire’s birth on the 29th and Ryan’s 15^th birthday on the 31st.

  

 We played lots of games together over the holidays.

38 WEEKS...READY to POP!

 38 WEEKS:

Baby’s head is down

No boy name yet

A very active baby especially at night and in the early morning hours

Sore back, no leg/feet swelling

Some middle of the night leg cramps

No real cravings

Gained A LOT of weight

PREPARATIONS:

2 baby blankets made (one for a boy and one for a girl)

Oxygen tank borrowed from Grandpa

Rice bag and massager ready

Boy and girl clothes washed

BOUGHT:

6 white towels for drying baby

2 tarps to deliver over

Gloves for Jeff

Cord clamp and scapel to cut chord

NB sized diapers

2 pacifiers

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GINNY!

December 13, 2014

Ginny turned 13 on the 13^th.

In the morning her Oma and Opa took her out to a big IHOP breakfast.  She brought home half of her strawberry crepes, half of her birthday ice cream brownie, and half of her huge mug of hot chocolate.  

At noon the ladies (Ginny and her Grandma and her Oma, Julia and I) had a special lunch at a tea room.  Soups, sandwiches, cheese biscuits, cranberry tea and little bowls of fruit were enjoyed in a very quaint and fun girlie atmosphere.  We then strolled in and out of several shops filled with Christmas decorations and goodies.

Back at the house Ginny got her first give from me - a make-up bag filled with her first lipstick, eye shadow, brush, etc.  I had arranged for someone to come to the house and teach Ginny how to apply the make-up.   Ginny was a bit taken a back because frankly I don’t think she’s even given that kind of stuff a second though but, well, the teen years do bring changes and I thought now was a great time.  I am thankful to have a daughter who is more concerned about her inner beauty.

 Ginny got to skype with some of her best friends - MKs from Paraguay now living in Canada

For dinner she had asked Jeff to grill pork – her favorite meal.  He served up an awesome dinner for all of us and both sets of grandparents.  We ate a mint chocolate ice cream cake at her request and then she opened gifts.

It was a very good day and hopefully a very memorable 13^th birthday!