Christmas with the Fam!

We are having a great time in WA with our families. Hope you like the little video I put together with the help of a groovy website I found...Animoto.com. Pretty fun to mess around with. Expect more of these in the future!

He's Home, He's Home, He's Home!

It's been two weeks since Christian came home and we are still on a family high. It is more than great, wonderful, or marvelous to have him back. I am overjoyed. Soren took to him right away--thanks to our sessions on Skype, I think. The other kids are so happy too. It hasn't been the adjustment I thought it would be. It has been really easy. It seems like life was interupted, and now things are back to how they should be.

First snow

Yesterday was the first snow of the season so we got out there and got cold! The kids had fun but I kept thinking, maybe it's not so bad to be moving to a warm, tropical climate.

Brown butter Pumkin cupcakes

...with maple cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans. Doesn't that just sound like fall? It was Friday night and I was without a hot date, so I baked. By Saturday I took plates of these to some friends because I was eating WAY too many. Man, I love to bake! Can't wait for Christian to come home so I can start fattening him up again.

Winner!

Sydney won first place in her school's Reflections contest. The category was visual arts and she was competing against kids K-2 grade. My mom taught her how to paint the aspen trees and I think her entry turned out really well. It was so great to see the surprise on her face when they called her name. And in ART! I'm so proud.

Veterans Appreciation Day

This is my shout-out to all Veterans...one in particular. Actually, he'll be a veteran soon. The countdown is on! Only a few more weeks until he comes home. You know, I always appreciated our country's armed forces, but now I know what their sacrifice really is. It's missing your youngest grow from baby to running toddler. It's missing your last remaining grandparent's funeral. It's all the family get-togethers that you only hear about. I guess I don't really know what it's like for them. This is just my perspective--the one who gets left behind.

Funeral

This is a picture of the family at Grandma Ruby's funeral. I had already sent my kids home with my mom, but I wish they were in the photo. Anyway, it was a really nice service and it was so great to be surrounded by family...even if it was a sad occasion. (Not sure why I look so freekishly tall.)