july.

Home from our trip to Michigan!

We celebrated Matt's birthday a couple days early because all four kids were going to be at Bible camp on his birthday.  (Matt & I ate leftover cake every day that week.) 

I put up the birthday banners and somehow didn't take any other birthday pics. I made a special salmon and rice pilaf dinner and we went out to a movie to celebrate on the actual day.

I gave Rue her first haircut. She did great, like an old pro!

Started a painting while the kids were at camp, but had trouble motivating. So it's still in progress.

At the beginning of the week, the quiet was great. But by the end, this is how I felt about being alone during the day. Let me just say I'm glad it will be a while before our "nest" is completely empty. :)

"Please won't you be my friend, Caspian?"

Last Friday, we drove to the camp in California to pick up our church's kids.  It was fun taking a road trip, just the two of us, and staying in a cabin before seeing everyone the next morning. This was our fourth time picking up the camp kids. 

I love the beautiful vistas on road trips out here!

At the beginning of the drive back from camp. Such a nice group of kids. :)

Ever heard of an Earthship? There's one for sale near us, and we looked at it last week just for fun. So unique!

Really I've only spent a little time on this painting, but it's coming along nicely. I'm getting the itch to paint more... this week might be a productive one. :)

A random picture of Rue that one of the kids took on my phone.

And here are the poochie girls begging to be let out today. :)

christmas.

It all feels so surreal, how quickly the Christmas season came upon us and now how quickly it seems that it's all over again.  This Thursday, I de-Christmasized our house and it looks back to its normal self.  So weird.

Without further ado, here are some photos from our Christmas...

On Christmas Eve, we went to the Christmas Eve service at Matt's brother's church.  Afterwards, we went to their house for a short visit and we snapped this family shot in front of their tree.

We put out luminarias again this year, in the dark, but it doesn't work too well to try to capture it on camera, so that's why there's no photo here. :)

And the kids' tradition of camping out by the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve continues.  I didn't get a photo with Marissa sleeping this year, because she stayed up even later than I did.  (And I went to bed at 2:20!)

I love the memories and traditions we have with most of our Christmas ornaments.  Decorating is like walking down memory lane for me. :)  A friend made most of our crocheted snowflakes for a wedding gift, and we've added a few here & there over the years.  Every Christmas we've been married, we've had these beautiful snowflakes all over our tree. :)  The other ornament here is one my brother & his wife got in Germany on their honeymoon.  It's so delicate and beautifully made.

Getting ready to start the gift opening.  David's just playing it up there... he actually didn't stay up late on Christmas Eve.

I have to tell you the best Christmas shopping story.  So, the kids & I were hitting a few Goodwills one day.  While I was shopping, Joshua came up to me with a blue super soaker and said, "Look what I found for Jesse!  It works... I tested it in the bathroom!"  Not five minutes later, after the gift was hidden in my cart and Joshua had gone, Jesse came up on the other side of me and said, "Look what I found for Joshua!  They had a red one and a blue one.  It works!"  This photo is on Christmas morning when Joshua realized what happened.  I just love that they both wanted the other one to have an awesome gift that they would love to have themselves. :)

David wearing the hat Marissa crocheted for him.

Zoe looks hidden amongst the boxes and bags.

Rue thinks Joshua just opened something for her.

Matt found a lot of awesome vintage jewelry for us girls.  I think that's what Marissa's opening here.  Well, one of the bits of jewelry for her, anyway. :)

When I saw this stuffed Dr. Seuss alligator, I immediately thought of Joshua.  He really likes it.

Just playing with a wrapper.  Of course. :)

Mark & Anita came over in the afternoon for our big dinner and brought gifts.

Jesse with his Nerf gun from Uncle Mark & Aunt Anita.

Matt picked out an amazingly soft blanket for Mark for when he watches TV. 

Rue immediately fell in love with David when he arrived.  When he still lived here he would randomly pick up Zoe, and although she would look uncomfortable, I think she actually liked it.  So here Rue & Zoe both got picked up by David.

In looking at the photos from Christmas Day, wouldn't you know that the *only* one of me is this ridiculous one with food in my mouth and a silly expression on my face?  Ugh.

Anita bought two identical infinity scarves... one for her, one for Marissa.  And Matt is just being a silly photobomber there.

Jesse & Rue.

Naomi and Uncle Mark. :)

And that's our Christmas.  David flew back to Michigan on the 27th and starts classes again a week from Monday.  

In two days, the kids & I are back at it with doing school after four weeks off.  I have so enjoyed having this time off and have to admit I dread getting back at it again.  But we'll be fine.  I really do love learning cool things with the kids, and it's always good to get back into the routine of normal life after several weeks of not-normalness.  :)

christmas time is here.

Life has been such a blur lately that I haven't taken the time to post anything here.  So today I thought I'd tell the story of life here lately, in picture form...

Naomi had her cast removed on Dec. 3rd by an elf! :)

Rue.

Jesse & Naomi with their new glasses, Rue and the walking boot Naomi wore for two weeks.  Oh yes, and Zoe's rear end.

Naomi wanted to paint something for her new friend Reese. :)

I love how it turned out! :)

We found Rue a new crate because she had outgrown the cat crate we'd been using at first. She really likes it when we go places, because we put peanut butter into the hole in a Kong toy and toss it in her crate to keep her busy for a while. She runs right in after it.  :)

We made Christmas cookies and somehow Zoe & Rue appeared on the cookie sheet! (Marissa formed them by hand.)

Jesse holding Rue after she somehow got some frosting on her face. :)

We had a few frosty nights early this month.  When that happens here, we have to cover the warm-weather trees & bushes with sheets to protect them from frost.

We got our Christmas tree at Wal-Mart just after they'd closed the garden center, so we had to go back into the store to check out.  VERY different from any other tree-buying adventure we've had before! :) 

Our tree.  It smells so great, and this tree is lasting so much longer than the other trees we've had since moving to Arizona! :)

David called when we were decorating the tree, so it was fun telling him about the memorable ornaments that were going on the tree at a particular moment.

Marissa & Rue just chilling on the couch enjoying the ambiance.

She looks so funny sometimes while she's sleeping.

This is what I got when I tried to get a photo of both dogs sitting together.  Rue kept running towards me.

On a date to an Italian restaurant with very eclectic decor and sort of an irreverent sense of humor to it.  Hard to explain without showing you the pics, but I shouldn't post most of them here...

Have you ever been to a restaurant with a mirror beside the toilet?  I was so busy noticing the collage of images above the toilet (paint-by-numbers of dachshunds, various antique newspaper ads, and a naked lady) that I didn't see the mirror until I was on the toilet.  Rather shocking.

Rue seems to have this power to make people fall asleep.

Marissa was one of the narrators at our church Christmas play a week ago yesterday.

Marissa was in the choir again, too.  (At the bottom right corner of the monitor.)

Joshua was Joseph, Jesse was a wise man, and Naomi was a shepherd.

More puppy cuteness.  We've had her six weeks and she is now 10 weeks old (she was 4 weeks when we got her, not 6 as we had been told.)

Joshua playing with the mirror in our bathroom.

David & Marissa in the kitchen on Wednesday morning.  It's SO great to have him here for Christmas!

David, Marissa & Jesse. :)

David & Naomi at Sam's Club while we were ordering David's contact lenses for the next year. 

Another funny sleeping posture.

David thought it would be fun to climb on Matt's lap like he was a little kid.  Pretty funny! :)

More silliness. :)

And a fun comparison shot of Naomi & Rue. :)

And that brings us to today, two days before Christmas.  I'll post more later this week. :)