But for now I'll reflect on a few of the highlights from the last month of so.
I never got around to posting pictures of the Turkey Trot at the school. Here's Gabriel and his buddy getting ready to take off on their 1/2 mile run.
We also finished up baseball (Gabriel) and soccer (Michael)... and I wish I had more any pictures of the boys actually playing their games, but the truth is, most of my time is spent at the playground with Isabelle while the boys play ball. For some reason she isn't interested in sitting to watch them play games. So instead I take pictures of her playing at the park where the boys play their sports.
well, then this was. I'm so excited to share that my sister and her husband are expecting their first child, a girl (after several years of trying to get pregnant) and so we decided to share some of Isabelle's baby stuff with them. Below is just some of the stuff we handed down.
In the midst of what seems like the busiest November and December I can ever remember, we decorated the house for Christmas. Here's Michael and Isabelle decorating the Christmas tree for the boys' bedroom.
One of my favorite highlights from pulling out all the decorations each year, is getting to cherish and reminisce about Christmas' past. My grandmother always loved Christmas and she gave me several Christmas decorations I love and cherish to this day. Just one of those decorations was this nativity scene.
I wonder if she knew at the time, how much her words would mean today and every Christmas. Just another reminder that although she isn't here with us in person today, she is always with us in memory, in our hearts and in our thoughts. I miss her so much.
As we lost Jarrett's grandmother this year, Jarrett and I have spent time reflecting on just how quickly life passes by and how spending time with those we love is ever so important. This summer when we were back to Iowa for a week to honor Grandma Hazel, we were reminded how much we enjoy our family back there and how our hearts were calling us to come back home for Christmas.
In the 5 years we have been parents, we have always spent Christmas in Arizona. With so much happening back home (my brother, my sister are getting married, my other sister is having a baby), and the fact that we have never given our kids the experience of a Christmas in Iowa, we made the decision to go home for the holidays.
I knew going home to Iowa was going to make more work for me, but I knew the benefits and fun would far outweigh the extra holiday work. So after Thanksgiving Isabelle and I started preparing. We dug through the kid's closet to try and find "winter" clothes for them to wear.
Here's Isabelle all dressed for Iowa... She put on her boots and said, "I go to Iowa Mom!" It wasn't too long after going through the kid's closet that I realized, our kids have NO idea what winter is really like and they do not have the "accessories" that accompany an Iowa winter either. (Boots, hats, gloves, a real winter jacket... just to name a few).
In preparation for Christmas, we (Isabelle and I) participated in the annual holiday shopping season. Here we are taking a break from gift buying as Isabelle found what she wanted for Christmas... a six foot tall Mickey and Minnie Mouse...
Yes that Minnie Mouse is knocking her over. She wasn't as happy as mom was when we put them back.
Soon enough we got home and she went back to her normal behavior.... climbing, jumping around and acting like her silly self.
In other news, Michael was so excited as he got to have a play date with his friend, who is a girl, Bella. One afternoon she came over and the two of them, okay, actually it was three of them with Isabelle constantly having to participate as well. We went to the park and worked on science experiments.
Right before we left on vacation, I got to go to school and join Michael for his holiday celebration in the classroom. They each got to build a cool gingerbread house and tree. While most of the frosting was consumed by the kids, Michael did manage to get some of his candy on the masterpiece he was working on.
And if building a candy-frosting house wasn't good enough, getting to work on it at the same table as his buddy Jack, in Michael's mind, Christmas came early!
In what seemed like a blink of an eye, the month of December flew by and the time for us to hit the road and drive 1742 miles back to Iowa had come. We were all so excited to get to go home for Christmas... and I have a lot of pictures to share. So many so that I have to save them for another post{hopefully tomorrow}.
Christmas 2o14 (my zero key doesn't work for some reason) is one we will always remember. In thinking about the year in general, I am thankful for the many blessings we were given. I'm thankful for the health of our family, for the prosperity in time and in having enough money available to drive home to Iowa to spend Christmas with loved ones. I'm thankful for the family and friends here in Arizona, in Iowa and around, that support and share their love with us. I'm thankful for the three little people that made us a mom and dad.
As we close the 2o14 chapter and begin writing a new one, I pray for strength to work through new challenges, for courage to push myself in ways I haven't done before, for patience in guiding and helping the three prized possessions we have in making good choices and doing what is right. I pray for the health of family, friends and for ourselves. I look forward to 2o15 and I'm filled with hope that prayers are answered, with a faith that reminds me of the daily blessings I have, and to give of myself more to make other lives better.
Until next time,
Angie
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| Cheese... close up! |
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| Isabelle and her friend Frankie, getting ready to go down the slides together. |
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| Here's Michael pointing out just how spoiled his sister is. "See Mom, she has WAY more stuff than Gabriel and I together!" As we boxed up the baby stuff to hand onto my sister, I had to admit, it was way more emotional than I ever thought it would be. I'm so thankful that I was able to experience the baby phase and while I would love to have had it lasted for a few more years, I clearly know after the baby stage comes several other stages (maybe not as fun... ahem, toddler tantrums, 7 and 9 year old "I know it all mom" stages) and so with that clear awareness, I humbly pass on the baby stuff so someone else can experience the fun. |
In the midst of what seems like the busiest November and December I can ever remember, we decorated the house for Christmas. Here's Michael and Isabelle decorating the Christmas tree for the boys' bedroom.
In the bottom corner of the box she wrote:
I wonder if she knew at the time, how much her words would mean today and every Christmas. Just another reminder that although she isn't here with us in person today, she is always with us in memory, in our hearts and in our thoughts. I miss her so much.
As we lost Jarrett's grandmother this year, Jarrett and I have spent time reflecting on just how quickly life passes by and how spending time with those we love is ever so important. This summer when we were back to Iowa for a week to honor Grandma Hazel, we were reminded how much we enjoy our family back there and how our hearts were calling us to come back home for Christmas.
In the 5 years we have been parents, we have always spent Christmas in Arizona. With so much happening back home (my brother, my sister are getting married, my other sister is having a baby), and the fact that we have never given our kids the experience of a Christmas in Iowa, we made the decision to go home for the holidays.
I knew going home to Iowa was going to make more work for me, but I knew the benefits and fun would far outweigh the extra holiday work. So after Thanksgiving Isabelle and I started preparing. We dug through the kid's closet to try and find "winter" clothes for them to wear.
In preparation for Christmas, we (Isabelle and I) participated in the annual holiday shopping season. Here we are taking a break from gift buying as Isabelle found what she wanted for Christmas... a six foot tall Mickey and Minnie Mouse...
Yes that Minnie Mouse is knocking her over. She wasn't as happy as mom was when we put them back.
Soon enough we got home and she went back to her normal behavior.... climbing, jumping around and acting like her silly self.
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| Here they are headed to the park to play. |
In what seemed like a blink of an eye, the month of December flew by and the time for us to hit the road and drive 1742 miles back to Iowa had come. We were all so excited to get to go home for Christmas... and I have a lot of pictures to share. So many so that I have to save them for another post{hopefully tomorrow}.
Christmas 2o14 (my zero key doesn't work for some reason) is one we will always remember. In thinking about the year in general, I am thankful for the many blessings we were given. I'm thankful for the health of our family, for the prosperity in time and in having enough money available to drive home to Iowa to spend Christmas with loved ones. I'm thankful for the family and friends here in Arizona, in Iowa and around, that support and share their love with us. I'm thankful for the three little people that made us a mom and dad.
As we close the 2o14 chapter and begin writing a new one, I pray for strength to work through new challenges, for courage to push myself in ways I haven't done before, for patience in guiding and helping the three prized possessions we have in making good choices and doing what is right. I pray for the health of family, friends and for ourselves. I look forward to 2o15 and I'm filled with hope that prayers are answered, with a faith that reminds me of the daily blessings I have, and to give of myself more to make other lives better.
Until next time,
Angie
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