Resolved

I resolve (to try really hard) to keep my kitchen counters and staircase free of clutter (that is created by all four of us, not just me).

A New Tradition

One new thing we did this year was having the kids pick out a gift to give each other. I took each girl on a special shopping trip and they were able to shop for the perfect gift for their sister. Well, as perfect as you can get for under $10.

Ainsley knew she wanted to get Aubrey a puppy to sleep with. Ainsley sleeps with a puppy every night and Aubrey frequently asks if the puppy can sleep with her. Ainsley picked out this cute little guy and Aubrey has been sleeping with him/her every night.

Aubrey took a lot more time window shopping. She went through all the toy aisles and eventually landed on a Little Einstein doll of June. She wanted to get her Annie, since Ainsley loves to sing, but the store was out of the Annie doll. I suggested a Mr(s) Potato Head since I thought it was more fun, but Aubrey assured me that she found the right gift and that Ainsley would love it. Aubrey was right!

Next year I want to find a way for the girls to "earn" the money that they use to buy the present. I have a while to figure that out. The girls loved giving a gift that they had ownership of and they were very pleased to receive a gift from each other. It is a sweet gesture, and I am excited to make that a part of our Christmas celebration in the years to come.

Christmas Dinner

We had a fabulous Christmas and dinner was no exception. I decided to venture out of my comfort zone and embrace a boneless leg of lamb this year. It was by far one of the best meals I have ever cooked. I kept waiting to bite into something I didn't want to devour, but it just didn't happen. I definitely think that we have a family tradition in the works. The girls loved the "roast" but didn't believe they were actually eating a lamb. That's fine by me! Looking at the picture, I wish I would have thought to put my table runner on and that I would have used all white serving dishes instead of one glass, but that is just further proof that I should be in a padded room somewhere. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday, and if you didn't, consider having dinner with us next year, you'll love it!

Gingerbread Houses Text

We made graham cracker houses today as part of our Christmas Eve celebration. Well, okay, they are more like tents or relief housing after a natural disaster, but the thought was there. I will study up and learn how to add a roof for 2010. My icing didn't quite cement as promised and I am fairly impatient. If the kids didn't have such a great time I would have felt like it was an epic failure. Their happy faces (pictured below) speak for themselves. Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread Houses!

Christmas Letter 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

This year seems to have moved at light speed. We had a lot going on and time flew by. Rachel was able to travel out to Southern California in April and July with the girls. We took a family trip to Wisconsin in June, had a few visits from life long friends over the summer, visited Northern California for Thanksgiving, and had several visits from our families throughout the year to beautiful Colorado.

Mike transitioned to a role as Sales Manager with WJ Bradley Mortgage in Castle Rock after two years with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. He is excited about the new position and the challenges and freedoms it accompanies. He still loves playing electric guitar weekly for the worship team at church and his monthly poker nights with “the guys”.

Rachel spent the first part of the year training for her first triathlon which she completed in August. It was exhausting, but very fulfilling to know that she set a goal and accomplished it. She has also taken on a weekly volunteer teaching role at Community Bible Study nurturing three year olds as they learn about God through His Word. She continues to stay at home with the girls and enjoys many cuddles and lots of silliness each day.

Aubrey is now four and a half and such a little lady. She loves to color, play board games, and live in a world of fantasy full of Barbie's, princesses, and the occasional “naughty” guy. She is happiest when wearing a dress, but will tolerate pants on occasion. She loves pre-school and Bible Study and cannot wait to start kindergarten next year.

Ainsley is two and a half and a little fire cracker. She enjoys doing whatever Aubrey is doing and has little difficulty keeping up. She lives in a musical and sings her converations throughout the day. She has a two hour Bible class once a week and routinely recites scripture or the latest song she has learned.

We hope this letter finds your family happy and healthy. This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Mike, Rachel, Aubrey, and Ainsley
Christmas, 2009

Humph!

I don't know what is going on with blogger, but it doesn't let me put text and images in the same post. I know! What in the world is going on here? So the post below is pictures from trimming our tree. The kids basically did the whole thing without help. I hung a handful of ornaments on the higher branches and moved a few around in the days that followed, but for the most part, a two and four year old trimmed the tree. You have to understand that I am completely anal about holiday decorating. I evenly distribute all ornaments by type (snowman, angel,hallmark) and also by what they are made out of (wooden, glass, metal). And I didn't get to do any of that this year. The kids took over and had the ornaments on the tree as quickly as I unpacked them. Ainsley was having so much fun she even hung the left over hooks on the tree (picture below). And for the most part, I was okay with it. Ahhh, growth! We have also been making decorations right and left and they are all hung on the lower third of the tree. This is such a special time of year and I am happy to see my kids embrace the magic.

Decorating the Tree

Does Life Get Any Better?

Just Announced

Aubrey would like nothing but coloring books for Christmas. Something tells me she will change her mind on that, but I love her love for coloring. Now if I could just keep her crayons sharp and organized she would be the happiest girl in the world.

Old Maid

We reintroduced the kids to Old Maid today and they are having a blast. Aubrey is so good at finding her matches and even tries to sneak peaks of your cards if you are not careful. Ainsley is... learning. She WANTS the Old Maid. And if she has it, she isn't giving it up. In fact she will take it out of her hand and sit on it so you can't take it. That suits Aubrey just fine, she would prefer to win anyway. Ainsley also insists on searching her opponents hand so she can find a match. Silly kid! It is so fun to play games with the kids. I much prefer playing a card game or a round of Candy Land to getting Polly Pocket dressed for her day at school.

This is a picture from our trip to Mike's parents that we recently returned from. The girls had a blast on this swing. Me, not so much. I totally fell off it, backwards, while holding Ainsley. Oops. She was quick to forgive but quickly announced she wanted to swing with Grandma. Smart kid!