It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

What a fun Christmas.  More proof that God is a God of Miracles.  Mike is still one month from getting his first paycheck, but thanks to the hand of God and many generous people and anonymous gifts, we didn't feel the pinch.  Thank you to everyone who had a part (you know who you are) in making this a wonderful Christmas for us.

Jane yelling "CANDY!!!" 
She found the stash Santa left.

Cole dumping his sock.

Macy opening her Santa gift.

Ali's desk chair from St. Nick

Jane's favorite Dora movie.

Cole never disappoints in the reaction department.

Yup.  We give cereal as a gift.  The kids LOVE it.

Watching Dad unpackage something...
isn't this how parents spend most of Christmas morning?

The gang's all here
(Here you're catching a glimpse of the cold just starting
that wiped me out all that day and the next).

What's Chrismtas without garbage bags full of wrapping paper?

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Eve

We had a fun Christmas Eve this year.  My parents joined us via Skype.  We had Mike's laptop aimed at our fireplace "stage" and they had it set up on their big projector screen and joined in on the fun from afar.

This pic is from Christmas morning, but you get the idea.

We decided our kids were old enough to start Mike's family's tradition of having a "talent show" on Christmas Eve.

Macy and Jane danced (ran in circles) to the Carpenters "Jingle Bells."
Cole sang along with Glee's version of "Jingle Bells"
Ali sang "Silent Night."
I read a christmas story
Mike read a special arrangement of the nativity story with scriptures and christmas hymns mixed together beautifully.

The kids then got to sleep together in the same room (minus Jane).

It was a great night and even more fun to be able to share it with my parents!

Macy a.k.a Rupunzel

Macy received this "Tangled" headband as part of her 12 days of Christmas gifts from her Nana and Papa.  She insisted on wearing it all day for multiple days on end. "Can I wear this in my bath, Mom?"

She is infatuated with the idea of having long hair (I was too at her age, wore half slips on my head... my poor girls inherited my hair that won't grown 'til their 5).  She tried brushing it, had me put it in a ponytail with her other hair, "Oh, Mom... it looks so beautiful!"  She would dance and spin letting the hair flip around.

Now it's a mangled, gnarled mess, but every few days it come out and the twirling starts again.  Love that four year old imagination.

Ali's New Glasses

Ali's New Glasses.
Hard to tell in this picture, but they are blue.
So cute, Ali!

Jane Train is Two!

Happy Birthday Jane Train!

It was Cole's turn to take the pictures and although I SWEAR he clicked

10 or 12 pics, this is all we got. 

Enjoy.

She's thrilled.  Can't you tell?

Jane hugging her Dora card from Nana and Papa (squealed when she opened it).

One of my favorite things about Jane is that you get the excited reaction to the present
BEFORE the wrapping paper comes off.

Love you Jane.

On the 2nd day of Christmas...

Every year my Mom and Dad do a fun 12 days of Christmas for my kids.  They send 12 simple presents for each of the kids and they get to open one a day for the 12 days before Christmas.  Still a bit of birthday thunder ("Guess what's on Monday guys?"  "The first day of the 12 days of Christmas!!!!"  "I was thinking of my birthday, but ya, that's true too.")

While my Mom was helping us move my Mom noticed that Cole is an engineer in the making.  The kid will create anything out of... well... anything.  So on the second day of Christmas Cole got a roll of red duct tape (my parents were kind enough to gift him things he can create stuff with so he stops draining me of toothpicks and tape). Here's what he made with it and a binder clip that day (made one for his friend too).

Christmas Snow

Still don't miss the snow, but I LOVE this photo of it. 

"Christmas Snow", photographer Michael Kimble.

Monday

Monday, December 13th was a big day.

Mike started his teaching job.
Kids started opening their 12 days of Christmas gifts.
And the least anticipated of the three... I turned 33.
Pretty sure the years are just going to snowball from here.

Doesn't she look smart!

Ali has been complaining that things are blurry for a month or two now, so I took her in to get her eyes checked.  Sure enough she needed glasses.  Both Mike and I wear contacts, so I knew a few (or all) of our kids would gets our (okay... really just my) blind as a bat genes too.  I'll post pics of Ali in her cute blue glasses once she gets them.

Welcome to our far-sighted world, Al!

Bethlehem

A family in our ward invited us to go with them to a "must see" in Texas.  In a little town about an hour northwest of us a baptist church built a replica of the city of Bethlehem.  For the first two weekends in December every year it is open to the public.  People dressed in garb similar to what would have been worn in Bethlehem wander the streets of the city, selling their goods, weaving baskets, making yarn from wool, making rope, offering you some of the Jerusalem bread they made in a large stone oven.  You see all this as you move through the torch lit streets, into their homes where they are having dinner, to the Inn where Mary and Joseph were turned away, past camels, sheep, chickens, ducks and end at the stable with Mary, Jospeh and baby Jesus.  I thought it was a fun experience.

According to the family that we went with, this year was abnormally crowded (we waited in a "Disneyland" line for over an hour... it usually is a ten minute wait).  It all ends with free cookies and cocoa.  Here are some pictures.

We left smelling like campfire.

Soldiers in the streets, even a prison in the center of the city. 
All of the walls are real stone.

Family having dinner

Loft is where they slept, underneath it was the table and living space.

Making ladders, I think.

You could go in and upstairs

Real Camels

Joseph, Mary and Jesus.  Stable was more like a big cave. 
There was even a star lit above the stable you could see from anywhere in the city.

HALLELUJAH!!!

HALLELUJAH!!!  Mike has a job!!!  He was hired at Blanton Elementary in the Austin School District as a 5th grade teacher.  He starts in the Middle of December.  We are THRILLED!

The school is predominantly hispanic (more than 80%, with blacks being the next highest percentage).  As Mike put it after his "teaching" interview (he had to present a math lesson to the class he would be teaching while the principal watched), "Let's just say, I didn't have one white kid in my class."  It is an English speaking class, but I am sure his spanish with be handy at parent teacher conferences and such.

The principal liked him enough that while Mike was doing his teaching interview she got up and left.  Mike assumed he had run too long and that she needed to be somewhere.  He later found out that she was so impressed with him she had left to call the district and find out what it would take to hire him.

You rock, Mike!

Girls will laugh at boys when they're not funny....

Rob and Becks came and spent Thanksgiving week with us.  It was lots of fun having them around.  Not only did we school Rob at Hand and Foot (crazy fun and addictive card game), learned that you have to remove the roasting pan lid in order to brown a turkey, and that 20 potatoes makes a few too many mashed potatoes (my bad), but also that Whitney LOVES Rock Band.

My kids were already familiar with it from living with the Bagleys.  With Whits it was pulling teeth to get to play (at first), but once she got a hold of the microphone and "Life is a Highway," she was set.  The girl knows how to rock.  Her Mom and Dad should also know that she will probably be getting the cold that Ali, Macy and myself have right now... since singing just isn't singing for Whits without her lips on the Mic.

(Don't try and make sense of the title of this post... unless you know the song and heard Macy sing it OVER and OVER and OVER again, it won't make sense.)

Jane... Slobber...Couch

Debbie's going to have to teach me how to make the youtube videos show up on my blog so you don't have to follow the link to see them.  'Til then... here's one of what Jane does on the couch when she gets bored.  So gross.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iae8OOlLAE

Fingers Crossed

Mike interviewed at a school last week for a 5th grade position and was asked back for a second interview tomorrow (has to teach math to a class for 30 minutes).  He also just got a call tonight and has another interview tomorrow afternoon for a 6th grade position at a different school.

Even if neither pan out (but please pray one does) we are still excited that he is getting interview calls.

Guess I need to check Cole's homework before he turns it in...

You know you call your kids Dork too much when...

Ali wore these glasses all evening one day.

I get on Mike for calling the kids dorks (it's always playfully).  Today he got in Jane's face while she was eating lunch and said, "Hey, Dorkface!"  From the other room Macy shouts, "What, Dad?"

Set.  Match.  Point.
 Dork.

              

Upstairs Tour - watch me second

Here's the upstairs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGjpOOxwjxo

Downstairs Tour

This is mostly for you, Dad. 

Here's a tour of the downstairs. 
Pardon my dorky comments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHcJJSGgDko

Just watch the speaker.

We were at stake conference today.  Macy was bored and asked me what she was suppose to do.  I told her to "Just watch the speaker."  Her head cocked towards the ceiling.  I leaned over, "The speaker is the person talking."  She smiled and pointed at the speakers in the ceiling.  "I thought you meant to watch those speakers."

Round Rock Perfection

Holy crap, I love Round Rock Donuts.

 

I was a devout King Donut gal until I tried one of these glazed beauties. 

Krispy Kreme's got nothing on them. 

Holy yum!

These are their famous glazed "Round Rocks"  A simple glazed donut. 
The orange color is from the fresh farm eggs they use.

COLIO IS NINE!!!



Jane realizing only Cole gets to open the presents.



Cole wanted a skateboard.  Any guesses on what he got?



Yup.  He got it.



He's so cool.  Arms crossed and everything.

Watch him make the wish at the end.  Love it.


Happy 9th Birthday, Cole!!!

That High School is My Elementary School?

The first day anywhere new is scary.

The fourth first day at your fourth elementary school is even scarier.

After a very quiet car ride, Ali, Cole and their nerves walked through the double-wide sliding doors into the massive Rowe Lane Elementary.  We looked at the ceiling that stretched up over 40 feet high making my two brave kids seems that much smaller.  The secretary, with her soothing southern accent, welcomed them and lead us to their classrooms. 

We watched the large rocketships hanging over the doors to find the ones that had their teacher's names on them.  Cole's came first.  His teacher seemed unaware that Cole was coming, but quickly flashed a pagent winning smile and assured me she'd take good care of him.  She ushered Cole to the front of the classroom where he stood nervously while she rustled around her desk.  The class let their eyes dart back and forth from Cole to the students on the big screen announcing what was for lunch.  I had just enough time to wonder, Does he even have a desk?, when the secretary nudged Ali and I on to her classroom.

Ali's teacher was on the ball.  A desk, surrounded by two smiling girls sat right by the classroom door.  Mrs. McVan had a tour scheduled that morning so Ali could get to know the school (and a classmate in the process).

I left with a stomach twisted like a gnarled yarn-ball.  Previous first days had ended in tears and awful stories about mean kids and lonely recesses.  Mike and I white knuckled the entire day waiting to hear how our kids did.  Cole was the first to come out the sliding doors, with a classmate trailing behind him.  His new friend drilled me for information, Is Cole a walker?  'Cuz I'm a walker.  Does he have to get a ride from you every day.  Where do you live? Oh you live WAY up the street that way? It was refereshing (once the interrogation was done) to see Cole smiling and announcing he had made two new friends that day, and had a desk twice as big as he had at his other schools!

Ali's report was much the same.  She said her whole class was her friend, but named off a few girls that were especially nice. 

They both still think the school looks as big as a High School (it really is huge) and have both decided (after only two days of school) that Rowe Lane is their favorite... by far.

Hallelujah!

We made it!

Somehow.... we made it.

10 days ago we decided it was finally time to just move to Texas, without a job and without a house.  Yes, we realized that seems crazy.  Here's how it went down.

Day 0 - Decided we're moving.

Day 1 - Stressing and Packing

Day 2 - Stressing and Packing.  Rob arrives to help us move to... ????

Day 3 - Stress, Packing, a Housing Miracle (we might not have to live at a motel!), my Mom shows up to help us move.  Pizza with family and friends, hugs, tears, a halloween party with Macy fevering in her very pretty dress.  A loaded moving truck that makes me realize I have too much junk and that I should have taken Genevieve up on her offer to help pack.

Day 4 - Mike and Rob drive away.  I attempt to clean up our part of the Bag-ourne house and fail miserably (sorry Jean).  Load our van 'til it's busting at the seams and tend to a still fevering Macy.

Day 5 - Attempted to drive away at 4 am, but end up with Macy throwing up at 3:30 am, while I tried to get groggy kids in the van.  She threw up a few more times while my Mom, my kids and I drove 14 hours (that took us 16) to Albuquerque.  Stayed at a cheapo extended stay (which, when Macy saw our room asked "Mom, why is our new house so small?"). :)

Day 6 - Drove to Lubbock, TX (Mike was supposed to be driving into Pflugerville this day... Saturday... but we hadn't heard back from the people if we even had a house to move back into.  Finally, we heard back that they had accepted our application and could move in on Monday).  Cole and Jane both broke out in fevers.  Stayed at a super nice hotel with an indoor pool.  Sad, sick Cole sat in the hot tub in the same spot, staring off into space while the girls swam around (didn't want to miss the fun of the pool) :)

Day 7 - Stayed at Rob and Becks SUPER cute house, let the kids play and let our kids got over their fear of dogs playing with Gus.  Such a nice break.

Day 8 - Made the long...long drive to Austin (I swear that last bit of the drive doubles in length).  Jane threw up and Cole was green in the face right before we left (but didn't throw up once in the car...little miracle).  Mike and Rob got there before us just missing the scheduled meet time to get the keys and had to wait another 2 hours before unloading the ENTIRE truck by themselves.  Man, we owe Rob.  Our house may have the tinest "I can fit a trampoline, BBQ and that's about it" backyard, but man I love this house!

Day 9 - Unpacking and Not Stressing

Day 10 - All that other yucky, tedious stuff you do to get your kids to school and utilities set up that you don't want to hear about.

I never thought I could feel so at home in a house I'd never set foot in.  This is so the right place for our family.

When you coming to visit???

Scriptures with Macy

Since Macy can't read yet, at scripture time we tell her the words to the scripture and she repeats it back.  She fumbles up the words...often.  Here's my latest favorite:

Mike: "Wherefore having this perfect knowledge..."

Macy:  "Where four numbing this perfect college..."

Wanna brush MY hair?

Macy and Jane were brushing my hair last night.  Jane gets oddly excited, squealing and running back and forth from the bathroom with brushes and combs (she smacks me over the head with them more than she brushes).

Mike was watching all this happen and shouted out to Jane as she ran back into the room, "Wanna brush Dad's hair?"  She stopped, stared at Mike and cocked her head to the side with a puzzled look.  "All gone."

She didn't understand the eruption of laughter.  Once we had finished laughing she attempted to brush Mike's bare scalp, until the puzzled look came back and she ended with another "All gone."