Our Avid Reader

Grace has always loved books, but now that she can read by herself, she does it everywhere! So, last night while I was busy finishing up some things, I had Grace read her brother a story before bed.
I am so amazed at how quickly she is picking up reading. There are very few words that she can't sound out and figure out the correct pronunciation of. And most importantly - she loves to do it!

Fallen Prince

I was busy in the kitchen the other day (what's new??), when David told me to go look at my son. He has taken up lying on the floor and watching television, and that day was no different - when we got home from school the kids popped in a movie while I made them a snack of popcorn. Sometime during the movie he decided to dress up as a prince and had been running around in his cape that my mom made him for Christmas (it doubles as being a super hero cape or a prince cape, whatever he happens to be at the moment), and apparently decided to take a break...

I guess he and his horse were slain when he was fighting that evil dragon!

He's so precious when he's sleeping!

El Paso

As most of you know, we ventured back to El Paso on January 5th for David's back surgery. He is recovering nicely - still having some pain, but he says it is a different pain than what he was having prior to surgery. He'll be home for the next 5 weeks, and then should begin the clearing process after his convalescent leave.

The kids snuggling with their daddy after he got home from the hospital.

While in El Paso, we stayed with some very good family friends, in a house that I have stayed in many times over the 30 years we have known each other. It made it a lot easier on us being in a place that feels like home to us. We went the day before David's surgery so the kids could get reacquainted with "Nana" and "Grandaddy" since they would be staying with them while I was up at the hospital with David. We had originally planned to leave Grace behind with a friend so she wouldn't miss any school, but David decided that he wanted her to come with us. It turned out to be a good idea, because I don't think she really grasped how long we were going to be gone, and I don't know how Tristan would have done without his sister for 5 days.

Playing soccer with "Nana" and "Grandaddy" in the backyard

David up and about just 3 days after surgery

Mommy trying to teach Grace and Tristan how to hula hoop - what a hoot!

Now he shakes his hips at home and says "This is how you hula hoop."

The Fort

While I was getting all the Christmas decorations put away (or at least trying to), the kids decided to build a fort under the kitchen table, and then they convinced their father to crawl under there with them.

They grabbed everything they could possibly find, and placed it around the kitchen table

Believe it or not, David crawled through this little hole!

They had a great time under there and weren't too happy when I made them put all their things away.

Sam I Am

Grace received a cookbook for Christmas, so she got up one morning and made us Green Eggs and Ham.

After a little instruction, she finished chopping the ham...
...cracked the eggs...

...whipped them...

...and cooked them up.

Tasting her creation

Showing off the first meal she cooked by herself.

Since that time, she has helped me in the kitchen quite a bit, and even made us beef stroganoff for supper the other night. Up next on the menu: monkey bread for breakfast, and beef stew with vegetables for supper. We are so excited that she has inherited our love for cooking! If it continues this way, we're going to need a REALLY big kitchen...

Happy New Year

We just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a Happy New Year and wish you the best for 2010. We know that we have a lot to look forward to this year:

• We will start the year with a new disk for David's back. He is having disk replacement surgery on January 6th. Those of you who are praying people, we would very much appreciate prayers for the surgeon's steady hand, a successful surgery, and a speedy recovery. God says to be specific in our prayers, so there you have it! Prayers for Grace are in order too as she is staying behind with a good friend of ours so she is able to go to school and not disrupt her routine too much.
• We have found out that we will be accompanying David to Korea, although we still don't know when. David's current report date is in February, but with his surgery, we anticipate it being pushed back to sometime in March. David will request that the kids and I get deferred travel, allowing us to finish up the school year here.
• All the new adventures and experiences that await us in Asia.
• All the new friends we will make in our new home.
• Finding out what God has planned for us.

While David slept (he had had a rather bad day with his back), the kids and I rang in the New Year watching Snow White (and ironing). I wasn't sure they'd make it until midnight, so I popped in a movie, and timed it just right - it ended just about 5 minutes before the ball dropped. So, for the first time, the kids were able to stay awake and ring in the New Year - and give their momma kisses!

A Fun End to 2009

While the Grandmothers were still here, we took them up Mt. Lemmon in Tucson for a little sledding. They both said that they believed that there was snow up there - somewhere - but only because we told them there was snow on that mountain. It is truly odd to start off in the desert where it's 60+ degrees and go up a few thousand feet to 40 degrees and snow.

We went to the same spot we did last year
That's a tree behind Grace and Grandma Judi - it cut off about half of our sledding slope, but it made for a great hill for the kids.
Grace was first to go - she is showing no fear towards a lot of things lately.

Tristan didn't have a problem going down by himself either

It looked like so much fun that Grandma decided to make a go of it too

The big hill last year was a little more exciting, but this hill didn't make my heart pound every time I looked down to the bottom

David found a steeper slope to try

Tristan eventually got bored with sledding and decided it would be more fun to play in the trees

Grace wanted Grandma to go down next to her. But as she was getting on the sled it got away from her...

...and she ended up wiping out - all with a smile and a lot of laughter though!

Tristan was such a gentleman when one of the girl's sleds got away from them. He started running down the hill to catch it and towed it back up to her.

Despite her wipe out, she was a trooper and took Tristan down again.

Grace and Daddy returning from the big hill - I don't know how far it went or how steep it was because they disappeared from sight pretty quickly!

We all had a great time and enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate when we got back to Tucson.

Boys and Their Toys

My boys seemed to get a lot of toys for Christmas this year... Reasonable for a 3 year old, but a 36 year old??

David received an RC Shinook helicopter that he's tearing my walls up with as he's learning to fly it...

and a slot car track.
Tristan got a Mac truck that shoots Lightning McQueen out the back.

and the kids got this board that you can play about 6 different games on

they just happened to be playing soccer.

I'm still wondering how I got a cookbook and a deep fryer...

Our Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas! Both of our mothers were here to share it with us and the kids really enjoyed having all that attention paid to them! David and I told ourselves that we wouldn't go overboard this year... And I think we did pretty well. We stuck to a budget and still managed to get the main things the kids asked for. The reason this pile looks so big is because their grandparents think that they need more stuff...

I think he likes his new Mater truck

I have no idea why these two are so serious

A Lightening McQueen puzzle!

My mom made them matching shirts,
Tristan a super hero cape,and Grace a princess jogging suit (and several other items not pictured - I'm doomed if she really does give up sewing!)

David also learned to be careful what you wish for... When my mom was here in October, she made Grace some nightgowns and David said that he wished he had a pair of purple pajama pants just like her nightgown... and he got them for Christmas!

Grandma Judi got them these cool towels

Guess who made breakfast the next day?

Gotta love gifts wrapped in ammo boxes!

My little handy man - he now has his very own workbench

A castle for all her little princess dolls.

We lost power at about 1:30 in the afternoon and it didn't come back on until 9:00 that night. Thank goodness we had planned for David to do the meat on the grill! We did have to improvise a little bit and did the sweet potatoes on the grill too. Since we have a gas stove, I was able to cook the green beans on it, but had to do it by candle light and using a headlamp...

Having all those candles on the table made it a little difficult to find much room for food! But it definitely made for a Christmas to remember...