The Christmas Spirit

My sister tuned me into this a few days ago and I finally sat down for three minutes and watched it with my little ones this morning. It's a simple youtube video from lds.org that reminded me what a spiritual time of year this can be.

The Christmas Spirit

Our Life...

In Pictures.

These six little cousins spent a perfect day at the beach in Galveston. They still had energy to play hard at the hotel (though my sister and I were both pretty beat).

Camping on the beach is amazing and a great perk of living along the Gulf Coast.
Thanks Petty's for inviting us along.

Belle and "woof woof" showing you their version of a scary face.

Grandma Nae Nae came to visit (really to babysit the children)and so a trip to the aquarium was in order. Sierra loved riding the shark train.

Ahhh paradise! We are smiling only because this was after Hurricane Ida made us all very familiar with sea sickness. The Svetz were wonderful to vacation with.

A beautiful beach in Cozumel that I could have spent the entire day at. Instead I spent the majority of it asleep in the back of a taxi with the flu.

Feeling better and zip lining in Jamaica.

Playing Tarzan in Jamaica.

The pictures of Grand Cayman are on the water camera. Unfortunately due to all the storms, there wasn't time to scuba dive so we ended up snorkeling along the shore- still amazing and a place we definitely want to return to.

After nearly nine years it's wonderful to spend a week alone with the one you love.

Happy Thankgsiving!!

Full Hearts

Our lives are brimming with happiness and wonderful things. There just seems to be abundant blessings pouring from the heavens to fill our hearts and home. Peace has been the biggest blessing of late- that simple contentedness that so often eludes us. Another is Holy Places where the spirit of the Lord can touch our hearts. I am so grateful for a kind and merciful Father in Heaven that I know has absolute knowledge of me. I am truly a child of God!

Craig starts a new job tomorrow! He will be a finance manager for an oil servicing company here in Houston. He is sooo excited for this position as it's one he's looked forward to for many years. I'm excited that there is practically zero travel. The job is on the other side of town so we are looking for a place to call home closer to his work. Hopefully soon I can post that we have a home of our own.

Sierra started going to preschool. She goes Friday mornings for an hour and a half with two other little girls. They rotate homes, so once a month I get to teach the little darlings. I still do preschool with her everyday at home and love the opportunity to incorporate gospel teaching into the curriculum. I love that part of my "job" and am considering starting a preschool once we have a place of our own.

Gideon just turned two! What a happy boy he was blowing out his candles and opening up presents. I love this age of discovery and excitement over everything. The emotions are so pure- two years old is one of my favorite ages! Though his cognitive and motor skills are at 30 months, his speech is just at 12 months, so he starts speech therapy next week. He tries so hard to speak but it just isn't working for him.

I am getting so anxious for the fall weather and the upcoming holidays. I love that feeling of change in the air when you can begin to anticipate wonderful things coming your way.

Good Friends

I've kind of taken a summer time break from the blogging world and just now read through blogs I haven't read in a long time. There are so many wonderful things going on all over the world! What a great reminder to me of how blessed I have been throughout my life to be surrounded by inspiring people who are doing such amazing things with their lives. The Lord has blessed my abundantly with friends in the right places at the right times. I want to be like all of you!

Craig has been traveling all month and is finally home for a few weeks. Yeah!! During this time, we've really come to appreciate the time we do get to spend together as a family. I've become even more grateful for the support of friends and family that has gotten me through some long days. With him home I can start running again in the morning. I decided that I can't push a 50 pound stroller and 60 pounds worth of kids when it's 100 degrees. I can do one or the other but not both.

Craig aka the family barber cut the children's hair. It was Sierra's first hair cut and I admit I was a bit anxious over losing her baby hair. It was scraggly and she disliked anything but a headband in her hair, so it was time. It's adorable now and so much easier to comb. Gideon also got his hair cut- rather buzzed. He now looks like a big boy. Now if we could just get him to talk like a big boy. I've started teaching him a lot of sign language, which is helping lower our frustration levels. Any advice on how to deal with temper tantrums would be greatly appreciated. I stop counting how many he has if it's over a dozen and we haven't even had lunch. Thankfully, he makes us laugh just as much. Families are just like that- quite a challenge but oh so wonderful and something you wouldn't trade for the world.

Here are pictures of the children with their new hair cuts.

Oh What Do You Do In The Summertime

Here's what we do in the summertime...

Search for flitty floating butterflies at the butterfly garden.

Watch plays and listen to concerts at the outdoor theater.

Turn our cream leather couch into a canvas with an ink pen- oh no, that's not really what you should do, but it happens and it does come off .

Make sure the goats at the petting zoo are well groomed.

Throw Princess Parties! We spent our preschool time one week learning about fairy tales and the associated brave knights and pretty princesses. It was fitting to cap it off with a royal ball.

Visit local community helpers. The kids were both very hesitant with the fire station visit, though I found it fascinating. (Yes, my hair seems to match the fire truck. Another thing you shouldn't do in the summertime is go crazy with hair dye, semi-permanent or not.)

Have a family 4th! We hosted a 4th of July party with my sister and her four children and my cousin and her five children (yes that makes 11 children when you add my two). It was crazy and fun and unforgettable.

Splash in whatever water you can.

Enjoy the beautiful flowers in full bloom.

Spend an afternoon at a museum. This is the Museum of Health Science and their 4D movie about cells.

Play at parks...but only at 8am.

As you can see, we are having a wonderful summer as we attempt to make the most of this sweltering time of year. We hope you are also enjoying the joys that come during this season.

Heavenly Homes

Well we just signed a six month lease extension for this tiny apartment. If it weren't for the guidance of a loving Heavenly Father reassuring me this is the best thing for our family right now, I'd lose my mind thinking about staying here longer. I'm often frustrated over the lack of space for our stuff and especially that the children really have no place to play. Last weekend, Craig and I went through all our closets yet again to organize and attempt to create a semblance of order. Because of our small space and my desire to make the best of it, I've been intrigued with the idea of creating a haven in my home. A little piece of heaven to retreat to. As I've pondered and prayed about this desire, ideas that really work have come to my mind. Slowly but surely we are building our eternal home albeit a small one.

"Actually, a home is much more than a house. A house may be constructed of lumber, brick, and stone. A home is made of love, sacrifice, and respect. A house can be a home, and a home can be a heaven when it shelters a family." Thomas S. Monson

Highlights

Since it's been so long since I've updated this blog, I figured I better just stick with a few recent highlights:

Craig: He turned 30 on Sunday! We celebrated at my sisters house in Corpus Christi with my nine day old nephew! At work he just moved out of finance to program management. It's a great opportunity for him however, the travel involved isn't much fun for me. He's been gone all week and wouldn't you know the battery on the truck died so I've been somewhat stranded at home counting down to Thursday night when he gets home. Thankfully he called our home teacher who came and fixed the problem tonight. Yeah! Now I don't have to do my grocery shopping with the stroller.

Craig's feeling's about turning 30

Gideon: Finally said his first word! It was "hi" as he held a play phone to his ear. I'm pretty sure he also said "dog" the other day too. Though his speech is delayed he still manages to communicate through gestures and grunts. I can hardly wait until he calls me mama. He is at a delightful stage where everything is funny and his giggles are heard most of the day. I love this boy!

He loved his first ice cream cone

Sierra: Is our little chatterbox that talk about anything and has a question about everything. She is fascinated with becoming an astronaut and wants to go live on the moon with her daddy (mommy's and little brothers have to stay on earth). She is very empathetic and covers you with band aids for any and all wounds. She seriously makes me laugh out loud every single day.

Sierra loved playing at the beach and searching for seashells and starfish

Me: I put six weeks of training to the test and ran a leg in a marathon relay in Corpus Christi. I ended up running the leg that went up and over a huge bridge. I really enjoyed the experience (especially the finish line) and am so grateful to my wonderful husband for supporting me especially on those long runs Saturday morning. This was hard for me but I just couldn't help but feel grateful for a strong, capable body. What a blessing!!

This is the end of the race and I had just spotted Craig and the kids

Run!

I've officially caught the running bug. First, Craig got me a jogging stroller, then I bought real running shoes and this week I signed up to run a race. I'll be running a marathon relay with five other women in Corpus Christi. I haven't done anything like this before and I'm nervous but very excited. It's in just six weeks so I've got lots of running to do between now and then- yeah!


Here are four cute cousins in Nevada testing out the stroller for the first time.

Called to Serve

My parents have been called on a mission to Guadalajara, Mexico working with the Perpetual Education Fund and the Church Educational System. They've sent eight of us kids on missions so finally it is their turn to spend their days serving the Lord. We will miss them terribly but I know what they will be doing will bless so many lives. This deserved a grand farewell fiesta so my children and I flew to Sparks, Nevada. Seven of my eight siblings were able to come join the festivities and with Craig's family living just a few miles away, we were surrounded by lots of family. What a wonderful feeling! We played and played and were completely worn out after two weeks. Craig came and spent a long weekend with us and we were actually able to get away for a night together (thanks Grandma). It's amazing how rejuvenating it is to leave behind mothering and housewife task for even just a day. Now we are back to the regular routine with the bonus of a fantastic jogging stroller that allows me to run each day even if I don't make it to the gym at 6am. Sierra and her cousin spent hours jumping on the trampoline.

One of Craig's favorite things to do at his parents home is to ride ATV's around their property. Even though it was freezing, the kids seemed to enjoy it too.

My parents and most of my siblings (one sister wasn't able to come as she's due to have a baby soon and another brother was there but was napping with his son and missed the picture)

Gideon was mesmerized by the snowfall!

Gideon's first hair cut by his Grandpa

Healthy Ideas??

I recently got a huge wake up call from my doctor and as a result I must exercise every day and eat as healthy as possible. So I need some help from all you healthy cooks and diligent exercisers out there. Do you have any great recipes or tips on how to get in a work-out everyday? These two darling little ones need me to be a healthy mom. Thanks!!

Timeless

Being three seems to be the same regardless of the decade.

My Favorite Things

Move over Oprah- here are some of my favorite things:

Craig got me these awesome storage containers for Christmas. They are air-tight, stackable and I love being able to see how much food I have.

These are microfiber cleaning cloths that allow me to use very little cleaning products. My fixtures are shiny and my mirrors are streak free (at least for a minute). I got them at Target. They were a little pricey by my standards but are well worth it.Sneaky Chef cookbooks. Since my husband and daughter's only vegetable consumption is that found in pasta sauce, this idea works well for us. I sneak in the veggies and they eat the food and I feel great about them eating a little healthier.

Teach Me Mommy is a fantastic preschool curriculum for moms like me who want to do preschool at home with their little ones. It's simple, fun and doesn't require too much prep, yet it's effective. I've done it with Sierra for two weeks now and so far we both love it and look forward to preschool.

Wow! It's pretty obvious I'm a stay at home mom from my list. On another note, last week was a big week for us: Gideon gave up the bottle for good, Sierra gave her beloved binky to a pink bear at Build-A-Bear (it worked great!), Gideon is transitioning from two naps to one and Sierra is deciding she just may be done with naps all together. Craig went back to work after a long glorious holiday at home and Sierra started Sunbeams at church. After a holiday hiatus I started running again and Craig just got called to be the Executive Secretary at church. Whew it's been busy!