January 30, 2013
Si, Sette Bambini!
Our family had fun preparing this baby announcement video that we finally "leaked" this week to make the news of our pregnancy public. I realized a few days before Christmas that I was, in fact, pregnant, but Ted and I decided to keep it under wraps for awhile so we could get our brains around the fact that Numero Sette will be joining us in August 2013! Since both of my miscarriages happened early (8.5 and 7 weeks), we thought we'd wait at least that long before saying anything to anyone.
We emailed the announcement link to our close family members first; once we received replies from the grandmas, we posted the video link on Facebook, knowing the word was going to get out sooner than we may have thought anyway--the kids were anxious to tell all their friends in their classes that go on during my Tuesday morning Bible study, so of course moms and teachers and all kinds of people ended up hearing, LOL!
I am officially at 11 weeks today. I had the appointment to fill out my paperwork at the medical center yesterday, and God was so gracious--while I was there, a slot opened up for me to just slip right in and get that initial exam taken care of. Woohoo! Since I was already on base for Bible study, and since I had already made arrangements for all the kids to stay at the playground playing with homeschool buddies while I took Zaden with me, it was a no-brainer to just get 'er done. They do an ultrasound at that first exam, so we confirmed that there is UNO bambino (whew) and that her/his heart is beating just fine. The measurement was right at what my expected due date is, August 21. And we got the lab work taken care of, too. So I won't need to go in for another appointment until the first week or so in March. The doctor was nice but will be moving this summer. There are no midwife positions available here--not surprising, I guess. But as I've only had one midwife delivery, I'm not terribly particular, as long as they let me do what I want in the delivery room! And I'm already praying I make it TO the delivery room...I don't have extremely fast deliveries, but we do live nearly a half-hour's drive from base, and since my body likes to contract early and often, sometimes it can be hard to tell just when it's time to make that drive!
Currently things are going fine. I was (and sometimes still am) very, very exhausted initially, so the timing worked out that Ted was off work for nearly two weeks over the holidays, allowing me to nap an exorbitant number of times! I've struggled a bit with "evening sickness," but nothing too awful. Salty carbs help...though they aren't helping my figure. :-/ My uterus is apparently having a grand old party, realizing that it no longer needs to squeeze into normal-fitting pants. I think I even heard it shouting, "Woohoo! Let's go out and see the world!" I look about like I did when I was 5-6 months pregnant with Charis. Sigh. The joys of multiple births...and getting older...I suppose...I'm not in maternity clothes yet, but I will be shopping for some at the monthly bag sale at the SS thrift store (fill a bag for $5). I've secretly been eyeing the selection and have noted that there is usually a pretty good stash. Also, a local friend who is due within a few weeks is willing to loan me some of hers, as she has a good summer selection from previous pregnancies.
The children are absolutely ecstatic. We told them Sunday night by passing out the signs that you see in the video--we gave each one "their" number (Ted had Zaden's, since he was in bed), asked them to read it out loud, and then I stood with "sette" (7) in front of my belly. At first they wanted to keep counting, thinking we were doing some kind of Italian counting game. But I kept saying "sette" and holding it more obviously by my belly. Charis caught on first, and a look of pure joy came over her face as she rushed to hug me, exclaiming, "Really?!?!" Arden was next, I think, and I wish I had a video of his expression! Priceless! His eyes and his mouth just kept getting bigger and bigger!
You can read Charis's thoughts on all of this on her blog. Now that I'm nearly finished with the first trimester, reality is starting to sink in...do we want to keep the Suburban and use every single seat in it? Or look for something more van-ish? The Suburban is completely paid for, so that's kind of a big decision. We have no closet for the baby to sleep in, LOL, but our room is pretty, well, roomy, and we can put the playpen/bassinet in with us initially. Charis is determined to share her room, which actually isn't a bad idea, since it's just across from ours, and she is already set on being Mama's Baby Helper. (On a side note...HOW is it possible that my firstborn will turn 13 two months after this little one arrives?!)
I guess that's it for now! I'm sure we'll be getting the question, "Was this baby planned?!" just as we always do, and the answer is the same now as it always is: "Yes, God plans each and every child, and we welcome whoever He sends us!"
(Of course, the other question is always, "Haven't you figured out what causes that yet?!" And THAT answer is the same, too: "Why, yes, and we certainly enjoy it!")
January 20, 2013
Zaden Update
It's time for a general update so that I can get past my feelings of being too far behind and once again start posting more regularly! My apologies to the grandparents, but I don't have any pictures to share right now; I'm typing on Ted's laptop, as mine needs repair. (There is something wrong inside the place where the charger goes--it isn't recognizing the charger. The battery was down to around 40%, so I rescued what I needed for the immediate future and shut everything down.)
In no particular order...actually, I think I'll break this down into separate posts! This one will spotlight Baby Zaden, as Lucan will probably call him for at least a few more years:
ZADEN
Our "baby" isn't such a baby anymore! At nearly 17 months old, he FINALLY has taken some steps on his own within the last week! He has been perfectly capable of walking by himself for awhile now, but he simply was not inclined to do so. It was almost a game to him...he would slowly rise from a squatting position so that he was standing by himself, clap and grin while we cheered for him and urged him to walk toward us, and then plop right back down on his knees and scoot over to us as fast as he could. Stinker! Man, that little guy can move FAST on his knees! He still is not walking consistently, but that should change pretty quickly now that he realizes he can do it. Here's a very brief video of him toddling around our room.
To further identify himself as a "big boy," he has given up nursing. He was doing so every morning probably up through Christmas, and gradually the sessions just got shorter and shorter, then sometimes every other day, until at one point I realized it had been a few days...and decided we were both ready to move on. I'm so thankful that we made it 16 months! Who would have thought we would have even gone that long given the struggles we had in the beginning!
Zaden still sucks his thumb and twirls his hair, especially when he is tired, which has endeared him to everyone he meets. He is a great little sleeper and is transitioning from two naps a day to one longer afternoon nap, which has been helpful as we move to a more structured school schedule now that we're settled in our home. He adores all of his older siblings--even Lucan now, who has decided that maybe Zaden isn't quite such a pest after all. He lights up when someone plays silly games with him and is on his way to being the center of entertainment wherever he goes.
Some of Zaden's favorite things: "Mr. Chubb-Chubb," the fat gray cat who hangs around our house for no apparent reason other than the fact that the kids seem to adore him. Zaden exclaims when he sees the gray furball outside the windows, and if he can pat him, all the better. He loves Daddy's homecoming times at lunch and dinner, melting Daddy's heart as he scurries down the stairs or across the tile to meet him at the door! A favorite food right now is a clementine from Alfredo's fruit stand--I do believe that boy could eat the whole lot every time we bring home a new bunch. (Bananas are so two months ago.) Any kind of pizza is hailed with delight, as is pretty much anything Mom or Dad happens to be eating. Grits and couscous are yummy but terribly messy, and let's just not mention what happens when the boy has refried beans or Texas stew.
Zaden isn't yet talking, although he does a good imitation of a cat sound (probably because of his affinity for Mr. Chubb-Chubb) as well as something that sounds reasonably like "hi," and a definite "mama." He signs clearly for "more," "milk," "food," "eat," and "all done," with an accompanying "please." Actually, he gave us some creative communication in the commissary today after church, when he was CLEARLY ready to be OUT of the cart, telling us, "all done, please!"
His left cheek has a darling dimple that thrills my soul...I don't know where in the gene pool that came from, but I'm so grateful that it surfaced! (Lucan has a less-pronounced dimple in the same cheek, so I assume they stopped by the same dimple counter on their way out!) His eyes still invite comments from strangers, although he seems to have grown into them a bit more. His thumbs both have blisters on them from sucking them, sigh. He has I don't know how many teeth, but probably at least 7-8. I have no idea how big he is; we never made it in for his 12-month check-up, and at this point I'm just inclined to wait for the 18-month point, which he'll reach Feb. 24. But he's a happy, healthy kiddo, giving us no cause for concern, other than the typical toddler propensity for ramming his noggin into, oh, walls, for example.
We are so grateful God knew better than we and sent us Zaden Ezekiel 3 months into that year-long deployment!
In no particular order...actually, I think I'll break this down into separate posts! This one will spotlight Baby Zaden, as Lucan will probably call him for at least a few more years:
ZADEN
Our "baby" isn't such a baby anymore! At nearly 17 months old, he FINALLY has taken some steps on his own within the last week! He has been perfectly capable of walking by himself for awhile now, but he simply was not inclined to do so. It was almost a game to him...he would slowly rise from a squatting position so that he was standing by himself, clap and grin while we cheered for him and urged him to walk toward us, and then plop right back down on his knees and scoot over to us as fast as he could. Stinker! Man, that little guy can move FAST on his knees! He still is not walking consistently, but that should change pretty quickly now that he realizes he can do it. Here's a very brief video of him toddling around our room.
To further identify himself as a "big boy," he has given up nursing. He was doing so every morning probably up through Christmas, and gradually the sessions just got shorter and shorter, then sometimes every other day, until at one point I realized it had been a few days...and decided we were both ready to move on. I'm so thankful that we made it 16 months! Who would have thought we would have even gone that long given the struggles we had in the beginning!
Zaden still sucks his thumb and twirls his hair, especially when he is tired, which has endeared him to everyone he meets. He is a great little sleeper and is transitioning from two naps a day to one longer afternoon nap, which has been helpful as we move to a more structured school schedule now that we're settled in our home. He adores all of his older siblings--even Lucan now, who has decided that maybe Zaden isn't quite such a pest after all. He lights up when someone plays silly games with him and is on his way to being the center of entertainment wherever he goes.
Some of Zaden's favorite things: "Mr. Chubb-Chubb," the fat gray cat who hangs around our house for no apparent reason other than the fact that the kids seem to adore him. Zaden exclaims when he sees the gray furball outside the windows, and if he can pat him, all the better. He loves Daddy's homecoming times at lunch and dinner, melting Daddy's heart as he scurries down the stairs or across the tile to meet him at the door! A favorite food right now is a clementine from Alfredo's fruit stand--I do believe that boy could eat the whole lot every time we bring home a new bunch. (Bananas are so two months ago.) Any kind of pizza is hailed with delight, as is pretty much anything Mom or Dad happens to be eating. Grits and couscous are yummy but terribly messy, and let's just not mention what happens when the boy has refried beans or Texas stew.
Zaden isn't yet talking, although he does a good imitation of a cat sound (probably because of his affinity for Mr. Chubb-Chubb) as well as something that sounds reasonably like "hi," and a definite "mama." He signs clearly for "more," "milk," "food," "eat," and "all done," with an accompanying "please." Actually, he gave us some creative communication in the commissary today after church, when he was CLEARLY ready to be OUT of the cart, telling us, "all done, please!"
His left cheek has a darling dimple that thrills my soul...I don't know where in the gene pool that came from, but I'm so grateful that it surfaced! (Lucan has a less-pronounced dimple in the same cheek, so I assume they stopped by the same dimple counter on their way out!) His eyes still invite comments from strangers, although he seems to have grown into them a bit more. His thumbs both have blisters on them from sucking them, sigh. He has I don't know how many teeth, but probably at least 7-8. I have no idea how big he is; we never made it in for his 12-month check-up, and at this point I'm just inclined to wait for the 18-month point, which he'll reach Feb. 24. But he's a happy, healthy kiddo, giving us no cause for concern, other than the typical toddler propensity for ramming his noggin into, oh, walls, for example.
We are so grateful God knew better than we and sent us Zaden Ezekiel 3 months into that year-long deployment!
January 08, 2013
Ercolano Scavi
Our last day trip of the holiday was to the ruins of Herculaneum, or Ercolano Scavi, as the Italians call it. The site is only about 45 minutes from our house and well worth the drive and the entry fees! We haven't yet seen Pompeii, but we chose to explore Ercolano first, having heard that the ruins are actually better preserved and more contained, therefore easier to do in a shorter amount of time. With 6 kids to keep happy, we figured this would be the better choice!
Herculaneum was a resort for wealthy Romans before it was buried in the eruption from Mt. Vesuvius. Digs began in 1738, and work continues even now. The dynamics of the city's burial led to amazing preservation, providing organic artifacts (including plants, fabrics, furniture, even a loaf of bread!) as well as upper floors of buildings.
We explored nearly every part of the city that is estimated to have been home to about 4,000 people. There were some items of interest that weren't open for viewing, possibly because of the time of year. At any rate, we'd definitely go back sometime to explore more!
Overall, everyone gave the trip two thumbs up! The weather was so beautiful--sunny and not too cold. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the grounds and then walked to the museum, which has digital and virtual displays allowing you to see and experience what the area looked like before the disaster happened. It was also worthwhile (although we did hurry the children past the hall describing brothels of the time!).
Herculaneum was a resort for wealthy Romans before it was buried in the eruption from Mt. Vesuvius. Digs began in 1738, and work continues even now. The dynamics of the city's burial led to amazing preservation, providing organic artifacts (including plants, fabrics, furniture, even a loaf of bread!) as well as upper floors of buildings.
We explored nearly every part of the city that is estimated to have been home to about 4,000 people. There were some items of interest that weren't open for viewing, possibly because of the time of year. At any rate, we'd definitely go back sometime to explore more!
Overall, everyone gave the trip two thumbs up! The weather was so beautiful--sunny and not too cold. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the grounds and then walked to the museum, which has digital and virtual displays allowing you to see and experience what the area looked like before the disaster happened. It was also worthwhile (although we did hurry the children past the hall describing brothels of the time!).
January 07, 2013
Overheard
One of my (very innocent) children, while playing Clue yesterday:
"Colonel Mustard did it in the library with a wench."
"Colonel Mustard did it in the library with a wench."
December 31, 2012
Sailing to Procida
Sunday after church we had yet another adventure! Thanks to some friends from church, we were able to get hooked up with a group who were going to the Island of Procida. We met at the Support Site and boarded a small bus--hindsight made us realize we should have followed the bus, as we drove right past our exit, but oh, well!
Anyway, we boarded sailboats and sailed to the island, maybe a 20-30 minute ride? I stayed in the bottom with the little guys while the older kids and Ted rode up top with the others. It was quite chilly and breezy, but of course they loved the adventure!
The island is beautiful. The colorful buildings are so typical of the area. While in some respects we were reminded of Capri, there were some differences: lots more sailboats where we docked, for one thing! It's not as obvious of a tourist destination either. But walking through the streets had a similar feel.
The movie The Talented Mr. Ripley (or something like that) was filmed in large part on the island. We walked to the top of the highest hill, where there is a monastery and a former jail (which somehow reminded me a bit of Alcatraz) that apparently housed Nazis during the war! Great overlook--we enjoyed the view for quite awhile before heading back down.
Then we sailed back to the mainland, to the city of Monte di Procida, where we warmed up in Stappo, a restaurant, with some appetizers and wine--we even were greeted and toasted by the mayor! (Click here to see a video done by the local web channel! You can see our kids on the sailboat at about 1:45 and a shot of Zaden and me in Stappo about a minute later. About halfway through you can hear the mayor's address, which was translated for us, so you can hear some of what we heard!) We were given a lovely gift--a hardback book with photos of an area "Art Explosion" from 2011.
Then we went to a street festival, where we were treated to zeppolini (fried dough balls with bits of seaweed in them--YUM!), pasta, and soup (they were raising funds for a child who had been in an accident and so gave the food away for donations), and wonderful music from this band pictured below. We were especially fascinated by the drum/tambourine (or, as Tobin dubbed it, the "drumbourine!") and its player, who was most enthusiastic!
The music was incredible, and the people of Monte di Procida are so very warm and welcoming and friendly. Oh, how I wish I could speak fluent Italian!! The girls and I visited the few crafty booths, and I bought earrings for Charis and bracelets for Kenna and myself.
We boarded the bus feeling very happy, full, and tired! We waved to our house when we passed the exit, drove an additional 30 minutes to the Support Site, then packed everyone up and drove back home, where we promptly crashed. Thank goodness we had the sense not to plan anything for today!
We have been so blessed with amazing sightseeing opportunities and are thankful for the new friends we are making here in Napoli!
Anyway, we boarded sailboats and sailed to the island, maybe a 20-30 minute ride? I stayed in the bottom with the little guys while the older kids and Ted rode up top with the others. It was quite chilly and breezy, but of course they loved the adventure!
The island is beautiful. The colorful buildings are so typical of the area. While in some respects we were reminded of Capri, there were some differences: lots more sailboats where we docked, for one thing! It's not as obvious of a tourist destination either. But walking through the streets had a similar feel.
The movie The Talented Mr. Ripley (or something like that) was filmed in large part on the island. We walked to the top of the highest hill, where there is a monastery and a former jail (which somehow reminded me a bit of Alcatraz) that apparently housed Nazis during the war! Great overlook--we enjoyed the view for quite awhile before heading back down.
Then we sailed back to the mainland, to the city of Monte di Procida, where we warmed up in Stappo, a restaurant, with some appetizers and wine--we even were greeted and toasted by the mayor! (Click here to see a video done by the local web channel! You can see our kids on the sailboat at about 1:45 and a shot of Zaden and me in Stappo about a minute later. About halfway through you can hear the mayor's address, which was translated for us, so you can hear some of what we heard!) We were given a lovely gift--a hardback book with photos of an area "Art Explosion" from 2011.
Then we went to a street festival, where we were treated to zeppolini (fried dough balls with bits of seaweed in them--YUM!), pasta, and soup (they were raising funds for a child who had been in an accident and so gave the food away for donations), and wonderful music from this band pictured below. We were especially fascinated by the drum/tambourine (or, as Tobin dubbed it, the "drumbourine!") and its player, who was most enthusiastic!
The music was incredible, and the people of Monte di Procida are so very warm and welcoming and friendly. Oh, how I wish I could speak fluent Italian!! The girls and I visited the few crafty booths, and I bought earrings for Charis and bracelets for Kenna and myself.
We boarded the bus feeling very happy, full, and tired! We waved to our house when we passed the exit, drove an additional 30 minutes to the Support Site, then packed everyone up and drove back home, where we promptly crashed. Thank goodness we had the sense not to plan anything for today!
We have been so blessed with amazing sightseeing opportunities and are thankful for the new friends we are making here in Napoli!
Lucan Funnies
Kenna: Lucan, let's play Princess and Knight!
Lucan: No, let's play Kenna and Lucan.
*****
Lucan: Daddy, you're my daddy and I'm your Lucan!
Mama: Lucan, are you my Lucan, too?
Lucan: No! You can have Charis. Is that all right?
*****
Mama: I sure do love you, Mr. Lucan!
Lucan: I love YOU, Mr. Mommy!
Lucan: No, let's play Kenna and Lucan.
*****
Lucan: Daddy, you're my daddy and I'm your Lucan!
Mama: Lucan, are you my Lucan, too?
Lucan: No! You can have Charis. Is that all right?
*****
Mama: I sure do love you, Mr. Lucan!
Lucan: I love YOU, Mr. Mommy!
December 29, 2012
Mt. Vesuvio Adventure
We opted not to travel anywhere during this holiday season and instead take some day trips around the area. Today's adventure: hiking to the top of Mt. Vesuvio! (Yes, that would be the volcano we know as Vesuvius that erupted in 79 A.D. and destroyed Pompeii!)
First part of the adventure involved FINDING the right location. Our GPS initially took us to a different part of the mountain, where there was a road that clearly looked national park-ish (and indeed, we followed brown signs pointing the way to Vesuvio) but had multiple DO NOT ENTER (or the equivalent) signs at the entryway. So we wound our way back down and tried again after Ted did some map investigation, and before long we were winding our way up, up, up a much more promising road. There were unique and interesting sculptures along the way, plus signs that, to my semi-trained mind that has always been intrigued with word roots, indicated people were not to leave the beaten path in order to preserve the natural park area.
Sure enough, we eventually found ourselves at a parking area (2.50 euro to the attendant) and tumbled out, exclaiming over the chilly wind that greeted us. We hustled into the little building that boasted a "toilette" (0.50 euro per person to hover over an ice cold bowl) as well as postcards and panini. Since we hadn't actually started our driving adventure until 12:15, we decided ham and cheese panini were in order before making the hike. We downed the sandwiches as quickly as possible, realizing that the park was supposed to close 2 hours before sundown, which around here has been anywhere from 5-5:30.
Then we packed everyone up, paid the entrance fees, and started the climb, falsely advertised as "only 500 meters." Whatever! We rested at these little lookout areas.
I was very proud of Lucan, who was a trooper on the way up. The older boys were not so trooper-ish, and I could in fact say a lot more about their un-trooperish attitudes, but I will leave that to your imaginations and instead say that there was much encouragement and reminders and admonitions from Scripture about persevering, doing all things through Christ's strength, and not being filled with fear. (Poor Kenna and Lucan, we learned later, were terrified of falling off the mountain.) With that said, it WAS cold. It WAS windy. Terribly so. And it WAS a long, steep hike. (The picture below doesn't really give you a good perspective on how steep the grade was.)
With much relief we sighted a building at what we were sure was the top, and we used the visible goal to encourage everyone the rest of the way. It was indeed very close to the crater. Just a short ways past the tourist stand (where they were all sold out of hot chocolate, sigh) was an overlook where we could see down into the volcano. In fact, we could see steam/smoke coming out of part of the rocks! Amazing! (The second picture below shows the steam--can you see it?)
The steep part of the hike was over; the trail continued to the other side of the rim of the crater, which, had Ted and I been alone, we would have done in a heartbeat. As it was, we had two screaming little boys and older kids who were also more than ready to head back down the mountain, so that was that. One last picture to showcase the view, and then we were off.
If I thought the climb up was excruciating, it was nothing compared to hiking down with a screaming, frantic Lucan. I thought carrying him would help--I knew he was cold, and his nose was running like crazy. He stiffened up when I held him, though, pressing his feet into the front of my thighs instead of wrapping his legs around my hips. After awhile, I finally figured out that he did not WANT me to carry him; he was afraid of falling. Poor little guy! I held his hand firmly in mine, encouraging him as much as I could, but he still wept and wailed and shook all the way down to the parking lot. I had encouraged Ted and the other kids to just keep going, because poor little Zaden was so cold and was most unhappy. I don't know how long they ended up waiting for us, but by the time we got to the Suburban, Ted and Charis were back inside the little shop buying hot cocoa for everyone. Hooray! It was a nice way to end our excursion!
So, the good news is we now have that parking lot programmed into our GPS, so when we bring our visitors (hint, hint!), we'll know exactly where to go! And the drive will be closer to an hour than 90 minutes! And next time we'll be prepared for the winds. And we'll probably leave the little ones either at home or else exploring the parking lot with whoever doesn't want to make the hike!
First part of the adventure involved FINDING the right location. Our GPS initially took us to a different part of the mountain, where there was a road that clearly looked national park-ish (and indeed, we followed brown signs pointing the way to Vesuvio) but had multiple DO NOT ENTER (or the equivalent) signs at the entryway. So we wound our way back down and tried again after Ted did some map investigation, and before long we were winding our way up, up, up a much more promising road. There were unique and interesting sculptures along the way, plus signs that, to my semi-trained mind that has always been intrigued with word roots, indicated people were not to leave the beaten path in order to preserve the natural park area.
Sure enough, we eventually found ourselves at a parking area (2.50 euro to the attendant) and tumbled out, exclaiming over the chilly wind that greeted us. We hustled into the little building that boasted a "toilette" (0.50 euro per person to hover over an ice cold bowl) as well as postcards and panini. Since we hadn't actually started our driving adventure until 12:15, we decided ham and cheese panini were in order before making the hike. We downed the sandwiches as quickly as possible, realizing that the park was supposed to close 2 hours before sundown, which around here has been anywhere from 5-5:30.
Then we packed everyone up, paid the entrance fees, and started the climb, falsely advertised as "only 500 meters." Whatever! We rested at these little lookout areas.
I was very proud of Lucan, who was a trooper on the way up. The older boys were not so trooper-ish, and I could in fact say a lot more about their un-trooperish attitudes, but I will leave that to your imaginations and instead say that there was much encouragement and reminders and admonitions from Scripture about persevering, doing all things through Christ's strength, and not being filled with fear. (Poor Kenna and Lucan, we learned later, were terrified of falling off the mountain.) With that said, it WAS cold. It WAS windy. Terribly so. And it WAS a long, steep hike. (The picture below doesn't really give you a good perspective on how steep the grade was.)
With much relief we sighted a building at what we were sure was the top, and we used the visible goal to encourage everyone the rest of the way. It was indeed very close to the crater. Just a short ways past the tourist stand (where they were all sold out of hot chocolate, sigh) was an overlook where we could see down into the volcano. In fact, we could see steam/smoke coming out of part of the rocks! Amazing! (The second picture below shows the steam--can you see it?)
The steep part of the hike was over; the trail continued to the other side of the rim of the crater, which, had Ted and I been alone, we would have done in a heartbeat. As it was, we had two screaming little boys and older kids who were also more than ready to head back down the mountain, so that was that. One last picture to showcase the view, and then we were off.
If I thought the climb up was excruciating, it was nothing compared to hiking down with a screaming, frantic Lucan. I thought carrying him would help--I knew he was cold, and his nose was running like crazy. He stiffened up when I held him, though, pressing his feet into the front of my thighs instead of wrapping his legs around my hips. After awhile, I finally figured out that he did not WANT me to carry him; he was afraid of falling. Poor little guy! I held his hand firmly in mine, encouraging him as much as I could, but he still wept and wailed and shook all the way down to the parking lot. I had encouraged Ted and the other kids to just keep going, because poor little Zaden was so cold and was most unhappy. I don't know how long they ended up waiting for us, but by the time we got to the Suburban, Ted and Charis were back inside the little shop buying hot cocoa for everyone. Hooray! It was a nice way to end our excursion!
So, the good news is we now have that parking lot programmed into our GPS, so when we bring our visitors (hint, hint!), we'll know exactly where to go! And the drive will be closer to an hour than 90 minutes! And next time we'll be prepared for the winds. And we'll probably leave the little ones either at home or else exploring the parking lot with whoever doesn't want to make the hike!
December 28, 2012
Christmas 2012
Whew. I can't keep up with everyday life, let alone blogging about it! Here's my attempt at describing our festivities and celebration of Jesus's birthday...
Sunday, December 23
During the service at the base chapel our 4 older kids participated in the Christmas pageant, which was a short but sweet description of "Christmas in a Word," with Christmas being an acronym. Tobin and Arden were soldiers; Kenna was an angel; and Charis had a couple of narrations along with being one of the Marys. What's Christmas without an adorable, kid-filled pageant?!
Christmas Eve
Let's see...finished wrapping presents, prepped a bit of food, played games with the family, took a nap, went to the Christmas Eve service at the base chapel. During the service our family got to participate in a meaningful time of remembrance for those who were killed in the terrible tragedy in Connecticut. A man read the names of each victim, which were written on paper angel ornaments, and we hung them on the tree. There were several families who helped with this, and it was a sad and sober time as we prayed for the families and friends who have experienced loss and begged God for His tender mercies as He reveals His glory in the midst of all of this. (To read Charis's thoughts on the tragic events, please visit this blog entry.)
Ted and I took turns holding Zaden, as there was no nursery or child care for the evening. The kids did pretty well, but by the time we got to the end--the traditional "Silent Night" sung as we light candles--let's just say we were having a not-so-silent night in our pew! Zaden was done for the day, and Lucan was yowling after holding the candle a bit too close to his nose when he was huffing and puffing trying to blow the flame to make it dance. Sigh. Well, just keeping it real, folks! I'm sure it wasn't all that quiet the night Jesus was born! (I speak as a mother who has delivered naturally a couple of times, albeit minus the animal attendants.)
Ted herded children to bed once we arrived home while I sneaked over to a neighbor's house to pick up the beanbag chairs we had purchased for the kids. There is literally NO place in our house to hide something so massive (5 beanbag chairs take up a LOT of space, let me tell you!), so we kept them in the Suburban until the appropriate time Christmas morning.
Christmas Day
Our day began a BIT earlier than planned...the 3rd floor balcony door (the one with a broken latch) blew open at around 6:30 a.m., setting off our house alarm. Ted and I were sure it was the boys, waking early and throwing open the shutters! But they were bleary-eyed and indignant at having their sleep interrupted (not that that prevented them for being prepared to jump like maniacs through the house once they realized it was actually CHRISTMAS MORNING!).
We made the kids stay in bed (or at least in their rooms) until 7:00, so we were MOSTLY ready for them! We do stockings at our house first, then breakfast.
Breakfast consisted of sausage and eggs along with the most amazing cinnamon rolls I have ever eaten. When reading the instructions on the Pioneer Woman's blog, I was laughing out loud, so I figured this particular concoction was worth a try! We all agree it is a keeper of a recipe (although I did use about half the butter and half the sugar in the rolls themselves!). Lucan mowed through most of his stocking contents as part of breakfast, too. Even Zaden got in on some candy action, failing to remove the wrapper of a candy cane kiss before attacking it! Good thing it's hard to swallow foil...
Following breakfast clean-up, we read through the Advent Book and did our Advent Calendar. (New this year: an additional Advent Book so we don't have to fight over turning the pages and opening the doors!)
For the Advent Calendar, we shut the kids up in the kitchen so Ted could read the story with them while I frantically grabbed the beanbag chairs from the Suburban and brought them in. The big reveal happened next and was our segue into family gift-opening time!
I totally forgot to get a picture of our little Italian tree with the gifts under it! So here's a shot with it all naked underneath. We opted, as usual, for a real tree...yes, it was overpriced...yes, we should probably just purchase a fake, pre-lighted tree...but it smelled amazing and was our contribution to the Italian economy! What cracks me up is that you purchase them here with the big bucket containing the ball of roots! That worked just fine for us, as we didn't have any of Ted's tools for slicing the bottom of the trunk neatly to fit into a more traditional tree stand. So we just left it in the bucket! You'll notice it's a little sparse; we left all our ornaments in storage, figuring we could make and/or buy more here. Well, our plans to make ornaments kind of fell by the wayside, but we scraped up a few here and there, and the kids enjoyed the red lights and the star at any rate.
A few pics of kids with presents...
And a video of Zaden with one of his presents because he's just too darn cute:
We had a leisurely afternoon, enjoying presents and naps (watching the new Veggie Tales episode The League of Incredible Vegetables was a hit!), and then we went to the R family's house for heavy appetizers and visiting. It was so nice to not worry about doing a big meal! Our family contributed hummus and flatbread, veggies and dip, and tortilla chips with Hot Mexican Dip. There were also meatballs, crockpot beans, deviled eggs, chicken bites, fruit salad, jalapeno dip, shrimp cocktail, and tons and tons of desserts.
Truly, a very joyous, memorable Christmas! The day after was just as wonderful, with Ted having the day off to stay home and play games, watch movies, and eat our huge, yummy meal with us! Our roasted turkey with homemade gravy and mashed potatoes turned out better than I think I've ever done--and I didn't even have a mom or mom-in-law here to help! Maybe I've finally learned how to do the holiday cooking thing, LOL! Sweet potato and green bean casseroles completed the sides, along with our "pink fluff" salad that Charis made. We've been munching on leftovers all week, which is a Christmas gift to myself, ha!
We hope your celebration of our Savior's birth was also wonderful and meaningful!
Sunday, December 23
During the service at the base chapel our 4 older kids participated in the Christmas pageant, which was a short but sweet description of "Christmas in a Word," with Christmas being an acronym. Tobin and Arden were soldiers; Kenna was an angel; and Charis had a couple of narrations along with being one of the Marys. What's Christmas without an adorable, kid-filled pageant?!
Christmas Eve
Let's see...finished wrapping presents, prepped a bit of food, played games with the family, took a nap, went to the Christmas Eve service at the base chapel. During the service our family got to participate in a meaningful time of remembrance for those who were killed in the terrible tragedy in Connecticut. A man read the names of each victim, which were written on paper angel ornaments, and we hung them on the tree. There were several families who helped with this, and it was a sad and sober time as we prayed for the families and friends who have experienced loss and begged God for His tender mercies as He reveals His glory in the midst of all of this. (To read Charis's thoughts on the tragic events, please visit this blog entry.)
Ted and I took turns holding Zaden, as there was no nursery or child care for the evening. The kids did pretty well, but by the time we got to the end--the traditional "Silent Night" sung as we light candles--let's just say we were having a not-so-silent night in our pew! Zaden was done for the day, and Lucan was yowling after holding the candle a bit too close to his nose when he was huffing and puffing trying to blow the flame to make it dance. Sigh. Well, just keeping it real, folks! I'm sure it wasn't all that quiet the night Jesus was born! (I speak as a mother who has delivered naturally a couple of times, albeit minus the animal attendants.)
Ted herded children to bed once we arrived home while I sneaked over to a neighbor's house to pick up the beanbag chairs we had purchased for the kids. There is literally NO place in our house to hide something so massive (5 beanbag chairs take up a LOT of space, let me tell you!), so we kept them in the Suburban until the appropriate time Christmas morning.
Christmas Day
Our day began a BIT earlier than planned...the 3rd floor balcony door (the one with a broken latch) blew open at around 6:30 a.m., setting off our house alarm. Ted and I were sure it was the boys, waking early and throwing open the shutters! But they were bleary-eyed and indignant at having their sleep interrupted (not that that prevented them for being prepared to jump like maniacs through the house once they realized it was actually CHRISTMAS MORNING!).
We made the kids stay in bed (or at least in their rooms) until 7:00, so we were MOSTLY ready for them! We do stockings at our house first, then breakfast.
Breakfast consisted of sausage and eggs along with the most amazing cinnamon rolls I have ever eaten. When reading the instructions on the Pioneer Woman's blog, I was laughing out loud, so I figured this particular concoction was worth a try! We all agree it is a keeper of a recipe (although I did use about half the butter and half the sugar in the rolls themselves!). Lucan mowed through most of his stocking contents as part of breakfast, too. Even Zaden got in on some candy action, failing to remove the wrapper of a candy cane kiss before attacking it! Good thing it's hard to swallow foil...
Following breakfast clean-up, we read through the Advent Book and did our Advent Calendar. (New this year: an additional Advent Book so we don't have to fight over turning the pages and opening the doors!)
 |
| Zaden thinks he's participating, too! Love it! |
For the Advent Calendar, we shut the kids up in the kitchen so Ted could read the story with them while I frantically grabbed the beanbag chairs from the Suburban and brought them in. The big reveal happened next and was our segue into family gift-opening time!
I totally forgot to get a picture of our little Italian tree with the gifts under it! So here's a shot with it all naked underneath. We opted, as usual, for a real tree...yes, it was overpriced...yes, we should probably just purchase a fake, pre-lighted tree...but it smelled amazing and was our contribution to the Italian economy! What cracks me up is that you purchase them here with the big bucket containing the ball of roots! That worked just fine for us, as we didn't have any of Ted's tools for slicing the bottom of the trunk neatly to fit into a more traditional tree stand. So we just left it in the bucket! You'll notice it's a little sparse; we left all our ornaments in storage, figuring we could make and/or buy more here. Well, our plans to make ornaments kind of fell by the wayside, but we scraped up a few here and there, and the kids enjoyed the red lights and the star at any rate.
A few pics of kids with presents...
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| Lucan loves the sticker book from Grandma J |
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| New Lego set for the boys |
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| Kenna is pretty in pink in her new Hello Kitty robe and scarf from Afghanistan! |
 |
| Charis made hats for EVERYONE! Zaden doesn't have his hat on, but he does have his adorable little sneaker booties on that Charis crocheted! |
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| No pattern at all for the tam Charis made me...she just did it! That girl is amazing! |
And a video of Zaden with one of his presents because he's just too darn cute:
We had a leisurely afternoon, enjoying presents and naps (watching the new Veggie Tales episode The League of Incredible Vegetables was a hit!), and then we went to the R family's house for heavy appetizers and visiting. It was so nice to not worry about doing a big meal! Our family contributed hummus and flatbread, veggies and dip, and tortilla chips with Hot Mexican Dip. There were also meatballs, crockpot beans, deviled eggs, chicken bites, fruit salad, jalapeno dip, shrimp cocktail, and tons and tons of desserts.
Truly, a very joyous, memorable Christmas! The day after was just as wonderful, with Ted having the day off to stay home and play games, watch movies, and eat our huge, yummy meal with us! Our roasted turkey with homemade gravy and mashed potatoes turned out better than I think I've ever done--and I didn't even have a mom or mom-in-law here to help! Maybe I've finally learned how to do the holiday cooking thing, LOL! Sweet potato and green bean casseroles completed the sides, along with our "pink fluff" salad that Charis made. We've been munching on leftovers all week, which is a Christmas gift to myself, ha!
We hope your celebration of our Savior's birth was also wonderful and meaningful!
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