So, we are still playing catch up. Here's a little bit of what we have been up to.
The day after Thanksgiving, we setup our Christmas tree and decorated it. Cambry was great at hanging up the ornaments... on one branch.
Cambry and Vienna made a good team putting up and taking down ornaments.
Vienna got her first ice-cream cone (we had a warm spell in early December). She wasn't quite sure how to eat it and wanted to just eat the cone. So, she ate it upside down.
Of course, Cambry had to copy her.
These two really are such good girls and sisters. They like us to push them up and down the hill in our backyard in this little car. They were out playing by themselves and this is what we saw when we looked out: Cambry pulling Vienna up the hill. What a good sister.
Joslyn teaches Sunday School for the 14-15 year-olds at church. She is such a good teacher. She went to watch one of her students perform in the Nutcracker. She also brought along a few of her other students to watch (Left to Right: Kylie, Jordan, Lucy, Joslyn, Joe)
These girls crack us up. They love to put these buckets on their heads and walk around the house. Being excellent parents, we let them.
Cambry just moseying around the house with a bucket on her head.
Somehow, we collected all these boxes. I started pushing the girls around in two them and called it a train. Cambry loved it and shared it with all her playgroup friends and made this mega box train.
The girls all dressed up in their Christmas dresses, just before church the Sunday before Christmas.
On the 14th, Vienna turned 15 months. She is in the 75th percentile in head and height, and 65th in weight. She is a happy toddler. She loves to smile, laugh, be tickled, be chased, and to play with her sister. She has learned a few words from time to time, but doesn't consistently say anything. However, she is incredibly phenomenal at getting her point across. For instance, recently we had a few friends over for dinner. There were two two year old boys here. The first boy took the toy Vienna was playing with. Vienna squawked, then walked over to the second boy and stood right in front of him, pointed to the first boy and said "deh". Boy #2 marched over to boy #1, grabbed the toy out of his hands and gave it back to Vienna. Vienna snagged it and ran away with the biggest smirk on her face.
She is the cuddliest little girl in the world. Last week our home teachers came over for the first time while the girls were awake. Vienna climbed right up onto his lap, and snuggled right into his lap, and while sucking her fist with one hand, she reached up with her other and held the guy's cheek. She is so good at spreading her big heart full of pure love around. She is so good at forcing people to love her. She is adored wherever she goes.
She is an excellent climber. One morning the girls were playing in Cambry's room while I was cleaning up breakfast. C runs into the kitchen and in a concerned voice tells me "Vienna's climbing". I race to C's room and Vienna was halfway up the bunk bed ladder by herself. When she saw me, she just gave me her squinty eyed, and squinty nose smile like "I solemnly swear I am up to no good". She's so fast, I can hardly blink!
This is a climbing episode gone bad. She was so intent on holding that little nutcracker in one hand and her cracker in the other, she tried climbing out of this box that's was chest high, with no hands. , then once she fell in the box, she completely wedged herself in it. Yes, I raced to get the camera before getting her out- for posterity's sake naturally.
Our Stake puts on the coolest display of Nativity sets. Over 600 sets are loaned out and put on display for us to enjoy, while different choirs from around the community performed. It's is incredible.
This is the children's area. At the door they give each of the kids 3 pennines. Then right after we walked in the tax collector was there and asked for one of the pennies back. Then the kids could buy a snack (grape and pita bread on a toothpick), and a craft.
Our fantastic neighbors the Burtons came with us. Here are the their boys and our girls crafting.
Cambers dressed up as Mary, holding baby Jesus
Veena carting around whatever she could reach on the tables.
This is the only pic we took outside the children's room. There were so many fragile pieces in there, taking pictures was not an option while little grabby hands were close.
We went to Oakview Manor with the Andersons for a sleigh ride and apple cider to kick off the Christmas season. Before we even got to the property, we got to go for a hay ride to shuttle us over. Cambry thought we were all done before the real fun even started.
Pete and Vienna are best buds. He is such a sweet heart with our girls.
While we were waiting in line for the sleigh ride, Ryan had the girls entertained while playing in the gravel.
Ryan got up on this rock and asked for his picture to be taken. What a poser! He's hilarious.
I love this pic. Besides the beautiful horses decked out in their festive get up, and the cool carriage (that is hard to see), this picture pretty much summed up the night: Ryan leading Cambry by the hand wherever we were going (Cambry loved it), and Pete trying to carry Vienna, while Vienna kept trying to wiggle free and walk. We all love these boys. They are so gentle with our girls, and C & V just adore them.
Family shot on the carriage ride. We're all wearing goats, but it really wasn't too cold.
Buddies
We had so much fun with the Andersons, we hung out and chatted in the parking lot a little longer to extend the night (look at Pete keeping Vienna "safe" from running around in the Parking lot).
2012 has been a season of growth for us. We grew from a two-bedroom apartment into a small house and from a sedan into a mini-van. In addition to the growth in our place of residence and mode of transportation, each of us have experienced growth in our lives.
Devin's Growth: Most notably, I grew from a bachelor to a master, by completing my work for my master's degree. My brain definitely felt major growing pains through out the process as I struggled to wrap my mind around abstract concepts and uncertainties. However, it was a great experience and am excited to start work on my Doctorate. I definitely could not have done it without Joslyn's support. I also grew in my public speaking, which I dread, by not only defending my thesis, but presenting my work at a conference as well. All my growth this year is a blessing from my Heavenly Father. He has given so much and asked so little.
Joslyn's Growth: I felt some incredible growing pains this year. I learned my limits through overexertion which ultimately resulted in balancing my roles better as wife, mother, and the other hats I wear. I also trained for and ran the Charlotte Half Marathon in April, and the Richmond Virginia Marathon in November. Both were phenomenal accomplishments for me. I'm so grateful to Devin for waking up with our girls frequently while I was out for an early morning run, and I'm appreciative for Cambry and Vienna for their cooperation for touring the city via double stroller. My deepest gratitude for my Heavenly Father for the countless problems that were solved and life lessons He taught me while running.
Cambry's Growth: Cambry has grown from a todder into a little girl. She speaks in full sentences, dresses herself (well, tries really hard to), looks after Vienna, "helps" Mom and Dad, cleans, sings and takes good care of her teddy bear. Her favorite saying for the last year plus has been "Whas that?" We struggle to define everyday actions and items in response to her inquiries. Other favorites are "No, you (she means I) do it" (still working on pronouns) and "Hey, this is just my size!" She has grown to love her little sister more deeply. She is so patient with her sister's hair pulling and teasings. Cambry has grown in her playground repertoire from swings to slides, sandboxes and more, although swings still are her favorite. She's learned the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, and names of things in her surroundings mostly while on the go during our walks.
Vienna's Growth: Vienna has grown from a calm baby into a happy, energetic toddler. She walks, climbs, runs, screams and gibbers. She says "mama", "dada", "dog", "Hi" and "Mike". Most everything else is "da". She loves to tease her sister by taking her toys, blanket, and stuffed animals. She has grown to love pulling hair and uses it as her soothing mechanism. She works her way into people's hearts wherever we go by waving, smiling, and saying hi, and when she can she stands in front of people with her arms outstretched for them to snuggle her. She seems to find people that especially need a pick me up, and focuses her attention on them.
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground...
Isa. 53:2
Christ's Growth: Over 2000 years ago, Christ was born of Mary. From a baby, "[He] grew and waxed strong in spirit." Christ grew to be able to bare our griefs, carry our sorrows and "take upon Him the sins of His people." Because of His growth and sacrifice, each of us can grow to be become "joint-heirs with Christ." It is only by His grace, mercy and love that we are able to grow and improve. Only Christ can purify our hearts, refine our minds and redeem our souls. He can't make us grow against our will. We must choose to give ourselves to Christ so that He may heal our hearts, complete our character and finish our faith. May we thank our Savior for the gift of growth and in gratitude grow closer to Him this Christmas season.
I know we're well in to Christmas Season. I'm still playing catch up. We had our friends Shannon, the Meyers and Burtons over for Thanksgiving. It was such a blast.
Here are a few place setters.. name tags? what are these called??
Leanne made this beautiful bird, and Devin was so happy to carve the gobbler up.
All the kids. This is as good as we could get.
I love this one. Vienna pulling Cambry's hair, Blake tugging at his collar, Abby crying, and not one of them looking at all the parents making fools of ourselves trying to get them to look and smile.
We didn't take one pic of the feast, but needless to say, it was absolutely perfect. Good food, good company. Here is Veena at the kids table so happy to have all this loot to eat after all the other kids took 2 bites then ran off to play.
All the adults were so grateful they played so well together... and let us have some adult chatting time.
After dinner loaf
We had 5 delicious pies. Yum!!
Chase had his shirt off so he wouldn't spill... pretty soon all 4 of these adorable goof balls were running around giggling shirtless.
Cambers adores Blake. When they hugged like this his mom said, "Ya.. that's cute, but give it a couple years and that's not so cute." Thanksgiving was definitely a success. It was one of those nights when you go to bed, you lay there so satisfied about the entire experience. We're so grateful for good friends to share special occassions!
Last year, we went to Pullen Park Thanksgiving Eve and it was beautiful and so fun. We went again this year and it was even better with both our girls able to enjoy it. We decided to make it an annual thing.
This girl was so happy to be on the train.
This girl was quite content to be on the train and with Daddy. Life can't get any better.
"Look, no hands."
"Look, a pear on my head" (Vienna's best no hands impersonation).
The girls got to ride the boats as well. (Side note: at the grocery store we get the cart that has a little car in the front. Cambers gets so frustrated that Vienna is always grabbing BOTH steering wheels. After a few aisles, Cambry just gets out and walks. Finally Vienna can have both and Cambry can sit in peace).
We tried something new this time, the merry-go-round. Cambry was in heaven.
Vienna liked it, but kept trying to get up and walk around while it was whirling around.
Can any more pure joy fit into one cute little face?
We stopped by the swings on the way out and double-loaded them into a "baby" swing.
