Happy New Year...

... from these fabulous girls and the rest of us.  Here's to a rocking 2015!

Mooovinggg

So, I put the extra letters into the title of this blog to show you how slowly our move is progressing.  Craig and I have worked hard for the last month transporting our things to the new house one truckload at a time.  Last week, we kicked it up a notch and went to the new house at least once a day to drop things off and put them away.  This week is no different.

While at the new house, we always take care of little tasks to prepare to move in as well.  Whether it's hanging a shelf or installing door locks or painting a cabinet, these little handyman jobs add up in time and effort.  We do hope that once everything is ready, the house will be a comfortable and safe place for all of our children to grow up.

Last week, friends brought dinner and Christmas cheer to the new house which was so nice.  Since we knew it would be late for the kids to drive back after their visit, we decided to do a sleepover in the family room.  We made a fire and snuggled up on air mattresses.  I was so exhausted, I couldn't even properly think about the occasion of our first night together in the new house, so I guess I'll try again when the beds are moved.

Just before bedtime

Now, back to packing boxes.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to our family and friends in Germany, Austria, Armenia, Bulgaria, and the United States as well as to all from around the world who share our lives by reading this blog.  May this Christmas and the new year bring you joy, love and unexpected blessings.

Christmas Shopping

Yikes, need I say more?

Craig and I don't like shopping in stores.  Other than groceries and clothing, we buy just about everything online from the comfort of our couch.

In the years since the kids came home, we have not worried about Christmas presents.  Rex and Emilia never yet understood the gift-giving traditions and always have what they needed, so we did not feel that we had to purchase gifts to be opened on Christmas Day.  They did always receive presents from thoughtful family and friends and enjoyed them, but, like I said, they didn't comprehend why they were being showered with such generosity at this particular time of year.

In addition, Craig and I stopped giving each other presents several years ago.  It's never been terribly important to us and it's certainly not one of our love languages, so we just felt relief when we made this decision.  We are already richly blessed to have one another.

Now this year, there's Ella who is thrilled with all things Christmas and who knows Santa Claus brings gifts... which gets me back to the whole Christmas shopping thing.  After Ella's doctor's appointment on Friday, Craig, the girls and I set out to do some buying.  It was mostly me hopping into stores while everyone else waited in the car, armed with snacks, holiday tunes, etc.

Craig and I were in total agreement to keep the amount of presents and the spending at a reasonable level, so for under $250 total, our three kids will have their gifts on Christmas morning.  Emilia is getting the new mini Kindle which we ordered online (because Ella hogs the other one), a book and a homeschool workbook.  Rex is receiving a new set of bedding and two simple toys.  And Ella will find clothing and other supplies for her doll, stick-on earrings, and a new, cozy blanket under our imaginary tree.  There will also be some other presents that have been sent to us by family and friends from around the world.

Now, on to the final countdown to Christmas Eve, my favorite for holding each other tight and focusing on love and gratitude.  Surely time will fly as we keep packing and moving and unpacking our things and ready ourselves for our final holidays in this home.

Festival Of Lights 2014

Many moons ago, Craig and I had our first date going to the Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo.  We'd been back off and on over the years, but when the kids came along, we decided to make it an annual tradition.  So, last Saturday we set out for the second time this holiday season to see the animals and the lights.  Emilia and Ella really enjoy the animals these days and Rex is now doing a better job than his sisters walking by our side.  Since we only go to the zoo three or four times a year, it's kind of a good measuring stick for the kids' progress.

Checking out the giraffes

Working on our balance

The kids love the carousel

Ella went nuts for the gingerbread man

So long, local zoo. We'll be back in the spring when Ella wants to see monkeys and lions.

Picture Of The Day

Ella's two favorite lunches are soup or a tapas style array of various foods.  A meal like the one she had today is quite a common sight in our kitchen around noon lately.  She polished this lunch off in no time and I love how easy it is to feed her. Packing school lunches for her will not be difficult.

Der Weihnachtsmann Knows

A big yellow box from Germany arrived in the mail for us today.  My best friend always sends such wonderful gifts. And since I knew what Rex was getting, we had to let him open one of his presents early due to a Code Red Spinning Top Emergency caused by the (hopefully temporary) disappearance of Rex's current spinning top.  It has not been found in over 36 hours, so things were getting dicey.  Rex actually knows the sign for top and was asking us constantly for it.  Fortunately, der Weihnachtsmann had great timing and delivered a fantastic replacement this afternoon.  Rex could not be more pleased with the present and I predict that he will fall asleep with it in his arms tonight.

Thank you, Corinna.