Looking ahead to 2013

Tide Pools

Martin Luther King Day rolled around and Jeff decided to take the whole day off...YAY! So, we went to the tide pools and had a great day exploring, soaking in the sun, and picnicking on the beach. That's right...a beach picnic in January...I LOVE CALIFORNIA!! And so does this girl...

and this one...

and this one, who really cannot imagine a day inside!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

We threw a very fun Very Hungry Caterpillar themed party for my sweet Rachel Lee. She (and I) love the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, so it just made sense to have a party with that theme. We served food that the caterpillar ate in the book (apples, strawberries, oranges, pears, watermelon) as well as some other snack food, and for the party activities we read the book, fed the hungry caterpillar (a beanbag toss) and then played hot-potato with a caterpillar inside a bag (a cocoon). After hot-potato I opened the bag and pulled out a butterfly wand...it was magical! (And my parents sat in the back heckling me to "do it again" or to "reveal my secret"...those two are so funny!)

POP-out of the egg came a caterpillar...this is when the kids caught a bean bag

...which they then fed to the caterpillar as he ate his way through the book!

Here I am putting the caterpillar into the cocoon, a bag...

...forming a circle to play hot-potato (notice that Kate has the bat down her dress...not quite sure why that is, but I'm so glad it's in a picture to laugh at!)

...and passing the caterpillar!

The hecklers!

And what party would be complete without some cake?

She was soooo excited for her cake...she helped me make it in the morning and then wanted some as soon as it came out of the oven.

But, good things come to those who wait!!

Two Year Old Littl Girl

My Rachel Lee is really no longer a baby or a toddler, she is a little girl who has learned to function in a big girl world. With her older sisters in school she has had to be flexible and adapt to a life on the go! And she loves going. She loves being out, meeting people, playing games, and exploring. She still does not love car rides, which makes living in California difficult since everything is "only 20-30 minutes away, depending on traffic," which seems like torture to my energetic 2 year old. She is still exceptionally tall: over 100% (3 feet, 1 inch tall) and really low in weight: 10% (24 pounds). Everyone jokes that she will be a model, which I believe any of my girls could do, but wonder if any of my girls should do...

On her birthday she woke up early on her birthday, and Jeff read her a book...most mornings she wakes up and wants us to read her the book she slept with the night before, and some mornings we just don't have time, but on this Sunday, her birthday, we had nothing but time to snuggle up with her!

And then opening her present...a new play kitchen!!

...and eating a special pancake breakfast...YUM!

After church and rest time we headed over to one of the girl's favorite birthday places: Chuck e Cheese (Kate still talks about not going to Chuck e Cheese on her birthday - it's become a birthday tradition). We played and had a great time!

Then we came home and had birthday pizza (cheese pizza with sprinkles on top...another kid favorite!) and brownie sundaes.

Rachel Lee is in the doctor's gown because she and her sisters were playing doctor...Hannah was the doctor, Kate was the nurse, and Rachel Lee was the sick patient. Fortunately by the time dinner was ready she was no longer sick, but she also did not want to put regular clothes back on so she ate in her hospital gown.

My Dearest Rachel Lee, Today you turned 2 years old, and you have personality to match your 4 and 5 year old sisters. You act so much older than other two year olds by sharing readily, singing abc's, putting shoes on, going potty by yourself, having strong opinions and making your opinions known! You can repeat mufti-sylliabic words, and the girls often try to get you to say words that are sometimes in Spanish. You have the greatest belly laugh and often pull your shirt up and say, "Get me, Mama!" wanting me to blow on your tummy and make you laugh. You ask for what you want, wait for what you don't have, and cry for things you can't have. You are beautiful, articulate and caring, all attributes that I hope you continue to foster as you grown and change. My dear girl, may you always know the deep love that all of us have for you: your dad, who you prefer to hold you all the time and who happily obliges, your sisters who entertain and pester you at the same time, and your mama, who cherishes the chance to care for you everyday. I love you to the moon and back my sweet girl! Love, Your Mama

My Papa Loves Me

My Papa's birthday is January 5, the day before Rachel Lee was born. I was hoping that she would come on his birthday, and be birthday buddies, but she has her own day to be celebrated, which is probably better than having a birthday buddy. This year my Papa was down in Lake Elsinore, Riverside area, where Joyce, his wife, still has her house. It was great celebrating with him.

When we were younger he used to coach us to say, "My Papa loves me" and then he would beam and say, "That's right! My Papa loves me!" It was no longer cool in Jr. High to say it, but I still would, and now that I hear him coaching my girls to say, "My Papa loves me" it reminds me of how precious it is to have so much love through so many generations. God truly has blessed me and my family with a deep and lasting love.

Christmas 2012

This Christmas we were able to spend some time with these lovely people:

and these lovely people:

and of course, these lovely people.

And really, when you are with people you love, celebrating a life changing holiday such as the Lord's birth, you can't help but have a wonderful time! Throw in some presents and it just sweetens the time together! On Christmas Eve the Nichols side of the family came to our house and enjoyed a plenty eatin', present openin', fun and lovin' good time.

My mom made these Santa bags for the girls...I'm pretty sure the bag is a much of a hit at the toys inside have been! My girls have been putting toys and things in the bag and dragging them around the house. The LOVE these Santa bags!

Lots of happy faces as presents are opened :)

Thank you Aunt Rachel, Uncle Kirk, Joe and Kara for the lovely Auora (a.k.a Sleeping Beauty) baby doll. She has been played with, taken to preschool for sharing, slept with, swaddled, cradled, rocked, and sung to. She has found a very loving little girl to care for her!

This was also the first year that Hannah wanted to give presents. She was busy making cards and pictures, and even made thesee lovely earrings for me! What a blessed Mama am I!

Hannah has also been asking for a hamster or rat, so we gave her this hamster cage...more on that in a later post...

And we topped all this off with a wonderful breakfast together. (Check out my bling!) We lit our Jesus candle, read our last Advent care because Jesus' birth had come!

Then we all cleaned up, my parents headed home and we headed to the Murry house where the celebrating continued with these happy people...

...and these happy people...

...and these VERY noisy people...

...unless Grandma Cindy is reading a book, and then they are very snugly!

Here are some other fun moments like morning hot chocolate,

basketball at the Korean bell with ALL five Murry guys,

UCLA endorsement,

and these two cutie pies!

I don't have very good pictures of my nephews, but trust me, they are super cute and super BIG boys! But mostly super cute! Overall, we had a great time. And now that all our families have returned to their respective homes, the presents are all unwrapped, and the decorations are down and placed nicely in the storage bins until next year, we have return to our regular routines and PHEW...I'm exhausted!