Christmas PJs

One of my favorite Christmas traditions that Jamie and I have started is giving out new PJs on Christmas Eve. I loved the ones we got this year for Soph and Riley!

Opening their packages.

Sophia was SO excited about her princess nightgown.

Doesn't he look like a little man in his collared, button down flannels?

Giving a curtsy, as any good princess would!

Aren't the sock monkey faces just adorable?

27 Weeks and Counting...

I have much to share about our Christmas weekend and many pictures to show too! But, today, since I am exactly 27 weeks pregnant, I thought I'd share some recent "belly shots." These were taken just two days ago. Baby Girl is almost 2 lbs and 14 inches long! She is moving like crazy and I can feel her little body parts when I touch my stomach while she's kicking. I am in the last week of my 2nd trimester. I feel huge - and to think, I have three months to go! Oi. :)

Christmas Favorites

Well, today is the day! Merry Christmas. Today our family will be focusing on what we as Christ-followers believe Christmas is all about - Jesus! We will also be exchanging some gifts, enjoying delicious food and fellowshipping with extended family. One of the things I love about Christmas is that it is not all in one day. Really, Christmas starts right after Thanksgiving, what with putting up decorations, getting the tree set up, getting gifts and wrapping them just so, baking holiday treats, attending parties and having friends over. I just love the anticipation of The Day that we get to live out each month of December. It reminds me of the anticipation the Jewish people must have felt as they awaited their Savior. He is here! He is born! He is Christ the Lord!

Some of my Christmas favorites:

Making, and then EATING homemade sugar cookies and peanut butter blossoms!

Making and eating homemade chocolates or candies. This year Jamie made these!

Christmas decorations! A couple of years ago I started putting small red bulbs into one of my large, clear vases. I think it's so pretty and it has become one of my favorite decorations!

The Manger Scene. This one is extra special because it was hand-crafted in the African country I grew up in as a missionary kid. My sister got this for me and Jamie a couple Christmases ago, and we just love putting it up each year. It is the center of our Christmas because it is a visual reminder of what this season is all about - God the Father, sending his Son to this Earth as a baby, to grow up, minister to others, die and rise again, so that each of us could have our bad choices washed clean from our hearts and have fellowship with God the Father while on this earth and someday for eternity in Heaven! Thank you God for sending Your Son.

What are some of your Christmas favorites? Enjoy today!

Crib Tours

Sophia loves it when her brother wakes up for the morning or from his nap. She's always eager to go see him and talk to him and often asks if she can get him out of his crib. Unfortunetly she's not quite big enough to do that, but her next most asked question is if she can get in the crib with him. We have always said no, but for some reason consented one day last week. Don't you just love the smiles on their faces? They are really blossoming into friends, and it is so fun to watch them play and interact!

This shot cracks us up because Sophia looks fairly giant! She has conquered the little brother, with only his toes showing! :)

Whew! He's okay, she'll have to conquer him another day!

I married a creative one, I did!

Sometime last week I laid down for a nap while Riley was napping, and Jamie agreed to play play doh with Sophia. Okay, when I play play doh with Sophia we make little balls and cookie cutouts and maybe a flower if I'm really feeling creative. What does my artistic, creative, talented husband do? He makes very realistic looking play doh people. He is the guy in yellow, wearing a hoodie no less, and Sophia is, of course, the pink princess.

A Christmas Carol

Just so you all know... I'll have a blog post up each day this week through Christmas Day. I've been a bit absent lately with all the running around we've been doing, so hopefully I'll see you here this week! Christmas weekend is jam packed for us, so I probably will take a few days off, but I'm sure I will have plenty of stories and pictures to share come next week!

***

This past weekend we were blessed to go see a production of Charles Dickens', "A Christmas Carol." My parents treated Jamie, Soph, me, and my sister and BIL to this great classic play and then dinner afterwards at Cheesecake Factory. Yum!

The play was a solid two hours and Sophia did fantastic! She has been to the movie theatre twice in her life, so that was her only personal reference to what we meant when we kept saying we were going to "the theatre." She was mesmerized by the beautiful theatre and live action play. She was so still and quiet and wasn't even scared by some of the scarier looking Christmas Spirits. What a fun thing to experience with her!

Cheesecake Factory was, of course, delicious! The company was fabulous too!

Thank you Mom and Dad!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my Mother-in-law's birthday! I am truly blessed to have a mom-in-law like Sue. I hear stories from other friends about their, um, interesting relationships with their MILs. I am so glad to say I cannot relate to this one! Sue has always embraced and loved me as her own. I cannot think of one time in the past, almost seven years of being with Jamie, that Sue has inappropriately intruded - and yet, we always know she is there, ready to support us and encourage us if need be! I so appreciate the way Sue (and her hubby, Tony, of course!) raised her son - he is a great man! I also appreciate the way Sue loves my kids, she is an awesome Grandma!!!

Sue, today as we celebrate you, I pray you feel loved and blessed. We treasure you and aren't sure what we'd do without you!

Love,

Who's messy?

Life, it sure is full-circle. Mom, I'm not sure you're allowed to comment on this post... you either Dad. :)

So, I have clear memories of my parents getting very frustrated at my consistently messy room; frequently telling me to clean it up! I also remember very clearly my own frustration - their room was really messy a lot of the times too!!! Oh, the unfairness of life...

That brings us to today. Jamie was scolding Sophia for all the messes around the house that were pretty much due to her not picking up after herself. I only heard bits and pieces, but I think Jamie said something about all the messes being her stuff, and then I did clearly hear Sophia respond, "Nu-uh Dad, you and Mom make messes too! Your room is really messy." Jamie had to agree, I mean, our room is really messy, and well, I felt very "full-circled" in that moment! :)

Are you good at keeping your room clean?

Just a bit of this and that

The past few days have been full of activity for us. Thursday Riley had an appointment with a pediatric gastroentologist to discuss his allergy to milk protein. Basically, we are doing all we can be doing, which is simply to avoid milk protein in his diet. Some of his symptoms remain in mild form because it can take months for this to work out of his system. We met with a dietician and were affirmed that we are doing great with Riley's diet and finding him plenty of healthy dairy-free foods to enjoy. Riley is really actually healthy and doing great growth-wise (75th percentile in both height and weight), so the Doctor was very pleased and hopes that Riley will outgrow this allergy soon. Apparently most babies with this allergy outgrow it by one year, and since we're well past that mark we are to meet with a pediatric allergist to discuss a course of action as far as when it might be safe/wise to try and start experimenting with dairy to see if he's outgrown his allergy.

While we were busy with Riley at his appointment, my Mom graciously took Sophia to the library and they lucked out that it just happened to be story/craft time! Sophia had a great time playing with some other little girls her age and we were so thankful she didn't have to sit around bored, with us, for a couple of hours!

Thursday evening we had our 4th annual Christmas Party for the International students. It was to start at 6pm, and around 6:30, when only one student had arrived (and there was A LOT of hot food and fresh treats I'd spent hours preparing, waiting on the table), I started to freak out a bit, thinking no one else was going to come. Well... just about that time our house started to fill up, and Jamie reminded me this always happens and students just tend to run late! We ended up having 15 guests at our party, plus us four Abruscis, so our little house was full!!! Thank you Jesus for the wonderful turnout! Oh, me of little faith. We had a fabulous time and were able to share the true meaning/origin of Christmas - the birth of our Savior!!! There were quite a few unsaved students/students of other religions present, so we pray hearts were pierced for the gospel.

Friday was recovery day, and the kids and I stayed in our p.j.s all day, did some post-party clean-up and just took it easy! Jamie had a "thing" to go to all morning and into the afternoon, so he didn't get to take it quite as easy, nor did he get to stay in his p.j.s! :)

Today we got to attend winter graduation for our local university. We had two dear friends graduating, one with her Bachelor's of Fine Art (she's from China) and one with her Master's of Education (she is from Taiwan). The kids did great during the long ceremony and then we were invited to join the Graduation Luncheon afterwards. It was wonderful to celebrate with these two young women during there time of accomplishment, especially since their families couldn't be present. We just love that God allows us to befriend and minister to these students. It is truly the joy of our life!

So, tomorrow we have another marathon day... Our church in the morning as usual, lunch and quick naps, then we're driving about 1 & 1/2 hours away to visit a church of some friends of ours and then will be sharing dinner with them afterwards. Whew! Looking forward to seeing this church in action and fellowshipping with friends, but I'm guessing we will all be whooped come Monday!

What has your weekend held?

Baby Rose

Forgive me if I've already told you this - pregnancy brain, it is not kind to one's memory. When I was pregnant with Riley we didn't know his gender and we called him Baby Bean. Sophia has been calling this baby, Baby Bean as well. I told her last week she could pick a more girlie nickname and as she was thinking of ideas I suggested she think of her favorite flower. Thus, Baby Rose was created! :) That will not be her name once born, but it's been fun to have a little nickname to call her while she's still in utero.

This week I've hit 24 weeks. I had a check-up with my midwife last week and all is well. Baby Rose should be over a pound in weight and about a foot long. Apparently my uterus is about the size of a soccer ball - I'm starting to feel it! Baby Rose doesn't seem as active as Riley was, but she let's me know she's there, and I love feeling her little kicks and squirms.

Four more weeks and I'll be in my third trimester - that is incredible to me! This pregnancy has been my most difficult one for many reasons. I will be most thankful to hold this sweet baby in my arms!!!

Our Unique Tree

So, after Jamie spent a few hours de-lighting our pre-lit tree - for alas, the lights no longer worked... and re-lighting it... we got our tree up! It contains the normal things it usually does...

Pretty lights...

the angel adorning the top...

some favorite (non-breakable) ornaments...

at least one for each member of the family...

can you guess who's are who's?

So, you may wonder, why is our tree so unique this year? Well, to save ourselves a lot of stress, and Riley a lot of discipline, Jamie and I made the decision to only put up our non-breakable ornaments and to leave the bottom of the tree empty. So... this is what our tree looks like - you can laugh, I don't mind! :)

Christmas Traditions

We have our "normal" traditions, like most families. You know, the how and when of the tree and decorations, special foods, how we exchange gifts, etc... A new one for us this year was the gingerbread house. It's been fun each year as Sophia grows, to be able to do more and more with her to celebrate this special season. And now that we have Riley and are expecting Baby Girl, I know this season is only going to get more and more fun! I've been really burdened this particular Christmas season though, to institute some traditions that could be more important and impactful than all our others. I am speaking of "giving traditions."

I remember one Christmas, growing up, our family found another family in need and provided food and gifts for them. I remember that really fondly. I want my children to grow up not just hearing that it's more important to give than receive, and to maybe pick up on the fact that Mom and Dad do give to others on a regular basis - but I long for them to experience that giving is more blessed than receiving and to participate and feel the giving.

And so, this year I am pondering all of this and thinking of ways to get our little family involved in creating some special "giving traditions" that will hopefully impact not only those who receive, but us, forever...

Do you have any giving traditions during Christmas??

Ice Princess

For Sophia's 5th birthday Jamie and I wanted to take her on a date, just the three of us. We dropped Riley off at my Mom's and took her out for Sushi and then planned on taking her ice-skating. Unfortunately the weather was not cooperating the day of her birth, so we had to postpone the ice-skating to the day after Thanksgiving, and Riley joined us. It was still really fun, and Sophia did SO excellent! Jamie took her around the rink about 4 or 5 times, and by the last time she was able to do it without holding on to Jamie or the wall. She was even doing these little spins! It was adorable to watch and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to take her to do this. She had a blast!

Do you like ice-skating?