Orange Fur Pants

Stephen wanted orange pants. I think they don't make orange pants. Maybe in the Florida Gator section, but we don't go in that section.

So I decided to take him to the fabric store to pick something for me to make them. He picked this:

Brothers

So today they are playing a game with toy trucks where they get at either ends of our long hall and push them at each other. Apparently you then block the oncoming truck. Then start over sending the truck back at your brother.

Stephen says: If the truck gets past you then you loose one life (phraseing tells me too many video games are being played around here)

Ethan replies: *Bursts into tears, real fat tears* Nooooooo Stephen! Don't take my life! Just play with me!!!!!!!!

Ethan is ok now, we told him it was just pretend. He still seemed confused that we would joke around about taking lives, but he's ok now.

Christmas

Brian was the photographer for Christmas this year.

Spoiled silly again! It seems like every year we want to do less and it never works that way. I mean we had a BLAST and I don't think we overspent or anything, but sheesh! It's all good, the kids are only this young once and they are all about the magic of Christmas and the fun, so we just are going with it.

Here is Stephen with his Gator Golf. He's been asking for this game for... oh about two years. I'm not sure why we never got it, but this year he asked his Grammy (my mom) if she thought he would get it and she ran right out and picked it up for him. He was overjoyed! He sang us a song about how much he had been wanting it and how much he loves it and then he played it all day. Ethan had a heart desire this year too. You may remember the hot toy last year Spike the Ultrasaur? It's a HUGE dinosaur that has a remote control. Well the boys like him, but he's over $100 and also he's downright scary. This year thought they put out a Spike Jr, or as Ethan calls him, "Baby Spike!" You gotta shout it like that. He fell in LOVE. He loves the baby version of anything. Well his Gramma Sue (my step-mom) got that for him. You can see here he loves it.

Stephen also wanted "Zoo Spires" Which he means "expire" but he really means "membership". I'm not sure when or how he started calling memberships "expires", probably when one of ours expired, but look! he got one! (We went to the zoo yesterday by the way, it's a family membership.) This is one of the most exciting presents of the year because we all can enjoy it again and again.

I got an unexpected suprise too! Ages ago I mentioned to my mom that Kitchenaid made a PINK food chopper/processor. I've been wanting one for a while. And PINK. Did I mention it is Pink? So now I have one! Thanks mom! She got me tons actually, this, the swiffer wetjet mop I wanted (I know totally sexy Christmas gift right? But I love it) An octopus broach, a bunch of vintage dishtowels... I can't remember what else. Tons.

Brian was there. He got mostly gift cards to Toys R Us, which is what he always asks for. He got a calendar from my Dad and Sue that he's showed me several times. I'm not sure if I'm not admireing it correctly or what, but he REALLY likes it. I think Brian's favorite thing is the food. I cooked a 12lb ham. It was awesome. I think though that I could go months without eating ham again. haha.

Marcia and Gram were also here. (maybe next year I'll make a list of photos I really want us to take.) Gram loved the pillows I made her that match the quilt I made her last year. Marcia got some seek and find picture books. She loves doing those things. It was a really nice Christmas.

Brian was off work from Wednesday. We went to several parks and hiked and such. Very fun stuff. Stephen took photos there. Tomorrow or Tuesday I will have him blog what he has to say. I'm going to load his pictures and then let him dictate what to say about them. So look forward to that. :)

Eventful Year

Several things happened this year that I could have done without.

I'm making this list mostly because it's almost funny now. It was a weird year, but I still feel lucky and blessed.

So here goes with the the list of things Erin Could Have Done Without:
Giving Blood then fainting and almost dieing at the Ren Festival
Breaking my arm in the mountains at Gatlinburg and not getting it treated for 5 days.
Ripping my left toenail off (which happened in January and is just not healed)
Pneumonia... twice
Thinking my step-mom was going to die (she's ok now, thank God and The Clevland Clinic)
False pregnancy
Miscarriage (seperate from the false pregnancy)
Gained 20lbs. :(
Brian's change in work keeping him from getting home before 7 most nights. (And yes we ARE very thankful he has a job, I just miss him is all)
Air Conditioner for our house died and had to be replaced
Pool motor died and had to be replaced
AC in car died and had to be replaced
Door handles on car broke off (apparently this is not uncommon!) and had to be replaced

Not all of that was major. Some of it was horribly terrible. The thing is I never had a feeling of helplessness all year. I never felt like the terrible dark was going to eat me alive. My family is amazing. I have fantastic, supportive friends. This may have been a year filled with unfortunate events, but I've never been in a better place in my life.

I also this year:
Feel I did a good job magnifying my calling at church
Joined the choir which has been very fun and fulfilling
Had two aquantances move up to good friends
Had a good friend move up to rock solid best friend, you know the kind you know you will have forever.
Sent Stephen to school, knowing that I truly had valued and made the best out of the time I had him before school. Then found out that school was great and not an end to the special bond S and I have at all.
Grew closer to Ethan, who is painfully adorable.
Grew closer to Christ
Made several very lovely quilts.
Made hundreds of cards that were fun to make.
Got published several times.
Discovered the depth of the support my friends and church family have for me.
Probably more things I can't even think of.

All in all, it was an ok year. I'll try not to break anything next year though. I want to say I will get pregnant and have a great baby, but I'm afraid to hinge my happiness on something that I've learned I don't have that much control over. So I will say that I'll enjoy any and all children I have next year. Either these two perfect ones, or another as well. :)

Get Ready for the Cuteness!

You cannot stand it. Just look at these kids.

All these images are copyrighted by Lea Mayo Photography.

Getting Better

Well I'm feeling lots better. It has been terribly hard. I've had great support though so that is fantastic. I think I'm pretty much done with the random crying and stuff.

And family is what matters most right now. Like this adorable Mr.Potato Head Family Ethan and my mom made today. Of course then Ethan got very serious and asked Grammy for a "baby potato" because he feels like the family isn't done until it gets a baby. (He REALLY wants a baby.) But how cute? I think I'm pretty much on track for Christmas. I have one small sewing project to finish up. All storebought presents are done. I heard Santa still needs help wrapping his stuff so I might help him with some of that. All my stuff is under the tree. Today was Stephen's Christmas Party at school and he doesn't go back until Jan 4th. I'm looking forward to having him all day. I really like his school, but I like spending my days with him even more.