Dec. 14th - Jan. 3rd, 2013

Hi Everyone!

Hope you had a great Christmas! We are back online after taking a break over the holidays. Micah had an eleven day stretch of vacation which were so glad about!

 Spent an evening at our local downtown Christmas festival. This is Micah and boys playing in the "snow" (soap suds). 
 

 Our schedules work out this year so that we were able to attend all five of the Christmas get-togethers with immediate and extended family. Seth here, very proud of his new coat.

 

 At church on Christmas Sunday. Thanks, Grandma for the outfits! They looked soooo cute!

 

 A few of you received boxes from some little elves this Christmas. The boys had a blast painting. I felt like I was an octopus trying to keep the paint off the floor and clothes. I think I'm okay not getting out paints again until they are teenagers. That or next time we'll do it outside where we can just hose everything down afterwards. :) 

 

 I like this picture  :)

 

 Micah and I got away for a few days for our annual planning retreat. We try to take a couple days and talk about our past year and make new goals for the coming year. It's so nice to know where we are going and why. :) Some friends let us borrow their cabin and it had an amazing view of the mountains and river below.

 

 The boys got a hand-me-down Power Wheels truck from Micah's uncle. Wow, are they in hog heaven! 

 Well...almost. Seth did NOT want to get on it for the first few days. He has warmed up to it though and had fun chasing Blake around the yard. 

A few weeks before Christmas Micah asked me what I wanted him to get me. I told him that I wanted a gray cat, which I sometimes joke about wanting along with a pony and a baby donkey. He laughed. A little while later he asked me what I really wanted and I told him "I already told you". We've talked about getting a cat for a long time and so Micah surprised me got (against his better judgment I'm sure) decided to get me one. Yay!

Meet Oscar...he is big...a whopping 16 3/4 pounds. Let's just say that he is much bigger in real life that he looked in the ad. :) You never know with cats what type of personality you might be getting, but he is fitting in with the family really well so far. Eventually, he will be an outdoor cat in hopes that he will help us deal with our chipmunk issue, but for the first week or so he's enjoying the indoors.
 
He's not shy and doesn't mind laying around while the boys are running past him like wild animals. 

 Of course the boys love playing with him!
 

 The boys pretending to be fellow cats. :)

A few Blake and Seth-isms... 
For some reason when Blake has gotten up the last few mornings he runs over to Oscar's crate and says, "Look Daddy! He's still alive!". :)

When Seth wants to know if something is for him and Blake he says, "Is that for me and Seth?". 

I guess Blake had his fill of Christmas music over the holidays. He yelled from the other room this afternoon, "Mommy! I AM having a merry little Christmas!"

------ 

As Micah and I reflected on 2012 we were humbled to see the many ways that God has blessed and provided for us. We are looking forward to a new year and especially to welcoming Baby #3 in March!! (only 9 weeks to go!)

Over the next few weeks we'll be getting into a new routine around the house. We will also be preparing to say goodbye to Jonathan as he is leaving for the Navy on January 22nd. If you have a note you would like to send him, feel free to mail it to me and I can make sure he gets it.

Hope you all are doing well!

Love, 

Kari, Micah, Blake and Seth