Makin' Plans

Christmas Recap:

Eric came down with the flu on the Sunday before we left for CA (on Tuesday!). Which meant that he immediately quarantined himself in his office and I had to do all of the prep for our trip by myself. Poor guy was still feeling pretty bad on Tuesday when we all got up around 4 am to travel and he stayed masked the whole day as we did the long trek- drive to the park-n-fly, shuttle to the airport, wait for our flight (which was delayed), board plane, wait on maintenance checks for half an hour, finally get in the air and fly to CA then not be able to land and have to circle for another little while because too many planes came into SFO at the same time, deboard, get luggage (thankfully nothing lost this time), take sky train to the rental car center, get rental car, install overpriced rental carseats (we didn't realize Levi would need on because he's under 8 and they charged us $100 each for Levi and Emery's boosters even though they are the super cheap ones that are like $40 from Walmart. Talk about making bank on something!), drive the 2 hour drive to my parents' house with a stop for Eric to puke and a stop for the rest of us to have lunch and then finally make it there. I mean, everything went smoothly for the most part but it still felt like a marathon. Once at my parents' house, Eric quarantined again in the queen bedroom until evening the next day when he was finally better and had been 24 hours fever free. And all the efforts we took paid off and thankfully none of the rest of us came down with his sickness and since then we have finally all stayed well! Being out of school and daycare definitely helps haha. 

Being in CA with my family for Christmas was so nice. It had been a while since I was in Santa Rosa in the winter and I had forgotten how beautiful and almost mystical it feels there with the fog and the trees. It was rejuvenating for me to be in such a beautiful place where I feel so much connection. Eric and I went for a walk with just Isla and talked about how lucky we both were growing up that we got to roam so much nature- him out on the ranch and me out in the big field in the middle of hillsboro circle and then Annadel as I got older. I, of course, did not realize when I was young how incredibly privileged I was to have so much natural beauty around me so close and the freedom to explore it- to climb the trees, try to catch the frogs and salamanders, pick the flowers and make bark "stew." Eric and I both wondered aloud how much these experiences shaped us growing up. We want the same opportunities for our kids- but it's not that easy. Where we live our backyard- while we've worked hard to make the most of it- is still just a smallish fenced area of grass, a single young tree, a struggling crepe myrtle and a little strip of crazy wild salvia and lantana all of which go completely into hibernation into the winter so the kids' area to "explore" is basically a brown patch. I try to take them to parks regularly but while there are some great playgrounds- the only thing close to a hiking trail is out at Erwin Park a 20 min drive away which is just too far in our busy lives for regular visits. Even their school experience is so incredibly different than my own. We took the kids to play at Strawberry (my elementary school growing up) I just wish my kids could go to a school like that- with a huge field, bordered by a lush creek, multiple recesses a day and lunch eaten outside. But my poor Levi gets just a single half hour outdoor recess all day and it's in essentially a caged playground with astroturf on the ground- it's honestly very depressing. But at the same time, there is much good about this area we have chosen to raise our children for now. We love being close to Eric's family, I love my job, the kids have great schools (aside from the lack of outside time), we have a good ward with lots of kids to be friends with ours and we love the conveniences and experiences offered by the metroplex- tons of restaurants, pro soccer and hockey teams, great and close hospitals, an international airport relatively close and things to do with the kids like trampoline parks and gymnastics gyms. Not to mention the cost of living here versus where my parents live! 

Anyway, I have digressed. Christmas break was great. It was so nice to be with all my family under one roof. I was especially so happy to get to meet my new niece baby Ava and hold and snuggle her. And to get to play games together as a family. I also got to meet up with Lauren Holmes for lunch one day and it was so good to get to catch up with her and chat. The kids also had a great time in CA. Isla LOVED grandpa and would often wander off to find him and snuggle and play with him. It was adorable. Here are some pictures from the trip:

I pretty much NEVER play my own piano but every time I go home I take time to play my parents'! Isla had a great time playing the piano too. 

It was just so cute how much Isla loves my dad! 

Isla and Patrick were cute together also. They did a little fighting over toys but also some really cute games of pass and also peek-a-boo with grandma and grandpa's closet. 

One of my favorite activities: going for a little kid-friendly hike up in Annadel. 

Emery's enthusiasm for life was especially fun to watch on Christmas morning! She just brings so much zest to our family! 

Eric and sweet baby Ava! 

Enjoying my snuggle time.

Levi loved being able to play dominion with the adults. He's gotten pretty good at it! 

So glad we caught a picture of our whole family together! 

Levi and Emery both got new puzzles for Christmas and had fun doing them with us. 

A highlight of the trip for the kids was going iceskating for the first time. I was really glad we went during "puppy skate" where they had chairs and buckets for the kids to use. Made it so much better haha

Now that we're home from CA and settling back into our daily routines, Eric and I have been taking some time to plan out our year. I'm excited for all the adventures we have coming up from our anniversary trip to New Zealand, Martino family reunion this summer in Nagadoches, TX, Walker Hayes concert, and many fun dates and family activities. And meanwhile through all of this our kids keep growing and maturing right before our eyes! 

Levi is slowly getting better at reading and gave a great talk in Primary today. He is back in Ninja class as of Monday and getting a little braver when it comes to heights! 

He took this picture of himself on his new polaroid camera and I swear it's like a preview of him as a teenager. 

Emery, our sassy girl, is growing like a weed and her hair is too! She has gotten so tall and her hair has gotten so long! She is still very nurturing towards Isla and is very firm in her convictions. She has big feelings and loves dressing up and doing art. 

Before Christmas, Eric took Emery on a sweet Daddy-daughter date to see the Nutcracker ballet. We thought she would love it because she loves dance but we probably should have managed her expectations a little better because it was a little long for her and she was ended up disappointed because she didn't get to meet the prima ballerina at the end like in her book Angelina Ballerina where Angelina gets to go the ballet, meet the ballerina and the ballerina gives her a pair of signed pointe shoes. Sorry Emery. Haha. 

This picture is just so Emery. In her new Anna dress and ready with a pose.

She also got curlformers for Christmas and I was really surprised how well they worked for her! She stayed nice and still while I put them in and didn't complain that they hurt at all when I took them out. And her hair curled better than I expected! 

Little Isla is growing up way too fast for me. She moved up a daycare class and now takes one nap a day which at daycare is on a little cot with her nap roll. I can't even handle that. She is starting to talk more and now sometimes says "no" "hi" "go" "up" and "dada" as well as "mamam" when she wants something. She also signs "more" "help" "please" and "all done." She struts around the house and school like she owns the place and has started to get a mischievous sense of humor. She still gives just the best hugs and kisses and her laugh is everything to me. 

She loves being outside and will bring me her coat and shoes to ask to go out. 

Sooo cute with her pout about the cold. 

But happy when she was free to move around. 

She just wants to be big enough to play on the trampoline with her siblings and their friends. 

The other big part of my life lately has been my hair. My curly girl journey continues and I am really loving the results although it is definitely more high maintenance than my previous practically no maintenance hair. I just started using Vida Bars shampoo bars and I LOVE them. I honestly had low expectations from bar shampoo and couldn't imagine it lathering well but it seriously has such a nice lather and I love going plastic-free. 

This was my first really wavy day.

And now it's curling up even more.

I can barely believe that this is my hair just with some curly jelly, plopping and drying with the diffuser! 

So yeah, our life is busy and a little crazy but oh so full and I am so grateful for it! 

I absolutely love Isla's little smirk in this picture. 

This is probably one of my all-time favorite pictures!!

Emery, "Mom! Take a picture of us!" Me: Happily obliges

Flu-giving

 11/24- So we've actually had a bit of a rough last several weeks. I got into not one but TWO accidents in two separate rental cars. Enterprise is never going to rent to me again haha. Also, we've all been sick for forever it feels like. First, Levi got the stomach flu and missed all the Halloween activities. Then Eric got it. Then the next weekend Isla got it and threw up 17 times in  12 hours until we got some prescription zofran for her. Then I got it and was completely wiped out and couldn't get out of bed for almost 2 whole days. Then Levi came down with the flu which then turned into pneumonia! He had a fever for 6 straight days and felt awful until we got antibiotics onboard. Then Eric got the flu and now Isla has a gnarly cough and runny nose and then I woke up this morning super fatigued and with a runny nose, earache, sore throat and muscle aches. I feel like all of the germs are super bugs now. I give my kids probiotics and elderberry daily and have been washing my hands so much they are cracking. We've been keeping blankets Levi uses separate, being extra careful not to share food or utensils and trying to keep the kids out of each others' faces and I always wear a mask at work. And yet- we can't seem to stay healthy.

12/4- So yeah, turns out I did come down with the flu on Thanksgiving (thankfully I had worn a mask to family dinner) and I ended up sick with a fever for 5 days! So... I missed out on all of Eric's family reunion activities and spent all my Thanksgiving break just lying in bed and feeling awful :(. I'm finally better but still battling congestion and sinus headaches. And poor Isla came down with another ear infection! So now she's on antibiotics as well. I'm really hoping all this means we're just getting all of our sickness out of the way now so we'll be healthy when we go to CA for Christmas! Only a couple weeks away and I'm so excited! I can't wait to meet sweet baby Ava!! 

What with being totally out of commission all of Thanksgiving break, December totally snuck up on me this year! We weren't decorated for Christmas and didn't have our advent calendar ready or anything. I took the girls to the library on Friday to try to check out some Christmas books and there were literally no children's Christmas books available! The entire section was completely cleaned out! I guess we were too late to the party which is a bummer. 

So yesterday we spent the day playing catch up decorating for Christmas and doing our Christmas shopping. And we've already had our ward Christmas party which thankfully we were all well enough to go to. Then tonight we had some friends over for dinner and watched the Christmas devotional while our kids played together. It was really nice even though we didn't really catch much of the devotional thanks to Isla and their baby Treyson (who is 16 months) climbing all over all of us the whole time haha. Now we've just got two more weeks of work and school and lots and lots of handwashing and then it's off to CA!

Realized what with being sick a lot we don't have a ton of photos from the last month and a half, mostly it's Halloween, Isla mischief, me going curly and then gingerbread houses and the ward Christmas party!

I dressed up as Lillie and made Isla an Alolan vulpix costume for Halloween

Levi threw up pretty much immediately when we got to the church poor guy so we took this picture and then Levi and I turned right around and went back home so he totally missed trunk or treating.

By Halloween itself, Levi was feeling better but still not 100%. But he was well enough for me to take the kids to the nearby pumpkin patch.

It was a pretty chill thing but they got to do pony rides

And there was a little petting zoo

Most of the pumpkins were very picked over by that point so we just got one little one. No carving for us this year!

I made "graves" for dinner

And Emery helped me make witch hat cupcakes

Isla Shenanigans:

She super loves her babies

She likes to "help" play card games

She's tall enough to push the buttons on the dryer now!

And she is recently obsessed with climbing EVERYTHING

Unfortunately, she has figured out how to climb onto the couch and from there onto the sofa table and then onto the counter! I don't know how to keep her down!!

Emery played her last soccer game of the season a few weeks ago and it was only 28 deg outside! Poor girls were freezing! I've never seen a soccer game played in full-on winter gear before and I'm not super keen to repeat it! Levi missed his last two games of the season because he was sick.

 

A few weeks ago I decided to start embracing my natural waves and trying out the Curly Girl Method and I have been shocked at how my hair has responded and how curly it's gotten! I feel like I have Merida hair now and I love it! 

The day after Thanksgiving I dragged myself out of bed to participate in our annual gingerbread house decorating. We let Isla just eat/play with yogurt and sprinkles on her tray and she was perfectly happy with that!

The kids got to see Santa at the ward Christmas party!

Even though she is typically very friendly, Isla was not a fan.

Emery shared Santa's lap with her friend Londyn.