Merry Christmas

Gifts

All wrapped up.

A Christmas Bundle

Welcome to this world Ava Grace Bolles!

Our new little niece.

Congratulations Jeremy & Kristi on your beautiful baby girl.

Annabelle can't wait to meet her new little cousin and be the big girl!

What a happy Christmas indeed.

Giving Thanks

I thank my God every time I remember you.

- Philippians 1:3



Just a small representation of the many many people who have supported us through the past two years (photos we had at our fingertips this morning).

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Delicious Halloween!

The biggest treat of the Halloween weekend was having our Elizabeth here from Austin! We have missed her so very much.
After Annabelle got in her morning greetings, it was time to help Pops fill the bird feeder. All things great and small needed their treats.


Then it was time to bake a cupcake and head over to Team Kess to check out all the tricks.




The Cooks ( our neighbors ) had their house ALL SPOOKED OUT for the occasion. It was GREAT.

Then we got tired of our cupcake hat.

Once Auntie Critters joined us for the evening's festivities, it was time to turn the cupcake into a sugary sandwich.

Then it was time to make our own version of jack-o-lanterns. No pumpkin guts this year! We brewed up a nice batch of butter beer ( apple cidar, butterscotch, and a touch of rum...yuuummmm.... ), put on some spooky tunes, and got creative.

We even talked Pops into making one!

The highly enjoyable end result.

Bethy's,

Kristy's,

& Lindens.

So much fun!

The next day we thought it might be fitting to attempt a glimpse of "sort of Fall," so we went to Julian.

And then she had to go home. We miss you already Auntie Bethy!

Like I said, Delicious!

Bates Nut Farm

Goo Warning

Ok, so Annabelle is sleeping, and I just went in to check on her... you know, hear her breathe...the usual crazy mom stuff. I SWEAR I love her so much I sometimes feel I'm going to PASS OUT. You think I'm being funny? My eyes welled up typing that. I remember thinking I didn't know if I could handle being a mom for this very reason. Knowing this very thing about my personality. Being afraid of feeling THAT much. So glad I didn't listen to the nonsense in my head. I have been transformed on the matter. Transformed into not caring how much I feel because I get to be HER MOM. Transformed into Annie's Mom. And it's not that I have lost myself. Quite the opposite really. She found me.

Still Here

OOoo-Dah-LOLLY it's been a long time. What a joke of a "blogger" I have been! My apologies. There have been ample computer issues and well... just issues in general. It's even too POST for The Post Party, but I believe that my excuses are good, as I was too busy living out this wonderful life to post about it. That being said, I am relieved to have a moment to spend here, and hope to keep it more of a regular commitment again.

Much has happened that I had great intentions for clever and thoughtful publishings. As it turns out, I'm not that clever or thoughtful, so I will just mention the grandest of the grand.

July we spent fixing up the house as much as we could before the festivities of August. And then August came. We have managed to raise a 14 month old that seems to really take to life on this planet with us. It's more amazing than I have words for.

What a monumental milestone for this little family! We celebrated Annabelle's 1st birthday ( August 7th ) with oodles and oodles of company that she could not seem to get enough of. When everyone left, she kept looking around each corner for the next party. There were several the week of her birthday, since her CC ( Cousin Crystal ) turned 21, her Gram and Papa celebrated their anniversary and she had her BIG ONE on her actual birthday, and then that weekend on the 9th for the scheduled party. Sheesh! It was a whole lotta party, but so much fun. It was so good to have so much family ( and I mean all-a-youz! ) here with so much to celebrate.


And even more celebrating to come, when that goofy couple in the middle welcomes Ava Grace into the world. Annie can't wait for her new cousin!

Just a couple of weeks later, Pops and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary. To make a huge understatement , we've been through so much together. The good, the bad, the ugly...and the BEAUTIFUL. I can't imagine this life without US. He is my home.

In September we enjoyed the gift of a weekend in Sacramento with our Mercers. Auntie Mercy got into some trouble with Annie's Sacramento Sisters being here for The Little Pie's birthday ( where she held our baby for the very first time!!! ),
so we reaped the benefits of the make up for it! SUCH a nice time. Annabelle had so much fun playing with her "big sisters" Kathryn and Lauren for the first time, and then the 2nd, and 12th, and 15th, and 100th. We got to meet lots of people that have held us tight in their prayers, have the treasured and traditional Sunday dinner with Nonno, Nonna, & Tia Danielle ( Annie's adopted grandparents / auntie ) , and Miss Belle had her first swim in a pool WITH DADDY!! It was AWESOME. She absolutely loved it. What a blessed weekend.

And now we have reached October. My favorite month. Last weekend we took our 2nd annual trek to the Bates Nut Farm ( the most "sincere pumpkin patch" around!). Joining us was the fabulous "Auntie Critters" ( appropriately named because there is another fabulous Auntie Kristi, and this one has more critters than the forest does ) and her little dog too. What a great place!!! A glorious and unexpected ( for So. Cal. ) Fall photo opportunity. The Little Pie mingled with her own kind ( PUMPKINS!! ) and enjoyed her 1st pony ride!!

See? It was a lot! And I only told you about all of the FUN stuff. More to come, after it all happens of course...