Catching Up, Again.

I hate it when I let things slide and I don't keep up on the blog. October through Christmas just got busy for us and I didn't want to take the time to update and share. Now, I'm overwhelmed and everyone is just going to have a shortened version of events :)

October 2012 was a very exciting month! Rob's family came out to see us for a few days. Was so good to see everyone! My kids were able to play games and hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Beasley AND GREAT Grandma and Grandpa Beasley! What great memories. We also enjoyed time with aunts and uncles.

Four generations!

Following our time with them we immediately took off for California to Disneyland. We've been saving up for this trip for awhile now and finally the time had come we could go. We had a BLAST!!! We were able to enjoy the park for 4 days. The best part was Celest and Karen met us down there for the first two days. That was such a relief as they knew all the ins and outs and we didn't have to lose time trying to figure things out. Definitely helped to have 2 extra sets of hands :) They even took the little kids for us at one point so that Rob and I could go enjoy some time alone with the older two. It is something we want to do again in the future, when Meredith and Seth are old enough to really enjoy it. Poor Seth-every night we climbed into the shuttle back to the hotel he fell asleep as soon as he sat down. I will do things a little differently next time. Four days in the park was fun but we had no break. Next time I'd like to be down there for 5 days and split the four days up. Have a day in the middle to just chill. It was fun but man our feet hurt and we were all so tired. I was so grateful for the 2 day car ride home as it gave my feet time to heal.  I didn't think I'd ever be able to walk again!!


 Nathaniel celebrated his 15th bday at Disney. We got him a special pin that said it was his birthday so cast members and even other park goers would wish him Happy Birthday!


















Elizabeth turned 10 at the end of October. We had a quiet family party at home.

The kids all went out trick or treating for Halloween. Well, Nathaniel was going to but he got with his friends and they decided they didn't want to so he was home early. Finally too old :)

November was quiet, we had Thanksgiving here with my Dad. He bought us a yummy ham and we had all the other fixings. We just have never been turkey people. Not very often we actually cook up a turkey. Rob had the week off so that was nice. He helped me get some things organized in my sewing room. I was starting another quilt project and needed it cleared out. It tends to turn into the junk room when I'm not using it :)

December, of course, brought in getting ready for Christmas. I wasn't able to put out the decorations I wanted to (same with Halloween) as Meredith is at that age where she will NOT leave anything alone. So only things I could put up and out of her reach came out. I even decorated my white tree for downstairs and ended up undecorating it because she couldn't leave the bulbs alone, at all. She is quite the stinker these days. I gave up trying to teach her to leave them alone as she'd just go and do it as soon as I left the room. So, gave up and put all the bulbs back in their boxes and we had a plain ol' white tree downstairs.
We went out with my Dad and Beth to get a real tree for upstairs. The kids had fun decorating it, I pretty much let them at it now and they do a pretty good job. It was funny to see that over the following few weeks the ornaments were eventually located higher and higher up the tree. Meredith couldn't leave those alone either. So eventually the bottom 3 feet of the tree was bare. Maybe next year. She is the only one who just couldn't leave the ornaments alone.

We got to see Celest and Karen for a couple of days again. They try every year to come down around Christmas Eve. The quilt I was making was for them. Biggest I've ever made. I ended up needing Rob's help while I quilted it. Such a great guy, he'd just stand there holding the bulk of the quilt for me so it wouldn't fall off the table while I quilted it. It was going to be my most favorite quilt ever but then we washed it and one of the fabrics bled all over the quilt. It was all I could do to keep from crying. After all that work, to see it ruined. Of course they were gracious and said they loved it. All these years of quilting and I've NEVER had a fabric bleed. Ever! Everything was pre-washed, there were no signs of a fabric having bled on the others in the wash. So I have no idea what happened.

The quilt before it was ruined :(

We had a nice Christmas here at home. Dad joined us later in the day. Everyone received some really nice gifts. Was just a nice, laid back day. Elizabeth composed a song for Christmas called Midnight Christmas. I tried to put it up here once but it wouldn't work. I will try again to get it to work, it is a fun song. She amazes me with her talent for music!

A few days after that was our annual yurt trip. We did things a little differently this year. Rob took the kids and I stayed home. I know GASP!!! But it worked out really well for both of us and we each had a good time. Rob knew I needed some time away from the kids, I love to home school but it takes it toll when I don't get a break from them, which hasn't happened since I had Meredith. So he offered to take the kids and let me stay home. Rob had a fun time with the kids, the weather was gorgeous for them, and he even got some really nice pictures while down there. I was able to start and finish a quilt for myself, a wall hanging that is now up in my sewing room. I was able to sleep when I wanted and enjoy the quiet. Meredith is a screamer and it was heavenly to not have to listen to her for a few days. But it was good to have them all home with me again! I did miss them all :) The down part was everyone (but Rob) got sick with this stupid head cold that is STILL lingering. So there were a few things that I had wanted to do but couldn't because I just didn't feel well.

Now here it is the New Year! New adventures to look forward to!

And ACK!! Since writing the above another month has passed and it is now March. Sadly, not much more has happened. We all got sick again and that lasted about 4 weeks from start to finish. We had everything from runny noses to pneumonia and bronchitis. SOO happy that is over with. No more sickness, it's not allowed.

The weather did get warm enough this past Friday (March 1) to take the kids to the zoo. We were having some serious technical difficulties at home. That kept us from getting any amount of school work done so I said "Bag it!" and piled the three kids in the car and we took off. 1/2 of Portland thought it was a gorgeous day as well but we managed to find a parking spot and got in. We had a very enjoyable time and it was good to get out in the fresh air away from the stresses of blown up computers and dead iPods (which is the only device that contains my complete calendar, grrrrr). Since then Rob has managed to fix my laptop and I'm busy scanning in assignments that needed to be turned in. Such a relief to have it back up and running again. The iPod Touch is another matter. Rob has no hope of getting any of the info off of there which just makes me sick as I have pictures and videos of the kids on there that I probably won't get back. Not to mention the calendar. That will teach me to rely too much on technology! Ug.