30 Years

December 14th

I figured before I fell guilty of doing what seems so easy to do this time of year, that I would take the time to count the blessings of my 30th birthday. With winter here and Christmas knocking at everyone's doors it is hard for others to be able to find the leisure time to meet for a birthday celebration, other than that of our Lord on Christmas. With this in mind, my wonderful husband and mom decided they were going to celebrate my birthday early. These are the pictures of said gathering. (Notice the shorts on the baby, the short sleeve, and better yet, the green grass they are sitting upon.)

I've heard of Christmas in July so why not my birthday in JULY?! It was such a wonderful display of love. Although strange to be celebrating my day in my bathing suit (notice no pictures of that) I would have to say the best part was to watch 9 children celebrate my birthday in our swimming pool. It was such a nice reminder of how blessed we are to have family and friends and to be able to share our blessings right there at our home with them.

(No, that little girl in the middle of the pool with her face down in the water is not drowning...that is Skylar, she likes to practice holding her breath under the water. Then she likes to flip her long, wet hair back and listen to it splash. "Because it's so long, mommy.") My mom had come down and planned on a 'mother/daughter' day. That was not unusual considering I needed some time for adult conversation which she is so frequently telling me. So we went to breakfast, and planned to go to this new store. Adam was supposedly home getting the kids ready to go to the library to meet the mascot for the Wildcats baseball team. I frequently asked how he was doing getting them ready. See I already had them dressed to go but it was that little girls long beautiful hair that scares that strong man. It is like a wild beast sometimes and taming that animal is just not in Adam's job description. I could not believe that it took him 20 minutes to do those piggies. Just teasing.

I did not catch wind of anything suspicious happening on that day until my mom was receiving phone calls and rushing me out of this amazing store. Friends and family were now waiting in the driveway for us. (Sorry, for the details on this one. You know who you are. I just want to recall the day how it was.)

My December birthday was not quite as eventful, though nice and calm for what it was, a December birthday. I dropped the kids off at school, did some laundry, then went to get Skylar and bring her to the Buckland Mall to make Dustin's Christmas present. I packed a lunch, parked under the food court so we could see the van from the second floor window, and headed inside. The excitement that came over Skylar, who does not get to see the mall, was priceless. She was amazed with the size of the building, the glass elevator we got to ride in, the tall Christmas trees inside, and even just being on the second floor and watching people walk under us.

The indoor fountain...
Then to top it off we got to ride the carousel. "Mommy, can we just sit on it and pretend." Feeling generous on my day, I splurged and spent the two dollars and let them ride it. Skylar totally enjoyed it. Kamden not so much, though tolerant in my arms. Then to be able to make a Build-A-Bear to give to Dustin was the highlight of her trip. This camouflage bear screams Dustin. There was one casualty of the day... (can't figure out how to turn this counterclockwise, so tilt you head to the right. He is running himself over with the stroller.) We grabbed my birthday dinner and ice cream at Big Y then headed home to get Dustin. Dinner was good but birthday ice cream is better. Thanks all.
(Thanks for the picture, Dustin. He is our little birthday, king. Everyone has to have a wonderful birthday and he is sure to try to make it as wonderful as he can on your special day.)

Before I Forget

I seem to be doing well this month keeping up with my blogging. But I wanted to be sure to get this one in.

Jolly Old St. Nicholas lean your ear this way

listen all you little souls to what I'm going to say...

These are the words I am sure Mrs. Lusa wished Skylar had said out loud as she proclaimed to her classmates, "Santa is not real, it is just someone dressed up." She was sure to tell her little friend that elves are not real either.

When later asked, she was sure to tell you that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. Now you supporters of teaching Santa to your children, do not condemn me yet. We have parented this matter through the means of avoidance. Not my typical style of parenting but I was unsure of how to teach this one that I just let it play itself out.

One of the reasons for not teaching our children that a strange man in a red suit comes in our house in the middle of the night while you are sleeping and leaves presents is... well, listen to the statement. With a 3 1/2 year old boy and a 1 1/2 year old, we did not want to add to any of Dustin's anxieties and I like sleep. So thus started the questionable debat. It is 3 years later and we are still in limbo of how to politically address this topic.

We do not have gifts that magically appear under the tree with the label, "From Santa" on them. There are, however, 3 gifts per child (as Jesus is sharing His birthday and that is what He got on His birthday) and there are gifts addressed to "The Garrisons" as it is nice to share. Each child has had the loving pleasure of chosing the "right" gift that they want to GIVE to their sibling. The joy that comes over their faces as they hand out that gift that they have been waiting to GIVE is so rewarding. In a later post I will show you what I mean.

I have been told by a previous employer that I am disfunctionally honest. Maybe that is why I have deprived my children of your views of Christmas spirit. But if you ask them, I think they are just fine. This is as close as we get to a man in a red suit. I'll take that. I guess we know why my children become silent when people ask, "Are you ready for Santa?"

Let It Snow

These are the words I think I heard dancing around in the minds of my children. Dustin awoke and came running to me saying, "Look it snowed and it stayed." Last Wednesday the 9th was the real, first snow for us. You can measure that by the official first snow day from school and work (daddy). I guess I am guilty of that too. My daycare kids do not come on snow days, typically, due to their parents staying home with siblings. Dustin and Skylar were out in the snow faster than they could even dress themselves. They headed out to feed the cats, as they do every morning. Only this morning they were not fighting over who did not want to feed them. They went together, in their pj's.

Skylar was quick to splat down for her first snow angel of the season. Daddy was in search of the perfect target. Dustin hoping it would be him. Kamden not sure what to think of it. "Up, up..." This little fireman seems to be more acclimated to the warm weather festivities, sand and water.Skylar and I were sure to get a snowman built. We went old school and had to make the pieces. No snowman kit here.

I do like the snow. It is so fun to have a snow day even when you are an adult. Now I am awaiting enough snow to go sledding. Dustin and I are in strong competition for who wants it more. It's coming, bug.

Bus Ride

This over protective mother finally let her little girl ride the bus home from school. No these pictures are not from the beginning of school, you can tell by the snow in the background. Skylar has waited for the day that mommy would let her take the hour long bus ride home. Yes, that is an hour for preschoolers.

My opinion, which is not shared by many, is that even 4 year old girls learn more on the bus than you are comfortable with them learning. Songs like 'I Kissed a Girl and Liked It' boyfriend/girlfriend stuff, and who knows what else. Don't get me wrong, I know that I can not shield her from everything but subjecting her to that for an hour with little adult input is not my thing. Of all the bus drivers, I do feel comfortable with her driver, Miss Colleen. She seems to do well monitoring the behavior of the kids and she understands what is appropriate for children and what is not. But we do not always know if her driver will be driving on any given day.

I had prepared Skylar for the potential that I was going to allow her to go and gave her a magnetic drawing board and dog to play with on the bus. Then told her teacher that depending on how my shopping was going, that I would call and send her on the bus. I cruised around Walmart with my hour and a half, putting pictures into the one hour photo, grabbing gifts and headed to check out. I prayerfully accepted that it would make more sense to call the school and send her on the bus. So I called. Hey, an hour leway.

Skylar got off the bus with a smile. I asked her where her gloves were, thinking she would not remember them if they were on the seat next to her. But she confidently told me, "In my backpack, mommy." Good Job. Then as the bus pulled away, "My dog! It's on the bus." Now don't tell me I don't know my daughter. We ran to the end of the road and caught the driver as she made the round, got the dog and headed back home. Maybe we'll do it again some day but I enjoy that 45 minutes with Skylar to catch up on her day. We each share three things that we did when we were away from eachother. The car ride home is a great time for that before the daycare girls arrive. I think I'll keep that time.

Cookie Day

Now, you may say this comment comes only because it is written by a December baby but...I think this is a beautiful sight!!! New England winter, here we are. My sister-in-law,Rachel, decided to start a new family tradition. With our children 6 months apart for the boys and 1 year apart for the girls, she decided they would like some play time together. So with the plan of making and decorating cookies and spending some leasurly time watching football, she planned a cookie day. The plan was to eliminate the hastle part of making cookies by having each family make the dough at home. Then we would have the 5 kids decorate her already baked and cooled gingerbread and the adults would bake off the dough.

I used to bake with my children, or child, when it was just Dustin. Then it seemed to get to be too much for my children to nicely handle. So, with little baking experience under their belts, I decided to let them help. Afterall, baking with your children is a fun and enjoyable memory, right. This is how we started the event. With tears flowing from both me and Dustin, we cleaned up the broken measuring cup that only one ingredient made it into. As he was packing down the brown sugar, he slid it off the counter. Opps.

But we managed to make it through and had our 2 doughs to bring. Kamden did not get to make the cookies but certainly enjoyed the cleanup.

With daddy staying home due to a potential kidney stone, I again headed out the door with tears in my eyes from Skylar's comment. "Daddy's not going? But this is supposed to be a family thing." I agreed. But last minute he said he was staying home. All in all, we had a good time, though we missed our fifth member. The kids really enjoyed making and decorating the cookies. I am not sure who enjoyed this moment the most...Kamden snagging the red hots or grandpa watching him eat them off his decorated gingerbread kitty. Skylar took the project on as if it were an artists masterpiece. Shayla enjoyed decorating with and testing each ingredient to make sure it was suitable for decorating. The boys were even able to slip outside for some snow play. Our first countable snow, atleast at their house. (We cannot take the credit for the sweet little snowman. Evan proudly made him and showed him off. It was the first thing he said as we walked in the door. Oh, to be a child again:)Even with no naps, the kids behaved wonderfully, even Kamden who, by the time we got home, was exhausted.

So sweet to capture him finding that comfort and rest in the arms of his big brother. Dustin, you are such a great big brother to him.

"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree"

We have an unwritten rule in our house, the tree must be up and fully decorated by my birthday, December 14. That is not expecting too much. This year we got a head start and planned for our tree day. Knowing that things get a little cramped around mid December we went the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Wow, are people giving me a hard time about that one. And to top it off, I only had 6 more people left to shop for as of that point as well.

So we rallied up our family of five, bundled with warm pants, mud boots, and hats and headed to the tree farm. We even remembered to bring a blanket along to keep our first choice warm while mommy ran around comparing the other choices to the first. Each child had their desired job and all went well. Everyone even got a chance to take a cut at the trunk. Then, if that were not fun enough, we ended the trip with a loving snuggle from a chocolate lab named, Dakota. You guessed it, everyone reminisced about our old lab, Checotah. Then the man sent us in for the ending treat of candy canes. "Mommy, they even have rainbow ones, " I heard as I ran to catch up. I had to get Dustin to take this picture so there was proof that I was there. Nice picture, bug.

The set up actually went better than expected with the group the age that they are. Don't get me wrong, I did not say it went without a hitch. I said "better than expected". The excitement that each child expressed as they got to put their decorations on was more than I thought it was to be. I got, "Thank you, mommy" from Skylar as she saw each of the ones she placed on the tree. See we have a tradition that each child gets a new ornament each year to symbolize something special that they liked or did in the year. Skylar thanked me as if I bought them all for her this year. I was so pleased she approved. The finished product.

Thanksgiving

This year we had Thanksgiving dinner at dad and Joan's house. It was a small group and seemed a little different than years past, almost like something was missing. To our surprise the Beales showed up a little earlier and put some added smiles on the kids' faces. Grammy Nome was eager to get the kids started on her crafting frenzy that she had been planning and preparing for for hours, and I do mean many. This was just a taste of the girly stuff that Skylar was going to be able to get her hands on, the gems for the purses that Grammy Nome had sown for the girls to decorate to give away to their friends for Christmas. The boys were to be busy at work in the workshop making something for their rooms. Dustin made a toy chest/table. Can't beat woodwork when you are 6!

Then there is always the children who have gotten ahold of the olives. Now don't pretend that you have never done this.

Thanksgiving Traditions 11/21

With the blessing of extended families and the newly added miles between existing, we are creatively finding ways to comfortably work in time with those that are dear to us. So for a couple of years now we have started a new tradition of going to my mom's the weekend before Thanksgiving to celebrate. It seems to work best this way for the Waite family to get to spend some relaxing time together. All in all there are 16 of us that sit down for a Thanksgiving meal. I have never had to host a Thanksgiving dinner and feel blessed for that. I also did not realize how much I actually enjoy the time in the kitchen preparing the meal with my mom and sister until I thought Brandi was going to miss this year.

To my surprise, Friday night as we were settling the kids down from the 3 hour ride, Brian pops his head into my room to say they had arrived. Although happy to see the boys and Phill had a safe trip, I realized I desired for my sister to be there. "Hi," she pops her head in the room to say, "we made it." Then casually walks out. "Wait, you are here," I jump up to give her a hug. So the family was together to take walks by the stream, split wood, go to the craft fair down at the two-town school, relax and play hand-held video games, and watch Christmas movies. Skylar's must have entertainment, to spend time snuggling on Nana's bed with Abby. But she did do more than just lounge around. Daddy and Skylar collected a pail full of acorns and apples to feed to the deer. Her and Papa are going to make a pile for them. Here are 'the boys' all coming back from ???? Look now, this seems to be the only picture I have of Dustin. He is always on the run out there. I am so accustomed to running around and doing so much at home that it is nice to take the time to just sit and relax and it is a fine place and time to do just that. I found myself just sitting on a bench and sneaking a peak at Adam playing baseball in the yard with the kids. He is famous for that. Just to sit and watch the memories that are being made is wonderful. I also found a moment to sneak down to the waterfall by myself to take a few pictures. What an amazing piece of creation, just flowing through your yard. The sound and the sight were equally beautiful. It was not long before I was found. What a relaxing time.

I will say that it was a better trip this time knowing that the sound my van was making last time, was not going to happen this time. We had just brought it in 4 days prior to have it checked out. The mechanic found that there was a belt that was going and was able to repair it. It is so nice to know the Lord watches over us. As we started our trip, we got as far as Manchester and saw this on the front of a truck as a reminder that He does...Can't beat that for Christmas lights.