New Year and Chinese New Year

We had two New Year parties to ring in 2014, one on December 31st and another at the end of January to celebrate the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Horse.

On December 31st we invited lots of friends with kids to come early and bring food to share. We turned our clock forward to Canary Island (Spain) time and played a few games, ate, and then got ready to ring in the new year Spanish-style by eating twelve grapes with the twelve strokes of midnight. I tried my hand at creating a Spanish turron, which tasted amazing, but I had to cut with a knife and a hammer. Spanish tortilla and seafood were also on the menu, along with lots of finger foods.

Our second countdown included confetti (shredded paper!) and balloons. Everyone was partied out by about 8:30 Texas time, and the kids were elated to be able to stay up until waaaaaaay past midnight (wink, wink) so Jack and I had time to still get kids to bed, clean up a little, and hang out with his sister Jenny, who stopped overnight on her way back home to New Mexico. (It is now May, and I swept up a little piece of confetti a couple of days ago. The party continues...)

We had so much fun at our New Year's party, that we decided to host another party for the Chinese New Year at the end of January. The kids made paper lanterns, origami balloons, and toothpick umbrellas. We pulled out sparklers once it got dark, and we made lots and lots of sushi. I asked the H-E-B sushi stand folks about a bamboo rolling mat and nori, and I read a bunch of internet tutorials. Honestly, I may never buy sushi again. Yum!

We had fewer friends over, but just enough kids for the sparklers. Again, a success!

Time for another party...

How do you spell "peace"?

A friend gave me several printed pages and this frame as a housewarming/birthday gift a couple of years ago. I don't change it very often, and I still have a couple of pages I haven't displayed yet. I have it hanging over my stove in the kitchen where I can see it all the time, and last Thursday I retired "Charity Never Faileth" and installed "Peace, be still."

After school Jack Jack casually mentioned, "Oh, good. You finally changed the picture." Ellen looked over and exclaimed, "PEACH, be still?" I started laughing, and Jack responded, "No! PLEASE, be still." I laughed even harder, and Rose corrected them both. "PEACE, BE STILL!" Jack and Ellen looked more carefully, and then Jack said, "'Please, be still' makes more sense than 'Peach, be still.'"

Yes, yes it does. I'm going to like having this page up.

Independence

When I was a teenager, I would roll out of bed on the 4th of July, take a chair out in the front yard, and watch the community Independence Day Parade, which took all of 15 minutes. Then we all went inside for pancakes.

The parade still goes by my Dad's house, and in the past couple of years, a few friends have brought their kids for the candy and the quick parade.

We weren't there last year, because we were collecting our own candy in Idaho Falls with my sister and the rest of the city. Woodway is considerably smaller than IF.

We had 8 families and 33 people total on the lawn watching the five Woodway rescue vehicles and all of the kids riding bikes and walking after that.

Two of my sisters were there, one from way out of town, so the cousin action was fun.

Four other families from the ward came, which made it even better.

Seeing as how the fireworks didn't quite work out as planned later that night, I'm glad we had this little party.

Let's do it again next year.

Hello, old friends

Hello old friends 
There's really nothing new to say 
But the old, old story bears repeating 
And the plain old truth grows dearer every day 
When you find something worth believing 
Well, that's a joy that nothin' could take away 

And so we meet again 
After all these many years 
Did we sow the seeds we're reaping 
Now that the harvest calls us here 
It seems that love blooms out of season 
And much joy can blossom from many tears 

So old friends you must forget what you had to forgive 
And let love be stronger than the feelings 
That rage and run beneath the bridge 
Knowin' morning follows evening 
Makes each new day come as a gift.

--Rich Mullins

I'm so glad to hear from so many of you after my long break from blogging. I like to follow your blogs and know what's going on with you and your families, too. If you don't see your page linked on the right sidebar or here, let me know so I can visit you!! 

Called to serve

I have the greatest husband ever.

This is how he spent Sacrament Meeting at the end of our trip.

We were visiting a different ward.

Rose hit a new low and didn't even make it through the opening song.

Jack took her out so I could "enjoy" the meeting.

With a two-year-old who kept poking the people in front of us.

Fortunately, the people in front of us were my mission president and wife, and they thought he was the cutest little miracle ever. Their daughter was speaking in her ward before leaving on her mission to Croatia. We were close enough that we made a trip out of it and ended up the weekend with one of the greatest families on the planet.

Cassie spoke about how she decided to serve a mission, Presidente (just Brother Pelton now) taught Gospel Doctrine (It was like sitting in another amazing zone conference), and Hermana Pelton prepared a lovely lunch for the five! former missionaries and our families who were there, plus their own family and close friends. They had an egg hunt for the nearly 20 kids there, who were literally in a backyard paradise. My kids wanted to know when we could visit their ward again, and when we could go back to the Pelton's house.


How does time go by so quickly without any time passing at all?

Blogroll

Because I already lost these once when my reader discontinued.

Hillary and Adam Briscoe
the Randolph-Sengs
the Servinos
the Houghtalings
the Chiaras
the Durretts
Lane and Dianne Anderson
Jenifer Moss
the Sharps
the Whitbys
the Romers
Kyle and Julie Gropp
the Holloways
Holloway Running
Mandy and Phillip Moore
the Sjolseths
Clean Teen Fiction
Sarah Happily Every After
the Purves
the Roches
Chris Gropp
the Bennetts
Amber Kirkham
Angela Kirkham
the Albrittons
Perry's Plate
The Pioneer Woman
Gaylene Erwin Photography
the Morgans
the Stirlands
the Tilleys
the Dalleys
the Peters
Melissa
the Willinghams
BrookeThomas
the Rappleyas
the Mortensens
Carrie Homeschooling
Stephanie Nielson
Cassie Pelton
Jimmy Coulter
Lauren Cornelius
the Neals
Serving Pink Lemonade
the Jennings
Lillie Lucas Ricks

The gang's all here.

The kids were anxious one Sunday for a photo shoot with all their friends. Elijah insisted on holding Pooh, so Jack posed with Tigger for the group picture.

My sister made this awesome set of life-sized crocheted Pooh and friends.

Pooh.

Piglet.

Eeyore.

Tigger.

Mom got in on the fun, too!

Chinese

We had fun getting to know a cute family from China, here for the school year while the dad was teaching Chinese at Baylor. Before they left to return to China, the mom gave me clothes her son had grown out of for Elijah.

Most of the things were bought in the USA, but this one reminded me of things my sister brought home from Taiwan as souvenirs from her year teaching English there.

I had to really think to figure out what those little bears were supposed to be.


I'm still not sure what "Double" is. Maybe a twin. Or a spy. Good thing the others were spelled phonetically. Kind of.


What I really love that Lisa gave me are these little shoes. Way to big, but easy to get on and off, and protection for little walking feet.


And those crazy long eyelashes that curl up on their own.

And the pudgy belly and totally flat bum.

More picnic fun

Rose was interested in the swing action going on, but smart enough to keep her distance and take the opportunity to commandeer a toy she'd had her eye on all evening.

Ellen and Daddy took a turn on the swing.

Happy times, documented.

Oh yes, and this was our "let's get together for dinner before the babies are born" picnic. Megan (left) had her baby a week or so after this picture, and Regan (right) had her baby exactly a week after that.

Megan and Regan are my partners in preschool fun. We miss you!

Who needs toys?

We got together with friends for a picnic dinner on one of the days that it wasn't 100+ degrees in Lubbock. I'd forgotten about these pictures until we recently uploaded all the pictures from our camera to our computer.

I love how the three older kids have convinced their siblings to push them on the swing.

They were really getting going here.

End of the ride.

Or maybe one more push. Or two. Or twenty.

Good times, good times.

The corn maze

Our trip to "The Maize" this year was an event.

Pumpkin portraits:



Rose riding backpack-style:


Jack found marker number 9! We're almost through.


The whole (older) gang:


On top of the bridge:


We are waaaay up there:


Down the steps on the other side:


We're so high!


This is the clue sheet to help us make the right turns:


Nothing like wide, hard-packed paths in high corn stalks to bring on running in children. We made it through in record time. It's a good thing they almost always chose the right way the first time.


It was windy, chilly, and a welcome departure from the 90-degree weather of the week before.


Also fun -- the hay bale maze for tots.


The animals: sheep, hens, ducks, goats, a gigantic pig


This is a particularly cute animal:


This one is a climber:


Almost free! (Or about to jump in with the goats.)


Ellen wanted to end it all up with her own pumpkin portrait:


Happy fall fun!