Friday, December 31, 2010

Kevin's birthday and the last week of the year

Kevin's birthday is a big deal around here. It's the day after Christmas so I always make it a point to have it feel as special as possible.

This year was extra challenging as it fell on a Sunday. We both woke up tired, but our church starts at 9:00am, it's not entirely unexpected. However, once we got to church we both knew it was more than just tired. We were sick.

But the end of the afternoon neither of us could move due to chills, fever, and immensely achy body. Apparently the kids got their wish of the rule of Christmas day, eat whatever you want, whenever you want, to continue because we were too sick to feed our children. I'm ashamed to admit just how much fudge they consumed. And frankly I don't think I was aware enough to be able to tell you.

It was the worst birthday Kevin ever had.

We didn't think too much of it. We would just make up for it the next day.

When we woke up the next morning we were feeling horrible, by that evening we decided to call our good friends for some blessings and Tues. we dragged our sick bodies to the doctors.

Viral bronchitis.

Thankfully, I was over the worst of it by them. But Kevin had it pretty bad still.

AND Tennyson, Sanders, and Beckham woke up not feeling well.

Thurs. I felt a TON better. Kevin was still sick.

Friday, today, I am 90% healed! Hooray! It's so nice to be vertical for more than an hour at a time. Kevin? I'd say he's probably 60%. He's getting there. The boys are doing better as well.

What a week.

We were supposed to go to Grandma Candace's for a New Year's Eve party tonight. Looks like we will be partying on our own. Good thing we like each other.

Happy New year!!

Halfy birthday Tennyson and Karaia's dance recital and Beckham's first lost tooth

First, just a few random, cute pictures of Sanders. Looks like he's found his "cheese" face for the camera.

Another random, but quick mini post. Karaia and Beckham are in their school choir. They got to preform at the light ceremony. It was SUPER crowed this year and there were no good spots so I don't really have a good picture of them. But they did a nice job.
On Dec. 11th Karaia had a dance recital. Another crowed venue. However, even though we didn't all have chairs to sit in we were able to see the performances really well.

OH WAIT! This REALLY should be a post all it's own. But after the week we've had I am just lucky it will be posted in 2010.

BECKHAM LOST HIS FIRST TOOTH!!!!! He was SO excited. It practically fell out all on it's own it was so loose. He lost it on Dec. 10.  Isn't he a cutie?

Karaia did an incredible job with her tap dancing. I had no idea she was so talented in that area. She looked like she was having fun and she new all the steps to a very long song. We were so proud!!! Way to go Karaia!!!





As with most schools, Tennyson's preschool celebrates summer birthdays as close to their halfy birthdays as they can get. For Tennyson that fell on Dec. 14th.

I ADORE his teacher, Ms. Karen. She is an amazing teacher and combines lots of fun activities with lots of learning. Tennyson has grown so much this year.

She also happens to be really good at tying balloons. When it's your birthday celebration, you get a special hat made by her.
And you and all your friends get balloon swords to wield around and have imaginary battles with each other.
Tennyson loved his special day and I was happy to be a part of it.


Decorating the tree and a Surprise!

On December 4 we did something we had not ever done before as a family. We brought home a real, previously alive, Christmas tree! The smell was amazing.

It was the perfect Christmas tree for are home. Tall enough to reach the ceiling (Karaia's request) but not too wide as to crowd the already fought for living space (My request).

Let the decorating begin!















At least they are all looking in this one.


Sanders loved the little book advent calendar

By the end it was heavily decorate on the bottom and in the middle. It wasn't anything fancy, but we'd done it as a family and we loved it.

Later that day, Kevin had said he was going to take me out to dinner for my 31st birthday (my birthday is on the 9th but there was a TON going on that day so this was going to be the only we had). He said his mom was able to squeeze us in but she didn't have much time. She would be here at 5 pm and but she needed to leave at 6:30.

"You only set aside an hour and a half to celebrate my birthday?"

"It will be OK."

"But only an hour and a half?"

"Emilie.....it will be OK."

The knowing way he said it made me stop in my tracks. It was my first glimmer that there may be more. But I wasn't going to jump to conclusions. I was already a little bummed that we only had a short amount of time to spend for my birthday and I wasn't about to get my hopes up only to set myself up for disappointment.

Besides, the day had gone really smoothly. Kevin didn't seem extra stressed. He wasn't doing any extra cleaning. We were just having a really low key, decorate the tree and the house for Christmas day. Other than that, it was pretty normal.

I was trying to get in the mood to make the most of the time we did have. About 20 minutes before Candace showed up my suspicions were peaked again when Kevin pointed to something on the island, sadly known for always being a bit cluttered with my stuff, and asked if I was going to put the one lone thing on it away. This way only curious because he NEVER asks if I am going to put anything away. He knows I work hard with the kids and he knows if it hasn't been put away yet, there is a reason. AND only ONE thing on the island is fantastic for me. So for him to notice let alone say anything made me rethink, but not totally commit, to the idea that there was more than I knew about going on.

We went to dinner at Lonestar. We had not been in years and now we remember why. It didn't really help my mood that I was trying to create. Not only did I have a limited amount of time to enjoy with Kev but now I pick a restaurant that was not worth the money.

The one good thing was we were out of there fast so we had some time to window shop. Many of you may not now this, but Kevin is not a shopper. However, he will shop with me and is very pleasant company. He never rushes me and feigns honest interest in what we  are looking at.

As we were in Pier One Kevin's phone started ringing, and ringing, and ringing. Which is in of itself not super unusual. What is unusual is that he would walk away from me every time it rang.

Hmmmm.....

Finally, the appointed time to return arrived. I told myself not to expect anything. I told myself all the curiosities could be explained. I told myself not to ruin this for Kev.

As it turns out, I have a pretty amazing husband. And all thought I was not totally surprised, I was totally overwhelmed.







A surprise Birthday Party for me! My first one ever. Of course I cried. That's what I do.
Thank you to everyone who helped out or where able to come!! I felt very loved and very special. I know Kevin had been planning this for weeks and most of that time I had no idea. (plus, I've always been very good at solving a mystery)  It was a wonderful way to start celebrating my 31 st birthday. THANK YOU KEVIN!!!!

And as my dad pointed out, 31 candles makes a lot of light. That means I'll only get brighter as the years come and go. I don't see that as a bad thing when I have all these people to share it with.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

The after party

When you get baptized on the very day of your birth you have double to celebrate. I didn't want to overwhelm to special feeling of the baptism, but I still wanted Karaia to feel like it was her birthday.
It's hard to make a room at the church feel "festive" but I did my best.
Pom poms, in pink, yellow, and white, balloons, glitter straw, and candy.


My sister had the great idea of getting some pictures of Karaia growing up and placing them around the room. It was so fun to go through all those pictures and remember just how my little baby, my first born, got to be to this point.

I didn't take a single picture of the room when all the food and people where in place. So if you did, PLEASE send me pictures!!

Karaia loved it. I think for a church room we did OK. If I had more time I would have done more. But the day turned out perfect. I hope everyone else enjoyed that day as much as I did.