Never Too Late for a New Tradition

This year I started a new tradition. I gave the kids their Christmas pajamas the day after Thanksgiving- which is the day we start celebrating the holiday. I figured we may as well get as much use out of them as we can, plus it's another way for the kids to get super excited about celebrating this wonderful time of year!

Rylin's 4!!

Rylin loved all the phone calls from her family on her big day!

Sportin her new Dora sunglasses

Rylin loves to be my helper in the kitchen!

Do you think she enjoyed herself?

Our little girl is a four year old! Her birthday was last Sunday and we had a great time at a gymnastic party for her. I've been waiting to post the pictures until I had time to write about what she is like at 4, but time is hard to find right now, so I figured I should get the pictures up before it's December!

Thanksgiving Memories

So I'm not a huge fan of Thanksgiving food, but it's really more about the holiday itself that I love. This morning I was showing my girls the parade on tv with the big balloons and telling them of how Auntie Bre and I used to watch this while Grandma Michele would look on from the kitchen, and all of a sudden I got a little nostalgic. So as I stood in my kitchen preparing food for later today, I started thinking of all of the things I associate with Thanksgiving and of all of the Thanksgivings that stand out the most to me. My mom was quite traditional in celebrating the holidays, and the older that I get the more I see how ingrained this is in me, as this year, with it just being the Goldens and us, we have the freedom to mix it up and go out of the box, but our menu consists of primarily the same dishes.

Here's my thoughts: Today I miss the Wednesday night pie social and service at church, my brothers coming home all muddy from football, celebrating with the Pieczonkas, and Tim & Sabrina, James & Samantha, and Kaitlin & Ian.

Here's the years that stick out: 1995- Breanna was so sick pregnant with the twins, she stayed upstairs all day on my parent's bed to escape the smells, but she insisted I sneak her up bites of mom's stuffing. I, being the "obedient one" was scared of getting in trouble- but she was quite convincing.

1998- My first Thanksgiving with Kevin's family in Redding. Little did I know that this town which decided to scare me with an earthquake that weekend, would be the town that would become my home and the place I would raise my children.

2001- Our last Thanksgiving with mom, too many thoughts to share.

2003- First Thanksgiving with baby Kacia, and fun game day with family and Zach & prego Megan

2005- Rylin was 2 days old and we hosted the day. I thought it would be easier that way, but I turned out to be an exhausted emotional mess. (But very thankful to no longer be pregnant!)

There's many more thoughts in this head of mine today, but the bread machine finally stopped mixing so it's time to form my last batch of rolls and get the stuffing in the oven- mom's recipe of course, afterall, we are going to Breanna's and I'm not sure she'd open the door if I brought a different one! :)

Today I am thankful for the ability to remember and reminisce. God didn't have to allow our minds the capability of remembering but He did, and today I am thankful for a head full of memories that make me smile and laugh, traditions I can teach my children, and the way I can look back and see God's gracious and kind Hands at work continually in my life. Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Festival

Rylin started off by painting Dora which I attempted to draw on with a pencil. The eyes were looking good, and even the mouth at one point, and then somehow it became a little more abstract (see below).

Kacia wanted to be independent from the beginning, and so with no real plan in play, she just picked up a brush and started going.

This is Lincoln's pumpkin. I know what you're thinking- not bad for a one year old, but a little weak for a 30 year old.

On Halloween, we gave Lincoln a mohawk. So we shaved the sides, and then he went down for his nap. The bedhead he woke up with was quite entertaining. It had so much movement and body! Oh my guy is too cute!

This was a picture I took for Kevin, so that he could see the incredible height from the side.

He was our skater boy, complete with new Vans, a Hurley t-shirt and a tiny little skateboard that spent too much time in his mouth. I liked the fact that all aspects of the costume are very practical and useful, and once you take the hair away, pretty normal.

Rylin was Dora, a little more pale than normal, but complete with an outfit that clashes just perfectly :)

Kacia was a cheerleader for WSU. This was a recycled costume of Allie's, and Kacia liked that it was for the school that Uncle Tim can't get away from. :)

So here's my pics that I never loaded from our Fall Festival. It was one of those crazy days for me, Kevin worked all day and I tried to do too many things with the kids that I became grumpy and stressed, but we survived, and for the most part- even had a little fun!

My kids make me laugh...

Here's a few funny things I heard in my home today. There's always a few quotes that make me smile everyday.

Rylin: "I put a headband on because I needed my face to be out of my hair."

Kacia: "Mom, I've got great news! I'm a real reader! It's true, I can read all the words now."

Lincoln: "Backback, backback."(With accompanied dance moves and rocking hips when Dora sings backpack, backpack)

And this conversation in the car after school:

Kacia: "Oh, I think I lost Wolly." (a small stuffed animal from Uncle James and Samantha that hangs on her backpack)

Rylin (so concerned): "Oh, Kacia, I'm so sorry. Don't be sad, I will help you find it."

Kacia (very matter of factly): "It's okay Rylin. Because, you see, I don't really need toys and stuffed animals so much anymore. When I was little like you, I did really like stuffed animals, but now that I am big I just like things like chapter books instead."

Mom: "Does that mean you don't want any toys for Christmas? Just books?"

Kacia (realizing the implications of what she had just said): "Well, that's okay, you can still get me toys- if you want. I don't care, I don't think I need books for Christmas...."

STOP YELLING!!!

BE PATIENT! CALM DOWN! STOP YELLING! Sadly these are phrases that I find coming out of my mouth more times than I'd like to admit. And the majority of the times that I am "loudly proclaiming" these statements to my girls, I simultaneously recognize this ironic truth in my behavior- that I am acting just as much out of control as they are.

This last Monday, as I sat under biblical teaching, I was convicted, greatly, greatly convicted. My oldest daughter is what some would call passionate and dramatic, and what we often call, overly emotional, quick to anger, and a huge drama queen. We have days, weeks and even months where I see progress, control, and change. And then we have days, weeks and months that are filled with meltdown after meltdown. Our beautiful little girl is an angel at school. She is every teacher's dream: obedient, task-oriented, a leader, and respectful. But at home, she somehow, often "loses it". And I will find myself challenging her- "Would you talk to your teacher that way?" "Would you throw a fit at school like that?" "Would you treat a friend in your class like that?" "Why can't you show me the same respect you show Mrs. Silva?" And then this week I was reminded of these sad truths: 1> My daughter feeds off of me and my attitude. 2> My daughter does the same thing that adults do- she shows her worst side at home.

As I sat there and listened to what purity should look like, how when we are pure at heart, the outside matches the inside, there is a true transparency in our behavior, I realized that if I expect my daughter to act at home like she acts in public, I need to set the example! I know that there are many times that I would not use the same tone or phrasing in my discipline if a neighbor was over (or even if a window was open!). I desire so much to be less of the person my kids see so often, and more of the woman that God created me to be- a self-controlled mother and wife with a kind and quiet spirit and a desire to live with a pure heart, always seeking righteousness. So as I have sought help from the Lord this week to respond and discipline in love and not out of anger or frustration, I must admit that our week has gone so much better! The amount of meltdowns has decreased, the sass of the tongue has been a little less, and the overall stress of our home has been completely different. Now I know that training her little heart is going to be a continual work, and there are going to be days that go smoother, and days that, let's face it, are somewhat miserable. But if I desire to change and shape her heart, I have to start first with my own. So pray for me. Pray that I will continually seek strength from our perfect Father, encouragement and wisdom from His Word, and pray for change! To Him be the glory!

Fall Fun

On Friday we had the Goldens over for a late b-day celebration for Breanna. My girls strongly feel that every birthday must be celebrated with a proper party and since Bre and I were in Ashland for a Women's Retreat on her big day- we were a little late in celebrating. But we had great fun enjoying dinner together and doing a fall favorite- caramel apples. It was great to have a few extra hands to help with this very messy task! My kids have the best cousins- they are such great sports and my kids absolutely love doing things with them!