here in kansas city

well, this month is a big month for us, but it requires nothing of us but waiting. and so music man has a lot of time off. (that's right, time OFF for once!) but instead of spending that time off at home relaxing, chilling, and getting the rest he deserves after all this time, he's found other opportunities for work and is spending most of his time in kansas city. so we are with him here, as challenging as it is. being the traveling family that we are, i've learned that sometimes it's worth it to give up my own comforts of home and a daily routine in order to give music man the joy of having us near him. and the beauty of his work is that it allows us to be near him all day. if we are together, then we are able to see him at any moment of the day that we choose.

and so we are here, staying with another (very wonderful) family, while music man and the dad of that family work in his basement studio during the day.

there are 4 other kids here (ages 14, 10, 5, 2). the two youngest are both mixed. the dad is black and white and the mom is white. the 2 year old and my son are quite a sight together. they have the same hair except hers is blonde and she has blue eyes. someone asked us the other day when we were all out if they were twins. (needless to say, i am trying to get as many hair tips as i can, from them as well as another family here we are friends with who have mixed kids. taking care of little man's hair everyday, as of late, has become the most dreaded part of the day for me)

so far our time here has been very family focused. the snow left us home-bound for a few days. plus, i am without a car in general. and so the usual independent, get-out-and-go me is forced to quiet down and just....be.

christmas 2010

christmas eve this year we invited friends over for munchies and drinks before heading to midnight Mass at the local Cathedral. my Catholic church is much more liberal and laid-back, so it was fun to experience Mass in such a formal setting. my hubs has always gone to midnight Mass on Christmas Eve since he was a teenager, and this was my first time. it was also my first time celebrating the entire Advent season the Catholic way and I have to say that I feel like this was the first year that I truly experienced Christmas. the waiting and anticipating of the birth of our Savior all month, and then, as the clock struck midnight, to celebrate that He is here, our Savior, our Light of the World--at last. oh the feeling was indescribable and beautiful. and it still lingers, since Advent lasts well into the New Year....i cannot wait to celebrate Advent for years to come with all my children, teaching them about the birth of Christ, and all that happened throughout Jewish history leading up to it.

and christmas morning was just magical this year as well. presents were not placed under the tree until the children were nestled all snug in their beds on Christmas Eve. and so, Christmas morning, 4 children awoke to find presents overflowing from the bottom of the tree, packed stockings, and special things already out from Santa. It was really all about the kids this year, and i remembered again the Christmases of my childhood and felt excited to create such special memories for my little man all of these upcoming years. it has never been so fun! especially since this was his first year really understanding (to a degree) what was going on. Santa filled his stocking with work trucks, and one of his big presents was a tricycle. He learned to peddle around the house in just a few quick minutes. he is also learning to (finally!) smile for the camera. he is such a big boy now!

thanksgiving

we spent thanksgiving in charlotte with friends. we had 4 or 5 deep fried turkeys, and we all brought sides and deserts. sooooo yummy:) ate too much, don't we all?
then we drove to sunset beach for one day. i've lost the cord to my camera, so i only have pics from my phone:( i did get to see my dear cousin stephanie, which is always a treat for me! we spent the morning playing in the sand on the beach before it turned really cold. the rest of the day was spent by the fire in a house on the marsh.
this year i was thankful for having music man home for 10 whole days, that i have a beautiful (i just know it) and healthy girl growing bigger and stronger in my belly every day, and a happy, sweet-as-can-be little boy that i get to spend every hour of the day with, and getting to share a home with wonderful friends whom i enjoy immensely. these can certainly be hard times in more ways than one, but the blessings outweigh all of it. i try to be present every moment and cherish it all, because the days are long, but the years are short, and i want to experience these years to the fullest!

our baby girl

I am having a baby

GIRL

oh my goodness, how i did not think i would be saying that. i don't know how we got so 100% positive that we were having a boy, when there was no way to know, and we had a 50/50 chance either way, but we sure were positive.

now we are still getting used to the idea--no, the reality, of this beautiful little girl soon coming into all of our lives. i can hardly wait to see her face, to hold her hand. to watch my husband turn to absolute mush, and my son blossom into the big, loving, protective brother that he was born to be.

this little miracle is about to turn our lives upside down, in such a good way.

in fact, this next 5 months might just much too long to wait.

she is still very small (17 weeks), but here are some pictures of the video that we got to watch of her.

hear me roar

"since when have you been so in to Halloween?" my mother asked me
"um, since i had an adorable kid to dress up!"

i flew out to the west coast for the last week of the october tour. i was in LA, San Fran, Portland and Seattle. halloween was spent in seattle. we went to the residential area of capitol hill and went trick or treating. little man said "trick or treat!" at every door, totally oblivious that candy was going into his Chipotle chip bag from dinner. because it is all for mama and daddy :) cheers to the man or woman that invented trick or treating!

autumn has arrived

happy fall y'all

west coast fav

if portland wasn't on the other side of the country from everyone that i love, i would move there tomorrow.

a few reasons to love portland, oregon (i haven't discovered all the other ones yet!):

1. it's the #1 Greenest City in America! Half its power comes form renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

2. water

3. mountains

4. Old Town

5. Stumptown Coffee