Our Christmas of 2014 (Finally!)

I always enjoy taking a picture of my girls in their Christmas "outfits" for church.  It's something we've done for years now.  The weather was so nice this year, that we were actually able to do it outside, without coats!  Weird!!

One of our other traditions is our annual cookie bake-a-thon!  This year we cranked out more than we ever have, I think! We had 14 plates total, and were exhausted by the end of it!  We had to split up our drop-offs over the course of a few days.  It was fun being able to share with new neighbors, friends from the "old ward", friends from our new ward, and even some of the girl's school friends!  We definitely shared the sugar-love!

Speaking of sugar-love, we made some gingerbread houses again this year, and then Parker decided to make some more!  Haha, there was an endless supply of candy all month long, yum!!

Of course, our favorite traditions include Christmas Eve jammies and books from the Grandparents, cookies 'n' milk for Santa, sparkly reindeer food, reading our stories {'Twas the Night before Christmas and Luke 2}, and trying to wait for morning!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, and feel blessed to be able to enjoy it together.     

Parker's big wish was for Totoro and Frozen stuff.

Maryn's wish was for a new comforter and Manga pens.

Avery's wish was for a guitar and Under-Armour.

Mark and my wish was for a new blue-ray player with surround sound...haha!

Above all, we are grateful for the reason for the season...that our Savior was born, that He lives, loves us, and we can be together forever! 

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas too!

{Early} 16th Anniversary Trip to Grand Rapids

Mark and I decided that this was the year...we were going to make it happen!  We have been wanting to take a trip with just the two of us since our 10th anniversary...then it was our 15th...then this year it was just ridiculous that we hadn't ever actually just done it...sooo, the rest is history.

We asked Erin and Ben to watch our girls overnight after Thanksgiving, and we drove a couple hours north to Grand Rapids.  We stayed in a nice hotel, had a fancy meal in their tower restaurant, and saw a stage production of "Elf".  The next day we had breakfast, shopped the little downtown area (even picked up a few Christmas presents), and then headed back to pick up the girls.  It was a great trip, and I'm so glad we made it happen. 

Seeing Elf, strolling around downtown with the Christmas lights aglow, and fresh snow falling made me glad for a moment that we celebrate our anniversary at Christmas-time.  I know that there have been so many years that our anniversary just becomes one more thing that we have to sandwich into our already busy schedules, but the beauty of the season really does make it so magical and extra special.  I think we made the right choice! 

Happy 16th to US!!

Holiday Fun with Chip, Chip, Chippewa!!

Parker's preschool has a fun holiday party for the kids and their families before the break begins.  There's lots of cookies and punch, cute projects and gifts for Moms and Dads, and the most adorable program to complete the night.  I loved it this year!

You may recall Parker's performance at last year's party...she jumped up and took a bow after EVERY song!!  It was both hilarious and horrifying.  She definitely created a reputation for herself that night.  But despite that, her teachers and friends still love her!  haha!

Anyway, she sat next to her BFF/future husband, Lucas (from our ward, he also lives down the street from us).  She did great, as well as the other kids, but who am I kidding?!?  I was only watching her!  Is that bad?!?

'Member how the only pose she would give me was the #1 sign?  This is her new "pose"...I don't know what it is.

 After the holiday party, the class also had a bowling party!  It was fun, but realllllyy time consuming.  Imagine 23 little kids rolling those slow, heavy bowling balls down the lane at .00003 mph.  It was a long day to say the least. 

 

Anyway, hard to believe this is the last preschool program and Christmas bowling party for these old folks.  What are we going to do with ourselves next year at this time?!?

While we're on the subject of "Maryn"...

...it was HER month this year.  How could it not be with her "triple-golden, cosmic birthday!?!"  Maryn is big into photography right now, and took this selfie on the night of our Ward's Christmas party.  She was the "Angel" in the play and this was her interpretation.  I just think it's kinda cool.

Maryn was also in the school "musical" this month.  She was a chorus member for School House Rock, Live.  She even got a speaking part in "Interjections"!  She had tons of fun, and couldn't stop smiling the whole month practically.  I think she definitely has "the bug" now. 

Although I have to say, when it comes to dramatics and having "the bug"...this one definitely has some potential...aye yi yi.

"Meditating"

Triple Golden

This year was the mothership of all birthdays for Maryn.  She turned 14 on the 14th of December in 2014!!!!  Whoa!  I was sure something cosmic was going to happen.  I kept asking her if she felt the earth move, or saw a meteor fall from the sky or something, but she said she didn't feel thaaaat much different.  Haha!  Anyway, we had a big birthday party for her and it was totally and perfectly "Maryn".  Lots of goofy, eclectic, nerdy-hip, cool, old-lady fun!!

She invited several of her closest friends to a wild and crazy tea-party, complete with an assortment of herbal and fruit teas, appetizers galore, chocolates, cookies, and cupcakes.  They had a blast, and it was kind of fun for the rest of us too!

Behold, the chaos:

Golden snitches

From left: Lauren, Nadia, Avery, (Julia you can't see), and Katherine

Parker was invited, but she was banished to the "kid's table"...haha...I don't think she minded too much!

The spread...I never did get a picture of the food but it was yummy.  We had lots of appetizer foods and desserts to choose from.  Plus lots and lots of tea with lots and lots of sugar and honey!

We found all these cool teapots, cups, and saucers at our local Restore shop.  I got enough so that each of her guests could take a teapot home as a party favor at the end of the night.

She had so much fun being with the big girls...I thought it was pretty generous of Maryn to allow her to attend too.

Opening gifts

On her invitations, she specified they needed to "dress fancy in the most ridiculous way", they all looked pretty cute in my opinion though.

Trying to be "serious"

As an after-dinner activity they turned Maryn and Nadia into guys, and glammed up Katherine, Julia, and Lauren.  I don't know why...does anybody know why?!?

I think it was a great birthday for our oldest girl.  She continues to be a sweet force for good in this world.  Her talents continue to grow, her sensitivity, humor, and nurturing spirit continue to blossom.  I am looking forward to what the next 4 years brings, but with LOTS and LOTS of hesitation too.  It seems like it's speeding up now...wasn't she just this little baby yesterday?

Grandpa Brown had this picture of Maryn on his desk at work because he said, "I just can't help but smile when I look at it."  I couldn't agree more.

Happy 14th Birthday Maryn Elizabeth!! 
 

Grad Dad

At the beginning of December, we were able to attend the graduation ceremonies for Mark's PhD at Wayne State University.  It was a great day, and a wonderful memory for all of us.  I couldn't help getting choked up several times during the event.  It was weird, I didn't expect that kind of reaction.  The first time I got choked up was when the candidates marched into the auditorium, the PhD's were at the head of the pack, which was kind of cool.  There was our Daddy right behind the guy holding the flags (because his last name is at the beginning of the alphabet), and it was so dang cool to see him front and center like that!  Afterwards, when they started the speeches and what not, it was just such a celebration.  Everyone was so excited and it felt like there was this extra energy in the room.  Not to mention the fact that this IS Detroit after all, and I was so happy to be in such a diverse group of personalities and cultures.  I love how different people celebrate, and it was so neat to be involved in that.  During the speeches, several times I got choked up because I could tell that everyone there had worked so hard and sacrificed to get where they were today.  There was such a sense of accomplishment, but also of RELIEF that it was finally over!  Haha!

I'm just so proud of Mark...it was just so stinking hard and frustrating at times.  I am amazed he perservered when other men would have given up.  It really does speak volumes to his character and determination.  I'm also just so grateful that it's over.  I have felt (and I know Mark has too) such a sense of relief and completion.  Over Christmas break this year, I would often think to myself, "at this time last year (and the past 8 years), Mark would be waking up early, trekking down to a cold, dark basement with his flannel bathrobe, space heater, and laptop to work for several hours while the rest of us would sleep in during our Christmas break."  He DID that!  Wow!  What a sacrifice of his time and his energy and his sanity!  If anyone deserves this graduation ceremony, it's him.  He has earned the "pomp and circumstance!!"  Now onto the next chapter of our lives!

It's beginning to look (and feel) alot like Christmas!

We are starting to really enjoy the new traditions that Midland has to offer for the holidays!  It starts off in November (around Thanksgiving) with the Santa parade!  We attended last year's event, but it was soooo cold that we were all a little gun-shy this year.  When we woke up to freezing rain the morning of the event, we skipped it.  Even though we totally missed the Chippewa float, and our Ward's Nativity float.  Oh well, hopefully next year's will be more temperate.  :)

The next item on the Christmas agenda was participating in the combined Midland ward's Nativity Exhibit.  It is a huge effort putting this together, and so there are puh-lenty of opportunities to volunteer and serve (which helps getcha in the Christmas spirit too, see?!)  Anyway, it's a new favorite for sure!  This year, Mark and I were able to be hosts for the actual event which was neat because we were able to talk to a lot of people about the exhibits, our testimonies of Christ, our religion, etc.  I just think it's such an excellent missionary tool, and I was excited to see how many lives we touched...you just never know the impact you have on a person.

Next up on the Christmas agenda is a trip the Midland Santa house.  It's downtown next to the courthouse and was one of the first things we saw when we drove through Midland many years ago.  This was right after Mark had applied for the job, and found out that he was getting an interview after the new year...we had driven over for Thanksgiving that year, and took a jaunt up to Midland to "scope it out"...and saw the Santa house on Main street...who would've known that it would become a part of our family traditions for years to come?!?  Anyway, as you know the weather in December was so nice, so it was a great night!  We were able to check out the reindeer and wait outside for Santa to open his house for all to enter!  Lots of fun!

"Look, it's SVEN!" Parker was stoked to see the reindeer outside the house, I was expecting her to say "Look, it's Rudolph, but no...generational gap...big time.

My favorite!

They are getting to the age that trying to get them to smile for the camera like nice, normal people is becoming more and more infrequent.

Signing her name in Santa's guest book.

"What would you like, little girl?"  This year, Parker's wish list included the stuffed animal "Totoro"...look it up online!  Thanks to her big sister's affinity for Japanese anime, Parker has been in love with this furry creature and draws pictures of him in primary when she should be coloring her pictures of CTR emblems and families being together forever.  Santa had to have Totoro shipped all the way from Japan, and was seriously sweating that it would make it in time...haha!!  It was seriously a Christmas miracle when it showed up in time!!

The magic is alive and real.