Holiday Fun

This weekend we celebrated a combined play group 1st birthday, Thanksgiving, a Christmas Parade, and put up our Christmas tree. What a weekend!

It was fun to see all the kids grown up and playing together. Hard to believe that it's been a year.

Mom's and Kids

Always a challenge getting 8 kids to smile, not cry and look at the camera. Most are wondering why they had to stop playing and sit down.

Max and Sam awaiting the Christmas parade in our little town.

We didn't get any Thanksgiving pictures this year, but we did have a yummy meal and Max loved playing with his family. As Summer approaches I am thankful for warm weather, being warm in our house, sunshine, living by the beach, walking distance to just about everything in town, my friend Hayley and random phone calls that make me smile, family pictures at the beach, a little boy that LOVES trees and gets excited every day to see a tree in our house and a husband that loves me through and through.

Music Music Music

Maximilian has LOVED music since before he was born. He has gone to sleep with Music since he was a couple weeks old. He dances when he hears music wherever he is. He has more rhythm than I will ever hope to have! Lately Max has been into Coldplay. He will sit and watch Coldplay's new video Paradise We have watched it four times this morning. Once while I was trying to put this blog up. He sits through the whole thing fully engaged. He even gets excited when he hears the song start or sees the start of the video. It's a really fun video and a great song, so I see why he loves it! I love seeing the gifts and passions God puts in Max and am excited to develop his loves and interests.

Max mesmerized watching the Coldplay video. He played his guitar tons while he watched it.


This was at our friend Sally's house the other night. He saw her piano and had to play. They are so blury because I had to make sure he didn't fall and try to snap the picture all at once. He screamed when I took him off.

I love my little boy's heart to hear and make music. I have to attribute his love for good music to Sam though. Sam is constantly playing him great music. Max has never been into kid music as such. He does love his music class, but at home prefers adult stuff. Sam found us a great channel on Youtube, Seasme Street. Max's favorite: Jason Mraz. Momma's favorite too! We have spent many many minutes watching Coldplay and famous people sing kid versions of their songs. Pretty fun!

Thankful.

I have to confess that while I am trying to get excited about the "holidays" I am just not. (Even with the Starbucks red cups out that I was sure would transport my heart and attitude there, it didn't). I realized this weekend that it is Thanksgiving week and yet it doesn't feel like it at all. I thought about it the last couple days and wondered if it was me adjusting and embracing this culture where November and December don't hold the same anticipation. I wondered if it was simply because Max and Sam were sick with bad tummy bugs all week. I wondered if I was just tired and sleep deprived. I wondered if quite frankly my heart just wasn't thankful and it was overflowing into life. I just don't have the energy in this time of life to conjure up the "holiday" emotions that I so desperately want to. Especially with no culture or consumerism to help me out. I have lived my life with this sense of I 'should' have a good attitude. I 'should be positive.' I 'should be thankful.' I 'should have faith.' I 'should feel like this.' All that left me feeling was this utter sense of failure and guilt. Not fun.

We are waiting on some answers to prayer that aren't quite here yet. That is hard. I want to be thankful. I want to have this great attitude where it is easy to wait. I don't. To be thankful for the moments when the prayer is answered in little ways before the big ways is the biggest act of faith I feel like I have ever chosen. It's tough, tempting to complain that the answer isn't happening, tempting to even miss the beginning of the answer because it is so small.

It seemed I had nothing left today. I cried a bit. Talked on the phone to a good friend who encouraged me. And took Max to his music class. There is a part of the Bible that says all you need is faith the size of a mustard seed. Somewhere in me I had that, barely today. As I walked to music my heart, without prompting, was so thankful for my friend Hayley. And even more thankful that I got to chat to her on my cell phone, which feels like a luxury that rarely happens in NZ for me. I didn't focus on the fact that she is moving on Thursday to the South Island (which I must confess I have for the last week which just left me more depressed and grief stricken). Not until tonight did I realize I just was thankful as I walked to Max's music class.

Max had his birthday since we last went to music, so it was his turn to go up front and be sung to and receive a gift.

He didn't quite get why they were singing to him.

He did love getting a gift

He gave the sweet ladies a HUGE smile of thanks

We love Mainly Music!

I had an unexpected conversations with one of the sweet older ladies that runs this music class. She shared a story from her life that encouraged me and actually just lifted some guilt off me. It was such a sweet moment. I felt thankful.

As we walked home, my heart felt a bit lighter. I stopped to give a friend a coffee because so often in the last 4 months I have been gifted a coffee. Then we headed home in the crazy wind. My mood was definitely in a better place.

Max took a nap and afterwards we cleaned the house together while we had our little church experience, Bethel live right in our living room. After we were done cleaning Max played and we just enjoyed what God was doing. Max LOVES when we watch/experience Bethel singing and when the pastor speaks. He interacts a ton and today was no different. I caught a couple of shots of him watching. My sweet boy learning about God.

As I put Max to bed and he only cried for 10 minutes. THANKFUL (you should have seen our last 48 hours this is a MASSIVE STOP AND BE THANKFUL MOMENT!) I found myself humming a thanksgiving song. Not that we really have thanksgiving songs but it was a song all about being thankful. Instead of trying to be who I "thought" I "should" be I just was. It was freeing. Should is a word that has killed me in the past. I am slowing living outside of "should" and in the moment. It's nice. It led me to Thankfulness and Trust today.

It's beginning to feel a little bit more like the Holidays. Not what I think it or I "should" be, just what it is.

Beach.

We love the beach. In the heat. In the cold. In the summer. In the winter. When we feel good. When we are sick. We just love the beach. Max is still sick and the week has been long but full of mom moments that I dreamed of having. Who said that being thrown up on isn't a special spiritual moment?!?!

His Momma's Son

Sometimes the only thing that makes me happy is a Starbucks. Tonight that is all that stopped Maximilian's crying.

Max had a rough night last night. After throwing up ALL over him and me on a walk and getting us all cleaned up he threw up 4 more times. Poor buddy. He couldn't even keep water down. Then this morning he was up at 4:45am with hurting teeth. After screaming for 45 minutes we finally got him calmed down, thanks to baby pain medicine. He seemed better today, but continued to have ouchy teeth. Tonight as I made dinner this was the only thing that seemed to console him. I know how you feel buddy!

We also had an awesome day with Daddy home. We LOVE LOVE LOVE Daddy's day off. We walked to the beach and had a play, dug a hole and enjoyed the warm weather. We love the beach!

Good For The Soul

Some days HOPE is a choice. Today was one of those days. As I walked through my day choosing hope Maximilian and I headed to the beach. The easiest place to hope for me.

He looks like he is saying, "Momma, can we go to the beach?"

Some pictures just seem to capture exactly who I think Max is...this is one of those. He loves showing us things he gets excited about. He loves laughing and smiling and he is just such a cutie!

The beach and my boy were good for my soul today. I missed my hubby too much to even talk about, but something spiritual happens at the beach for me. No matter what mood I go there in I leave in a more peaceful place and connected to the Creator. So on a day that HOPE is a choice thankfulness isn't. I am so thankful that in this time of life God placed me a two blocks from the beach. He is good.

Birthday Extravaganza

"Hi I'm ONE!"

I had a lot of fun planning the party and making it all blue and red and little boy for Max

Easy easy popcorn cupcakes that were red and looked so fun!

Max's favorite part are the pictures we hung up all around the house. He took Rosie to them over and over. They are still up and he still loves looking at them

We had all things little boy and all things red and blue. Even Max's little face on blue and red M&M's :)

I forgot to have Sam take a picture of some things so some of these are mine...including the M&M's. Even though it's blurry you get the idea. They say "Max," "Fantastic Max," and "Happy Birthday"

His little buddy Finn that we ADORE!

Max is obsessed with balloons right now so we had tons for him to enjoy

He liked his cupcake for sure!

He kept looking at me waiting for me to take it away from him

But it was all his to enjoy. He sucked every bit of sugar out of it.

Me and my boy on his first birthday. What a dream come true!!

Fall in the Summer

My sister in law sent me YUMMY Bath and Body Fall scents including a lip gloss. It is crazy how a smell can take you right back to certain places and experiences. I am transported back to Fall in Redding when I smell Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. As I put it on today I just smiled. Fall in the summer takes some getting used to but it is still so FUN. I then headed to Starbucks to see our store all Christmased out and complete my Holiday experience. Our store is SO CUTE. Max even had a present under the tree.

A "Bearista" HA! I love it and love how much those girls love Max.

Cuddling his bearista

A little blurry but notice the name on the Christmas stocking :) MAX. They love him there and he loves them!

He is just too cute for words some times. He loves his puffs and his car. Today he got to have them together. You can tell by his face he loved that idea.

Ready for Summer

The birthday blog is coming. I promise! Sam took some pictures on his good camera so when he can put them on the computer I will put them up. Let's just say it was a success! It was a cold raining day (the first in a month) with today being FULL OF HEAT AND SUNSHINE! Bummer. But we squeezed everyone into your little house at the beach and Maximilian had a great day! Pictures coming soon!!

Today we were all a bit tired after the party. Sam headed to work and Max and I just took it easy. He was in his PJ's until almost noon. Then we decided to live up the sunshine instead of be irritated it wasn't there on his birthday. When I say "we" I mean "me."

He's born to live at the beach! How cute is he?!?!?

We LOVE our Courtney. She hung out with us most of the day and Max loved playing with her at the beach. When Courtney is around I rarely get Max. He loves his Courtney.

With the sunshine you can imagine that I am getting more and more excited for Summer. And you would be VERY right! I also am getting into this Christmas coming in Summer thing. The Starbucks red Christmas Cups come out tomorrow and I am VERY excited about that too. I still feel sad for Southern Hemisphere people, me included now. They only have one time of year to look forward too because Summer and Christmas are all at once. I have to save up all my crazy excitement for Summer and the Holidays at one time.

Smoothies.

Max and I got taken to smoothies yesterday by this sweet lady that loves to love on us and is one of the most hope giving people I know. Max GOBBLED it up. I don't love smoothies and they always seem to upset my stomach so I got one full of blueberries since that is Max's favorite food currently. Well let's just say Max is like momma. Poor buddy had a whole green kiwi fruit the day before that he stole from a girl at play group, then had a lot of mom's smoothie. The result a very sore tummy. At least we know now :) There won't be any smoothies at his party tomorrow.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa

This is Max's favorite thing. His blanky. His car. Momma pushing him around. That is the only thing that made him happy today. I wanted to say "Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!" in a tired sarcastic voice since I just wanted to drink my hot chocolate and check Facebook while he played, but poor buddy has two bad ears still. He has to go see a specialist to talk about getting grommets (Tubes) in his hears. For having sore ears for 3 months he's a VERY joyful happy kid. Today though, teething is happening, ears are sore and he is wiped out. Blanky and a car making him happy is fine with Mom.