Sierra's Christmas Show and Snow at school

This is a bit blurry, but you get the idea!
They had snow delivered on Friday night and the kids got to go sledding.
Merry Christmas!

I love my hubby

He has been gone 11 days, it feels like much longer. What a trip for him. I can't wait to see him tomorrow and hear all about it.

What a wonderful man to share my life with. I am so blessed.

Sierra keeps pointing at his picture and asking where he is with her hands. I notice she does this especially when mean mommy rears her ugly head!

Peter is a wonderful help around the house. My dear sister, Shauna, has helped me so much. Peter helps me make sure that the laundry gets from the couch to the drawers. I had 10 loads on the couch today when my sister arrived and she helped me get it off the couch! Yay. She helped me vacuum, she brought hotdogs to serve to our kids. YAY for sisters, friendships and HELP.

I admit I am very spoiled having so much help at home and God knew my sanity was at stake when He planned our life and the help He has given to me is such a gift.

I've been so busy, I promise you I think my new job is taxi driver. Driving and driving and driving. Today that included the eye doctor. Wes got a new prescription and I ordered him new glasses today. Lets just say, they are the finest glasses in the world- bendy frames, thin lenses that turn to sunglasses outside. He is worth it and I am so so so excited for him to get new glasses. He has done a really good job keeping his previous pair intact so I felt confident to get the best. I bought them at the optometrist so that I could get the best. They come with a one year guarantee that they will not scratch and I'm sure Weston will put that to the test! They will come in two weeks. I've been wanting to do that for months, so I guess I can check it off the list! :)

Sierra Update

Sierra is doing well. She has come a long way in the last six months. She can mimic sounds with more precision and she can put more syllables together. Today she was on a roll, so I grabbed the camera and plopped it on the table.
Watch this to see what I mean:


You can see she is coming along, but still has a way to go. I have been a little weepy lately. I am coming to grips with the fact that Sierra is most likely on a long road.

I think I have been in the denial phase. Not that I didn't understand that she had a problem, but that I was thinking it was going to "go away" faster. The truth is I'm sad. I want to talk to my girl, I want her to be able to talk to me. I think that her birthday is really starting to bring our reality into focus. Almost all four year olds talk. When she was three it was more normal to not talk. She'll be four soon, I sure hope and pray four is a year of healing. That she'd be able to spontanously speak and communicate. Lord, make that true for her. I know You can you are the great Healer you made her and you have a plan for her, a plan for a hope and a future.

She handles not talking fairly well. Sierra is a conquer and the sweetest little girl I could wish for. She gets frustrated sometimes and has a few fits. I understand that. I'd be so mad if I couldn't say exactly what I wanted to.

It is hard to know how much wining to allow since she can't talk and how to "wrap up" a conversation with someone that I can't understand. Lord, guide me to know how to be a good mommy.

Now I'm crying. :) But with a hope for her future.
The End

Olives...

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I love olives. I really like green olives. When I was young, I only liked black olives; but after studying abroad in Israel, I really like green.

Here at grandpa's house and there are three big olive trees. I knew Weston would really enjoy the process of making olives. So we did it.

I found an easy recipe that contained no lye. Click here if you're interested.

First we picked. Then we washed and smashed them with a marble rolling pin. Now they are soaking in water. The water releases the tannin that makes the olives bitter. I have rinse and recover olives for one- four weeks until they are not bitter.

Then I'll make a brine with cider vinegar, garlic, lemon and rosemary. I'll cover them in the brine and put them in the fridge- ready to eat.

It was fun so far (and a bit of work.) I hope they turn out!

Beach Day

We love Corona Del Mar. It is the best beach for kids. Shallow water, flat beaches and nice sand. The kids had a blast!

Drippy, Soaked, Splash Mountain

We went to Disneyland last week on Friday after speech therapy. It was hot, so we decided to go on Splash Mt. We have been on it several times and never been soaked like this.

Peter and I sat in the front. After the first little hill, our left sides were soaked and my left shoe was absolutely filled with water! Then we went around a corner to the right. Our right sides were completely soaked and my right shoe could have hosted a goldfish!

All of this and we hadn't even gone down the big hill yet. Peter was howling in the front. He was saying again and again, "I'm so soaked, I am completely soaked!!!" I was ducking behind him and laughing so hard.

As we went down the big hill at the end, Peter and I knew we had no chance. A huge wave came up over the front of the boat and seemed to stop above us like a cartoon. Then it splashed down on Peter with its full soaking power!!! As I crouched behind him, all that was spared of my clothing was the front of my shirt that Peter blocked.

Peter was completely and totally soaked, as if he had jumped in a swimming pool. He was literally wringing water out of his shirt for hours. I am laughing while I remember it now. He really took it for the team!

Catching up

What have we been doing?
We have painted trains. Aren't they great? They came in a kit in about 16 pieces. Weston sanded and helped me glue all the parts together. Then we painted.

This is a clearly a Peter project, so he was impressed I did it with the kids. We had a great time.

More catching up tomorrow- :)