Christmas Roundup

We had a busy and memorable Christmas season this year. This year I had a goofy realization. Even though I am healthy as a horse, I start to get this apprehensive feeling, right around Thanksgiving. I realized it's because 3 of 4 babies were conceived at this time of year. Which means I've had 3 of 4 pregnancies where I was dog-sick at Christmas. The last three, in fact. Wow! Even though it had been two years since I was pregnant with Marcus, it has clearly left a psychological impact. Cooking babies is no joke! :) So thankful I am healthy and able to enjoy my family.

Lots of fun activities this Christmas... Highlights: new hand-made jammies from Nana, weekly Advent around the kitchen table, school Christmas parties, visiting the lights of Storybook Lane in Forest Grove, making Christmas cookies with our friends, making hand-made gifts for our cousin exchange, getting dolled up for our Christmas eve church service, feasting on crab at the Bury farm for Christmas eve dinner, hosting my family over Christmas, playing marbles (a new game left in Daddy's stocking), a family sleep-over with the Texas Corrigans in Vancouver over New Years, two trips to see "Frozen" at the movies, matching Christmas jammies, new purple boots for the style-queen of the family, cousin shenanigans, children counting down, delicious cooking from Kyle, and lots of fun and good memories. I love my family and the life we have together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Dear Santa, thank you for giving all those presents to boys and girls. Love, Marin" (side note: she knows the truth this year, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! she is a good secret-keeper though, writing sweet notes for Santa, just for her siblings' sakes)

 

 

 

 

Cousin time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matching "Nana jammies", which also included a SURPRISE pair of matching sleeping bags for the girls' dolls. Each one matched their jammie fabric. Oh.my.word. I love this stuff

 

 

 

 

Family tie-blanket project

 

 

 

 

Yes, this a WSU Cougar blanket :) True love for the family, right there!

 

Family time in Vancouver

 

 

I look like I have one of those fake hair-buns in my hair here. It's the perfect wreath placement. Ha ha ha ha ha

 

 

 

 

 

All I want for Christmas is my...

TWO FRONT TEETH! :) If this sounds like a repeat from exactly this time last year, that's because it is. Marin was double-front-toothless exactly one year ago. This year was Maddy's turn to be serenaded with this song everywhere she went :) Oh my goodness, and she has the perfect little voice for a toothless vocabulary. My sweet darlin'.

 

 

 

Marcus, 98th percentile in cuteness (among other things)

Marcus is killing me all the time with his cuteness. I literally might die from cuteness overload. Kyle's brother Brian recently posted a picture of him, saying "Corrigan babes are 98th percentile in cuteness, among other things". I burst out laughing. My sweet chunky baby is just too much sometimes. Here is some proof of this. The one in the vest just about puts me in a coma.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A girl of many talents

Marin is really starting to enjoy exploring new skills & talents... She takes after Kyle's perfectionistic nature, but we are drilling into her to strive for excellence, not perfection (a friend of mine taught me this mantra!) ~ I am pleased to see her willing to try many new things, and not give up even if it is difficult at first.

 

~ Piano: Lately we started both girls in piano lessons, and Marin is really the one loving it so far. She decided she wanted to participate in the Christmas recital (after only a few weeks of lessons), and was madly practicing "Deck the Halls" to be ready in time. Unfortunately, the recital got cancelled due to the teacher's family emergency, however I am still proud of her for being willing to try something new!

 

 

~ Reading: this is not a new skill I guess, but I am constantly astonished and happy to see how she devours books and absorbs so much of what she reads. I pray that God's word will soak into her heart and soul as she begins to explore it. There was nothing more sweet to my ears, than the sound of her reading the Advent scriptures each Sunday this Christmas season. She read it to us from her own Bible, and the section in particular where I was literally wiping away tears, listening to her sweet voice, was:

Luke 1:77-79

⁷⁷ You will tell his people how they can be saved.
    You will tell them that their sins can be forgiven.
⁷⁸ All of that will happen because our God is tender and caring.
    His kindness will bring the rising sun to us from heaven.
⁷⁹ It will shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death.
It will guide our feet on the path of peace.”

 

 

~ Crocheting/Knitting: we got her a load of yarn, a set of crochet needles & a how-to book for Christmas, and she is taking off with it. My sister got her a kids knitting set as well. Everyone who has seen her in the last two weeks has been a recipient of some sort of yarn craft from her. Kyle has been the one to get her started, and walk her through the steps. When I try to do it, I just get lost (see I am not a perfectionist, I am just impatient - ha!)... They have made a good team, and it's fun to see the things she is creating with her Daddy's help.

 

~ Sewing: we are little by little working on our sewing skills. I am a novice, capable of basic skills with my machine, or by hand. I try to give both girls opportunities to help me mend something or work with a needle. Even though it didn't require much actual sewing, we made some handmade gifts this year, for our cousin gift exchange, and Marin was my #1 helper in making these "no-sew" blankets. She was pretty proud of her hard work!

 

I love my crafty girl!!

 

Salmon adventures

Marin's class has been doing an in-depth study of salmon. They even have live salmon eggs in their classroom, and have been watching them grow into fry! Her class took a field trip to Tillamook Forest Center to learn more about them, and even got to release some fry into the river. Every time I go into volunteer, her teacher has me doing some amazing art thing that involves the salmon study. As a person who is inherently not creative, I am in awe of these projects, especially when you multiply a teacher's idea by 30 students. So amazing!

 

So one weekend recently we took several trips around the area to watch the salmon spawning, release more fry and go on some outdoor adventures. Kyle and the kids went back to Tillamook Forest Center, and then we all went out to Multnomah Falls and Bonneville Fish Hatchery. It was so amazing to watch nature do its thing :) God sure created some amazing creatures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then, the grand finale... Marin's class "release party" to let THEIR little salmon fry go (the ones they have been raising from eggs)... It was exciting, emotional saying goodbye, and so special to be a part of setting these little creatures on their life path. Did you know that salmon return to spawn to the place of their birth? So this spot at the Tualatin river, 7 years from now, will see these same fish back from the ocean, to end their circle of life. God is AMAZING!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Tree Hunt 2013

My new favorite tree farm: Loch Lolly... Complete with trees (check), live reindeer, sweet & kind Santa, free treats & drinks, awesome inexpensive ornament shop (our tradition: kids pick out a new one there each year), super nice people and lots of terrain for hiking around. And, despite that we were forced to get our tree on a day calling for rain, it was perfectly dry and balmy. I am thanking Jesus for this perfect day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Santa guy is freaking me out.

 

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

I love the idea of the Thankful Tree :) People on Pinterest like to make things fancy, but I am not a fancy girl! So... we hunted around outside for some bare tree branches, the girls cut out a large pile of little tags (from lined paper, did I mention we are not fancy) and we got to prepping our hearts for thankfulness. Each person could take a tag anytime they wanted, during November, write the thing they were thankful for (or have someone help them for the little boys), and tie it to our tree. This tree is not a feast for the eyes, but truly a feast for all our hearts as we would read and re-read what the tags said all month long.

 

I decided to record all the tags, because it just meant so much to me! Thankfulness can change your life, yo.

 

Dad: my special & fun family, my job, my family loves the great outdoors, my smokin' hot wife

 

Mom: Max's cuddles, Marin's smile, Marcus' toothy grin, Maria our housecleaner, my husband, my healthy body, sleep, forgiveness, the softness of baby skin, my kids' amazing Daddy, great teachers, Madeline's encouragement,

 

Marin: my friends, my home, Marcus' tricks, my parents, Thanksgiving, nature, my yard, Madeline's love, God & sleep, Marcus' laughing, the world, my precious siblings, Mom's forgiveness, my name, my family, Marcus' screaming, Max's love, my bed, Marcus' love 

 

Madeline: love, sleep, turkey, the tooth fairy, Mom & Dad, Mom, Thanksgiving, Max's love, God's love, God, my bed, Mom's encouragement, my home, my name, Mom's sweetness, Marcus,  forgiveness, Dad's love, God's creation, Mommy's help, singing, the world

 

Max: my home & family, my preschool, my friends, songs about everything

 

Marcus: Dad's lap :)

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

 

Max's train ride with Nana

The four-year-old tradition continues! Nana took Max on his first train ride for the day, to celebrate turning 4 :) He had a great time, and loved being with Nana's friend (and her cat), and all the sights along the way. Thank you for such a special day!