Merry Christmas Y'all

  

We got one of the coolest (literally) gifts of all this year on Christmas Day - snow! 

It snowed all day and the girls loved it!

It even tasted good!

Merry Christmas from Texas!

 

We hope you all have a wonderful day filled with family and love. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- John 3:16

First Day of School - Texas Style

Grace started 1st grade in Texas today.  

 

She was so excited to go and was much braver than I was!

She had a great day and made lots of friends!

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

-Deuteronomy 31:6

 

Happy Halloween!

For the last several years as Halloween rolls around I ask the girls what they would like to dress up as and the answer is always the same - either a princess or ballerina fairy (all things we have in our dress up bin).  This year was no exception, so I present - again - our princess and ballerina fairy!

 

Emma with her favorite yard Halloween decoration.

 

Trick or Treat!

Let them praise your great and awesome name - he is holy.

- Psalm 99:3

Pumpkin Carving Fun

They say a picture is worth a thousand words - clearly that was written specifically for Emma's expressions during the pumpkin carving session this year!

But in the end, the final outcome was worth it!!

But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
- Psalm 31:14

Pumpkin Patch Fun

We found a Pumpkin Patch here not far from where our new house will be so we took the girls this weekend to enjoy some Fall Fun.

Smiles of victory after completing the hay maze which ended in a slide.

The pumpkin patch had more wooden cutouts than pumpkins but the girls loved it.

They both had their faces painted with candy corns - which is interesting because they have never even tasted them!

Look at those faces of pure joy after riding the kiddie train around the pumpkin patch!

They both tried their hands at lifting the largest pumpkin that they could find.  First Emma . . .

Then Grace . . .  neither one had any luck!

We worked on a few Halloween crafts that I brought with us when we moved.  They served as a not so quiet diversion one afternoon as well as some decoration for our temporary housing.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
- 2 Corinthians 4:18

Pool Pics Then & Now

This picture was taken when we moved into our temp housing in San Ramon, California in 

September of 2009.  Even then the girls loved playing at the pool!

This picture was taken when we moved into our temp housing here in Irving, Texas in October of 2012.

My what a difference three years will make!

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
- Psalm 100:1

On the move again . . .

As you all know by now, we have recently relocated from Northern California to the Dallas, Texas area.

Here are a few pictures of our move so far . . .

My mommy mobile gets loaded up to head down south - I was more sad to see it go than any of our other belongings - thus officially making me a minivan mom - what I had previously vowed to never become!

 

The movers/packers worked hard over two days to get us all packed and loaded and on our way, here was the beginning of day one:

 

 Our final good-bye to our house on in Mountain House, as you can tell, we were all 

a little worn out looking!

All smiles after making it through security and before we boarded the plane in spite of us waking 

them up at 5:30 in the morning!

Emma really enjoyed the in-flight entertainment on Virgin America!

Grace found her creative outlet in her Hello Kitty book!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
- Proverbs 3:5

Labor Day at Lake Tahoe

We decided to take a trip up to North Lake Tahoe for Labor Day weekend.  My parents were here visiting and hadn’t been since the late 1960’s and the girls love playing in the water so it seemed like a great fit for everyone!

We had the most perfect weather for our three days.  The girls played at several different beaches and in the pool at the cottages where we were staying. 

My girls have a best friend named Lizzie, so my friend Lisa (Lizzie’s mom) and I had hatched a plan where her family would drive up on Sunday, stay for the rest of the holiday weekend and surprise my girls.  The kids were so surprised to see each other and in heaven and played together beautifully – a perfect surprise for the weekend!

We had an idyllic three days with beach lounging, swimming, eating and relaxing with family and good friends.

It was a great farewell to Lake Tahoe for us.  Hopefully it won’t be too many years before we can go and visit again!

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
- Psalm 19:1

Grace's 1st Day of 1st Grade!

Today Grace started 1st grade. 

It doesn't seem real that my little girl is now a first grader.  A mom once told me "the days are long but the years are short."  Never did that mean more to me than watching Grace head into her 1st grade classroom today.

She said she had a good first day and she likes her teacher, so that is all I can hope for this early in the year.  I hope she feels the same on the last day of school - in just 179 more days!!

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
- Philippians 4:13

End of Summer Trip

We like to go away for a little break from reality before the start of school each year.  So, much like last year, we headed to the beach for some end of summer fun before school was in full swing for both girls.

Saturday was spent at Half Moon Bay Beach - we couldn't have picked a more perfect day for the beach.

  

Not a cloud in the sky, no wind, just a beautiful day.  The kids and Chris played in the water and let the waves "chase" them.  The waves won that race every time!

We had dinner at Pizza My Heart - Chris's fave pizza place - the pizza really is amazing if you are ever in the area and can try it you should.

We had dim sum on Sunday at Ming's in Palo Alto.  Yummy, yummy and you end up having eyes much larger than your stomach.  Everything just looks so tempting as they wheel it by on those little carts!

 

The rest of Sunday was spent at Stanford showing the girls what they can attain with hard work and a HUGE scholarship! 

What a beautiful campus and great views from atop the Hoover Tower.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34