The very first Christmas card we ever sent as a married couple featured a picture of Santa Claus covered in some unknown, brown, spotty substance. The inside of the card said something about remembering to add more fiber to the reindeer's diet next year. yeah. Guess who picked out that card, had to have it, LOVED it? And, well, being the diplomatic wife that I am (was?) I agreed. However, since that year (or maybe BECAUSE of that year), I have taken full charge of selecting and sending the holiday greetings! As the years continue, I find such joy looking back at the photos sent to say "Merry Christmas". Four short holiday seasons captured on film.
Yesterday we had the ultrasound. IT'S A BOY! How happy we ALL are. I just keep staring and staring at the photos of Christmas past and can't help but imagine what 2009's card will look like...a welcome addition of bouncing, excited boy, similar in age to the little guy in the first photo.**
My first pregnancy was so new and exciting. And maybe that, coupled with the fact that I was busy, busy teaching, made it seem to fly by. My second pregnancy was tiring. Mostly because I had an 11 month old and was busy, busy with a church calling. This pregnancy is different. Although home life is fast paced, outside demands are slower. I find myself really THINKING about the miracle of being pregnant. I am cherishing this time a little more. And always in the back of my mind I wonder just how many more times I will experience this wonder that is pregnancy. David and I have never had "a number" in mind. It is always up for reevaluation after each babe! :) So here we are, surrounded by the number 4. Fourth Christmas with children. Four people in our little family, looking forward to the new one in only four short months.
But it didn't make the final cut because during THIS photo, a strange lady walking by decided that we needed some help and came to "entertain" the children while the camera timer ticked away. Kids are laughing at the crazy lady, but mom and dad have a look on their face that reads a little more, "what the heck..."
Making the bird feeders was a HUGE hit.
Have I mentioned that there isn't a washer and dryer in these apartments? It's another one of those things we had to leave behind when we moved from KC. So far, each place we've stayed provided one. And really, it's a matter of laziness more than anything. Find something cheap on craigslist, use it for a couple months and then try to get rid of them again before we move at the end of Feb. urgh. I guess I haven't been inconvenienced enough to motivate myself into action.
Forgoing the comfort of our own home, we use the laundry facility on site. All we need are snacks, and my camera. The kids LOVE the sports feature where you can take something like 6.5 shots per second. So they jump off things, jump like frogs and run in straight lines, while I hold the shutter button. We took a ridiculous amount of pictures. And other than the two dudes that walked off the set of a rap video (and flashed some strange looks toward my "pregnant sprawled on the lawn to get the shot self") we were all alone. Or so we thought.
After each race, they demanded to see the photos on the viewfinder. They wanted to see themselves "run backward", "run forward", "do it fast", "make us run slow". And satisfied....they want to shoot a new set. Finally, when we were done, we headed back inside to check on the clothes. We heard a woman's voice, "Ma'am!?" (i know, I know, once you have two kids and are pregnant, you graduate to Ma'am, instead of Miss) I turned to look but didn't see anyone. She called again, and from the second floor balcony I saw a woman stand up from her chair.
Last year David's grandparents sent us the Elf on the Shelf package. Cutest thing. It comes with a book (that rhymes the whole way through) explaining that Santa has sent an elf to the Painter household. This year we have to name our elf and welcome him to our home. There is even a place to write in the book what year your elf comes to you and what you decide to name him. The book explains that each day the elf will appear somewhere in the house (he's got bendable arms and legs so he can chill in the funniest places...like from light fixtures and shower curtains) to watch over the kids and make sure they are on their best behavior. Each night he flys back to the North Pole to report to Santa the doings of the day. Then, each morning he finds a different spot in the house and the kids have a ball searching for him when they wake up. Fun stuff.