"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'

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Finding New Traditions

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving we all loaded up in my SUV and headed out to a Christmas Tree Farm in Snohomish to find the perfect tree. I have always wanted to do this- we just never have.

It was a blast! The boys ran and ran, getting muddy and hiding from each other amongst the rows of trees as Matt and I took our task of finding the perfect tree very seriously.

We were excited because our rental house has a pitched ceiling and a huge front window in the family room. Perfect place for a really BIG tree! Also, this farm only charges $25 for ANY tree- no matter how big. Not to mention it was run by the sweetest couple ever.

What we didn't consider is that a much larger tree would require more trimmings than we keep on hand. So I gathered up some craft supplies(and bought a little to augment with) and we got to work making ornaments to fill our tree. I think it worked out ok in the end. When I post Christmas morning pics you'll see how it turned out.

It really is huge by the way. But Beautiful for sure! And I think we will stick with the tree farm as a tradition. Definitely an experience worth repeating.

What I woke up to this morning...

First I heard something hitting the window, then shouts of "mommy!" and "Elizabeth!" from outside...

Apparently my boys got up and bundled up to play in the snow first thing this morning, leaving me blissfully snoozing under the warm covers. The "something" hitting the window was snowballs of course. As I raised the shade I was greeted by 4 smiling faces. My Matt and my 2 sweet little boys had built for me a big cheerful snowman. Most of you who know me know that I adore Snowmen.

What a wonderful start to a chilly day of staying inside and loving on my family!

P.S. Bear with me as I slowly make adjustments to our blog. The goal is to keep it interesting (always has been) but of course I have struggled with this. Documenting the raising of my family has taken a backseat to actually raising them. I am working on my time management skills these days so lets see how this goes...

For now: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you who still actually check the blog for new posts!

What we've been doing...

Isaac turned 6 on October 5th! We invited his friends from school and of course his best friend Caedmon (and mom) made the trip from Lynden to celebrate with us! Isaac had a great time building lego ships with his buddies and eating blue cake!

I used our "big" legos to spell out a special message for my favorite 6-year-old!

We celebrated with Isaac's class and he got to wear a crown for the day and share cupcakes with everyone! Little brother came too!

At the Lego Party, posing for a group pic after running laps around the house with their custom Lego space ships- ready to cut into the big blue Lego brick! From the left we have Hayden, Isaac (Marcus behind him), Lawrence, Caedmon, Sean and Jacob.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>There's Marcus! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Happy Birthday Isaac! We can't believe you have been our little boy for 6 whole years! We are so blessed to be your mommy and daddy. You are such a great kid! We can't wait to see what the next 6 years have in store for you!

Pictures from the Big Day!!!

Getting his cool new shoes on. We bought this outfit specifically for the first day of school- but he managed to put it on 3 0r 4 times before the big day... "I'm just trying it out mom"
I actually see a little bit of me in that sweet smiling face. Usually he just looks like Mini-Matt. He was so excited he couldn't stop smiling!
Posing in the parking lot, sun in his eyes, sporting his cool new Clone Wars backpack!
Standing in line with his new classmates, soon to be heading into the classroom for the first time!
Happily seated at his new desk. Ready to start learning! Oh man my baby is really growing up!!! (It was right after I took this picture that they made the parents leave and the tears started welling up in my eyes- can't believe I made it that long!)

Just got back from Oklahoma...

My grandpa is not doing so well. He has been hospitalized for over a week now and when he went in he was "near death". I left on Saturday and arrived at the hospital in Waurika, OK Saturday night. He looked bad. Didn't recognize me at first- he came in really dehydrated and was just beginning to regain his senses. When I went back on Sunday he knew who I was and asked me about my boys. They ran additional tests on Sunday and found that he is sufficiently rehydrated and his kidneys had started functioning again- but he is now in heart failure. He is 91 and very frail. I flew home today. I am pretty sure when I kissed my grandpa this morning as I left his bedside it was for the last time. I am at peace with this and I am so very grateful that I was there to help care for him and love on him for the last few days.
My grandmother is a mess. Everyone else has accepted that his body is shutting down- but she just won't. Please pray for my grandmother. She needs strength and a gentle reminder that the Lord is in charge and that his leaving this earth will mean only that he can finally rest. More on this later...

I will post pics of the first day of kindergarten when I get a moment. Until then...

Workin' fool

I have had my nose to the grindstone lately. I come home at night and crash next to my hubby and wake up in time to kiss him goodbye in the morning. My mommy time is in the mornings. Saturday mornings are the best because I work late so we all wake up together and I play with the boys while Matt makes breakfast. My weekend is Thursday and Friday now- Isaac likes to count down the days to when mommy "stays here". I love my job. I am having lots of fun. But I really miss my babies. I am thinking part-time sounds good. I think I will spend some time getting more established here, then go down to part time. It will be better for all of us I think.

The house is still not unpacked. We have most of our furniture set in place. But all of the little details are still missing. It doesn't feel like home yet. I made the mistake of visiting the Lynden Chamber of Commerce website and I felt -get this- sad. As anxious as we were to move, I miss Lynden. I miss our neighbors. I miss my friends, I miss my house, I miss my MOPS. I know it will get better, but for now it stinks.

I am however trying to stay positive. I love living in the city. Everything is SO close! It takes me 10 minutes to get to Alderwood Mall. There is a gorgeous new Safeway one mile from my house. The list goes on... There is so much to be thankful for...even more so when we finally settle into a true rhythm. The really good news: working has helped me take off a few pounds! WhooHoo!

We live!

Yep we are still here! Matt is back to the grind at work- working normal hours again so he is much happier. Isaac is getting ready for kindergarten- he is so excited!- but I can't seem to get the butterflies out of my tummy! He will do great I am sure, but still- am I really old enough to have school-aged children? I still feel like a kid myself some days!

Maxee is beautiful as always- he is such a happy, expressive little guy! He makes us laugh every day, whether it's a new word, a new "game", or even just his tantrums (I know we shouldn't laugh, but it is SO funny!)

I am so excited to officially start working with clients tomorrow! I was in training for 2 weeks, then I just took a few days off to work on the house and the logistics of moving, but now I am official tomorrow! I can't wait!

That's about it for now...

Yes, Allison we survived!

It was rough...but we are here! Our new house is awesome! We love having more room- and we love the area. We are so close to so much- and yet our house is off the beaten path (very private location, surrounded by big trees) The boys love their new playroom (no toys allowed anywhere else in the house---YAY!) and we love our big new bedroom. We are still surrounded by lots of boxes, but we are getting there. I LOVE my new job! Matt goes back to work tomorrow and we hired a nanny whom we already love- can't wait for her to start. She will be a nanny 3 days a week and a mom's helper one day a week. The boys are doing fine- they seem quite comfortable here already and as soon as school starts Isaac will do even better! (He is such a social child that the secluded location has been a little wierd for him). Thanks for checking in, as things settle down here I will set aside a time to blog more regularly.

Out with the old...

We moved to Bellingham in August 2000 with the expectation of being here until June of 2004 when Matt was to graduate from Western. We avoided laying down roots until Matt's deployment forced us to stay here longer. By that time we had a baby and I was going to be alone here for at least 18 months while he was gone. We decided the best thing was to buy a house and build some equity while we wait for the deployment to pass and for him to come back and finish school. Finally after almost 8 years in Whatcom county we are moving on.

Our new home is on the northeast side of Mill Creek (near Everett, WA). Isaac will attend Seattle Hill Elementary for kindergarten in the fall. Matt will have only a 20 minute commute to work- and will be travelling the opposite direction of the traffic. I will start my new job as a Designer with Thomasville Interiors in downtown Bellevue at the beginning of August. My schedule will be very flexible so Matt and I will be able to work around each other- keeping one of us at home with the boys most of the time. Things are changing fast around here...finally!

We make the move officially on July 18th. So... in with the new!!

What I am Doing Right Now

I am watching my husband play Guitar Hero on our new Wii. Our anniversary was yesterday and it was my year to surprise him- so I took him out to dinner at the Melting Pot last night, then home to this fun new toy! I know, I know, why would I buy a Wii as an anniversary gift instead of say, a night in a bed & breakfast or a cruise to Victoria? Because Matt and I have a different kind of love language. We love to play and be silly- we keep each other young that way- and we are very competitive. I figured what better way to celebrate this relationship than to get something that we can both enjoy- and it will last longer than a night in a bed and breakfast. So we got home late Thursday and we have no kids until Saturday morning- so there will be lots of Wii Sports and Guitar Hero and Champagne and strawberries to enjoy until then!

To Matt- I can't believe it has been 8 years already- it feels like I just fell in love with you last week. So when is the honeymoon phase supposed to be over? Actually I still haven't figured out how I managed to land you- you are the kindest, most playful, most intelligent, best-looking guy I know and I am in love with you! ;o)

Seriously!

We have an offer! It has been on the table for a few weeks now- I think it is gonna happen! I just didn't want to blog about it until we were a little more solid. The offer has been signed on both sides and we are just waiting on a lawyer to draw up the details!

In the meantime...

We got a new place! It is in Mill Creek and it is awesome! It is a single-level (good for me while I rehab my ankle!) and it has a giHUGEant yard!! Our official move-in date is July 18. Seriously it is happening for real! Pray for us that things continue to go smoothly from here as (in case you haven't noticed) the Buonadonna family tends to do everything the hard way.

I am so excited to know that Isaac will start kindergarten at Seattle Hill Elementary- which I have heard is an excellent school! We are walking distance from a church with a MOPS program and I already have a job interview with a design store in Bellevue and I am hoping for a call-back from another!

Matt and I have decided that it will be best for me to work full time for a few years so we can actually save some money and have more to put towards our dream home in a few years. The good news is that his hours are quite flexible so we can switch off days off as much as possible and keep the boys home with one of us most of the week. I am actually really excited to start working full-time in the design field- I know I will learn SO much!

So we are on the brink of some really BIG changes in our life and we are so ready! For our Whatcom county friends and neighbors: we will miss you all very much but we love you all and promise to come back and visit!

I leave you with a picture of our new yard...and that's not even the half of it!

And then there were two

more birthdays! Seriously... my niece Emma turned 11 on Wednesday. She lives in Cedar Rapids, IA and her birthday was very wet. So wet that the Cedar River rose to 30 feet above flood stage! Downtown was completely under water! All the same she and the family went out for Sushi- her favorite!! I know, wierd, huh?

I am glad that you had a nice birthday in spite of all the crumminess going on Miss Emma! We'll be praying that things get back to normal there soon and you can get to enjoying your summer break! We'll see you next month!!!

And then there is my dad- poor dad always gets father's day and his birthday crammed together... but I guess the good news is that he gets extra confirmation that we REALLY REALLY love and appreciate him in June every year!

Happy 65th birthday Daddy! I love you!

Up in smoke...

This is so sad. I haven't been home yet to see the remains of the building- but a Lynden landmark burned down yesterday.

http://www.kirotv.com/news/16552034/detail.html

The latest word is that 2 young teenage boys are responsible. Tonight I am praying that it was truly an accident. I am also praying for the kids (13 & 14 yrs old) and their families as they navigate the rocky road ahead of responsibility, punishment, reparation, and forgiveness. I praise God for protecting all the people from inside and around the building. It was in the end, just a building, but that structure had a soul built in the history of the Lynden community and it will be missed.

And yes...there are more!

Birthday #4! Yesterday was my wonderful father-in-law's birthday- not sure if he would be ok with me putting his age on here- but I am gonna do it anyway because this guy just blows my mind! He skis, he hikes, he kayaks, he camps. If it is outdoors- he's in. He is 70- with no sign of slowing down. He has to have shoulder surgery this winter and he is already trying to figure out how to time it just so he can get some skiing in first. He and MaryJane are planning a trip to Australia and Ireland within the next year or so. Nonstop I tell ya...

Happy Birthday Grandpa Victor! We love you!

The Worst Children Ever

So Birthday #3... well there's no way to sugar-coat it. We forgot. A couple of days before THE special day we were talking about it. We talked about it with the boys in front of her while we were celebrating Max's birthday. But a mere week later Matt was guilty of one of the worst things an adult child can do. Forget his mom's birthday. Oh yeah honey. I am laying this one off on you. You didn't call, you didn't send a card. You should be put in front of a firing squad at dawn. The nerve...
In any case, MaryJane your Lynden gang loves you dearly and we hope your birthday was lovely. We hope that in spite of our failure to call that you had plenty of phone calls from all of the other people who think you are pretty wonderful. When we arrive this weekend we will come bearing gifts and grandchildren- what more could you ask for? ;o)

Max's Birthday!

Birthday #2! We had a great party to celebrate our baby's second birthday- complete with Curious George, bubbles, donut cake and well, most importantly as it turns out- BALLOONS!

We got him up from his nap just as all of his guests arrived and he seemed a bit confused by all the people at first...then he saw the balloons. Apparently we could have saved some serious time and money if we'd just gotten him a couple of balloons for his birthday. Seriously.

"Bloo!Bloo!Bloo!Bloo!"

Ruby, John and Tessa with our little birthday boy!

Playing in the sandbox friends: John, Ariah, and Isaac

Frances, Alisha, Ariah and Maxee!

A Game of horseshoes is fun for everyone!

Maxee with Mamo and Grandpa Victor!



Riley chasing some bubbles from our silly bubble machine!

All the kiddos wait "patiently" for the birthday boy to come open his presents!

Who is that silly man in the big yellow hat? Why that would be the other birthday boy of course!(You guys did pick up on the yellow hat being a Curious George reference right?)

Cutie girls (and instant friends!) Ariah and Autumn cheesing for the camera!


Denise and Caedmon take their turn with the yellow hat!

Yay! Curious George Donut Cake! It was inspired by one of the boys' favorite "George" episodes.

Just a little help from mama!

Mmmmm...messy!

That's right John, it's All Good!

Tummy's all full...and I still have my balloons! Happy Birthday to me!

Matt's Birthday

...marks the official beginning of the annual Buonadonna Birthday Bonanza (not to intentionally leave out older brother Philip's birthday-there is just a decent gap between his day and Matt's- and thus the craziness begins!)

Homemade Cherry Pie for the love of my life- that's what he wanted instead of a cake! Like father, like son! Happy Birthday Honey!
I'm here, I'm wearing my bib. Can someone please tell dad we are all waiting on him?

So much going on!

We have had 2 birthdays and a graduation in the last week.... I have been to one baby shower and I am going to another tomorrow. Our Bishop is also coming to visit our church tomorrow. Then I have a pre-op bone scan on Monday. Plus our house is for RENT officially. Phew... I'll get back to you.

Toradol is my Friend

Hello! Toradol is a good thing- normally I would not say that about a shot in my backside- but Toradol is definitely alright with me! After about 15 minutes- headache was substantially better...30 minutes= gone completely! Dr. gave me an Rx for an "old-school" migraine reliever since I can't take the new stuff (allergic). In any case- migraine gone! WooHoo! It feels good to function again...

Migraine

I have been trying to think of something interesting to blog about (same ole' same ole' around here) and decided today I would blog about what is ruling my life right now. I have a migraine headache. It has been with me since Friday morning. I have been pretty useless all weekend- thank goodness Matt is home. Anyway, I leave in about 10 minutes to go to a Dr. Appt- hopefully get some meds to get this under control. I need relief!

I'll leave you with a couple of pictures to make you smile:

Isaac and his best friend Caedmon (Caedmon is wearing his klompen dancing costume for the Holland Days Festival in Lynden-complete with wooden shoes that make him look like a giant next to Isaac)...

Maxie?!? Did you hang up on Daddy again?...

Zoee and Isaac take a break from a romp in the bubbles for a photo.

Just a blog-because I should...

Let's see- MOPS day yesterday- that was fun- I love MOPS! I can't believe that our next meeting will be my last MOPS meeting at Cornwall Church in Bellingham. I have been so blessed by the things I have learned and the friends I have made there. If you are reading this and I met you there (or you introduced me to it to start with!) know that my life is forever changed for the better for having met and spent time with you.

Today I had an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon- finally! If you haven't heard me whine about my ankle yet- then you should know I have been in chronic pain in my left ankle for over a year and a half. Every time I try to really get a workout schedule started- I end up in too much pain to continue. So it turns out- after over an hour with this Surgeon this morning- that I have not one- but two different sources of pain. One of which will have to be surgically repaired, the other is still a mystery- but hopefully not for long as I have a CAT Scan scheduled for Friday. Please pray for a simple fix! I am so tired of my ankle always hurting! I can't even go for a walk with my kids without serious pain- and stairs are not my friend. Pray that what ever is wrong can all be fixed in one surgery ( I am pretty sure what ever the 2nd thing is it is probably surgical).

I must say I am relieved to at least have a partial diagnosis. Heck it is just a relief to have a Doctor say "Oh yes, this is abnormal here- and there is definitely a tear in the tendon there..." Instead of "well...it's not broken...it's probably just a sprain..." (ahem, it's been over a year- don't you think the sprain might have healed by now?) Thankfully I was able to return to a trusted Doctor when my insurance changed- and he sent me in for the MRI I should have had a year and a half ago. Anyway, as strange as it sounds- if you think of it could you please pray for my ankle? :o)

What else...hmmm...Max is talking lots now! Every few words are completely understandable! He is even using some sign language accurately (he has always been stubborn about the sign language). We have "goggy"=dog ..."eeeze" = cheese and please... ball and bubble are completely clear... and he is repeating words all the time! I am excited -even though I know we will soon miss his baby babble- he gets very emotional when we can't understand him- so this should mean fewer tantrums.

Isaac's nose is much better! It is back to a normal size and there's only a little yellow left of the bruises! We are working on phonics with him to get ready for kindergarten in the fall- thank you Hilary and Brian for the DVD- he loves it! And you are right Brian- it's not at all annoying!

Matt is having trouble with the house he is staying at near his work (2 words- four cats) so he will go back to staying at his parents' house in Renton for now - I am so praying for a quick finish to our housing situation so we can be together again. This is miserable. For those of you who don't know: this market is better than last year- but still not good. We are so tired of waiting. If we don't have a buyer by next week we are putting it up for rent. Better to be landlords for a year than to chase the market anymore.

Hmmm. I think that's it for now. Phew- that was a lot actually! Well- happy reading!