Yikes- time has gotten away from me

So- apparently I am loosing track of time.  So back to January- the super moon

SNOW!!!  Rocket was so happy

as was the dog.

Frisbee in the snow is awesome!

goodies arrived from Austria.  We miss you Lukas. 

Me in San Diego with a work colleague who I have worked with since 2008 and who I have not seen since 2012.  We are some crazy girls at 11 pm at night (1:00 am in the morning to my body)

the next day, in the office parking lot. 

the last day- at the beach for dinner and drinks.  I love the water.

See- me at the beach.  this is right after I talked to Rocket.

Sunset at the beach

Full dark at the beach.  it was pretty cool- just to the left of me was a soccer team practicing on the beach.  I guess that is a way to get the boys to work- let them run on the beach too.

After I got back, it was pretty boring around here- I got sick, I had my birthday and life went on.

Last week, Rocket had a day off school and we went to the place (that is the name) and played video games, laser tag and ate pizza with friends.  Ok- the boys did all the games and mommas talked.

we had some more snow and ice.  Actually this was .25inches of snow and a sprinkle of ice.  Rocket had the day off school because of this.

Rocket has decided he wants to bake- these are some hand fruit pies that he made and coated with powdered sugar (castor sugar).  they were yummy

There was some basketball again this year.  They did not win a single game.  It was a hard year.

The cheese cake that Rocket made me for me.

YUMMMMMMMM.  He is in charge of making my birthday cakes from now on.

a picture of the boys at the place- most of the basketball team plus a few more friends.

This sunday was scout honor court- the boys as the ceremony started.

Lulu's birthday!

The flooding down at the river.  this is the park we usually go to - everything is underwater.  the river is at 60 ft which is well above flood stage.  I think flood stage starts at 48 feet, but I am not sure.  this is the worst flooding in 20 years.  After snow, we have weeks of rain (it feels like), but the reality is that we a week of significant rain, over 5 inches of rain in 2 days.  that caused the flooding. 

Here is the Big Mac bridge and the flooding. 

We might go down to look at the flooding in the next day or 2- these pictures are from the local news website. 

 

thankfully we are 15 minutes drive from these areas.  But, we have some water leaking into our basement.  not a lot, just enough to wet the edges of the carpet. 

Christmas and a New Year

It has been a busy few weeks.  The New Year has started and we are slowly getting back into the rhythm of our normal schedule.

 

This is the New Year's Super Moon over my neighborhood on the 1st.  This is about 8 in the morning, maybe 7:30.

On New year's eve, we took our AFS student (I am her liaison) to see the lights on the hill.  You drive this sculpture park that is all decorated with Christmas lights.  It was pretty.  She wanted to go see the lights at the zoo, but the temperatures were -13 F (which is something like -20 C) with the wind and that is just tooooooo cold to be outside walking around.

On the 30th, we celebrated the first birthday of H1 and H2.  They turned one on the 26th, but this was a chance for us all to come by.  It was only the second time I have seen the girls since they were born, and I am guessing that is the way it will be.  I made the girls fleece blankets and we gave them each a book.

H1 and H2 eating their cake.

This is H1- really H2 by birth, but H1 by name. She was happy to eat gold fish crackers while I held her.  She is sooooo tiny.  She is about the weight of Rocket when he was little.

H2's birthday cake.  Each cake had their name on it.  There was a separate cake for the guests to eat.

 

Great- grandma (my sister's husband's mother) holding H1.  H1 was happy to interact with everyone and smile.  H2 was not smiling or interacting at all.

Rocket in his new bunk bed.  We are on a new adventure in 2018, we are opening our house to foster kids.  Maybe there will be kids that get to stay forever, but the goal of fostering in the US is for the kids to be reunited with their birth parents or family.  So we will have kids come and go.  I will not be able to show them on the blog at all because of government rules, but I might I say we have more kids in the house for a while.  More to come on this as things develop.

Sunrise last week- it looks like the sky is on fire!

Rocket with his new hair cut- just like Ronaldo

the new taco place that our friend, Lisa, showed us.  this is from Tortilleria Gracia.  Fresh made tacos.  They also sell masa and tamales.  Masa if I want to make my own tamales or fresh tamales if making them is too much for me.  Excitement!!

Rocket with his 2 favorite gifts from Christmas- the US practice jersey and the official soccer ball from the CONCACAF cup.


Love and hugs to you all,
Deb

Count down to the end of the year.

Pablo- the jingle dog.  We bought this jingle bell collar for Pablo over the weekend.  He liked it the first time he wore it, but he hates it now.  It is too noisy and he can not sneak up on the birds and squirrels in the backyard.  Rocket is determined that Pablo should wear it all the time.  Poor Pablo.

the sunrises have been pretty the last few weeks- bright colors.  But, I will be happy as of the 21st when the days start getting longer again.  I am tired of getting up in the dark and eating dinner at 5:30 in the dark.

Tree sale season is over.   The boys sold 250 Christmas trees in just 2 weeks!!!!

 this is day one when we unloaded the trees and then worked our 4 hour shift.

this is our last shift- 7 days later.  I made soup for all the workers and we had a good time eating warm soup and selling trees.

the first official basketball game of season.  Rocket scored the most points on the team this week- which is not quite as exciting as it sounds.  The boys lost 5- to something.  Rocket had 3 points for the team- see the video below for the actual shot.  I was the score keeper, so this is the only picture I got.

Video of Rocket's 3 pointer.  He has been practicing hard this year.

second tournament of the season (they are getting them in early).  The boys lost 10-40 something.  Rocket had 4 points for the game.  It is going to be a long season.

Christmas tree is decorated.

 

I have 4 more days of work this year!!!!!!  

 

Love and hugs,

Deb

A season of Thanks Giving

We are entering the holiday season here, Halloween has come and gone, Thanksgiving is coming and then Christmas is not far behind. 

the high school that Rocket wants to attend held their grade school night- all the kids from the local grade schools are welcome to come and attend for free.  If your kid is into football, cheerleading or band, they encourage the kids to join the big kids for dinner and then out on the field.  While Rocket loves football, he really loves the band.  So I dropped him off at 4 pm, went and had some dinner and then came back to for the game.  Rocket got to march in with the band, play in the pregame show and then stay with the band during the first half of the game.  At half time, the junior band folks lined the sideline while the high school band played their show.  You can see Rocket in the white shirt in the middle of the photo below.  He is standing next to the person in the white shirt too.  She is in black shorts and he is in red shorts.

A closer view of them talking during the show.  Rocket got  to wear the marching drums and he looked comfortable in them.

Then the junior band went out to play the song "Believer" by Imagine Dragons and the school fight song.  Rocket is the one in white with the boy in red standing sideways by him.

Such a cool experience.

That weekend, we celebrated Auntie Lulu's graduation from college.  She finished her associate's degree.  She has started and stopped many times, changed her major many times, but she persevered this time and she got her degree.  I am so proud of her.

Random photo of the dog, Pablo, eating a treat under my desk.

on the 29th, we joined N for his birthday at a new laser tag place. The boys got pizza and video games and laser tag time.

Halloween was Tuesday night.  Rocket decided to be a soccer player (wearing basketball shoes).  He and I built a fire before he went out so that I would be warm sitting outside handing out candy.

Pablo even came out- though he was not happy that he had to wear the harness.  I put in a harness so he would not bark at everyone

 Our friends came by to pick up Rocket (their dad was walking with them too). They all dressed up like versions of Dr. Who.  I love it!!!!!!

the fire later in the evening

I love fires!!

Picture of the fire, the house and the rising moon above the tree.

This past weekend, Rocket's school had their fall plays.  Rocket did the spotlight for the second play.  This is him and his 2 buddies.   P (the tall one) really shot up over the summer.  He is probably as tall as me now.  Rocket is growing- I just had to buy him size 10.5 shoes!  And E- well I don't think he is going to get too much taller based on how tall his parents are.

 

So much to be thankful for this season.

 

 

Love and hugs,

Deb