Merry Christmas!!!

Opa, Oma, and grandkids


Kiera and her new doll stuff
Kiera, Rayahna, Levi, Julissa, and Tori
Kiera doing a Christmas craft

Our Merry Christmas is a little belated, but we wanted to share with you anyway. We returned from WA on Christmas Eve after spending a week with my (Sheri) family. We had a wonderful time relaxing, decorating cookies, painting ornaments, and having tons of laughs at the kids and their antics. My dad was able to finish his final chemo treatment and we had a little party Friday when he came home from work. It has definitely been a long road for him, but we are optimistic that he won't have to continue on with chemo and life can get back to normal for him. We praise God for answered prayer and continued healing. We should find out on Jan 2 what comes next for him.

Kiera had a blast with her cousins this past week and loved all the gifts she received. My mom sewed doll clothes and diaper bags for each of the little girls and gave them each a doll to go with. They were the hit of the week. Kiera finally started to understand the whole gift process and was really getting into ripping the paper by the end. I am including some pictures of Kiera with her cousins and some random pictures of our Christmas in WA.

We are now in Sioux Falls again and were able to enjoy our first White Christmas! We got about 6 inches on Christmas and it was absolutely beautiful! We still haven't attempted to go out with Kiera again since she hated it so much the last time, but one of these days we'll try again. Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Flu Season

Kiera and I have spent the last week fighting a stomach virus. I got the 24 hour bug while Kiera had it for about a week. Thankfully hers wasn't much other than being VERY cranky and not eating anything. I am very pleased to have my happy little girl back! Ryan did a good job nursing me back to health and watching Kiera while I was sick. What a blessing for us that he has a flexible job and is able to stay home when needed! I think he was more than happy to head back to work instead of being Mr. Mom...even if it was only for a day.

Yesterday we gave Kiera her Christmas present...a little play kitchen. One side is a kitchen, the other is a grill/picnic area. She was SO excited about it and has been playing non-stop. She loves pretending with the dishes and it is neat to see her creativity come out. She keeps saying "mama, come, sit, play". It was a good purchase and we are pleased that she enjoys it so much. We included some pictures of her with her new kitchen.

First Snow

Kiera wasn't so wild about the snow. We think it is more the bundling up that she doesn't like. She usually tries to pull her mittens and hat off

New Beginnings

We have survived our first big snow day! Our little California girl is showing no signs of crossing over to the other side...the cold side that is. Kiera absolutely hated the snow and hates to be all bundled up. I guess she misses the days of shorts and a tank top.

Since this is our first entry, we thought we better update everyone on what has been going on as of late. We are finally settled into our first purchased home here in Sioux Falls, SD! What a blessing to have space and a place to call our own. We love the big back yard and the quiet street. I love having my own craft room and Ryan his own shop. We feel so spoiled here.

Ryan is loving his new job. He enjoys having a big staff to work with and I sometimes wonder if they get much done other than joking around with each other and taking coffee breaks. It is good to see how well they all get along and enjoy working together.

I have taken a back seat right now with church things. It's nice to take a break from being involved and just get to know people. We have two services every Sunday, so it is a big job learning everyone's names. Ryan is definitely doing better than I. We were able to join a small group with 3 other couples our age. It is nice having friends in our same stage of life and something Ryan and I can enjoy together.

We have definitely enjoyed the benefits of family close by. Ryan's brother TJ and his sister Alecia and her family are all in the area. Kiera LOVES having cousins to play with and her cousin Eli and her always have big displays of affection when they see each other...very cute. Ryan's parents are only 3 hours away, so we have seen them quite a bit. We were able to go there for Thanksgiving and then to Duluth, MN to see my sister Tami and her family for a few days. We feel so spoiled having family so close!

Until next time...