family pictures

We had family pictures taken a week or two ago. We haven't done this for a year, so it makes me happy to have updated photos of my sweet family.

And now my family, along with the rest of the Maravilla family, are heading up into the mountains to vacation together for the week. I'm secretly glad my snow pants don't fit this year so I can pamper myself with magazines, hot cocoa and lounging!

Merry Christmas from the Maravillas

Patrick is back home!  And we're ready to do a little celebrating with out own family this week and with the whole Maravilla clan up in the Rocky Mountains next week.  Merry Christmas!

Wow it has been busy at the Maravilla house.  

I haven't spent a night not sewing, making or baking something in weeks.  I've had fun making gifts this year though and using up my stashes of fabric.  I'm feeling pretty pregnant these days, with 12 weeks to go I guess I am!  

Patrick has been put in charge of a few things at work...or more in charge than normal.  He had a couple easy days last week, and now he is in NYC for a few days working on commercials that will hopefully air this time around!

Afton is thrilled to be on vacation from school.  I don't know if I should feel sad that she is already anticipating breaks from school or happy that she loves to be at home.  At least when she is at home she is either reading a book, making an art creation or playing with Abel.

Abel is getting to be a good helper.  He is always saying "Don't Worry Mom, I'll take care of that."  He is very excited for Santa to come, for Daddy to come home and stay home and to go on vacation with Grandpa and Grandma.

I'd post a photo or two, but we sold our iMac right before Patrick left to go out of town and I don't have all my programs up and running on the laptop.  

Chocolate Chip Waffles

Patrick makes the best chocolate chip waffles. I think it is Abel's favorite breakfast.

The Nutcracker

Afton and I went to the Nutcracker on Saturday night. She had so much fun getting dressed up for the show.

She loved the dancing (once she got that it was going to keep on going), the silly Drosselmeyer and the the Sugar Plum Fairy. I spoiled her with a sparkly tiara from the gift shop, a Nutcracker ornament for our tree and cookies from the bake sale.

I was pretty impressed with the Boulder Ballet. Beautiful dancing, costumes and effects. Much cooler than the local production I grew up attending/dancing in!

Buzz and a turkey

Afton had to disguise a turkey for school.  She came up with the hula dancer idea on her own.  I loved this project and think we'll make it a November tradition.  It was funny to check out the other turkey's in the classroom and see turkeys dressed like ninjas, Wall-E, darth vader, etc.

Abel LOVES and LIVES for Buzz Lightyear.  His sweet cousin, Kaleb, gave him one of the small Buzz guys over the summer and we accidentally brought home his twin last week!    His favorite activity is to have me turn on the Buzz Lightyear Song and act it out with the small flying Buzz.  Buzz stands on the couch while Abel puts on a very sad expression and when the part comes when the movie Buzz jumps down the stairs to fly, Abel throws Buzz across the room the falls on the floor himself.  After the song ends, he explains to me that Buzz is so sad because he cannot fly.  

Abel is asking Santa Claus for a Buzz Lightyear costume for Christmas.  Hopefully he will stop randomly pooing in his undies so Santa can  bring it to him!

more snow!

Afton's favorite snow activity is to shovel the sidewalk.  Today she didn't even bother to put her backpack done before she started shoveling!

Abel likes the snow this year!!  He loves getting his gear on, especially his boots, and stomping around in the deep snow.  

Belly

I meant to post a belly photo at 6 months. I'm somewhere in the middle of 6 months now and here it is. I really like my rounding belly. It still fits into lots of regular shirts and hasn't affected my backside too much this time around. I'm even comfortable posting a picture of myself in my "comfy pants!"

This baby is getting big. I can feel it's movements getting more forceful, less polite. He/She must be up to 2 lbs by now!

Yesterday, Abel and I were talking about my belly. He first said he wanted a sister then quickly changed his mind to various Dora characters, settling and Dora and Boots. Afton is firm on the sister wagon. Very, very firm.

Thanksgiving Snowe

Afton and Abel were excited to arrive home to much more snow than in the yards of their cousins, who live just 90 miles south of us.  Patrick grabbed all the snow gear from the garage (it's not attached to out home so I always appreciate his garage errands) and after lunch today the kids hit the snow. 

The kiddos were not very thankful for Thanksgiving food.  Abel tried the turkey and dissected his roll; while Afton filled up on pomegranate seeds, ice cream and lemonade.

We're all happy to be back at home, surrounded by our own food and our new snow.