Friday, December 23, 2011

Advent Observations

The flurry of Christmas activity - family visits, parties, shopping, eating, drinking and making merry - make it is easy to lose one's sense of awe regarding the miracle of Christmas. Something I read on the subject this morning said, "The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before... . What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you."

With this in mind, we have decided to incorporate the observation of Advent as one of our family Christmas traditions. The daily moments of remembering to anticipate and meditate on the birth of Jesus, and all his coming encompasses, is good for Philip and me. It has also proven to be great for the little ones! The girls and I have made a construction paper advent chain with hot-pink glitter numbers. Everyday we tear another link off and tuck it into one of the Christmas tree's few remaining bald spots. Kylie gets excited as we discuss pretty much the same things everyday: "When we get to the end of the chain it will be Jesus' birthday, Christmas morning! You will get lots of presents and we will also go visit your cousins!" The discussion varies a little, elaborating on topics like who Jesus is and why he's important, and reminders of who the cousins are, and what gifts she might be craving at that moment, but the excitement grows all the same. Adult and child alike, we are preparing ourselves for the experience of Christmas, not only the observance of another holiday.







Saturday, December 17, 2011

Lightning Strikes Twice

The last time Kylie found a pair of scissors we were packing and moving to Texas. She butchered Avery's baby curls. This time around Kylie found a pair of manicure scissors and worked on her own head.





I tried to fix it with a long-layered look, but I'm no hairstylist and it didn't quite turn out as I'd envisioned.


Alas, we took her to a professional. She relished the salon experience, feeling as if she'd stepped into the pages of a Fancy Nancy book. I forgot to take my camera along, but this was the result. She is looking quite grownup and promises she'll never cut anyone's hair again! Time will tell.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Giving Thanks

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with my family. Every year the whole clan congregates at my grandmother's farm for a day of food, football, and catching up with one another. Everyone doesn't make it every year, so the attendance fluctuates, but as Gan always says, "we all know we have a table to put our feet under." For this I am thankful.

Apparently, something serious is happening, but they really did LOVE their cousin, Lilly!


Avery trying to do her frowny face for the camera but Kylie is just too funny!


Chowing down on Thanksgiving goodies at the "kid's table"


Philip was with us for Thanksgiving and then left for Israel to work on "The Messiah". No ketusha rockets have been lobbed from Lebanon since the 2006 war, but of course the week that my husband is only a few kilometers from the Lebanese border they start raining down! I'm not really worried about it, but we'll be glad to get him home all the same.

Surrounded by storyboard images


Hashing through the script with the team


In the meantime, us girls are decorating for Christmas and feeling very crafty! Earlier this week I asked Kylie if she thought girl time with Avery and me was going to be really fun. She replied, "Nope. We can't have fun without Dad." Despite her prediction it has been a pretty good week! My girls love their Daddy.

Kylie's first acrylic on canvas! Still a work in progress, but honest truth, I have only provided the outlines! She's darn good :)


Working on their United States puzzle


Homemade Christmas wreath - I can't decide if this is cute or tacky...leaning toward tacky. Feel free to weigh in on this!



Yay for Houston's Butterfly Museum!!!
While visiting my parents we took the girls for their first visit. Thanks for a great day, KiKi!

Looking at some kind of bug


Grocery shopping with KiKi

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Lovely Days with Little Girls

A smattering of photos from the last couple of weeks...

Jokes with Dad


Mom got stuck doing the pumpkin...Kylie thought it was "disgusting"!


Boo at the Zoo



The zebra passed out at the grocery store...


But revived for dinner : )



Mastering Air Hockey


Gardening


The ever-studious Sophia

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Enjoying Autumn

Thus far October has brought a flurry of friends and family through the Dorr casa! Tulsa, Israel, Georgia and Houston have sent us visitors over the last couple of weeks. Tasty food and drink, cool(er) evenings, and lovely conversation - it has been a wonderful way to welcome fall!

My sister, Kathleen, spent some time with us before heading south of the border for a couple of months. She will be working with an NGO in Oaxaca, Mexico while Uncle Nick is in Ranger School with the army. She brought a super fun art project that we all enjoyed and it's hanging in the girl's room now!




Philip started construction on the garden shed/playhouse. It's coming along nicely, but I'll post some pictures of the finished product in a week or so.



For Halloween Kylie will be a monkey and Avery a zebra. We're planning on going to "Boo at the Zoo" towards the end of the month but the costumes just couldn't wait : )


My DIY autumn wreath! Just a little unabashed bragging : )

Monday, September 19, 2011

Green Thumbs

We couldn't be happier with the new home, however the backyard is a barren wasteland. At best it is a blank canvas. So, as HGTV might say, we've started the "reno of the outdoor living space". Phase one: Raised garden beds and a beginning compost pile! I wanted this project at the top of the list in hopes of having some sort of fall garden. Philip has the green thumb in our family and so far has planted bell peppers, tomatoes, and lots of basil. For those who don't know, our weird little girls eat basil by the handfuls so we had to keep them well supplied : ) Maybe this week we'll get some mixed greens and spinach going!




Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Summer Zoo Days


August has been eventful for us. We've almost unpacked all our boxes and the kitchen is being re-done as I write. Kylie has conquered day-time potty training and Avery is cutting her eye-teeth. Plus, we have had our first emergency room visit. Kylie tried to catch a lamp as it was falling off an end table. The tips of her middle and ring fingers were nearly severed. It took nine stitches to re-attach them. Philip has since removed the stitches and it looks like she is going to heal just fine. Thanks be to God.





We've also become season pass holders at the local zoo! Honestly, I never thought that would be a source of enjoyment for me but Kylie and Avery love it so much that Philip and I can't help but have a great time! Here's a sampling of our latest trip.









Friday, July 1, 2011

Texas Bound

Moving to Texas is a bittersweet transition because this chapter really has been such a special time for us. When we first came back from Israel Kylie was only 3 months old. We settled into the Dorr family cabin for a year before we bought this little old house on Boone St. With a lot of elbow grease we fixed it up just in time for Avery to be born in the kitchen! Since then we have enjoyed countless family dinners and play dates with cousins, long summer evenings and a whole lot of love. There is a lot to look forward to, but there is also a lot to smile back upon. Our last three years in Kentucky have truly been a blessing. We are grateful.

We've spent this final week in Kentucky enjoying family, friends, and the uniqueness of Berea. Amidst all the packing the girls have been pretty restless. We've made forts out of packing boxes, gone for long walks, and visited most of the local eateries. To top it off, in her finest moment of mischief Kylie got a hold of some scissors and cut off all of Avery's beautiful baby curls. Yes, it's been a memorable week!


Our little house


The tremendous tree we called our own for a while


Harvesting our garden before we pass it on to a new family


Kylie and Luke. We always enjoy the Johnsons!


Helping us pack : )


Visiting Berea Coffee & Tea one last time


Papleno's Pizza


Hanging out with the babysitter


Avery's new do