Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year

Hello all-

I could spend countless words apologizing for neglecting a blog but I'm not going to. Out with the old and in with the new. Now that the girls are a little older I am pretending attempting to be more organized. With this new me is supposedly coming a cleaner house, more organized activities with the girls, and a maintained blog. And I didn't even mention my health goals and starting a sewing business. Yes I know this is all too much but maybe if I set high goals somethings will actually get done.

December was a blur. I crammed for a craft fair with my new-found hobby/business, had a company Christmas party, got very ill, and once we had recouped, fixed Christmas dinner for 156 people from 27 different families. Ryan cooked and my main job was to keep the kids out of his hair. I also did all of our Christmas shopping in 1 week. This is the third year our family has cooked for needy families and was our biggest one yet. It seems that as time progresses so do the needs of others. It gets harder and harder to draw a line. Only the Lord knows how far He will go with this. Ryan's desire is for our family's Christmas to be about sharing the good news of Christmas in a tangible way. This is wonderful but makes our holiday kind of a blur. So this year we postponed Christmas till Nana (Ryan's mom) came to visit. We face timed all grandparents so they could watch the girls open gifts. Christmas was a multi-day affair that way. Technology is wonderful when you live so far away.
Our most recent family photo



We spend our days going to parks, the gym and various play dates with friends. The girls are very active and love to be outdoors. This is not a problem since we live here in CA. In fact it was 83 on Christmas day.

Charlie is 3 now. She loves singing, dancing in her tippy tap shoes, and generally performing whenever possible. She has never met a stranger and no matter where we are when we leave she always needs a hug and kiss from everyone in the room. Even from random strangers who stop to talk in the grocery store. Encouragement is her main love language. She demands it, and gives it freely. When she has sung me a song she will say, "say good job Charlie" or "clap mom". She also will give lots of encouragement to Ryan, Sam, or myself, for the most menial tasks. She loves pirates and princesses. Captain Hook is her favorite, and Ariel is slowly catching momentum. Her interests grow and change everyday. Charlie will eat anything you put in front of her but is a very distracted eater. She makes art and stories with her food so it takes lots of coaxing to finish a meal in a timely manner. Even though she is VERY dramatic and loves anything art related she also has a cerebral side. She is like her father in the fact that everything has a place and will keep fixing it till its right. There is never a dull or quiet moment with Charlie around. She is very caring and extends grace to others at such a young age.
Charlie with some of her princess and pirate booty from Christmas

Sam is 20 months old. She is part boy. Moves around, and wont stop till she drops. She is very quiet, but is starting to talk more and more everyday. She LOVES animals, and dogs are her favorite. Dadda, Momma then came doggie as her third and most frequently used word. She now says, uh-oh, up, and will sing round and round, all-from the wheels on the bus. She says Nana, thank you and peek-a-boo is our newest word. But her first love, even more than dogs is Elmo. He is her favorite friend and says his name all day long, and whenever we see his face on tv or a book. Her melmo is the apple of her eye at the moment. Sam's love language is touch because she is a cuddlebug. When she wakes up from sleep she must be held for a time that she deems appropriate. If its not enough time she will get jelly legs and fall to the floor crying. When her hug quota is filled she will squirm down my legs and run for food. She is a little pickier than Charlie but her favorite veggies are broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Meat of any kind is what she craves the most. However she loves sweet cheerios and snacks. The most memorable thing about Sam is her God-given sweetness. A warmth that I know God will use for His will in her future.

These two fill our lives with adventure, love, challenges and so much more. We are so blessed to be their parents. God entrusted them to us and we are forever grateful. So here was your quick update. We actually are going to update so stay tuned. Happy New Year from the Detigs