I want to thank the Academy....

... ok, there's not an Academy, but my SIL, Sonya and a friend, Terri have given our blog an award. The Honest Scrap Award (honestly, no clue what that means...haha), but I do know many family and friends that miss us (and the feeling is mutual) enjoy reading about life here in Austria and we enjoy sharing. It's much easier to keep people updated this way than bombarding everyone's inbox with emails.

So it looks like I'm supposed to write 10 honest things about myself. As much as I like to talk and come across outgoing... I've sat here for 15 min. and haven't been able to come up with #1...

(ok... some things are coming to mind)

1. I grew up in a minister's home and so thought I knew all there was to know about being a Christian. It wasn't until my 2nd year of college that I began having doubts about my relationship with Christ. After a month of fighting off the feeling, I finally swallowed my pride and got all the knowledge to go from just being in my head-- to my heart. It's not just knowing 'stuff' anymore... it's a relationship with a God who sent His only Son to die for me. Being a Mommy has deepened my understanding of what exactly God did by giving His ONLY Son to die for a world of people that are not good... that's right... we are NOT good people. I've heard numerous times... "I believe all people are truly good...." Well, actually no, we're not. We were born sinners and need Christ to daily help us. Just come to my house when I have just awakened...

2. I have 2 babies in Heaven that I never met face to face. I just didn't understand why God would waste those pregnancies... then a family friend shared with us last Christmas after losing our 2nd baby that those were not wasted lives. They are doing exactly what God created them for... to praise Him, to bring glory to Him. Wow-- I got to be a part of His plan. It still makes me sad and I remember those dates/anniversaries and have my moments, but am thankful for what God has entrusted us-- 2 handsome boys and soon to have daughter.

3. I married above and beyond my league. Danny is far better a husband than I deserve. We just celebrated 10 years this past summer!

4. Nathan & Micah are the funniest little boys I know. They are a source of joy, but like all parenting experiences, they can make me want to pull my hair out too ;) But life is fuller because God has put them in our family.

5. I am very close to my family. I talk to my parents a lot and do video chats with them, even my grandparents. My brothers call me often and we talk and talk and talk. Ok, sometimes I talk and they listen, but point being.... we connect and keep updated on each others lives :)

6. I despise almost all veggies.

7. I strongly (I don't like using the word 'hate') disliked Football when Danny & I married. But I wanted to do things with him that he liked and so I would sit next to him Sunday afternoons and watch the games with him. He was patient enough to explain things to me which has helped me learn to enjoy it. Now 10 1/2 years later, I find myself hollering at the t.v or telling Danny to wake up because he missed an awesome play. I have played Fantasy Football with him for a few years now. One year... I even beat him! This year was not as kind to me.... I blame my focus being more on the pregnancy.

8. I do not like clutter or a messy house. I know most people would say they don't either... but I'm really bothered by it and am constantly telling the boys to pick stuff up. It's a struggle because it doesn't come overly natural to me. I'm sure my parents are rolling on the floor laughing right now. I was not a poster child of cleanliness or organization growing up.

9. I love photography and learning to 'tweak' my pictures to make them really stand out and look artsy.

10. I have called 3 continents 'home'. I believe I am a very easily adaptable person. If I am where God wants me.. then I am home.

I'm supposed to nominate some blogs I enjoy reading (I read other friends from our town in Texas... but they were nominated along with me so I won't renom. the same people):

Kristin-- a dear high school friend and dormie.

Patty-- another dear friend from high school.

Valerie-- and yet another sweet friend from high school.

Amy-- college friend and my RA living in France.

Steph--sweet friend living in Mongolia.

The rules:

-mention the one who nominated you on your blog.

-write 10 honest things about yourself.

-nominate other blogs (and don't forget to tell them about it).

Our Christmas

What a week we had leading up to Christmas! We were busy, but as I always say it was the good kind :) The boys had Kindergarten up till the 23rd. We had something most every evening including Christmas Eve. In Austria the big day is actually the evening of the 24th, so we spent it with friends and their family. Someday I'll write out their traditions and explain it all, but I don't have the energy today. Christmas morning the boys were giddy with excitement and were nice enough to wait till 7:30-ish to wake us up ;) They weren't just absorbed with their gifts... they were very eager for Danny & I to open up our gifts that they made for us at school (already wrapped so though we brought them home we didn't know what they were till we opened them). Cookie jars--decorated-- with COOKIES in them! Now that's my kind of gift :)

We read the Christmas story from the Bible and the boys were so good and patient. Though they know it's about the birth of Jesus and the awesomeness of what his birth means... they were excited to open gifts. They ARE 5 & 3 yrs. old :) But they patiently sat as Danny read from the Bible.

Later in the day we were able to talk with Danny's family on the phone and do a video chat with my parents, grandparents, and my brother, Matt and his wife, Sherina. The boys were starting to feel the effects of being up late the night before and waking up early.... so they weren't as well behaved as I would've preferred. haha.

The boys got me Jenga (I love that game!). It turned out to be a great family gift... we played and played that this weekend. Micah isn't as gentle as we'd like and as soon as the blocks fall he yells, "JENGA!" and laughs hysterically. We keep telling him you lose when you knock them over... but he thinks he's the winner. Oh Micah.....

Fun in the snow

We had a rainy Christmas, not a snowy one :( We cannot believe the reports we got from our families in Texas! They had a somewhat white Christmas and we didn't! Happy for them... sad for us. Here are pics from the weekend before, the rain melted all our snow this past week. It was really nice and powdery, but Nathan was disappointed because it was not good enough/wet enough for building a snowman. But this is just the beginning... so he'll get plenty of chances I'm sure :) Micah likes it for awhile then something happens... like snow on the face (not sure how that happens with a brother and dad playing around him...haha!) and he breaks down. He does NOT like the feel of cold on unprotected skin. So after some consoling we went in for hot chocolate and a Christmas movie. I like those kinds of family weekends.

(click on the collage to see it bigger)

Merry Christmas!

From our home to yours....

A year later...

Has it really been a year (click here to read a year ago)?!? Tomorrow (Sun.) will be one year that things weren't going right with my pregnancy. Monday will be one year that it was told to us that we had lost another baby and I spent a night alone in a hospital after surgery. Wow. A year. Amazing what a year can bring when you have things that stand out in your memory. Our family has done the basic changing-- age, height (ok, not me, but I can wish...), weight, hair styles, etc. We've deepened friendships, made some new friends, and tightened our family bond. But above all, I know we've learned more about our Heavenly Father and seen more of His love and will for us. It's not always been a smooth ride, but as long as I know He's doing the leading... I'm all for the journey.

Thank you, God, for another opportunity to have a baby. We thank you for giving us the desire of our hearts. We continue to ask for Your guidance and protection in these last few weeks.

-krista-

29 weeks

In some ways February seems quite far away with all that we have going on between now and baby time, but when I look at the numbers... I have 11 weeks or 9 weeks (Nathan was 2 weeks early) left to go! Whoa! I need to get busy :)

We've been working on rearranging the house a little bit. The guest room (which has only been used for family visits... and we have a heads up when they come and it's never long) is now going to be the baby room. So family/guest get to crash in Danny's office now, don't worry... the bed is in there :) We have so much other stuff going on that I have no idea when or how we're going to get it all done. Danny is calm about it (obviously he's not "nesting" haha.) and reminds me that the baby will probably be in the cradle the first month or so in our room. Ok, so he's right.... but still. I'd love to have it all done now or yesterday actually ;)

Nathan is getting very excited about our baby girl's arrival. I told the boys that Grammy (Grampa should too during that time as well) was going to be here around the time the baby was going to be born and that got them all excited! Micah knows a baby is coming, but doesn't quite grasp it the way Nathan does. Both have baby sister on their list of who to shop for this Christmas... it's really sweet!

Yesterday, I took Micah to the Dr. because the night before he had struggled with a bad cough all night. He had a runny nose the whole day too. On the drive to Kindergarten I just couldn't shake the feeling that this was not something to treat at home and just "let it run it's course". So I dropped Nathan off and drove to the Dr. with Micah. Turns out it was a good thing I listened to that "mommy sense".... he has an ear infection and she could hear wheezing before she even listened with her stethoscope then confirmed that he has bronchitis pretty bad. This is becoming typical of Micah.... he goes from barely sick to really sick in 24 hrs. usually. We've got 3 different meds right now and the Dr. is keeping an eye on possible development of asthma So we're learning to keep an eye on him when he gets just the basic sniffles.

Well, the weekend is upon us and that brings quite a bit of busyness to our household. We're supposed to get some snow and I'm ready!!!

-krista-

It's Christmas time in the city...

♬ City sidewalks busy sidewalks... ♬ This tune came to mind as we walked thru our city, Graz this weekend with friends. The lights and smells of waffles, crepes, and hot cider were in the air. The boys had a great time and we made some sweet memories. The highlight for the boys I'm sure was the carousel. I personally LOVED the warm, made-to-order waffles with chocolate syrup drizzled on top. We stopped by to see the ice sculpture of the Nativity scene that is done every year. It was very cool (no pun intended-haha)!

-krista-

Christmas Interview...

... with the boys!

Colored lights or white lights?

Nate- colored lights

Micah-white lights

Real tree or fake tree?

Real trees-- what are fake trees?

fake trees

What is your least favorite thing about the holidays?

Turkey

I don't like your Christmas pillow (points to the one on the couch)

What is one thing that you would like to see under the Christmas tree this year?

Kevin Levin car

christmas presents

What is your favorite thing to do/build in the snow?

uh, i like to build me, people, and trees.

a christmas guy

What is your favorite holiday drink?

the drink in the green bottle (there is a kids drink that is apple/cinnamon and it's a holiday edition they've bought a few times)

yellow.

What is your favorite holiday smell?

candles--all of them.

i don't know.

Who is your favorite reindeer?

the one named rudolph with a shiny nose that helped Santa

charlie.

What is your favorite Christmas Eve ritual?

What's a ritual?

no.

Are you a Friday-after-Thanksgiving-shopper?

um... yes?

yes.

What is your favorite holiday food?

cranberry sauce

pickles.

(Nate says, "pickles!?? those are disgusting." Micah annoyed says to Nate, "but i like them... they're yummy."

How did you find out that Santa wasn't real?

because he's in a movie.

i don't what you're sayin'.

Who do you want to be under the mistletoe with?

what's a mistletoe? (explanation) next answer- i'm not gonna do that... i don't like kissing.

I don't want kiss.

Have you bought all your presents yet?

i haven't done that.

yeah.

Do you spend Christmas with a lot of family?

um, yeah,

uh-huh.

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Ben 10 Alien Force. Me- that's not a Christmas movie. Nate- why do they not make one?

i don't know.

What do you plan to do for New Years Eve?

what's a new years eve? I explained and then he came up with a very elaborate explanation of something he was going to build so he didn't have to hear the loud noises of firecrackers, but could still make his own noise)

put rope around the house so we can't get out of here I'm thinking he was trying to hatch an idea like his brother, but had no idea why or what was really happening.

What is the most expensive thing you have ever gotten for Christmas?

all my Ben 10 toys.

my tractor.

How early do you wake up on Christmas morning?

um, 100?

i don't do that.

What do you usually get in your stocking?

i want more transformers this Christmas

Micah left to go color.

What is your favorite religious Christmas carol? (rephrased: What is your favorite Christmas song about Jesus?)

it goes like this (he proceeds to tell me that his brain made this song), "we wish you a happy birthday, Jesus, today is your day! how old are you going to be?, how do you know what you're going to get for christmas??

that he feels better

What is your favorite secular Christmas carol? (rephrased: What is your favorite Christmas song that isn't about Jesus?)

Jingle Bells

About Jesus.

What do you want to bake for Christmas?

Smarties (those are like m&m's here in Austria)

Chocolate

cookies

Birthday Collage

Here are some photos from my 31st birthday! Danny, Nate, & Micah were so sweet. We went to lunch after picking the boys up from Kindergarten and then went for a walk in the old part of town, but as soon as we got half way there it started to rain. So we decided to do it another day. But not before I got a few pics and then home for cake and presents.

Thanks for the sweet blog, Danny. I'd be lost without you too.