Cuz Love

Over Thanksgiving Eli gave and got lots of love from Abigail & Edson!

However, Eli was not too keen on sharing Tata with Abi…

Edson & Eli must have agreed upon making silly eyes for this picture…the pineapple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

Eli enjoyed reading Edson’s big boy books about planets:

Baby in a Box is definitely at the top of my Christmas list, how bout you?

Here is Tia Kena posing with the cousins:

Here is Eli & Abi’s goodbye hug. It’s your turn to come visit us now!

Eli’s farewell to Edson was even  more passionate. I may be uploading the mug down later…

A Dollhouse for my Dolly

Thanks to my parents, aka: Abuelos, Eli is the happy recipient of every mommy’s child’s dream, a dollhouse! We are probably equally excited to play with our Eli’s new house!

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.   Proverbs 24:3-4

If you know the Calico Critters stuff at all, you know that this house is made to be filled with rare and beautiful treasures!  You would not believe the stuff they have made miniature!  Maybe we Eli will get some of these for Christmas? ;)

This is Boppy Baby #2. All the critters come with names and clothes but Eli prefers her critters naked and with Eli-names!

Here is Boppy Baby #1 on a soft cozy bed. Eli is holding 
Boppy’s babysitter.

The house comes with lights!

Eli likes the balcony! 

 

Here is the Baby Ferris Wheel that came with the house!  Gracias Abuelos!

Eli the Artisse!

Ana and I started “Art & Crafts time this week. She’s a natural! However, since I would rather her not grow up to be a performance artist, we are working on expressing our creativity on paper only!  

This is our homemade finger paint!  I have never bought finger paint so I’m not sure what it’s supposed to feel like, but this did the trick.

Eli loves making hand prints.

We were doing fine until I walked over to the sink and heard some tiny lips smacking! That little sneaker waited until I was away to taste it! Thank goodness it is safe to ingest. I’ve included the recipe below.

And here is Eliana Smith’s first Art Gallery Showing held in our kitchen!

Recipe for Finger Paint:

2 Tbsp corn starch

2 Tbsp. cold water

1 c. boiling water

Combine cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl and mix until smooth.  Pour in boiling water and mix again. Add food coloring or Wilton’s icing food coloring (works best) and blend. Chill to thicken.

The After Party

Last night we held the most unusual birthday celebration in the history of my birthdays! Here are the cupcakes.

These are the take-home gifts for my guests. Each book had a different Scripture in it. I got the inspiration for them here.

Here are my distinguished guests! JW was the photog for the night.

Our celebration was unusual because it was three- fold. 1) We were celebrating my 31st birthday, duh. 2) We were celebrating my 7 yrs. in Austin and last but not least 3) We celebrated the new life Christ offers by commemorating the death of my old life---literally. We held a memorial service of sorts outside while Dub, Eli & Cora patiently waited inside.

Eli is wondering what all the Mamas are doing outside and why she can’t eat a cupcake now!

We prayed and I read a letter to my childhood self, my adolescent self and my pre-Christ adult self. Then we burned the letter along with old pictures. A couple of others also burnt their own letters. We watched the past burn away…

The ashes smelled bad but they also turned into a rose! I don’t think the picture does the rose true justice. But these 6 women and JW are my witnesses that God literally turns our ashes into beauty. (Isaiah 61:3) Then we buried the box with the ashes and closed in prayer!

And because it was a birthday, afterwards we went inside for cupcakes and wishes!

Cora shows us the only logical way to eat a cupcake! Thanks for keeping Eli company Coco!

The wait was worth it!

Best Birthday Yet!

Yesterday’s preparations consumed (joyfully) our entire day. The party ended around 9pm so all of us went to bed much later than we normally do. Eli even woke up at 1am and I had to rock her to sleep until 2am!

So this morning after I made JW breakfast (like a zombie) I went back to bed and stayed there until nearly 11am!!! I’m sure Eli woke up at some point but when I got up she was still in bed asleep! This is a first but it seems only fitting that after such a full and busy day yesterday that the after party today is complete indulgence in rest & relaxation.

I made us pumpkin waffles and we brunched during lunch! Then we went to the park and now we are continuing to be lazy. I still haven’t cleaned up the kitchen! I will clean it up as soon as I can muster up the energy!

Thank you to everyone who prayed, came, participated, cried, laughed, ate cupcakes and made silly jokes! Your love & friendship is a gift from God!

And thank you Lord Jesus for coming to preach the good news to us, to heal our broken hearts, to proclaim liberty for the captives, to release from prison those that are bound, to comfort all who mourn, to give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for our mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness and for making us trees of righteousness, for loving us so much that you have called us to reflect Your glory and love! To You be the Glory Forever & Ever! Amen. Isaiah 61:1-3

5 little pumpkins

Last Friday Eli and I hosted a Halloween ‘playdate', not a party a playdate!  Wink, wink!  Here is our 4th?? attempt at taking a civilized picture with our monkeys toddlers.  1st prize goes to Ava, the Peeps. 2nd prize for sillyness goes to Grace, the Duckie slithering out of her mom’s lap  and 3rd place goes to Cora, Blues Clues who is not even looking!  At least the Mamas are all looking!

Grace is bathing Water Baby like a lion would…

This was one of our crafts, “Decorate a picture frame”.  I am happy to report no one ate the glue.

Eli was very happy Hattie attended the festivities. Here they are decorating a pumpkin with stickers!

Aren’t Ava’s chongos adorable??

Here is sugar at work in Eli!

This is the Meltdown hour or as the girls see it, Nap Time!  Cora was the eldest of the group and because monkeys do as monkey see…

Eli and Ava were quick to follow in Coco’s footsteps.

A tickle party ensued!  The party was several days ago and Eli will still hit the floor expecting to be tickled!  Let the Christmas playdate planning begin!