Thanksgiving

I figured I should probably get my Thanksgiving pictures up since it is a week until Christmas.  We had a nice quiet turkey day with some boxes still around and an ordered Turkey but overall nice and relaxing. 

Smashing up oreos with his hammer from Mr. Steve to make dirt pudding which was a big hit all around.

We all put whipped creme on our nose and he thought it was hysterical.

He helped make Shawn's favorite Nana's apple pie 

Shawn carving the turkey

All of us sitting down to enjoy the meal.  These are our dear friends Michael and Denise who moved from CA the same time as us and we all share a home now.  

The faces of two kids who loved the dirt pudding dessert

The Lasts

I have always struggled with change as you all probably know because if you know me at all you know that major life changes or really even small life changes are very difficult for me.  Well this major life change came much easier than I had expected.  I felt such a peace about making this change in life that at times I figured I was just in denial but nope I really do feel at peace.  Maybe it is age, maybe motherhood, maybe God giving me a peace whatever it is I am really enjoying this major change.  Don't get me wrong I am homesick at times, I miss so many dear people in our lives, I long for the familiar, I grieved all of our lasts, and I am exhausted from everything new including not knowing where anything is in Target which is maddening to say the least.  It is a struggle when normal routine things take me twice as  long because of the learning curve and I really hate boxes sitting around but deep down in the place that matters most I am content and I am happy.

Here are a few pictures of all the change in life...

Shawn's last hockey game in PA

Yes this is Marin in the locker room if Symeon is going in then so is she

The last few days at Paxton

Saying good-bye to the cousins, Christmas in Telford in November

Seeing our new home in Denver for the first time and moving in with our dear friends Michael and Denise

 Our new front door

Running around in an empty house after 4 days in the car driving cross country, nice!

Enjoying our new family room

Enjoying our first meal in our new house days before any of our stuff arrived

Our POD arrived and the real work began

Two great supervisors

Here we are with our new home in the background

Relaxing after a few really long days 

Our breakfast nook after some boxes were unpacked, oh the adventure for the kids and the work for their Mama

Here is Shawn and several friends trying really hard to push our brand new king size mattress down the stairs with an over hang and around a corner at the bottom.  It was touch and go for a bit and then finally when Shawn laid on the top and Michael pulled from the bottom it finally went down we are just not sure how it is going to get back up but we decided not to worry about it until the day we have to get it out.  Until that day I an enjoying every night on this bed which is like sleeping on a really large amazing cloud.  I love it!

Taking a DVD and snack break on a chilly day.  We were still moving stuff in from the PODS so the front door was open we don't usually have to wear coats and hats inside.

Some of the dear friends who helped us unload our PODS over two days.  We had so much help it was wonderful.  Thanks to all our dear friends who helped make our return to Denver wonderful.  

Symeon and Marin enjoying our large dining room windows watching birds and squirrels running about.  

Symeon happenings...

Symeon has been cracking me up with some of the things he has been saying lately.  Things like "maybe later" as in I can't do that right now Mom because I have a super busy life as a 2 year old.  He started making up words to call me which is really funny since my name has been butchered so much in life and I respond with some made up word name to call him we both crack up every time we do it.

The other day I told him no he could not watch tv and he looked up and me and said no more no Mommy as in lets not use the word No any more Mommy agreed?!  Symeon has these cars that go on a track and the other day one drove off the track and we could not find it anywhere.  Symeon looked at me and said let's ask God where it went.  I said good idea and we did.  I love that he thinks of God on his own.

Symeon loves walking around our new neighborhood and he loves to meet new kids so we walk around a bit looking for new kids to meet.  Today we met some kids who were visiting their grandparents and he wanted to run home and get his backpack which was full of all kinds of treasures namely spiderman, a flying disc, 2 cars, and aqua doodle book, and an old cell phone.  We said good-bye headed home for the backpack and and he put it on and carried it the rest of the walk just in case he would meet any other kids he told me he wanted to show them something "cool"  I told him just meeting him was cool and he agreed but he still wanted to carry his backpack.


He has also been pulling at my heart strings with things like you are making me sad Mommy and I am scared when I can't see you Mommy.  I do not like to spank my kids and I only use it if all else has failed and with that said I told Symeon if he did something one more time I was going to spank him because basically he was being defiant, rude, and out of control so he did it one more time and I had to spank him and I told him I was sad about it, he looked up at me smiled and said, "just not to hard Mommy."

Symeon is enjoying dressing himself these days and the cold seems to have no affect on him.  The other day we battled over pants vs shorts to church on a cold winter day.  Finally he was forced to wear pants because I am the Mom.  After that incident I decided to let Mother nature help me with this battle so he asked to wear shorts and I said yes.  I told him I thought he would be cold and I think he should wear pants but he could choose.  I thought one cold evening and we will see how he feels about shorts in Denver.  So off we went as a family all of us bundled up and Symeon is shorts, a short sleeve shirt, a lite jacket and some sneakers.  Well it snowed that  night and as we went into Target I am pretty sure lots of people thought I was the worst parent ever but I really don't care and in the end Symeon has decided to wear shorts in the house and pants outside although he is yet to give up his short sleeve shirts and I don't think he will but who knows we are starting winter.  
He asks about 80 million why questions a day which I love and I try to encourage.  He has stumped me a few times asking about things that just are and I can't really explain.  I love trying to give him some nugget that will satisfy his curiosity but when I can't we have a lot of fun trying.  He is a curious amazing kid that I love getting to know everyday, you are a pure joy Symeon!

Oh a good smoothie with Dad, a little smoothie a little snot ahhh a good life!

Symeon playing his guitar at the last Paxton Symeon social

utter joy

Smashing Oreos with his hammer from Mr. Steve to make dirt pudding on Thanksgiving

A few Oreos, a little whipped cream, some chocolate pudding and one happy little guy

Enjoying time with Aunt Niecer as she unpacks and he admires himself

Love that scarf big boy!

He will go on the potty as long as he is naked but he is still refusing to wear any underwear. He was calling for me to help him one night and I came around the corner to find him stuck in the potty.  He then went downstairs to re-enact the fall for Shawn.

Symeon wearing Marin's coat and hat this is quite the outfit and he wore it most of the evening.  

Symeon told me not to move this plunger because it was a sign that said Babes McGee do not pee-pee or poop poop on the floor.  He then put two Super Why characters next to it to guard the sign.  He was very serious that I honestly could not move it until he went to bed.  He told Marin what it said as well so she was well aware that the sign was for her specifically.  

From PA to CO

Well we finally decided to drive cross country with our kids and it was a blast.  We had such a good time and the kids did great.  They were awesome in the car and they loved staying in hotels.  Marin had bronchitis and yet she was a trooper through it all.  They only watched their DVD a little bit which was good and we found lots of activities to entertain them and some key snacks that I would normally never feed them like cheese balls and Scooby snacks.  Symeon made up songs to sing to us all and when Marin was having a hard time falling asleep she would ask to hold our hands which we would do and then she would drift off quietly it was so sweet.  I think she needed that bit of security when her whole world was being turned upside down.  Here are two of the only pictures I took on our trip but it does sum up the  majority of our days.