Dancing with Silas

Happy 13th Birthday Emmett !

                                We love this kid!

lounging on his birthday morning...he's not going to school...a case of the sniffles and the birthdays ;)

the traditional measurement picture...he has really grown!!

having favorite birthday breakfast surely to be followed by hours of magic card organizing and league of legends!

Em, you were such a sweet baby, hilarious and earnest toddler, thoughtful and funny kid, interested and interesting tween and I can't wait to see what the next years bring. xoxoxox Have a great day!

Isabel, Mac, Aida and Indi

Friends since toddlerhood.... I love seeing these girls all together at Mac's 16th birthday. xo

and the rest of the gang !!!!!

Sixteen Candles for Mac!!!

We Love Our Kind, Strong, Wicked Smart, Independent Girl.
  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAC.  

awwwwww! look how she has grown! (actually only 1/4" by the ruler but by our measure, leaps and bounds!)



 

when they come to visit: cami and finley, january 2014

Such a good time! Here are a few of my favorite pictures...I really didn't take very many. (also check out more from camicraigfinley blog!) and more here) We really did so much everyday, played so many games...went everywhere together. Without the pictures I will have to remember Mac and Cami driving down the road with Mac behind the wheel....the marriage house in Old Town where I married myself to myself ;)....running around the neighborhood with cami like awesome crazy jogging witches....listening to the kids voices as they talk with each other ~that's always my favorite....
the beach, the movies, cooking, talking....so much.

We really love it when they are here and there is a Cami and Finley shaped space when they go that follows us around for a bit. xoxoxoxoxo
So here are the pics in no particular order.....beginning with .....
Silas' first introduction to the movie GREASE! (he said he didn't like it, but i think he actually did kinda, there was just a lot of kissing ;)

GREASE! 

black eyed peas for new  years!

a tree elf

and silly me when i am with you :)

cami, i love you

our portal items and other witchery decoration

LUCAS!

magic morning comics by the fire

serious business

a little decorating

come on, this is what it is all about!!

and this too!

and this!

this girl.....this great great spirit....

two hams

i love this picture because i can feel it

they left us this picture on the computer for us to see after they got on the plane . it made us feel better. xoxox

The Season to be Warm ~75 degrees~ and Jolly. Christmas 2013!

highlights:
~the fat tree that had to be held up by a rope and tied to the window so it wouldn't fall over
~nana's amazing pastries and fava bean salad and food...TRULY WONDERFUL!
~crys' needlepointed gifts for all
~meg got to be HOME with US!!! yay and thank goodness. it would n't be the same without her :)
~won't soon forget silas dressed in his dr. who costume...bow tie and suspenders all day long!
~emmett's new stereo!
~mac's first computer!
~it was very hot and dry....veggies still growing, we went swimming at lauren's pool and to the beach...didn't expect to like it but it was interesting to be warm and free during the day and in cuddly socks by night time.
~got new windows installed (last picture of old windows below)

~pot of minestrone
~nana feeding chickens on christmas eve day
~peace and love to all

 the sweetest 14 seconds of the holiday season in this video

~one of the kid's favorite traditions is counting and organizing presents for everyone coming on christmas eve, which they do at least five times the last week before hand. i love this process. at some point silas ended up underneath the tree, looking up.

~i made more pots than ever before at the studio and my first tagines. meg and crys got one and so did cami. i have never felt more proud of something i have made from clay, from my hands. it was such a good year for me in this way.



~mac and silas are very into Dr. Who and watch them together all the time, they bonded all christmas break over a book that amy, chloe and blake got for them (while making cookies, below)

~meg and crys have sat on this chair for how many christmases in a row now? i think 3 at least! happy to know that the chair will be occupied by those two for years to come. xo

~sweetpeas are climbing (the green ones on the right)
~ and sweet peas are growing (the cute ones on the left)
~got to spend a little time with my besties

~christmas day papa came over in the morning and grandma carol and grandpa arnie came over in the afternoon and silas greeted all in costume!...as well as lots of visitors stopping by throughout the day (juliana, scott and lucas, and amy, chloe and blake!) and of course later that night we went the airport to pick up CAMI AND FINLEY!!!! but that's for a later post!

 ~emmett and silas played a good amount of magic over the holiday (and always) and quite often have a good time. (in between yelling and screaming at each other...as brothers do, i suppose.)
~took everyone to see The Grinch!

the house was beautiful and sunny and full of love~such a great time had by all!

~xoxoxoxoxoxo  It is such a gift, a blessing and pure magic to call these souls family. i am thankful to have them all. They make christmas what it is. LOVE!!!

                                    MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!