You are Invited!

When we began building the house, I promised Chad and the kids that we would throw a BIG PARTY once it was completed.  I was so proud of the work our family was putting into the house.  I was excited to show it off.

Then the flood came.

And it just totally extinguished my joy.

The house seemed ruined.  The cost too high. 

I did not want to give this project any more attention.  I felt incapable of celebrating ANYTHING about it.

But - a promise is a promise.  And the work my family did is worth celebrating.  Even more than that, the fact that we are all together and more united than ever before - despite all this year held, IS worth celebrating!

SO tomorrow night we invite you all to join the Dietrich Construction Crew in celebrating the END of our construction career (as a family that is)  AND the BEGINNING OF 2013.

Please join us at 7 pm (or any time after)!

(email me if you need the address)

Kids ARE most certainly welcome.

Bring your own beverages and a snack to share.

 

Tomorrow, we celebrate!

 

For those of you who can not join us, thank you for your love, support, prayers, laundry service, meals delivered,notes of encouragement, gift cards sent, walls painted, doors stained, etc, etc, etc. . .  We are most certainly grateful.

Operation Birthday Relaxation

My birthday wish was to STAY HOME all day and RELAX!

 

 I stayed in bed until almost 9 am.

I got a full 8 hours of sleep, which was epic!

 

Chad fed me breakfast, and then I searched the house for the sunniest prettiest spot on which to read while Chad took all 5 kids shopping for my gifts. 

 I curled up with a cup of coffee and a delicious smelling candle and read for hours.

 

When Chad and the kids got home from shopping, I was still in my pajamas.

(Happy sigh!)

 Soon after arriving home, Chad had to head into work.

So Sierra took over!

 

She made me a delicious ramen noodle lunch, served with a glass of wine.

Then Jamison cleaned up.

 

I was feeling like quite the birthday princess.

 After lunch and some more reading (I finished a whole novel today), I dozed on the couch.

The cutest little guy woke me up with kisses,

 snuggles, and tickles.

 That same little snuggle box wanted to take pictures of mommy being lazy.

 I think he was totally fascinated by the fact that I had spent the entire afternoon on the couch.
(The truth is that if I did not have a killer cold, I never would have made it all day!)

About 5, Sierra and Brenna got to work making cake pops for me - from scratch!

They turned out great! 

 Brenna agreed!

 Chad got home about 6:30 and started making supper.
He had not planned on working today, so he enlisted Sierra's help in cooking.

Her job was to devein (or depoop as she called it) shrimp.
She was horrified.
She says she proved how much she loved me today by depooping shrimp.
She makes me laugh out loud!

 There is my super-spoiled-birthday-girl supper.
Yummy!

I even got double dessert!
Ice cream cake AND cake pops.
(notice Joshua helping me with my candle)

Krissy was working so I am one daughter short in this picture.

 Jamison was snapping pics, so I am one son and one daughter short in this one!

The blue eyed Dietrich girls.

 

It has been a very good 38th birthday.  I am praying it is the peaceful start of a peaceful, rest-filled year.  And now, my killer cold and I are going to bed, at 9 pm. 

 

I wish it could be my birthday again tomorrow!

Construction Update: Insurance Check

The check was FINALLY in the mail, on Christmas Eve.

The settlement was a long, yucky negotiation - but it is over.

So thankful!

SO

THANKFUL!!!

Christmas 2012, My Favorite Photos

 

 No words could ever explain how completely thankful I am for these 5.

They are my heart.

 One evening recently we were laughing about how I love every age and stage of kids.  I adore newborns.  I think toddlers are so fun.  School-agers are just delightful.  Teenagers are a blast.  Many people have a favorite age of kids, not me, I claimed!  I love them all.  Jamison responded, "I think the age you will not enjoy is 18, Mom.  You will not love it when we leave."

 

Oh how right he is!  It sucked the air right out of my lungs.

 I asked Sierra to take a photo of Chad and I.

This handsome little stow-away insisted on sneaking into the photo.

Look how happy he is snuggled in between us!

I love it!

 (He is in this one, too!  I just cropped him out.)

Chad and I still look tired - but we are recovering!  We looked worse a couple weeks ago.

 "My turn to have a picture with only mommy!"

 We had a full house last night, so the teenagers watched the gift opening from the loft.

I adore a full house.

 Our nephew Lincoln.

It was so special to have him here this Christmas.

 I think we all have "baby fever" about now.

Except maybe Jay. . . he can think of NOTHING more disgusting than his mother having another baby.  Adopting one would be fine, but a pregnant mother is "just sick!"  He makes me laugh!

 Brenna and Adrianna

 Cousins are such special sister/friends.

 Joshua and Alexa.

He thinks she hung the moon.

 Brenna and Grandma Donna

 Joshua and Grandpa Scott.

JG is such a grandpa's boy - cowboys and Viking fans must stick together afterall..

 This photo is pure Jay humor.

He is "chiseling" his abs with Joshua's toy jackhammer.

Jamison is always making one joke or another.

We all appreciate the laughter he brings our family.

This is perhaps the best gift Chad and I have ever been given.

My mom and dad wrapped up 9 envelopes that contain "mystery dates."  So Chad and I have no choice but to go on 9 dates this year.  After a year of hard, we are extra excited to spend time reconnecting.  We can hardly wait to go on our first mystery date later this week.



I did not take tons of photos this Christmas. Unfortunately I have NONE of our nieces Addi, Ainsley, and Ahlera!  It was such a treat to see them!  Instead of snapping pics, I gabbed, napped, cooked, and enjoyed the people around me.  It was good!

Praying God's Blessing's on your family this Christmas.

Christmas Wishes Fulfulled

 One of Brenna's Christmas wishes was to make sugar cookies.

 

They are NOT my favorite to make, but how do I say no to her sweet face?

 She enjoyed!

 So did the handsome little cookie thief!

My Christmas wish came true today, too.

 

I got to rock my sweet, sweet nephew to sleep.

And then, I snuggled his sleeping self while reading a book and sipping on a glass of wine.

 

I don't think life gets better than that.

 

I am so very thankful to have a house full of family tonight!

Family Christmas 2012

 Well, just in the nick of time, I got the gifts wrapped and under the tree.

 

We chose to do things very simple this year.  Each child got 2 gifts.  One with needed clothes.  The other with something fun.  We also have a name drawing tradition in which we each draw a name.  Then Chad and I give each of us (parents are included in this tradition) $20 to buy a gift.  We all head to the mall at the same time and shop in two groups.  It is my favorite part of Christmas in our household.  It is always fun to see what the kids buy.  They are always thoughtful and creative.

 I adore this boy.

 

Really.  Adore.  Him.

 

 Krissy is heartbroken and distracted because her boyfriend will be gone until New Years.  I had to force her to put her phone away so we could open gifts.

 

Sigh.

 Pure sweetness.

 Jamison had Joshua's name.

He bought him a remote control truck.

 He also helped him take it out of the annoying packaging,

and taught him how to drive it.

 

Joshua spent the rest of the time we were opening gifts driving his truck and giggling with glee.

 Brenna is modeling her new earrings.

 Jamison continues to run this winter.  The winter training program he is working on has him running outside every day, all winter.  So I found him a face mask.  I am so impressed with his continued dedication to distance running, it is fun to find ways to encourage him.

 Joshua was with me when I did all my Christmas shopping.  He did a great job keeping all the secrets, except this one!  He accidentally told Krissy she was getting a straightener this morning.  Brenna had Krissy's name and she was asking Krissy what she would like for a gift.  Krissy mentioned a straightener and Joshua said, "She does not need that anymore!"  Pretty impressive, really, that it was his only slip!  And in his mind it was not a slip, he DID NOT tell her she was getting one. . .

 Sierra loves to model new clothes.

 How cute is he?

 

He is wearing a fashion scarf, like Krissy's boyfriend, with his new jammies and robe - while playing with his new truck.  I think it is the perfect picture of Christmas.

 Because Brenna is our artist, we bought her a for real art set.  She was so thrilled.

 Don't you just want to pick him up and give his a squeeze?

 Sierra's fun gift was a cake pop maker.

 

She got right to work with it.

 Caught you licking your fingers Berra-girl!

 YUMMY!

 Just as soon as the gifts were unwrapped, Krissy disappeared behind these doors to facetime with the boy.  Oh my!  It may be a long week. 

And Daddy?

He settled in for a long winter's nap!