Christmas 2013

We tried to take a Christmas Picture after church. This was as good as it got.  Here is a hit don't take pictures when everyone is starving. 

Also It helps to have longer than 2 seconds to get in the picture. 

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is making ginger bread men. 

knoxx liked eating frosting and sprinkles. 

this was Viktoriias first time making ginger bread. 

This was the cookie rocky made for Santa. (Santa was really happy)

Name, who lives in Thailand, sent these cute outfits to the kids. Rocky said it was his Karate outfit. 

John was working Christmas Eve and Christmas day and so we celebrated Christmas on the 26th of December.  So on Our Christmas Eve We acted out the Christmas Story.   Knoxx was Joseph.  Viktoriia was the Angel.  I was Mary and a shepherd.   And Rocklond was not really interested.  but let me dress him up a bit. he kept saying he was a monkey. 

Rocklond dressed up as a 3 king a few weeks ago to help with a live nativity four our wards Relief Society Christmas Activity. So maybe he was just not in the mood for anymore nativities.   

I put the kids to bed and then got a text from john. asking about our current insurance situation. I knew that he must have gotten hurt at work. I called him and found out he was in the hospital with a knee injury.  He had been in a foot chase and had landed on it badly when the suspect tried to shove him away. All we know now is he didn't break any bones we are still waiting to find out about possible ligament damage.   Here is the kink to the news story. 

http://www.khou.com/home/Several-people-injured-in-Christmas-Day-brawl-sparked-by-bicycle-dispute--237261111.html

We got home from the hospital at about 2:00 am and then we still needed to get everything ready for our Christmas day.   

The Next  Morning the kids woke up a little early but soon we were all awake enough to open presents. 

this car bed john had gotten from a friend at work and so we gave it to Knoxx for Christmas. Rocklond had asked for a Doll house for Christmas. We got him a fire/police station house. Later that night he came up to me and said "I thought I wanted a doll house that is for barbies"  I was a little worried that he was telling me he was disappointed in his Christmas present. but then he went on to say "But i didn't know that they made houses for boys. that is what i really wanted for Christmas."     Rocklond now calls it his "Man house." because the Police officers and Fire men are men.  

this is what our living room looked like after all the presents had been opened.   It stayed like this for the rest of the day.  

I spent some of our morning trying to figure out workman's comp stuff and get john some follow up appointments for his knee.   Some Friends came over laterr and gave John a BB gun. so we all took turns shooting a target in our back yard. 

despite the injury we had a really great Christmas. And We hope that everyone else had the same. 

Summary of September.

This is a quick summary of September.

This happened in August,  My SOS team won 1st place! We had to Run 1.5 miles, swim 500 meters, and as many push-ups sit-ups and pull-ups that we could in 2 minutes. 

later that night we went out to celebrate.  this was Viktoriia's 1st time eating at a restaurant in Houston.  she was shocked by the portion size. 

I also won 3rd place for my age division in the  individual  competition. 

the next weekend we went to Surf side beach for Vikka's student orientation. 

we had fun trying to learn to skim board. 

It rained a lot during our trip but we still had a chance to play on the breach. 

our computer broke and so We had to take it to the Sony Store to get it fixed. Which meant going to the Galleria.   We finally found the red shoes that Vikka wanted.

and rocky got to see his favorite fountain. 

here is a cute picture of Rocklond  This was at my preschool when we did a photo prop booth.  

I started teaching preschool at the beginning of September and am now headed into my 6th week.  I teach 2x a week for 2 1/2 hours 

Vikka made us Vareniki for us. I loved it, the kids not so much.  

We went to a  High school football game.  

It was everyones first Texas football game. 

We ran into one of rocky's good friends at the game.  In a few years maybe these two may be playing in the game. 

Rocky was experimenting with a new way to wear shoes. 

Then we got the call that Valeire was going to have her baby. We drove the 3 hrs but it was a false alarm. 

We stayed around for the next few days  but decided to go home and wait it out.  

that night I was stung by a scorpion and then  I KNEW it was time to go home and wait it out. 

this was really good because then I got to be home for Rocky's Primary Program.  hH was SO SO SO Cute. JOhn and I were Both beaming  with pride as he read his little line clearly into the microphone. he didn't studder once!   He sang really well I don't think he ever broke eye contact with the chorister.  Although we were  trying to get his attention. 

Viktoriia got asked to homecoming. I had to explain  our strange customs for asking people to dances. 

we got the REAL call  to come up and help with Valeries new baby.  You can read more about that here   

We got to go back up and help take care of the kids while Val was in the hospital. 

Don't they grow up fast

we came back home and it was time for Homecoming weekend at the Highschool.   Viktoriia went the game and John and I went and volunteered at the peanut butter factory here. 

The next morning we went to Surfside beach again and volunteered at a beach cleanup. 

Well Viktoriia Volunteered. We just played. 

that night Viktoriia went to homecomeing with a boy from our ward. 

then this last weekend we FINALLY painted out living room.  John says I pulled a Tom Sawyer on everyone because I painted only two small 2ft walls and I somehow roped Him, Viktoriia, and the sister missionaries into painting the rest of the room for me.  

I really did appreciate the help and we got it all done in time for my sister, val, to come to my house so I can help her out while her husband is at a week long training. 

Well that is my September Summary.   I now have some very important   

moustache making to get to .