Sunday, January 19, 2014

January things...

Hello!  Happy (late) New Year to all our friends and family!  I haven't written a blog since Christmas, my apologies!  Our Christmas tree is finally coming down and I am feeling ready for some nice spring weather, even though I know Spring is a couple months away! ha  Aaron said I need to get used to the wind out here...it just makes the weather feel SOO much colder!  I have enjoyed the sporadic nice days we've had in the last couple of weeks!  Casey sure enjoys the walks as well.  

Well, life for us has been pretty normal in the new year.  Aaron is keeping busy with plenty of mitigations and home inspections.  We enjoyed eating dinner with his dad last week when he was in Hesston!  My kids are doing well, and seemed to have grown after not seeing them for two weeks!  Recently, I've been getting lots of "I love you, Ms. Maria!"      Last week we learned the letter "W" and made the letter with worms!  Yum!


Also, last Friday at school we had a Professional Development day and after sitting in meetings all day I wanted to clean up my room a bit and organize.  So I decided to clean off the computer table, which hasn't been used all year because we don't have the towers to turn them on (and I have lost hope in the district to give them back any time soon).  The light table will now get used!!  I put out some shell x-rays and I am very excited for the kids to use them and discover new things!  So fun!  (The snowmen are made with puffy paint:  shaving cream and glue)  


At the beginning of January, Denay and John Murray celebrated their marriage at Hesston Mennonite Church!  They got married Dec. 28th (one day before our anniversary) in Arizona, and had a reception in Hesston were John's father is the pastor.  Denay is a friend from College and we lived together one summer.  We just loved seeing them!


This past weekend we went to a Wichita Thunder hockey game!  I really enjoy watching this sport because it's so fast-paced!  Also, Aaron caught a free shirt!


And here's Casey :)


Love you all!
-Maria




Thursday, January 2, 2014

Christmas with the Billings!

Last year for Christmas we were bustling around getting wedding details and decorations together.  In the midst of wedding prep, we had an hour or so for our Billings Christmas.  Speed opening gifts was how it went.  Thankfully, this year we were able to enjoy a more traditional Billings Christmas with the whole family!  



Danielle and Jeanne were very excited to get Aaron's hand-made shelf!  


Aaron was a hard-workin' Santa this year!  Aaron's sister, Jenna, requested that he make a quilt frame.  If you ask Aaron to do something, well...he does an excellent job!  He researched the best way to put it together and even made the height adjustable so that she can sit or stand to work.  The frame will make it's appearance in Colorado (where she lives) in a few weeks!  I can't wait to see all the beautiful quilts she will make with this!  



Hot Wheels for Aaron!


We got one of our childhood favorite toys for Makenah this year!  A lite bright!


The whole group out to eat!  Danielle and Bryan, on the right, have an anniversary the day after ours on the 30th!  December is a month full of celebrations!


We got to enjoy our Hesston Wedding Reception cake topper for our 1 year anniversary!  It was still very yummy!  (We were watching the Chiefs game just before this!)


And finally, we are at home and getting things organized, cleaned, and putting Christmas presents to good use.  We have loved celebrating Christmas with both of our families.  We were well feed, played many games, and laughed lots with the ones we love!  
-Maria