cuteness

Christmas Fun

Check out the HUGE ornaments we got for our tree this year!!!...

Ok, just kidding. We didn't get a real tree this year. I was sad to have to let that go, it is one of my favorite parts of Christmas, but it was worth it to spend the 2 1/2 weeks in Arizona with our family instead.

Plus, having Christmas with a two year old is far better than any tree could be. On the night we took out the decorations, Silas became filled with the child like wonder that makes Christmas so special. He called everything "The Christmas". He would say "Hey Mom, let's go look at the Christmas." and then lead me over to the stairs where we wrapped greenery and lights up the banister. He made dramatic gasps at each item that was taken out of the Christmas box, and he even got to have lights up in his own bedroom. The greatest part, above all others, was setting up the nativity scene. We talked about Mary and Joseph and the shepherds and wise men...and of course about baby Jesus. I was really feeling like he was "getting" things, taking to heart the importance of Jesus coming and the miracle of the story. He started carrying baby Jesus all around with him and talking to him. I would frequently hear the following statements and smile to myself:

"Baby Jesus, you like to walk down the stairs? No you don't? Oh that's Ok, I'll carry you down. Oh yes, you are welcome!"

"Mom, I have to go potty, quick go get baby Jesus so he can watch me!"

"See this Baby Jesus? I can go potty all by myself...are you saying 'good job' to me Baby Jesus?"

"Look at this, Baby Jesus is doing push-ups!!"
(our baby Jesus has his hands extended toward heaven in a very worshipful manner, also very useful for exercising)

"I'll be back in a minute Mom, I think I hear baby Jesus, he needs me."

"I choose Baby Jesus to watch me eat dinner tonight."

"I'm not tired Mom. Is baby Jesus sleeping. No, I don't think he is, I saw that his eyes were open."

"Baby Jesus is riding on Thomas the train! He likes Thomas."

"I will bring Baby Jesus in the car with me, he can sit by me in my car seat."

We also love being in Portland for the winter weather. We gladly visit Arizona for some mid-winter sunshine, but we all love to bundle up and experience the cold....well, most of the time...

But, no cold nose or toes is a match for snuggling by the fire to warm up. Add a Daddy and a cup of hot chocolate, and things can turn around pretty quick.

J's and S's

As a coincidence, we ended up with S's and J's for names in our family. It is actually pretty fun to match each other :) These are pictures from the photo shoot our friend Kyle did for us when we took our Christmas pictures. I could fill 100 blog pages with these pictures, so many of them turned out really cute! But these were a few of my favorites that I had to share.

Oh, Jewel

Christmas in November

Not all of the Burys will be together for Christmas this year, soooo....we started early. Because, really, what is more fun than watching the kids open their gifts??

You will see the running theme of Thomas the Train throughout these presents...

The kids also got their ornaments from Grammy,

Cute shirts from Great Aunt Nancy,Some great new books

And...the treasured pistol :)

These came from Aunt Christine, who also equipped the little boys with dart guns over the summer... although these are less dangerous in that nothing actually shoots out, we spent the majority of the week explaining what is ok and not ok to shoot. Uncles are Ok to shoot, baby girl cousins are not.

The Shiny Choo Choo

In the words of "Wilhelm" from our Gaslight Theatre visit...this is the coveted Shiny Choo Choo that will save Silas from becoming the Christmas grinch :) Phew!

Abrielle

Our sweet Abbie Kate...how did this happen. Such a short time ago you were the only baby, a precious little girl we all fussed over and doted upon. We gave you dolls and toys to express our love and gain your favor. You would snuggle up and rub your belly button, stick your fingers into your mouth, and listen to story after story. And now, here you are. The biggest cousin, watching out for the little boys and taking care of the baby girls. You are so grown up. Now you are getting flat irons, pom poms, jewelry and nail polish. You are the one reading the books, and amazing all of us with your vocabulary and knowledge. Growing with you is your gentle heart. I love to see Jesus in your tenderness towards your cousins and sibling. We are blessed by you, Abrielle. Delighted by you and by what you bring to our family.

This was our family walk on Thanksgiving morning in Tucson. Note the tank tops, shorts, and sunglasses...it was warm :)














Silas is not used to the heat...this was him after our jaunt. Red faced, sweaty, and tired. He even got carried for part of the walk (see the shoulder ride above), but his Oregon hiking skills got him no where. However, finding enough rocks to throw in the river here in Oregon can sometimes be a challenge. The rock supply in Tucosn was bountiful...we just lacked the river.







We adjusted though, and even when it was cool outside the three little boys ran laps around Grammy and Pops' house until they were stripping down clothing and panting.










Maybe when we go back for Christmas we will be better equipped to jump on the trampoline in the sunshine, now that we have had some practice.

Dedicated

On November 1st our little family stood before our church body to declare our commitment to raising our children in the way of the Lord. It was a precious day for us, that we longed to share with our family.
Thankfully, God has blessed us with an Oregon family, too. Our awesome friends Lisa and Kyle also dedicated their new son, Max. We celebrated with their family. Thank you Lord for these precious babies.

Ah, the fall...

A few weeks ago I took these totally cute pictures of my kids playing in the beautiful fall leaves at a park near our house. It was one of those fabulous fall days when they sun shines, but the air is cold, and each leaf is it's very own shade of beautiful.

Every picture turns out just right and feels "post card" precious.

I came home and looked through all the photos, having to weed out the good from the great so that I didn't overload the blog.
And when I got on my computer there was a new blog posting from my dear sister, Heather, who I love so very, very much. She had beautifully written about the gift of God revealing our spiritual needs to us, using the picture of longing for relief from heat in the desert. She referenced those of us living in different states who are enjoying pumpkin patches and hot cider, while they are still battling 90+ degree heat. After reading it, I could not post my pictures. I didn't want her to feel like I was trying to rub in our fall weather or our display of leaves. So I decided I would wait, at least until a drop in Arizona temperature.

Well, before I got to it, my mom came to town for a few days. We enjoyed the fall ambiance with our Starbucks Pumpkin Lattes for the first day or so. Encouraged, we planned a trip to the pumpkin patch for the morning of the day she was leaving. One last hurrah.

Well, a "hurrah" we got.

The morning was cold. Very cold. No more than 45 degrees. It was raining. Really raining. Sometimes Portland has a drizzle, this was a true downpour. And the wind. Not a single yellow leaf was still attached to a tree limb. But how could we not go to the pumpkin patch in October?

So, we dressed ourselves in rain proof gear and got in the car. As we drove, leaves plastered against the windshield and rain pelted against the windows. We pressed on.

When we arrived at the pumpkin patch, not surprisingly, the place was rather empty. So, I put my infant daughter in the baby bjorn and zipped her up as high as I could in my water proof jacket. I grabbed an umbrella and got out of the car.

Silas and Jordan were unwavering in their determination. We followed the owner of the pumpkin patch out to a little open air passenger train. He squeegeed the metal seats for us. Yes, a squeegee. They keep those on hand at Oregon pumpkin patches. Silas' obsession with trains was not squelched by the rain. He was excited. We even got to go through a tunnel. The pictures of the train and the tunnel didn't turn out. Maybe it was the elements, maybe it was providence. The tunnel was adorned with every scary Halloween icon that I could think of. Skeletons, grave stones, headless men, and blood. We were shocked, and hoping that Silas didn't notice. A nice little mom and pop place...sheesh.
We got off the train at field of pumpkins. Thankfully, the rain had lightened. However, I still needed to use my umbrella to shield my sweet baby girl from the sharpest wind, stinging us with the remaining drops of rain and burning our hands with the cold.
The pumpkins were not holding up well to the overpowering weather. Many of them were rotted through and flattened into the muddy ground. I don't think it was quite was Silas was expecting.
The reason we had chosen this particular pumpkin patch was because of the attractions. After taking the little train to the patch, we were scheduled to wait under the tent for our boat to take us back across the small lake to the little country store. Although I felt skeptical about getting on the open water while battling the wind and rain, the boat looked sturdy and Silas (and Jordan) could not be persuaded otherwise. So, we waited for the boat to come and get us, and Silas made the most of the puddles.
We were hunched over against the wind, but were hoping that perhaps Silas would forget the cold, wind and rain, and just remember the train and the boat rides.
We were not counting on him remembering the boat ride due to fear. Half way across the lake (which seriously was not big), the driver pushes what seems to be a garage door opener, and up out of the water comes this robotic looking dragon...

followed by skeleton pirates waving a skull flag.

The next attraction seemed harmless, a little man with a pumpkin head sitting in a fishing boat.
Then the driver tells Jordan to take Silas to the other side of the boat. He walks him over there and then pushes another button. Out of the water comes this shark, SPRAYING WATER all over Silas and Jordan!! As if we were not cold and wet enough, the driver lures my 2 year old, shivering son, into the splash zone for a Halloween prank!
We didn't know if we should yell at the guy, just cry, or laugh out loud at the rediculousness of the entire trip. To top everything off, the pumpkins were outrageously priced and we didn't even buy a stinking pumpkin for the front step. So we have nothing but the evidence of the above abuses as a memoir of our trip.

I don't have much eloquence to add to this. Heather, I love you so much. I would have loved to share an October day with you in Oregon, and for our sweet two year olds to peruse the rows of pumpkins. Mulled cider sounds like a delicious treat to share, and I hope we have the opportunity to do that together soon. I am sharing this in the hope to give you some laughter, to lighten your day. I hope you know how precious you are to me!