Preschool Christmas program!

Check out this cuteness:

I loved watching Suz and Verity together!

just taking in all the action

5 months!

Happy 5 months to this little ball of pure sweetness!

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, this was happening....

'sup. 

Get me outta this contraption!

whoa, where did everyone go?

how much of this bow tie can i fit into my mouth at one time??

30!!!

Yesterday we celebrated three decades of life for a certain handsome fella!! I'm not going to go on and on about how wonderful Elvis is because chances are, if you've spent any time with him at all, you've already realized that. His gentle soul is evident from the first time you meet him.

I've been working on a special project for him over the past month or so...collecting letters and creative expressions of love from some of his friends and family from El Salvador and beyond to put together in a book for Elvis.

Suzy is explaining her picture to him

We went to a Japanese steakhouse for lunch...yum!! white sauce get in my belly!!

Elvis said all he wanted to do today was go to a park and relax as a family. So we took our hammock to the park near our house and did just that!  

This lasted for about 5 minutes until she kicked him out. =)

Then, Elvis actually cooked his own birthday dinner for us (it tastes much better that way, I promise!) He grilled steak that we were generously given this week and shrimp, plus yucca with a butter-garlic sauce, corn, and salad. YUM.

For a special birthday dessert, we got really fancy....we "roasted" marshmallows on the gas stove and made smores!

 You see, Suzy and Elvis have been conspiring all week to camp in the living room (I think Suzy has enjoyed his birthday just as much as Elvis has!) so we made smores, hot chocolate, and set up a "tent" in the living room.

nativity sweetness

Tonight, Elvis was telling the Christmas story to the kids using the Little People nativity set mom and dad gave us a couple of years ago. 

Please don't mind the Joseph imposter situation we have going on right now with our nativity.

 Elvis was explaining that Jesus is the Savior, which got a little tricky to explain in Spanish because Savior is "El Salvador" which Suzy knows good and well that El Salvador is where she was born. 

Anyway, Elvis was saying that God sent Jesus as a gift to all people, and Suzy leans over to Emory who is sitting on my lap and whispers, "That means you too, buddy" and gives him a kiss on the cheek. 

And that's when I melted.   

this week

It's been a pretty crazy week. First of all, we have been recuperating from having family here from El Salvador. Suzy absolutely LOVED being with her cousings Camila and Daniela. They played all day and all night, all week long! Here are some pictures:

these two were absolutely inseparable!!

Suzy's bday breakfast

pony rides for her  bday

In the midst of the recuperating, I have been working on final papers which are due next week. Aaagh! Can it be? Did I actually survive this quarter with 2 classes AND 2 kiddos? By the grace of God, no doubt. Good news is I just decided that I am going to keep up this pace and graduate by June! Hallelujah! 

However, in the midst of writing papers, Suzy got sick this week...the stomach kind =( It's never fun when your baby is sick, but especially not during finals because she can't go to school which means i can't study in the mornings. However, I was reminded what a great husband I have....you know you got a good one when he runs into your daughter's room numerous times at night to catch throw up in his bare hands =) I know, I know, I should have run to get a trash can, but I get a little paralyzed in these situations and just seem to stare with my mouth wide open. 

So, in review, there's been a lot of washing sheets, writing papers, drinking Gatorade, and snuggling going on. 

But with all that, how am I not gonna smile when I got this cutie pie smiling at me while I write papers???

Oh, and per Suzy's request, we made Christmas ornaments on her sick day off from school. I mean, you can only watch so much Busytown Mysteries before you gotta switch it up a bit. 

I love that she remembered making these last year in New York and asked to do it again. Looks like my cheap idea to spend a snowy day and fill up our teeny tiny tree in NY turned into an annual tradition! 

rainbows

What do you think of when you see a rainbow?

God's promises, hope, beauty...

The same things i think of when I look at our sweet Suzy.

In light of that, we had a rainbow themed party for Suzy's upcoming 4 year old birthday party yesterday!

Even though it was a super busy weekend with our Bible study thanksgiving dinner, family coming in from El salvador and the wedding, the party topped off the fun weekend. I may have gotten into the theme a little too much...a little more than i actually had time for at least, but it turned out so much fun =)

First, I made rainbow cupcakes by separating the batter into 5 different bowls and dying the batter then layering it into the cupcake tins. It was easy but time consuming. I loved the result though:

Here are some more pictures from the fun day of all things rainbow: 

rainbow sandwiches (i colored cream cheese)

face painting

craft table: fruit loop necklace making and watercolor painting

the spread

suzy's artwork for decoration

this was supposed to represent the gold at the end of the rainbow but maybe it looks a bit pirate-ish...oh well...

snacks in the teepee

singing happy birthday

gotta have a pinata! 

flower girl

Yesterday, Suzy was the flower girl for Elvis cousin's wedding. I think being in a Salvadoran wedding was the best way for her to get her feet wet at a wedding....you can show up an hour late (which we did) and still be early, you don't have to go to any rehearsals, you can have 18 people helping you go down the aisle and instructing you on how to throw the flowers, and the paparazzi can be out in the aisle taking pictures. Then you can spend the rest of the wedding just running around and throwing flowers in the fountain. I don't think we're really cut out for the whole formal, start on time, stand still American wedding tradition yet.

Anyway, she was the cutest thing ever (in my humble opinion) in her flower girl dress we found at a yard sale (score!). And she has had the best time playing with her cousins Cami and Dani from El Salvador who have come with Elvis' brother for the wedding. I love hearing her play in spanish.

Here are some pictures from the big day:

cousin love!

with the groom, Tio Oto