It's vacation time for the 4 Webbs. No work. No homework. No hospitals. just time with family and doing holiday things. Our family is expanding with marriages which means we get more christmas parties. We went to Bree's family's event for an evening of games and fun. I'll start off with a silly pic because these are much more interesting than the same old cheesy smiles we have in other family pics.
I tried to get a selfie of the whole family, but I didn't open my selfie stick gift yet so this one is as close as I get to a showing how much of a good time we had together.
Kendra's family (minus Casey and Barbie) was all together and looking festive.
We visited Oupa's gymnasium a few times for scooters, dodge ball, and basketball. Indoor activities are highly valued during these cold, rainy days. Kendra's grandma, GG, joined in for basketball and took some shots. I don't know many 89 year old ballers out there, but my GG is one. never too old to be active! Her presence with us is very meaningful and I love every second the 4 Webbs get to be around her.
This girl... She was in a back brace unable to walk without severe pain just two short months ago. And now she's rolling around the gym floor on scooters and playing dodge ball. She amazes me as her healing and recovery takes a small step forward every single day. A little less pain, a little more mobility, a little longer hair. It's hard not to notice the improvements even when I see her every day.
Easton and Layla are getting more independent every day, but just because they don't need me to help them as much anymore doesn't mean they don't want to be around me. It just means we get to do more adventurous things as they mature. We took a bike ride on one of the rare sunny days. It was chilly, but nothing a coat and hat couldn't fix. We rode through the neighborhood a few miles to find a park. They took a moment to pose because I asked them to. Otherwise they would never be still long enough for me to get their faces in the same picture. They climb like monkeys and I really enjoy not worrying about them falling or getting hurt. for the first few years of playground time I was constantly on edge to make sure they wouldn't hurt themselves. Now I just sit back and watch them play.
Even when there is no playground close by they still climb on rocks and trees and everything else they can find. The big change or the second semester of their second grade school year is that Layla is moving to Easton's class. This will be the first time they are in the same classroom at school. Layla's heart is too precious to me for her teacher to shoo her away like a fly, yell at the class, and be more interested in punishment than connection. Layla has her own adjusting she needs to do, but I am really disappointed her teacher from this past semester is so unwilling to adjust. Next semester will give new life to Layla's school experience and I'm excited for how that will help her be engaged.
Christmas day was all kinds of happy. Several of us stayed in our pajamas the entire day. We didn't leave the house and nobody was around other than family.
Logan and Bree had new pajamas to break in and GG was covered in blankets and coats most of the day.
The number of gifts the twins opened was a new record, for sure. Their responses were appropriate and grateful. I'm proud of them for maintaining a happy heart through the process of shredding gift wrapping paper. Layla was excited about everything because of the surprise factor.
Easton was slightly more excited about the Star Wars, Lego, and Titanic related gifts. I'm not surprised at all!
Uncle Casey bought them each a Nintendo 3DS and some games. You can see by their faces how surprised they were. They are already getting good at the controls and I would guess our trip home will be significantly quieter because of them.
Kendra unwrapped some great gifts as well including a cat-themed onesie with a hood and tail. Now she is a soft kitty for real!
She also has some new clothes like scarfs and wraps and funky outerwear for the next few cool months in Phoenix.
Easton's Titanic gifts are a real hit, including this enclosed titanic model and iceberg that he sloshes around to crash the iceberg into the ship over and over again. pure joy on this boy's face.
I got an appropriate shirt that I'll get some wear-time from soon. Layla will be back at her figure skating lessons soon. I'll wear this proudly. :)
Easton and Layla made out like looters in St. Louis. Their gratitude and contentment with what they received made the occasion even more joyous. We have several weeks worth of entertainment and interest when we get home.
Ouma and Oupa's stack of gifts to open was not nearly as bountiful as the twins, but there were a few items outside of socks and kitchen utensils. He has a heart rate monitor now to track his sleep and activity. Seems like an essential piece of gear for a PE coach. Cooking so many meals is greatly appreciated, but even more than that I enjoy the atmosphere of openness and love they provide.
and the willingness to be interactive with my Layla. The adults made this a Christmas she'll never forget. Being the only two grand kids has it's privileges.
The serious version of our Christmas day was just plain boring. I'm glad we have this one to show the real heart of the environment when we spent the day lounging in our pajamas.
There is an outdoor temporary ice skating rink in downtown Folsom. We waited for the best sunny day where we could get there early to beat the crowds. Easton stepped back on the ice for the first time in a few months. He did really well maneuvering around the first-time skaters and Layla was the star of the ice as always.
GG sat on the bench close to the rink where she was able to watch them skate around, lap after lap. One of the few requests she made for our time here was to watch her great grand daughter Layla dance on the ice for her.
After Easton wore out his boots on the ice I took the opportunity to skate a few laps with my princess warrior. This was my first time on hockey skates. It was easier than I thought, but I still had a few hand wave moments where I almost fell.
Our trip is amazing on so many levels, but when I get down to the real bare bones of what makes it incredible, it is because Kendra is with us and healthy. Her interactions with the twins and cousins and friends and everyone else we spend time with is a priceless miracle.
The couple of vacation days I took were well used, but now it is time for us to engage for 2016 planning and get our ministry momentum moving forward once again. This is what I've been waiting for since October and I can't wait to dig in! Kingdom things are in store for us this January.
See you soon!
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