Back

Ok. I know. It's been a few weeks since the last post. The one where I mentioned a summer-long hiatus. But I am back. I've been here. But, as you know, we've been in full-on back to school mode since August began. Today was the 3rd day of the school year for us all since we all started on the same day this year, Tuesday!  Luckily our schedules and calendars are far more aligned so we shouldn't have any issues like last year's Spring Break debacle. But I digress. I'm back. Here I am. Back to school. I'll take a brief pause from the hiatus catchup to talk about back to school.

Braeden. He's in 4th Grade this year. Yes, 4th Grade. I'm not quite sure how it happened. Time warp maybe?  Regardless, he is.  He and Amy are stoked because this is Amy's first full year in 4th Grade so they have a lot in common and have been bonding over mutual 4th Grade stuff. It's cute and I'm so happy for them. He's very excited because, for literally the first time in his school career, he's away from any family members at school. He's moved out of my hallway and upstairs!  Upstairs?!?!  OMG. He's always been just down the hall or in my class. I see him at lunch, briefly. Maybe in the hallway if I'm lucky and the stars align.  But it's good for him. Independence, but at a slow pace that he can be comfortable with. That's right up his alley. Another huge change for him is that our Athletic Director is allowing 4th Graders to play up to JV sports this year. He's now on the JV Soccer team!  OMG!  He is so excited and is having a blast. He's had 2 practiced already and comes home exhausted but joyful.  Sports his definitely a love language for that kid. It does however bring about changes for the entire family as he has practice 4 times a week until 5:00 pm. That means later nights for us all. But they're growing up and we are experimenting with later bedtimes. So far, so good (fingers crossed). Hopefully that'll continue to be an easy adjustment as we head into the school year. 

Jackson. 2nd Grade. I'll be honest, it was fun having him in my classroom last year. I do miss him but I know he is having a blast in 2nd Grade. He was nervous for the first day, but came home ecstatic and eager to tell us all about his teacher and everything she has planned for his class. This is the same teacher Braeden had for 2nd Grade and he also loved her. She brought out a lot of good in Braeden so I am so eager to see how Jackson grows and develops this year.  He is continuing to manage his ADHD well and we are adjusting to getting back into the school to me routine and schedule. He is also excited because he will be playing on the same Soccer league with his classmates as he did last year for Soccer and for Baseball. He also has grand plans to join them for Basketball. His practices begin next week on Fridays from 5:00-6:00. So late nights are the name of the game here in Drosche Land. But at least I'll get some time to work and plan and grade.  He's grown so much over the summer. I see him in the hallway and sometimes I'm amazed at just how mature he can look. 

Stella. She started PreSchool 3 this year. She's down my hallway now. So far it's been good. I've made sure to not linger and avoid if possible. The few times we've run across each other she has been able to hug and say hi without crying. She loved school, always has, and she is having a blast. She adores her teachers and we are working on not just calling them by their last names, but using Mrs. before. She has some weird aversion to using titles when speaking about people, it's quite hilarious. But she's a trip and is having so much fun.  She will be starting dance this year. Dance. Like ballet. I can't even begin to wrap y head around my little princess being old enough for dance. Her practice is in Wednesdays. So there's the other day of the week. Ha!  You thought I'd gotten at least one day that was extra-curricular free didn't you?  Wrong!  As it turns out we have Faculty a Meetings on Wednesdays so it's not really any inconvenience. Just another stage of life we are entering. The busy stage. As if we weren't already busy enough!  

Amy. It's her 2nd year in 4th Grade and her first time to start the year off that way after stepping up mid-year last year. This is the class she taught back in 2nd Grade a few years ago so that's a fun and unique experience. She's loving it and having a blast. I never would have imagined that she would be so happy and content so far away from Early Childhood.  Who knew?  We'd both always thought of her as an Early Childhood teacher. But after leaving administration a few years ago to step back into the classroom, she's been hopping around and experiencing all the grades. First, Second, Fourth. But
she's great at that.  Again, she's excited to be teaching the same grade that Braeden is in and in fact,
she even worked out a field trip for her class to the same place that his class is attending later this war. That'll be tons of fun!

Me. Last but not least. Me. I'm in 1st Grade. Always. I love it here. Beginning my 12th year and I'm amazed at that. 12 years. Wow. This is a big year for me because at SML we are in the process of doubling our Elementary grades beginning with Kindergarten last year. That class then moved up and we doubled 1st Grade this year. I've never co-taught with anyone or had a teach member who taught the same grade as I did. Luckily for me the other 1st Grade teacher is a good friend who was a PreSchool 3 teacher for a while and has been waiting to step up. She is awesome and we have already begun to build a great team so far this year. It's going to be a lot of fun. New, but fun. The other PreSchool 3 teacher stepped up to teach one of the sections of Kindergarten this year as one of our teachers left. She is also a good friend of ours. Throw in the other K teacher, who I worked with at Trinity for years and is also a family friend and Stella's Godmother, and we have one amazing K/1 team and it is going to be an epic year!  At SML this year we also have a new principal, who is amazing, and several new teachers. So change is the theme for this school year, that's for sure. But it is going to be awesome. He has so much in store for us and I cannot wait to see His plan play out. 

Well, I guess that sums it up. 4th Grade, 2nd Grade, PreSchool 3. They each love school (for which Amy and I are so thankful for) and we are off to a great start. There are a lot of new changes in our lives for this year so we definitely should have many adventures in the coming months. But I am excited and ready for the ride!  Here goes nothing. 

All is well, another school year underway, in Drosche Land.

Another Year Down

Well, summer has arrived in Drosche Land!  Granted, Amy and I still have meetings this week, but school ended for all of us last week.  The kids and I at St. Mark celebrated our last day on Thursday, Amy celebrated her last day of the year at Epiphany on Friday.

What a year it was too.  Busy and hectic, both professionally and personally.  Of course we started the year off with T & L and being foster parents.  That, in and of itself, brought all kinds of back to school adventures.  Then they moved on and we adjusted to life as the 5 of us again.  Then after Christmas Amy stepped up and began teaching 4th Grade after the sudden death of her coworker earlier that fall.  Did I ever mention that?  I feel like I did, but maybe not.  Long story short - the 4th Grade teacher passed away at the beginning of the year.  It was sudden and sad for Amy, her coworkers, and the students at Epiphany.  They continued the semester with 2 subs who alternated days.  Amy began to feel a calling to step up and help.  We prayed, thought, talked, and prayed some more before Amy finally decided He was calling her to serve in a new way.  She'd had a Student Teacher in the fall so it worked out perfectly that she took over Amy's 2nd Grade classroom full time in January when Amy moved into 4th Grade.  She loved it, but it was hard.  The whole situation was unique and crazy, but she did well and is excited to begin a full year as a 4th Grade teacher in August.  Who'd have ever thought she would be teaching that high up?  Not I!  My year was great.  I had a great class and great parents.  I also has Jackson in my class.  That was fine, but was also an interesting adjustment.  So, that's our year in a nutshell.  On to the kids.

Braeden on the first day of school!

Braeden on the last day of school!

Braeden.  Third Grade.  I found it hard to believe that he was in 3rd Grade this year.  Now I find it even harder to believe he is no longer a 3rd Grader!  Crazy!  Our first born.  The one who teaches us about everything.  This was a big year.  At the start of the year, 3rd Grade was out of our territory.  Amy had only taught up to 2nd Grade and I live in 1st Grade.  So, 3rd Grade was a whole new world for us.  No longer could we assume we knew everything (not that we do that).  We were learning the ropes right along with him.  He loved his teacher.  She is a sports fanatic so he was right at home with that and often we would hear about fun conversations they would have at lunch or in the classroom, discussing sports, athletes, etc.  It was great for him to have that aspect to relate to.  He grew so much this year.  He now has a sense of humor and, luckily for him since he is in our family, understands and uses sarcasm (correctly most of the time).  This was also the year when he stopped being a little kid.  Suddenly he acts like a teenager and is vocal about new things such as his hair and clothing (despite the fact we wear uniforms at SML).  The downside to the growth has been the attitude.  Oh wow!  But he has mellowed a lot lately and I think we are getting him back from the land of the pre-pubescent (for now at least).  All in all, 3rd Grade was great for him.  He loves multiplication and thrived with it, and even learned to love and take pride in projects (namely completing a poetry book and report on Uranus (yes, Uranus, and there were MANY jokes make about that, by myself of course)).

Jackson on the first day of school!

Jackson on the last day of school!

Jackson.  First Grade.  Wow!  Growth, incredible growth, was the name of the game for Jackson's 1st Grade year.  He grew academically so much, going from shy and intimidated, not willing to try to read or anything; to reading above level and loving school and learning anything and everything.  I taught Braeden in 1st Grade and it was fine.  Jackson I was worried about though.  We are very different and can sometimes butt heads, but that was not at all the case (very often).  It was a lot of fun and I think it was good for both of us, bonding us and bringing us together.  He also came out of his shell and made friends this year, buddying up with a friend (ironically named Jack) and having his first, and second, sleepovers and planning more for the summer!  Possibly the funniest thing about having him in my class was his insistence on referring to me as Mr. Drosche whenever school matters were being taken care of.  We'd already told the kids to call us that at school, just our family's preference, but he took it a step further and continued that at home during homework times or during school functions!  But that's Jackson, all or nothing!  We also continued to learn and live with his ADHD, changing medicine as he grew and managing his symptoms via diet.  All in all he had a marvelous year and we are so happy that he is thriving.  It is nice to have all the kids back at one school together.

Stella on the first day of school!

Stella on the last day of school!

Stella.  Toddler 2s.  Wow!  She is no longer a baby, that's for sure, and also no longer a toddler.  She is a full-on kid now.  As sad as that is, to have our baby growing up, it is also fun to see her grow and develop her own personality.  And what a personality she has!  She knows what she wants and is sure to let everyone know that.  She is full of spunk and sass (from her mother?) and keeps us on our toes.  It may be hard to handle sometimes, but honestly we would not have her any other way.  She also has grown so much thanks to her two awesome teachers.  Colors, numbers, shapes, songs, etc.  She is a sponge and has learned so much this year.  She is so excited to be in PreSchool next year and is already talking about it.  She will be down my hallway next year so that should be interesting, especially considering that Braeden will be moving out of my hallway and upstairs for 4th Grade!  Gasp!  We just recently (yesterday) celebrated her upcoming 3rd birthday and I am astonished that she is that old.  She reminds us so much of Jackson so we kind of know what to expect from her, sort of.  All in all, she had an amazing year and we will miss the Toddler program so much as she moves into the "big school" but we are ready (as much as possible) for that adventure.

So, there you have it.  A long-winded (do I offer any other kind) retrospective of the kids and their school year.  It was a great year for us in Drosche Land, despite being full of ups and downs.  But then again, every year is.  We grew a lot and learned a lot.  As great as it was though, we are all very happy that summer is here.  Everyone needs a little down time to recharge!  Thanks 2014/2015 school year!  It was a blast!

All is well, Toddler 2s/1st Grade/3rd Grade down, in Drosche Land.

9

Today is Braeden's birthday. He turned 9. 9!  I'm still in disbelief.  He's the one that made Amy and I parents. The one who taught us about diapers, sleepless nights, and fevers. But he also taught us about hugs, silliness, and love. I'm not sure if I've shared the story of Braeden's birth before. If I have, sorry, this may be a repeat for you. But it's a great story and one that we love to remember often, especially once a year. 

I think back to that day, 9 years ago, when I was at work. We'd recently relocated back to Houston due to Hurricane Katrina and found ourselves expecting. We hadn't fully committed to staying, we still wanted to return to New Orleans and the life we'd begun to build there. But then, suddenly, everything changed. It couldn't be just about Amy and I anymore. Nope, we would soon have this tiny little human who would depend solely on us. We had to start thinking about what was best for him. So, we made the touch decision to stay in Houston. It was back home for us, near our families and everything we'd grown up with. We were starting to rebuild. Amy had found another job and I was subbing and working as a teacher aide until I could find a position myself. We were staying with my parents and searching for an apartment.  All was slowly settling. 

May 5. We were still over a month away from the due date.  We had plenty of time to plan. Right?  To pack. To prep the apartment we'd moved into. To sort, wash, sterilize, and learn about all of the baby gear we had been blessed with. We had some time still.  Wrong. I was working Extended Care when I received the call. Amy thought maybe her water had broken. Say what?!  But she thought it might be a false alarm. I decided to head home early anyway, to check on her. Halfway home another call. Nope, this was the real thing. Forget heading home, we would meet at the hospital. It looked as though it was go time.

But things were to take another turn from our plans. He was breech. Yep. Breech. As I'd been  he wouldn't turn and Amy wasn't laboring. So the decision was presented to us: c-section. What?!  As scary as having a baby was, this tripled, maybe even quadrupled that. But here we were and there was no turning back. Not now so we moved forward, no other choice really.  So anxious and praying we went. 

After the surgery all seemed well. Braeden was small but not tiny. He was healthy. Sent to the NICU for monitoring since was considered pre-term. The next day all was well. Here was this tiny little thing that, just less than a day before, had seemed like some distant thing we'd been planning for.  But he was here. Now. Soon we learned that he was having som eblood sugar issues, trouble maintaining it. He was pricked so much on his little foot for testing that he still bears a birthmark-like scar that wasn't there when he was born. We now began to worry. There was a chance that Amy would be discharged before him if they couldn't get it all squared away.  Again, anxious and praying we moved forward, waiting to see what would happen. 

Luckily all worked out and he was able to be discharged with Amy, stabilized and ready for home. So we packed up this little bundle of joy and headed home to our new life as a family of 3.  Visitors came. More gifts were bestowed. Bags were unpacked. We started to settle into our new normal and Amy and I, so very naively, thought that not much has changed. This parenting thing didn't seem so difficult. Yeah, that didn't last long. Little man had his plans to teach us and train us as parents.

9 years. I don't know how I'll feel next year when it will be an entire decade!  He's grown into such an amazing person. Sure, there are rough times, there always will be. But deep down he's a good kid. A loving him brother. A loyal friend. A close cousin. A devoted grandson. A son. Our son. The first one. 

Happy 9th Birthday Braeden. I love you. 

All is well, 9 years and counting, in Drosche Land. 

Redneck Crazy & Royals

1. Redneck Crazy - Tyler Farr. On my, this is Braeden's all-time favorite song. He will request it no matter what. It just gets to him. I love it too. It's a great country song. A little bit of heartbreak and a little bit of revenge all wrapped up with a great chorus and a twang. It doesn't hurt that Willie Robertson is in the video. We love us some Duck Dynasty here in Drosche Land. This is another go-to song for feeling good and singing out loud. Whenever and wherever. 

2. Royals - Lorde. She makes a second appearance this month. The song that introduced the world to Lorde and made her famous. Love it. The beat. The chorus. That voice. They all work together to just make it awesome. I will admit though that it makes me feel slightly ancient to know that she is only 18. Seriously?!  Oh well. I guess it's a good thing I'm young at heart.  

All is well, R down, in Drosche Land. 

The Man & Make It To Me

1. The Man - Aloe Blacc. One of Braeden's favorite songs. One he always requests when we are taking turns listening to music from my iPhone in the car. For me it's another one of those go-to, feel good songs. I'm sure that on more than one occasion a complete stranger has caught me belting this song out at the top of my lungs. Yes, I'm that person!  I do enjoy this song so much that I've debated making it my ringtone; I just can't part with The Walking Dead theme.  Am I the man?  Maybe I am. This song sure makes me feel like I could be!

2. Make It To Me - Sam Smith. Here he is again on my list. His songs are so bittersweet and melancholy. But the words and his voice make them so addictive.  I love the fact that the song is about someone's unrequited love for a friend who is oblivious. Have you seen the video?  It totally plays off on that theme. I'm sure Amy is laughing reading this as we have been in that exact position. She was Sam Smith and I was the clueless love interest. Luckily I came around and realized she was my soulmate. And we all lived happily ever after. So stay strong Sam Smith, there's still hope!

All is well, M down, in Drosche Land. 

Take Me Out To the Ball Game

Today was Jackson's first baseball game.

I'm not sure if I've posted about it before or not, but we signed him up for spring baseball at school.  It's with most of his classmates in school, the same boys that he played soccer with in the fall.  The same boys that played basketball together over the winter, but we took a break and skipped that sport.  He had such a great time with soccer and it's a comfortable and easy transition for him into sports.  The familiarity of the players, the coaches (players' dads), practice at school.  It all makes for a good way for him to get into a sport.

There wasn't such a team for Braeden at school to join and we missed the deadlines for all of the teams we looked into.  But, such is life.  He is alright with it, for the most part.  Plus, instead of joining a summer league, he wanted to go away to camp for a week.  We were very supportive about that idea so our funds were allotted to that.  Next year he will be in 4th Grade and will likely be able to play up on the school's JV teams, soccer and maybe basketball.  We are all so excited about that.

Jackson never played Tee Ball like Braeden did so many years ago.  He was too young when Braeden played and then the boys got into soccer.  So it was understandable that we were all nervous about his foray into a new sport, especially because his first time at bat (literally and figuratively) would be coach pitch and he's already broken his nose before.  But we went forward with it, full of timid excitement and eagerness.

Sadly though I had to miss today's opening game for the season.  Braeden was involved in PSIA, an academic competition, and had his Spelling test this morning.  At the same time as Jackson's game.  On the other side of town.  So Amy and I split up and kept each other updated via texts and pictures.  What did parents do before smart phones?  Before cell phones?  Thank goodness we don't live in those dark ages and can instantly remain updated and see the action in real time, regardless of our location.

So, it was a busy day here in Drosche Land.  Braeden did not do as well as he would have liked in his competition and his day fell short of expectations.  However, it was his first time and he now have gained experience that will be valuable next year when we prep for the competition.  Jackson, on the other hand, experienced a day filled with newness and winning.  He himself made 3 runs and his team won the game!  He, as everyone else, was very proud.  Mixed emotions for us all though, cheering up a downed son and cheering on an elated one.  But, such is the life of a parent I guess.

But the day is drawing to a close and everyone is tired and relaxing.  Our weekends belong to baseball until May so many hot, tired, and sunburned days lie ahead.  But it will surely be fun and worth it.

All is well, win or lose, in Drosche Land.

Hormonal

No, not me.  Not Amy either.  I'm talking about the kids here.  2/3 of them.

Who knew they would grow up so fast?  Who knew times had changed so much since I was their age.  But, let's not get ahead of ourselves shall we.  Let's begin slowly.  One child at a time.

Stella.  Maybe you have heard about the term "threenager" or maybe you haven't.  Well, it is basically the term used to describe three-year-olds and their attitudes/hormones/drama and how closely related they are to an actual teenager.  Well, if this is true then Stella, who will be turning 3 in June, is on the cusp of this stage.  A pre-threenager so to speak.  

Maybe it is because of her age.  The "terrible twos" giving way to "threenager".  Maybe it's the fact that she is a girl.  Or maybe, just maybe, it is because I'm just a tad older at this point than I was with the boys.  Gasp!  Note, I said older, not old.  Not old.  Regardless, she has quite the personality and makes life, well, interesting.  She's opinionated.  She's loud (oh my girls are so much louder (and screamier) than boys).  She's my little princess.  Yes, despite all of these things, she has me (and the rest of us here in Drosche Land) wrapped around her little finger.  All she has to do is smile at me or hug me and my Daddy heart melts.

Next up.  Braeden.  Oh my.  The moodiness and drama begins in 3rd Grade now?!  Really?!  Well, it does here, and in talking to others we are not alone.  I guess 8 is the new 10?  He has always been emotional (gets it from me honestly) but this year it is at a whole new level.  Random drama for seemingly no reason.  Pouting.  Sighing.  Eye-rolling.  You name it, we've got it.  But again, deep down he is an amazing child.  Destined to be a big brother, he prides himself in caring for Stella and catering to her every whim, despite how it may inconvenience him.  He's totally addicted to sports of any kind and excels at them with practically no effort.  He makes me proud.

So, at times these two can make life frustrating and maddening, but at the end of the day I am so thankful for them both.  They are a true blessing and I know that this stage (no matter how long it may seem) will pass.  Years from now I know I will look back on these days and laugh at how crazy they seemed.  I'll probably even miss them, somewhat.  HA!

All is well, pre-teen and pre-threen included, in Drosche Land.

Artsy Fartsy

BNo. This post isn't about flatulence. Although, with two boys ages 7 and 8 (and myself) the fart humor does abound here in Drosche Land. I mean, it's a guy thing right?  Plus it's funny. But enough about that, again this post isn't about flatulence. 

Nope. I'm talking about the arts here. Culture people. Performing and visual. See, last week was a big week for the arts here in Drosche Land, specifically Wednesday. 

Wednesday is Chapek day and Braeden's 3rd Grade class was leading it. The topic was humility and they did a performance of the Dr. Seuss story, Yertle the Turtle. A classic. I love it and read it to my students every year for Dr. Seuss Day.  So I was excited to hear this. More so when I learned that Braeden would be playing the titular role of Yertle. Now. You'll remember from prior posts that he was not always so keen on being in front of people. For anything. A performance?  Nope. An award?  No thank you. Alone or group?  Not a chance. Then last year came and he landed the role of an extra in the school play. I don't know what changed, but it did. And I am so glad it did. So, the Chapel service. It was simple and to-the-point. Some of the kids took turn reading the story aloud while others silently acted it out. So not only was he the main character and thus, center of attention, but he also had to do actual actions throughout it all.  He rocked it. He did such a great job and truly enjoyed it. I was so proud and recorded it all on my iPhone 6 Plus (thank goodness for 64 gig) for Amy to watch. She was, of course, just as proud as I was.  But I think Braeden himself was the proudest of all, and that may be the best part.  Confidence building at its finest folks!

But the fun didn't stop there. Jackson had his moment to shine during Chapel also.  See, every year our Art teacher takes samples of student work that she has collected to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, to be entered into their School Art Program. Earlier this year my class did farm pictures with chalk as they were learning about blending and shading. Jackson drew a beautiful picture of a cow. I loved it and the Art teacher even commented on how proud she was of it. But it was never sent home.  I was hoping she would enter it but eventually I forgot. Then about a week before the Chapel service last week she excitedly told me that he'd received a ribbon for his work after she'd entered it at the Rodeo!  Awesome!  I was so proud!  Flash forward to the big day and it turns out he received a 1st Place ribbon!  His work has been on display in the entry at school since then!  I've always been into art myself, I love it. Art History was my favorite class in college, aside from education courses. I dabbled in photography in high school and received some ribbons and medals from competitions. But life happened and art and photography fell to the wayside. I've always still loved it but not really devoted much time to it. I've enjoyed taking pictures of the kids, as you know, but that's as far as I've gotten.  So I'm very pleased to think that my love of art may have been passed down to one or more of the kids. Very proud.

It's also reminded me of how much I love it. Maybe I'll get more serious about it. Who knows?  But for now I'm riding high on the boys and their successes and that is just fine with me. #proudpapa

All is well, patron of the arts, in Drosche Land. 

Braeden as Yertle the Turtle. 

The artist. 

Getting Schooled

Well, I've been gone for a few days as things have been super hectic here in Drosche Land as we prepped for another school year. You can imagine how busy we have been with both Amy and    being teachers and having the 5 kids. But all is well and we have survived the beginning of August which was filled with meetings, preparations, classroom setup, meetings for T & L, and just life in general. We survived!  Today was the first day of school for all of us. Amy lucked out with a 1/2 day while the kids and I jumped in fully with a whole day. All in all it went very well. There were no tears this morning when getting ready. No tears when taking pictures, which I love to do. No tears during drop offs. That in and of itself is a success!  Everyone came home excited and exhausted. They are all asleep now but I, for some reason cannot fall asleep. So here I sit, telling you about our day. 

Stella. This year she is in the Toddler 2s class. Little Miss. Look at her. She was so excited to meet her new teacher, she talked about her for the past few days. She is potty trained and ready to go. Full of sass as always but sweet on the inside. Right now she is I so fully into wearing dresses which she proudly proclaims as a "pretty dress" over and over. So we let her wear one for the first day. She also loves her new shoes that light up (thanks Mom!). They are adorable. Right now in life she loves to play with all things girly still. Dolls, stuffed animals, purses, anything pink, bows, etc. Barbies are just around the corner!  Favorite foods are noodles and rice, she's a carb loader. She also loves fruit and French fries (carbs again). Sophia the First and Doc McStuffins are her favorite shows and she is obsessed with any princess movie, The Princess and the Frog and Sleeping Beauty are in full rotation now. She's a firecracker and has us all wrapped around her little finger.  Again, I'll mention her sassiness, oh my!  

Jackson. First Grade this year!  As you know he has come to St. Mark with Braeden, Stella, and I and I am so excited. That means that he is in my class and is the second of our children that I will have taught. He is one of a kind. We have found a good balance of medicine for his ADHD and he is thriving and focused. He loves numbers and anything mathematical. Right now I think he may be heading toward something related to engineering, I could totally see that. He's obsessed with his Kindle and Minecraft. He loves superheroes and collecting feathers (he found a blue jay one on the way to the car this afternoon). He loves being an older brother and dotes on Stella and L. While cartoons of any kind are still loved, he is getting to the age where he loves the Disney tween shows. Jessie, Austin & Ally, and I Didn't Do That to name a few. He had a great first day of school today and is excited to have me in class. With him being at Epiphany last year with Amy I really haven't seen him in an educational setting until today so that was interesting. With as outgoing as people think him to be, he is actually very analytical, sensitive, and quiet. He spent the majority of today just taking in the new surroundings and watching, assessing, and learning. I know he will come out of his shell eventually, he just takes slowly to new situations. But he is a trooper and there isn't anything he can't do if he puts his mind to it. 

Braeden. Third Grade. Seriously?!  Where has the time gone?  Oh he loved today and came home full of talk about his binder, planner, and all the procedures he learned. He loves school and is always excited to start a new year. He proudly proclaimed that today was going to be easy because, "first days are always easy because yet you don't have any homework yet!"  Just wait little man, just wait. He has always been, and still is, our athletic one. There isn't a sport he won't watch or want to play.  He would have the TV tuned to ESPN all day everyday if we would let him. He also is obsessed with video games, sometimes glued to his Playstation 3 and Kindle. He loves to read and is always wanting to start a new book, if only we could get him to finish one!  Like Jackson he is fully into the Disney tween shows. I think he truly believes he is going to turn 16 any minute!  Help us when he does becaus we already are dealing with some of that preteen attitude!  Oh my!  But he is an excellent oldest child, always wiling to pull extra weight and help ell out when needed with the many younger children. He has a huge heart and is a compassionate person, never thinking the worst of anyone.

T & L. Obviously I can't share their photos here. But they started today as well. T in PreK and L in Waddlers. They have adjusted to school very well considering they have never been in a group care setting.  T's teacher said she had a great day and was very excited to be there. Possibly the highlight of her day was her new backpack that she has been dying to carry since we bought it about a week ago. Her teacher is amazing and knows of the situation. She has been nothing but supportive and helpful. No matter how short of a time T is in her class, I know she will do well.  L has the same teachers Stella had last year so that was a smooth transition for us. We know she will be well cared for and loved. Her report today came with a picture of her with a huge grin on her face. She enjoyed it. She also is doing so well and that is exciting. Her teachers also are so thoughtful and caring, which we already knew when dealing with Stella and her allergies last year. 

Amy and I also had great days today. Our classes are awesome and the kiddos great. We are off to a great start. Amy is happy to be teaching the same grade for a second year and the stability and familiarity that comes along with that. I am so blessed to be at St. Mark and am loving it as always. 

So, all in all it was a great first day. Sure there will be days when things are far worse, but maybe I'll come back and read this post during those times to remind me of the good. This year is going to be a great one. It started off a little crazy with the girls' placement and all that has come with that, but we are adjusting and adapting. I know we will have a great time this year, all of us. It's so exciting. Everything is new and fresh. Everyone is excited and eager. I love my job. Well, I think sleep may finally come so I will wrap this up for tonight. One great day down and just a 170ish more to go!  Ha!

All is well, getting educated, in Drosche Land. 

No Small Parts

You know the saying.

No small parts, only small actors.  Well, I have no clue where it comes from or who said it but it has come to mean something here in Drosche Land.  

If you know me or have been following us here for any amount of time you know that Braeden has always, and I mean always, shied away from any kind of public performance  or attention.  All of his Christmas performances he refused to take part in, instead opting to cry and watch from afar.  His Pre-K graduation; same thing.  Boys dance?  Yep, same thing.  No matter what Amy or I bribed him with tried worked.  Ever.  The first time he willingly, and without tears, participated in something was last year in 1st Grade.  Yes, I'm serious people.  It was the Advent/Christmas concert at school.  He technically was one of over a hundred children at the front of the church singing and he wasn't in the front.  But I'll count it.  

The other parents always pitied us.  There I sat with my camera ready, watching whatever performance it was, with no kid to take a picture of.  Nope.  Sad huh?  We eventually got used to it and stopped worrying about the lack of documentation he would have later in life.  We just learned to accept it for what it was and hoped we'd be able to coax him across the stage at his high school graduation.

That was until this year.  Our school is putting on a Spring Play and students of all ages, 2nd - 8th Grades, were invited to try out.  Well, guess who wanted to give it a shot?  Yep.  I was floored.  Seriously?  For real?  Was I being punked?  Nope, no hidden cameras around and April 1 is far off.  This kid was serious.  He seriously wanted to try out.  So we obliged him.  Encouraged him to sign up.  Talking with him and let him know that auditioning didn't mean he would get a part.  But we were proud of him for doing it.  And we were.  Very.

Then the night before auditions came.  We were Rehearsing with him to prep him. That's when his nerves set in and he started to second guess himself.  We worried that he wouldn't go through with it.  I didn't mind one way or the other, but I was looking forward to the experience for him and the confidence boost it might provide.  But we talked, calmed down, and practiced more.  He was as ready as he was going to be.

So the day of the audition dawned and he was still set on trying out.  I'll be honest.  I was nervous.  The likelihood of him getting a a part was slim, I know.  But he is my baby still, even though he is growing up all too fast.  I didn't want him to be nervous, disappointed, or embarrassed.  But I couldn't do anything about it.  Just pray, sit back, and let him live his life.  My little man.  Lo and behold he went through with it.  One of my friends was one of the judges and I was told he did well.  Now we just had to wait for the casting to be posted.  

The day arrived.  It was up.  He didn't get an actual part, but he was cast as an extra.  Nothing fancy.  Nothing tremendous.  Well, not for anyone else.  But for us this was a huge milestone.  Now we wait for his time to begin practice.  Suddenly we are parents with a kid in some kind of extra curricular.  We knew we'd be here eventually since he loves sports.  But we were thinking 5th Grade.  Not 2nd Grade and certainly not play practice.  But such is life.  Just when you think you know what's going on, you're thrown a curve ball.  HE keeps it interesting for us, I'll admit that.  One day everything is going along normally and the next day we're living in the midst of an actor.

Oh, the part?  A squire in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.  Rest assured there will be subsequent posts with pictures!  Stay tuned.

What up!

All is well, inside the actor's studio, in Drosche Land.

   

Looking Back

So here we go. 

We're one full day into the new year.  So far, so good. But what about 2013?

How was yours?  Good?  Bad?  Memorable?  Forgetful?

I think that if I had to give 2013 here in Drosche Land a theme or key word it would have to be change.  Yes, change. I think I may have said the same thing about 2012 but according to the events of 2013 it bears repeating. Change. It happened here in Drosche Land quite often last year. Some was planned and some was a surprise. But all in all I think it worked out for the best.  His plans often seem to do. 

Stella continued to change our lives. That little girl taught us a lot.  Mostly about food allergies and how much they can bring about change for a whole family. Milk. Soy. Those two ingredients are in a lot more than you'd think. Amy and I were taken aback by her diagnosis. It threw us for a loop. Kept us on our toes. Forced us to think in new ways. Now, don't get me wrong. Stella's allergies are minor in the scheme of life, I am well aware that there are people with much more severe food allergies and much more severe, and frightening, reactions. But it still turned things here upside down. But we learned. Thanks to the tireless research by my wonderful wife, and her money-managing skills, we are all better eaters now. Healthier. Educated in just what goes into food and how much of it we just don't need.  I could go much further into detail about the healthy eating changes we have made and the goals we have for 2014, but that's a topic for another post.

Then there was the job change for myself. Leaving a job is never easy. Neither is the choice to leave the friends one has made while there. But His callings to us change and we must listen. So  I did.   I moved on and I have been joyously happy at my new school.  Which, as you may remember, is the same school where I attended and where Amy and I first met in 7th Grade. So this was a positive change.  It also meant a change in churches since I am a called worker in a Lutheran school. This was also a very positive change in our lives. So see, not all change is bad. 

There was also job change for Amy as she moved up to teach 2nd Grade this year. Yes, this was fearsome and unknown. However, it has also proved to be a positive change. She loves it. Who knew?  The woman who, as a college student, vowed to only ever teach in Early Childhood. The woman who previously taught Pre-Kindergarten and Pre-School before making the jump into Elementary. The woman who was the Director of an Early Childhood Program just a few years ago before deciding to re-enter the classroom.  Yes, this woman has turned out to possess a gift in teaching those 2nd Graders who once seemed so old. Not so much now that we have one in our very own family as Braeden continues to get older, despite our pleading for him to slow down!  :)  More positive change.

Then there was the decision Amy and I made to split the kids up between our two schools; Jackson attending Amy's school and Braeden and Stella joining me at mine. We were very nervous at first. Very hesitant at the thought of imposing division among them. But again, it has turned out to be a blessing as they have ally thrived in their new settings. It took a little while to get used to it all and to work in several schedules, but it has all worked out.

There is also a bit of change concerning Jackson that I have yet to blog about. Something we have been working through these past few months. See, Jackson has always been our active child. The one we refer to as "100% little boy". A blur. A whirlwind of activity and rambunctiousness. Well as he entered Kindergarten this year we began to worry. You can guess the acronym we have been discussing by now. Yes. ADD or ADHD. Something not unfamiliar to us as educators, but something completely foreign to us as parents. Again, my wonderful wife worked tirelessly researching. We opted to forgo any route involving medication. Not at first at least. Instead we have focused on food triggers.  Sugar. Artificial flavors and colors. Preservatives. Man-made sweeteners. These were already on the top of our list to limit and/or eliminate due to our research into food allergies. But now it seemed even more important to look into it all.  So we began to cut it out and limit it. We have noticed change. Some small. Here and there. But change nonetheless. We have also noticed what happens when we slack a bit or he gets ahold of these things in some ways. Wow. It reminds us of what we have learned and what eating habits we are changing an eliminating.  So again, changes that came with positive aspects. Also again though it is a long story and a long journey, one that will have to have its own post(s) now that I have broached the topic with you. 

Lastly there was one final change toward the end of the year. Yes, I'm talking about the adoption. Sure, this  is a change that will not be fully realized until partway through 2014, but the process or change has begun. It is here and the wheels are in motion. Next week Amy and I begin classes every Tuesday and Thursday for the month of January. Part of the process DePelchin requires. Nearly all of the paperwork is in. A homestudy is in the near future. Followed by matching and placing. Of course there has been, and will continue to be, tons of prayer along the way. Extra is always appreciated!

Well, there you have it. My somewhat long-winded recap of 2013.  A little bit of a different format than from years past. But I think I got my point across. Change. It isn't so bad. In fact, looking back nearly all of the change we went through in 2013 was positive or ended up providing us with positive results. I guess that means all in all it was a good year. Yeah, a good year. 2014 is shaping up to be just a great, better in fact. With just as much change of course!  Such is life. 

All is well, changing for the better, in Drosche Land. 

Crowns, Casts, and Vomit

We interrupt the regularly scheduled July catch-up post for this one which details the latest adventure in Drosche Land.

Well, if the title of this post didn't hook you, surely that first line did!  On with the post.

So, yesterday Amy and the boys went to the dentist for their cleanings.  I lucked out couldn't make it for mine because I had a faculty meeting.  Despite the fact that our dentist is a family friend, I am just not a fan of going to the dentist.  Any doctor for that matter.  But that's a topic for a different post.

At the dentist Amy found out that Braeden needed some crowns on a few baby teeth due to cavities.  Ugh!  So she made the appointment for today.  In his defense, Braeden seems to have inherited the problematic teeth that run in Amy's family directly from his mother.  Jack seems to take after me as he had no issues whatsoever.

So the plan was set for today.  Amy would take Jack with her to school and I would take Braeden and Stella with me, as is our routine.  We would meet for lunch, trade boys, and she would take Braeden to the dentist while I took Jack back to my classroom.  All seemed fine.  Until I got a phone call from Amy during my meeting.  I didn't answer and got another, followed by the text you don't want to get - "Emergency.  Call me.".  So I slipped out and made the phone call.  Jack had fallen off of the monkey bars at school and broken his arm.  Yep.  That's right.  They were on their way to the ER.

Change of plans.  While Amy dealt with that issue, I took Braeden to the dentist where he was a trooper and handled it so well.  Afterward I went and picked Stella up where I found out that she had thrown up all over her teacher shortly beforehand.  Not to be outdone by her brothers, she must have wanted in on the day's action.  So I headed home to Amy and Jackson.  

Despite the craziness, stress, and drama of the day's adventures we are so proud of the boys.  Jackson is dealing very well with his arm.  He's in a temporary cast until next week when he will get his hard cast.  He is managing his pain well and getting used to being one-armed.  Braeden is also doing very well with his crowns and swollen face.  He was happy that, at bedtime, the swelling had gone down and the discomfort was lessened by the medicine Amy gave him.  Stella is doing just fine as well.

So, here it is, the end of a wild ride of a day and all has slowed down.  Hopefully everyone will get a much-needed rest and will awaken bright and shiny in the morning.  I have to share with you how grateful I am for my awesome wife.  She handled the day's events very well despite everything that was thrown at her.  I know for a fact that I would not have done so well.  She is an incredible wife and mother and today just proved to me more evidence of that.

So, as with many of the adventures we seem to have here in Drosche Land, today's events were the opposite of planned.  But in the end all has turned out for the best and HE has kept us safe and sound through it all.  

All is well, casted, crowned, and stomachs settled, in Drosche Land.

Jackson waking up after having  his arm set!

Braeden powering through his dental work!

    

Super

So, this past Sunday was Superbowl Sunday.  It should have also been a Sunday Snapshot. An easy one in fact since Stella turned 8 months old on that day.  However, obviously, a photo shoot did not happen.  Why you ask?  Good question dear readers.

See, Sunday was our very first Superbowl Party.  You might remember that when Amy was the Director we hosted the yearly Christmas party for her staff?  Well, with the job change we knew that would not be happening.  We were looking for something else to host.  Now, we don't want to host everything.  Just something every now and then.  It's fun.  Plus it gives you a reason to clean your house.  Win-win right?  Right.

So we decided to host a Superbowl Party for Amy's faculty.  Woo hoo!  Only we'd never hosted a Superbowl Party before.  Nor had we ever attended one.  Usually we just hang out at home and Amy and the boys watch the game while I do something, anything, else. Well, this year we were breaking out of our comfort zone.  Time to have some people over.  It had been too long.  So we planned.  And we cleaned.  And we shopped. And we cleaned some more.  We didn't go all out, kept it simple.  Just hamburgers and hot dogs.  Chips and dips.  BYO snack/drink/whatever.  You know the drill.

Well, the day came and we were ready.  Cleaned house?  Check!  Food?  Check?  Tidied backyard with raised beds (yes, that's plural but it's also a post for another time)?  Check.  Adult beverages?  Check (Abita in honor of the host city and our time spent there).  People arrived.  They brought yummies.  Things were going well.  I headed out to start the grill.  I prepped the burgers and the hot dogs.  I headed back out to start the food.  No flames.  What?!  Yep, you guessed it.  One of those things that apparently happens to everyone at some point in their life.  We were out of Propane.  Crap!  So, rather than head out to the store at the last minute with everyone else trying in vain to quickly scrape together a Superbowl shindig, we opted to cook them inside.  Thank goodness for an electric skillet!  Funny.  We laughed.  What more can you do?  

So I fired up the skillet and began to cook.  Then the house got a bit smoky.  You know how it does when you're cooking hamburgers inside (or maybe you don't, trust me on this one though).  Well, multiply that times 20 (the number of hamburgers we were cooking) and you get what looks like a hazy nightclub and smells like a (delicious) diner.  Nice.  So, the windows and doors were opened to get a cross-breeze going and air out the house.  Luckily the weather wasn't too chilly as we are having unseasonably warm weather for this time of year.  Again, we laughed and moved on.  

Long post short, the hamburgers were great, the company was fun, and all of the other food was delicious.  The game?  Well, you know me.  It had entertaining parts (judging by the guests' reactions).  The commercials and halftime show were good, that I can vouch for!  :)  Stella charmed everyone and the boys enjoyed themselves with some other kids who came over.  Our guests left and cleanup was quick (as in we rinsed and stacked everything in/near the sink to deal with later).  Then the fun really started.  Braeden complained that his "brain was hurting".  Crap!  So we looked deep into his glassy eyes and took his temperature.  Crap!  Fever.  Oh well.  

So Amy stayed home with him yesterday and her Mommy instinct proved correct as she took him to the doctor to find out that he had the flu.  Yep dear readers, we've been infected here in Drosche Land.  Luckily the doctor thinks we caught it early and the Tamiflu is hard at work with his friends Gatorade and Ibuprofen.  I stayed home with Patient Zero today and will be home again tomorrow as the fever doesn't seem to want to leave any time soon.  So, win-win, you'll probably hear from me again tomorrow since I've washed every dish we own and laundered every stitch of clothing that's dirty.  

We can't complain though since it has been quite a while since any of us have been this sick and he only seems to be experiencing a fever and fatigue from this flu, nothing messy if you catch my drift.  We're hoping that Jackson and Stella remain healthy so this doesn't run rampant through the family for the next week or so.  As a precaution I took them into school this morning to limit their exposure to Patient Zero.  Sorry, I've been watching a lot of The Walking Dead (addictive!).  Tomorrow we will probably do the same.  Luckily Amy and I seem to have avoided it as well.  Prayers continue for such a case as we lovingly keep our distance from the infected!

So, to recap.  A great party.  Check your propane before hosting a party.  Open your windows if cooking inside.  The Ravens won (you thought I didn't know!).  And the flu has reached us!  That about catches us up for now!  See you tomorrow!

All is well, super in fact, in Drosche Land.  

2012 Year In Review

Well, here we are again.  New Year's Eve.  I'm so totally not ready with any sort of resolutions post so that's not what this is about.  Maybe tomorrow, or the day after that.  We'll see.

So, 2012.  There's only about an hour left as I'm typing this.  Oh wait, there goes the ball in Times Square.  Ok, it dropped.  Back to the post.  2012.  What a year.  I don't know about you, but it was full of big events here in Drosche Land.  Ups and downs, ins and outs.  I thought it would be fun for a change to quickly revisit the year.  Maybe you'll remember some of these things, maybe you won't.  Maybe some of them you'd like to forget?  We'll see.

January 2012 - We knew we were pregnant but had decided to not find out the gender of Baby #3.  Well, we caved and boy am I glad we did.  A girl!  What a pleasant shock!  We knew right then that things would never be the same!

February 2012 - We, you dear readers and I, celebrated the 2nd anniversary of this blog!  Wow, how time flies.  February also brought a "surprise" baby shower for us as we officially began preparing for Stella's arrival!  We also celebrated Leap year!  Just 3 more years until the next one!

March 2012 - Amy and I took the boys to a Sibling Class at the hospital where we had the first glimpse of them as big brothers.  It was great fun and they learned a lot.  As it turns out they are fantastic big brothers and Stella is enamored with them both as they dote on her all the time!

April 2012 - I participated in, and completed, the A-Z Blogging Challenge.  It was tons of fun and I found several new blogs to love and follow.  It also brought new, maybe you, readers here to Drosche Land.  I really want to do it again this year and am already starting to think of a theme or topics.  It is still a long way away, so I'll probably procrastinate a bit longer!  I'll keep you posted.

May 2012 - 2 big events in May.  1 - Braeden turned 6!  Wow, 6.  He's now over halfway to 7 and I still am in amazement that he's that old!  2 - Amy was put on bed rest with Stella and we knew we were nearing the end.  Another school year wrapped up and summer began.  

June 2012 - Obviously the biggest event of the year - Stella.  She came and we have not been the same since.  She has been a blessing and joy each and every day.  It was a long and hard journey to get her, but we are thankful each and every day for her!  June was also the month when Amy accepted her new job as a 1st Grade teacher!

July 2012 - We were smack in the middle of our first summer together.  We were a family of 5 and things were going great.  I took all 3 kids to the doctor and locked my keys in the car, in the rain.  I got new glasses.  Stella was baptized!

August 2012 - A new school year began!  Braeden started 1st Grade with me!  Amy started her new job teaching 1st Grade and she has been loving it!  It has been awesome to share so many things with each other.  August was also Amy's birthday!

September 2012 - Jackson's birthday!  He turned 5!  Yep, another one of our babies was no longer a baby, but an actual kid!  Braeden got glasses and turned out to be super cute in them!

October 2012 -  The boys both joined soccer teams.  This was Braeden's second time playing soccer and Jackson's first.  They had a blast and are already looking forward to the next time they can play sports!

November 2012 - My birthday!  Election Day!  I voted, did you?  I hope so!  I also blogged about paying it forward after we had the fun experience at Starbucks.  I keep forgetting to catch up with y'all about it but I have done this (paid for the person behind me at Starbucks) twice since then and it has been so much fun!  The boys have been with me both times and we always talk about doing kind things for others.  They enjoy it too.  I think it's time for another one, maybe the next time I hit up Starbucks!

December 2012 - Stella's first Christmas!  Road trip to Kansas!  This post!  December flew by for us as I am sure it did for many of you.  But it was a great month and we have been enjoying a wonderful holiday break together as a family!

Well, that is 2012 in a nutshell.  It was fun to look back at the posts and relive and remember what happened.  I think this may have to be a yearly tradition on New Year's Eve here in Drosche Land!  I hope you have enjoyed our brief jaunt back in time.  I also hope that 2012 was great for you.  Maybe it was awesome.  Maybe it was rough.  Probably, like it was for us, it was both.  Regardless.  I hope you are able to look back at it and smile at the great memories and blessings of the year gone by!  I know I am.  HE was certainly good to the Drosches in 2012.  I can't wait to see what HE has in store for us in 2013!  Happy New Year and I hope you have an awesome one!

All is well, remembering and starting new, in Drosche Land.      

Christmas 2012

The obligatory "Bow on the Baby's Head" photo for her first Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

It's still technically the Christmas season right?  For a little longer at least.  When does the Christmas season end?  New Years?  Well, that's what I'm going with.

So, dear readers, how was your Christmas?  I hope well.  Ours was fantastic.  The biggest part about it, obviously, was that it was Stella's first Christmas.  First Christmases are so much fun.  More so for parents, but still.  Next Christmas will be tons of fun for Stella as she will understand it better.  I think I mentioned that in a previous post.  Oh well.

Another fun thing about this Christmas was the fact that it was the first one Amy celebrated as a First Grade teacher!  This means that we both, finally, had the whole Christmas vacation off together, as a family.  This is something that we were very much looking forward to and have been enjoying every second of.  

The celebrations began last Friday, Amy's last day of school before break.  We were headed out of town to Kansas to see Amy's family the next day so we had the kids open some of their presents that night.  To kick off the Christmas spirit, and to give them some much-needed cold weather clothing for the impending trip.  It was fun and gave us a preview to Stella's enjoyment of Christmas and opening presents.  Her favorite part by far was trying to eat the wrapping paper, or bows, or ribbon, or tissue paper.  Basically any form of wrapping that she could get ahold of went into her mouth.  Yes folks, we're fully into that stage!

Jackson and his new pillow pet (much needed and appreciated during our road trip!)

I love this shot of Stella!

Amy and the gift the kids and I made for her, it was a success!

I can't remember what this was, but Braeden sure did love it!

Jack and his new hat!

Another favorite of Stella!

Stella in her new hat (it has matching mittens)

So, after opening presents and cleaning up, it was straight to bed so we could wake up at a ridiculous hour and begin our road trip to Kansas!  I love a good road trip, but 10ish hours is long.  But I can't really complain because Stella is an amazing car traveller.  She slept a good chunk of the way and can now hold her own bottles so feeding wasn't an issue.  She only fussed a bit toward the very end so that was awesome!  The boys did really well too though, thanks to toys and the iPad!  We had originally hoped to see some snow in Kansas but the front was delayed.  That didn't mean that it wasn't crazy cold though starting off in the low 30's when we first got there and in the low 20's when we left.  We Texans were bundled up.  We did learn that Stella does NOT like cold weather at all.  She prefers a balmy temperature so I guess we'll have to work in some fun travels for this summer.

One of the days there we ventured out in search of leftover snow from the storm that occurred a few days prior to our arrival.  Luckily we found some (although it was pretty hard-packed and closer to ice than fresh snow) and the boys had a blast!  I got one shot of Stella and Amy bundled up before they spent their time in the car.  I stayed with the boys and tried to warm up my camera to get some good shots of them!

My girls all bundled up!

Amy and I! 

Jack running around in the snow!

Braeden with a snowball!

My Boys!

They invented a game where they threw snow over this wall.  I think they could have done it all day long!

We spent a few fun days in Kansas visiting with Amy's family and it was great.  Stella charmed everyone and the boys became enamored with their teenage cousins!  We left early Christmas morning, after seeing that Santa had brought their stockings and filled them, and headed home.  The weather wasn't too bad on the drive home and we made great time.  Sadly though the snow came in right behind us.  Oh well, maybe next time!  We drove straight to my parents' house to celebrate Christmas with them and that was a lot of fun.  More presents, more family, more food, and more fun!  We were tired and car lagged from our travels but had a great time!

Braeden opening gifts!

Another shot of Stella with a bow!

Jack and his much asked for Scooby Doo toys!

My mom with Jackson and his monster feet!

Love this one of my mom and the kids!

After coming home from my parents' house we had just enough energy to unload our traveling stuff from the car (we got the presents from Mom & Dad the next day) and head to bed.  I think we all slept soundly that night.  Although we'd had a great time traveling, it was great to be home.  I'm sure you know what that's like.  The next morning we let the kids open the rest of their presents at home before heading to Amy's Mom's house to celebrate with her family.  Again, more presents, more family, more food, and more fun!

Braeden has been asking for Monopoly Jr. for a while!

I love this shot of the boys helping Stella open her gifts!

Stella testing out her toys!

Braeden and his much-loved new Saints jersey!

Jack has been asking for Hulk hands for a while.  Now he can smash!

Braeden at Amy's Mom's.

Jackson has the best faces when opening presents!

Stella "opening" her gifts! 

Presents!

Madden '13!   Oh happy day!

So, all in all it was a wonderful Christmas.  Full of, as I've mentioned before, family, food, and fun.  Stella had a blast for her first Christmas, truly seeming to enjoy everything going on.  Jackson also gave us another favorite part by stating, after every gift he opened, "I've been wanting this!".  He is always so genuinely excited by gifts.  It was a busy week we've had.  Wow, has it really all only been a week?!  But as busy as it has been, it has also been relaxing and soothing in a way.  Being together as a family.  Celebrating Christmas and Jesus' birth.  Spending quality time with family members.  Eating great food.  I hope that your Christmas was as good as the one we had here in Drosche Land.  The next few days have tamer plans as we rest, relax, and clean up from the holidays.  New Years in Drosche Land is gearing up to be a simple night at home, but that's a post for another day.  It's late and this has gotten long.  But an update was needed and I wanted to share the pictures and the joy!

All is well, still in the Christmas spirit, in Drosche Land.