Happy Easter

He is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia. 

Today was Easter and I hope that it was a blessed day for you. We are enjoying a 4-day weekend as we celebrate so today seemed to move a little slower and a little smoother, knowing that tomorrow morning wouldn't bring a 4:30 am alarm. An extra day to sleep in a bit, wear jammies a little longer (maybe all day), and just relax as we get ready for the push to summer. 

But that's not what it really was about today. Nope. Today we got to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We got to share the great news with our friends and family that God's Not Dead. I mention that because we watched that movie, finally, on Netflix this afternoon. It was great. The boys enjoyed it as much as Amy and I did. A great chance for us all to remember to live boldly. To confess our faith and stand firm in our beliefs. Even when it, as it often is, is difficult.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.  Stream it instantly now. Watch and share. God's Not Dead. 

I guess that's about it. The day of fun, candy, eggs, and resurrection comes to a close as I once again enjoy the traditional watching of The Ten Commandments.  Just a chance to wish you and yours a blessed Easter. 

All is well, because HE rose, in Drosche Land. 

2014 Year in Review

Happy New Year!

We did something a little different this year in Drosche Land for New Years!  We'd been hoping to get out and do some camping over the Christmas break, but there were no available spots where we wanted to go. Oh well, life moves on. Then, as luck would have it, Amy found us a spot at our all-time favorite state park - Stephen F. Austin State Park. It's nearby, within 45 minutes, and is our favorite go-to spot. Lots of a great memories made and many more waiting to be made here. So we booked it and began packing and planning. New Years in our camper!  Beginning 2015 out in a relaxing way together as a family. Sounded just like what we needed.  So, yesterday we arrived and braved the cold weather to enjoy some hiking, playing outside, and a campfire where we roasted hot dogs, our usual first night out dinner. The kids went to bed early, as did Amy and I. A busy day outdoors made us tired so we skipped ringing in 2015 at midnight, opting instead for some wine to celebrate at about 9. But enough about this trip, I'll post more later. On with a review of what 2014 brought us here in Drosche Land. 

January

I joined a blog hop to review the Top 20 Photos from 2013. This was fun. I'll have to head over and see if Duncan is doing the same. Or maybe I will again anyway?  January also brought a month filled with adoption classes, twice weekly, as we continued the pre-adoption process. We learned a lot about both the adoption process and the foster care system through this.  We also were busy readying our house for the Home Study process. The weather in January 2014 was wicked, with many freezing days and even brought the city to a stop for some unprecedented Ice Days!

February

February was kicked off by the burglary of our home. Yikes. That was rough. Very emotional for us all as we dealt with the emotional and financial aftermath of such an occasion.  It was a bumpy road but we made it through. Definitely something we hope to never experience again. The adoption process halted to a crawl and we were getting quickly impatient with how slowly everything seemed to be moving.  One fun part of the month included Braeden landing his first, albeit small, part in the school Spring Musical!  We were so proud of him for even trying out and getting the part as an extra. A great accomplishment for him!  So much fun!  February also brought us through the process of having Jackson evaluated for ADHD.  We weren't vocal about the process at the time, but it was emotional and tiring.  Overall February was rough and we were all too happy to see it end. Crazy how such a short month can pack a wallop!

March

March started off ok. For about a month. Until we discovered that our beloved pet dog Lucy was diagnosed with cancer. It was untreatable and aggressive. We made the horrible decision to end her pain and suffering, but just beginning ours. She was an awesome dog. Amy and I got her when it was just the 2 of us in New Orleans. She was our first baby. We will always cherish her and the memories we have of her.  Spring Break brought us an awesome family trip to Dinosaur Valley State Park. We had a blast. It also made us realize that we wanted to trade up our small popup camper for an actual travel trailer. The process was long but we ended up with our wonderful Fireside where I sit right now blogging and listening to rain. Best decision ever!  We love it!  March also is when we decided to sign the boys up for swim team with their cousins!  Something new. Something fun. Well, looking back, not so much, but it seemed like a great idea at the time!  We also received Jackson's ADHD diagnosis and began the process of finding the correct dosage of medication that would help him. More emotional rollercoaster time for us but it was beneficial. The month was brought to a close by our first Home Study visit. It had been postponed once that month, but went well once it finally happened. We felt like we were getting the ball rolling in the adoption process, finally.

April

April brought another year for me to join the Blogging A-Z Challenge where I wrote about TV shows. Good posts. Good tv shows. It was a fun month for the challenge!  The month didn't hold much else for us. We continued the process of medicating Jackson, finally finding a doctor and dosage that we were happy with. Braeden performed wonderfully in the school Spring Musical and swim practices went on, although not as smooth as we would have liked. We did fall even more in love with the Fireside as we took her out on her inaugural run, with much success!  We also were in the home stretch of planning our summer vacation to Disney World as we made reservations for rides and food!

May

Braeden turned 8. 8?!  Seriously?!  Wow.   We also ended our brief foray into the world of competitive swimming after much frustration and miscommunication with the swim team Coaches. Ugh.  Our boys love sports and we want them to be active in something. That something just isn't swimming. I finally blogged about Jackson's ADHD diagnosis on Children's Mentak Health Day.  I'll continue to blog about it as it is an ongoing syndrome that we are always dealing with. But there's no shame in it. We are proud of him and will continue to support him and advocate for him so he is successful. May also brought some shocking news as our adoption agency brought up Fostering and Amy and I, after prayerful consideration decided to become dual track as we proceeded onward with the straight adopt/foster-to-adopt process.  Another school year ended, my first (and awesome) at St. Mark. I also won an iPad mini via a contest with my favorite station 104.1 KRBE!  Holla!  The month ended on a great note as things with the adoption were looking promising and Disney World was getting closer!

June

Stella turned 2!  What?!  2?!  Wow. She was, and is, a hoot and keeps us on our toes daily. Disney was the name of the game for the month though as we spent a week there!  We did Disney World hard and were bus every minute of every day. But we had a blast and enjoyed it all. We made it to every park and ate some incredible food. While we don't have a definite date set, we are always planning, prepping, praying about, and waiting for our next trip!  I led VBS at St. Mark again and had a blast, so much fun and I always enjoy it. We spent the rest of the month relaxing and resting up from Disney while we awaited the all-important adoption phone call!

July

A busy month to say the least!  We started off the insanity by purchasing a new truck!  I love her. My beautiful blue Ford F-150. She is an awesome truck and has been such an improvement as a tow vehicle over the Sequoia (who is also a great vehicle as well, just not the same as my truck!). We took the Fireside out again, pulled by my truck, on vacation with my family. A few problems with the air conditioning occurred but we handled it and all ended up well.  After vacation we adopted not one, but two miniature schnauzer mixes. Twins. We named them Mickey and Minnie because we were, and are, still on a post-Disney World vacation high. They are adorable and we love them to pieces. I will say though, that everyone's is right when they say house training small dogs is way different than big dogs. Much harder and frustration. But it is slowly improving.  Speaking of house training, my awesome wife managed to potty train Stella in just 3 days. This is when she did with both boys and she ended the fun with a 3 for 3 success rate!  She is awesome. We started running. No seriously, we did. I know, I can still hardly believe it. But thanks to inspiration from friends and my wonderful wife, we because runners. We started off very slowly. But have gotten much better and actually, gasp!, enjoy it. The holidays and colder weather have seen fewer runs from both of us but 2015 will bring a change to that as we are excited to get back in it and put some more 5Ks under our belt!  Oh and we got Fitbits!  LOVE them!  Then it happened. At the very end of the month. It happened. We got the call. 2 girls. In need of placement. We talked and prayed (both quickly because you have to be quick) and accepted.  It also changed us. Forever. 

August

August was a blur. We had 5 kids. The foster care process was a lot. Meetings. Doctor's appointments. Meetings. Amy pulled the lion's share of it all. I will be the first to admit that. She was amazing. I saw in her the determination that made me love her. Determination to get things done. Determination to do right by these two little girls. Determination to care for her family, no matter what life threw at her. She was, and still always is, amazing. In the midst of all of this, school was starting back up.  We now had 5 kids to enroll!  Amy celebrated her birthday in the middle of everything.  School started and all 5 were at St. Mark since we'd made the decision prior to placement to move Jackson over. They all thrived. We also had our first home visit with T & L's family. The one where we found out a family member was interested in pursuing custody of them both. Mixed feelings emerged. This wasn't what we'd envisioned with our adoption process. But we continued on, praying and trying (successfully and unsuccessfully) to let Him lead us.  I ran my first 5K!  The FoamGlow Run!  Initially it was supposed to be Amy and I but the girls couldn't be left with anyone other than the two of us so I ran with Amanda instead. It was awesome and I loved it. Amy and I are currently looking into 5Ks this year to do!

September

Just as suddenly as it had begun, it ended. T & L moved on from our care. They'd been with us for just over a month. About 5 1/5 weeks. It was an emotional process to say the least. We learned a lot. About the foster care world, about our biological children, about our friends and family, about each other. It drained us.  After it was all said and done we decided to halt any further movement with adoption. We don't know what lies ahead for us or where He is leading us. Our hearts are filled with love, compassion, and advocacy for adoption and the entire process. We just still aren't quite sure what the next step for us is. Other than waiting. Waiting. A word we'd come to despise throughout the adoption process but now one we turn to. Waiting. To see where He leads us, what He has in mind for us. Who knows?  We don't, but we have faith in the fact that He does. For now we just heal from the process and wait. But life moved forward and so do we. The boys were both enrolled in soccer for the fall!  Jackson through St. Mark and Braeden through a league near the house where he played on the same team as his cousin Austin!  Jackson turned 7!  7?!  Wow. Our kids are growing up too fast!  He is thriving at St. Mark and in my class!  He's also doing quite well managing his ADHD!  

October

October seemed to be pretty uneventful. I didn't blog much, life was busyish. Amy joined the Handbell Choir at St. Mark with her mom and is enjoying it!  She won't admit it, but she does and is quite good! Our Tuesday nights were overtaken with both boys' soccer practices and Saturdays and Sundays were both game days. It seemed as though we were always on the move. Halloween was fun, we had a themed- family costume with the cousins. All 4 boys were Texans football players, the 2 girls were cheerleaders (with adorable homemade tutus courtesy of my awesome wife), and Amy and I were referees (a simple costume consisting of a white tshirt, black electrical tape, and jeans!

November

I vowed to blog more. Life had gotten too much in the way and posts dwindled. 2015 will be different!  I had a birthday and Amy spoiled me with an iPhone 6 Plus and I LOVE it!  Soccer ended and the season was a success, the boys both doing quite well!  Amy and I hosted Thanksgiving for the first time at our house. With my family members far flung across the country that just wasn't happening. So Amy's mom and grandparents came and my parents and grandmother did also. It was so much fun to host rather than travel. Something I hope we get to do a lot more of!  Black Friday was a success as Amy's Mom and I continued our tradition of heading out to grab some deals!  The Christmas season began as our little elf, Englebert, reappeared!

December

I began the month posting about Santa and believing in the magic that is Santa. We lost Braeden's believe last year but this year everyone continued their belief, with Braeden helping to keep the secret!  We also announced that after Christmas Amy would be moving up to teach 4th Grade at Epiphany. Something totally new, exciting, and slightly daunting. We spent the first few days of Christmas break cleaning and prepping her new room and I know she will be incredible!  Christmas came and was a blessed day as we celebrated the birth of Jesus and spent time with family. It was so much fun to just stop and relax. The week afterward was spent doing more resting and relaxing, in addition to cleaning the house and reclaiming it from the post-Christmas clutter. That brings us to yesterday, the end of December and the end of 2014. More relaxing family time. Much needed and much enjoyed. 

So, that's 2014. A bit long but it's all there, mostly.  It was a whirlwind. A rollercoaster. One heck of a year. But we made it through and can look back to reminisce it all now, both the good times and the not so good times. What does 2015 have in store for us?  Not sure, but we can ruminate about that in another post. One dedicated to the new year!  

All is well, saying goodbye to 2014, in Drosche Land. 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Yes, technically it's the day after, but still. Merry Christmas. 

How was yours?  Christmas here in Drosche Land was great.  With all the holiday hustle and bustle it did seem to come unusually fast this year though. I seems as though we were just in school preparing for the Christmas Break and now, here we are, one week into it and it's half gone already. But back to the post at hand.  Christmas. 

Our celebrations were the usual here. Last minute shopping, as always, on the 23rd. I love shopping right before Christmas anyway. All of the lights and decorations. All of the people hurriedly preparing for the big day. I just love it.  To me, it wouldn't be the same without this last minute shopping. Luckily we always seem to have something more to get so I don't think we will ever be in the position to avoid the stores so close to Christmas. At least I hope not. 

Christmas Eve involved decorating cookies with the cousins, always a fun time. Amy made some wicked good gingerbread this year and tweaked the recipe for some of the icing so Stella could enjoy it as well. Then it was off to church which is always fun and, of course, family tradition. We go to the family service at 4:00 which is good because we all have young kids so the later services aren't as suited for us. But I am looking forward to the day when a traditional service, complete with hymns and candles, is back on our level. After church it was back to Amy's Mom's house for out usual dinner of crackers and cheese, dips, and cookies. Dang!  I just realized I didn't get any eggnog this year. Not a single glass. Hmmmmm. Then we all opened the gifts with Amy's family. Tons of fun. I love watching the kids. Never ceases to entertain. Then it was back home to leave cookies for Santa and shuffle the kids off to bed so Amy and I could finish wrapping and Santa could make his visit. 

Side note: another year went by with the magic of Santa still intact for Jackson!  Score!  We shall see what next year brings, although I selfishly hope the truth remains hidden. 

Christmas morning came and the kids were excited to see that Santa had indeed stopped by our house. Whew, they'd been good afterall. Dodged a bullet or two there!  After opening our gifts we headed to my parents' house to celebrate with them.  There was more delicious food.  Both of our families opt for a snack-themed Christmas menu. This is fine by Amy and I. I mean, I love to graze all day long!  After lunch it was back home to spend the rest of the day on the couch as the kids began to play with every single thing they'd received. Well, nearly every single thing!  The rest of the day and night went peacefully and we had a great time. 

One of the most fun things about this Christmas is that Stella was actually of the age to understand everything. So, even though she's been through two Christmases, this was the first that she could truly interact with and enjoy. She loves to sing. All the time. Loudly. Most of the time it's "Let It Go" from Frozen. But this holiday season she would cycle through a medley that included "Jingle Bells", "In A Little Stable", and snippets of other tunes. She also loved to wish everyone a "Merry Christmas!"  It was adorable. She had a blast. 

So, here I sit. The day after Christmas. I may have mentioned this before, but it's always a little melancholy for me. The big day is over. You've been gearing up for about a month and then bam!  It's done. Decorations begin to come down. New gifts are put away. Everything returns to normal.  But that's a good thing I guess. Then we can continue to focus on the true meaning on Christmas and the gift He gave us all. 

So. Christmas 2014. I hope it was good for you. I was reminded of the many blessings He has given me. My beautiful wife, children, family, friends. It's been fun. Hopefully the remainder of the holiday break is as relaxing as today was. 

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

Yes Virginia

You know the rest of the quote. There is a Santa Claus.  

Yes, we celebrate with Santa here in Drosche Land. The birth of our Savior and the true meaning of the season is always present and foremost; but we do include Santa. And the ever controversial Elf on the Shelf. But more on the elf later. 

When you have kids, Santa is suddenly brought back into your life. Like an old friend. One you've lost touch with over the years but who suddenly returns. Bringing with them many fond memories and traditions. You spend the next few years of your parenting life keeping the magic of Santa alive and well for your children. Reading about him. Telling about him. Visiting him. Writing letters. Yes, probably using him to bribe your kids to stay quiet for just one single minute.  (Hey, no shame, we've all done it). Then one day the magic is gone, and with it the old friend has left again.  That day came for Braeden last year. I'm not quite sure how or when or what prompted it, but he confronted us. Asked us the truth. Amy and I, shocked as most parents are at first I'm sure, feigned ignorance. Yeah, that didn't last long. The kid is too smart for that. So we told him the truth. We also told him about the magic that is the belief. The magic that inspires the love and giving of the season that we already focus in with Jesus' birth. Christmas. The whole package. The whole shebang. And yes, that includes the slight little white lie of the jolly old man in the red suit.  It also includes giving not receiving, family, friends, peace, and joy. 

He listened. He digested. He understood. Remarkably no tears were shed. Instead, Amy and I presented him with the task of "helping" us to keep the magic alive for Jackson and Stella. He was now in on the worldwide yearly secret. He enjoyed this and went with it. But I'll be honest, a little part of me (ok, a big part of me) was sad. He lost some of the innocence of youth with the realization. By the next day he'd put two and two together and figured out the shams that were the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. Again, I cried, inside and outside. Our little guy was growing up. The boy who'd brought Santa back into Drosche Land was now slowly leading him out. 

Christmas 2013 came and was great. Then it was over and everything was back to reality. The secret was kept and our alliance upheld over the next year as it was filled with lost teeth and Easter. Then December 2014 rolls around. The tree goes up and the decorations come out. Silently the three of us meet, exchanging sideways glances. The facade is put back up and we remind him of his duty to his little brother and sister. All is well with Christmas.  Letters to Santa are written.  Engelbert our elf returns and is up to his silly little hijinks again. Jackson and Stella are blissfully unaware of the fib that the majority of the house is now telling.

Luckily Jackson shows no signs of following in his brother's footsteps this year and I am pleased with that. Not only will be magic continue here in Drosche Land, but the stress of adding another member into our secret alliance has passed. Frankly, Jackson cannot keep a secret to save himself and I am determined that Stella hold on to the belief for as long as possible. She's the baby. The last chance to keep Santa coming around here every year. I figure I've got a good 5 years left right?  

Sadly though, I know the time will come. We will all know the truth. But I hope by then the magic can still stay for fun. For entertainment. For nostalgia. "Santa" will come each December 25th and we will all smiles knowingly.  Until, of course, one of these 3 decide to have a child of their own and we can once again welcome the old man back into our lives.  But for now, we'd better watch out, we'd better not cry, we'd better not pout.  He's on his way. 

All is well, believing, in Drosche Land. 

Thanksgiving

Well. It's nearly over.

The Thanksgiving Break. November. Both coming to an end very shortly. Time flew. It was a good break. For Amy and I it started with a conference on Monday and Tuesday.  Our Texas District always has a Lutheran Educators conference around this time of year. It was good and I learned some things and got some good ideas. It was located near NASA. I found out that Amy has never been to NASA. Ever. I was shocked. So I see a possible trip in our future?  I think the boys would love it as well. Who doesn't love the idea of space?  Being an astronaut. Weightlessness. Did you want to be an astronaut when you were a kid?  I did. But I also wanted to be an ice cream man for a while too so…. Dream big. 

Speaking of space we finally watched Gravity. Wow. Talk about anxiety attack. Major. Maybe I don't want to be an astronaut after all. We spent nearly the entire 90 minutes of the movie in panic mode. It's a wonder I didn't have a heart attack or eat myself into a sugar coma. But I loved it. Amy, not so much. Too much anxiety for her. 

Wednesday was spent relaxing and prepping for Thursday because we were hosting Thanksgiving for the first time.  Yep, the first time. Originally it was supposed to be my side of the family's yearly Thanksgiving gathering. But life got in the way and people couldn't make it. But we decided to host it anyway. Amy's mom and grandparents came over, as did my parents and grandmother. It was nice. Amy was an amazing hostess (I was not surprised) and the food was great.  It was nice to not have to travel over the holiday and spend hours in the car. The boys even mentioned this and how they liked being at home.  We also were able to start our day off by heading downtown to the Thanksgiving Day Parade, which has become a tradition of ours. That was fun and we enjoyed it. 

Thursday night I went out with Amy's mom for our annual Black Friday shopping. Yes. I shop on Thanksgiving evening. Yes. I do. I'm proud of it. We got some great deals and got much of our Christmas shopping out of the way. And I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. So the two can coexist in the world. Family and Black Friday shopping. 

Friday we spent decorating the house for Christmas and prepping it for Amy's Scentsy Open House. She also had 2 friends over who sell Velata and Plexus. This was to promote Small Business Saturday. They didn't have a ton of people come but it was a success. Amy has begin selling Scentsy again. Now that life has settled down and she has the time for it she decided to revive her business. That and we love Scentsy around here so we are always willing to promote that. 

Today we finished decorating for Christmas and prepped for next week since the holiday is over. Amy's made lunches and laundry is all done. There are only 3 weeks until Christmas Break, but those will be a whirlwind of activity and busyness. 

All in all it was a good break. We rested. We relaxed. We ate great food. We shopped. I can't believe November is over and another birthday month has come and gone.  This also marks the end of hurricane season; another uneventful one. That is always a good thing.

So. That's about it. Random thoughts and reviews of this past week. I'll throw in some pictures as well to highlight some of the fun. December starts tomorrow!

All is well, thankful, in Drosche Land.

We enjoyed the beautiful weather at the park this past week. Fall is here!

My beautiful girls at the Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Yum. Enough said. 

#blackfriday

Look who has returned!  Engelbert!

Top Photos of 2013: 13

Okey dokey. 

So my recap by month plan has ended and thus began the search for 8 more photos that I love from 2013.   I'm away from home at a conference, I think I mentioned that yesterday, so I don't have access to all of my photos from 2013. However, thanks to the wonder that is my iPhone and Photostream, I have a good 1,000 pictures to root through so I'm not at a loss. 

But where to start?  How to begin?  I've basically looked through the majority of the photos as I did the monthly posts and some others jumped out at me then. But there are still tons of pictures that I didn't review.  So these next 7 days will involve a lot of visual retrospective action on my part. So here goes. 

This one was obviously taken on the 4th of July. This was a momentous occasion for Braeden because the boys have always both shied away from fireworks. However, I guess the pressure of two older cousins doing it was too much. I was surprised when he asked to hold the Roman candle, but excited as well. This picture makes me laugh though because as brave and grown up as he was being, he's turned his head away from it. Safety first I guess.  Kind of sums up his personality in a nutshell though. Wanting to be older but also still cautious and careful. 

Now, what will #14 be?

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land. 

Top 20 Photos of 2013: 10-12

Well, I got behind again. 

Not really a surprise though.  I had a good streak though. 

But I'm back with another catch-up post though. This will finish up my once-a-month theme I've got going. Starting tomorrow I'll have to go back through all of the pictures again for the final 8. There are some I have in mind already though and I know I have plenty to choose from. But you'll just have to wait. So, on with the catching up.  Oh and sorry for any crazy formatting, I'm blogging via my iPad since I am out of town for a conference.

#10: October

I don't always take pictures of the kids, myself, or food. Sometimes I take pictures of object and scenery. October's photo is just that. I took this picture of mini pumpkins when we took the kids to the. Zoo for Zoo Boo. I love pumpkins and so I had to of course capture them. They totally sum up fall for me and I love having them around the house. 

#11: November

Then again, I take pictures of my kids.  So sue me. This is one of my all-time favorite pictures of them. They were all piled up in our bed, of course, and it was a wonder that I was able to quickly get them all to be still and smile long enough for a picture. Just a wonderful snapshot in time. 

#12: December

So I didn't actually take this picture myself. Amy took it. She got a great shot of the kids and myself bringing the Christmas tree into the house. It was such a fun day and evening so the picture also brings back the memories of hone holiday season for me. Plus, who can resist 3 little kids "hauling" a Christmas tree around?

We'll, there you have it. The first 12 from 2013. 8 more left. The best of the best. No pressure. Just hundreds of pictures to sort through!

All is well, picture perfect, 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. 

I Wish You A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

Merry Christmas.

Happy Holidays.

Happy New Year.

I hope that the holiday season has been awesome for you and yours dear readers.  It certainly has been great here in Drosche Land.  December has been busy here, as life seems to be lately, but I wanted to make sure and close out the year here with you.  Plus I haven't posted any pictures of Christmas yet!  Yikes!  Luckily I think I'm still in the acceptable time frame for holiday pictures.  For a few more hours at least.  I'll do my New Years recap post tomorrow and focus on Christmas today. 

We are a little over a week into our Christmas Break here and it has been great.  Restful.  Relaxing.  Fun.  Joyous.  Just what we needed this holiday season.  Last year was Stella's 1st Christmas, but being just 6 months old she didn't get much out of it.  18 months though is a fun age for Christmas.  She knows who Santa is and will, on cue, say, "Ho, Ho, Ho" when she sees his picture.  Super cute.  So it has been a blast to watch her this year as she experiences everything about Christmas.  The only thing we didn't do was actually make it to see Santa this year.  Best laid plans and all.  Oh well, maybe next year?

The boys are still in the prime age for Christmas, especially Jackson.  He just loves opening presents.  He genuinely gets excited about any gift he receives and genuinely loves watching people open presents.  One of his best traits.  Braeden is on the cusp though.  You know what I mean.  He sort of has things figured out about the big man in red.  But I think his childhood will just not let go of it yet.  He knows something is up, but still believes.  So, the magic is still much alive here in Drosche Land, as I am sure it will always be.

This Christmas was also a special one for Amy and I as it is the last one we will celebrate as a family of 5.  With the adoption moving briskly along we will have our daughter with us next year!  Crazy to think, but so exciting as well.  We did take some time to talk, just the 2 of us, about what she might be doing this year.  How she might be celebrating.  Its bittersweet of course, but knowing that it was the last one we will all celebrate apart did bring some comfort.

So, celebrating the birth of our Savior was a pleasant experience here in Drosche Land this year and I pray it was for you as well.  We still have a few days left of break and, thankfully, have no big plans for them!  Just more rest, relaxation, and family.  Sounds great!  So, Merry Christmas.  Happy Holidays.  Happy New Year from Drosche Land to you. On with the pictures!

All is well, merry, in Drosche Land.

Stella's 2013 Christmas Picture

Jackson's 2013 Christmas Picture

Braeden's 2013 Christmas Picture

My 3

Annual Christmas family picture!

The boys opening presents

Stella and one of her 2 Cabbage Patch babies

A stroller!

Jackson loved his Minion goggles!

The boys opening their Kindle Fires

Stella loved opening presents!

Amy opening Braeden's gift for her that he made at school

Bows!

KINDLE FIRE!

Feeding her baby

Minion goggles and a fart gun!

Her new princess nightgown

He's getting so big!

Happy Thanksgiving

The flu.

That's how I spent my Thanksgiving.  How about you?

Yep, that's right.  The flu.  That blows huh?  See Amy went out of town on Sunday to a conference.  The kids and I were doing just fine.  Until Tuesday morning when I woke up.  I knew around 4 am that something was very wrong.  Very very wrong.  After texting Amy and other family members it was clear that I was going nowhere that day.  Amy's Mom came and got the kids to take them to school.  My Mom came and got me to take me to the urgent care clinic where I was, unsurprisingly for anyone, diagnosed with the flu.  Back home and in to bed I went.  Meanwhile Amy was back on the way home from Dallas and would pick the kids up.  

Behind all of this, orchestrating it all, was my wonderful wife.  Amy.  After picking up the kids she headed to the grocery with them all to pick up supplies for Thanksgiving dinner since we had now been uninvited to any family event, understandably.  I was banished to the bedroom and put into quarantine.  Where I have remained.  I only began to feel better earlier today so Thanksgiving dinner was put off until tomorrow.  My sister-in-law brought over leftovers for us so we could have something.

Do I need to go on about what I am thankful for?  I think my last 3 days summed up above do just that.

Amy.  Could I ask for a better wife?  No.  And to be honest I don't know what I have done to deserve her.  She has taken care of all of the kids (oh by the way Braeden is also flirting with flu-like symptoms in all of this), the house, and me.  She has recorded all of my medicine and has monitored by temperature religiously, tracking it all.  Brought me food and drink.  Sat with me, at a far distance, to keep me company while I have been in isolation.  Nope, I don't think it gets any better than this when it comes to a soulmate.  I am so thankful for Amy.  She is an amazing wife and mother, God has truly blessed me with her.  I cannot wait to enter into this next adoption adventure with her as I have, once again, seen first hand everything she has to offer to a child of ours, be they natural or adopted.

My kids.  They are amazing.  Helping Amy out, mostly, when she needs it.  Waving to me and blowing kisses from a distance.  Just being little laughter-inducing distractions when life desperately calls for a distraction.  I look at them and see the amazing people they will grow up to be and it is awesome.  And then there is the next addition we are pursuing.  Who knows when it will be, how long it will take, or what they will look like.  None of that matters though because in the end He has it planned out and has an adventure for all all set.  Now we just travel it.    

Family.  Taking care of the kids.  Taking me to the doctor.  Bringing us food.  Calling and checking in, while lovingly reminding us to keep a distance :).  Crazy though they may all be, we all seem to pull through for each other whenever it is needed.  But that's what family is right?  I hope that your family is the same.  That they make you feel the way mine makes me feel.  That they love and care for you as well.  Even the family you couldn't be with because the flu kept you from your previous plans of traveling to visit them for Thanksgiving.

Friends.  Texts and Facebook messages to wish me well.  Just little things.  New and old, near and far.  They are there and let you know it.  Hopefully you have friends that are the same, I am sure you do.  Just as family can do, they make like a lot more fun and enjoyable.

So, Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope that yours was filled with family, fun, laughter, and turkey.  Hopefully yours was not spent confined to a bedroom while you battled the flu.  But, if you were, I can only hope that you had someone half as amazing as my wife to help care for you.  Hopefully tomorrow brings a return to health and normalcy here in Drosche Land.  That was the end of the holiday break, at least, can be enjoyable.  As usual, this holiday has been far from what we'd expected, definitely an adventure.  Just not one that we would like to repeat.  Ever.

All is well, feeling better and thankful, in Drosche Land.    

  

Sunday Snapshot - Not Quite

Picture it.  Galveston Beach.  Columbus Day weekend.  2013.

(On a side note, are your totally channeling Sofia and one of her stories from Golden Girls, or is it just me?  Anywho, back to the post)

We finally found the time to take the camper out again for a trip!  This time with the cousins.  However, as is usually the case with us, the trip had it's share of crazy drama.  It was warm, not horrible, but warm.  We also had to camp on the bay side of Galveston State Park, not the beach side as we would have liked.  As we originally planned.  See, this trip was rescheduled from a summer trip we'd planned.  Back when Jackson broke his arm and could not get it wet, much less sandy and sweaty.  So we lost our beach side site.  But how bad could the bay side be?  Well, think mosquitoes.  Giant ones.  In swarms.  Yeah, it was that bad.  Stella ended up getting bites all over, leading to an infection.  But that's a post for another time.  Back to the picture.

I'm always taking pictures.  I always have my iPhone handy.  Posting to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, texting them.  I'm always taking pictures.  But the busyness of life that has kept the posts here few and far between as of late also made for very infrequent photo sessions.  Hence the lack of a Sunday Snapshot in a very long while.

But we were at the beach and I of course had my iPhone.  I love beach pictures.  Who doesn't?  The scenery.  The lighting.  The water.  The fun.  You're bound to get a few good shots right?  At least one stunner.  See, that's what I thought.

So, there we are on one of our escapes from a swarm of mosquitoes jaunts down to the beach and I am following Stella around.  It's late afternoon and she is having a blast.  I'm in total Dad/iPhone photographer mode and am kneeling in the sand behind her as she runs around.  I'm calling to her and trying to get her to look at me, smile, laugh, anything.  Just waiting for the perfect shot.

Then, the moment comes.  The sunlight is behind her, the wind is blowing, she turns around and looks at me with a beautiful smile.  Snap!  Got it!  Woo hoo!  I'm feeling pretty good.  I quickly check it and it's stunning.  Ok, enough playing, I've got my shot and we can get back to having beach fun.

Fast forward to when the trip is over.  We're back home.  The camper is backed into the garage (quite easily this time!).  Laundry is started and we're getting ready to settle back in to our usual routine.  I get out my Macbook and pull up my Photo Stream.  There it is.  I can't wait to view it larger.  Edit it.  Play with lighting.  Black & White?  Sepia?  High Contrast?  Oh the possibilities are endless.  However, when I open the photo I notice something I hadn't that day on the beach.  See below for yourself.

Yep.  That's right readers.  There it is.  Smack in the middle of my "perfect shot".  A big line of slobbery drool flying out of her mouth and blowing in the wind.  Nice.  I laughed, how could you not?  Sure I may be able to edit it out if I tried.  Make the photo into the one I thought I'd snapped.  But why?  This one is so much better.  It has all of the elements I mentioned before.  Lighting, wind, the perfect pose.  And right there in the middle of it all - life.  Happening all the time, whether you expect it or not.

So there you have it.  No matter how you plan for and try to orchestrate things, sometimes it just doesn't go off as hitched.  Sometimes it's amazing and better than you'd hoped for, and sometimes it's not.  Sometimes it's a big string of slobber coming from your toddler's mouth in the "perfect shot".  Ahhhhhh, life.

Below is another "nearly perfect shot" very similar to the slobber pic.  It was taken just moments before.  The only flaw was that Stella wasn't looking at the camera.  It's the one I posted on social media.  But the true gem is this slobber picture that I have been saving for this post!  HA!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Campy

We bought a camper!

Shut up!

Yes, we did!

So, that's pretty much how July began.  But I'll back up a bit and run you through the whole story.

Picture it, late June.  We made plans to take the kids and dogs out to Lake Livingston for 2 nights and 3 days of camping fun.  Amy and I love camping.  Needless to say, it's been a while since we've been.  What with having a baby and all in the last year.  But we decided it was high time we went.  Stella had obviously never been and the boys hadn't been but a scant amount of times.  So we booked it.

The weather, up until then of course, had been quite nice.  Warm, yes, it is Texas after all; but not too bad.  All that changed the week we headed out.  As the end of June neared the temperatures began to rise.  Crap.  But we proceeded out anyway.  The Lake is not too far away, about an hour and a half, pretty much one movie (yes, that's how we measure car trip times here).  We got there and got everything set up.

Then we realized just how hot it was.  The dogs were unhappy.  Rex had never been camping and he is so timid and scared of everything the entire event was enough to send him into a panting, shedding frenzy.

Stella got fussy.  And red.  And sweaty.  Did I mention she was fussy?  But we proceeded with our day.  However, as the time passed Amy and I began to question our decision to camp.  Was it wise?  Would we survive?  What have we done?!

A campfire was made and hot dogs were roasted.  We were all hot and exhausted.  Stella was a mess and the boys were getting a little whiny.  Things started going downhill.  Fast.   So we surrendered.  We packed up and headed home, cutting our trip short.  Very short.

We still love camping, but not the heat.  I mean, who does?  On the ride home Amy and I joked with the idea of getting a camper.  That would allow us the ability to camp, but with some temperature control.  It wasn't long before it wasn't a joke anymore.  The next day was spent researching campers on the Internet.  Long story short (too late), we bought a camper.

Not a huge one.  A small pop-up.  But we love it and the boys do as well.  The best thing? We have an air conditioner.  Ahhhh.  The hardest part was backing it up into our garage. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the ridiculously steep incline of our driveway' but we finally managed to get it in.

However, since our purchase our attempts to camp have been slightly unsuccessful.  A week after purchase we headed out on the camper's inaugural run.  However, the first night was beyond peaceful for Amy and I as Stella fussed the entire night.  She was running fever and was not a happy camper (pun intended).  The next day Amy took her into town to the doctor (we were again near home luckily) and she had some crazy throat infection.  So, Amy took her home while the boys and I remained at the campsite for the next night.  Then, this past week we intended to head out to Galveston to camp at the beach, something we were all excited about.  But on the morning before our trip both boys awoke complaining of stomach aches and spent the entire day down and out.  We cancelled the trip thinking the heat of the beach would not be a great way to follow a day of sickness.  So that trip was rescheduled for October, although we did make it to the beach for a day trip by the week's end.

So, there you have it. A somewhat long story about the purchase of our first RV.  In true Drosche style it was an adventure from start to finish.  We haven't gotten to use it as much as we'd originally intended but we have big plans for our little pop-up.  2 upcoming trips are scheduled, a Spring Break trip, and we will be taking it to Disney next summer (post forthcoming).  So we are sure to become experienced RV campers sooner or later.  Despite the initial craziness surrounding the camper we are still super excited and very pleased with it.  It's a lot of fun thinking about all of the great family times we will share in it and the memories we will make with the kids that they will be able to share with their families when they grow up.  

All is well, happy campers in fact, in Drosche Land.

A picture of the one time the entire family was able to enjoy the camper together!

The boys hanging out on the first camper trip!

Amy and I, fireside, on the first camper trip.

The boys sleeping in.  They love their side of the camper!

The 2nd time backing in went much smoother, hopefully this will be the trend and I'll be a pro!