Christmas Greetings

Got these out before Christmas...which is a minor miracle in itself. Each year in my attempt to "keep things simple" I take on more in photoshop than I know how in order to do the cards myself because I'm secretly, subconsciously trying to sabotage the keep-it-simple theme... I have a little more know-how (through trial and error) and a little less hair at the end of the process... 

Hope you enjoy the year-at-a-glance update. Maranatha! (Look it up.)

Merry Christmas Dear Friends and Family!

The Story: A Day In The Life of The Mezgers

Kyle goes to work super early. Three kids wake up. Alison drinks an obscene amount of coffee. Preschool drop-off for somebody (all three on Friday)! Alison pushes a jogging stroller or a shopping stroller. Drive by the new house under construction on the way home. Eat lunch – preferably something plated to resemble a face. Rebecca takes off her clothes and puts on a tiara. Maggie cuddles before naptime. Owen builds something or draws something or both. “Quiet Time” is less than quiet. Kyle gets home. The people rejoice! Alison defaults to cooking venison sausage because, well, why not? Kyle and Alison try to have a conversation over dinner – and decide to bail until office hours can be scheduled. Kids pull out every toy and pillow in the house. Baths are discussed and sometimes executed. Maggie plays in the potty if the bathroom door is left open. Stories are read. Teeth are brushed. Rebecca isn’t tired and thus dances in bed. Owen has one more question, then one more. House finally gets quiet. Kyle and Alison say hello and quickly discuss house decisions Alison has probably already made. Kyle goes to bed so he can get up early to put people to sleep. Alison stays up late warranting the next day’s coffee. Sound familiar? Busy and blessed.

The Cast In Order of Age:

Maggie – Seriously snuggly, smiley and spunky 18 month-old. New to walking and talking – she is all over the place with her drunken-sailor-waddle and uh-ohs. It didn’t take her long to establish “her spot” on the couch – right in the middle of Owen & Rebecca. She is a full-blown one-nap-taking, open-mouth-kiss-giving, sippy-cup-drinking, cabinet-locks-don’t-stand-a-chance-against-me toddler. She loves her baby dolls, going down the slide (head first –weee!) and eating play-doh and crayons.

Rebecca – Mermaid-Princess-Ballerina-Angel-Tinkerbelle – in her own words. Rebecca, three years old, is an extreme extrovert with a flair for the dramatic – in wardrobe choices, playtime games and tantrums. She is an encourager – cheering on her own potty training successes with an enthusiastic hip hip horay!  She loves to plan imaginary birthday parties (just like Momma) and pack for trips (just like Daddy), filling bags of all type with items of all kind. She loves being sneaky, having “girl time,” giving animal-themed kisses, painting (herself) and dancing. Most of all, she just loves fun!

Owen -  (Still) The world’s best big brother. Five years old going on thirty. Basically – he’s last year’s
“curious gentleman with a goofy side” – with another year under his belt. He is always designing and building things – loves his legos and toy circuit board. He has moved on from outer space to snakes (oh. joy.) and loves to hum, especially music with a synthesizer. He had his first successful dear hunt and first jump off the diving board this year – no doubt inspired by late nights up watching the Olympics this summer. No more nap. No more training wheels. Ready to learn to read so he can follow all the instructions by himself!

Alison –Highlights of the year: Seeing walls on the new house go up, finding some regular babysitters, waking up early (not joking), picking out doorknobs (joking), throwing her Mom a surprise party that was actually a surprise, Friday mornings, photo-taking and blogging (without a single hard drive crash this year), cramming for book club, hiking and sleeping late in Banff, Canada with Kyle (without kids), participating in the crab-hunting tradition at the Mezger Family Port-A beach trip (not that bad, actually).

Kyle ­- Highlights of the year: Time at Uncle Frank’s ranch, camping at E-Rock and Garner State Parks (highlights for all), deer hunting with Owen, bear-spotting and hiking in Banff, successfully transporting anesthesia drugs to Honduras (the good kind of drug trafficking), picking out gutters (sorta not joking), being forced to wear Alison’s court jester Halloween costume from 7^th grade (what a team player) to fit the family theme.

The Next Chapter - Lord willing, we’ll be in our new house sometime in the spring. Yippee!!! We have a dedicated guest room that we’re currently taking reservations for…so let us know when you want to visit!  Kyle and Alison go to Honduras in April (Kyle’s return trip, Alison’s first) – all three kids will stay with grandparents (this is their official notice). Summer will be hot, but we’ll eat lots of cold watermelon and survive. Then Owen starts kindergarten – whoa. Whoa. A crazy fall will ensue. And we’ll remind ourselves how much we have to be thankful for.

The Bigger Story: Jesus Emmanuel

A baby was born 2000 years ago so that our stories would matter. So that the happy, the sad, the epic and the mundane would all matter. We’ve said it before but life’s craziness warrants us reminding ourselves again – this is not our home. Jesus is our cornerstone, our promise and highest hope, the architect of our lives and our great reward. “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…” (1 Colossians 1:15-20). Oh, the joy we find when we dwell there too. 

Merry Christmas to you and yours, 

With love, 

the Mezgers 

Thankful

**Be sure to check out several new posts below - House Update, Trip to AggieLand, Owen Update, Rebecca Update and MAGGIE IS WALKING!

This year's Thanksgiving Day was spent much like years past - ahhhh, tradition. 

Here we are at my Bee/JoJo's before the gorging began. My tummy felt (looked?) like Maggie's after the meal.

 Mom with the kiddos.

 Get on in there JoJo.

 Mags and Bee.

 With the Cantu Women.

 Alex & Deidre - looking stylish as always. :)

 I missed getting a shot of the rest of the Orton crew - Marilyn/Rosalyn and Jonathan. But I did manage to catch this beaut eating straight up whipped cream (the real stuff) - thanks to Bee.

Some sisterly love while Bee played for us.

Bonding - 2nd Cousin style.

 I'm not sure if the torch has officially been passed...but there were lots of comments about the big dining table we're going to have in our new house...so Thanksgiving at our place next year?

Just to be clear - I'm not brining a turkey, but I'm happy to make the potatoes and put the call in to Luby's...

Perhaps next year R & M will join in on Owen's enthusiasm for snapping green beans.
Snap Snap Bean. 

All the Boring Stuff

The house has looked like this for the past couple of weeks - most of the siding is up - not sure why there are a few random blue spots. Don't worry - it'll get painted - yellow is not its forever color - although I do have the fondest of memories of our little yellow house in Winston-Salem.

In official construction language - we're doing all the boring stuff now - otherwise known as mechanical, plumbing, electrical - all the stuff that goes in the walls that is not pretty to look at and not very exciting to watch happen, but is super important.

I don't think I ever showed a picture of "big slidey" - he's my house bestie. He's a 12x12 sliding glass door that completely pockets into the wall. Booyah.

A worker snagged the protective paper on the floor to reveal the super dark (!) stained concrete beneath. Sneak peak! It hasn't been sealed so it will look much prettier.

Did anyone loose a shoe? It's been just outside our dumpster for a few days.

The official rendering the architect did. It hadn't been put up yet but its up now. This is what we have to look forward to! Ain't she a beaut'?

Gig'em?!

When Kyle and I moved back to Texas 3.5 years ago I don't think I quite realized the extent to which the Aggies had taken over Austin - my hometown. They are everywhere. We run into people Kyle went to school with at about a 50 to 1 ratio to people I went to school with or grew up with. It's something I've come to accept. And being around all these Aggies has made me sympathetic to their cause (world domination). 

And as we come out of the "funk" that has been the last few years of craziness with itty-bitties...and we regain some interest in normal life things (hobbies, books, etc.)...college football is actually (SHOCK!) on the list! (My mom actually told us a few months ago that "we needed to care about a team"!) So...

We made our first trip to College Station for an Aggie football game since being back in TX. Actually, this was my first game since going w/ some friends in high school, and Kyle's first trip to CS since med school graduation (2003) and first football game since probably '98 or '99 (I think he only missed 1 home game in his 4.5 years in undergrad). 

Okay, enough introduction - here is the famed Reveille entering the stadium.

And a bunch of shots of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band.

Sea of marroon in the student section.

Mel and I. (You can hardly see it in the photo - but not only am I sporting my very own Aggie t-shirt which I actually bought myself, but I have an ATM painted on my cheek - thanks to the face painter at Nathan's birthday party that morning). Go big or go home.

Kyle and I in front of the Century Tree - you walk under it w/ the person you're going to marry or no one - so tread lightly! (When we were on campus for his med school graduation I was on that sidewalk and he awkwardly pulled me aside and had us all go another way because we "couldn't" walk under it.)

We had a great day. The game was so-so because they played Sam Houston State - we had to look up where they were from (Nacadoches? No, Huntsville) and made jokes that they were a 5A highschool team. Mean, I know. We got to walk around campus a bunch and even ran into a couple that Kyle knew (the guy was really good friends with Laura back in the day) - so yes, it is that small of a world. And yes, there are so many traditions and special spots that I honestly can't keep up with it. It takes 4 (or 5!) years to graduation because of schoolwork...but also so they can complete the full indoctrination!

Seriously, I'm actually having a lot of fun having a "local" team to root for. And its extra fun because now that they're in the SEC (and making a name for themself - whoop!! - can I say that?) they're playing all the teams that beat up on us when I was at Vandy. So, I can honestly say things like - Oooh, I hate Bama. I'll say gig'em until the Ags play Vandy on October 26th of next year - ANCHOR DOWN! GO DORES! :) (We are sooooooo going to that game!)

Owen, aka THE SAILFISH

Owen is a man of many diverse interests. We move quickly from topic to topic - outerspace, snakes...and now, sea creatures, specifically sailfish. (I don't even think I even knew there was a fish called a sailfish, and I'm not sure where Owen learned about it - so if you know, tell me.) He was obsessed wtih making a sailfish costume. He made one all by himself out of regular printer paper but was frustrated because it wasn't the right color and it wasn't strong enough so it kept ripping and the nose kept falling off his face. So, as Owen does - he made a plan. He asked Nana to buy him blue and white posterboard (he knows who to go to)! He drew a reminder and had me put it on our calendar - that we would make his sailfish costume during QPT on X day (he knows how to get things done - when both girls are asleep)! 

He drew on a small piece of paper what each shape should look like and then he showed me with his hands how big. Then I drew each piece on the poster board (careful to get the color right!) and we took turns cutting them out. He has "played" sailfish several times - this essentially means he puts the costume on (with tape) and he walks around the house a few times and then takes it off. I think the fun was in the designing and creating...

In other fun news...the Murray's house is under construction! Yippee!!! (These are our dear friends who are building around the corner from us.) Yippee, I say again! Owen and their oldest boy Nathan and I went for POURING DAY a few weeks ago - and by the looks of things it's catching up with our house!

 For 2 dirt-loving boys, it doesn't get much better than this.

In other Owen news:

• I sort of already mentioned this but Owen draws reminders for just about everything these days - mind you - these are reminders for me! I'll tell him we're going to go to the lake tomorrow to feed the ducks since we don't have school and he'll draw a picture of a stroller and a bunch of ducks and a loaf of bread and write the first letters of the words We're Going To Lake Feed Ducks. Bring Bread. Othewise known as: WGTLFD.BB. And he'll draw a clock face to show the time we're supposed to go (not always accurate). It is both totally patronizing and totally adorable. 
• Like Rebecca, he's into setting booby traps to protect things - like Halloween candy. He doesn't realize he could just hide it from me...
• A few weeks ago he was describing something to me (I don't remember what) and he used the phrase - "it blows my mind out" to describe his amazement. Love it! 
• Talking about the difference between the seasons - "I think about that pool all the time - I'm thinking about it RIGHT NOW!"
• New favorite song ("because of the echo") - California Dreaming (Mamas & Papas, 1965) - the first few weeks were rough...but he sang it roughly 144 times/day so now he's got the lyrics down pat. Including the echo. I'm outlawed it in my presence until further notice.
• Obsessed with keeping the legos from different kits separate because those "are the rules" - good luck with that sonny.
• Our netflix died (well, our DVD player) so we've been watching some kid channels that unfortunately have commercials - Owen likes to discuss them - what the "advertisements" are selling and why and who they're targeting (yep). He tells Rebecca things like - "that's just an advertisement, Rebecca - we don't need that."

A couple of pics from his actual birthday - donut breakfast and muffin at school. Still can't believe this kiddo is five.  

Piggy Kiss

It's been a while since I did a general kid update - and with Maggie's big walking news - it was time. 

Here is Rebecca scarfing a sprinkle donut on Owen's birthday and showing us that she is 3.

 

Exciting pic, right? No, but I just love to see my 2 girls out in the backyard literally playing in the dirt.

I've got a cold and am not feeling very creative, so here is a list of stuff Rebeccas' been up to recently (mostly for me, you know).

• Wrapping things in masking tape. She'll use half a roll and completely make something unrecognizable.They even did a little box-construction project at school and hers was round because it was so wrapped in tape. Not sure what this is about.
• She saw a man smoking and told me she was very sad because he was going to get sick and die. I'm not sure where she learned this because we haven't really talked about the ills of smoking since we really don't have any close friends or family that smoke. 
• She gives a really really really good backrub for a 3 year old. I'm going to get in trouble for saying this, but Kyle could take some pointers. :) She just came up to me one evening and started working out some of my shoulder knots. I asked her how she learned and she said Bee taught her. Bee, if this is true I owe you. We just need to work on the length of her sessions - since they last about 8 seconds.
• She (like her brother) likes to set booby traps to protect things that she thinks I'm going to mess with or take away - like things from the pantry they're not supposed to get, or a bunch of toys that are all piled up that they know I'll make them clean up. They barricade doors and the like. Nothing actually moves to harm the intruder (they haven't picked up on that yet). But they have asked me several times why its called a booby trap and I have no idea. 
• Rebecca loves going to the dentist. Who knew? She was even super excited when we went to take Maggie. Perhaps she's not my daughter after all.
• She has gotten into the habit of telling Maggie "no" as "a joke" even when Maggie isn't doing anything wrong/dangerous. She just says with a big smile "no nooooooooo Maggie, no noooooooooooo." Maggie gets very confused so we're trying to curb this one. 
• Rebecca has always been a hugger and a kisser but lately her kisses have taken on animal qualities. She will give you a "horsie kiss" and basically just neigh really really loudly in your face instead of kissing you. The piggy kiss is her favorite and it sometimes actually has a kiss attached - but it always involves an incredibly loud (and shocking if you're not expecting it) oink in your face. Lovely.

SHE WALKS!

MAGGIE WALKS!

 

Up, up, and...

 Away!

 Here she comes!

 Whew! Walking is hard work!

 Cookie break!

The details: The weekend of 11/10 we went camping and Maggie stayed with the grandparents - she had been taking a step here and there (maybe 2-3 in between pieces of furniture) always falling into what she was walking towards at the end. That weekend she took several strides - so sayeth the grandparents. I guess that weekend will go down in the books as the official start to real walking, but in the last two weeks she's become a professional. Crawling to get to something to pull up on and then walking until a fall forced her to do that again lasted for about a week. And now (2 weeks after the start) she walks everywhere. She can even stand up from being seated without pulling up on something. I am proud...and my back feels so much better! :)

 A few more pictures of our girl on the move. She started really really playing on Nana's riding toys a few weeks ago but now that she's walking she's all over them.

 Yep, she's carrying a fork with a big ol' breakfast sausage on the end.

 Yum!

In other Maggie news:

• 16 month stats (yep - back in mid October): 90-95% for height, 50-75% for weight (can that be right at 31.5 lbs?)
• Loves to play catch - sitting down a few feet from you - giggles giggles giggles
• We're actually having to discipline her! We've found ourselves having to tell Maggie to be gentle with Rebecca more often than the other way around! Crazy! (She loves to pull on her sister's hairs and sort of growl.)
• She has her own place on our little brown couch in the playroom. If you're looking at it - Rebecca has "her spot" on the right side. Owen has "his spot" on the left side. And Maggie has made herself perfectly comfortable right in the middle. She steps up on a little chest we have next to it and crawls/dives over Rebecca to get to her middle spot. Striking out on her own!
• Along with WALKING came TALKING! She's been noisy for a while (remember my description of her siren noise in the car that would go on and on and on and on?)...now she has added all sorts of other gibberish but her favorites are 1) a very clear bye bye (accompanied by what I think is the cutest wave ever), 2) a clear to us "nigh nigh", 3) a "I'm eating noise" - nom nom nom nom nom, and...
• 4) a very clear "bahbay" - she LOVES her (and Rebecca's) baby dolls, especially a plush one that our special Auntie Joycie gave her a while back - it's definitely a favorite - thank you AJ! (I'll try to get a picture soon). 
• 5) She LOVES to wave - she waves at anything and everything passing by. She waves when she hears someone (even in another room) say bye. Bah Bah. :)

Well, that's our big girl! It seriously feels like she went from giant baby to spunky toddler in a matter of 2 weeks. Fun times!

(Showing us she's ONE - Owen's birthday morning.)