The kids have had such an amazing fall and holiday season, being able to experience so many new things as well as spend so much time with family and friends here in the states! We have enjoyed the fullness of life through our two little ones. What a joy to be their mother and have our kids experience fall leaves and beautiful snow in person this year, especially Valor, who has experienced PA autumn and winter for the first time, as he was only one year old when we moved to Jamaica!
Fall with Colors and Leaves
Special Dates with Grandpa and Grandma McClelland
Chicago Visits and Family
A Special Visit to see Tiffany referee a Water Polo Tournament in Erie, PA
Thanksgiving in Chicago
Olive and Valor have been collecting quarters and pennies for a coin collection and Grandpa Ruiz was saving more for us in a big baseball bat bank! We had so much fun sorting them out and found so many new ones for our collections. Thank you, Grandpa!
We even had some good friends come over and help us sort!
We also got to see one of my best friends from college, Alaina, and her husband, Jason, and their two adorable kiddos, Henrik and Ava, in Chicago area as well!. It was such a blessing to see them!
Christmastime Fun in Mercer
Our first "dusting", a very little snow, meant our kiddos were out for hours collecting snow to build this 'little" snowman. Grandma said, "Only my grandchildren who lived in Jamaica for 5 years would be building a snowman in this little amount of snow!" It was the very first snow fall, and the kiddos wanted to do everything: build a snowman, make snow angels and go sledding. And they did!
We got a few more snow days and got to experience more snow. Mommy even co-led a homeschool hike in the snow! Yep, we are in a nature homeschool co-op and we hike every Wednesday, in all kinds of weather. With a bigger snowfall on Christmas Eve day, we even got to have Daddy, with all of his expertise, show us how to build a snowman... and have a family snowball fight!
We got to see The Nutcracker in New Wilmington and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra "Holiday Pops" show with Grandma and Grandpa!
And, wow, did we do a lot of Christmas cookie baking this year! We learned with Grandma first, and then we made a bunch on our own. We boxed them up and delivered them to neighbors and friends.
New Life Baptist Church has an interpreter and a small Deaf community attending, and we have been blessed to be able to attend and start to fellowship. We enjoyed Christmas Eve Service and gave cookies to our new friends.
Christmas Eve included Grandpa reading from Luke, a new winter puzzle from Grandma, games, amazing ham dinner, Home Alone movies (a must for our family) and great fellowship!
Christmas Day
Opening Stockings in bed, late Christmas bunch and opening presents with Grandma and Grandpa McClelland began a relaxing Christmas morning. Valor got a puzzle and a hoverboard (that he has been wanting for over a year- and- a- half in Jamaica), and Olive got a Latinistas Barbie (she wants all four), a lot of art supplies and a jewelry making kit. Both kiddos got Legos from Grandma and Grandpa too. We ended the evening with reading from Grandpa's favorite Christmas book, The Tall book of Christmas, which was read to him as a child, and watching the Home Alone 2 movie.
