Decorating the Tree

Here are a couple pictures of us decorating the tree.

These next few pictures were the following day.  Evelyn loves to put this canvas bag on her head and try to walk around (even though she can't see).  This is her narrowly avoiding the front door.

She thinks the tree is really pretty, so she was sitting in front of it looking at the lights and playing with this Styrofoam ornament.

Baptism Day

December 15th is Sebastian's baptism day.  This year we forgot this fact until late in the afternoon, but we did eventually remember.  Here are a few pictures from the day (we also picked up our Christmas tree, which you can see in the background of one of the photos). 

She got her bottle, her bear, sat down, and pulled the blanket over her lap. 

His little vestments that Godmother Amy made him.

Excited that we just put up the tree.

Sebastian said...

While playing with his army men, Sebastian told me the following:

S:  "Mommy did you know that some of the good guy’s got killed?  That happens in battle.  But, did you know that all of the bad guys and good guys are surviving?" 

Me: "So they were wounded, not killed?"

S: "No, they are all dead, but now they are waking up from their deadness."

Me: "How does that work?"

S: "I don’t know, it’s just magic, it’s simple magic."

Sebastian's 5th Birthday

 It is hard to believe that this kid was born five years ago.  Sometimes he seems so young but then there are days that I have to remind myself that he is only five.  I was recently watching some videos of him from when we first moved to North Carolina, amazingly enough he was only 2 1/2 at the time.  It all goes by so fast that I have a difficult time remembering it all.  I sometimes wonder what he will be like when he grows up, but mostly, I'm just trying to enjoy him while he is little.

Green mouth from eating frosting, yumm!

The dinosaur cake.  I started decorating cakes for their birthdays because my mom did it for us.  But every time I have to do another one I think, "why did I start this?"  But then, he gets so excited and tells me how nice it looks, and the two hours + of work is worth it.

Best part of blowing out candles.

About the thing on his head:  I wanted him to have something like a crown, but I only saw these things that said "Happy Birthday" on them.  Patrick said it made him look like a little girl. Sorry Sebastian.

He got two sets of Mass Clothes (as he calls them) for his birthday and I am very happy to say that he acts excited about them.  Even if he isn't really that excited, at least he is polite.

This was real excitement, the Helm's Deep Lego set that he got from Gaffer and Grammy.

Fall

Showing off his leaf.

She was waving at me.

She was trying to stick her socks in the vacuum tube. (Why the vacuum tube was outside with us, I do not know.)

Sebastian took this picture.

Sebastian Stories

We recently had the Hintenmeyer student's over to our house for dinner.  As he and I were cleaning up the back porch, he saw his seashells from our recent trip to the Outerbanks and decided that he would tell the "students" all about our trip.  He decided that he would tell them about it while they all sat around the bonfire, and then he said, and I quote: "I would like to speak that tale to them while warmth is blowing and a fire is lit, and I will tell them all I remember."

Obviously, Sebastian has been listening to the Narnia chronicles on CD a lot lately.  He loves to play and listen at the same time.  He will then come out of his room and pretend a portion of the book with me.  He is currently listening to The Horse and His Boy.  Right now he is rushing around the house yelling, "The False Jade! The False Jade!"   Then he called, "To hear is to obey!" and he rushed over to me and kissed my hand. 

The Beach

In mid-October, we made a trip to the Outer Banks with my parents. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the beautiful house we were staying in was right by the beach. This was Sebastian and Evelyn's first time seeing the ocean and they both had a wonderful time.  Sebastian was especially sad to leave. (I must say though, I am not pleased with our camera quality.)

Walking down the public walkway towards the beach.

The beach right by the house.  This was our first afternoon and there were a few people there, but mostly, it was just us.

This was a very windy day, but not too cold.

The house were were in is the one on the far left.

Dad, mom, and Sebastian walking towards the pier.

She loved playing in the sand.

The beach in the other direction.

It was warm enough to get in the water, though, a bit nippy when we got out, due to the wind.

I'm the genius who didn't take my suit.  I thought that it would be too cold in October.

Apparently I made faces like this as a baby.

View from our balcony.

More view.

Looking down from the top balcony at Patrick and Sebastian coming up the outside stairs.

On the balcony.

Playing in the house.

Sunrise (NOT sunset). Yes, I was up this early every morning, thank you kiddos.

Playing outside

The top balcony (this was the third floor up).

The lighthouse.

The lighthouse keeper's house.

Going out to dinner to celebrate our 7th anniversary (which was the next day).