Snow

After 2 years in Minnesota, our snow perspective is a bit skewed.  While we've had several days with snow since our move to Ohio, it has been nothing like the gorgeous blanket of white we had farther north.  We've been snow spoiled!  In Ohio, the kids haven't been very inspired to traipse outside in only an inch or two of snow - which would have been cause for celebration when we lived in Tennessee. 

Last week, when a full 3 inches (!) arrived overnight, Maegli encouraged the littles to join her outside to test out our new home's backyard hill.  Despite not being fully unpacked post move, we managed to find enough hats and boots and snow pants to equip the little ones, and our full collection of sleds - woo hoo! 

And, we discovered we have a perfect sledding hill for the younger kids!  Snow is magical.  They didn't notice or care that the few inches of snow barely covered the grass ;)

(This was a first time for sledding independently for most of these kiddos - Dukes was especially impressive.  So much fun!) 

Pixie

Addy and her scissors strike again . . .

Emmy's last extreme haircut from Addy was 14 months ago - after a near buzz cut, her gorgeous thick hair had just grown out long enough for pigtails, pony tails, and braids.  But alas, long hair was not to be for our Emory.

She seems destined to sport pixie cuts, at least at this time.  It'll likely be another year before our little sweetie will be sporting pigtails again.  

She sure is cute! 

*We're really, really, really hoping this will be the last haircut from Addy :/

Mac

Pictures of our soon to be 8-year-old, taken by her big sister Hiwot. 

Twelve

Maegli, our Magpie, is thoughtful, sensitive, dramatic; always accessory coordinated, early riser; fast talker, quick worker, voracious reader; feels big feels, shy, fierce; imaginative play leader, littles favorite playmate, gifted at making celebrations special; planner, list maker, journal writer, sketch book artist; constant music listener, dancer, singer, karate kicker; good sport, diligent school worker, curious (she asks the best questions); nail biter, room organizer, out loud thinker, romantic . . . and she's TWELVE!!!

Maegli has always added a lot of color to our world.  We love this young lady :)

Our first baby girl is 12!

Favorites at 12:

food:  Indian food, Ethiopian food, Chinese food, salsa dip, stromboli, zuppa

drink: root beer, cranapple juice

dessert:  icecream (and kind, except peanut butter)

fruit: pear and honey crisp apple

veggie:  cucumber

restaurant:  Desta (Ethiopian restaurant in Atlanta), BAM! Healthy Cuisine

sport:  dancing and cross country

team:  Bengals and Reds

car: Honda

superhero:  Black Widow

game:  Munchkin

color: pink and blue

music: 90's and now radio, Lizzo, Lenka

audio book: Bad Babysitters

playing in my MP3 player: Spider Man Spider Verse soundtrack and Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack

movie: Leap Year, While You Were Sleeping

book: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (I just started it and I'm almost done), and the Selection series (I've read it at least 6 times), Classy Crooks Club, and 12 Finally

school subject:  spelling

animal: kittens, puppies, and pandas

activity: Karate and dance

outing: the Mall

indoor activity:  reading under my blanket on a cold day

outdoor activity: just being outside, but especially on a blanket in the shade of a tree reading a book on a hot summer day, I also really like hiking

with mom: going out to dinner and going shopping 

(it's much more fun to go shopping with other people)

with dad: breakfast and visiting National Parks and camping

with sisters:  planning something extravagant (like a tea party or a nutcracker performance)

with brothers:  stay away from them

day trip:  National Park or the zoo

city: Perham, Cincinnati, Bristol

vacation destination: "the" beach (OBX)

worst thing about this past year: stepping on a sewing needle, getting a double ear infection at the beach, and having to start over again in a new city

best things about this past year:  having my ears pierced, experiencing cross country at Perham, theater camp, the beach, moving into an awesome new house, discovering the wonders of cheesy romance movies and the 6th Harry Potter book, my MP3 player, moving closer to family, going to Voyageurs National Park

this year I'm looking forward to: going to Hilton Head, seeing family more often, making new friends, and camping

dream vacation:  Rome, I've always really wanted to go to Rome.  Apparently in Italy there is a Saint Agnes Basilica, I'd like to see that someday.  I also want to go to California, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon

career aspiration: stay at home mom :)

my life in 25 years: I want 3 or 4 kids; a devoted, loyal, handsome, christian husband; a beach house (it doesn't have to be extravagant, I'd be okay with it having 3 rooms, 2 kids in each room); my husband would have a good job like dad and I'll be a stay at home mom; I'm not sure if I'll homeschool or not.  When I'm really old I want buy an RV and travel the country.  Probably we'll go inland for vacations since we'll live at the beach.

likes:  books, babies, puppies, kittens, foxes, good movies, warm beds, mom and dad, Jesus and God, warm house, good food, cucumber, ice cream, ravioli, baby carrots, pretty paintings, art, nature, reading, bike rides, tomato soup

dislikes:  bees, Hiwot not cleaning her side of the room, whiny babies, death, sickness, war, stinky diapers, tomatoes, mean boys, when I put things in specific places how I like them and someone comes in and moves it or when I clean something and someone messes it up, math

For this very special 12th birthday, Maegli had the whole day planned in advance.  It was a wonderful day made extra special by having Gramma with us to celebrate.

french toast casserole, honey crisp apple slices, and orange juice

time to read

ladies lunch at BAM! Healthy Cuisine

ceramics painting at Glazed & Amused

Handel's Ice Cream

hang out at YMCA

grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup dinner

karate kick boxing class

Servatii's Pastry Shop flower decorated birthday cake

. dress . sweater . sketch book . hyrdoflask and sticker . tablet . 12 Finally book . earrings . perfume .

Thirteen

We have another teenager in the house. . .

Happy 13th Birthday Burke!!!

He is our outgoing, comic book creator, movie buff, Marvel fan; archer, swimmer, runner, martial artist; conversationalist, pen pal, good friend; compassionate, sensitive, enthusiastic; policing, tough-guy-growler, sibling chaser; pencil-shavings-maker, superhero sketcher, bedroom retreat seeker; jokester, payer of compliments, and best hug giver.

We love our boy young man!

Favorites at 13:

food:  Ethiopian food and Zorbaz pizza

drink:  rootbeer

dessert:  chocolate ice cream

fruit:  banana

veggie:  cucumber

restaurant:  Red Robin

sport:  swimming and cross country

team:  Perham YellowJackets

car:  ferrari

superhero:  Miles Morales, Spider Man, Black Panther

game:  Monopoly

color:  green

music:  anything on the radio

audio book:  Harry Potter and Percy Jackson

playing in my MP3 player:  Queen, Fleet Foxes

movie:  Avengers End Game and Spider Man 2: Into the Spiderverse

book:  Charlie Hernandez and Wing of Fire

school subject:  math and Latin

animal:  elephant

activity:  karate

outing:  SkyZone

indoor activity:  read, draw superheros

outdoor activity:  baseball, archery, biking

with mom:  school

with dad:  chess

with sisters:  I have no idea

with brothers:  wrestle, Nerf Guns, Legos, sports 

day trip: National Park or State Park

city:  Perham

vacation destination:  Outer Banks and Perham

worst thing about this past year:  leaving Perham

 best things about this past year:  "You better get a pen and paper, this is going to be a long list: living in Perham and having good friends, going to Zorbaz and Goose Gang, running cross country and swim team, riding down the sledding hill in Perham."

this year I'm looking forward to: being a teenager.  

dream vacation:  Paris

career aspiration:  engineer 

my life in 25 years:  four kids, one dog, nice mid-century modern house, a Ferrari, and a good wife.  I'd be a plant manager like dad. 

 

 likes:  Marvel movies, Marvel comics, coloring, sleeping, reading, archery, swimming, running, Pizza, Perham, our new Nintendo Switch, Harry Potter, cooked broccoli, my tablet, oranges, Christmas morning, family, friends

dislikes:  my older brothers (75% of the time), running 3 miles in the mud, loud house, crying babies, Jimmy Johns, Poppyseed Chicken casserole, spelling, wet socks, stubbing my toe

For his 13th birthday:

Panara bagels

Little Caesars Pizza (while our kitchen was being worked on)

*Buffalo Chicken Dip served a day late ;)

(school work)

"Guardians of the Galaxy" movie in the den

Steak Dinner with dad at Lucia's 

(with the family "man code" presented)

double chocolate cake with a vanilla buttercream frosted center

(artfully decorated by Hiwot with a red icing "spray paint" Spider-verse logo)

"Mandalorian" episode with the family 

. back pack . tablet . hoodie . Lego Marvel Switch game . 

. Mavel coloring book . Rugged Rosary . Star Wars bobble heads .