Family Expansion Pack

We’ve been playing the board game Settlers of Catan a lot recently, J and I. And we’ve discovered more and more friends who like it, as well. (Or converted them to the dark side ourselves!) But the original game is only big enough for 4 people to play. So we bought the Expansion Pack. Now we can invite more people to the party.

Last weekend, my bestie Nikki and I flew to Texas to celebrate my parents’ new family expansion pack. Instead of a new addition to the game board, we welcomed a new addition to my pack of siblings. She’s sharp as a tack, cute as a button, and after the official court date, mine all mine. (Ok, ours all ours.) Having a new sister who is 27 years younger than me just brightens my whole world.

But it’s amazing the questions that arise when trying to tell other folks about it. So many what-ifs and doubts! I ignore it all – after all, haters gonna hate! All I see is a little girl who has been given the chance for a better life. The blood family she was born into wasn’t going to work out, so she was given to our family instead. She’s been with my parents since she was 3 months old – they’re all she knows. And my parents love her like their own. So what’s to question??

The weekend was a whirlwind of crazy-fun times with the adoption party, Christmas with my parents, and general family time, but I’ll spare you the details. Instead, let’s take a look at some of the highlights, all featuring the latest piece of our expansion pack, Baby Hope!

This one is an example of Hope’s early grasp of technology:

By the end of the weekend, she knew how to work my phone better than I do and learned the joys of YouTube with our other sister Breazy. That’s what they’re doing here – “WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?!” Oh, and check out her stylish legwarmers I made for her bday!!

Again with the technology – this is Hope taking a picture of us. Don’t we look good?! I think it’s awesome for her first selfie.

Such a great photographer already! And I have about 85 more, just like this!

A friend of my mother’s threw a party for Hope, kind of like a baby shower for her adoption. She really loved the Mexican food, the cake, and mostly, a bunch of balloons she carted around with her all day. Finally, she noticed the presents and discovered the massive amounts of tissue paper!

“Hmm, this one looks good. I bet I could go in face first…see what’s in there…”

At the party, we tried to get a picture of us three sisters. Well, this is as close as we got…

I was falling over and Hope couldn’t care less, so it’s a good thing Breazy looks lovely.

We were playing with her presents that night, cooking and preparing for a lovely tea party. She loves her dishes and makes a mean puff-ball stew!

Ladling out her soup! The apron-with-no-pants look is my favorite part, though. She pulls it off so well!

Then on Sunday, we did Christmas. I had shipped all my family’s gifts, and my mom had saved ours for us. Since we didn’t see each other for actual Christmas, we exchanged gifts and listened to the Chipmunks Christmas music, per tradition. It was really lovely.

The best thing to happen all morning was when Breazy unwrapped a new pair of shoes. Hope is practicing her baby sister rights and borrowed them. Look out world, we’ve got a diva in the making!

The weekend was too short and I hated to leave on Monday. The weather was absolute crap, so Breazy stayed home with Hopey while my parents drove us to the airport. Hope spent the morning in my room, “helping” us pack and playing on our phones – taking more selfies, texting my brother, jamming to Pandora – and I hugged her tight so won’t forget me.

Drinking from my water bottle, gansta style. (Dad actually tied the hanky on her head to hide the wild bed-head…) I miss those cherub cheeks!

I wish I lived a little closer so I could see more of ALL my family, but I fear Hopey will grow up not knowing who her fabulous eldest sister is. My mom already jokes about sending her to my house for summers when she’s older (ok, “jokes” might be a stretch – I think she might be serious…) but I think it would be a great idea. (Maybe we should start with weekends and work our way up to whole summers.) I try my best to talk to her when I’m on the phone with my mom and I hope to Skype her more often when my mom isn’t so busy chasing a 2-year-old. I us to be close despite the distance!

Oh, and speaking of my mom – what a saint! I commend my parents for taking on the responsibility of another child, dealing with the system, facing down the critics, and giving Hopey the best home imaginable. My mom is the type who was born to be a mother, and she is a wonderful one at that. Even my dad is crazy for this sweet girl – and vice versa; she has to have her scratchy, mustached kiss every night before she’ll go to bed. I’m rambling at this point because I don’t know how to put into words how awesome my parents are – so let’s just leave it at that.

So Hopey – welcome to CrazyTown the family! Can’t wait to see you next time!!

😀

Holiday Time Travel

Geeeeez the end of the year gets so CRAY-ZEE!! I’ve been dying to get a post up, but finding the time is a different matter all together.

Why? Because I’m pretty sure there was a big bend in the time-space continuum right after Thanksgiving. We were just minding our own business, driving home from our fabulous Denver trip, and *WHAM*! Suddenly it’s the night before Christmas Eve. What the what?

Let me just veer off track for a moment to tell you how much I adore the Christmas season. The twinkly lights, the decorations, the carols, the shiny wrapping paper, the stockings hung with care, the perfect union of peppermint and chocolate, the Santa hat I repeatedly fail to get the dog to wear – all of it. I.love.all.of.it.

So the build up to the next few days actually excites me – to the point of jittery agitation where J won’t even let me have my morning coffee. But I look back and still wonder: where has the time gone?! How did we get here ALREADY?!

So much bold font to my thoughts! To clear things up and make me feel better, we’re going to go over a quick run-down of the latest adventures of KSnapped and Company, since Thanksgiving.

1. Cold Coastal Magic

I could have written multiple posts on the incredible weekend we spent with 22 other amazing folks in a gigantic vacation house on the Oregon coast. This is a truly magical place – and even more so in the blustery cold of winter, in my opinion. J and I took an incredible sunrise walk along the sand, crusty with ice and snow (!), picking up starfish. We spent the days exploring the coastal towns and the natural wonders of the beach, and the nights in rowdy games and family movie nights. Meals were shared, friendships strengthened, memories made in abundance. I wish we could do a trip like that much more often!

Winter at the coast – pretty perfect, if you ask me! (Don’t ask the starfish, he’s dead.)

2. Company Christmas Party

This may not seem exciting to you, but then you probably don’t work for the same company I do. It’s the event of the year for us – this year, it was an unforgettable gala to rival all past years! After being home two measly days, Simba and I hit the road once more, bound for Bend. J came up a few days later, just in time for the party. This year’s theme was “Mad Men” – and my coworkers proved once more why they’re the coolest cats I know. The ladies really out did themselves; the hair! the dresses! the hair again! And so many dapper gentleman appeared out of the woodwork! The ’60’s was alive again that evening, and I absolutely can’t wait to see the shots from the professional photographer roaming the Great Hall all night.

Ignore the blur and blinding flash – doesn’t J clean up well?!

The fabulous Nikki and I, chatting about doing dishes in our pearls. And heels.

3. Christmas Prep Time

Finally home, we relished the time to unpack and unwind and settle in for a while. Also, time to get the house looking like Christmas!

First things first: a TREE! We took off into the forest and didn’t have to go far – the cutting done around here leaves some lovely open spots, perfect for a full, well-rounded fir to grow. And be chopped down.

I thought this one looked pretty good! (J said no.)

And J thought this was enough. (I said no.)

Then we had craft night in the living room making ornaments. I’m still trying to get the glitter and glue and teensy bits of construction paper out of the rug. But our beautiful hand-made creations are now hanging from the most perfect tree that ever came from the Wild Forest. The strand of lights isn’t quite long enough, the Santa hat on top looks like it had too much spiked egg nog, and there’s a whole section with no ornaments at all, but it’s the best tree in the world.

I could sit and stare at this all night!

4. All the Other Stuff

And then there’s all the other stuff that’s been happening. We’ve hit the mountain several times to shred the pow. Except there wasn’t any. Mt Hood hasn’t had any new snow in weeks. But they’ve had freezing rain! Don’t ski on that mess, trust me – it’s terrible.

The Christmas shopping was pretty much finished up before Christmas this year – a rarity around these parts. We’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s too difficult to travel this time of year to the far reaches of our parents’ houses, so we just ship the presents. And they’re never there to open on Christmas morning. But this year, they make an impressive pile at the base of my beautiful tree!

There was a Christmas party at the Trout Lake Inn that we just had to attend. My sister and I donned our fancy party frocks and J was so impressed, he danced with me. But all the fun of Saturday night couldn’t stand up to the massive disappointment of the Seahawk loss on Sunday. To the Cardinals!! Just ridiculous. Still, bonding with the other Hawk fans at the sports bar was entertaining, to say the least.

Last and littlest, but far from least, my just-about-to-be newest sister turned two. The adoption is not quite all the way official, but she’s been ours for a long time. I had to settle for a Skype date to sing to her, but she showed me how much better her new legwarmers look when worn on her arms instead of legs. She’s such a little ball of fire, and I can’t wait until the courts catch up and say, Yes, ok fine, she’s now your legal sister. Stayed tuned for a post or two all about that!!

And now the day before the day before Christmas is over, but I feel much better acknowledging that I didn’t actually miss all the time between holidays. So much happened! So much fun was had! So much good stuff to take pictures of!

The next two days are guaranteed to be just splendid. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday, whichever one you may (or may not) be celebrating. Any new traditions made? Any old ones broken? Anyone have a ridiculously funny story to share?!

Best wishes, happy holidays, Merry Christmas!!

😀