Merry Christmas from the Mentze Family!
I wrote everything out and was set to push post....and it didn't save it. In an effort to simplify and still give an update, we will share our top 10 (in no particular order) highlights of 2019. While you are reading, enjoy a Christmas song here that has been on repeat this year.
10. We celebrated 11 years of marriage this year! We sometimes are amazed at how much has happened and how long it has been. We are so thankful for God's kindness in our marriage journey.
9. Annalise turned 1 in October and is a very busy little girl. She is adored by her brothers and has a wonderful sense of humor. Her vocabulary is growing daily as she is jabbering so much.
8. Since high waisted jeans are in style these days I jumped at the opportunity to also join the minivan club. We (especially the kids) are enjoying our (new to us) "living room on wheels" 2006 Honda Odyssey.
7. Eli turned 7 this year. He graduated from kindergarten and began 1st grade and is thriving in his environment and class. If you give him a cardboard box, glue, tape, scissors (thank goodness I have managed to keep him away from staples), he will build you something and spend hours working on it. He loves creating and building.
6. We are heading to Disneyland here in the next week or so to have some family Christmas fun. We are very excited to take Annalise on her first trip to Disney.
5. Zak turned 5 this year finished his last year of preschool and began Kindergarten. He is growing and thriving in his class and we couldn't be more thankful for the love and care he has at school. This year we challenged Zak to be in a school drama/music club, and while it is not his usual comfort zone, he is stretching himself and trying really hard, and we are so proud.
4. Erik still works at NXP and hasn't had to travel until this past September where he took a trip to China. He was able to walk (some) of the Great Wall and see some other great sights. He won't travel again until February when he will go to France.
3. This past summer we went to Oregon where we biked, went to parks, relaxed, visited Lincoln City, and celebrated the fourth of July.
2. We also took our annual fall break trip to Oregon and enjoyed pumpkin patches. We hope to go to Idaho AND Oregon next year for fall break.
1. We can't possibly highlight this year without highlighting God's great kindness to us in sending His Son. The gift that we celebrate this time of year is one that we are so thankful for every day of the year. God's glorious plan was revealed to save the world and we cannot help but celebrate His great kindness.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Friday, December 21, 2018
Christmas 2018
Christmas 2018
I read over the last blog entry (which is our last Christmas letter), and the theme of last year was dealing with the unexpected. While 2017 was not the year we expected, 2018 said, “Hold my beer”.
We knew to start 2018 something needed to change with Erik’s work. We endured some challenges at his job that really strained us as a family so we started making considerations on what could change at his current job or to find another opportunity. We knew we needed to be patient and wise in our decision. We made many considerations and it took more time than we expected, (in the past many decisions have required a short amount of time) but the decision was made in April that Erik would take a management position at NXP.
The change of work with no travel (at this time) has been a great change and blessing for our family. After a year like 2017 and making changes we reflect back and realize the effect those challenges had on our family. We would say we are still recovering and seeing the ripple effect from 2017.
I read over the last blog entry (which is our last Christmas letter), and the theme of last year was dealing with the unexpected. While 2017 was not the year we expected, 2018 said, “Hold my beer”.
We knew to start 2018 something needed to change with Erik’s work. We endured some challenges at his job that really strained us as a family so we started making considerations on what could change at his current job or to find another opportunity. We knew we needed to be patient and wise in our decision. We made many considerations and it took more time than we expected, (in the past many decisions have required a short amount of time) but the decision was made in April that Erik would take a management position at NXP.
The change of work with no travel (at this time) has been a great change and blessing for our family. After a year like 2017 and making changes we reflect back and realize the effect those challenges had on our family. We would say we are still recovering and seeing the ripple effect from 2017.
However, 2018 started off with a cannonball splash in discovering that we were pregnant. God-sized surprises are always a blessing and we welcomed Annalise Elizabeth on October 9th. If you are looking for ways to be challenged and sanctified, then we wholeheartedly suggest enduring a pregnancy in Phoenix during the summer. Thankfully the week she was delivered the weather finally cooled down. We are so thankful for our unexpected blessing.
Other highlights of the year include a couple trips to Portland, celebrating 10 years of marriage, and one trip to Disneyland.
Eli is 6 and enjoying kindergarten. He has many questions that he often asks Google for help on. We often have to ask him to leave Google alone, but we are thankful that Google never tires of being helpful for all his questions. He also enjoys attending Sparks (Awana’a program) and riding his bike.
Zak is 4 (almost 5) and attends half-day preschool 5 days a week. We are starting to see his talkative and silly side come to life. He has surprised us with how much he has absorbed at school and how outgoing he can be. He is our homebody kiddo and enjoys playing games and watching cartoons. He also really enjoys bike rides at night.
Eli is 6 and enjoying kindergarten. He has many questions that he often asks Google for help on. We often have to ask him to leave Google alone, but we are thankful that Google never tires of being helpful for all his questions. He also enjoys attending Sparks (Awana’a program) and riding his bike.
Zak is 4 (almost 5) and attends half-day preschool 5 days a week. We are starting to see his talkative and silly side come to life. He has surprised us with how much he has absorbed at school and how outgoing he can be. He is our homebody kiddo and enjoys playing games and watching cartoons. He also really enjoys bike rides at night.
Annalise is 2 months old and growing perfectly. She is easy going and super sweet. She is starting to smile and coo at anyone and is adored by her brothers.
Monday, December 25, 2017
Christmas 2017
I usually start out our Christmas letter with a song to listen to in the background. I decided to go with some nostalgic "Smitty" this time. Click HERE to listen.
There are a lot of words to share about this year but if we had to sum it up in one it would be, "unexpected".
The intensity of this year took us to places we never thought we would be in many categories. Erik's job took him around the world this year! He had business trips to many foreign countries such as China, UK, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, and California. He even went to some of the places multiple times this year. The only months he didn't travel for work were April, July, and October.
We also bought a house! When you buy a house everything goes as planned right?!?! Well, for the most part, everything went to plan. We had some awesome "highly paid" volunteers (Gary and Terrie) come all the way from Oregon to help us pack up. We were out of our rental house by the end of April. We stayed at my grandmother's house in central Phoenix for 2 weeks until we closed and Erik had a business trip to the UK during this time. No big deal, right?!?!
Getting settled into our new house heading into the summer Erik had another trip in June so I took the boys to Portland while he was gone. The forecasted high in Phoenix was 122° so we were thankful to miss out on that. We met up there and celebrated our 9th year of marriage while in Portland.
When we returned Erik's project at work intensified as it was nearing the deadlines that were set out. This is something we are used to happening every 12-18 months. This project, this company, this situation was different than any other tape out. His responsibilities and demand were far greater than any other time. July to October demanded the most of Erik that has ever been demanded of him. He gave all that he could to finish and we all celebrated the finish with much rejoicing and sleep. We had to (and still are) regaining our footing as a family. We are regaining our disciplines, communication, routines, and hopefully learning how to manage such demand with better planning and healthier boundaries next time.
We took a family trip in October to Idaho and Oregon. While in Idaho we were able to reconnect with old faces from the past. We attended the University of Idaho homecoming festivities as well as had a reunion dinner with friends. It was so refreshing to reconnect and catch up on all that has happened in 10 years. We left Idaho and headed to Oregon for the week. Erik had to work remotely during our time there but we did get to go to some pumpkin patches and spend a lot of time with Gary and Terrie. It was a fun trip...minus the work.
The boys are growing so fast. Eli is now 5, and after much thinking and praying, we decided to wait one more year for kindergarten. It was a tough decision at first, but he is in a class of 5 kids total and is absolutely thriving. He LOVES school. He loves to sing and make up songs. He is constantly pretending and having full conversations with himself. He is on the verge of reading and loves to draw pictures.
Zak is 3 (almost 4) and loves trucks. He is one who will surprise you with his silliness. He has become much more talkative and outgoing and loves to sing too. Most people don't have to work as hard to get him to chat it up. He has to make sure that you are worth talking to sometimes. He's not easily impressed..unless you drive a truck or you are a trash truck.
With parenting sometimes you learn new techniques or ways to motivate your kids. Sometimes those techniques wear off and you have to find something new. Well, so far we have found that competition has not worn off. Every day we get to compete with who will go upstairs and get ready for a nap/rest first? Who will use the restroom first? Who gets their pants on first? It's been a couple years now and that technique hasn't worn off. We also use it for getting ready for bed. This gets a little more intense if it involves Erik and me racing one another with the boys. We find ways to cheat like throwing the boys clothes down the stairs, tieing their bathrobes too tight so they can't get it off, tickle the opponent, tieing their pajamas in knots, pulling diapers off kids, locking the opponent out of the room, and maybe some tackling. It's a little intense and our kids probably think we are crazy but I'm sure they will remember the silliness that is our family. The best part is that it expedites the process and makes it fun. It also has allowed us to teach them how to be gracious winners and losers (still working on that part).
It's hard to simply sum up in words a year that has been unexpected and challenging to our family. We can give the raw details but it doesn't express hour hearts, minds, attitudes, reactions and actions. We do know that this year has been far more challenging and unexpected for others who have experienced far deeper valleys that are unimaginable. However, none of this year was "unexpected" to God. He's not surprised by anything. He's not surprised by our sin. He's not surprised by our hills and valleys. He still graciously leads us and corrects us. We are thankful for his faithfulness.
This time of year we remember the most expected unexpected event ever. Expected because Christs coming had been prophesied for thousands of years and unexpected because who would expect that God would come in flesh as a baby born to live a sinless life and die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sin. We are so thankful for this gracious gift.
We hope and pray you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
There are a lot of words to share about this year but if we had to sum it up in one it would be, "unexpected".
The intensity of this year took us to places we never thought we would be in many categories. Erik's job took him around the world this year! He had business trips to many foreign countries such as China, UK, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, and California. He even went to some of the places multiple times this year. The only months he didn't travel for work were April, July, and October.
We also bought a house! When you buy a house everything goes as planned right?!?! Well, for the most part, everything went to plan. We had some awesome "highly paid" volunteers (Gary and Terrie) come all the way from Oregon to help us pack up. We were out of our rental house by the end of April. We stayed at my grandmother's house in central Phoenix for 2 weeks until we closed and Erik had a business trip to the UK during this time. No big deal, right?!?!
Getting settled into our new house heading into the summer Erik had another trip in June so I took the boys to Portland while he was gone. The forecasted high in Phoenix was 122° so we were thankful to miss out on that. We met up there and celebrated our 9th year of marriage while in Portland.
When we returned Erik's project at work intensified as it was nearing the deadlines that were set out. This is something we are used to happening every 12-18 months. This project, this company, this situation was different than any other tape out. His responsibilities and demand were far greater than any other time. July to October demanded the most of Erik that has ever been demanded of him. He gave all that he could to finish and we all celebrated the finish with much rejoicing and sleep. We had to (and still are) regaining our footing as a family. We are regaining our disciplines, communication, routines, and hopefully learning how to manage such demand with better planning and healthier boundaries next time.
We took a family trip in October to Idaho and Oregon. While in Idaho we were able to reconnect with old faces from the past. We attended the University of Idaho homecoming festivities as well as had a reunion dinner with friends. It was so refreshing to reconnect and catch up on all that has happened in 10 years. We left Idaho and headed to Oregon for the week. Erik had to work remotely during our time there but we did get to go to some pumpkin patches and spend a lot of time with Gary and Terrie. It was a fun trip...minus the work.
The boys are growing so fast. Eli is now 5, and after much thinking and praying, we decided to wait one more year for kindergarten. It was a tough decision at first, but he is in a class of 5 kids total and is absolutely thriving. He LOVES school. He loves to sing and make up songs. He is constantly pretending and having full conversations with himself. He is on the verge of reading and loves to draw pictures.
Zak is 3 (almost 4) and loves trucks. He is one who will surprise you with his silliness. He has become much more talkative and outgoing and loves to sing too. Most people don't have to work as hard to get him to chat it up. He has to make sure that you are worth talking to sometimes. He's not easily impressed..unless you drive a truck or you are a trash truck.
With parenting sometimes you learn new techniques or ways to motivate your kids. Sometimes those techniques wear off and you have to find something new. Well, so far we have found that competition has not worn off. Every day we get to compete with who will go upstairs and get ready for a nap/rest first? Who will use the restroom first? Who gets their pants on first? It's been a couple years now and that technique hasn't worn off. We also use it for getting ready for bed. This gets a little more intense if it involves Erik and me racing one another with the boys. We find ways to cheat like throwing the boys clothes down the stairs, tieing their bathrobes too tight so they can't get it off, tickle the opponent, tieing their pajamas in knots, pulling diapers off kids, locking the opponent out of the room, and maybe some tackling. It's a little intense and our kids probably think we are crazy but I'm sure they will remember the silliness that is our family. The best part is that it expedites the process and makes it fun. It also has allowed us to teach them how to be gracious winners and losers (still working on that part).
It's hard to simply sum up in words a year that has been unexpected and challenging to our family. We can give the raw details but it doesn't express hour hearts, minds, attitudes, reactions and actions. We do know that this year has been far more challenging and unexpected for others who have experienced far deeper valleys that are unimaginable. However, none of this year was "unexpected" to God. He's not surprised by anything. He's not surprised by our sin. He's not surprised by our hills and valleys. He still graciously leads us and corrects us. We are thankful for his faithfulness.
This time of year we remember the most expected unexpected event ever. Expected because Christs coming had been prophesied for thousands of years and unexpected because who would expect that God would come in flesh as a baby born to live a sinless life and die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sin. We are so thankful for this gracious gift.
We hope and pray you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
2016 Christmas
Some folks prefer to keep Christmas music to "Christmas time," but I wanted to share the current Christmas song that I'm enjoying. Click here to listen while you read about our year.
Here we are celebrating another year with Christmas cheer and growth in our family (not literal as in numbers of people in our family)!
This year has been busy with many adventures!
In January Erik's parents retired on the same day! Woohoo! Their inaugural retirement adventure was to road trip to come see us! They spent some time traveling and seeing other sites, but also spent some time with the boys. They loved every moment. While they were in Arizona Kristin was able to slip away to Chicago for a brief visit to her alma mater and good friends.
Before the summer hit, we took a quick adventure to Disneyland with the boys. It was fun, and exhausting, but mostly fun. The summer came quickly with escalating temperatures that came in May and lingered till the end of October. Usually, we are done with high temps after about mid-September, but they wore out their "welcome" pretty quickly.
We escaped to Portland for a couple weeks to play in the sun and sand without being blasted with the heat. While we were there, we celebrated 8 years of marriage by being selected to renew our vows with The Big Fake Wedding. It was a little crazy how everything happened, but we had a blast. You can check out our event here. You can also see our video here, just click on The Big Fake Wedding.
When we returned from Portland Erik, put in his two-week notice at his job at Cactus Semiconductor. We were and are very thankful for the opportunity that Cactus brought him, and bringing us back to Arizona. Other opportunities presented themselves but felt it was time to make a change. It was a tough decision, but we are confident in the decision that he made to take a position as a Team Lead (Manager) at Dialog Semiconductor. His new job kicked off August 1st and has proven to be an excellent fit and challenge for his next steps in his career.
The end of September Erik had a two-week work trip that took him over to Germany and the UK (during Octoberfest in Germany). This was quite the work trip for both the professional and family end. We have never been apart for more than a week in about 10 years. During his trip, Kristin and the boys flew to Portland for fall break and to experience REAL pumpkin patches. The pumpkin patches in Arizona are usually a parking lot with hay bales and pumpkins. We went to three different farms and had a lot of fun with Gary and Terrie.
The boys have grown so much this year! Eli is 4.5 and in pre-school at a private Christian school in our area and absolutely loves it! This school is such a fantastic fit for him. He sings ALL THE TIME. We also signed him and Zak up for the Awana's program at the same church that hosts his school. The parenting challenges of potty training have been mastered by Eli and Zak will likely follow suit next year. Oh to be diaper free?!?! Zak will be 3 in January and is very verbal. He talks and forms sentences very well. Zak tends to be a little more reserved than Eli but parrots everything he does. Funny story: We were hosting a yard sale at our house, so we set up a table for them to "sell doughnuts for college" for $1. Some people didn't want to buy a doughnut, but an older gentleman said they were so cute that he wanted to just give Eli $1. When Zak saw this (without prompting) he gets up and goes to the gentleman and says, "Where's my dollar?" We couldn't stop laughing, and Zak was dead serious. He's bold enough to ask a guy for a dollar, but won't say hi to people he sees every day.
The year is coming quickly to an end, and we have so much to be thankful for! This holiday season, we went to Portland for a week at Thanksgiving and this Christmas we will spend time with family in Phoenix. We hope this finds you and your family well and excited for a new year that is upon us.
On a side note: If you are an ARIZONA resident and are looking (or not looking but would be willing) to make an end of the year tax credit donation, we would greatly appreciate it if you considered giving to ACSTO. This program allows donations to be used towards private education. If you decide to do so, please contact us so that we can help you direct the funds towards Eli specifically. The blessing this would be for us is beyond words and will be a great gift.
Here we are celebrating another year with Christmas cheer and growth in our family (not literal as in numbers of people in our family)!
This year has been busy with many adventures!
In January Erik's parents retired on the same day! Woohoo! Their inaugural retirement adventure was to road trip to come see us! They spent some time traveling and seeing other sites, but also spent some time with the boys. They loved every moment. While they were in Arizona Kristin was able to slip away to Chicago for a brief visit to her alma mater and good friends.
Before the summer hit, we took a quick adventure to Disneyland with the boys. It was fun, and exhausting, but mostly fun. The summer came quickly with escalating temperatures that came in May and lingered till the end of October. Usually, we are done with high temps after about mid-September, but they wore out their "welcome" pretty quickly.
We escaped to Portland for a couple weeks to play in the sun and sand without being blasted with the heat. While we were there, we celebrated 8 years of marriage by being selected to renew our vows with The Big Fake Wedding. It was a little crazy how everything happened, but we had a blast. You can check out our event here. You can also see our video here, just click on The Big Fake Wedding.
When we returned from Portland Erik, put in his two-week notice at his job at Cactus Semiconductor. We were and are very thankful for the opportunity that Cactus brought him, and bringing us back to Arizona. Other opportunities presented themselves but felt it was time to make a change. It was a tough decision, but we are confident in the decision that he made to take a position as a Team Lead (Manager) at Dialog Semiconductor. His new job kicked off August 1st and has proven to be an excellent fit and challenge for his next steps in his career.
The end of September Erik had a two-week work trip that took him over to Germany and the UK (during Octoberfest in Germany). This was quite the work trip for both the professional and family end. We have never been apart for more than a week in about 10 years. During his trip, Kristin and the boys flew to Portland for fall break and to experience REAL pumpkin patches. The pumpkin patches in Arizona are usually a parking lot with hay bales and pumpkins. We went to three different farms and had a lot of fun with Gary and Terrie.
The boys have grown so much this year! Eli is 4.5 and in pre-school at a private Christian school in our area and absolutely loves it! This school is such a fantastic fit for him. He sings ALL THE TIME. We also signed him and Zak up for the Awana's program at the same church that hosts his school. The parenting challenges of potty training have been mastered by Eli and Zak will likely follow suit next year. Oh to be diaper free?!?! Zak will be 3 in January and is very verbal. He talks and forms sentences very well. Zak tends to be a little more reserved than Eli but parrots everything he does. Funny story: We were hosting a yard sale at our house, so we set up a table for them to "sell doughnuts for college" for $1. Some people didn't want to buy a doughnut, but an older gentleman said they were so cute that he wanted to just give Eli $1. When Zak saw this (without prompting) he gets up and goes to the gentleman and says, "Where's my dollar?" We couldn't stop laughing, and Zak was dead serious. He's bold enough to ask a guy for a dollar, but won't say hi to people he sees every day.
The year is coming quickly to an end, and we have so much to be thankful for! This holiday season, we went to Portland for a week at Thanksgiving and this Christmas we will spend time with family in Phoenix. We hope this finds you and your family well and excited for a new year that is upon us.
On a side note: If you are an ARIZONA resident and are looking (or not looking but would be willing) to make an end of the year tax credit donation, we would greatly appreciate it if you considered giving to ACSTO. This program allows donations to be used towards private education. If you decide to do so, please contact us so that we can help you direct the funds towards Eli specifically. The blessing this would be for us is beyond words and will be a great gift.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Christmas 2015
Here is a Christmas song to listen to while you read our letter (you may have to endure a commercial first). Enjoy! If you love it, go check out their album on Amazon.
This year has been an "unusual year" for us. We didn't move. We didn't have a baby. We didn't change jobs. We're almost at a loss for what to tell you.
We did go to Disneyland in May to celebrate Eli and Kristin's birthday's. We spent 4 days at the park and were there for the kick off of the 60th anniversary. We had a great time and can't wait to go back again!
June we celebrated 7 years of wedded bliss while enjoying a day in Portland. We enjoyed the cooler weather, seeing friends and taking a road trip out to Idaho for a wedding, and seeing more friends. We came back refreshed, but somewhat dreading the very hot weather.
Throughout the year Erik decided to tackle two new goals for himself. He has always enjoyed running, and ran a 1/2 marathon when we lived in Austin. It's been two years since that race. This year he trained for a full marathon (ran a few 1/2 marathon's while training), but on top of that he decided to eat a plant based diet. It's gone well over the year, and he has learned a ton about food and nutrition. We will evaluate at the beginning of the year if it's something he will continue full time or not. With that said, it's been just over 5 years since we initially started Take Shape for Life and it still amazes us how foundational it has been to achieving our goals and challenging us to learn more about a healthy lifestyle. We love talking about it, so if you are ever interested please let us know. We would love to encourage you in your journey as well.
Erik is working at Cactus Semiconductor and has done well with the two projects he as been a part of. The most recent project is a spinal nerve stem chip. This particular project Erik has been leading the team instead of doing the design work. It's a new role for him and with everything that is new, it will come with challenges and learning opportunities.
Kristin is full-time domestic engineering at this time. She keeps the boys on a pretty tight schedule to ensure there is a nap time every day...okay...most days. With the weather being "stupid hot" here in the summer she most of the time will go to the mall and walk and play with the boys. This has led to some great relationships, and a seasonal employment position with the Disney Store. It's been a great opportunity in many ways.
Eli is now 3 1/2 and full of energy and silliness. He is sweet, compassionate, easy going and empathetic. He does find ways to frustrate his brother, but we hope some day they will turn into great leadership skills. He's still the kid who will crack up laughing just by giving him a sly look. He is mostly potty trained (still have some hurdles to jump) and loves to do pre-school books. We work on sight words, cutting, shapes, letters, colors and even some random things like the states and capitals. He really enjoys learning.
Zak is turning two in January. His personality and verbal skills are blossoming in so many ways! He has quite the personality in testing his limits. He also very sweet and cuddly after nap time. He is now in a big boy bed and sharing a room with big brother. He doesn't cry much unless we are having a frustration with communicating needs and wants and the occasional squabbles with his brother. He loves to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Miles of Tomorrowland. He is communicating when he needs to go potty most of the time, even without us prompting him. His favorite food is mac and cheese, which he asks for in the morning and he loves to eat pancakes any time of day.
Both boys are VERY interested in "Trash Truck Tuesday"!!! The excitement starts Monday night when they haul the trash can out to the curb. Tuesday morning they are "over the moon" excited for him to come with his "grabber" and get our trash can. All week long they ask if it's "trash truck day". If only the trash man knew how much of a celebrity he is in our home. We have had quite a few Tuesday mornings when we have to bolt out of bed to get the boys outside to see him. We love getting excited with them about simple things.
Recently we have discovered some food/environmental allergies with the boys and we are in the process of meeting and doing testing with an allergist. We are hopeful that they will outgrow some of them, but it will be a process. We would greatly appreciate your prayers and encouragement as we navigate this new lifestyle.
There is so much to celebrate throughout the year. Birthday's, milestones, growth, promotions, raises, opportunity, setting and reaching goals, marriage...and the list continues. We celebrate at this time of year an amazing birth of One who has changed the world. We celebrate why He came. We celebrate the gift that He has given us through His sacrifice on the cross. We celebrate the miraculous work He has done in our lives. We celebrate the daily mission we have been given to live in a way that reflects who He is and what He has done. We celebrate that while this life on earth is imperfect and broken, that He is still a God who loves, provides, cares for His creation. We celebrate the hope that we have in His glorious returning.
We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and splendid New Year!
P.s. If you are wondering what happened to my pinterest new year's resolution, I still did it. I just didn't get around to posting about it.
This year has been an "unusual year" for us. We didn't move. We didn't have a baby. We didn't change jobs. We're almost at a loss for what to tell you.
We did go to Disneyland in May to celebrate Eli and Kristin's birthday's. We spent 4 days at the park and were there for the kick off of the 60th anniversary. We had a great time and can't wait to go back again!
June we celebrated 7 years of wedded bliss while enjoying a day in Portland. We enjoyed the cooler weather, seeing friends and taking a road trip out to Idaho for a wedding, and seeing more friends. We came back refreshed, but somewhat dreading the very hot weather.
Throughout the year Erik decided to tackle two new goals for himself. He has always enjoyed running, and ran a 1/2 marathon when we lived in Austin. It's been two years since that race. This year he trained for a full marathon (ran a few 1/2 marathon's while training), but on top of that he decided to eat a plant based diet. It's gone well over the year, and he has learned a ton about food and nutrition. We will evaluate at the beginning of the year if it's something he will continue full time or not. With that said, it's been just over 5 years since we initially started Take Shape for Life and it still amazes us how foundational it has been to achieving our goals and challenging us to learn more about a healthy lifestyle. We love talking about it, so if you are ever interested please let us know. We would love to encourage you in your journey as well.
Erik is working at Cactus Semiconductor and has done well with the two projects he as been a part of. The most recent project is a spinal nerve stem chip. This particular project Erik has been leading the team instead of doing the design work. It's a new role for him and with everything that is new, it will come with challenges and learning opportunities.
Kristin is full-time domestic engineering at this time. She keeps the boys on a pretty tight schedule to ensure there is a nap time every day...okay...most days. With the weather being "stupid hot" here in the summer she most of the time will go to the mall and walk and play with the boys. This has led to some great relationships, and a seasonal employment position with the Disney Store. It's been a great opportunity in many ways.
Eli is now 3 1/2 and full of energy and silliness. He is sweet, compassionate, easy going and empathetic. He does find ways to frustrate his brother, but we hope some day they will turn into great leadership skills. He's still the kid who will crack up laughing just by giving him a sly look. He is mostly potty trained (still have some hurdles to jump) and loves to do pre-school books. We work on sight words, cutting, shapes, letters, colors and even some random things like the states and capitals. He really enjoys learning.
Zak is turning two in January. His personality and verbal skills are blossoming in so many ways! He has quite the personality in testing his limits. He also very sweet and cuddly after nap time. He is now in a big boy bed and sharing a room with big brother. He doesn't cry much unless we are having a frustration with communicating needs and wants and the occasional squabbles with his brother. He loves to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Miles of Tomorrowland. He is communicating when he needs to go potty most of the time, even without us prompting him. His favorite food is mac and cheese, which he asks for in the morning and he loves to eat pancakes any time of day.
Both boys are VERY interested in "Trash Truck Tuesday"!!! The excitement starts Monday night when they haul the trash can out to the curb. Tuesday morning they are "over the moon" excited for him to come with his "grabber" and get our trash can. All week long they ask if it's "trash truck day". If only the trash man knew how much of a celebrity he is in our home. We have had quite a few Tuesday mornings when we have to bolt out of bed to get the boys outside to see him. We love getting excited with them about simple things.
Recently we have discovered some food/environmental allergies with the boys and we are in the process of meeting and doing testing with an allergist. We are hopeful that they will outgrow some of them, but it will be a process. We would greatly appreciate your prayers and encouragement as we navigate this new lifestyle.
There is so much to celebrate throughout the year. Birthday's, milestones, growth, promotions, raises, opportunity, setting and reaching goals, marriage...and the list continues. We celebrate at this time of year an amazing birth of One who has changed the world. We celebrate why He came. We celebrate the gift that He has given us through His sacrifice on the cross. We celebrate the miraculous work He has done in our lives. We celebrate the daily mission we have been given to live in a way that reflects who He is and what He has done. We celebrate that while this life on earth is imperfect and broken, that He is still a God who loves, provides, cares for His creation. We celebrate the hope that we have in His glorious returning.
We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and splendid New Year!
P.s. If you are wondering what happened to my pinterest new year's resolution, I still did it. I just didn't get around to posting about it.
Monday, May 4, 2015
ooops it's been a while
So I haven't written in a while. Our lives have been very crazy this first part of the year....we dealt with A LOT of sickness. If it wasn't me...it was one of the boys and currently we are dealing with allergies. At the end of March we lost Erik's grandmother and went to Portland for a couple weeks to be with family.
We are now heading full speed into summer and Erik finished his last project and is now taking on the lead role on a new project.
We have now been in Arizona almost a year now! This year of being here has been a whirl wind for us...new place, new church, making friends, finding a routine, Erik figuring out his role at work, vacations...it's all been a lot of transition this year.
In a couple weeks we will have a three year old!! I can't believe Eli is going to be three!?! We are of course going to Disneyland to celebrate during the 60th anniversary...which is happening the day after our birthday's.
In June we will be heading to Portland and Idaho for some vacation! Very excited!
Lastly, I haven't ditched my pinterest new years resolution...so here is my latest review:
Creamy Avocado Pasta I saw this floating around on a lot of friends boards and decided to try it. It was "ok." The recipe calls for 1/3 cup of olive oil on top of avocados. That is a LOT of fat in my opinion.
Crispy Easter Eggs We did this with the boys for Easter and it was fun to decorate together. One thing to make sure you do is spray the inside of the plastic egg so it won't stick. It's worth pinning!
What's up next? Well, not food. I'm going to do some changing of my style...specifically my hair. I would love some feed back on which ones you love and would vote for...
First I'm going to do a little bit of color in my hair and then maybe do THIS too
Second I'm going to go all in...or do This
Third Chop it like this (just not blond)
Fourth maybe do color and layers with my bangs grown out
I don't know how long this is going to take me or how long I will keep each one of these...but this is the plan.
That's it for now.
We are now heading full speed into summer and Erik finished his last project and is now taking on the lead role on a new project.
We have now been in Arizona almost a year now! This year of being here has been a whirl wind for us...new place, new church, making friends, finding a routine, Erik figuring out his role at work, vacations...it's all been a lot of transition this year.
In a couple weeks we will have a three year old!! I can't believe Eli is going to be three!?! We are of course going to Disneyland to celebrate during the 60th anniversary...which is happening the day after our birthday's.
In June we will be heading to Portland and Idaho for some vacation! Very excited!
Lastly, I haven't ditched my pinterest new years resolution...so here is my latest review:
Creamy Avocado Pasta I saw this floating around on a lot of friends boards and decided to try it. It was "ok." The recipe calls for 1/3 cup of olive oil on top of avocados. That is a LOT of fat in my opinion.
Crispy Easter Eggs We did this with the boys for Easter and it was fun to decorate together. One thing to make sure you do is spray the inside of the plastic egg so it won't stick. It's worth pinning!
What's up next? Well, not food. I'm going to do some changing of my style...specifically my hair. I would love some feed back on which ones you love and would vote for...
First I'm going to do a little bit of color in my hair and then maybe do THIS too
Second I'm going to go all in...or do This
Third Chop it like this (just not blond)
Fourth maybe do color and layers with my bangs grown out
I don't know how long this is going to take me or how long I will keep each one of these...but this is the plan.
That's it for now.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
More Pinterest!
Just wanted to pass along a couple more reviews from our Pinterest adventures!
Rice Cake snacks This looked interesting and easy to do! There are a ton of varieties to choose from. I chose a rice cake with almond butter, raisins and chocolate chips and bananas, raisins, honey and cinnamon. These are great if you just need an afternoon snack to hold you over. Rating of a 5 out of 5 stars!
Quinoa Enchilada Casserole This looked amazing and it has now been officially added to our list of easy dishes to put together and is equally easy to LOVE! I did make a few adjustments: I used Daiya cheese, I added the tomato and avocado to the dish before cooking it. I believe the recipe tells you to cook the quinoa in 2 cups of water, but every time I have cooked quinoa it usually 1 for 1. I also decided to make my own enchilada sauce instead of using a canned one....so why not use a Pinterest recipe?!?! Here is the enchilada sauce recipe that I used (the recipe gives some options of other spices to add and I added was paprika on top of the spices it already calls for). Lastly, I decided to make it more like a Mexican lasagna. I used 6 corn tortillas torn in half to layer the dish. I did the casserole, corn tortilla and daiya cheese in that order with cheese being the top layering. I did not use a lot of cheese either, just a light sprinkle. Some veggies that can easily be added to this dish are peppers or even squash.
**Side note: I added the spices that were called for in the casserole dish which were the same spices that were called for in the sauce recipe. It turned out a little spicy, so I'm not sure if it was too much spice used or it might of been that I used some spicier green chillies than I usually do.
ENJOY!!
Rice Cake snacks This looked interesting and easy to do! There are a ton of varieties to choose from. I chose a rice cake with almond butter, raisins and chocolate chips and bananas, raisins, honey and cinnamon. These are great if you just need an afternoon snack to hold you over. Rating of a 5 out of 5 stars!
Quinoa Enchilada Casserole This looked amazing and it has now been officially added to our list of easy dishes to put together and is equally easy to LOVE! I did make a few adjustments: I used Daiya cheese, I added the tomato and avocado to the dish before cooking it. I believe the recipe tells you to cook the quinoa in 2 cups of water, but every time I have cooked quinoa it usually 1 for 1. I also decided to make my own enchilada sauce instead of using a canned one....so why not use a Pinterest recipe?!?! Here is the enchilada sauce recipe that I used (the recipe gives some options of other spices to add and I added was paprika on top of the spices it already calls for). Lastly, I decided to make it more like a Mexican lasagna. I used 6 corn tortillas torn in half to layer the dish. I did the casserole, corn tortilla and daiya cheese in that order with cheese being the top layering. I did not use a lot of cheese either, just a light sprinkle. Some veggies that can easily be added to this dish are peppers or even squash.
**Side note: I added the spices that were called for in the casserole dish which were the same spices that were called for in the sauce recipe. It turned out a little spicy, so I'm not sure if it was too much spice used or it might of been that I used some spicier green chillies than I usually do.
ENJOY!!
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