Watch out, she's on the move!!

Dia de Los Reyes

I think it was last year at this time when a dear friend and I were talking about Christmas traditions that we would like to have in our families. Some families believe in Santa others don't. Some people have a Christmas trees others don't. Some families have a simple Christmas while other families go all out. So what about us...

Well, Jeff and I talked about it and we will have a tree...but we wont have Santa...we want to really keep it simple and focused.... we also want to make sure that we keep in the front of our minds the real meaning behind Christmas.

In the Spanish Culture they celebrate not only Christmas with Family and Friends but they also celebrate the day of the three wise men. The night of the 5th of January children decorate three shoe boxes and put them at the feet of there bed with hay in them. When the children wake up on the 6th of January, the next morning, the hay is gone and they have 3 gifts in their boxes. Just as though the wise man came by there bed ate the hay and left each child three gifts. Well, Jeff and I have decided that we are going to take that tradition as our own. Change it up a little to make it our own. We are going to have our children make 3 shoe boxes...Decorate them and all. And than they will set them out on Christmas Eve with a little hay in each box. And each Christmas our children will get three gifts. Just like the wise man left for baby Jesus. It will hopefully be a tradition that will keep Jeff, our children and I focused on the real meaning of Christmas. Just thought I would share one Christmas Tradition for our house to yours...

Where in the World Are the Mabry's

For those of you that keep on asking for an update on our lives...via our blog...I have to let you know that blog posting have been slim because our laptop computer...our APPLE has decided to slowly fizzle out....So we are on a hunt for a new one...oh life.

But here is an update from Oklahoma city...I sit here and write as Addie has just gone to bed...

Well...Its officially that time of the year. Christmas Time. Right now Jeff and I are in Oklahoma visiting with his family. We have been having a nice time so far. We got here on the 12th of December and leave on the 26th. 2 weeks in Oklahoma, wow! It has been one week so far and we have already done so much. The first couple of days we stayed with his dad and step mom and rested from our flight out here...(Which by the way Addie did great-I did nurse her the whole way -great plan) than we headed to Denton, TX, to spend some time with my Grandparents. We had a very enjoyable time with them. After getting back to Oklahoma City we spent a couple of days with his mom. It was nice to spend time with her as well. And now we are back with his dad and step mom for the rest of the trip. But we have a lot of things planned...Well Jeff does...I just kind of follow...We have friends to see and other family members to catch up with throughout the next week. So we will be kept busy. We are always so busy when we are here, but we always have a good time.

On the other hand...Adelyn is doing well...She is crawling everywhere, pulling herself up on everything...saying DADADADA...to DADADADA and now finally she is say NANAMANANAMA to me... We went to the Pediatrian right before we left for her 9 month appointment and she is now 19.2 pounds, 27 1/2 inches long... She is growing... Before ya know it she will be 1..Oh my BEBEITA! AHAHAH....

Halloween

This year Addie was a pea pod for Halloween. I took her to Covenant the Friday before Halloween so that people could see her in the little peapod and we did a little trick or treating between the class rooms....But for actual Halloween we did not go out with her. Instead we went over to the Roeder Family's for a Bonfire. We had a lot of fun...Here are some cute pics that I took later on....

7.5 months and counting

Well....I know it has been forever since I have actually written anything on our family blog. I haven't been very good about it. I will try to do a better job...Maybe if I tell myself that I will write an update once a week maybe I actually will do it. It is just hard because when Adelyn does go down for a nap I try to do a million things...and honestly writing or putting pictures on our family blog are far from my everyday thoughts. Maybe I should reevaluate my life...and just realize that this is how it is....All the mothers out there know what I mean...Anywhooo...I will continue to try and strive better to update this a little more. Because I know you all want to hear stories and adventures of the Mabry household. : )

Here is an update on each of our lives this fall....

Jeff - At the end of the summer Jeff started his Outdoor Education season. This is when schools from around the Indianapolis areas come for different periods of time to do outdoor education classes...Like Wild Indiana Edibles and Fenn and River Ecology...and fun stuff like that...I know you are thinking Wild Indiana Edibles....Have you ever heard of a paw paw plant?...it is known as the Indiana Banana...He tried to get me to eat it...I did eat it...it was okay..Nothing I would actually eat on a daily basis....So he has the school groups that come in for outdoor education and than he also has church and business groups that come out for retreats and team building activities...So even though it was supposed to slow down in the fall he has actually been keeping himself pretty busy. But this is Flat Rocks last week of Outdoor Education and than it is just church groups and some business/club groups that come and use the camps facilities for the weekends or days during the week. So if you know of anyone that is needing a place to have a retreat for a day or a weekend..You should think about coming to Flat Rock... So now that we are going into the slow season...so to speak....What does Jeff get to do? Well, he is getting to work on planning for next year, recruiting, cutting down trees, maintenance and his favorite....working on the rock climbing quarry....so he will keep himself busy I am sure....

Adelyn - For an update on the best thing around here, Adelyn. Well, Addie is now 7 1/2 months old.. It is crazy... She is probably about 20 pounds... We don't go back to the doctor until her 9 month check up so I am not sure how much she weighs right now. She is now officially crawling...She crawls everywhere....she is a crawling maniac...She also learned how to pull herself up on to the couch and on us...She loves to climb...Hmmm....I wonder where she gets that from???? Jeff says, "lets get that girl a harness and some climbing shoes." I say, "she is 7 months old." So now Jeff is looking for the gear online....Good luck Jeff...HA HA HA... So Addie can climb...She has also been talking a lot...and saying...DADADADADBABALAMADADA a lot...Notice there is a lot of DADADA in there...She loves her DADADADA...When he gets home from work she laughs and squeals at him...Its cute.

Stephanie - Me...Well, I am getting use to the camp life once again in my life... I have been trying to get to know the area and some people. I go to a MOPS group at a local church every other week and I am starting to get to know some women in the area. But it is still hard because they all have friends already and a lot of them have grown up in the area so they are established. But I keep going anyway... And I still meet with friends in Indianapolis so that keeps me saine.... But overall I don't think I would change anything...Even though at times I go through a little city withdrawl and I miss the kids I used to teach and the people I worked with...It is hard to think I would have to leave Addie everyday...So right now I try to look at each day as a blessing...It has been hard for me to come to terms with this...But every time I look at Addie I see it...that blessing...and I know I made the right choice...

Anyways...speaking of that little girl she just got up from her nap....Which she actually took today...So I have to get going...I hope you enjoy my update. And I will try to do a better job at updating more regularly. : )