2011 Christmas Letter

Dear friends, family and others (if you watch Modern Family, you'll get that!)

I was reading an online blurb the other day that said most people hate getting those "annoying family letters" every year.  It went on to say that some people believe that other's lives aren't that great, but no one will ever put the 'real stuff' in the family letter.  Interesting thought.  Personally, I love the letters.  I love seeing and hearing how everyone is doing, especially those that I don't get to see as often as I'd like.  As for the 'real stuff'.  I think we all have our ups and downs.  No one has a perfect life, if they did they would be too busy living off the coast of France, basking in the sun and celebrity, to write a Christmas letter! 

So, to get to the great stuff at the Rousehouse....

We've had a great year, no really, it's been great!  Our family has walked through several big changes, that have turned out far better than I ever dreamed they would!

Claire is the solid rock in the family.  She is strong, confident, talented, happy, helpful, kind and all around amazing!  She is in 4th grade at Shuler and, although I don't find the curriculum to be challenging enough, she is loving it.  She is active in ELP (TAG from my generation) and an advanced book club.  She excels at FourSquare and enjoys the Science Club.   Claire is still swimming her heart out for the Walnut Creek Dolphins, doing very well this year and continuing to be a great mentor on the team.  She also loves piano and enjoys both the lessons and the recitals.  Most of all, Claire is happy.  She reached that critical age of 10, double-digits.  By all accounts, we survived the first 10 years and are actually looking forward to the next 10.  We are incredibly proud of Claire and so grateful to have been blessed with the best first-born child ever!

Ella is having the best year yet (well, at least that's my opinion!)  She is in 2nd grade at Sayre Montessori.  This is a new school for Ella and has been an absolute God-send.  She is so happy and absolutely loves school!  Before Ella, I thought one-size-fit-all when it came to parenting, schooling, health, just about everything.  After Ella, I have learned that it's okay to question, to advocate, to research, to make tough choices that in your heart you believe are what is best for your child.  Ella is doing great academically and is also enjoying riding her electric scooter and playing with neighborhood friends.  She is very busy swimming for the Dolphins.  She loves the meets and is well on her way to qualifying in several events for state!  Ella started piano this year, and although practicing isn't her favorite part, she loves her lessons!  Ella still loves to draw, write, listen to music and sneak into our bed in the middle of the night.

Avery, my sweet Aves, is 4 years old and in the pre-K program at Sayre.  Aves is passionate about, well, everything.  She is full of life and has a hilarious, loving, clever, intelligent and very strong personality.  She loves her school and is always very excited to tell us all about her "work".  Avery spends her free time talking, playing with Jack, swimming lessons, talking, watching Scooby Doo and talking.  Avery brings a special kind of happiness to our family that is indescribably wonderful and exhausting and we are all so grateful for it!

Dave and I are still going strong after almost 12 years of marriage and 10 years of sleepless nights and parent/teacher conferences!  We are very grateful for all of the grandparents in our lives who help with the girls.  Not only with carpooling and date night, but with their constant love and support they give to all of us.
Dave is happily working at Hummel's and I accepted a position with Simpson College this fall.  It was a huge leap of faith for me to leave DMACC, the only workplace I've really ever known, to go to Simpson for a full-time position.  As so often happens with those faithful leaps, it is great!!  I absolutely love my job! I love the people I work with and I love getting to be home with the girls during the winter and summer break.  I am very blessed to have found the perfect position to blend the two things I love most; my family and my sanity!

So, life at the Rousehouse is good.  We are very blessed and very grateful.  We have been reminded many times that life is short and precious.  We do not take our family, our friends, or our health for granted.  We praise God for the gentle reminders to slow down, play a game, bake some cookies, or snuggle for one more minute. 
We wish for peace, love, and happiness for all of our friends and family.
Blessings,
David, Janelle, Claire, Ella and Avery

Trees and Thanksgiving!

A few of my favorite things........

Trees and Thanksgiving,

pictures and pies.

Doggies and daddies,

and kids piled high.

Games and cards,

food and fun.

These are a few of my favorite things!

We had a wonderful time celebrating Thanksgiving this year

with (almost)ALL of my brothers, sisters, in-laws and cousins!

(We miss you Kelli and family!)

Cousin Sophie is getting so big and she did great

"hangin' with the big girls"

It was a whirlwind of activity at times, but I am so

grateful to have such a wonderful and loving family!

My three girls and cousin Sophie

After Thanksgiving, the Rousehouse family tradition

is to drag out all the Christmas decorations, put up the

tree, and decorate the house.

This year the girls and I decorated the tree while Dave hung up

the outside lights.  The girls get a new ornament from us

and from their Godfather and great Grandma every year,

plus all the ornaments they made in preschool/school over the years,

so they are starting to get quite a collection.

 It was so funny.  Every time I'd pull an ornament out

Aves would say, "is it mine??"

"No, it's Claire's"

The next one, "is it mine??"

"No, it's Claire's"

Poor kid just didn't understand that Claire has

6 years of collecting to her 3 years.

Finally, we started to get to some of hers, which she

loved so much, she didn't want to put on the tree.

I had to take a picture of her holding each one before

she'd put it on the tree. 

Besides the couple of ornaments that Jack ran off with,

and the couple that Aves just couldn't part with,

we got the tree decorated.  We also took our annual

'tree decorating' photos for our Christmas card.

I love that I'm so much more relaxed about 'the Christmas photo' than

I used to be.  In the early years, I'd take the girls to the photographer,

sweating and swearing to keep them clean and beautiful. I'd bribe them with

Goldfish and suckers to smile, stop crying, stand still, etc.  I'd be sweating,

angry and overwhelmed by the time it was done, and the pictures

(while perfect) never seemed to really show the kids I knew and loved. 

Finally, one year I just didn't do it. I don't think it was a conscience decision

so much as I simply forgot to schedule the appointment. 

So there I am, just a few short weeks before Christmas with no picture card. 

I remember sitting in front of my computer

trying to figure out what to do. Dave said, "just use the pictures you

took of the girls decorating the tree".  That's crazy I thought.

They aren't dressed up, they don't match or coordinate, I'm

not sure Ella even brushed her hair!

Well, I ended up doing it, and the rest is history!

Now, you get to see my girls in all their glory.

Happy, comfy, unkept and celebrating the true

joy of Christmas!



The Rousehouse!

Claire carefully decorating the top half

Ella, part decorating, part entertaining!

We had to get a picture with Jack too!

3 angels.  What a blessing!

Ahh, yes. My angels!

Avery takes decorating very seriously!

Dad gets to do the final touch, the tree topper!
Notice Ella's wardrobe change halfway through! :)

My beautiful family!

Claire and her dog, Jack

Tree is done, girls are happy, mom ready for bed!

One of the girls favorite traditions this time of year is the

Johnson Family Christmas Tree Hunt.

They head out each year with Grandpa and Grandma and

Aunt Jamie and Uncle Kyle to help them pick out and

cut down Christmas Trees.  The girls love it!  And it works

great for me because I don't have to deal with the cold

or the needles, but my girls still get that great holiday experience!

The Crew! Do you think the trees are too big??

As we all know, I love this time of year!

We also know that I occasionally struggle with control

issues, high expectations and unrealistic demands on

myself and others.  So, as always, I say some extra prayers

this time of year that I remember why I love the holidays

and how much I have to be grateful for!

Family, traditions, cold nights and warm blankets.

Food, gifts and giving.

The Grace of a very loving God that blesses

me with another year beyond any I deserve.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Baby Claire turns 10!

Happy 10th Birthday Claire Rene!

Our lives changed forever the day you were born.

We became better, stronger, and more faithful when

you were given to us.  We also became more scared,

paranoid and exhausted, but it's all worth it!

We say this often, and it's absolutely true, you are an

amazing girl.  You are kind, smart, thoughtful, generous,

clever, creative, funny, talented, and all around wonderful.

When I was pregnant, I often dreamed about what your future might hold.

I hoped you would be healthy, happy and safe.  I hoped that you would

do great things in this world.  I hoped that you would care for others

 and go out of your way to make the world a better place.

You are only 10 and my dreams have already come true.

I pray that you continue on the path that you're taking.  The path

of faith, goodness, love, patience, obedience, and joy.

You are our pride and joy!

Happy Birthday Claire Bear!



Claire Rene Rouse 11-15-01



Dave in the "pregnancy belly" at Lamaze class.

10 year old Claire with her Herky pillowpet



Claire and her 10 year old loot!  We gave her 10 items to represent 10 years old.
They included some little girls stuff: squinkys, etc and some big girls stuff:
earrings, etc.  She is a big girl, who is still my little baby!



My three beautiful girls: 10, 7, and 4!

Ahh, she is gorgeous!

Birthday party at Pump it Up

Everything is better when it glows in the dark!

A great group of girls to celebrate with Claire ~

The 10 year old Queen! (I should have included the 'outtake' that
showed the 10 year old sassy face!)

Mom, rockin' the 'T-rex hates pushups' tee.  Yeah, I have a 10 year old!

Happy Birthday Claire Rene!

Halloween Tradition Part Waaaannnn... (1 in a spooky voice)

Fall is my favorite time of the year!

I love the season, the weather, the upcoming holidays,

 and family traditions!!

One of my favorites is Howell's Pumpkin Patch!

We have been taking the girls here for at least 6 or 7 years.

I can remember many trips with a baby strapped to my chest,

huddling together for warmth, or stripping layers off b/c of a heat wave!

No matter what the weather, it's always a good trip to the Pumpkin Patch!

Every year, our first stop is the growth chart. 




Avery: so big and tall!

 


Claire: getting bigger, and too grown-up, every year!




Ella: my baby is not a baby anymore!



After the mandatory growth chart photos, we spend some time

playing in the "kid corral".  I love that our kids are never too big

to enjoy a tire swing, corn pit, or hay mountain!



Cowgirl Ella!




Howell's has become a bit commercial, but we still love it!




The Claires




What a beautiful baby.  I love my Aves~




The Log.  A fall favorite of all the kiddos, with a helping hand from Dad, of course!




Our big girls.  I pray they always remember how much they used to love
to walk along a log, run through the corn maze, and giggle by the goats.
I am so proud of the amazing young ladies these two are growing up to be,
and I am so grateful they have each other, through thick and thin!




Our girls!  What a treasure!




Mommy and Avery!



Traditions and good friends are so important.

They remind me of where I've been.

They help me enjoy where I am.

They give me courage to embrace what lies ahead.

Halloween Tradition Part Boooo (2 in another scary voice)

I don't know what I love more about this Halloween tradition.

The candy, the marshmellow roasting,

the costumes, the walking, the wagon ride,

or the chatting with our good friends.

Whatever it is, I love Living History Farms Halloween!




Katie and Claire.  I can't wait to post these on their HS graduation memory board!

 


The "little girls"




Horse-drawn wagon ride




Little cuties!




BFFF!!  Best Family Friends Forever!



And the Halloween Finale....

Rouse House Family Halloween Party!

A new tradition?? Not sure yet, but we had fun!

We threw a family fun Halloween party this year.

We packed 10 families into the house, set out lots of food,

dug into several pumpkins, and turned the fog machine on.

Then, we let the madness commence!

Looking back, I'd say that it was a lot of work, but a lot of fun!

If nothing else, everyone got good use of their costumes,

and we ended up with some awesome Jack-o-lanterns for Halloween!



A few of the kiddos decorating sugar cookies ~





My "Roman hunk" competing in the carving contest!




"Feel it!  It's not gross!"





The Avilez/Anderson Jack-o-lantern

 


The Perkins Jack-o-lantern




The Wurth Jack-o-lantern




The grown-ups and their pumpkins!




The judges making their decisions: ugliest, cutest, funniest, most original,
scariest, most confusing, biggest smile




The kids!




Donut Bobbing ~




Avery's version of donut bobbing.  "works better with your hands"~ : )




Round 2 of donut bobbing




Happy Halloween from the Rouse House!