¿Dónde está la fiesta?

t-shirts that jenny & I made for everyone on the trip
...the front had a sombrero with the words cancun 2009
celebrating jerry 50 years...

Wow! I can't believe that it's been a month since I last blogged and that the new year is just a couple of days away. Life has just been happening at our house, and I'm amazed at what one can cram into a single month. Today Jillian and I are watching Reese so I have some time to breathe s...l...o...w...l....y... and blog.

This month for us has really been all about family. It's times like this that I am so glad to be back in Colorado near my family, and when it's snowy & cold and I'm longing for the warm, tropical Queensland weather, I remind myself of that. December started off with Christmas decorations, cards & shopping for presents; lots of work for me; Mallory's Christmas concert (spectacular as always); Jillian's honor roll assembly (straight A's for this girl); and the farewell to Peter's Saab (totaled the day before our vacation).

Our final vacation this year was by far my favorite. We embarked on a "Shrader" first and all went on a trip together to Cancun to celebrate my oldest brother, Jerry's, 50th birthday. My entire family (except my youngest brother's family & my 2 older nieces) checked into the Casa Magna Marriott for a week of sand, sun & surf...oh, and daiquiris, margaritas & cervezas by the pool. It was an amazing week, and I loved hanging out with my family. We can't wait to do it again in 2 years when Jeff turns 50 & Jenny turns 40.

the coolest car there (says mallory)

reese's first vacation & it was a big one

all 24 of us in the lobby of the Casa Magna Marriott

my girls & me

peter & his girls

my sisters - heather, jenny & jana

grammie w/ all the grandsons

the younger grandchildren

the water

lunch at a local restaurant in downtown cancun

the view from our balcony - gorgeous!

the last day

We arrived home late Christmas Eve, had to scrape the ice off of the car & re-adjust to the cold temperature, but there's nothing quite like waking up on Christmas morning in the comfort of home. The four of us opened presents, had an Aussie breakfast & relaxed before heading to my mom's house in the afternoon. This year we didn't exchange gifts with the extended family but still did our Shrader family $10 gift exchange. This is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. My other favorite part of Christmas is celebrating the birth of a baby born long ago. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

playing apples to apples

the shrader family gift exchange

nacho libre masks from mexico

the perfect gift for adam

snuggie winners.........................and............. the cutest little santa EVER

a weekend of thankfulness & preparation

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it was a very special one with all of my brothers and sisters together for the first time in over 10 years. It was also bittersweet with several family members missing. Peter was in Calgary, a few neices & nephews were away and even more noticeable was the absence of my sister in-law Karla as we celebrated Thanksgiving with Jeff, Courtney & Carrie in their home. Because there are so many of us, we are usually spread out and take up several different tables, but for the very first time, all 30 of us sat at one long table. It was quite amazing to look up and down the table and be among the people who have most shaped my life. I love my large and fun family.

a table for 30

11 out of 15 grandkids

all 8 shrader kids

mal & jilly w/ reese (the newest grandchild)

Peter arrived home from his trip from Calgary yesterday. After unpacking, re-packing, putting up the Christmas tree, hanging the outdoor lights, decorating the house, writing our family Christmas letter, visiting with family, eating & sleeping, his 24 hrs at home were over, and he was off for another week in Calgary. We crammed a ton into his short time at home, and now it's beginning to feel like Christmas at our house. I love this time of year...

w/ milo

w/ holden

I AM THANKFUL

So it’s that time of year – a time when everything and everyone around me are reminders to be thankful. I am truly thankful every day for so many things & so many people in my life, and I know I should probably say it more often than I do.

I AM THANKFUL FOR JILLIAN. I am thankful for the quiet spirit that God has given her. I am thankful that her quiet spirit allows her to sit back and take everything in. I am thankful that she desires to do the right thing and make good choices, and I am thankful that she doesn’t always have to be right and can let things go.

I AM THANKFUL FOR MALLORY. I am thankful that her sensitive spirit enables her to care for others. I am thankful that a year ago she committed to sponsoring a child on her own. I am thankful that this year she has given up her monthly lunch money & packs her own lunch every day so that she can send Litzy $30 every month. I am thankful that she is not afraid to let others know that she loves Jesus.

I AM THANKFUL FOR PETER. I am thankful that after 16 plus years, he is still as committed to me and our family as he was in the beginning. I am thankful that once again he is able to do things that he loves – golf, hockey, cigars w/ friends… I am thankful for dates and quiet moments with him.

I AM THANKFUL FOR MY MOM. I am thankful that her servant’s heart is an example to us all. I am thankful that she loves her grandchildren and loves, loves, loves being a part of their lives in the little ways like picking them up from school and the big ways like taking them on special trips. I am thankful that her love for the Lord has been passed on from generation to generation.

I AM THANKFUL FOR MY SISTERS. I am thankful that they live close and we get to be part of each others lives. I am thankful that they love my girls like their very own.

I AM THANKFUL FOR MY BROTHERS. I am thankful that they are strong men who lead lives of integrity. I am thankful for the practical ways they show that they love us.

I AM THANKFUL FOR FRIENDS - near and far. I am thankful for friends who have been our family. I am thankful for moments of laughter and moments of tears. I am thankful that Mallory & Jillian have seen examples of amazing friendships and how those friendships have enriched our lives.

Most of all, I AM THANKFUL FOR A GOD WHO LOVES ME. I am thankful that no matter how many times I make a mess of things, He never leaves. I am thankful for His protection over our family, and I am thankful for the life He has so graciously allowed me to have.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

(Oh, one more thing - I am thankful that this Thanksgiving all of my brothers and sisters will be together for the first time in over 10 years!!!)

Drivers Ed

Yikes! Mallory is at her first day of Driver's Ed, and I am having a hard time believing that she is actually old enough to drive. There's no doubt she's taller than me, has travelled miles & miles from home without me and even though her room is usually a mess & doesn't reflect it, is really very responsible, but seriously...driving?!?!

It's not like I didn't know this day was coming. In fact, I think the countdown began when she was 14 1/2, so there's certainly NO surprise here. I am actually excited for her to have the opportunity to drive - just can't believe that it's that time already. I researched online, made lots of phone calls & talked to friends who have older kids and found the "perfect" drivers ed course for Mallory. It is by no means the cheapest (just the opposite in fact), but driving is such a huge priviledge. We definitely want her to be as prepared and ready as possible, and it's probably a good idea for someone else to "undo" all of our bad driving habits she's observed over the years.

The next job is to find a car suitable for her to drive. We use to think that something small that gets great gas mileage would be the ideal car, but after sharing the road with so many suvs and big cars, there's something to be said for equalling the odds. So we are in search of something bigger than a compact car - older, cheap but in good running condition. I wonder if there is such a vehicle?

So for those of you who live near us, we'll let you know when Mallory finishes the classroom part of drivers ed and hits the streets. :)

...and this is the car Mallory wishes she could be driving...really!!!

15 & fabulous

She really is! Mallory is truly a delight, and there are so many things I love about this girl.

I LOVE...

the way she can talk a mile a minute... and under water (really!)

the way she smiles & it melts my heart every time

the way she loves icecream in large bowls or straight out of the container

the way she speaks her mind & isn't afraid of what others will say

the way she is ever hopeful for all things big & little

the way she values her friends & makes time for them

the way she loves her little sister & stands up for her

the way she shows compassion here & abroad

the way she wears really cool clothes that I could never wear

the way she loves a bargain & thinks Goodwill is a great "new" store

the way she loves Jesus & isn't afraid to show it

the way she loves life passionately & tries new things

...mostly I love that she is one of God's most generous gift to us.

Happy Birthday Mallory Paige! I love you to the moon & back!

music to my ears

I love the piano. I'm not particularly good at playing - even after almost 10 years of lessons (sorry mom - not much to show for your money), but I still love listening to someone else play. With Mallory being gone for the summer, we decided to take a short break from piano lessons. That break turned into 5 months since both girls were playing a fall sport (or two), and there just weren't enough hours in the day. Last week they both started back, and when they're not using the headphones, the sounds of the piano keys can finally be heard throughout the house. Love it!

...and in the spirit of music, here is a picture of Jilly doing something she doesn't love (we call it character building - ha ha!!!). We were glad we got to hear her 7th grade choir sing even if her heart wasn't in it. I guess that's life - sometimes you just endure! Jillian is just glad the trimester is over, and she gets new electives.

a shovel, a sidewalk & some snow

It's the end of October, and already we've had 24.5" of snow in the past two days. I am sooo not a winter person, and all this snow is not my cup of tea. No doubt the snow is spectacular - something only our amazing God could create, but really, I could do without the shoveling, wet clothes & shoes by the front & back doors, puppy paw prints on my kitchen floor, the surprise of stepping in a puddle in really strange places in the house (can never figure out how the puddles get there when the clothes & shoes are by the doors), shoveling, lost gloves, cleaning off the cars, driving, & did I mention shoveling.

Today as I finished shoveling the driveway and started on the sidewalk, I faced a small dilema - how much of the sidewalk is my responsibility? The neighbors on the left had shoveled their sidewalk & stopped EXACTLY at the edge of their property line & the beginning of ours. So I started where they had stopped and headed down the sidewalk towards the neighbor on the right who hadn't shoveled their sidewalk yet today. When I came to our mailbox which marks the end of our property, I had a decision to make - not a decision that would change the world or someone's life drastically, but a decision just the same. My arms were tired, & no one was watching to see whether I would shovel so it was really, really tempting to walk away. Then I thought about another neighbor who yesterday brought me fresh baked pumpkin bread straight from the oven and how that little gesture made my day. And you know, that little stretch of sidewalk really wasn't that long. I just hope I don't have to shovel tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Peter!

that's my man

Peter is 45 today! Yesterday we celebrated with Todd, Denise, Mark & Carla with dinner at the Morrison Inn. We love these two couples, and I think it's awesome that Peter has friends who love and support him in ways that I can't. They can spend hours together golfing, drinking beers, smoking cigars, eating icecream & just hanging out. If men are allowed BFFs, they must be it.

Tonight we'll celebrate with the girls, and as much as they love their own birthdays, they love celebrating ours. Our family tradition is going to a restaurant that the birthday person chooses (we ruled out Mc Donalds & fast food in general early on) so tonight we are going to the Bonefish Grill for seafood - I think it's the Queenslander in him.

Celebrating Peter is one of my greatest delights, and I love that we get to share parenting and growing "up" (sounds better than growing old) together. He is my calm in the storm, my focus in the middle of chaos, the hand that I hold and the man that I love. Thank you for laughter, compassion & strength, and thank you for being a faithful man of God.

Happy Birthday love of my life!

a never-ending birthday

a birthday tradition - decorating the locker

a top seller prize - skydiving

an experience like no other

a birthday dinner (jilly's choice)

a buffalo burger at ted's montana grill

a party with friends - jilly + 9

a favorite dessert - homemade icecream sandwiches by grammie but had to use a muffin to hold the candles

a photo scavenger hunt

team A (a wooden bench)

team A ("express" yourself)

team A (bubble gum galore!)

team B (inside a photo booth)

team B (jilly's middle name) team B (a gatorade machine)

a horse & carriage ride

after getting rained out 2 yrs in a row...
...it finally happened

a lei made especially for her

a "nacho libre" smile

a birthday pumpkin pie

a celebration with family

and more family

and a big sister