Story Time with Mrs. Clause

Mrs. Clause came for story time at the library today! He enjoyed "helping" her and I'm not sure what this face is all about... except once I put the camera down, THEN he smiled. Typical! :)

A Bittersweet Birthday

Well, I celebrated my 33rd birthday yesterday. It was a very unusual day. First of all, it was rainy and cold which around here is pretty much unheard of and it's been this way for about five days which is really unheard of. So I definitely was missing the sunshine. Then of course, Levi chose to be pretty defiant and I had to discipline him several times before lunch. Didn't he know he was supposed to be nice on my birthday!!! :) Anyway, we went to Wal-Mart and I noticed I had a voicemail. I listened to it while Levi was watching the fish in the pet department. My good friends from Good Shepherd Preschool where I worked for five years while living in Illinois, called me and sang Happy Birthday! I immediately started crying and seriously couldn't stop for most of the day. I just miss working with them and seeing them almost every day so much. Later in the day, I tried to lay down for a nap while Levi was napping thinking it would help with my crazy emotions when two more good friends from Illinois called and sang Happy Birthday to me too! I visited with one of them for quite a while and couldn't help but bawl my eyes out after we hung up. So much for napping and trying to get my emotions under control!

Later that night, some of our life group came over and they brought me a Baskin Robbins cholocate mint ice cream cake which is my absolute favorite birthday cake! Jason didn't know they were bringing it and he brought me a Snickers cake with "Happy 33rd Kelli" written on it and everything! How thoughtful! So even after a sad day of missing my good friends in Illinois, I was blessed with an evening of hanging out and playing games with my new friends in Arizona. Overall, this morning as I write, I'm just overwhelmed with thankfulness that I have so many friends across the country. I've been addressing Christmas letters to people in Nebraska, Kentucky, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, and New Hampshire. Thank you for your friendship! I am so blessed!

On my way to bed last night, I'm pretty sure I said "Boy, I'm glad this day's over." Heeheehee. And another year begins...

Catching up

Well, it's been way too long since I blogged last, so I thought I'd take some time to catch you all up on the going's on of the Price house.

Levi was a cowboy for Halloween and we went to church for a costume party, games, hay ride, etc. He had fun and looked really cute. I'll get pictures up at some point... camera issues. For Thanksgiving we had some of our staff from church and some college students come over for lunch. All of us were kind of "homeless" for the holiday and it worked out really well for us to be able to host Thanksgiving dinner. It's such a blessing to have a home that is more conducive to having company.

We joined the YMCA last week so it's been nice getting to work out again. Of course, I'm seriously sore but I remember the end result and boy am I ready for that! Slipping on my clothes instead of stuffing myself inside them! :) Levi gets to do tumbling once a week and this last Tuesday was his first day. I think he'll really like it once he gets the hang of it. I did a lot of redirecting but he did well. Hopefully, I'll get to take some pictures once he doesn't need me so much.

It's been fun talking about and planning for Christmas this year with Levi being older and able to understand and talk about Jesus' birthday. We're looking forward to Christmas morning with little man and beginning our own family traditions. He's so much fun right now, two year old fits and all. We'll drive to Texas after Christmas to be with my immediate and extended family. We've not all been together at my Granny and Papaw's house since before Levi was born and it's such a special place for me. I am looking forward to it more than I can say....

Well, I'm certain I'll have pictures up after Christmas. I hope that all of you know that, regardless of circumstances, we are all so very blessed, and I pray that we can truly enjoy the fact that it's during this time of the year where most people might actually think of Jesus the Christ. Christmas always brings tears to my eyes and a knot to my throat because no matter what one's belief, people can't deny the CHRIST in Christmas and hopefully God's word can be proclaimed again even unto those not looking for it. For example, we went downtown this last Saturday night to the courthouse lighting. We had been told about it and wanted to experience it for ourselves. To our amazement, the narrator began reading the Christmas story straight from Scripture with Christmas hymns being sung intermixed with the reading. I could tell the lady standing near me was not amused but it didn't matter. God's word was being proclaimed not in a church building, but right there on government property! I found myself praying that His word would not come back void and that those people would be able to truly experience the Christ.

We love you and miss you all... May this Christmas hold many wonderful memories for you and your family and may we all truly experience Jesus as we give Christmas back to Him.

Flagstaff Skyride

Last Friday Jason took me and Levi up north a little bit to Flagstaff, AZ. His intention was to let me see some changing of the leaves but because of a cold snap earlier in the month, they mostly had already fallen off. (But wasn't it great that he was thinking of me! He's such a wonderful husband!) So instead, we got to ride a ski lift up the mountain. It was a bright, sunny day just a little brisk but beautiful. It was a little nervewracking sitting on the lift with Levi but he loved it and did great. We went up to 11,500 feet and wow, what a view!

Potty Training Update

Well, I can positively say that Levi is fully potty trained! Hurray!!! He has done a fantastic job and does both duties in the potty with no problems. I'm so proud of him and can't believe he's so big. Thanks for all the encouraging words! Believe me, I needed them! :)

Pumpkin Festival

Today we took Levi to a Pumpkin Festival in Chino Valley. It was a chilly, windy morning with an overcast sky, which is unusual around here. But it finally feels like fall and we had a wonderful family time. The festival had kiddie jumpers, pumpkins, pony rides and a feeding/petting zoo. Levi's favorite part was feeding and petting the animals. He was so comfortable amongst them that he just picked up bunnies and chicks and loved on them. It was so sweet! The people there were very nice and let us have lots of time with the animals and the pony. It was the first weekend for it to be open and we got there right at opening time so we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. Hope you enjoy the photos! Happy Fall!

O Where O Where Have Our Antelope Gone?

(Sung to the tune of "O Where O Where Has My Little Dog Gone?")

O where o where have our antelope gone
O where o where can they be?
With their bright white markings
And long black horns
O where o where can they be?

Since my parents left on September 5th, we have seen no more antelope in our backyard. It is quite sad actually, for they have been here since we moved in on May 30th. It's funny how you get used to things and since they've been gone, I have realized how much they kept me company and how comforted I have been having them nearby. It was like I wasn't alone out here in this vast land of prairies and mountains. The cattle haven't been back either, but this very morning a herd of them moved through. I kept hearing weird growling sounds and I thought it was a new dog in the neighborhood or something. And then I looked out the window and there they were. They grazed through pretty quickly but it made me smile as I watched them. It seems such a simple silly thing, and I realize there's less to eat as the seasons change and that migratory patterns play a part. And it's not really as if they were our antelope or our cattle, but it sort of felt that way. As if they knew we were here and came to visit us.

Things are changing. The season, Levi, me, Jason, even Jasmine has gotten fatter. :) So I find myself grieving again for those I love and miss so dearly, not because I'm unhappy or regret our new journey. But just because sometimes my heart just aches for what once was. And I have to rely on the Lord to be my comfort. Everything changes. But He always stays the same. And I am so very thankful....

A Prayer from a Two Year Old

Tonight at bedtime: "Dear God, thank you for mommy and her head and her eyes and her mouth and the wall and the door and for blanket and this blanket and bear and for eyes" (as he's rubbing his eyes)..... the simplicity of it all... oh to be like thee....

Inspired

I've been reading the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers which I highly recommend, by the way. I'm on the third and final book and I just have to say that I have truly been inspired. Her characters are so real and imperfect yet their conversations with the Lord throughout their daily experiences have grabbed ahold of my mind and won't let go. The books are written based around the time Rome destroyed Jerusalem and tells of believers who survive. Although, it is fiction, I know the times then were horrible when Christians were sent to the arena for the public to watch them being torn apart and eaten by lions. But the faith of these believers transcends me and I have found myself thinking about them during my day. What would Hadassah or Theopholis do? How would they pray? I have been stuggling with Levi. He and I are so much alike with strong wills of our own and I have found myself desperate in how to raise him, how to get through to him, how to teach him to obey. So I have been praying differently. I don't know how to explain it, I pray through my days often. But, somehow, it's gentler, more peaceful. Maybe it's the place from which I pray from, the solemn need for the Lord to do something in me and through me that will reach a two year old. Maybe it's finally a place where I have totally removed myself from the equation because I've come to realize that I can't do it. Believe me I've tried and read books about trying. The amazing thing is, although I can't put my finger on it, it's working. It's like Jesus is truly coming forth from my mouth and thoughts and hands through the Holy Spirit. I know it's not me. I am impatient and critical and negative and selfish, but in spite of me, Jesus is taking care of my two year old. He has heard my desperate prayers that sometimes don't even have words and inspires me to do and say things that are kind and gentle and compassionate and full of love. Thank you Jesus. All I can say is thank you.....

Close Encounters of the Stinky Kind

Episode #1:

11:00pm at night... I let Jasmine out to go potty before we head to bed but instead of going potty she darts out into the bushes at the edge of our rock yard which of course is open to the prairie behind us... I run out in my night gown yelling at her to stop which of course she doesn't and I can't exactly chase after her because I have no shoes on. Levi can run across the rocks with no shoes, but I, however, can not. So I stand there screaming her name to come back. And then... she turns toward me kind of stunned and coughing and I see something large running away... yes, a skunk! I'm furious and grab her holding her away from me to take her in to give her an immediate bath. Yuck, did she ever STINK! And we sleep with the windows open so now our house stinks, too. Thankfully, I don't think she got a full shot of whatever the skunk was firing because I was able to bathe her and get the smell out right away. Oh my goodness.

Episode #2:

Today I took Levi to the library for the first time for their Toddler story time and to get a library card and check out some books. It was great! We had a good time together. So on the way home I stopped to get gas. It was kind of an unusual "gas getting" time because I had to back in because all the other cars were blocking the entrance to my pump and then a man asked my help in reading the instructions at his pump. So it took me a few minutes to get mine going and I don't know if I was distracted or the pump was at fault but when the nozzle clicked to tell me it was finished filling my tank, I went to take it out and it shot out gasoline all over me! I was stunned and needless to say STINKY! I went to the cashier and asked for some paper towels meanwhile wondering what the heck had just happened. I seriously have never had that happen to me before and I hope never again. I came directly home and got in the bathtub but still can smell gasoline....

oh well, what are ya gonna do?..... hope you get some chuckles... :)

The World of Potty Training

Okay, so today is day 10 of the potty training saga. The very first thing I have to say is that I'm so tired of getting peed on!!! You know how boys are and mostly Levi is doing fantastic. It's just that our toilet seats have a gap between the seat and the base so most of the time he just pees right between them which of course gets me or the floor/wall all wet. Yuck! He's doing okay with the #2 side of things, although the first day he actually went on the kitchen floor (because we were letting him run around naked to make it easier) and Jason wretched and left the room. Thanks a lot, I said! So there me and Levi are cleaning up his poop. Even Levi said it was gross and of course I said, "that's why you go in the potty and not in the floor!" To be honest, it's hard to stay positive and encouraging for him. At this point, the last thing I want to do is be in the bathroom, but there we are every thirty minutes or so. My parents have been visiting this week, so mom is helping me out and I couldn't thank her enough! I'm getting a little bit of a break anyway. Most often, they are laughing at me because I'm saying things like "You are responsible for what comes out of your body, Levi, and you can't pee on me and all over the bathroom! It's yucky!"........ LOL......... Think happy thoughts for me..............

Aunt TT comes to visit!

Our good friend Tracy, otherwise known as Aunt TT, came to visit this past weekend. Her gracious husband let her come, leaving him at home with 6 kids. Thanks, Dustin! We had a wonderful time!

Here we are at a mountain-top lookout watching the sunset.

Tracy and I took a day to drive to Jerome and Sedona. We stopped in Jerome for lunch at a place called The Assylum. As you can see, we sat at a table with a great view and the food was delicious. Jerome itself was a little creepy, however. It's an old mining town that's basically stuck in the side of a mountain. We felt like we were driving through a foreign country!

Slopfest

The youth group at PCC hosted an outreach event called Slopfest where they play games in the mud. We took Levi and as you can see he had a blast!

Arizona Cardinals Game

Jason and I were given tickets to go see the Cardinals play their first pre-season game against the New Orleans Saints. Our realtor who helped us find a place to live here has season tickets so he and his wife took us along with their son and his friend. Other season ticket holders around them couldn't go so they were able to invite our youth minister and his wife as well as our youth intern and his sister to go as well. It was fun hanging out with all of them and getting to see our first NFL game, even if it was a pre-season game. We hope to get to go again at least one more time this season. They were fantastic seats and the indoor stadium, which is only three years old, was super nice. We definitely appreciated the indoor part of it considering it was 112 degrees at 4:00pm in Phoenix. The top picture looks far away but we were so close that we could feel the heat coming from the flames shooting up to the side of the tunnel the players were running out of. It was very exciting. Unfortunately, the Cardinals lost 10 to 17 to the Saints. Oh, well. Jason said they were just filling out the rest of their roster anyway.

Levi aka ET

This is Levi and Renae on the trampoline. Renae is the daughter of some friends of ours at church. Her and her mom helped take care of Levi while Jason and I went to Phoenix to go to the Cardinals football game. It was kind of a misty day so Renae put this hoody on him so he wouldn't get wet on the trampoline. He totally looks like ET! He had a blast and he looks hilarious!

Levi has a new bike!

Levi on his new bike (above) and his little bike (below). He's been practicing on his new one but it's slow coming. He gets tired easily so then he rides his little one where he doesn't have to pedal. We know he's only two, but he's so tall that he fits the bigger one. However, the coordination is still working itself out, but he enjoys it and even likes wearing his helmet. We'll see how long that lasts!

Monsoon

We are in the middle of what these westerners call Monsoon season in which it actually rains. These are some pictures of a big thunderhead that formed right behind our house and just looked so cool I had to take pictures of it. The monsoon really cools things down. It literally can downpour and a half mile down the road it's sunny. It's so bizarre and they have to worry about flooding down in the Phoenix area because it comes down so hard and so fast that the desert ground can't absorb it fast enough.

Horseback Riding

We've met some great people from church

who have horses and they have been all

about letting Levi ride. He, of course, has no

fear and just hopped right on. He absolutely

loves it!

Rodeo

Someone from the church gave us tickets to the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo. Jason's mom was visiting at the time so she came with us. Levi absolutely loved every minute of it. He stood up and watched intently for two hours and talked to the people on both sides of us making sure they were seeing what he was seeing. It was so cute. He even waved back to the cowboys and cowgirls when they waved at the audience! We had a blast watching him have such a good time.

Home Sweet Home

Our rental home here in Prescott. This is our "new to us" car, a 2003 Hyundai Sante Fe, which we absolutely love. It's so spacious and smooth riding compared to our worn out Malibu. An added feature is that the passenger riding in the back can actually have a conversation with the driver because you can hear each other! I sat in the back of our Malibu with Levi on our trek out here and basically had just Levi to talk to because the road noise was so loud!
These next two pictures are some views from our back "yard" and the last one is taken from our street. We are surrounded by mountains around here and we love it! An added feature to our view from the back "yard" is all the wildlife we get to see. We get everything like lizards, quail, antelope (or pronghorn as they call them here), cattle and even coyotes. The only thing separating us from the field back behind the house is a cattle fence about 50 yards away. In fact, the coyotes often slip underneath the fence and walk around the long gully that goes behind our street. They have woken me up more than once howling and carrying on! We also have to make sure our dog Jasmine doesn't go outside without us. She's the perfect size for a coyote snack! Not to worry though, it's just how it is around here. I was telling a lady from church the other day about our coyotes and she told me she had a bear walking around her neighborhood the other day. How crazy is that?!