Christmas re-cap

Ahh...a new year.  I can hardly believe that 2013 is behind us and there is a whole year of possibilities ahead.  Given how the past two-ish years have gone, this year could hold just about anything.  Which is both terrifying and exciting!  I have a LOT of pictures to share from the past month.  MONTH.  a lot has happened.  Hence the blogging hiatus.  

First, I'll do my updates: 

I transitioned from Adult Group Home care to Adolescent foster care. Our program is the last stop for these kinds of kids.  No other program in MN or the four surrounding states will take them.  Their families have given up.  we are the last hope.  No pressure, or anything.  

Because of this, the county is paying handsomely for our services.  The staffing is the baffling part.  Necessary, but crazy!  right now, we only have one teenage boy.  and 3 staff on all day with him, with 2 awake overnight staff.   (Thankfully we have some pretty great staff!)  He is getting constant 1-on-1 attention, which we think is the missing piece of the puzzle.  Our hope is that if he has someone with him, giving him positive attention at all times, or at least is there as support, he won't go looking for attention using maladaptive or negative behaviors.  I can't go into the details of his diagnoses and such, but I can say that this boy needs a lot of loving...but I think he'll make significant progress with us.  He has a toolbox filled with tools that get him what he wants...tools like property destruction, temper tantrums, yelling, swearing etc... Our job is to make those tools ineffective (by not responding and giving in when he behaves like that) and introduce new tools where he can get the same things, but by much more civil, appropriate and safe means.  It is kind of like the basics of beginning parenting, but with a teenager...and one who has a traumatic brain injury and other disorders due to tragic circumstances in his early childhood.  It is challenging, but ultimately I'm doing what I've always wanted to do.  Working with broken kids...the ones everyone else has given up on.  I may not be in probation, but this is no less challenging.  and I love it. 

Ben is doing well too.  Work has been pretty stressful, due to end-of-year madness and preparation for the spring season at the greenhouse.  After a 5 day trip to AZ (pictures to come), he came back to work rejuvenated, with new perspective and has had a good and productive week so far.  

People always ask us how married life is...and in a word it is...Right.  I don't really know how else to say it.  We often find ourselves sitting quietly next to each other on the couch or somewhere and just look over at the other and say, "This feels so right."  It is comfortable and it flows...and even with bumps along the way...it's just...right.  i think this is how it is supposed to be.  all of you marriage veterans might be saying that this is still year 1 bliss...and that may be true.  I've said this before, but don't think that it is all rainbows and butterflies.  It isn't like honeymoon phase continued.  The giddy happy stuff involved with wedding and house setting up and all of that is passed.  It is now settled. and it is right.  and we thank God frequently for that.  Because it is all at his hand...this we know for sure. 

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Pictures! 

Saturday Mornings (sometimes...when I don't have work...)

Ben makes amazing breakfast tacos....Sierra just hangs out sleeping.

The other weekend we took the kiddos for a weekend so J&K could go away for Krissa's bday.  We went to Mall of America because it was coooold outside. 

Went on a carousel.  They loved it!

And I love him. 

He's so good with the kids. 

This weekend clarified two things:

1. we are happy to just be Auntie and "Untle" Ben for right now

2. When we do have kids, there is no one else I'd rather parent with.  We made a good team =)

Perk of having children.  When one can't find a kleenex in an emergency nose situation, a clean diaper works =)

Making Christmas cookies!  

We won't show you the decorated ones...not so pretty. 

He's so domestic =)

Filled up my truck from empty to full for under $60.  Hasn't happened like this for a loooong time.

On days that are not sub-zero, we take Sierra to the frozen lake and throw balls.  She loves it. 

Slips and slides on the ice and kicks up huge snow clouds.

She gets her face all covered with snow and is wild and free =)

We bundle up and take our noses out for some freezing good fun! 

Beautiful winter sunsets. 

Ben's sister Rose had a solo in her school's concert.  

My first gingerbread house making session!!  

Claire and Rose shared one.  they are quite creative. 

Joe helping Maria with her caulking. 

Sam and Georgia working hard on their masterpiece. 

Our final product.  Complete with felled christmas tree and fire pit. 

=) 

Our little gingerbread neighborhood. 

The Dill's dog Nan waiting for our niece Hanna to drop some cheese. 

Joe got some awesome glasses in his stocking.  it is a huge straw that wraps around the glasses and his head. 

beautiful nieces:

L-R

Eva, Maria and Hanna

Delicious taco bar for Christmas celebration dinner...complete with authentic Mexican tortillas! 

Ben gave me a beautiful coat for Christmas...picked it out all on his own!  So sweet. 

Sunset. 

Sunrise...on my way to work for a 14 hour day...ON A SATURDAY. 

thankfully my new schedule does not have me working saturdays. or 14s. 

Lake Nokomis on that same morning. 

Christmas was an amazing time.  Ben and I spent a lot of time together and with family.  I had to work on Christmas day...but it turned out to be okay.  Ben went to church and then to visit a friend who is in prison.  I was off work by 6, and met up with Ben for a nice dinner and our own personal christmas gift opening session.  It was quite nice. 

Unfortunately we missed Christmas with Ben's extended family in IL.  But we called in when we could and we felt a little bit closer.  

Next post will have some pictures from our recent trip to Arizona for my grandma's 80th birthday.  

au revoir!