Family Video from 1998 – Birch Bay multi-family vacation

Sissy’s back from “Canvas”

Bekah missed Ashley so much while she was gone at Camas Meadows winter retreat center. And yet, when Ashley got home Bekah was out on a ‘girl date’ with a friend. Ashley and I chatted, watched Miss America (replay), and then she laid down and crashed. Bekah is now very glad to have her sister home from the place affectionately known as “Canvas”.

Ashley recovers from a fun weekend that was short on sleep. We're so glad she's home!

Bekah learns to sew

Frequently, Bekah’s tolerance level is low and learning new things quickly leads to frustrated outbursts. This evening, however, she is quickly learning to sew. We started this morning with sleeping bags for the American Girl dolls which she measured out and I sewed. Later in the afternoon, we moved to pillows (stuffing? who needs it! apparently the dolls like the sound of crinkly, plastic grocery bags in their pillows), and a little while later she was designing clothing!

How strange it is to sit and LISTEN to the sewing machine when it’s not under my control. “I’m doing so much better at this, Mama,” she tells me. We have raided the fabric bin that I’ve kept ever since Willie and I were first married. Old curtains, pajama fabrics, and so many scraps from dresses of days’ past. So many memories. Who’d have thought I’d be keeping them so my 8 year old could sew clothes for her dolls? Ah, so nostalgic…

Beginning to sew on her own for the first time.

She laid her dolls’ clothes out on a piece of paper, traced around them leaving some extra space for seam allowance, pinned the ‘pattern’ to the cloth, cut it out and stitched away. So far, she hasn’t even stitched a neck hole or leg hole closed! You can see in this picture that she did stitch the wrong sides together, but she was happy with trimming the seam allowances and calling it good. What a kid!

Finished project, complete with art on the nightgown

Sisters

As the time for Ashley to head off for Winter Retreat grew nearer so did Bekah’s tears. Although Ashley has spent back to back nights at friends’ houses, there has been something unique about putting Sissy on a bus that puts Bekah on edge. We avoided a complete meltdown while at the church but by the time we drove away the tears were flowing.

Ashley & Bekah share some love before Ash boards the bus. They swapped stuffed animals for the weekend and Bekah has been given permission to sleep in her sister's room as well!

A Night on the Town – Birthday/Christmas

Once Bekah’s gift opening was completed we all got fancied up for dinner out at Red Lobster (Bekah’s choice over dinner at home made by Daddy) and then a special trip downtown to watch “A Christmas Carol” at A Contemporary Theater. Bekah’s friend from gymnastics, Chloe, had the role of “Tiny Tim” and we were so excited to get such an amazing discount to be able to attend this production with our friends and pastor, the Williams family.

Red Lobster dessert - cookie sundae or something like that

Ashley and Bekah enjoy dessert together

Gingerbread Lane in downtown Seattle presented a contest of all-edible creations. This "Christmas Story" one was my favorite. The depicted scenes are so good.

Our wonderful family

Us again - in our pretty colors this time

The Williams family - Fred, Sue, Jill, Brayden

This is just so accurate that I couldn't pass up posting it. Notice that Bekah's walking and playing her new DSi and Willie is holding onto Brayden's coat hood to keep him out of the street. Jill & Fred - just smiling.

Bekah, Ashley and Jordan wait for the show to begin

The show was wonderful. Shown in the round, although we were in the back row, we were only in the 8th row. Too bad photography wasn’t allowed of the show. It was phenomenal. Costumes, sets, just amazing. You can check out a link to a very cute interview with the kids here.

You tube also has some bits from opening night here.

Bekah, Chloe (on the right), and her little sister Lexi after the show.

A very special night…..

Bekah’s 8th Birthday – December 15, 2009

Can it really be EIGHT years? Can Mommy’s baby really be 8? Ashley seemed like such a big girl at 8. We moved from Seattle when Ash was 8 and in 2nd grade. Imagining that Bekah has really reached that age is mind boggling for me. It just doesn’t register. And as I reflect on the issues that we’re currently struggling with for Bekah (a big, bad attitude), I don’t remember any of those things for Ashley. Maybe my mind is numbed to it. I’ll have to check the journal I wrote for her, maybe it will have some hints to her behavior.

At any rate, the calendar doesn’t lie and Rebekah Joy Bodger must have turned 8 on Tuesday, December 15th 2009. We had a fun day celebrating Bekah.

Started the day off with Bekah’s favorite: French Toast

School must go on…

Once everyone was home, Bekah got to open her gifts.

Wii Cheer 2 game from Grandma Yogi & Grandpa Don

Very cute box and girlie goodies from Uncle Wes & Aunt Kara

A very special photo album of Bekah’s years came from Gammy & Pa along with $20.

The very special doll the was given to Gammy by her sister, Irene. Now passed on to the dolly girl, Bekah.

The photo album

Balloon bouquet from Bekah’s gymnastics coach!

The Target gift card from Gramma and Grampa Schertz draws a smile

Polly Pocket Cruise Ship from Ashley and Jordan (Black Friday deal!!!)

Shock & awe

at the gift

she didn’t think

she’d ever get.

So happy with her very special Nintendo DSi

Happy, happy birthday Rebekah.

We Love You very much.

Bekah’s 8th Birthday Party – LEGOS and Princesses

Birthday girl!

Saturday, December 12, 2009, Bekah had her 8th B’day party at our house. She invited 9 friends, Bella and Sadie couldn’t come. It was a much anticipated and very fun event for all.

The Girls! ...And Willie. Mary, Sydney, Bekah, Molly, Grace, Caroline, Mikayla, and Janelle

Girls and LEGOS

Crafts

Ice cream only - because Bekah doesn't LIKE cake (easier for Mom!)

Thanksgiving 2009

3 Bodger generations

Bekah likes this one

Grandpa John with Jordan and Bekah

The kids at what's becoming our annual after-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving. Us and Mansfields.

1st Home Study visit scheduled!

In just a few days we will be welcoming our case manager/social worker, Chelsea, into our home for our first home visit. The date is Friday, 12/11 and we’ve been told it will be a minimum of 3 hours. Because of the large time commitment, we’re still negotiating the time. Willie’s Christmas party for Laplink is at 6:30 in south Bellevue so we’re limited on our afternoon hours. Do we need to schedule FOUR hours?!

Appreciate your prayers!

The kids who are here will be talked to some and then whoever isn’t here will get picked up on the next visit.

Black Friday Shopping

Mom and Ashley waiting in a cold line at 11:30 Thanksgiving night around the back side of Toys R Us in Lynnwood

The painful memories of crowds, lines and not finding what I wanted had faded since I attempted Black Friday 2 years ago. And with the fading memories, came another mission of finding the deals and joining the masses of crazy people out, basically, for a good time and a story. One big difference between the previous trip and this year was that Ashley wanted to go this year.
Didn’t know if she was serious or not but when we got home from John and Mary’s on Thanksgiving night at 11:10, we unloaded and then got back in the car and headed to Toys R Us for their midnight sale.
Not really expecting they’d do a store opening at midnight, I planned on getting to the store, doing my shopping, and then going to the cash registers at midnight to make my purchases. Easy squeezy. Couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Upon entering the parking lot at 11:20, a line of people was already evident. The question was whether to sit in the car until the doors opened at midnight or to go stand in the line. After 5 minutes, we headed out to join the masses.
However, we weren’t anywhere near prepared for this. As we walked toward the doors and began to follow the line to it’s end, we rounded one corner of the building, grabbing a cart on our way, kept walking, and rounded a second corner. We were now on the complete opposite side of the building from the doors and still had to walk half the distance of the building to even reach the end of the line. Thankfully it wasn’t raining, but the wind was blowing and it was chilly.
It only took a few minutes before we were both cold. A quick text to Willie and he was on his way with gloves, coats, and a blanket. Whew!
When midnight finally arrived, we started moving and entered the building – clueless as to what awaited us. It’s almost impossible to describe. I thought we’d make a bee-line for electronics. But they had blocked the path off so you had to go all the way around the store to attempt to enter the skinny little detector doors where people with carts were attempting to go in, out, and every other possible (or impossible) direction. It was a traffic jam of carts if I ever saw one.
After about 45 minutes of trying to find the items listed in the ad, which I’d carefully studied and listed out by department on my shopping list, we hit the line – frustrated by the fact that we’d found only ONE of the items we’d come for. (We did find a couple more as the line wove through every single aisle along the back and left side of the store on its way to the register.) We were in line for over an hour. The bonus of having a shopping buddy was having a place holder who could switch off if we saw or remember something else we wanted to check on. Being able to roam just a little while we waited broke up the monotony quite a bit. I recommend shopping with a buddy!
By 2:15 we were out of the store, and by 2:30 we were in the house and our ‘morning’ plans were made. Ashley went to bed.
I shopped online – disappointed that even though it was only 2 – 1/2 hours into Black Friday, several of the best deals were sold out online at Best Buy. I did however make several purchases at Target that I figured I’d never get my hands on in the store after having seen what we’d just endured at Toys ‘R Us. I shopped online until 3:45, and finally shut my eyes a little after 4:00AM.
The alarm went off at 6:30 and by 6:50 Ashley and I were back out the door and on our way to Best Buy.
The items I couldn’t find online were actually in stock in the store! So exciting! On a $150 purchase, I saved $90! Sweet! And the gifts will be such hits.
Next target? Target – ugh. I’d done this one before and knew the line would wrap through the entire huge store. We did find most of what we were looking for before spending another hour + standing in line.
After quick trips to REI for snow socks and Walgreens for their Webkinz deal (Ashley’s friends’ gifts), we finally made it home about 11:45. I was so exhausted that it didn’t seem right that the sun was up and people were up and moving around.
Thankfully, I got a couple hour nap before my amazing husband put a gorgeous Thanksgiving Day round 2 meal on the table for us and our friends.
After a good night’s sleep, I’m happy with the purchases and the deals, and most happy that I had a partner in crime to enjoy it with. Ashley was a wonderful addition to the mayhem.
You’ll see the results when Christmas Day pictures are posted!