Care Packages {Take Two}

Kristina

 Kristina & I were in choir together in high school. Our husbands also knew each other in high school.  After that we lost touch until Facebook.  There we reunited, commenting occasionally on each other’s posts, and then started following each others’ blogspots.  There she learned of our journey & the big move.  And a few weeks after we arrived, we got two amazing packages from her.  I swear I don’t know how she fit so much into those two boxes. Can you believe everything in this picture was in two medium size flat rate boxes?

The biggest hits have been the CD’s- we heart dancing around here- and the mommy gifts- Scentsy bars, the bath bomb & the lotion.  But what touched me more than any of the contents in the box was the letter that accompanied it.  In the letter Kristina said that I had shown her & James that God has an adventure for everyone if you are just willing to give him control.  It made me feel really good. {Thanks, Kristina!}

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Nanny

My parents sent us the last of our belongings from Vancouver, as well as the game table & some fun care packages.  I love getting any kind of box from them, as they are always exciting!  Like yesterday we got the box that had the boys’ booster seats for the kitchen table & the baby’s new bath seat (thank you Brittany Spicher!) as well as Wyatt’s play mat & his entertainment seat. That box was like Christmas for Josh & I.  The seats will make our lives so much easier everyday! Hooray!

Here the boys are ecstatic to see the game table box has arrived.  So cute!

Another favorite box from Nanny was the one for Valentine’s Day! 

 It had flashlights for Josh & I, as well as some bobby pins & rubberbands for me. (The static here forces me to put my hair back nearly everyday!)

She sent Wyatt the cutest elephant bib & the boys these Cars characters.  

 They talk, and for the last week they have been walking around saying, “It’s a conspiracy, man!”

They can’t wait to go home & see everyone this summer. Each day that the sun rises to a clear sky Jack tries to convince me that it’s summer.  “It’s not cold anymore, mommy. It’s seven degrees.  And it’s sunny!” (He always says it’s seven degrees. Not sure why. So funny!)

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Julie

Aunt Julie sent an awesome care package as well.  In it was a Lego Cranky the Crane set (from Thomas the Tank Engine) as well as Slinkies for the boys.

 We love the Slinkies on the stairs.

And I love the Scentsy plug-in she sent me. It lights up my kitchen & makes it smell oh-so-delicious in our house.

She also sent yummy treats (Granola bars!) and cereal (Fruity Pebbles!) which I really appreciated. 

 Oh, and butter. We can’t get enough butter. So far the store here only has margarine, and it’s really not the same!

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Blog Fan

We got a package recently from a blogspot fan in Chicago! Someone I’ve never met who doesn’t even know me in real life took the time to fill a box (to the brim!) with fantastic fun toys & treats for the boys as well as for Josh’s classroom prize box. It was like hitting the jackpot- seriously so much cool stuff!

Thank you for the love, blog fan!

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Erin & the Fircrest Family

When Josh & I first married he was working as a mechanic (of sorts) at a Honda auto parts store that bought wrecked cars & salvaged the pieces.  It was hard physical work and not the kind of job he wanted to work the rest of his life.  When he switched jobs a few times to no avail, he started talking about sign language interpreting.  (He knows sign language because his older sister Andrea is Deaf.)  My mom happened to know the principal at an elementary school in Vancouver that was looking to hire an interpreter.  There, at Fircrest Elementary School, his love of teaching was born.  And a short time later he started at Clark College working towards an AA in Elementary Education.

Now here we are, six years, two degrees & three kids later, and he’s a first year teacher!  His Fircrest family is so proud of him (Erin Bunn in particular!) that they put together a magnificent set of care packages for both his classroom & our family.  We were so spoiled by them.

Huge shout out to all who contributed. Thank you!!!

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Roxanne

My sister sends us the most fun “themed” care packages. I don’t know where she comes up with this stuff!  The one we got yesterday had two cake packages, two cans of frosting, colored muffin cups, Valentine treat bags & ribbon and two cans of soda.  The soda was to use with the cake.  Instead of using water, oil & an egg, you can just pour in a can of pop.  She sent orange to pour in the yellow cake mix, and cream soda to pour in the funfetti cake.  

We cooked the yellow cake with orange soda today.  

 They took a little longer to cook, but are really moist! 

 They took turns pouring in the soda.

 And then we stirred it up & I loaded their squirt bottles.

 Roxanne is genius. She included these two empty squirt bottles so I could pour the batter in for the boys and they could fill the muffin cups themselves!

It was serious business!

 They loved it!

Ready to bake!

 Perhaps the best part was eating the batter!

 Jack was determined to get as much out as he could.
Even if it meant getting a little messy!

 Logan was meticulous when applying the chocolate frosting. Jack did three in the time it took Logan to do one!

 Jack loved pouring on the sprinkles best!

After lunch the boys each got to pick on cupcake to eat.

I have never in my life seen Logan eat so quickly & quietly.

And once he got his cupcake, he ate the entire thing!
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I can't express enough how much we appreciate every single package or letter that comes our way.  We have been so touched by people's thoughtfulness & generosity.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, those packages put a *sparkle* into what would otherwise be ordinary days. 
Thank you!!!