Moment

Our 2nd day of skiing (2 days after Christmas) proved to be a much warmer day. It was one of those blue bird picture perfect days, the sun was warm, the powder was deep and light, and we were excited to be together enjoying it as a family! The girls skied great. Adalie especially made progress by leaps and bounds, amazing us with each run! Both girls seem to prefer the powder and the trees to the groomed runs.... good thing we have Daddy for taking little girls on turkey trails, jumps and powder.

And Seth and I had one of those moments.... it is difficult to describe these moments because they touch your heart, they are sweet and full of emotion. We were skiing down a run with the girls, keeping a watchful eye on Adalie. We all stopped mid run to catch up with one another, encourage the girls and choose our route for the bottom of the hill, when Josiah turns to Adalie and says "follow me". So, with Seth and I standing together on the top of a knoll, we had the great honor and pleasure of watching Josiah peel off down the hill with Adalie following close on her heels, mimicking her sisters every move. And we both knew ..... it was one of those heart moments! One when you are proud of your girls, one where you love to see them doing it together, with one leading and one following. It is a sweet memory!




Josiah pulling Adalie with Daddy's pole to our lunch spot.

And so the day came to an end, but I hope to remember the sweetness of it always!

First Day on the Slopes

The day after Christmas we took the girls up to Badger Pass with their new skis. We learned from last year that you can't necessarily expect the girls to remember all they had learned about skiing from the previous season. In fact, it was a good thing that Uncle Lorenzo, a professional skier (really!) was skiing with us that fateful first day back to the slopes last year, because Seth and I assumed Josiah would pick up right where she left off. So we got off the chairlift and started down the hill with Josiah skiing on her own and Adalie still between the legs and Josiah just went straight down the hill, headed for the trees - she had forgotten how to turn! Thankfully, before she had a chance to wipe out or scare herself, Uncle Lorenzo was to her rescue. And after a run or 2, we were back in action. So this year, after learning a very valuable lesson we headed to the bunny hill. Josiah had not missed a beat and Adalie, never wanting to be left behind, was ready to roll!

Adalie's First run on her new skies up the T-Bar with Daddy!
Look at our big girl, a skier indeed! Adalie 3yrs old.

Adalie's first run down the bunny hill on her new skies, concentrating on her snow plow!

After just a couple of runs with Daddy, she can ride the T-Bar all by herself, "like a big girl" she would tell you!

We are past the bunny hill and on to bigger and better! And who said ski poles were for made for any other reason than to tow your kids to the chairlift!

I love how little she looks on the chairlift!

Although a very good encourager to her sister, Josiah was ready for the bigger hills.... and so excited to be back on the chairlift!

It was a COLD day of skiing and we were in need of something hot by 3pm! But boy was it fun!! It is so exciting to watch you children learn something new. To see them progress, to get it and be able to do it! For once, we have not under estimated our children!

First Lost Tooth

The day after Christmas Josiah lost her first tooth. It's a funny story.....

It all began 6 months ago when Josiah had x-rays taken at the dentist office. We confirmed that she does indeed have Mommy's horse teeth and in addition to starting a savings account for orthodontics, we need not worry about her loosing any teeth until she is 7 years old .... because those adult teeth are so big, they are going to be moving in VERY slowly! So when Josiah started putting her fingers in her mouth and telling me of loose teeth, I thought OH MY! the other kids in her class are loosing teeth and she wants to also...... so she is making her teeth loose! So I promptly call the dentist to discuss my concerns. He pulls out the x-rays and informs me she actually had very little root left on those teeth and they should indeed be loose and he doesn't know why he said the thing about her being 7 years old! YIKES.... all these months of me telling her to leave her teeth alone, don't make them loose, hands out of your mouth and I WAS WRONG (misinformed really, but still wrong!)!! So that very night I apologized to Josiah and told her to wiggle away! A few weeks later, the night after Christmas Josiah screams MOMMY MY TOOTH FELL OUT!! I look over and she is stark white in the face, eyes bugging out, mouth bleeding and body frozen with her tooth in her fingers and she begins to cry that panicked cry! Adalie, who is closer to her than I, bends down and takes one good look at her sister and SHE begins to cry! So Seth and I rush over, hysterically laughing at the comedy of this scene all the while trying to calm our girls.... really its a good and fun thing to loose a tooth!!!

And low and behold, an adult tooth was peaking through the hole already!!

Christmas Day

We had a wonderful Christmas celebration with our girls and all our families. Some of my favorite moments; Bedtime Christmas Eve and it suddenly dawns on Adalie that it is the night Santa comes, and so she says to me...."I know in the book (T'was the Night Before Christmas) that all the children sleep in their own beds, but I think I should sleep with you!", Christmas morning and our usually sleepy morning girl Josiah raises up in excitement when Adalie exclaims "I heard Santa on the roof last night!", the beautiful and truly white Christmas was fantastic, my executive decision that turkey and all its trimmings is NOT a Christmas dinner and should be reserved only for Thanksgiving when you have nothing else to do BUT cook!, The girls utter excitement with their new snow skies, so much so that they rarely took them off all day, and then began to play "house" while incorporating skiing into their game... I would hear "Come on sweetie, lunch is over it is time for us to go ski!", Having Uncle Lorenzo and Aunt Julia be able to come home unexpectedly for a few days, getting to be in our own home most of the day - there is something lovely about being home!, watching Josiah light the candles on the advent wreath knowing that our girls do know the real meaning of Christmas, hearing and watching the girls' reactions to their annual phone call from Santa, being thankful for the many many many blessings!

I love Christmas morning!







First thing they did was click in! SO we had 2 girls in their Christmas nighties skiing around the living room!

Adie Bear and her new skis she had asked Santa for.

Both girls with their new girlie skis. I have a feeling this is going to be a fun fun fun snow season!

Outside you can see that it is just the beginning of our white Christmas.

We were very proud of our little Josiah lighting the Christmas advent candle this year!

GG and GiPa were able to join us for most of the day. And although GG and I had alot of fun and laughs trying to create the traditional turkey dinner last year, our dinner this year was a breeze.... and very tasty too!

Uncle Lorenzo and Aunt Julia



Amma and Josiah already deep into a new craft!

Amma and Grandpa, Our Fam, Aunt Julia and Uncle Lorenzo and their baby to be soon, and GG and GiPa.

AND last but not least, the late night phone call from Santa that leaves us in stitiches HO HO HO!

Sharing Her

As I am sure it is no surprise to anyone, I have had quite a bit of difficulty letting go just a bit of our Josiah. Perhaps because it meant that she would be one step closer to growing up altogether. And going back to school after a glorious 2 weeks off proved to be a bit of a set back for Adalie and I. But, I am so thankful that these 2 ladies; her teacher Mrs.G and her aide Mrs. Nolen, are the ones that we are sharing the reigns with these days. I know that as we drop her off each day, she will be well cared for, taught and loved!

Christmas Review Continued - Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is probably the most traditional day of the Waltner Family. I cannot say how it all began, but I do love and look forward to it each year. We set out early Christmas Eve morning, stop at all the local lodges to see their Christmas decorations, have hot chocolate, find a secluded spot for a family picnic, and travel on into Yosemite for an ice skating session beneath the majesty of Half Dome! Each year presents its changes in our schedule or route, but each year we manage to do all these things and our Christmas Eve always becomes a day to remember.

Adalie watching the train travel through a city made of gingerbread at the Tenaya Lodge.

The 4 Girl Cousins: Ashlyn, Piper, Josiah and Adalie.

The whole gang at Tenaya Lodge for hot chocolate (Waltners x3, Hurt, Stewarts, Worsters, Butler and Whitsons).

Josiah skating between Mommy and Daddy, like she did her First Christmas Eve.

Adalie perfected the art of balancing on ice and was able to scoot along on her own, much to her delight of course!

Adalie letting Mommy take her for a spin.



It was fun to have Poppa and his silliness join us for the 1st time this Christmas Eve.

Poppa and Grammy, Adalie and Josiah.

Poppa and Grammy showing us some of their moves.

Josiah catching the falling snow flakes on the ice.

Adalie following the path the Daddy made for her in the snow on the ice.

Uncle Taylor and Kamala showing us how it is done!

Josiah and Piper (5yrs).

Uncle Lorenzo, Aunt Julia and Grand baby-to-be #6.

Adalie and Ashlyn ice skating with Amma, Grandpa and Mommy.

A day to remember indeed! Family, Fun, Laughter, Majesty and Awe, Hot Chocolate and Ice Skates. Uncle Taylor, Piper, Uncle Lorenzo, Josiah, Mommy, Adalie, Amma, Ashlyn and Grandpa.

Lessons

This wonderful journey of parenting has never ceased to amaze and delight me! As soon as you think that you have something figured out, it never fails to change. And today was no different. Today, not just one of our girls, but both taught me a valuable lesson.
Let me tell you that Josiah is the single most generous person that I know! Each day she saves her after school treat from her teacher so that her sister can share a bite with her. Most of the time, the treasure chest surprises she receives for good behavior from school, she chooses with her sisters' tastes in mind. She works tirelessly on crafts, drawings, and writings only to immediately dedicate and gift them to someone else. Last year at AWANA, she spent every AWANA buck she had on gifts for someone else. This year at Santa's Secret shop, as I watched most the other children picking treats for themselves, Josiah chose a very thoughtful and amazingly appropriate gift for everyone in her family. She is, without a doubt, the most generous person I know. I must admit, although I encourage her actions, they come solely from her spirit, not mine. I am a great deal more selfish than she! Today she came to me in tears; tears that most likely came from fatigue, but tears nonetheless. And she ever so gently asked why when she always gives gifts to others, that rarely does someone give one to her? And it was then I knew that although I am so proud of her generous spirit and lavish her with praise and thanks, that I do not spend the same time, thought and effort in reciprocating her actions. She doesn't mean gifts of worth, she means gifts of value! She means something that I have poured my heart into, knowing that it is something she will love!
My little Adalie. She is often times a contradiction; wanting to be a big girl and do everything herself (including bombing down the ski slopes shouting "I can do it Mom" while I desperately chase her telling her to make some turns and slow it down!!) while still loving to be the baby, coddled by us all! She is fiercely independent and yet still very much my bosom baby. And today she clearly showed me, in her little Adalie way, a contradiction of my own. I love a clean house. I love it all picked up and perfect, counters wiped off and floors clean. And yet, it is not our clean and perfect house that I want my girls to remember, but the fun and laughter and love that they had while in it! But these things cannot exist simultaneously, or at least I have not figured out how they can exist simultaneously. But tonight at dinner, Adalie initiated a food fight with her orange wedges and the fun began. She carelessly tossed her orange wedge and then threw her head back in fits or laughter! We laughed until we cried and then some. Between giggles, when I looked and saw the delight in our daughters' eyes, I threw caution to the wind and joined them in their silliness. And I must say.... it was worth it!

I love that seeing the world through their eyes creates such an awesome perspective. May my eyes always be open to the things they have to teach me! Thank you God for giving us not just 1, but 2 little beings that teach me such great things......