Happy New Year from the Burtons!

My intention was to email everyone a Merry Christmas card with updated family pictures. 
Christmas Day came a lot quicker than I thought it would!  So . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  In 2011 we felt like we got run over by a train!  The year started out with a lot of financial struggles but ended with Chris' business finally looking up, after a long, hard season of getting established.  We are continuing to press into our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ trusting in Him for provision.  We have so much to be thankful for!  A roof over our heads, health, beautiful children and many other blessings.

Elizabeth turns 5 in 10 days!!  She will be celebrating with friends and family by having a "Royal Tea Party".  She is looking forward to learning how to read and last year I started teaching her to write her letters in cursive - that's been fun!  Ellie loves to play princess/dress-up, she is always "cooking" in her kitchen and LOVES to draw us all pictures.

Josiah is 3 1/2 and continues to keep us on our toes.  He mimics his big sister much of the time, constantly playing "catch-up".  He still loves to be rocked by his mommy, makes strange noises when he is falling asleep and doesn't stop moving when he is awake.  He's really into knights/princes and dragons.  He turns into a "big-boy" the second that there is "danger" he must save Ellie from!

You can see more of our pictures and our life throughout this last year (and continue to keep updated) by checking out my web album.  I probably upload new pictures every week or so.  I also have a youtube account where I try to upload videos of the children at least once a month.  Enjoy looking at them as much (or as little) as you desire!

Have a Blessed New Year my dear family and friends!

Love,
the Burtons

  

Photos taken by my brother, Paul, in Old Town Sacramento following the celebration of my dad's 60th!

Micah, Paul, John, Josiah, Dad, Mom, Chris, Tara, Ellie & Colleen

A new buffet

I grew up with this buffet.  My parents received it as a present when they purchased their first house when I was two ... 1979.  I've always LOVED it and was promised that one day I could have it in my own home.  Here it is in my diningroom ... I love that all my napkins, etc is now safely tucked away and no longer cluttering my life.  Thank you mom and dad!

I made my own yogurt!!

Following the directions found HERE I made my own yogurt last night. It was surprisingly easy.  Put the milk in my 6qt crock pot, turned it on low and walked away for 2 1/2 hours.  Off for 3 hours and then mixed 1/2 cup of store bought yogurt in.  10:45 at night by this time so I covered the pot with towels to keep it insulated and went to bed! Got up in the morning and it was nice and thick on my kitchen counter . . . tasted it, but lukewarm yogurt isn't my favorite so I stuck it in the fridge and we'll have some as a snack today!  I am planning on making "Go-gurts" with some of it and will definitely do this again!

Oh . . . have I mentioned that we've been making our own kefir? It is surprisingly easy to care for and every two days or so we have yummy kefir to drink, mix into smoothies, etc!

The routine wins!

I have my children on a pretty tight routine ... at least when it comes to sleeping ... actually, that may be the ONLY thing that is tight around this house :)  We put them to bed around 9 every night and they are up around 8:30ish in the morning.  We do our thing during the morning and early afternoon and then around 3pm every day I put them down for a rest/nap and then they are up again by 4:30 to make this house of mine a home again!

Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL Southern California day - in the mid 80's - and both Elizabeth and Josiah were having a blast playing outside in their "fort".  It was getting closer to rest time and I decided to let them stay awake and play.  Tick, tock, tick, tock ... the minutes went by and at 3:30 both children come running inside because they are finished playing!  I changed my plan again and put them down for their rest time.  Usually Elizabeth plays quietly in her room the whole time and Josiah goes to sleep.  I figured that I wouldn't put Josiah to sleep this time, maybe I could get him to bed earlier at night?!  He brought toys in his room and proceeded to play ... aaaah ... I went out to get some filing done for Chris.  30 minutes later Josiah comes out and tells me that he would like his humidifier on, the lights off and for me to tuck him into bed.  Zzzzzzzzzzz ... he slept through his alarm and I had to wake him up at 5ish.  So much for me trying to take away the routine for a day ... he went and took it back!

Bike Bucket Tutorial

I fell in LOVE with this tutorial a few months back when I saw the picture on pinterest (check it out... it's an amazing and fun site) and decided to make one for each child.  So last week, using up scraps of fabric I put it together and here they are!

Our Autumn decorations

     In the middle of October we were driving around seeing all the many decorations up for Halloween.  It made me want to decorate my own house, but with the Harvest/Autumn in mind instead.  We found this tutorial HERE and I proceeded to cut out my tissue paper leaves.  Next time I would make a variety of sizes like she did because I felt like I had made a bunch of colored "football" leaves when I stood back and took it all in!

After gluing them on to the window Elizabeth is painting with black tempura paint

 Josiah's turn, notice the rather "football looking" leaves on the left

 Elle got ahold of my camera

The finished product!

Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving!!

Fun b-day card to make

Found this  cool card HERE and made it back in October for my Mother-in-law.  It was fun to make and super easy!

Cut out two sets of slightly enlarged hands, traced Elizabeth and Josiah's hands on one side, added the words "We love you"

 

THIS MUCH

This one is definitely a keeper ... don't be surprised if it shows up in your mail box!