Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to share a little about who we lended to for Kiva this year.

Meet Bonny:

Bonny is a 39-year-old married man with five children living in Kyenjojo, Uganda. He is responsible for taking care of the family, and his dream is to build a permanent house as he currently lives in a semi-permanent house. He has been growing tea for eight months, and he has two acres of land so far. He has challenges of weeds which affect the output of his tea plantation and his dream is to eliminate these weeds and to have a ten-acre tea plantation. Bonny intends to buy herbicides for controlling weeds with the loan.

We chose Uganda because of our connection to people there from when we visited (I was really hoping that we would know someone on the Kiva list, but I suppose that thinking is like when people say to me, "I know someone from Michigan, maybe you know each other...". Regardless, we loved our time there, and wanted to support someone from there.

We chose agriculture because I am growing my first garden this year, and we thought that would be a fun connection.

And, Bonny is growing tea...and we love to drink tea!

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

lots of love,
The Greens

Winter Wonderlands!

The other night we went on a family date to Winterhaven, a neighborhood in Tucson that is known for their creative and ultra decorated homes for Christmas.

With Ezra bundled under a blanket in his stroller, and hot cocoa in hand, we walked the streets of the neighborhood along with hundreds of others. This is a tradition I'd like to hold on to.




It is quite impressive to walk through and see all of the lights. There was a house that even had a light and water show timed to music. I tried getting video of it, but of course the "performance" ended just as I thought to do it. Oops...next year!

Yesterday, Ezra and I headed up to Mt. Lemmon with some friends to play in the snow! I love that we can go just 25 miles straight up a mountain and be surrounded by pine trees and snow! Please remind me (often) to go there more!

Last year we took Ezra sledding when we were in Michigan (he was only 8 months old), and he really seemed to love it! This year however, the entire way down the hill he just kept saying, "no no no no no"...and then once at the bottom he said, "more!" However, once back at the top he really didn't want to go down again. So, instead we played in the snow, ate snow, played catch with snowballs, and rode around on our friend's kiddie snowmobile.








The snowman we admired...

escape artist...

Yesterday Ezra and I went park hopping with Jessica and Eleanor through their neighborhood.

Although there was a lot of great (and new to him) playground equipment...


...all he really wanted was to make it under the fence and into the pool.

Random December Fun

Here are a few other photos I managed to take over the past few weeks...

Me, Ezra, and Aunt Sara...


My birthday celebration at Lori's...


Ezra loving the gluten-free carrot cake from Gourmet Girls Gluten-Free Restaurant in Tucson...


Ezra and GG...


Ryan and Ezra using a toy wooden hammer to break up candy canes for peppermint bark...


The Green Family Christmas Tea at our house. (I only was able to take this one photo before my camera battery died. For more photos, check out Jess' blog.)

in his element...in the elements...

Ezra loves being outside. Rain, shine, cold, windy, hot...it doesn't matter. He literally wakes up and says "side" (outside) before he even nurses. He knows he has to wear shoes in order to go outside (too much cactus to go without) and so he will sometimes bring me his shoes to put on him, and attempt to go outside while totally naked, yet with shoes on. These days it's a little chilly for that...so pants and a shirt are also required, which is helping us a lot with motivating him to get dressed (the boy prefers his birthday suit at all times, so getting dressed can sometimes be a bit of a challenge).

Here he is playing out in the rain the other day. He is collecting rain to use to water the garden. A clever boy he is. So 'green'.


And, I think he decided he would try to see if he could stay dry for a few minutes by hiding under the bank roses.


Last week we went over to Owen's house to play in the tot lot in their neighborhood. It was a little chilly...so we made the boys hot cocoa to bring along.

Here they are in the "cocoa house"...


Seeing them play together always makes me smile!

Bloggdiddily...

I feel like I haven't posted in 'forever', however it has technically only been 4 days. Truthfully, I feel like I haven't done a lot of things in 'forever'. Clean the house, cook a good dinner, read a book, sew for fun, etc. But, there is a very good reason: I've been napping (A LOT!)...and growing a baby!

Yup, this is my official blog announcement...I'm pregnant!! :) I am 10 weeks along and this growing babe inside of me is the size of a kumquat.

Would you like to see some photos of the sweet little babe?
I knew you'd say yes.
Here you go...

(the head is on the left, feet to the right)

My due date is July 18th. I have been back at the birth center for my first appointment already, and it feels so so good to be there again.

Memorable Gifts

Here's a link to the most recent article I wrote for Uncommon Childhood. It's titled, "Memorable Gifts". ENJOY!

Cali Tour...

Ventura...

On Sunday morning, Ryan, Cameron, and Owen played as part of a benefit concert at Zoey's Cafe, the same venue they played at the night before. It was the perfect setting for Ezra to watch a show. He stood right at the foot of the stage (hands on stage, eyes glued on Ryan) for a bit (sadly I didn't take any photos because I was on guard in case he tried to climb on the stage...). And, once he tired of the show, we were able to go outside and play where it was warm and sunny. And if we are going to play outside where it's warm and sunny, we might as well get wet, right??








Santa Barbara...

Ezra helping Ryan make sure Cameron's guitar strings will last through the show...


Chowing down at a Vietnamese Restaurant before the show (well, a show for the guys, and bedtime for me and Ezra)...


San Luis Obispo!

Rated as the "Happiest City in North America". A friend of ours from Tucson now lives there, so we were able to meet up and spend the day together before the show.

The gum wall...yes, all that you see is ABC gum...


And yes, I added to it...



Avila Beach. I had it my head this whole tour that I wanted Ezra to get to play in the Pacific, since earlier this fall he got to play in the Atlantic. Check! The water was freezing (big surprise, right?), but he LOVED it...so did I. There is something that feels so great about playing on the beach, even when it's cold out, and especially when the sun is starting to set.

"Brrr...the water is soo cold!"


"Oh, but it's so fun...I can't resist playing in it with Uncle Cameron!"








The show in San Luis Obispo was a "house" concert...house is in quotes because the place was literally a mansion. Ryan, Ezra and I had our own guest house to stay in, while Owen and Cameron had a separate guest house of their own. The whole property is run on solar-power, which unfortunately for us meant that we were "asked not to turn on the (gas) heat"...as if they couldn't afford one night of gas heat so that we wouldn't freeze our booties off. Although it would have been the ideal concert for me to attend after putting Ezra to bed, we got the vibe that we were the entertainment, and not the guests. So, after I put Ezra to bed, I snuck into the gym which was in the building next to where we were staying. I worked-out with the lights off (didn't want to attract any attention to the fact that I was in the gym without permission). After lifting some weights, I was walking on the treadmill when I noticed one of the owner's outside of the window showing someone around the property. I literally dropped to the ground and hid...then called a friend. He he he...it was kind of fun being sneaky. The house concert turned out to be one of the most fun shows on the whole tour. It was a room of about 100 50+ year olds all dancing!

Our final stop on the tour was San Francisco!! This was definitely the stop I was looking forward to the most since 3 of my dearest friends were all going to be there!

From L-R, me, Natalie, Lori Moore (friend from San Luis Obispo who joined us in SF), Analisa, and Kerry.


Well, this turned out to be a super long post, so I'll save my "tour reflections" for another day... All in all, it was a great trip! So glad we went...we will definitely do it again, now with the knowledge of learning experiences we had from this trip.

Memorable days...

Yesterday was my birthday, the big 3-2! I woke up with a migraine (that had lingered over from the night before), so I doused my head with peppermint oil (one of the best ways to cure a migraine for me), took a shower, and had a yummy bagel/cream cheese breakfast (my breakfast food of choice as of late).

Then, we headed to the park to enjoy the blue sky and windy day in Thousand Oaks (just outside of LA). (To back up a little bit, we are staying with Owen Plant's parents, a friend of ours who is also on this tour up the Cali coast.) It has been a great little haven for the last two nights. We have our own room (living rooms are usually where we stay), a full house where we can cook our own food, a yard to play in, and a family who knows the area and can tell us where the best parks are. Oh, and they also have 2 grandsons near Ezra's age, so a plethora of "new" toys to play with and an attitude that enjoys seeing little hand prints on sliding glass doors.

Here is a glimpse of our morning at the park (photos courtesy of Cameron Hood)...

















Ezra then took a 4+ hour nap, while Ryan made me a scrumptious lunch and we lounged around. It was just the relaxing-with-the-family type of day that I love!

Before leaving for the concert, there was a special, and very delicious (wheat-free!) cake surprise...


Ezra loved blowing out the candles so much, that we had to re-light them at least 5 times.

The guys then all headed out for the concert, and Ezra and I stayed "home" to play and get a good night of sleep. We love seeing dada play guitar and sing, but getting to go to bed on time, is also a special treat we felt like we needed to take advantage of.

Back in the van...

Yesterday Ezra and I made our way to San Diego to meet up with Ryan(hood). We went straight from the plane to a 2 hour drive to LA, in which Ezra napped nearly the whole way and Ryan and I got to chat...better said, he listened to me gush about how great it feels to be back on the road. It is true, I love to travel...and being back in the van traveling north on I-5 with a blue sky backdrop just felt good.

I just spent 5 minutes looking for a post I wrote years ago when we were touring "full-time" and I listed all the things I love about life on the road, but I couldn't find it...and I don't have the patience to keep looking during this precious bit of nap time that I have left to write.

Here's Ezra snacking in the back of the van...


Once we arrived in LA, we found a great park to run around at. It was within walking distance to the venue, so Ezra and I were able to keep playing while Ryan went back to soundcheck.


But once Ryan left the park, Ezra started to get a little worried and kept asking for "Dada? dada? dada?!"...so we walked back to the venue and helped with soundcheck. Really, I'm not sure they could have done it without Ezra's help. He is a pro at unplugging and plugging in things. A perfect toddler activity, no?






We walked to dinner, Ezra loved drinking out of a straw...and thought he was pretty cool getting to dip shredded cheese in my salad dressing. The boy is all about dipping food. Ketchup, salsa, anything he can dip in makes him happy.


The show started at 8pm, which is 9pm Tucson time. Ezra typically goes to bed at about 7pm. So, I cuddled him in my carrier thinking he'd fall asleep, but he decided there was way too much of a party happening to fall asleep. The boy partied until 11:30pm (12:30am Tucson time) totally happy, laughing, and literally spinning in circles. I got him ready for bed and strapped him in the carseat for the 1/2 hour ride to where we were spending the night and he fell soundly asleep in no time. And then slept until almost 9am this morning. I think he is already getting the hang of life as a rockstar. :)

Hit the road jack...

Tomorrow Ezra and I head out on our first real-deal Ryanhood tour!!

Originally the plan was for Ezra and I to fly round trip into San Francisco and stay with a good friend(s!), however Ezra really really misses Ryan when he is gone, and since this tour offers a lot of short drives (I think the longest drive is only 4 hours), we thought, "this is our chance to really do what we've dreamed of...tour as a family!" Sadly this meant having to change our original plans of staying with friends in SF from 5 days to only 1, and to not getting to see our friends in Turlock at all, but it feels like the absolute right decision for our family (and they are all super understanding people :).

Ryan drove to San Diego today, and tomorrow Ezra and I will fly in and meet him in San Diego and drive north to LA for the day. Other stops include (possibly out of order): Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, and San Francisco.

The evening after Ryan and I made this decision to change our trip and tour as a family, I started reading this new ebook: Bottles to Backpacks: The Gypsy Mama’s Guide to REAL Travel With Kids . It is a co-write, and one of the authors is our friend Jenn Miller, of Mama Bus fame, as well as creator of The Uncommon Childhood. I read and read and read, until finally Ryan said it was time to go to bed. It was so encouraging to hear "someone" say, "Go for it...live your dream...and don't listen to the naysayers!" As well, there were lots and lots or practical tips about traveling with young ones: how to pack (or rent baby items...genius!), entertaining kids in the car/plane, and sooo much more. I HIGHLY recommend you check it out..it's really that informative and inspiring (and, yours truly may have also written a short little bit in it as well :). To check it out, please just click the button on the top right column of my blog that says: The Gypsy Mama's Guide to REAL Travel With Kids.

And speaking of buttons on my blog, did you notice there is now also a button for my Etsy store? Yup, just click on that and it will take you right to my site! Sadly, I don't have much posted right now...I had planned on posting tonight, but my external hard drive for photos is in the van in San Diego. Oops! If you are in Tucson, you can always check out my items at Little Bird Nesting Company on 4th Ave.

Alrighty, that is it for tonight...I hope to post from the road!