out with the old, in with the new

I'm still thinking a lot about this quote.  And to start 2013 off well, I'm determined to make my home and life better.  I've spent the last 3 days organizing and de-cluttering   I'll be selling and donating a lot of stuff.  I'm planning and scheduling, for that is the only way I can hope to get anything done it seems.

Also, I'll be changing some things about current and past blogs, combining and deleting them too.   I have several blogs and since I now have "several" children, it is silly and impractical to try to keep up with them all... the blogs, that is.

........ Now, off to wake up the family, make breakfast and get back to decorating the kids room.  Oh, and I need to paint our new nightstands.  Lots of good planned for today and the end of this year... only 3 days left of 2012!

Happy Holidays

Can you believe I'm still sending these out?  

Its true.  So, if you requested one, you'll be getting it soon.  

All the best to you and yours this coming year.  

square photography

 * all images from my instagram

things are going well

This is what life is like right now.  Its going well.  I'm trying and it is paying off.  I remember this post about how parenting is hard.  It is but it doesn't have to be as unenjoyable as I/we can make it.  I'm not sure when it happened for me but, the patience and prayers since then are paying off, for now at least.

I've found that sitting down on the ground with the kids is the best way to spend my time lately.  My attitude and my kids are better for it.  I am figuring out in little ways how to be more patient and loving. I am really starting to be pleasant to be around again.  ;-)

One morning this past week the was shining and I knew it wasn't going to last long.  I stopped everything I was doing and whisked the kids outside for a sunny walk.  It was so very pleasant to be outside in nature.  Even more, I was relieved to realize that there wasn't anything in the world more important for me to be doing.

I put too much pressure on myself to be a certain way and really all I want to do is live a basic and satisfying life.  Simple is good, walks in nature are good, being able to stay home with my kids is oh, so good.

thanksgiving with family

Thanksgiving this year was extra fun and memorable.  We were in Utah for my sister's wedding than we all trekked down to Arizona where we enjoyed playing in the sun.  We had a blast!  I think you can see that from the pictures... more after the break.

happy birthdate

She's 5 months old today!

I am in love with my little happy beauty.  

She is so good just like her brother.  

How did I get so lucky?!

XAQUE

Just look at him!  Handsome and happy and so much fun.

Happy Birthdate, my Love!

thanksgiving with friends

Now is the time to write about our Thanksgiving fun.  We've made some awesome friends that we're going to keep forever.  Before we all left on our Thanksgiving vacations we all got together for a pre-Thanksgiving feast.  If you ask me, I think its the best idea.  I love Thanksgiving foods and it was nice to get to taste it two different times rather than stuff my face all at once.

A couple families slept over night and we had a blast.  We spent the time cooking, laughing, playing games, four-wheeling and eating all of the goodness.  There were so many tasty foods and pies.  And there were tons of kids!  I highly recommend doing a pre-Thanksgiving feast next year.  I might even consider a pre pre-Thanksgiving feast.  Thats how much I loved it.

You can see more pictures that Zack took on Facebook.

we got ourselves a Christmas tree

We went to a farm.
Zack cut down the tree with a saw.
He and his brother carried it back to the car.
We enjoyed free candy canes and cider.
It barely rained on us (we were so lucky!).

Getting this tree is a big deal for us.  Its our first non-sidewalk purchased tree.  It even feels like our first real tree although, we totally appreciated every overpriced real tree we did purchase from sidewalks of NYC.  There is something so special about having a real tree.  Perhaps it reminds me of being a kid and chopping down trees from our backyard.  Its what it should be like, you know.  So now the lights are up and it waits to be decorated after naps today.

Christmas time is here and its inside our house.  I love it!

happy birthdate

I love celebrating just a little on every date of my family's birth.  

Odin is a total boy.  He is my dream son!