15 December

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. Revelation 21:4

Today, I was going to be doing some Happy, Fun craft, tradition  or baking related Holiday post, but that just doesn't feel right for this day.  Yesterday, Friday was just one of those days we seem to be having all too often during my life time when you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news.   It was a good Friday, two of my very important meetings had gone well, really well in fact.  I had a printer installed in my office at work (FINALLY!) that I had been waiting for.  I said, "Today, Must be my lucky Day" a few times.  Lucky indeed. I was going to leave, going home to get my loves off the bus (which is lucky and unusal for a Friday....that I would get to see them in the evening since I usually work.), when I got a text from Josh:

Our Hearts were heavy last night and today.......we found ourselves turning the news on and back off when the sadness became to much to bear.  We are left with so many questions of how this could happen in such a "safe place".  We thought about how our elementary school doors go unlocked.  We prayed , we lit candles,we hugged them tight.  We felt our vulnerability as parents, americans, humans. Bringing up small children, We wondered how we can best protect them.   We examine our own lives, what we treasure most and how we can adjust our perspective.  There are no words to give the parents whose children did not come home today.  We pray that  those close to this tragedy be given comfort in some way. You are continually in our thoughts as we go about our days.

"Tragedy urges us to honor life by connecting even more deeply with each other- to locate our fiercest compassion, to do the soul-work required to endure unbearable grief in times of suffering. We can hold our families and communities close, share our vulnerable hearts, light the candles, sing the old songs, beat the drums, to raise the vibration of human consciousness and our potential for healing."

~Pixie Campbell

14 December

Today.......Our annual IEP meeting.  This one is going to be a doozy.  This is the year of our every three year testing (tri annual).  Think I might opt out of it next time.  She's going to be fine in school and I'm going to be fine, but it's just one emotional roller coaster, seeing your child in numbers.  It's worth it, all of it (the work and the emotional roller coaster),  I keep telling myself, and I'm NEVER, EVER going to give up on her.

Happy Birthday Dad!!

Thanks Dad......

For Letting me have the bedroom with the bathroom

For working so hard so we could have everything

For giving me a love for music and jazz

For letting me play in a pile of dirt, make forts in the woods and taking me camping

For taking me to visit my grandparents often

For teaching me how to change a tire

For making me "bring in wood" when I was fighting with my brothers

For walking me down the isle

For not letting me watch TV on school nights

For freezing your butt off to watch me in all those Marching Band Shows

For fixing my cars when I broke them

For taking me out to a special dinner for getting good grades

For giving us an extra spin on our sleds in the back of the tractor

For teaching me how to ride a bike

For getting the best parking spot when you moved me and all my "stuff" into college

For making the holidays special

For giving me chores

For letting me sit on your shoulders while you did pushups

For telling me that no dream was too big

For our Christmas Shopping trips

for waiting outside the hospital room into the middle of the night until Trevor was born

For helping us move into three houses and all the projects that came with them

For helping me with my physics homework

For loving Mom

For making the best breakfasts

For teaching me how to give and get "good customer service"

For teaching me the value of hard work

For getting me (and Josh) summer "jobs"

For loving me even when I wasn't so loveable

For being there.

For believing in me.

Happy Birthday!

14 December

{this moment}

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{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember

13 December

(Picture by Lucas)

Today and last night......we had a great mother-daughter dinner, our half price bottle of wine, funny stories about going to the wrong house for a food delivery (more on that later...) chocolate lasagna, a birthday gift.  We shopped till we dropped (there is never enough time)....and I'm truly ready to never set foot in another store, well ever.  Thanks for making the drive up (and you should have seen Bre's pouty face when she got off the bus and her Gammie had gone home.)......There is never enough time to spend together.......Thank you and Love You Mom!

In My Inbox Today

You're a Mom

12 December

Letters to Santa.....What can I say, I love this.  Their little handwriting, I just want to keep it wrapped up and in my thoughts forever.

11 DEcember

Another tradition that we have LOVED for the past 3 or 4 years has been the Elf on a Shelf.  The kids named the Elf "Ethan" and he hides in a new place each day starting on Thanksgiving.  This year Ethan took a little trip to my Mother's house and accidentally stayed overnight there an extra day....or was he just hiding real good, no one will ever know.  Ethan is also really good at watching out and reporting to Santa good behavior (or bad!)  Love you Ethan!

10 December

This is the Third year we are unwrapping a different book form Our Christmas collection each night and reading aloud as our family.  One of my favorite things......

These moments I hold so dear. I find myself wanting to say to these growing older children of mine, emerging into the larger world as they are: "this, my loves, this is what it's all about. Not some silly headphones or gadget or 'thing' you may think or be told you need but will forget about in one months time or two years passing. The magic of the holiday, indeed of life, lies in these moments shared. These are the 'things' you will one day love most of all."

-Soulemama

9 December

The First Annual North Pole Party.

I'm telling you, when I saw these ideas online for a "North Pole" Party, I was totally hooked, I mean I just had to do it.  What better excuse to get all my favorite kids together:)  It was totally magical watching the kids having such a great time in their cozy jammies creating their houses and making Reindeer food.  We had lots of "breaks" playing outside and watching a Charlie Brown Movie.  Josh had the genius ideas for the signs and vacuum sealing the frosting packs to each kid could have their own. WE even got to do Pizza and a cake for Sam's Birthday.   Normally, I would be so tired after hosting an event like this, but I was so energized.  I can see us continuing something like this into our granparenting years.....I had so much fun, can't wait until next year!

8 December

Our Eight Annual Christmas Dinner with the Day Family.

This Year.....a last minute one participant Ugly Christmas Sweatshirt contest was started (I'm scared for next year!).  Our Once a year Whisky Sours were made.  The kids ate bacon and chocolate cake for dinner, played games and watched movies.  The kid- friendly decorations were amazing.  An eleventh Birthday was celebrated (ELEVEN!).  The joke presents were awesome (a bbq brander, redneck wineglass and funny bad grammar book).  We all watched Christmas Vacation (even the five year old......with hands over ears in some parts:)).  We stayed up too late. We left with full bellies and full hearts.  We're so blessed to have friends like these.   Can't wait until next year!

7 December

{this moment}

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{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember

7 December

 Last night.....

The CASA annual Christmas Party.  A room full of special needs children and their families, Santa and presents, Christmas Music,  lights and fabulous food.  Chocolate :) Bre Hugging Santa.  Fun memories.

6 December part 2

And last last but certainly not least, we had our annual date night and Xmas shopping outing last Saturday. So, so fun to have a night out, seeing all the unusual stuff in the shops downtown and having a warm comfort food dinner at our favorite Irish pub, not to mention our annual late night visit to Walmart. Love the people and trying to win a stuffed animal out if one of those machines(we never win!!). Good times.

Love , Love, Love.....

Watch here......It really does go by this fast (Life I mean)  :)

6 December

And Decorating our tree......a kid only event (mostly) this year (Love that).   Lucas,  I have to say worked hard at getting all those handmade ornaments on just the right branches.  Each kid has their own box of ornaments and are starting to appreciate opening those boxes of treasures more and more every year as I do, it's one of my favorite things of all time, opening those boxes.  It's always a surprise what you have forgotten after it has been stored away for a year.  With the Kid lead decorating,  we had a special " line" on the counter filled with ornaments needing repair or batteries (just keepin' it real).  Daddy gladly handled that part.   So with Music (Piano, saxophone and some playing from the iPod) blaring, and fire roaring, we decorated our tree.  Gammie was in charge of the most fragile 1950 ornament from My Grandparents very First Christmas tree.  Not one more ornament will fit on this tree I tell you.  It is full, as well as my heart:)  So there we have it, 2012.

5 December

And last but not least from the weekend....the Piano Recital (stay tuned for the video).  Gammie even drove all the way from Massachusetts to hear him play and see some of the swim meet, LOVE you GAMMIE!  This time Trevor had his songs memorized and even played an encore.  It is so amazing to me how easily he picks up and plays any new song (and I NEVER have to bug him to practice).  I LOVE all the live music that has entered our home this Christmastime.  The Hustle and Bustle of it all, I can't get enough.

4 December

Breakfast with Santa 2012.

Another fun Christmas activity that we do EVERY year.  Trevor had to skip it this time to choose the swim meet with his friends :(.  Oh, well, I guess that is bound to happen (kind of goes along with showering every morning).  Plus he told Lucas that the breakfast Santa wasn't the real Santa and that the Real Santa only comes on Christmas Eve.  Oh, Boy.  Anyway, the littles, had a blast seeing Santa and eating a wonderful breakfast.  Lucas told Santa he wanted an IPod touch and Bre wants "cars".  I think this girl is truly going to love Santa (and Cars) until the day she dies.  Those smiles....I just want to box up and save the memory forever.

3 December

Here we are still going on (and on) with awesome stories from our weekend.  Trevor had his very First Swim meet....The Candy Cane Classic.  The last time I was at a swim meet.....I think it was my own, back in High school (You forget how HOT it gets in there.....note to self: shorts next time)  Trevor swam in five events and did AWESOME.  His best were the breaststroke and the Individual Medley,   followed by the backstroke.  It's hard to believe that he couldn't do a start, flip turn or even all the strokes just a few weeks ago.  It was a BLAST, the kids had a great time and it was just so awesome to see all the kids cheering for each other, no matter what their ability.  My kind of sport.....just Awesome!

the weekend.

Oh my.  So many pictures. so many awesome stories to tell, from getting and decorating our tree, to date night, to a first swim meet, breakfast with Santa, Gammie's visit, a candy Cane workshop and a Piano Recital.  It was a busy one.......stay tuned!

2 December

Our Tree, 2012, the story.
There was a softly falling snow (and if you ask Josh, he says that a softly falling snow makes for the VERY best of Christmas tree getting days, it's his dream actually).  BUT, it was FREEZING, 24 degrees freezing, so we walked a little bit in the field to the first pretty good sized tree we came to (they are getting smaller by the year!)  and chopped it down (all took turns sawing), snapped a family photo, carried the tree back to the wagon (THREE boys carried it this year:)) and took it home.  The end.  And here's to dreams coming true:)

1 December

Hello December.

We welcome you with open arms.  So many blessings, so much to look forward to.  December 1st, our third annual Haven's Candy Cane Workshop.  They sell tickets every year to benefit a local charity that brings wishes to kids in need..  This year we had the time and patience to watch the whole candy cane making process.  It was awesome, never mind getting to hand make our very own  three big fat candy canes to take home.  We had an extra ticket so Lucas brought one of his best girl buddies from school.  He spelled L-U-C-A-S with his shapes.  Super fun!

30 November

{This Moment}

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{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

29 November

Today, I'm feeling myself totally inspired by this post: How to give, and so set to reflect upon that on my own.  Love Kelle, she is the REAL deal.  Anyway, I too have that flaw of being an OVERthinker.  Between that post and this class, I've been doing a lot thinking and reflecting about "cultivating a good life" and what that means to me.  No one can do it all, and as We approach the holidays and the new year (LOVE the new year) I'm going to sit down with a good old paper and pen and write down what those priorities are and live them every day.  Really, these things can be mine and mine alone.  Teaching the kids about meaningful giving, not so much even at this time of year, but everyday.  Making them conscious of who cooked their meals or drove them to sports or did the household chores.  Yes, living meaningful giving, in my own life, really will be the only way I know how to teach them.  They are not perfect as I am not perfect but everyday I will try to make them aware of how lucky they are.   It kills me that I won't know if It did it right for at least 10 or so more years:)

28 November

December Daily 2012.
I've been participating in this little project since 2008 and I LOVE it.  I LOVE it so much that I have finished an album every year.  Every year I have gotten really crafty (painting, mod podge etc...), artsy and messy with these albums.  We all love taking them out and looking at them every year.  This year, I went for a more clean and simple look.  Lots of printing out and lots of making my own stuff (transparencies!).  Still just as fun, but given our recent trip I had to finish it up pretty quick.  I'll be doing it daily along with Project life and blogging each day of December.  I'm a month away from having my first ever completed scrapbook of the year as it happened.  Nothing's gonna stop me now!!!

27 November

Kids do the dishes night.......

Perfectly quiet, cheerful, and amazingly helpful while I sat on the couch and scrapbooked and ate a bowlful of Ben and Jerry's that they had served me.  .

YEAH RIGHT!  Insert fighting, crying,  time outs and I could have done it a lot easier myself If I would have sat them in front of the TV. Yeah, that.  Real life.

26 November

Five People Twelve times November :)

25 November

Bring on the twinkle!  This year my mantra for the holiday season is "go slow, go with the flow and savor"  I feel as I get older I'm so willing to let go, try new things and change things up from the way we have "always done it".  WE  normally would have gotten our tree this weekend, but Thanksgiving was so early this year, so we moved the couch to make room for the tree (and I love the new arrangement so much that we may never move it back), we got out a few of our inside decorations and put up a few lights (Normally we would try to do it all in one day....including the tree).  I LOVE, LOVE it, and I LOVE how much the kids helped in the decorating (perfect is so overrated).  They set up the whole Christmas village pretty much by themselves (but then got bored and went to play legos).  I love that our centerpiece is the handmade stockings made by my Grandmother.  I'll cherish them Every Christmas for as long as I live.  We tell the kids the story of how they were made every year and we guess at how long it took her to make and the love that went into all those stitches (Thank you Grandma!), and lights, white lights .....you can never have too many:)

24 November

There has been so may running Jokes bout this wine in the past few years between us and our friends, but when we saw it today in Hannaford with a "Big and Bold" sign next to it, well we just had to pick up a bottle.  Perfect for the start of our Christmas decorating:)

23 November

{this moment}

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{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

22 November

Thanksgiving 2012.

fun.laughter.love.joy.family.Food. Music. Celebrating Grandpa's 93rd Thanksgiving.  Kids playing inside and out (and getting a little too loud.).  Cooking up a storm and making everything come out at the same time (amazing).  Making (and eating) Nanny's famous cheese ball.  Mom's cheesecake (Oh, my).  Being busy and relaxing all at the same time.  The kids all settling in for movie night in their jammies.  Celebrating family and joy and being thankful.  Just a little bit of everything I needed right now.

Grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving.  We are so lucky to be spending the day with family.  We pause and remember even through the struggles and the ups and downs of the everyday how much we have to be thankful for.  Thank you for reading and following along with me in this space, for giving me a place to write, and for your kind words.  You are so inspiring to me.   I hope you all have a wonderful holiday full of good food, family, rest, love and laughter.  Let the memory making begin, And GO PATS!!!

21 November

And You just gotta love this boy and his pajama selection....:)

20 November

And it's so much more fun playing in a band.......with your friends (I agree)

19 November

Back to the grind.......And seriously If I hadn't looked at my calendar this morning I would have forgotten appointments and swimming lessons and pick ups at school.  It was nice to forget that calendar for a week.  You forget how much work, and energy and planning it takes to keep things running smoothly.  Onward and Upward.....

18 November

Saturday.....
We drove to Tampa to begin the first leg of our journey home.  It was our choice to add a little onto the beginning and end of our travels to save a whole bunch of money on airline tickets.  Tampa was a little bonus.  We had an amazing lunch and fruity drinks at a The Bahama Breezes restaurant, then swam in the pool, and sat on the beach on a perfect night to watch the sunset over the Gulf.  I love the type of vacation where you forget what day it is and don't even think about what you would be doing at home on this day.  We loved this vacation, but are ready to get back home, and retreat to our own spaces.  the craziness of three giggling kids in the backseat and meltdowns over where to sleep proved to be just a little to much for one day.  The next time we are back to do a big vacation like this one, Trevor will be 13 (we're on the every three year plan).  I wouldn't trade the exhauting-ness of the littleness of them for the world.   Not even at the end of a day of meltdowns so bad that all we can do is laugh and kids getting out of bed 50 times to get just that one more hug.  Nope, someday, I'll miss it so much I will ache.  It's vacations like these that make me realize how fast it all goes.   I'm going to take all these wonderful memories with me and tuck them deep into my heart. Until 2015, We'll miss you Florida!

17 November

Friday.  The BIG day.   Magic Kingdom and the very Merry Christmas Party.  Even though the lines were somewhat long in the morning , and there were tons of attractions broken down (think this park is getting a little old?) from the monorail to the haunted house, we did it all.  After going back to the hotel for a little rest time, we headed back to the Christmas party.  It was everything we thought it would be. The whole place was lit up.  WE just walked around, looking up, taking it all in.  There were no lines for the rides so we did EVERYTHING we wanted to do, the race cars, space mountain, splash mountain the Haunted House and big Thunder Mountain.  .  Lucas favorite ride the "people mover" was empty.  There was free cookies and hot chocolate.  Bre even got to boogie down in a Dance party with some characters.  The fireworks were amazing and we topped out night off with a visit to the princesses (the boys sucked it up to give Bre her "moment").   We got to bed after 11, so I don't expect the first leg of our journey home to be pretty:( , but it was so worth it.

16 November

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

15 November (Part 2)

Today....a really awesome Character breakfast (One of my favorite parts of the trip).  Mickey shaped waffles and Bre always having to give the characters one last hug.  Love that.   Even though it was a little cold and cloudy (and we weren't really dressed for it), it was still a GREAT day.  We hit Islands of adventure for the BIG rides.  Trevor and Josh rode everything including "the Hulk" Twice.  josh said it was the  best roller coaster ever (and he's ridden a lot of coasters).  Oh my the Suess Characters were awesome, especially the Grinch, funny guy :)  Four Parks in Four days, phew.  Tiring, but were able to do it b/c we have had a stress free attitude.  We end our day quickly when everyone gets tired (usually between 3 and 4) and we were able to do that b/c we have waited no longer than 10 minutes in line to get on any ride.

Most of the rides we have been able to walk right on.  I'm guessing it's the time of year.  Anyway,  Trevor's face when he got off that big coaster, beaming from ear to ear, so proud of himself for facing his fear (not that he showed any fear), was just priceless   I love Disney, I really do.  Even though it's commercial and a real big money pit, and I'm not sure the kids will remember these vacations as much as our time in the woods.  It's just magical.   Their Faces, their excited smiles, the way they run everywhere they go.  The way they walk and ride in the stroller sometimes, they way they hold hands and jump off the escalator  the way their eyes light up when they see the characters.  The way they fight in the elevator about who gets to push the button for the 15th floor.  I want to Remember this forever.

tomorrow...the LAST hurrah.   Magic Kingdom and staying up REAL late for Mickey's very merry Christmas party.  Party like it's 1999 people!

15 November

Universal Orlando.

Lots of 3D, movies and virtual rides.  Not the favorite of those of us who tend to get a little motion sickness (me!)  Lots of walking around (paid WAY too much for a rental stroller), cool sets to take portraits at.  NO lines at all.  A cool little kids roller coaster that we all went on a few times.  A SUPER FUN animal show that Lucas got to be a part of up on stage.  At the end, Trevor and Josh decided to forgo the big coaster to save up the fear factor for the islands of adventure tomorrow.  Instead they hit the mummy ride and Trevor and Bre hit the twister show with me (Bre was TERRIFIED!).  We were bummed that we forgot our auto books since there were so many cool characters (we had no idea).  And one of the best parts of our day, coming home, to hang at the hot tub and pool with a few little fruity drinks.  Tomorrow....Our Character Breakfast and Islands of adventure!

14 November

Tuesday.......

Animal Kingdom. The Safari, Expedition Everest (again, the girl was totally fearless...I think she even used the word awesome, she's so fun!), the totally scary Dino ride (that Lucas even went on!).   Getting lost on the way there (horrible GPS!), getting to see Mickey Mouse.  An afternoon to rest and relax back at the pool, showering and getting ready for an evening OUT (my kids are so big!).  A dinner show at Midieval times.  Super, Super fun.  Our girl got a flower and a ribbon from our "knight" and...we were in the front row.  Totally awesome day:)