16 January

 Right now.....  Loving when I find a new drink that I like to freshen things up.

 this Girl is working on her story for the school wide story telling presentation (which she didn't get to do last year.) She picked an Elephant and Piggie book and used some props (I love how she tells the animals to talk loud and slow).  She works so hard in school this one. 

 I have made myself a little schedule of when I complete chores each week like shopping,errands, cleaning, laundry etc.  Having this stuff scheduled prevents my running to the grocery store everyday to get that one thing we are out of.  Seriously this cart is RIDICULOUS, but I haven't been full grocery shopping in over a month and haven't had a regularly scheduled grocery shopping day in probably six months.  Here's to making positive changes that help things run smoother. 

 this Girl (inclusion for the win) and this boy totally rocked their music and band concerts this week. 

13 January

Daddy Blogs:
We finally built it...  Lucas has been talking about his dream reading nook for months and even drew up some draft plans so I knew this would be a project that he would be excited about once we finally started it.  Boy, was I right...  It started with a trip to Lowe's to get lumber for the framing, siding for the nook, a cool light up lock, hinges for the door and a hotel door chain lock (because it is really cool to a 7 year old to crack the door open a bit to verify that you are cool enough to enter before opening the door all the way).  We spent a couple nights out in a very cold garage building the nook in sections where Lucas helped measure, cut, use the drill and even the finish nailer.  He also got to polish his new hammer skills learned at Cub Scouts when we built the door for the hut.  Before the Pats game, we spent a couple hours bringing the sections up to his room to assemble and all of the kids helped with the wallpaper (ok, they used old Christmas wrapping paper).  Since then, we have had to install some minor fixtures like a knob for easy opening and a latch to keep it closed but it is now officially complete and it is "everything he dreamed it would be....".  He loves spending time reading in it with Bre and Lucy and I am sure he will use it as long as he is little enough to fit in 15 square feet of living space. 

12 January

 The weekend lens.....I headed down for a special gathering in honor of I's bday.  I got to hangout  with these three and play legos and read funny books.  On the drive down I started listening to my first pod casts.........totally hooked! 

 We dropped the kids off and shopped and got ready and went out for a fabulous dinner and DESSERT (those donuts!).  It was fun pretending we were in college again.  It was fun rolling each other home and staying up talking and laughing until the wee hours. 

 Back at home, these guys had fun trying out some winter fun now that we had some snow on the ground.....and it warmed up a little. 

SO awesome that the Patriots won and I came home to a relaxing Sunday evening :)  Awesome, winter weekend.

9 January

{This moment.}

8 January

Holy cold.  Had to join the party and post about it.

7 January

Tonight, the local stories project....Two classes of third and fourth graders and B's school presented a project that they had been working on four months. The invited everyone they knew, family, friends and community.   It was a combinations of art and theater and community storytellers.   The classes heard local stories in their classrooms from members of the community about the history of our town and Marsh (Stories matter people!)  They visited places and saw artifacts.  They made journals from what inspired them.  They acted out the stories on stage and they created a huge mural from their own drawings which will adorn the walls of the brand new school for years and years to come.  Wow.  what an amazing experience (there are no words) for this group of students and teachers.  This is what school should be.  And my girl, who immediately took the hands of her two best friends and had the time of her life up there (with not a single ounce of "special" support mind you....) did amazing.  What an amazing, rich, school experience with this collaborative, kind, supportive community.  Love our schools..  They all are, all the kids are, cheering for her, helping her, telling her how smart she is, and getting to know her, because she is there, in class with them, in gym with them, on the bus with them, experiencing the SAME rich and diverse curriculum with them.  She is THERE, doing it.   Inclusion, Inclusion, INCLUSION for the win.   Best.year.ever.  I'll end with a quote (loving Kelle Hampton's perspective these days).


Continue to choose kindness. Turn the wrench right with us. This world needs more love right now, and paying it forward, looking out for someone else, doing the right thing never goes out of style. When I wake up in bed at night and think about that second grade classroom, that high school cafeteria, that work place lunchroom, I’d love to know that it will be filled with kindness and acceptance—kids who will sit with her and ask her about that dance she went to—the one they know about because they sat with her the day before and heard about it. Students who will lean over and help her find that page, friends who will come over and hang out, teams that will cheer for her when she runs, employees who will take the extra time in training, graduating classmates who will clap and holler her name when she crosses the stage and takes her diploma. We create this kind, celebrative, supportive community for our children with every opportunity we are given to be the change.

(Kelle....you are not there yet, but the change, it's happening!) 

5 January

 We rang in the new year in style with our best friends.  There was plenty of laughter and cheers to go around.  We will never forget how we just happened on a fantastic dinner with absolutely no plan and no reservation.....in the OLD PORT, on New Years Eve.  Not sure why we weren't standing next to our spouses in this photo.  All I can say is that is was COLD. 

 The kids visited the map store during vacation week, and had lunch with their cousins at Flatbread.  Aside from that, we did a whole lot of nothing (except recovering on the couch from colds). 

 On Saturday we celebrated Grandpa's life.  The ceremony was simple and beautiful with full military honors.  What he would have wanted.  We won't forget the simplicity of doing "as little as possible." We won't forget standing around Grandma's table listening to her stories, of travel, leaving the briefcase on top of the car, of their days working at the radio station when they set the transcript on fire.  The handsome man who needed a radio license.  Mom's visit to Mcgill.  Grandma's day sitting in the back of the bus.  It's the stories....oh the stories and the photos that mean the most to me. 

 Sunday......this girl totally rocked her all day ski lesson.  Sang all the songs on the radio all the way home. She said " I did awesome". 

Monday.......back to the grind of school and work and oh man, it's hard to get out of bed in this January Funk.  A little sledding before school on this icy driveway and we were set to go!  Happy Monday!

31 December

At years end......
Favorite 2014 moments.

2014 Was a good year, and a full year up and down and all over the place, as life should be when you are living and growing.......

Tonight we will spend a short time out with friends, (2nd annual!) and then back to little children trying to stay up as late as they can.  Tomorrow morning our traditional sparkling cider toast.

I love New years so much....the chance to reflect back on what the last year has been and what will come next. It is revitalizing to begin anew, and decide how to fill up that fresh blank page in a new notebook, a new markered list of goals.   How we continue to grow and change and make things better.....how to craft a life that is just right for us.  Because THIS IS IT, these are the days.....there is no more waiting for it. We do this everyday because it matters. 

Here's wishing you a happy new year, wherever your life may be.  I hope it is a  healthy and happy one full of the people and things that you love. CHEERS!