2014 Resolution

I love that January is a time of reflection. Not that I am big on setting resolutions. I know myself too well. However, I do like the hope of adjusting my focus. I want to continue to grow in my walk with Jesus, and to continue to purposefully be refined by my role as a wife and mom. The two roles where I am the most comfortable and the most volatile because of that comfort.

I have felt the two words "available" and "willing" coming up in my quiet times with God. "Willing" won out since "available" makes me feel like I am marketing myself as such. But both express my deep desire to put aside my own agenda in the day-to-day decisions.

I am going through a devotional and this verse popped out at me and inspired my 2014 focus:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24)

In the devotional part it goes on to say, "We are a people desperate for God's Word. More than anything, God's people need to know His Word and be willing to give Him the freedom to adjust our lives to its precepts." (Beth Moore, emphasis mine.)

All too often I hear God's words, can communicate a philosophical response to them, but actually putting them into practice? So many reasons all too easily rule out the discipline of practice.

My being willing is something I choose to give to God. It is a gift to my husband. To my children.

When I think of my unwillingness, I think of wanting to finish a task instead of being willing to let myself be interrupted by my kids asking "mommy, can I show you something?". I think of being too tired or stressed or irritated to answer the phone, or having a bad attitude and a rushed spirit when I do answer, when my husband calls in the middle of the day.

Jesus, help me to be willing to have You adjust the focus of my daily agenda.

Hello 2014. Hello Blog.

Inspired by planning a party for each of my children this year (first time for any of them, and yes, my oldest is five…I can explain!).

Inspired by a new year.

Inspired by creative blogs written by busy moms who are making memories with and for their kids and actually documenting them. My memory fails me, most of the things I remember are because of scrolling through our iPhoto albums. (Seriously, there's only about five in the rotation of "stories about when I was a little girl" upon bedtime requests from my girls.)

I have to confess my hesitation to blog though. I don't want to blog to paint a picture of a life that's 100% all-put-together. I don't want to feel like I have to put a bow in my girls' hair before I take a photo. Or revoke their right to dress themselves, in fear that their typical day-to-day Punky Brewster-ishness will be exposed on my blog! I want to make sure my motives are not inspired by narcissism.

But I do love the idea of blogging motivating me to channel creativity towards doing things with my kids. And I do love the motivation to take pictures and document our lives. I love the thought of being able to share ideas, recipes and experiences to inspire friends - as blogs have done for me! And just recently, I had a revelation. I've always known that I love to write. I have a collection of journals to prove it. But just recently, I had the revelation that writing is a form of worship for me. A way that makes me feel connected to the Lord, full, energized, and it's just fun! I was a tad emotional realizing that God gave this form of worship, tailored for me, for Him, as a gift that brings Him joy and me as well.

So, hence: Hello Blog.

Here are some of my favorite snapshots from 2014 so far.

We've had a crazy winter this year, so far. Single digits!:

Life-size snowman built in our backyard, compliments of Uncle Logan, Aunt Meg and Ryan:

Our little guy in his "monkey hat". (We haven't had the heart to correct him that it is actually a bear.)

Almost the final product:

Second snow-day project, an igloo for five:

Our girls. Alexia showing off a school art project:

Nothing but love for Noah:

And my tactile child, who caught me way off guard with this one:

Happy Monday!

What You'll Find Them Doing These Days.

It's fun to watch what the girls come up with when they play these days. They play so well together for long stretches of time, often I feel like I should stop what I'm doing around the house and interact with what they're doing. Apparently their need for my entertaining them is fading out, because a few times my inviting myself into their play has been received as a total intrusion and interruption. They both stopped dead in their tracks, and whined, "nooooooo, Mommy. Don't come in here."

Okaaaaaaaay. Resume cleaning.

A favorite choice these days: Raid Mommy's closet for high heels and scarves.

I mean, are we serious? 

They also beg me for lipgloss (and they can sense when I try to give them a cheap one I don't care about much), deodorant and for me to curl their hair. 

Alexia has almost officially given up wearing pants entirely. Her outfit of choice? A dress and tights (she'll hardly even wear leggings anymore). Naiya is pretty open to wear anything, but she enjoys picking out her own outfit. Her outfit of choice consists of layering two shirts, whatever pants, leggings or skirt she can find, and her "fun shoes", polka dot flats she received from Grammy for Christmas. One morning I couldn't find her beloved polka dot shoes and when I offered her a different pair of flats, she replied sobbing, "but those aren't fun shoes. I want my polka dot shoes because they're fun." 

And lest you think the girls are the only ones who have any fun, here is Noah's addiction:

Yes, that's toilet paper rolled all the way out from the bathroom. He also has a favorite pastime of sticking his hand and swishing it around in the toilet bowls. I won't even go into the details of all that. But we have a new rule of shutting the bathroom doors in our house. 

Christmas Nutcracker Tea

This year we went on a girls only date to a Christmas Nutcracker Tea hosted at a local hotel. Grammy, the girls and I got all dressed up in our Christmas fancies and ate fancy food, drank fancy tea and hot cocoa with marshmallows, watched fancy ballerinas dance, and endlessly devoured a fancy dessert bar. All doing so with friends! 

The girls were mesmerized with the ballerinas. They were not so mesmerized with the Santa on stage afterward, who served as an obstacle for the girls, who were almost required to take a picture with him before receiving their nutcracker ornament. 

Christmas Cookie Recipes

Just because I'm feeling motivated, here's a follow-up post about some of my favorite cookie recipes.

And these are all Ryan-approved. Except for the sugar cookies. He kept trying to figure out what went wrong. I finally had to break it to him that I specifically searched for a recipe that would replicate the ones that are showcased at the grocery store at every holiday. The ones that I fight the temptation to buy, knowing I would be the only one gobbling them up. Probably before anyone even knew I had bought them. But if ever there is a sample of them, oh it's on!

Here's what's baking in our kitchen this season:

Peanut-Butter Cookies (and I opt for the chewier cookies, so take the tip at the end of the recipe to bake it at a lower temp)

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies (like the store-bought ones)

Jam Thumbprint Cookies (brought to you by the woman that has literally taught me how to cook and bake, thank you Ina, from the bottom of my husband's stomach)

No Bake Cookies

Russian Tea Cakes

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Enjoy!

Love me some lists.

It's no secret that I love lists.

I create lists to get motivated. To feel accomplished. To organize my brain.

When I'm feeling really tired and unmotivated, I make a list of things where I have already accomplished a few. Just so I can cross it off and pat myself on the back.

I am very task-oriented and do not like to move onto the next task if the previous one is not completely check-off-the-listable. Ryan fully understands this. He sees the tension within my brain before I even do, if interupted by something that calls louder for my attention.

Enough about me though.

Let's move on to what I realized today and had to take note of.

Today's "I want to feel productive/My explanation of "what I did all day", I'll call it Exhibit A:

Looks like another ordinary day with multiple checklists (for you nosy ones that are squinting to read each post-it, the yellow is a list of 6 cookies I want to bake during the Christmas season which include: peanut butter, no-bake, sugar cookies w/ frosting, chewy ginger snaps, thumbprint cookies and russian tea cakes. (Ohhhh, I should do a post where I include all the recipes for these cookies, because they are my faves.....I won't promise myself to such a lofty goal for now though...but that would be fun.) So back to the post-its, the orange one of the left has a list of dishes that I need to make tomorrow for friends (birthday and new baby).

And that beloved one front and center, next to the pen? It is my to-do list for today. Here's a closer look:

It wasn't until I had finished #1 and #2 and crossed them both off, that I realized what my life had come to.

When did it become a reality that taking a shower was something I had to put on a to-do list? And not only that. But cross it off with a sense of accomplishment.

With all seriousness.

The title of my next book: "The Day I Realized I Would Never Be 20 and Free To Take On the World." With a sequel called: "The Reactive Life: Because I Don't Have Time to Be Proactive."

Noah is 9 months!

His stats:
Weight: 18 lbs (15th percentile)
Height: 28 inches (50th percentile)
Head Circumference: 45 cm (40th percentile)

Latest tricks:

1. Officially crawling all over the place. (My life is about to get crazy...I just have a feeling...)

Yes, that's dirt. From one of my two indestructible potted plants. Total side note: I can't believe how those plants have lasted this long. It's incredible how well I am at killing any living plant. It is such a shame. 

2. Using a straw. I secretly have feelings of such pride watching him do this. Is there some sort of prize for your baby being so advanced in the straw-sucking arena? Just kidding. At least about the prize part. 

3. Pulling himself up. It's usually to beg for food or to play with something I've put (what I thought) out of reach. Eating and playing, what this boy does best. 

All these milestones just whizzing by. Geesh. It's fun though, even with the third child, it's like the first time every time. Just love to watch him be aware of everything going on around him. He "gets" life.

When Ryan walks in through the door, he gets excited and squaks and sprint-crawls towards him. And does the exact opposite when Ryan leaves the room.

But he's still a Mama's boy. Yesssssss. Even at 9 months, I still catch myself being in awe that God has let a little man enter into our home.

Nothing sweeter for me than him reaching for me while he's in someone else's arms - sounds so narcissistic, I know - and snuggles right into me and assumes the "comfort zone" position with his head buried and fingers in his mouth. He's not the thumb sucker that I'd hoped he'd be. Just kidding, it wasn't that big of a deal. But I am a big fan of self-soothing, so I had thumb-sucking transitions for each kid at 3 months when I was tired of being the pacifier police and rescuing the pacifier every 15 minutes during naps. So this is what we have here:

After Noah's 9 month well visit, I was caught off guard when the receptionist said, "So we'll see him next at his 12 month in March." WHAT?! How has almost a whole year gone by? One year old just sounds so old. I am enjoying him more than words can express! 

Noah is 8 months!

This boy is a little hoss. An eatin' machine. Although baby food is involved in this sequence of photos, it is a rare thing. He skipped right over baby food. He can't be bothered. It takes too long to wait for the next spoonful. Naiya was the exact same way. Although she never did this:

"Mom, what's so amusing? A boy's gotta eat, right?"

To the very last drop.

Atta boy.

All the laughing and commotion of the baby food drinking made it a family affair. Those sisters love their brother. Recently, we've had to instruct the girls (mainly Naiya, our nickname provider) what nicknames we accept. Those included are: Doodie, Boobie, Nonie (I like that one, but Ryan does not), DooDoo. My explanation to their "But why?" is that we don't want to call him a name that means poop or a name that is a body part. Enough said. Right? And I've also thrown in there a few times, "Because we named him Noah, so his name is Noah." Because I said so. And because I'm the Mommy.

Pumpkin Patch Weekend 2012

I have to say that of all the things I was most excited about for fall, going to the pumpkin patch and apple picking were my top two! The girls have been talking about last year's experience all year long, and so it was fun to anticipate with them going again this year.

On Saturday we planned to go to a place an hour away with my brother-in-law and new sis-in-law, to carry on the tradition from last year. (Here's the cute couple from last year):

And this year:

The place we went to was much bigger than where we went last year. Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones with that idea that day, so the bigger crowd made it feel somewhat of a tourist trap, and everything cost a pretty penny. But I loved it for the fact that we made memories. We took advantage of the hay ride, which was interesting...instead of seats, they had straw laid out on the wagon floor for us to sit directly on. Which was fine, but I definitely had to perform the pull-your-jeans-up-before-you-sit-down shimmy to gear up for sitting on the floor.

Noah seemed to like the hay pit though:

We finished our time there by taking fun pics:

Enjoying some treats, freshly fried apple fritters and hot apple cider:

This picture cracks me up, such a grown up sitting position:

After taking this photo of the girls on the pumpkins, I was given a tutorial by my loving husband about lighting and our camera. He's funny like that. I've been given many of those throughout my SLR career, I just really have no clue. I could probably help myself by making a rule of: Don't shoot the picture when you're looking directly into the blazing sun. 

My favorite part of our day was definitely apple picking. They had endless rows of many different varieties of apples. And we allowed ourselves to taste test the ones that had fallen on the ground. 

And the kicker? Our sis-in-law had spent her whole morning to making a homemade potato soup and homemade brownies! She is also a fall fanatic and memory makin' machine! It was delicious and the perfect ending to our fall festivity.