2013 {in pictures}

My loves.  My life.  I am so blessed.

Happy New Year, Friends!

Our Christmas {video style}

{Video: Christmas 2013}

Is it just me?

Is it bad to admit that Christmas stresses me out?  I can't help it - it's true.

I stress about the presents and the money and finding the perfect gifts for everyone on our shopping list.

I stress about the wrapping.  And about having the house clean for Christmas.  I stress about when is the right time to buy food for Christmas celebrations.  I stress about finding time to make cookies and decorate gingerbread houses with the kids.  I stress about making sure we create strong, happy Christmas memories for our little lovelies.

I stress a lot.  And when I get stressed, I get a little agitated and definitely less patient than I should be.  I don't like myself when I'm like that - but every year, at what should be only a happy, special time, it happens.  I can't seem to help it, no matter how hard I try to stay organized and on top of things.

This year?  No different.  I found myself feeling rushed and frantic, planning out our days and thinking about how I couldn't truly relax until the day after Christmas.  Then we'd have some true down-time.  And yet I knew that wishing away Christmas is such an unhappy thing - so this inner battle continues and I found myself having a near panic attack when our doorbell rang on Christmas Day announcing that our family was starting to arrive.  My hair was still wet from my rushed shower, my makeup was not on, and I was only half dressed.  I think Hannah might've been naked and Jack was still in his pajamas.  I almost cried.

Instead, I finished my makeup, got dressed, pulled my hair back, and went downstairs to host Christmas as best I could.  And the truth is - once everything is under way, I'm fine.  But the anticipation of these things is too much.  I know it's weird, but it's true.

We had a lovely Christmas, but I need to find a way to make the days leading up to Christmas less stressful for me.  I've already made a shopping list for next year and I've vowed to start my shopping sooner.  I typically wait until after all of our family birthdays are over (post-Thanksgiving) to start, and this plan hasn't worked. Ever.  So I'm changing the way I think about this, and next year, I'm starting after Halloween.  I'm also going to wrap as presents come into the house (you know, to avoid the staying up until 3 am one night every year to finish this task).

Hopefully, these things make a difference in the stress level next year.  I do not want my kids to grow up associating Christmas with stress and anxiety, so I have to start somewhere.

Suggestions, anyone?

Silent Sunday

{is there anything more fun?}

Big Day

One of Hannah's Christmas presents was a big-girl bed set.  She seemed eager to have a big-girl bed, but I'm not entirely sure she knew what was in store, exactly.

This morning, as I was changing all of the sheets, I decided it was time, and took the front of her crib off.  She watched in awe and was so excited to put her Minnie Mouse sheets and comforter on her little toddler bed.

Then came nap time.  She did nap, but it took her a long time to settle down and fall asleep.  I think she was just so excited!  Can you tell?

When it was time to wake her up, I went into her room and found her asleep, tangled in sheets and blankets on the floor.  She opened her eyes as soon as my flash went off - 

 - and then had so much fun telling me about how she woke up and was like, "Huh?  Where am I?  I fell on the floor while I was sleeping!"

Tonight, she did very well.  She was a brave little girl, and didn't seem to notice that anything was different until we were about to put her into bed.  She looked up at me with those pretty blue eyes and asked, "You're never going to put me in the crib again?"

I almost lost it.  But I held it together and asked her if she wanted me to put her into her big-girl bed.  She did (thankgoodness, for Mama).  

We checked a little bit ago, and she seems to be sound asleep and still in bed.  We'll see how the morning goes once she wakes up and realizes she can get herself out of bed!

Merry Christmas!

May your days be merry and bright!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

...when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, 

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

*****

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Our Santa Visit

Tonight, my mom and I took the kids to see Santa after school.  They were oh-so-excited.  We arrived while Santa was eating dinner, but they waited semi-patiently in line, and were in awe as Santa made his way down to his chair.

{I now notice that the sign behind my children's heads says no cell phone cameras permitted.  Oops.}

She was waiting so nicely.

No screamers this year - I deem this a success!  

Poor Jack smiled in the other pictures the photographer took, but Hannah did not, and this was the one they picked.  Next year, I'll have to remember to ask if I can choose - I'm sure they'll love that;)

You may not be able to tell from this picture, but this shows my very detail-oriented son showing Santa the specific Lego catalog items he would like, so Santa wouldn't get confused.  I had to talk him down from taking the entire catalog, and finally we agreed he could put a page or two in his pocket.

Hannah proudly told Santa she would like Boots and Dora, all by herself.

This year, Christmas is going to be so much fun - the littles are into all things Christmas!  They love our advent calendars and Oliver, our elf.  They talk frequently about how Santa's watching:)  They're excited to bake and to have Christmas parties.  

Now if I can only survive this work-week, we'll be in a good place!

Silent Sunday

Can we just agree that my nephew is adorable?  Those blue eyes...  Those tiny toofers...

Oh-my-word...

sleep tight

{I love to watch them sleep.}

Best Friends and Such

So, Hannah is head-over-heels in love with her daddy.  And it's simply adorable.

{Hannah, looking up at Daddy, with adoring eyes}

She looks for him in the morning.  She wants to know if he's home when we get home.  She throws her arms up in the air, shouts, "Daddy!" and runs to him the second he walks in the door.

Just a few weeks ago, Brad and I went to pick up the kids together from school (a rare occasion), and she ran directly past me and straight into her daddy's arms.  And all I could do was smile.

A few days ago, she strongly declared, "Daddy is my brest fwend."

Many times a day, I hear, "I want Daddy do it.  I want my Daddy."  She'll cuddle with him and watch a few minutes of a show before wriggling down to play.  She takes off her socks and pounds her tiny fists on his chest, shouting, "Hannah smash!"  It's her own version of Hulk-Smash, and it's adorable since she acts like the force of her fists is so great that it causes her to fall back onto the bed.

{photo courtesy of Marian Lozano}

She'll say that she's "man-working" with her Daddy if she's trying to help him fix something around the house.  This usually entails her sitting on Daddy's lap as he tries to work around her tiny, wiggling frame:)

{photo courtesy of Marian Lozano}

They're both pretty smitten, that's for sure.  I think I'll keep them:)

gone, but not forgotten

A pile of Jack's writing came home last week, and this weekend, as I was going through and filing his work, I came upon this piece.  My eyes welled up with tears.  A month and a half after our puppy dogs moved, Jack was thinking of them during writing workshop at school.  And this - his special ode to Cuddlebug and Gracie.

We're missing our puppy dogs very much this holiday season.  They have ornaments on our tree.  Do I keep them?  Do I send them along?  I found a box of the girlfriends' Christmas toys.  I'm going to send these to our friend, Joe.  And then there's the snow - oh, the snow.  The puppies in the snow were always so adorable.

But there is still this: I know they are loved.  I know they are happy.  I know that Joe is happier.  And I know that Jack is healthier.

Silent Sunday

{let it snow.}