On My Nightstand

I thought I should explain where I've been lately.  {in case you are wondering}  

Well, I started reading again.  

If you know me, you know that's my addiction {along with Dancing With The Stars and The Bachelor}.  That's my morning cup of coffee.  My glass of wine.  For those of you who can relate on that level.  

I know I've returned to some sense of normalcy when I can read a novel again.  It took nearly 5 months, but I'm here.

So what's gracing my night stand these days?  The Scent of Rain and Lighting by Nancy Pickard.  

Okay, this where I must admit, that I started this book at the beginning of my Lucy pregnancy {yes, not lying}.  Stopped because of the nausea.  Started again mid pregnancy.  Stopped again because of the construction.  Started again at the end of my pregnancy.  And stopped, yet again, because of the unbearable exhaustion.

And that's when that nightmare thought of, "I'm never going to be able to read a novel again" starting creeping back into my head.  So I stuffed it in a drawer and gave up.

That thought was put to rest  about 2 weeks ago.  I started the novel again...with a fresh mind and finished it without stopping.

And it was good.  Really good.  There was a moment that I thought this is too predictable.  Oh, but was I wrong.  Crazy twist at the end.  The kind where I popped right up off of my pillow.

Do I recommend it?  Yes, for sure.  

And speaking of recommendations.  Thanks Erin.  I think it was about two years ago {pitiful, huh?}.  I'm back on the wagon though.  

A Year In Review

I have found that 2012 was a big oxymoron for me. It has been very bittersweet.

Bitter in the fact that I was pregnant & exhausted for much of it, going through construction hell and back, Jack headed to Kindergarten, and I lost someone very dear to me.

Sweet in the fact that we were blessed with Lucy, we have a beautiful and functional home, and Jack is growing up wonderfully.

If I said that I had a great 2012 it would be half heartedly.  And I like to be honest.  But, in being honest, I must admit, there were some great moments.  Some trying ones too.  And lots of growing ones.

I approach 2013 with a very new perspective.  One I don't think I've ever had {part of that growing thing}.  I want to slow down.  I want to savor those moments...the great ones.  And I want to let the bitter ones go.  It's taking me 35 plus years to realize that life really does go by fast.  It's not a cliche.  It's the truth.

So seeing as how having three kids doesn't lend much room to "slowing down" literally, I want to do it figuratively.  I want {and will} slow down and enjoy the beautiful gift of my family.  And I'm really going to try not to sweat the small stuff.  Try...that's all I can do, right?

That being said, here is our annual year in review.  The bitter and the sweet...okay, mostly the sweet.

January : 

I went on a girl's trip in January with some high school/college friends.  It was wonderful to get away, to see old faces, and laugh.  But, I was pregnant {we hadn't made the announcement yet} and I was sick as could be and getting fat.  We went out to dinner and these were my fortunes...

I find these to be the foreshadowing of the bittersweet months ahead.

February: 

Yet again, newly pregnant.  Still sick and getting even fatter.  But, on that sweet side...Maggie fell in love with the princesses {especially Belle}.  And Jack fell deeper in love with Toy Story.

March:

By now everyone knew we were expecting number three.  And that's all she was to me until this point...number three.  Then in March that all changed.  We found out Lucy was going to be a girl.  Though shocked, I was selfishly excited.

April:

My house was torn to shreds from the outside in.  And I was feeling the same way.  I just wanted a place to live back {without tools, without strange men in and out of it, and without a pounding in my ear all day long}.  Maggie's new big girl room was the first room completed.  And I fell in love with it as did she.  I spent many moments in there just soaking up ONE complete room and it was pink *sigh*.  

Heaven...or at least what I imagine it will look like.

May:

Jack graduated from pre-school in May.  {I adore his baby fat in this picture-little did I know it would soon be gone}. And Grandma came to live near us.  I was losing my first born to Kindergarten, but gaining my Mom down the road.  Another bittersweet month.

June:

In June we took our annual beach trip with just our little fam.  We missed our friends dearly this year, but reveled in the time we were able to spend with just one another.  Our last as a family of four.

July:

Just in the knick of time our house was finished.  I spent an entire hot pregnancy under construction.  But, geez was I happy it was completed before Lucy's arrival.  And the best part?, not one regret.  I love the way our little cottage turned out.  Although, it was a long road to get there.

August:

Lucy arrived on August 23rd, 2012.  It was instant love.  That first moment when her cheek touched mine we were both at peace.  A glorious memory I will never forget.

September:

I was pretty much exhausted from the day Lucy arrived.  There was no running on adrenaline for the first few weeks with this one.  So the day we had her newborn session was a stretch in all things for me.  But, I got my first, and most beloved, picture of my three little ones.  Yes, three! And I will cherish this as long as I live.

October:

And though this might seem obvious...I chose Halloween for October.  For more reasons than the simple cuteness of it.  I want to remember my superhero loving Jack and princess adoring Maggie.  I want to remember the love and time that went into these costumes from a Grandma who now lives so close to us.  And I want to remember that even though their Mommy was exhausted to the core, my kids were still having a wonderful time this month.

November:

I am so blessed to have known this man and call him my Uncle.  And I am even more blessed that God made Lucy to bring us all together for one last time.

December:

This was my first time out {without Clay} with all three kids.  We survived and had an extremely merry time at that.  I felt very accomplished, loved and exhausted all at the same time.  That kind of sums up life with three these days.

I am hoping 2013 will be a little less of an oxymoron and more of a consistent "sweet".  I am hoping that I can hold true to my resolution.  And I am praying that we will all grow and cherish one another.

The days are long, but the years are short.

Happy 2013.

Eighteen

Eighteen days of winter break {aka no school} has nothing on us.  

I have loved having my kids home.  I seriously mean that.  I am mourning tomorrow when Jack is back to his "real world".  

He is ready.  I could see that yesterday.  But selfishly, I feel like it's going to be the first day of Kindergarten all over for me {and Maggie}. Even Lucy has gotten use to the extra little voice around here. *sniff sniff*

We had a great time though.  We stayed very busy, whether at home or away.  The holidays and family certainly filled a lot of the time.  But, so did our other just "being a regular family" activities.  

We went to Catch Air {per Maggie's request}, Lego Land {per Jack the lego maniac's request}, the library, to get haircuts, the Doughnut shop, and the Dollar Store.  We had two all boy playdates and one sleep over with Sophia.  We even pulled out Mommy's January teaching box and made snowmen art and read lots of winter books.

And then we entertained ourselves with the simplicity of home...

The kids loved bubble baths in our big tub.  They even took a few showers in our bathroom.  They sprayed each other with the hand held spout, screamed and giggled...until it got a bit out of control....expected.

We played outside as much as we could {we had dreary weather for dayyyys}. So the opportunites were few and far between.  But when we did, we especially enjoyed trying out our new gifts from Santa.  I even got to try mine out...a new zoom lens!  Woo hoo!

Maggie played lots of dress up.  Like this day when she dressed up for the rain, but never actually went out in it.  All that work getting suited up wore her out, I guess.

When Jack wasn't doing Legos, he was doing science experiments.  This was his paper mache volcano that really erupted with vinegar and baking soda.

Lucy got to try out her new activity center {thanks Uncle Mike!}.  She is still trying to figure out how to operate it, but she definitely loves a new place to be.  Especially since she is almost in standing position {just about another inch}. I threatened the big kids that I was going to get each of them one for Christmas next year...since they COULD NOT keep their hands off of it.  

And yes, Maggie is dressed up, once again.

Okay, so I've started my countdown until our next school break.  MLK, JR Day...15 days away...

RInging In Two Thousand 13

I once heard that New Years Eve is when parents live it up...until about 10:00 pm.  Well, that is partly true for us.  Except we didn't even make it until 10:00.

We did however have our own little celebration and were up later than usual.  The venue was our backyard.  The guests were Clay, Jack, Maggie, and me {little Lu was already in dream land}.  And the "living it up" included smore's and fireworks.

Possibly one of my favorite New Years Eve's to date.  {and this where Daddy deserves props--it was all his plan AND he did all of the shopping}.

Jack also said it was, "his favorite New Years evvvver"! *smile*   And then he recanted and said, "well, actually, 2014 probably will be, because Lucy will be with us too".  *even bigger smile*

Maggie enjoyed her family and the sweet treats, wasn't so sure about the fire and fireworks, and then turned in by 8:15.

Jack, however, stayed up until "midnight".  Luckily for me, he doesn't know that midnight is 12:00 am.  He's got the clock and time to the hour pretty figured out, so if he had, my little white lie wouldn't have worked.  He went to bed happily, all the while thinking he made it until 2013 {unlike his sisters}.  I'm not a big advocate of lying to my kids, but the bounce in his step {all the way up to his bedroom} was so worth it.


Daddy gave the all important lesson on roasting marshmallows.  Love our new fire pit from Grammy and Grampa.

I have no fears of Maggie growing up to be a pyromaniac.  One worry to mark off of my list.

Yum...the reward of smore's was so worth it.  Even the mess that Maggie had me clean off of her hands after each bite.

And wouldn't you know my camera ran out of batteries right at the start of the show?  How I wish I had a picture of Jack dancing around with his sparklers.  I made a mental click {I refuse to ever forget that...adorable!}

Maggie tetter tottered with the idea of holding a sparkler, but got cold feet at the hand off every time.  Probably a good thing.  My fleece has a giant burn hole in it from the one {yes, it only took one} sparkler I did. Yikes...didn't know those things were so dangerous.  Thank goodness this was New Years Eve and not the 4th of July and I was fully robed.

Happy Two Thousand 13 to everyone.  I hope you were able to "live it up" with the ones you love too!