Update

It’s been a while since I blogged.  I need to get back to it.  It’s therapeutic and it releases creative energy.  Winter is so hard on me emotionally.  After the holidays, the cold and gray put me into such a funk that I don’t feel like writing or taking pictures.  The first sign of spring – a warmer day, bright sun shining, and flowers in the grocery store – revives my energy and makes me itch to get outside.  Luckily we have one more year to go to Florida to give us a break from winter.  Next year, we still may go down, but only for spring break.  Joshua will be in first grade and I won’t be allowed to take him out of school for any length of time.  Such a bummer because that mid-winter break is just what I need to brighten my soul. 

We’ve been very busy in the two months that I haven’t blogged.  Joel is back to traveling.  We had a nice break from him traveling for about three months, but it seems between now and June, we’ll only have limited time together as a family.  The sacrifices we make for me to stay home.  I can’t even imagine what life would be like if I worked full time as well.  The horrors!

Joshua celebrated his 6^th birthday on February 12^th.  Unfortunately, he was sick with influenza B – and so was Gavin.  He missed his birthday and Valentine’s Day, but I think getting the Lego AT-AT Walker that he’s been asking for for months made being sick more bearable. 

I started working out and eating healthier.  Joel and I are going to Jamaica at the end of March to celebrate our ten year anniversary, and I’m meeting him in Hawaii in April for my birthday, so that means LOTS of bikini wearing.  I want to get in shape for that and just to be healthy in general.  I have a nice little workout schedule and I’m actually starting to see results.  It’s definitely a life style change, but I’ve noticed I’m craving a workout almost every day.  I do try and rest over the weekend.  We are also going all organic when it comes to produce and meat.  I read a book Rich Food, Poor Food by Jayson & Mira Calton.  It’s about how our food is made and what is put in it.  It’s horrifying some of the things that the government is allowing in our food.  My responsibility as a mother is to make sure my kids eat as healthy as possible.  I also want to support local agriculture so what better way to do that than buy local farmed produce and meat.  We bought local grass fed chicken from an organic farm and I can’t tell you how much better it tasted.  It was so tender and juicy and I contribute that to it not being shot up with water to plump it and that it was processed a couple days before we ate it.  Super fresh!  I know I can’t get completely away from boxed and processed foods, but I can try to read the ingredients lists and have healthier choices available. 

The boys are still in swimming lessons.  Josh moved up a level and will be starting swim team in the summer.  Gavin is warming up to the water.  He doesn’t cry and cling to his coach’s neck like he did at the beginning of the session.  Baby steps!

Josh was in a winter t-ball league.  It was an eight week session to teach the kids how to play t-ball.  I think it helped him with how the game works.  Some of the spring t-ball coaches watched and got good pointers on how to help the kids practice for spring t-ball.  The spring season will start in April and I’m getting so excited to go to games weekly and watch my boy grow.  I’ve signed Gavin up for a Future Stars Baseball clinic.  It’s pretty much t-ball for kids 3-5.  He wants to be like big brother.

And that’s what’s been going on with his for the past two months.  We’ll be heading to Tampa on March 13^th and we are counting down the days!  The boys are excited to spend time with Grammy and Poppy, go to Legoland, and see their cousins.  I’m excited to be in warmer weather with family.  I’m sure I’ll be inspired and will be taking more pictures, which means more blogging.  To be continued…..

Happy New Year

Another year has come and gone, and what a GREAT year it was for us!  We’re ready to start another year with high hopes.  We have a lot of fun things planned – Josh’s 6^th birthday, a trip to Jamaica, our 10 year anniversary, our annual trip to Florida, Gavin’s 4^th birthday and hopefully a tag-along- trip in there somewhere to Europe if Joel gets a chance to go for work. 

This new year our main goal is to get out of debt.  I know I say that every year, but I’m really getting tired of being piled high under a mountain of debt.  We’re giving all our money away for things we don’t need.  The never-ending cycle is insanity and you know what they say about insanity – it’s doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.  We need to make changes to get this cycle to stop so we no longer experience insanity!

Josh is learning about wants vs. needs in school and what better way to teach him about it than actually experiencing it in real life?!?!

I’ve read some ideas about a no spend month.  It’s where you don’t buy a single thing that isn’t necessary.  No Starbucks coffee’s, no McDonald’s, no candy in the check-out line.  Not one single extra.  I figured to get us on the debt free train, we try this no spend month starting in January. 

And after spending for Christmas, the last thing I want to do is spend more and get further into debt.  I’m actually looking forward to doing my taxes so I can take whatever money we get back and put it towards bills (if the politicians get come to an agreement and I can actually file my taxes on time).  It’s going to be hard, but I know we can do it.

Here are a few ideas of how we can spend our free time:

1. The boys got a few games for Christmas that we can play. 

2.  We go to the library for books. 

3.  We can go through closets and purge clothes, toys, etc. 

4.  I can start exercising (this is an even harder feat than spending!). 

5.  Break out the old game system (our wii).  We can borrow games from the library.

6.  Instead of paying a babysitter for date night, we can have a date night at home after the kids go to bed.  

It’s our year to get healthy – physically and financially.  One good thing that will help us is that we refinanced our house to a super low rate and we don’t have a mortgage payment until next month.  A HUGE savings! 

I’ll be back at the end of January to give you a status update.  If all goes well, maybe I’ll take the challenge again in February…..but let’s not get ahead of ourselves  J

Some other goals for the New Year:

1.  Get in shape (isn’t that on everyone’s list???)

2.  Get off electronics and be more present for my kids.

3.  Last year’s goal was to read 20 books.  This year my goal is to read 30.  It shouldn’t be hard on my new Kindle Fire that I got from my parents for Christmas.

4.  Live more simply.

We wish everyone a very happy, healthy and safe New Years!  Bring it on 2013.

Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas from our family to yours....

Tears and Prayers

This morning as I put Josh on the bus, I got teary eyed watching him bounce into his seat and say hello to all his friends.  I gave him an extra hug and told him I loved him a few hundreds times more that I usually do.  Josh has no idea what has happened.  He's still my innocent sweet boy with a full life ahead of him.  I hope he (or Gavin) never have that innocence taken away like it was so wrongfully  taken from the children of Sandy Hook Elementary.

Sending love to the broken hearted.  Your children are not forgotten.  We continue to pray for you in your time of need.

Christmas in Purcellville

December makes me giddy like the Christmas record people.  Oh, you don’t know them?

You know….these people.

The smiley ones with big teeth and shiny lipstick and perfectly tilted heads. Don’t they look SO HAPPY?!  There's a snowy pine behind her, she's singin' carols, and girlfriend is happy in a I’m-so-full-of-Christmas-cheer-I-can’t-feel-my-legs sort of way.  December, of course, has its regular dose of daily frustration and stress and exhaustion. It's just that there're so many twinkly lights and jingle bell music to sort of daze and distract me, so I smile. 

We had a busy weekend celebrating with family and friends!  I can’t tell you enough how much we love the town we live in.  It’s quaint, quiet and just down right wholesome. 

We’ve been enjoying…..

Winter Wonderland.  Josh’s PTO at school had a Winter Wonderland that we went too.  It was fun making crafts and seeing Josh run around with all his friends. 

Trolley Tour.  After the winter wonderland, we attempted to take a trolley tour through town to look at all the lights.  Unfortunately, we had to get tickets and they were all gone, so we took a tour on the Danielle Trolley.  A few houses had tons of lights out and soup du jor was a house that had a light show to Christmas music.  We've decided that next year we will don our house in millions of lights.  The key is "lots of lights" and a spot light on your front door.  Already scheming our plan and trolling the stores for cheap deals.    

Breakfast with Santa.  Saturday morning we had breakfast with Santa at the church where Gavin goes to preschool.  Our Santa is the real deal.  

Lego Train Display.  After breakfast, we went to see the Lego train display at the Town Hall.  Josh was in HEAVEN! 

Christmas Parade.

Santa’s Mailbox.  We also had a chance to drop off Josh’s letter to Santa.  One of the stores in town put out a red mail box specifically for Santa’s mail. 

Sophia’s 3^rd Birthday.  Our friend, Beth’s daughter, Sophia (a.k.a. Little Phia) turned three.  She had a Polar Express themed party.  The boys wore their Christmas jammies and cuddled up to watch Polar Express.

Christmas Tree.  And on Sunday, we went and got our Christmas tree.  It turned out to be a cold rainy day.  We all got soaked, but it was a fun adventure.

Dmitri’s 1^st Birthday.  Another little in our group turned one – Dmitri!  This kid is seriously the cutest and happiest kids I’ve ever met.  I knew him before he was born and always have so much fun when I’m with him.  I’ve dubbed myself his ‘other mom’ because I’m always holding him (it’s getting a bit hard now that he wants to be on the move all the time) and giving him kisses like he’s my own.  

Happy Holidays!

New Walkways and a New Shed

We did a bit of work to the outside of our house this summer.  To start with, we had umpteen trees removed in the spring.  According to one neighbor, they dubbed our house the “enchanted forest” because of all the trees the prior owner planted.  The day Joel was having the trees removed, some neighbors walking by told him they are happy to see our house belongs in the neighborhood now.

The next thing we chose to do was add a walkway on the front side of the house and redo the front walk to the front door.  We chose to put in stamped concrete.  Fancy enough and not nearly as expensive as brick pavers.  While the guys where here with the concrete truck, we had them extend the step (see before/after picture below) wider across the length of the porch.  I just love the new walkways.  They dress up the house and the new big step is the perfect spot for flower pots and pumpkins!

{Before}

{After}





Then, Joel got a new shed in the backyard.  Our old shed was HUGE, too close to the house and started to leak.  My father-in-law took it to my sister-in-law’s new house and we had a new one installed in the right rear of the yard.  It’s a mini version of our house, sans the wrap around porch. 

Next spring and summer, we’re hoping to add some landscaping around the shed and put on a screened porch and stamped concrete patio off the porch.  We have a master plan that’ll take about five years to complete if we do a little at a time.

Just a small piece of the puzzle on our long laundry list of things to do to the outside.

Happenings

It’s been ages since I’ve posted.  A lot has been going on. 

Kindergarten get-together.  Josh’s classmate, Alyssa, had a get together at her house for all the afternoon kindergartners and their moms.  The kinds really enjoyed themselves!  They played and ate lunch before getting on the bus.  We’re hoping to do these once a month.

Great Country Farms.  We took the boys to glow night at our local farm.  2,000+ pumpkins are carved and lit up for you to walk through.  Our friend, Beth, and her daughter, Sophia (a.k.a. Phia #2) came with.  Beth got the kids glow necklaces and it was a good thing.  It was so dark that we wouldn’t have been able to keep track of them if she hadn’t.  Gavin and Phia had a great time swinging their necklaces around. 

Carving pumpkins.  Last weekend we carved our pumpkins for Halloween.  Alyssa was over and she helped.  We got a lot of compliments on our carvings when everyone was trick or treating.

Halloween.  Josh dressed up at Lloyd the green ninja from Ninjago and Gavin dressed up as what else…..Spiderman.  Joel set up a bonfire and handed out candy while the boys and I went trick or treating.  We walked around for about an hour before coming back to warm up.  The boys decided not to go back out and wanted to hand out candy instead.  It was fun seeing all the costumes and our friends we’ve recently made throughout the neighborhood.

(Josh and Aiden)

Hurricane Sandy.  Sandy rolled through Sunday, Monday and part of Tuesday.  We thought Halloween would be moved to later in the week because of all the rain we got, but it wasn’t.  We hunkered down for two days patiently waiting f or the electricity to go out {it never did}.  The boys kept themselves busy by hiding out in their hurricane fort and Gavin decided to walk around in winter boots that are two sizes too small for his feet.  I read two books and reached my reading goal for 2012.  Joel watched the weather channel and saved our neighbor  from her 100 year old house that ended up getting flooded pretty bad in the basement. 

Playdates.  We’ve been having weekly playdates with Josh’s friend, classmate and our neighbor, Aiden.  They got the jeep out last week and drove it all around the back yard getting it stuck.  

That's what we've been up too!  November will be another busy month.  Joel is traveling to Hawaii and Canada before meeting us in Tampa for Thanksgiving.  I love this time of year.  

Happy November!