I {heart} anniversary vacations!

this year chad and i will celebrate 15 years of marriage.  through ups and downs we have grown closer together and in our faith.  i could write a long blog post about just this but for now i choose to hold these things to my heart. 

we decided that this year we would celebrate in a big way, something we haven't done before and really didn't do for our honeymoon either (although that was an awesome trip to the Oregon Coast and i wouldn't change that for anything, such fun memories!). 

we went to this fabulous resort!  with some of our fabulous friends who were also celebrating 15 years of marriage.  i would HIGHLY recommend this place if you are looking for an all-inclusive place in Mexico.  we felt truly pampered from the minute we arrived until the minute we left.  i think the hardest part about coming home is not having someone to bring me everything i want to eat or drink all the time, ha ha. 

rather than boring you with ALL the details of the week i will just add a few pictures... if you want to know more than you will just have to call me or come on over and i can show you all the pictures :)


at the airport!

our first flight was cancelled (boo.)  so we spent 7 hours waiting to fly out and this is pretty much how most of that time was spent. 

our feet again... total relaxation, ahhh.

lovin' the ocean. the water was crystal clear and we had sun every single day we were there

there were lizards.  some rather large.  this guy lived in the rocks behind the beach beds we claimed each day

we got dressed up for dinner each night.  the restaurants were ahh-mazing



sad this picture didn't turn out better.... all dressed up with our beautiful friends



heading home. 

and now it is back to reality.  having to actually make food if we want to eat, washing my own dishes, etc.. BUT it is good to be home, refreshed and back with our girlies.  praising God for allowing us to take this trip! 



mud brownies & monkeys

a beautiful day this week, a glorious taste of spring, God's faithfulness displayed through the seasons.

everyone got outside to enjoy the warmth:

she claimed she was making mud brownies -yum, huh?

she continues to be true to her monkey like nature and climb on top of the swing set

she's talking to some birds above her in the tree

HAPPY ALMOST SPRING! :)

next years "list"

whoa. i have been really lacking in the blogging realm lately.  i know what will be on next years list of goals: to blog.  more than once a month.   

a little snippet of life in February:
- my birfday.  i'm 29.  forever.
- valentines day.  at home date night.  we watched a movie on Netflix after the kiddos went to bed. exciting, no?
- i went with chad on a "winter retreat" with our youth group and other local church youth groups.  it was amazingly fun and exhausting.  i forgot how fun it is to ski. i realized that i had not been skiing in just over 10 years.  the last time i went skiing was the weekend i found out i was pregnant with my oldest. (on a winter retreat for our church in WA)  it also made me miss the awesome ski slopes in Washington and BC.   (this was a little hill and a much different experience!)
- really busy month of just stuff. life. hubby in seminary is making life busier for both of us and we are really really REALLY looking forward to a break coming up this next week. 
- did i complete my February goals? nope.  1 for 2.  I read the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan.  It was awesome, convicting, and I am still wrestling with how to make some changes in my life and what it means for me to "run hard after God" on a daily basis.
I didn't clean up my paper mess and files.  I did a bit of researching on what I need to keep for paper and have a list and a plan.   Carrying out the plan seems a bit overwhelming and will probably take several "nap times" to complete.  So the piles will continue to pile up and get shoved aside.  I'm okay with that and will get to it eventually :)
- I completed Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred.  woot! Lost a few pounds and a few inches again with that.  yay me! 

i have no new pictures to share so i will add some from January:

aren't they cute?  :)  i think so.

january goals: check, check

wow, i've been a bit of a slacker in the blogging department.  BUT that's because I've been so busy with working on my 2012 goals!

my January goals were:
1) clean out my fridge and freezer really good - done!  no pics of it in it's shiny clean organized gloriousness however, because, really, who wants to see my fridge.  very boring. (side note confession:  i had 6 bottles of mustard in there...?!!??  3 were expired.)
2) restock my card stash - done! i made 30ish cards to get me started here in 2012.  here are some of my faves:

AND I've finished one of my February goals already as well (read "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan)
that leaves me with a big paper pile mess to deal with.... anyone have tips on organizing that stuff and what needs to be kept?

dr. snowman

we finally experienced some true midwestern winter.  our landscape has changed to a snowy playground and thankfully the temps have stayed fairly warm-ish so the snow can be enjoyed.  i love that the kids can get fresh air on a daily basis rather than be stuck inside to avoid losing fingers or noses due to frostbite. 

the milder temps has provided snow that actually packs together and so dr. snowman has come to life:

the eldest named him. stating he looked like a doctor.  (side note:  we have never been to a doctor that sports a mustache and smokes a pipe)

miss j has been asking each day to make some "snow friends" for the good doctor.  we may need some fresh snow to accomplish this though. 

what i missed

so December was a pretty happenin month in our household.... and i missed blogging about most of it ;) 
so a little re-cap is in order:

first up is this girls b-day.  she's SEVEN.  she is fabulous. she is truly a sweetheart.  she is sensitive and caring to the underdog (however her 3 year old sister is NEVER the underdog. ever.)  she loves candy and sweets and dislikes green veggies.  she loves legos. i made her a giant chocolate chip cookie on her birthday.

then we have miss baby's b-day.  she is two. a baby no more (big sniff)  she is a darling.  sweet and adorable.  she talks like she is a grown up in a two year old way (can't explain that very well!)  she is hooked on junk food and refuses most healthy foods.  she is quiet and sneaky and gets into my sugar pot on a weekly basis.  she loves to watch the "12 Dancing Princesses" Barbie movie and dances around with her sister's black ballet flats on.

and then a plethora of wonderful Christmas parties with too many pictures to even begin picking and choosing a few to post.  so i go with none. 

the resolution bandwagon

i'm hopping on....

my goal list for 2012:

January -  restock my card stash
                really really clean my fridge/freezer
February - stop avoiding and actually read  my copy of Crazy Love by Francis Chan
                figure out a filing system i can maintain and take care of the paper mess
March -  scrapbook at least 5 layouts
               clean out the storage area in the utility room (i'll have to be sure to take a "before" picture, yikes!)
April - do 2 projects i have "pinned" from Pinterest
         - paint the back porch and steps
May - read 2 novels from my list of "books i want to read"
         - clean out at least 1/3 of the garage (another one to have a before picture of!)
June - run 5 miles in one workout
         - finish the front porch project
July - go "screen free" two days a week (no computer or tv)
       - ruthlessly clean out the girls' closets
August - keep a daily journal
            - clean out another 1/3rd of that garage
September - try to can or preserve something i haven't done before
               - ruthlessly clean out our closet
October -  try 4 new recipes
             - finish the garage
November  - actually be organized for Christmas this year and make the gift ideas and to do list
                  - back up my pictures and empty my camera card
December -  make a reusable daily calendar to start in the upcoming year
                - clean out the attic

MAYBE since i posted this on here for the world (or the 10 or so people that read my blog) to see, i will be more likely to complete this list.  some are for sure more lofty than others, some will be quick, some require A LOT of work.
or MAYBE i will be like the majority of other "new year resolution" makers and fall right back off the resolution wagon. 
MAYBE i will regret the day i posted this
MAYBE i will be so motivated to see things being completed i'll finish my list early
maybe maybe maybe
MAYBE i will
MAYBE i won't

and MAYBE if i care to share my successes or failures i will post each month (or so) on how i'm doing on this list.  we shall see.

i leave you with this fabulous picture of my kids: