first 25 days

we are off from school for a snow day today, so we're doing little more than playing, making muffins, catching up on lounging around and staying in pjs.  but i wanted to share these images from a project i'm working on.

i decided at the first of the year to take a photo of each girl every day and post it in instagram (if you haven't found this app, do it.  its amazingly cool and fun.)  i call my daily posts "the harper project 365" and "the crosby project 365." my goal is by the end of the year to put them into a photo album for each girl to look back on their 2013.  

yesterday, i had 2 hours in a local coffee shop by myself (as part a coupon book from last year's valentine's day gift from michael that i still haven't used up) and i was able to complete the first page for each girl.  i'm glad i accomplished that, because doing this huge task at the end of the year would have been so daunting and i know i would have kept putting it off and it wouldn't get done.  but by doing it in 25 day chunks, it's more manageable.  so, here they are.  our first 25 days of 2013 a la instagram.  enjoy and happy snow!

joy

I went running a few weekends ago with a dear friend.  we talked about our worries, how being a mama is difficult, how sleep is such a commodity during these days of little ones, the big decisions we have to make about preschool vs kindergarten and girls vs boys, the importance of girlfriends.  it was a refreshing and empowering 2.7 mile run-walk, considering i haven't run in months.  running on the country roads, passing by a horse and rider, drinking in the rare 57-degree sunshiny weather.  it was uplifting.

on my drive home, i noticed a sign at a crossroads and made the decision then and there to make 2013 the year to choose joy.  no matter what, i will choose joy.  when life throws you lemons, i will choose joy.  i choose to make life happy and positive.

i posted with these words, "joy can be found whichever way you go."  and i truly believe that.  and i hope you do, too.

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bare with me while i blog my way through our holiday.  not certain where the time went.  but i do know that my computer has more room for the photos we took, and is ready for more posts.

jolly

from the last post, and i quote "i plan to...blog the heck out of this season." ahem, it's now been over 2 weeks. what the heck?!

anyways, i'm not looking to the past, only the present. and here we are only 2 weeks from christmas. time is ticking away pretty fast!

 

we've been busy, and then again we haven't. we've been practicing balance. school and home. outside and inside. cleaning and making messes. company and solo time. sickness and health. this is a time for twinkling lights, of which we have decorated our house very abundantly, both outside and in.

 

our elf, red, returned december 1st.  more on this silly little and all his antics in another post very soon.



i've been creating and addressing and stuffing christmas cards.  i had planned to get them done and out by thanksgiving this year, as i tell myself every year, but that just didn't happen.



on sunday, we made a last minute decision to get ready and head out to visit santa at a cute, local old-fashioned general store.  he was an awesome santa and pictures with him were free.  win-win.
 

the girls got to look in his good book, sit with him while he pretended to sleep (harper refused to pretend to sleep, too) and pick out a candy cane.  one of his reindeer, donner, came with him, but the girls were too afraid to get a picture by him.




i did also manage to host my 2nd annual cookie exchange.  a night of yummy appetizers, even yummier cookies, peppermint martinis, great girlfriends, laughs and conversations and the house completely to myself from saturday morning to sunday mid-day was out of this world amazing.  my husband is a rock star right now.

we still have lots to do and only a couple of weeks until christmas.  finish buying gifts.  wrapping.  maybe attack something on our advent calendar.  (hey, at least its up.) finish sending out the christmas cards.  a mommy-daughter date to see the nutcracker.  a visit to old fashioned holiday nights with friends.  and lots and lots of family time.  looking forward to more jolly goodness.

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

thanksgiving happened upon us at the earliest it could this year, which allows extra time to enjoy this holiday season.  and we are making full use of it.

as i type at my desk with my steaming cup of coffee resting beside me, the pandora on my computer is crooning out christmas tunes.  our hot apple pancake breakfast is baking in the oven.  crosby has visions of sugarplums as she still slumbers.  michael is out at the farmers market picking up roping for our outside light decor. harper is anxiously sorting through our ornaments to decide which ones to hang.  wintry scented candles are burning in several places.  ah, it's beginning to look a lot like christmas around here.



yesterday, in keeping with our annual day after thanksgiving tradition, we met my parents and heather, tim and the boys at the tree farm.  the weather took a 180 from thanksgiving's 60 degree and sunny day.  we fought blustery, cold wind.  and mom-of-the-year that i am, i plum forgot crosby's coat.  poor thing was wrapped in a blanket, and was shivering by the time we were done.



we spent more time than usual, but found a perfect tree only to discover a crookedy trunk as michael was sawing it down.  we decided to try and make it work.



we arrived home and both girls crashed for a 4-hour nap. last night as we set up our tree, snowflakes began to fall.  over the past couple of days, we've watched our share of christmas films...polar express, the grinch, elf.  i love this time of year.  when we bundle up and huddle down in our home.  celebrate each other and warm our bellies with comfort foods.  snuggle in together and appreciate all the little things.  kiss and hug a bit more frequently.  abandon schedules to spontaneously go out for a sled ride or to build a snowman or sip hot chocolate.  last year, for some reason or another, i did not blog much from halloween through christmas.  i plan to do the complete opposite this year, and blog the heck out of this season.

happy holidays to you and yours.

thankful

i feel very blessed.  and while i do realize this throughout the year, thanksgiving allows me a full day to rest upon it and soak it all in.  so many things to count...our health and food on our table.  our jobs.  a roof over our heads.  a warm bed to sleep in.  clothes on our back.  family that we are close to and can rely on.  a husband who i love and am proud of each day.  two healthy, happy children who love to read and learn and explore, who i enjoy talking with, who are independent and determined and observant.  my heart is happy and full.

happy thanksgiving friends.

a few recent moments, instagram style.

boys

one reason to love michigan is the frequent sightings of red barns.  this one, i've seen daily for the past 3 years, as it is on the property of the school where i work.



between this location and another one downtown, it provided the perfect setting for my friend, katie's, 3 boys...



and the boys provided a perfect silly morning.  boys will be boys.



boys will also be fantastically sweet and brotherly, and these three were adorable as always.




what a handsome trio. ♥ ♥ ♥

emma

meet our niece, emma ♥ newest, littlest love ♥ she was heaven to photograph



congratulations to my sister-in-law, jen, and brother-in-law, pat, on your beautiful little girl. ♥