Family Pictures

I just got these pictures printed off and framed inside our place and I just can't help but stare at them NON-STOP. The color! Brinley's cute face. Ellie's wild red top. and my stud of a husband. Man--I did good :-) I love seeing our yearly family picture update and seeing how much our family has changed. My new/old friend Trish took our pictures and she did a fantastic job (her website and info here). Trish and her family moved to the area a couple months after us and we recognized each other immediately. We played soccer together our first year at BYU-Idaho. Talk about random. That was almost 10 years ago and we both felt old just thinking about how long ago it was. Lots has happened since 2004! I love it when people are placed in your life to help you through hard times, and I know Trish and her family have been a vital part in helping us feel more comfortable here in Stuart. (Brinley is in LOVE with their 6-year old son, Wesley...ie. constantly wedding plans and talks about marrying him almost every day). Thanks again! 

Ellie: 15 months

Oh, Ellie Bellie.

You are such a fun girl. Just since your first birthday, we have seen so much change in you, it is seriously kind of crazy. You are such a busy little toddler and you're always working on something. Either pulling every tupperware out of my cabinet. Or yanking every wipe out of the wipe case. Or pulling every single shoe from our shoe storage at the front door and bringing it to the right owner...you are just so stinking cute.

You jabber constantly. Lots of sounds, and not so many words yet but I know they're coming. Your favorite thing is doing all the farm animal sounds. Qackkk qackkk qackkkk and your doggie woof is so stinking cute. Your lips get so small and you say woooof woooof woooof over and over and over again. My favorite as of lately is that you're FINALLY saying mama!!! It has taken forever! Ellie, I know you love your daddy very very much, but I'm with you all stinking day long and you have been holding out on me! Dadadadada happened quick! But hearing your little voice yell maaa maaa maaa around the house just makes my heart sing! It was definitely worth waiting for.

Within the last week or so you've really started to say your own name and point to yourself when I say your name. You say, leeeee leeee. It's so cute. You are so smart, Ellie. You love getting books for me, or when you need a diaper change, you'll find a diaper and wipes for me. You know to grab your own shoes when we need to leave. It is amazing how you are starting to understand my questions and respond to them. I love watching your mind connect things together and answer back.

You learned to walk just after your first birthday (maybe like 13 months) but you run. RUN. run and more running. You seem to only have one speed. Running! You love it when we chase you or pretend to be a bear or lion or dragon. You scream and run in the opposite direction.

Surprise, your red hair is still the talk of the town. I'm pretty immune to the pointing and oh my goodness look at her red hair!!! comments, but baby girl, you are a dream. You are so beautiful.

Probably the cutest thing about you is your laugh. You are constantly laughing. When you laugh, your eyes get so tiny and squinty and then your little teeth cheese and we end up laughing more and more. You are Brinley's biggest fan and you love her so much. You two are such pals and I love watching you play together. You can be pretty sneaky when stealing things away from her if she turns the corner or her back. You run so fast in the opposite direction. Brinley has been very good at sharing her toys and special things, but sometimes you just take the wrong thing at the wrong time and it becomes a crying, flighting, and screaming fest for a minute and it gives me a fabulous glimpse into my future of having two girls. Your Auntie Jill and I neverrrr fought over anything growing up :-)

At 15 months, you weigh 21 pounds. I don't know how tall you are, but you are in the 75% for height and head circumference. Your daddy and I have been noticing you lean out a bit and lose your baby baby chub. You are definitely in 18-24 month clothes. You are still wearing a size 4 diaper. And you are wearing size 5 shoes. Your little toes still stink if you've been wearing shoes or socks for too long. I love that little smell! Your toes and feet are just too cute I could kiss them all day long (and sometimes I do!).

We love you so much sweet girl. I love this age!

Sometimes You Just Need A Donut And A Park

I think one of my favorite things to do as a mom is go for a drive. The kids are strapped in carseats. They are entertained by toys or books. We look outside for things. Brinley points out stores and letters and numbers and dogs. Ellie is thoroughly entertained by watching Brinley. And I get to just driiiiiive. It is so therapeutic for me. It's like we can just enjoy being quiet for a few minutes.

The weather has been surprisingly cold this week. Temps barely above 60 degrees during the day. I know I know I know...all you northerns and midwesterners are like Waaaaaahhhh cry me a river! but seriously, when the temps drop 20 degrees back and forth, day by day, it messes with your system a bit. We are all a bit out of sorts with how cold 50-60 degrees feels! 

This day, we got donuts from Dunkin and drove to a new park right on the intracoastal waterway. What a hidden gem! Can't wait to go back. and get more donuts too. Don't worry Ry, we saved you one. 

^^that piece of land across the water is hutchinson island, which is where are the beaches are

^^always a pink donut with sprinkles

^^blueberry cake for Ellie

^^swinnnnngs

^^so jungley, huh?

^^group selfie

^^love this little red top

^^nose in eye. my favorite

^^heyyyyy

Join us next time, ok?

Goals for 2014

This past year, was FULL of change. Graduating from law school. Moving. Studying for the Bar. Passing the Bar. Trip to Canada. Wedding in Charlotte. Girls getting older. and the holiday's, which is always busy and stressful.

I'm not really sure what 2014 has in store for me. Or for our family. We looked forward to 2013 for soooo loooong that now that it is gone, we are unsure of what to plan for. In 2013, we always had something to look forward to. 

We've decided on a word for 2014. Since we don't have a graduation or a bar result date to look forward to, we are struggling to keep a level head on our new life out of school. We are regular working people now. It is such a strange feeling! But it is a great feeling. We accomplished so much last year and this year I feel we can finally relax a bit and just be in the moment. I am tooootally fine with having a boring year. 

Our word is: PATIENCE. We've spent so many years feeling anxious and antsy for the next thing, so now, we need patience to settle in our new just working life and create a life here in South Florida. 

The things I would love to see in 2014:

1. Start AND finish a sewing project. My plan right now is to sew a quilt. When I told Ryan about my goal, he scrunched his eyebrows and said--we NEVER use quilts, it's too hot! Well--he is right, so I guess it will be a wall hanging :-) I can't wait to add some color to our walls with something I made!

2. Read 1 book a month. GOTTA do this. My brain feels like it is melting from not being nourished from anything intellectual. (and it's already the middle of January...my goal this month is to finish the book I've been reading for...months already).

3. Frequent date nights with my main squeeze. Either at home dates, dinner dates, movie dates, or just a walk in downtown Stuart to get ice cream. Life gets so busy and it is easy to push date nights aside. Babe- I'm committed! And as I was typing this, Ryan texted me "hey--do you want to go on a date with me on Saturday?" Love that guy :-) Our plan, the gun range :-)

4. Learn calligraphy. I've been wanting to for awhile. I'm definitely no artist, but I've never really tried to be! I'm so excited to get started. The on-line course has been purchased, and my supplies have been ordered. Watch out!

5. Family. History. Work. This has been on my mind for awhile now. I finally got set up and I've been indexing while the girls have been in naps and quiet time a couple times per week. It can be so challenging! But amazing at the same time. It is so spiritual to be processing papers from the early 1900's. I just did some medical papers to join the British Army! That was insane! I may not be the family history work guru yet, but I am excited to be involved and do my little part at seeing the work progress! (interested in more information about this visit here and here)

6. I do have some fitness goals, but mainly, my goal this year is to just continue to work out when I can and not stress about having goals like running a marathon or dropping 20 lbs. Granted, I would love to drop a pant size. And I can totally see that happening this year. The holidays have really set me back and these dang headaches I keep getting are a bit out of control. It is amazing how much your body changes after having a baby. I am about 5-10 pounds away from my goal, but boy my body looks so different! Just gotta trim up a bit and I'll definitely feel better about how my clothes fit.

7. Be there for Brinley and Ellie. I want to be there without any distractions when Brinley has something to tell me, like-- "Mom, I just learned something. There is a museum in Washington B.C. and there are dinosaur bones there. We need to go there." This girl loves anything to do with dinosaurs (coming from a mother who wants nothing to do with them!) and anything to do with animals. She wants to be a paleontologist and a marine biologist when she grows up. And Ellie. She is growing up so quickly, and I want to be as involved with her development as much as I can. She is so independent and just follows after Brinley all day long. Those two are quite the pair and I love seeing how quickly she is learning.

8. Be spiritually strong. This is an ongoing goal for me. This world is cray cray sometimes and I just want to hide out in our home and never face the worldly challenges. BUT--we need to be the light in all this darkness. There is so much good, we just need to look a little bit closer to find it sometimes. Ryan and I have been having some pretty deep conversations lately about the changes going on in our Country, and while it scares me half to death to have to RAISE children amongst this nonsense, we need to educate ourselves more and gain an opinion ourselves. I'm no future President (I'm canadian...), but I definitely want to become knowledgable on some of these hot topics. And by being in tune with the spirit, it will help guide conversations and bring thoughts to my mind when I'm in a situation where I need to say something. Sara Bareilles' Brave song is coming to mind. 

Do you have any big goals you want to see accomplished this year?