Happy Birthday to Me

My wonderful husband took me to Sun Valley for a one-night getaway to celebrate my 32nd birthday this year. A "kid-free" day is the perfect gift for a stay-at-home mom and one that was much needed. It gave me the opportunity to unwind, relax and recharge. We stayed at a fabulous bed & breakfast in Hailey, ID called The Spruce Inn. We'd never stayed at a B&B before and absolutely LOVED IT!!! The manager, Kimberly, is wonderful and made us feel at home. We toured the town(s), ate just enough sushi at Zou 75, and then snuggled in for the evening with ice cream and a movie. Simply perfect. But, that's not all. Kimberly whipped up the most scrumptious fruit yogurt and croissant french toast the next morning. Ah dang! I'm a sucker for a great breakfast.

Our uber romantic dinner. Those are fried green beans on the table...still drooling.
The view from our room, breathtaking!

Thanks, honey! Here's to next year! ;-)

Thank you 2010

So, 2010 was a crazy year for us...to say the least. The job change for Brett, the separation of our family for months, the selling of our first home, the quitting of my job of 7 years, and the final big move to Boise to finally be together as a family again. The entire year was an adventure and learning experience, one that I'm thankful for and has blessed our family tremendously. But, I'm ready to put it behind us. I could use some calmer waters in 2011.

I'm not usually big on new year resolutions, but for some reason I feel like I need to refocus in 2011. My brain is scattered and all the change has left me feeling like a lost ship at sea (or is it "ship lost at sea"? See what I mean! AH!). The career change no doubt has much to do with it. The transition to stay-at-home mom shook me up and I still feel like I'm trying to find my groove and my purpose in this new phase of my life...as a mother, a wife, a friend, a human being. So, some resolutions are in order for these things. And since we're living in Boise now, there are lots of new places to explore to create family memories and grow some roots. A resolution is in order for that too. And finally, sleep. Yes, sleep. It keeps evading me for one reason or another. If I have to make a resolution to be one of those "9pm lights out" people, then so be it. But if I'm being honest, that won't work so I'll just resolve to become a really great coffee drinker! ;-)

Christmas 2010

Most of our Christmas memories were caught on video this year beginning with a big, emotion-packed "Thank you Santa Claus!" from Austin as he opened his stocking only to discover his favorite treat (bubble gum)! It was a new and exciting Christmas since over the last year Austin has developed so quickly and discovered the magic of Santa Claus and his reindeer. This added one more hat to my already tipsy head and I found myself perplexed and challenged as Brett and I worked to make Christmas morning the most magical day of the year. Things get a bit tricky when you start creating new family traditions or resurrect old ones from your past. There were many discussions leading up to the big day: what "should" and "shouldn't" be on the big day, certain rules that always apply, what old traditions to continue what new ones to start, to wrap or not to wrap, etc, etc, etc... We managed to sort out the major stuff and finished everything up at about 11:59pm on the eve of Christmas day. The morning was simple but perfect and tugged at my mommy heartstrings. There is nothing more magical than watching your son's eyes light up at the smallest little Christmas gester...like bubble gum in a stocking. We could have stopped there and he would have been content :-). Austin is only 2 so I'm sure there will be more challenging things to concur come next Christmas, but for now I'm simply grateful for all that we had and shared this Christmas day!

Austin was sportin' his Elmo Christmas jammies all day long. After a less-than-quiet morning as a family we headed over to Aunt Elisha's and Uncle Erik's to spend the day. Austin, Jakob and Ava gobbled up cookies (nearly all day long)!

Uncle Mark came over for a disastrous Christmas Eve dinner (I take no blame - it was my slow cooker's fault) and to join us for services at Eagle Christian Church. To start off the season of giving Austin opened his first gift from Uncle Mark, a tee-ball set which will come in quite handy this Spring.

As for Brett and I, Christmas came a few weeks early. We purchased our very first new (used) car as a married couple! A 2006 Toyota Highlander with lots of bells and whistles and plenty of room for kids and the pooch! At 31 years old, it was actually the first car I ever bought that was more than $2000, didn't belong to someone over 65yrs, and was equipped with the ability to play more than just cassettes! It was a huge, momentous occasion for me and one I soon won't forget. But even though we purchased from a really great dealership and had a great salesman, I just hate buying cars! It makes me all nervous and uneasy inside. All the back and forth negotiations made me want to loose my lunch. So listen here Mr. Highlander...I hope you treat us well for many years to come!

Merry Christmas and many blessings for the new year!

Lovin' Boise

DEC 1, 2010

A winter wonderland in Boise! Very beautiful.

Austin having fun in the snow with his neighbor friend, Kalei.

Many, many inches of snow.

DEC 15, 2010
Many, many inches of snow GONE...and with sunshine to boot!

May the snow come and amaze us and then meltith away!!! This is why we love living in the Boise area :-)

Grandma Nagel

This is Grandma Nagel with Austin. It's a rare treat because she hates to have her picture taken. I somehow convinced her to pose for a shot over the Thanksgiving holiday at her house in Idaho Falls. Grandma Nagel is so special to Austin. He gets so excited at the mention of visiting her and lights up when he sees her face. She's armed and ready when we arrive...balloons, bubbles, clown sprinklers, Wiggles DVDs, new (old) toys for the depths of the basement. It's a child's paradise at Grandma's house! She always wakes before everyone to be ready for the wild and crazy 2-year-old (and groggy 30 somethings) awaiting her presence. She is truly a wonderful Grandma who treasures every moment with her family. Her love of Austin, her zest for life, and her devotion to our family is such an incredible blessing in our lives. I hope she knows how much we love and appreciate her and miss our short 5 minute drives to see her.

Turkey Treats

Today we ventured over to Aunt Lish's house for a "craft day" with the kiddos. We let the kids go wild with finger paint, markers, glue, scissors, etc. and then I went crazy on a little edible craft for the Thanksgiving holiday. Gobble, gobble!

The kids couldn't keep their hands off the turkeys so I gave Austin a chance to make his own. Here is his masterpiece!

A definite crowd pleaser. They are super simple and delicious!

First Snowfall

We received our first snowfall yesterday morning and Austin was running around the house like a crazy man, excited to get all bundled up and head outside. I think he was out there for approximately six minutes before he wanted to come back inside. I guess he forgot the cold factor that comes with the snow. But, it surely warmed up and all melted away by noon...to my delight. I must say, living in Boise definitely has its perks!