A Poem - for the Mamas

WHAT DID I DO TODAY?

What did I do today?
Today I left some dishes dirty,
The bed got made around 3:30.
The diapers soaked a little longer,
The odor grew a little stronger.
The crumbs I spilled the day before
Are staring at me from the floor.
The fingerprints there on the wall
Will likely be there still next fall.
The dirty streaks on those window panes
Will still be there next time it rains.

"Shame on you," you sit and say,
"Just what did you do today?"

I nursed a baby till he slept,
I held a toddler while she wept.
I played a game of hide-and-seek
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.
What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows - I guess that's true
Unless you think that what I've done
Might be important to someone
With bright blue eyes and soft blonde hair.
If that is true - I've done my share.

-Author Unknown

Our Annual Valentine's Day Feast

Valentine's Day has always felt too commercially driven to me (and Brett and I are massively in love everyday ;-) so we forgo the pricey roses and chocolates in lieu of one of our favorite meals: steak and crab legs! We've prepared our annual dinner together for the past 4 years and it's something we both really look forward to on V-day. No reservations required and no worrying about if you did just the 'perfect thing' to make the other feel loved. The love is in the meal we prepare and enjoy together. It's a bit trickier to indulge in a romantic dinner at home with a toddler, but we managed to do it this year at 8:30pm when Austin was a snoozin'! A little late for high calorie succulence, but who cares!

We paired out king crab and Omaha steak with my favorite new recipe for green beans and some tasty artisan bread. Then we topped it all off with the only dessert that can hold up to the deliciousness of the meal itself: chocolate bundles! These little puppies are made of puff pastry with your favorite candy bars melted inside. And, as if that's not enough, we top them with chocolate ganache and whipped cream (the real stuff). Thanks, Paula Dean!

Our conversation centered around family, work and each other. It was so fulfilling to be able to talk with one another at the table as opposed to reciting persuasive commands like "eat 3 more bites and you can have a..." to a 2 year old over and over again. Brett gave me a wonderful homemade card listing "The Reasons You'll Always Be My Valentine" and I, being the loving and caring wife I am, forgot to even sign his card I bought him at the store. Damn! I better get my act together next year...so unlike me. By 10pm we were stuffed and ready to call it a night. But alas, dish duty awaited. I must say, it is the ONLY drawback to our Valentine's day of love! Anyone want to volunteer next year...spread a little love our way? ;-)

We hope all our family and friends were as blessed on that evening as we were.
XOXOXO

Kisses, Hugs, Knucks, High Fives...

Bedtime at our house goes something like this:
PJ's - Brush Teeth - Potty - Stories - Rocking Time - In Bed

Once in bed, it goes something like this (per Austin's request):
Kisses - Hugs - Knucks - Kisses - High Fives - Little Baby High Fives - Kisses - Knucks - Hugs - "Night, Mom" - "Love You"

And sometimes before I leave the room Austin reassures himself like this (referring to his bed): no bugs, no spiders, no snakes, no bees...

It makes me smile every time. I'm not sure if he's trying to prolong the inevitable or if his little routine is just what makes him comfortable before sleep. I don't care, I love it.

Idaho City, ID

In keeping with our new year resolution of 'creating family memories', we ventured up to Idaho City. I hadn't been up that direction since I was a kid and Brett never had. I mostly remember the hot springs - well that's pretty much all I remember. The facilily had a funny sign in the dressing room: "Welcome or our OOL, notice there's no P in it." Sadly, the hot spring pool isn't even operating any more. So what else does Idaho City have to offer in the wintertime? Well, snow and lots of it. We were looking for a snowy adventure and we found it. We meandered up a plowed summer camp road and had a blast enjoying the brisk air, beautiful scenery and each other. Lucky for sparky, he got to share in the adventure with us. I've never met a lab that didn't enjoy a good romp in the snow! So, cheers to our first family adventure of 2011! May we enjoy many more moments like this one - minus getting the new car stuck in the snow and flagging down the only car we'd seen for hours (ok, maybe minutes) to pull us out!

My boys...
The momma...

The once happy snow angel creator who got a little too cold...

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!