Winter Garden aGlow on Christmas Eve

Like the Festival of Trees I previously blogged about, another holiday season tradition we have is the Idaho Botanical Gardens Winter Garden aGlow. Imagine over 250,000 beautiful lights in all colors, types and displays. It really is magical. 

This year we went on Christmas Eve. I probably will not be doing that again, but it was magical none the less (just too crowded!)

We all stayed warm, no one got lost, and we had a blast! 

That is the Rose Garden, beautifully lit. 

 Aurora... caught a bit off gaurd, but still enough without flash to not be too blurry! amazing. lol

 Declan slept most of the time on Damons back.

 Daunikas favorite tree.... "The purple tree"

A family picture where everyone is looking. WOOT!

 My brother and Mom were with us too...

Beautiful Christmas Eve!

A Decade

10 years. Wow. Where has is gone? It went so damn fast!

Here's how it all began...

That is what 16 & 13 looks like...... Our first Christmas together changed my entire life. How silly we must have seemed to others. What a bumpy road. We started out as a simple chat. I know people meet there loved ones online... but ten years ago, it was considered completely insane. So, that was strike one against us. Then when you factor in age, we really are still so young, but shave off ten years and we were babies back then! But that wasn't enough... we had to live 350 miles away from each other - in two separate states! Man. No wonder people hated the idea of us.

Thank you Mom & Leslie. Thank you both. For never really giving up on us. For letting us duke it out. For making that first long drive. For biting your tongue. For choosing hope. For helping us. The un-said needs said - we were damn determined to be together. Not that we had any idea what the hell that meant... but our loved ones really could have made it harder. I really believe that God knew we were meant to be together. The way that you recognize truth... that deep feeling. Of course, I see it now. Back then, I just felt loved and gave my heart like a love sick puppy.

How fun its been. How hard. Do you know what its like to not only grow up together, but firmly create your own personality? It's damn hard! The idea of us hasn't always been welcomed. I'm certain my husbands brother thought he had falling off the deep end. His dad seemed to hate me. His mom tolerated me, probably expecting me to go away. My mom never shut up about how dangerous and foolish I was being. My grandpa told me about a billion times that I needed to be careful and not to fall in love in high school..... We lived together, apart, together and apart. We fought viciously and loved deeply. We cried, laughed, celebrated and mourned as our lives changed and we grew.

And this morning, I woke up with my husband. A silent house. A cup of coffee together. And we both loved on our babies as they woke up all at once... This is nothing short of a universal blessing. We made it! We are so happy! Sure, we fight. Of course, we both get cranky, irritate each other. Sure, we banter like old folks. And yes, we absolutely disagree on speakers still and how many pairs of shoes I need......... But that feeling... whatever it was ten years ago.... has grown. Perhaps it was the beginning of love... perhaps it was our souls recognizing what a beautiful and amazing life would come together... Perhaps, for once in my life, I saw hope and happiness in my reach.

What a simple question, Will you go out with me........ The answer was yes then and is now. This is what one soul loving another looks like......

Christmas 2000:

Living together, Maple Valley, WA. Summer 2004

Our early times in Idaho - 2004/2005:
Damons 20th Birthday

 Winter Festival, 2005

 Fall 2004

 Damons 20th Birthday

Expecting a baby, newly married, 2005 December

May 2006

October 2006

Halloween 2007

Seattle Vacation 2008

January 2009

Date Night, Fall 2010

No wonder we got married and started a family!!!! Looking back brings up so many fantastic memories.

So, This Christmas I'll be enjoying my family. Watching the glow of happiness all around... and I'll take a moment again to reflect that it all started 10 years ago, with a simple question from a 16 year old boy in love and a simple yes from a 13 year old girl equally in love.

I love you Damon. 

What a lovely time in life....

I'm always saying 'what a great little life we have'..... but I'm realizing, its not so little. We are living big lives, full of exactly what we want to do. We breathe deeply, laugh often, cry sometimes, we live purposefully. Together. We one numbered among the few who get to work along side each other. While I'm certain neither of us planned to work the careers we are in.... its simply amazing to work together. Not always easy, not always perfect, but perfect for us!

It must be hard for people to understand our life choices. I mean, sometimes it's hard for me to understand how we got on this path... but WOW. Our life is nothing short of amazing....... It just takes looking around to see how amazing it really is.

Ahhhh.... you can almost see reality in this picture! A rockin apron as a Christmas gift from my very best friend in the whole world? A cup of perfect coffee? Yes. A beautiful son on my hip. Yes Yes Yes. Kitchen a diaster? YES.... That about sums it up! But wait!!! Theres MORE to our lovely life.......

Date Night again!! Boise has brought us the best friends in the world. Joe and Megan are fabulous. This year, we brought Joe's birthday in style with going to the mall..... long story, but I realized I could be just about anywhere with them and probably have a laugh!

Yep......... Apples fresh out of my fridge are THE BEST teether in the world. He seems to agree because he went from 4 teeth to 8 teeth in ONE NIGHT.... and has refused to eat apples since. LOL

This is just great. Daunika loves to 'wear her baby' like me and Damon often wear Declan in the Ergo... She doesn't use a carrier, she just uses a sweater and zips her baby inside. So sweet!

Moose man really is getting such a big kid look already. Shesh!

 This lovely picture was taken by Daunika... I didn't realize she had my camera! I really love the photo though!

 Aurora enjoying some relaxing time..... much needed.

 So much fun always glimmers in her eyes. She's so FUN!

 I cannot believe my oldest is nearly FIVE...... pinch me now.

THAT is our friggin amazing new couch! Ahhhhhhhh.... Oh wait. I forgot to mention - We got a new couch!!!!!!!! It is perfect, came cheap from a thrift store, looks brand new, matches the rug I love so much, and looks GREAT. Can you tell I love it? Merry Christmas early for our family! WOOT!

Isn't he stunning? I do so love this life!!!

What a great BIG life we have! 

Happy Winter Solstice!!

Ahh... come back sunshine. *gasp* Did I just say that? Indeed. I do so enjoy all the seasons that Idaho has brought us. This year we didn't celebrate Winter Solstice the way we usually do.... but we did take an awesome walk together as a family! It was simple, fun, chaos, happiness, and cold!

I have come to think of it as the perfect Winter Solstice celebration. We got outside, and enjoyed it!

And what would a blog from me be without pictures of course! Many of them are blurry because we couldn't stop to take photos... but I kind of like the blur. It shows us in motion - and we were!

Enjoy our winter walk!

Just the beginning....

Don't worry, I wasn't walking behind alone!

But of course she had to move on.... Look what we found under the mail boxes, what a cute package aye?

Aurora had had enough. I have absolutely NO idea why, but suddenly, this is what we saw... (and yes, I absolutely had to capture it in a picture!)

But my pitiful girl stopped crying and kept trucking... but soon decided she was tired... I was merciful.

Which meant of course we were being left behind........

ahhhhhh........ and it was great to come home to dinner ready in the oven too!!

Happy Winter Solstice and Blessed Be Everyone!!!!!!