Happy New Year!! a tad late!

What does a year do? 

Well, this was Daunika in December 2010

And this is Daunika now! 

Our second lovely daughter Aurora in December 2010

And here is Aurora now

And Moose one year ago in December 2010

Our awesome Declan now

Wow. Do you think that's all? Oh no.. not at all. This year was more than just our childrens obvious growth... This year was an extremely dynamic year for our whole family!

We also added this lovely addition before we rang in the new year:

Kalani Ember.


Now, for most families, the addition of a family member might be the only notable change for the year. Many families can appreciate the steady and consistent. Our family? Not a chance. 2011 was a huge year of growth, change, dynamic processes and sincere hearts full of love and joy.

Our year brought so many wonder times together.

We got to share goofy laughter in the mountains without any agenda but being a family.

We found out Moose took constant supervision.... Or you might find him in odd places

The thrill of fun with friends was captured.

A change of vehicles was needed to fit our growing family

A SERIOUS amount of messes were made by one tiny soul.

Happiness unbound

Family was welcomed for a stay in Idaho

Skills were taken to new heights....

We learned about cars frames, windows shattering and towing capacities

And since the car maxed out... more change was endured

Change seemed to be a theme of the year...We welcomed another pet

And another new pet...

A lot of "school" was enjoyed!

What an amazing year of change!

Never did I imagine my life could change so much, so quickly, so fluidly. As I look back over this past year of pictures, I'm profoundly proud of my family and myself. Change requires growth. Growth requires letting go of previous expectations, expanding your heart, mind and soul. It takes courage and strength. Trust in the universe around you. This year was full of change and I learned so much. There was hours of laughter as we witnessed our greatest accomplishments thrive, our children. We took chances and reconnected with parents - both my husbands father Mike and my biological mother Suzanne were welcomed into our home with open hearts. We learned that to climb a mountain you have to put one foot in front of another. Intense amount of pain was endured as a friendship weathered a serious storm. More stress and undeniable fear was faced as we learned my mother had a heart attack. We celebrated lifes little accomplishments (like a growing business) and lifes huge accomplishments (like witnessing compassion in your children). There was laughter, love, tears, fears, growth, change, challenges and endurance.

We did it. Another year. We didn't just survive - we thrived. We grew. 

So, here's to 2012. Yes, I know I'm 20 days into the year already, but damnit I'm busy!

I hope to find this beautiful new year as challenging as the last - because looking back, those challenges were growth and I truly believe if you are not growing you are shrinking.

I choose growth - come with me! 

We are taking a sick day.

That pretty much sums up today. My littles have caught a bug and it's a lazy day. Both of my big girls have high fevers and spent the day mostly sound asleep. Their bodies know what's best for them so far. They each have chugged water on their own accord and slept peacefully on the couches all day.

They are simply beautiful as they rest, don't you agree?

Aurora sound asleep

Daunika is zonked too.

Declan took his usual nap today, but is otherwise wide awake and wild!

Considering their fevers, they are still being complete darlings. Sleeping, eating some easy digestible foods, reading books snuggled with Mommy and more sleeping. Kalani is on the worlds biggest nursing-binge today, keeping me bound to a seat mostly. Declan seems lost without his older sisters to follow around. I think I've read every Sandra Boyton book we own at least 15 times each today, while nursing a newborn and having two feverish daughters passed out on me. THIS belongs in a circus - really. I can only imagine that walking a tight rope has to be easier than juggling the worlds most rambunctious boy, a newborn who is actually an appendage, and two sick daughters. Oye!

Let's hope this restful day is exactly what they need. 

Christmas 2011

I cannot believe another Christmas has come and gone and New Years Eve is upon us. 

Wow. 

Christmas was fabulous this year... Here's our story of Christmas in photos :)

Enjoy!

We started the morning with Faf opening the first gift. Damon planned an awesome stereo set up for him but in our usual fashion - we like to make his gifts interesting for him. Some years we have wrapped them in multiple boxes or worse, wrapped the gift box in about a million layers of duct tape. Well, this year, we split up the boxes and he started with a very confusion wire connection pieces. He was clueless to his gift! It was awesome!!

The girls got the first of their two-part "big gift" from us and were thrilled with the dolls!

Damon got to enjoy some hand knit goods - another lovely wool hat - from me :)

Declan LOVED his backpack from Grandma and wore it for over an hour, even as he opened other gifts. Declan also got an awesome sweater/pants from Grandma, Chevron cars from Uncle Faf, among other fun things! 

Awesome Uncle Faf MADE the girls marshmallow shooters!! Totally awesome. 3 days later I found marshmallows stuck to the wall. LOL

Daunika was over the moon when she opened a gift from her Grandma Leslie and found a watch she wanted so badly! She hasn't taken it off once. She also loved her new jammies from Grandma Leslie and a very special necklace from Aunt Tora that she has gaurded like her life depends on it! 

Damon got spoiled by his mom this year with some awesome Crew stuff, a nice Columbia fleece from my Mom and a nifty Ryobi blower thingy from Faf. 

But not nearly as spoiled as ME!  This year my mama got me beautiful handmade stitch markers for my knitting work, my brother got me awesome bathroom mats that are so plush and soft, and my AWESOME husband got me a laptop---- but far greater than the laptop itself, he gave me the gift of supporting me in ridding our lives of my desk and the clutter with it. I'm so thrilled he understands my goals this year and supports me. I'm so LOVED !! 

And the grand finale? Our gift to the girls!

To give you an idea... the thing is taller than Daunika standing up!

And how did we spend the afternoon? 

Well, Damon and Kalani had the same idea of what a good Christmas afternoon looked like

And this years insane schedule made us evaluate the things we wanted to do still and one of them was the Idaho Botanical Garden aGlow - we do it every year. This year, we did it on Christmas!

The kids LOVED the lights. Declan fell a million times. Daunika was on a mission to march all over the place. Aurora pointed out broken lights. It was fabulous

Then we came home and snuggled up with yummy popcorn and hot cocoa. 

What a fabulous Christmas indeed! 

Christmas Eve 2011

Since my last post was about food - it's only fitting to start this lovely post by talking about my philosophy on food on Christmas. When I was a kid, "christmas dinner" was always served on christmas mid-afternoon... Now, that would be ok right? Except the fact that I remember the look on my moms face when she spent hours in the kitchen instead of playing with us. That look never left me I suppose and I refuse to be that mom. I'm going to play with my kids on Christmas. I'm going to enjoy my own gifts and perhaps even relax with my darling husband! I am not going to be slaving in a kitchen when I could instead enjoy wonderful left overs from a lovely meal the night before.

Our family has established many traditions since we started. We attend the festival of trees as a family every Thanksgiving weekend, we bake a cake on the day of whomevers birthday it is and that person gets to decorate it however they want, we are a democracy more than a dictatorship, etc. One tradition surrounding Christmas that we love is grandma Leslie sends the kids a pair of new jammies each year, another tradition I've established is the making "christmas dinner" on Christmas Eve instead of slaving all day Christmas in the kitchen.  With this tradition I can play with my family all day and enjoy awesome yummy left overs from the night before. Furthermore, I try to make an easy and fabulous breakfast too! This year our Christmas breakfast was quiche, costco muffins, hot cocoa/hot coffee and yummy fresh fruit! It was perfect.

Our Christmas Eve was spent this year with our best friends, the Landen Family. We had an awesome meal shared together and did our annual gift exchange! And of course - I had a camera in hand!


It was awesome to watch our families gather together to finish the meal together. Kids and adults alike snacked at the table.

And after our lovely meal, presents were exchanged! 

This year, without knowing it - our adult gifts had a theme - stock the kitchen!! And of course, all bowls before making it to the kitchen must be tried on as a hat didn't you know?

Kalani's first Christmas gift :)

 Mercedes and Megan opening a gift together

 Declan dives in with big kids surrounding him to help at any second. This tool set ROCKS!!

 A puzzle from Aurora to Rosie

 The best of friends sharing a hug of gratitude. They both loved the gifts the other picked out for them. Daunika gave josh two little ninjas she found and Josh gave Daunika a beautiful little porcelin angel that opens to hold special things. Very awesome indeed!!

 Two lovely Landen girls snuggling their dad :)

 Awesome "man gifts" were given - That crazy blue thing is an air filter for Damons truck - and of course, he installed it the next day during day light!

Like I said - the theme must have been kitchens this year because Megan and Joe got us THE COOLEST POP CORN POPPER EVER. I'm not a popcorn fan usually, but holy moly this is tasty stuff - they own one and I have always said "I dont like popcorn... except yours"

 More kitchen loving!! That is my bestie with a knife - RUN! Just kidding - but we got them some lovely knives that we have loved in our kitchen and of course a sharpening steel to keep it working!

I also got to capture some Grandma snuggles. All of my kids have missed their time with my mom since her heart attack. It certainly has been a scary time for us as we pray and hope for healing, recovery and blessings for her during this time of need. I know my children try to understand, but at the core - they miss her and it sucks.

Grandma snuggles are the best though :)

And my mom loved getting to snuggle up with our newest addition to the family too!

Christmas Eve was a wonderful eve indeed!