If January sets the pace for the rest of the year, it’s certain to go fast! Already this year we’ve had an extended weekend in Iowa City at Meggie and Mimi’s and got to spend time with our friends Courtney and Andy who came all the way from sunny California (don’t mind the 100 degree temperature difference, no joke!)! Emerson had a fun (belated Christmas) playdate with her friend Bremer, and they discovered a mutual love for trains, tea parties, and jumping! Instead of wishing away our freezing winter weather and only thinking ahead to spring, I’ve been trying to embrace the days and make the most of the month....
I resolve to…
Laugh Brush off the small stuff; bring back the ‘Stress Less’ attitude. Play Make more time for hobbies; enrich down-time with Emerson. Cook Find creativity in the kitchen; involve E in making healthy choices. Read Turn off the TV and pick up all those books I never make time to read. Write Keep on blogging; step-up the self-reflection and develop my ‘voice.’...
Christmas 2013: It’s a Wrap!
Before I can truly embrace the new year, I need to officially wrap-up 2013. We ended the year in good company and had a wonderful holiday! I was beyond excited to start a new tradition this year for Emerson and the ‘Great Santa Scavenge’ was born! Incorporating a scavenger hunt with any holiday is always win-win in my opinion! Christmas Eve morning, I hid a series of clues around the house to lead Emerson to a special gift from Santa (she was SUCH a good girl this year he wanted to surprise her a day early). I cannot begin to explain how much fun she had! She tore around the...
Christmas Eve Outtakes
As I went through the millions of photos from Christmas Eve/Day I seriously wondered if we were even trying to get just one nice shot…. I think we were but there’s no evidence. How hard is it to get a decent family Christmas photo? Pretty impossible actually…...
Happiest Time of the Year
Happy Holidays! We’ve been busy enjoying the season but can’t believe Christmas is already here! I can’t wait to experience the excitement with Emerson now that she’s fully aware of how this holiday works! Over the past few weeks she’s come up with several funny requests, but the one that tops them all is her desire to wear her Halloween costume to Christmas Eve mass… hopefully the Christmas outfit I picked out for her is enough to dissuade her. I’m almost afraid the boxes that Em’s Christmas presents were shipped in have been more fun for her than what I even imagined the toys inside would be. 95% of my...