Good-bye 2014

Yep, that's how I spent my New Year's Eve. 

It was heaven. 

I watched an amazing fireworks show from my bedroom window while sitting on my bed drinking my tea. I went to bed before midnight. Nope, didn't even smooch my man. I gave him a kiss before bed, that counts, right?

Before I headed up I spent a couple of minutes on the couch taking in the Christmas tree, the lights the fire, one last time for the year. (Yep, it's all down and put in storage. Only thing left is a bare tree waiting for the city to pick it up and the outside Christmas lights but they won't come down for awhile - we don't turn them on they just stay up). 

The end of the year is bittersweet, and I guess that is how it will always be. Next Christmas, next New Year's it will be different by the mere fact that my children (against my wishes) are growing and changing at a rapid speed. 

It's fun watching them grow and discover new things, but it just means they are one step closer to leaving you. And that is what you want as a parent, right? To raise well adjusted adults who don't "need" you per se? Need you for your advice, need you because they want to be with you, need you because they love you, but don't need you to survive. 

Letting go isn't easy and even at this young stage I am in, it is a stage I am already dreading.

These little creatures have taught me the love of a mother (a parent) is fierce and never ending. Now, they might make me question my sanity on a daily basis, but my love for them never.  

Now, with that off my chest. It's been a good year. We have been able to travel a lot (our biggest trips being Lake Powell and Hawaii), and enjoy our little family. 

Here is our Year in Numbers:

156 gallons of milk

10 new teeth we survived coming in

0 ER visits

1 new job (yep Brad changed jobs in November)

12, 055 miles traveled  (does not include Brad's travels)

3,922 stairs hiked (illegally) on the Haiku Stairs a.k.a Stairway to Heaven in Hawaii 

2 dogs who are now at senior age

2 dogs who don't act like seniors (thank goodness)

2 bouncy, energetic blondies full of life

1 artificially blonde wife, who loves being a mother but hates cleaning

1 bearded husband who makes us smile and sometimes roll our eyes 

 

Christmas 2014

I am so behind on blogging that I figured I better start with the present and work my way back, and I am unsure who reads blogs anymore - but it's a great journal for me so I am going to keep going, it might take me forever but I will keep chugging at it :)

Christmas. 

We had a great Christmas season. We are still tweaking and figuring out the traditions we want to have with our family but I think we are getting closer.

 Brad my, the text book definition of introvert, husband has a difficult time enjoying Christmas because of the business of the season. December has always been one of his craziest months for work so the fact that he rarely gets a minute to himself, well, it wears him down. This year when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas he gave the dreaded response, "I don't really want anything." Of course, I got him some trivial fun things but I decided to take his desire for no material gifts seriously and give him something he could really enjoy... A Brad kind of Christmas.

What is a "Brad kind of Christmas" you wonder? 

Let me elaborate. 

Obviously, you can't clear your calendar completely but I managed Brad's time much better. We only did things as a family I knew he wouldn't mind doing, and the other things I did during the day with the kids when he was at work. Really, it was a win win, I still got to do all things I wanted to do but they were during the non-peak hours... and I loved that. That we will be keeping.

A Brad Christmas is organized and planned waaay ahead of time (and there are lots of lists).

 Seriously, I had all of December planned since September. All the gifts were bought and handmade items finished by November, and wrapped the first week of December. The parties we attended were limited and carefully selected. Because we weren't booked with parties, and no running around was necessary we spent many nights by the fire either, reading, playing games or watching a Christmas movie. That was truly heavenly. 

Me, the text book definition of extrovert, actually loved a Brad kind of Christmas. Since having my children time has become an enemy to me, and I am selfish about my family. I loved all the down time we had together. I think I still could have prepared better but I think I will do this again next year, and hopefully by next year it will be flawless :)

So on to Christmas!

Well, you can't have Christmas without picking out a Christmas tree, right?

Here we are at the farm.

 

Of course, the girls found the dog to be much more exciting than our Christmas tree.

And the moment she had been waiting for, for two days, putting the star on the tree.

With the decor came out the doggie antlers. Poor Dixie was known as Sven for the month, she plays along nicely though.

We met Santa!

 

 

Don't be fooled though, the Santa in the above pictures that Califlower is posing so nicely next to is me dressed up. This is how she really felt about the jovial ol' fella.

This was the first time I ever attended the Festival of Trees, one of those activities we did without Brad. So my friend Danielle came along with us. 

Like the rest of the country (or so it seems) we were hit with a bout of sickness

Croup to be specific. 

And I hope it never comes back. One of the scarier moments in motherhood.

 

Brad took Broccoli out on a date and I took this little lady to

Temple Square to see the Christmas lights with these beautiful Young Women. 

A little Parents Christmas recital for this little dancer.

 

She is in first position, if you couldn't figure that out :)

Another decade under my belt.

 

Brad surprised by arranging a night away. Best birthday gift ever. 

 Then on my actual birthday we saw the Zoo Lights, another first for me, and an activity done with Brad. It was my birthday so he had no choice ;) Actually it was fun, probably wouldn't do it every year but every now and then would be great fun.

 We spent Christmas Eve at Brad's parents house. Here are the girls wearing their beautiful Christmas dresses from Grandma.

 

After our Christmas Eve dinner we headed to visit Brad's grandparents at their assisted living home. 

There was a group of carolers there that our Broccoli jumped right in with and sang carols. 

It brought tears to my eyes to see her. 

Realizing this was the true meaning of Christmas. 

To spread cheer and happiness. 

To make someone's, other than your own, Christmas merry and bright.

It was in that small moment I finally felt Christmas. 

A feeling I haven't felt since childhood, and just assumed it was part of the aging process.

Did it really take me 30 years? 

I always thought I knew the true meaning of Christmas, but I don't think I really knew it. 

It was then, in that same moment that I realized what Christmas traditions we were missing. 

We had cookie decorating, gingerbread housing, gift giving, stocking hanging, Christmas feasting, movie watching, game playing, family time spending traditions down, and those are all good traditions.  But the only dinky charitable things I did all Christmas, and I am ashamed to admit this, was buy a gift from the Santa tree at Walmart for a 5 year old girl and donate some canned food. 

 

One thing I learned in my 30 years on this Earth? I still have plenty of things to learn.

 

After my great "a-ha" moment we returned home. 

We read the last of the Christmas stories and got ready for Santa.

 

The obligatory photo of the kids on Christmas morning, in their Christmas jammies, on the stairs.

And because it was Christmas they got to eat a cookie before breakfast.

Tearing open into Santa's gift.

The girls gift to Uncle Chris (I was so very excited for) it's a t-shirt that says, 

"Uncle: Like a dad.... only cooler"

Grandma and Grandpa changed things up a little this year and came to us with good tidings and gifts. And do I dare say I really enjoyed not having to go anywhere? Because I really did.

 Califlower showing some love.

 And no, that is not the same dog the girls are both playing with. Santa must of had two children close in age and knew they both would need their own dog to walk so they wouldn't fight. Smart man, or should I say, woman?

Lake Powell

Brad's brother Chris has a share in a houseboat in Lake Powell.

 This fall we were invited on his week long trip. This was our first time experiencing the epicness of what is Lake Powell.

There was lots of paddle boarding and sea shell collecting.

 oh, you know, she is "helping".

                                                 Lots of naps on the speed boat.

 B was in heaven making new friends.

Tried my hand at tubing

 (and wake surfing but those pictures aren't pretty so they will not be shared here)

 It was fun... at first.

 Then the boys wanted to go wild and crazy. I didn't know what wild and crazy meant.

(Those pictures didn't come out)

 

And here I am after experiencing wild and crazy - hollering to Chris "STOP!"

 

 Sleeping babies.

    

The girls in heaven because they get a break from their life jackets. (Because you live on a houseboat the kids must be in jackets the majority of the time... they didn't particularly care for that part of the trip).

   

And of the course the must have cliff jump photo, what is the point of going to Lake Powell with out trying this? 

Brad tried not me.  I jumped off a cliff in Bermuda when I was 15. I don't need to do it again.

 Sisterly love.

 Chris brought glow sticks to win the hearts of the kids - it worked. 

 

The paddle boarding was my favorite thing to do. We'd hop on and go explore. 

And this would be B's boyfriend. 

She stills talks about him.

And here is Uncle Jimmy. 

He talked all the little girls into making necklaces and bracelets for Uncle Chris.

 And here is a tid bit of information. Uncle Jimmy isn't anyone's uncle (at least on this boat) nor is his, name in fact, Jimmy. B thinks he is super cool.

And here is redneck boating at its finest.

 

And my ultimate favorite photo from this trip is hands down this one: 

 

And if you noticed C was sleeping a lot in these photos its because she was. Apparently sleeping at night was overrated that week.