February 2009, Looking Back

With February, we finally had some winter weather. We got some much-needed precipitation in the valley and some much-enjoyed snow in the mountains. I decided it was the right time to invest in some snow AND rain boots, and then put both new pairs of shoes to work. The kids had a ton of fun up in Pollock with the Williams, sledding, butt-scooting, and building snow people.

I had the opportunity to go to Mason's parent-teacher conference. Mason's teacher showered him with praise and helped to reinforce to me that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing -- raising my kids. I was able to recommit to being a mom full time and feel good about the people I am helping to shape.

February was wet and cold and a lot of fun. We were blessed with moisture, with good times with our family and friends, and with recognition of the hard work we do.

January 2009, Looking Back

In January 2009, Marissa experienced her first birthday. She got to celebrate this milestone several times, at both Grandmas' and at home. Soon thereafter, she decided the time was right to start walking. I could see her growing up literally before my eyes. I felt sad and wrote about my selfishness here.

We took our first plane ride with Marissa to Colorado so Landon and Mason could be in our friends' wedding. Both looked awesome in their kilts, and we had lots of fun. Landon and I decided that shelling out for the cost of an extra ticket to bring Tessa was the best idea we ever had, like ever, and committed to at least inviting her to accompany us on any future trips. We also decided that Tessa might very well be the coolest teenager to have ever lived.
Landon was really busy at work, on one case or another, and so the kids and I spent a lot of time playing together. We took a lot of walks to the park and blew many bubbles in the back yard. I took pictures for Landon to enjoy later, and snapped some of my favorite pictures ever of both my kids.

January was a busy month, full of changes and adjustments (mostly for the change-averse mom in this house). It was full of challenges, but mostly, it was full of blessings for our entire family. We were blessed with the opportunity to earn a good living. We were blessed to grow and learn and evolve. We were blessed with time together to become closer and grow our love as a family. We were blessed with the opportunity to be with our friends during a most special time in their lives.

A List in Photos

Big mommy blog sorta day. I'm going to go ahead and use photos to demonstrate many of the things for which I feel truly grateful. Why? Because I've been making our annual photobook gift for my parents and there are just many, many extremely cute, funny, beautiful, incredible things which happen to be perfect visual representations. That's why.

First, I am grateful for this guy and his enthusiasm and energy and hunger for life:

He does things with great zest and real joy, which makes me smile and laugh and feel so grateful that he came to live at my house.

Next, I am grateful for this chick and her giggles and fun imagination:

She is delightful and fun and sweet, and I feel so blessed to be her mommy. Also, an aside I feel compelled to record so I don't forget, she has recently been a cat a lot. Mostly, this entails her snuggling into my lap and saying "meow" in her highest pitched voice. On Friday night, we went and saw my neice perform in a regional honor band (First chair, french horn... and she's only 15!). Marissa decided she was a cat and meowed through much of the performance, even when it was otherwise completely silent. Now, this might have annoyed some people, but let's all get over ourselves for a moment and appreciate the beauty of being a child: innocent and pure and full of imagination.

Next, I am grateful for beauty in the world, in the form of nature. While I'm not the world's best photographer, the natural beauty that surrounds me sometimes allows me to get pretty stunning photos:

I think being happy is often about appreciating those tiny moments when something catches your eye, enraptures your senses if only for a brief time, and makes the rest of your day different. Better. Happier. There is a vista like that on the way to my parents' house. I still haven't captured it well enough, but every time I turn that corner, I have to catch my breath and smile.

Finally, although this isn't everything I'm grateful for (you'll notice Landon is absent from this post, and we all know he's the most frequent guest of honor on this here blog), I'm going to end with this kid:

This is my niece, Corra. After combing through literally thousands of photos to compile the annual photobook for my parents over the last several years, the pictures of Corra are always the ones that crack me up the most. Her face is so expressive, and she has absolutely no problem letting you know exactly how she feels. She's a character, big time, and I just appreciate her so much.
Amen.