My Funny Valentines

Valentine's Day is a big deal around here. The pinks and reds are just too much for this girly girl at heart!! I LOVE making the girls Valentine's for their parties, love having a reason to dress my girlies up in cute clothes and take their pictures, love any reason to teach my girls the meaning of love and how to intentionally show others love. Reagan was super excited to hand out her Valentines to her friends from church and all of her friends at school. She was even more excited to bring her Valentine bag home and show off all of her "treasures" from her friends!! I loved seeing her so excited!!!

A Little Under the Weather

Our sweet little Olivia has had a tough year when it comes to sickness. We have frequented the doctor's office, the pediatric urgent care center and the emergency room more times than I can count. I've called our phone advice nurse numerous times, sometimes several times in one day. I have texted questions and pictures to my aunt (doctor) and my mother (nurse) so many times, asking for advice. We have called my father-in-law (pharmacist) a ton of times. We have filled so many prescriptions. We have had RSV, bronchitis, ear infections, allergic reactions, pink eye.... the list goes on. We have had several chest xrays, done breathing treatment after breathing treatment, taken dose after dose of medication, and even ended up having a surgery to have tubes placed in Olivia's ears.

Throughout all of this, our sweet girl has remained strong and resilient and as happy and sweet as can be. We just love her to pieces and think the world of her. Here are some pictures of our year of sickness with sweet pea Liva Kate:

Lets Run!!

I am usually pretty good at being motivated to work out. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my hubs is in super good shape and trains/competes in tri-athlons.  If I don't at least attempt to stay in kinda good shape, I end up feeling like a big loser watching him run and ride his bike and swim!!! I also really like how I feel when I am working out. My whole outlook on life is different when I have been consistently working out!! I have more energy, feel better about myself, and just am all around happier!!

Saying this, I have NOT been good about finding time to work out through the holidays. I have eaten one too many donuts (which I NEVER do), and laid around and just have been super L-A-Z-Y!!

I read a blog called Finding My Feet. I just love Raechel and her blog. Its one of my favorites to read. She has challenged her friends to start a running challenge with her and track the progress and keep each other accountable using Daily Mile!! The first challenge is to log as many miles as you can between now and the end of the month!!

Im really excited about this challenge. Its definitely what I need to get motivated to get on the treadmill/hit the pavement. These pretty things are also motivating me a little bit......

                    

These are my all time favorite running shoes. They are Asics Gel Nimbus 14, and I am in love. My current Asics have been through ALOT!! Including my last half marathon where it was 40 degrees and rained the whole time and it took at least a week for my shoes to thoroughly dry before I could wear them again. Im sure you can imagine what they smell like and look like!!!! I will be getting these bright shoes that will make me want to run mile after mile after mile!!!!!

Here's to being healthier in 2013!! And to new pretty "Rainbow Bright" shoes!! 

2012 In Pictures

Santa Babies

Our little Santa Babies all dressed up and ready to meet the big guy himself!!


We have a tradition at Christmas that involves cute Christmas dresses, decorating Christmas cookies and the man with the jolly cheeks, round button nose and round belly that shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly!!!

We enjoy a night with great friends, dinner, playing, decorating Christmas cookies and a visit from Santa to the very home that we inhabit that splendid evening in the days before Christmas.

This year, the girls looked so cute in their santa dresses. I could not wait for them to meet Santa. I thought that Olivia would be a little leary, and I really had no idea how Reagan would react. Last year she was terrified at first, but warmed up to Old St. Nick as the evening went on and finally sat on his lap and told him she wanted a dollhouse for Christmas. That was news to Jeremy and I two days before Christmas last year!! I thought that she may be excited this year to sit on Santa's lap and tell him her Christmas wishes.

Fast forward several hours..... Pizza was consumed, girls were still clean and cute. Kids were playing and having a blast. Knock. Knock. Knock at the door. And in walks in Santa Clause himself, all bright and cheery in his bright red suit. I look around, Reagan is NOWHERE to be found. NOWHERE!!! She took off as soon as she saw him and no-one could find her. All the other kids laughed and screamed and danced and jumped and screamed and screamed. Olivia got scared and wanted to be held. Reagan, well Reagan ran and hid and could not be found. When we finally did find her, she was in the playroom, hiding in the corner, shaking and refused to come out and meet Santa. She refused to even come out of the room and look at Santa. Jeremy and I both tried several times to get her to come out of the room. Not a chance. Santa visited for at least a half hour, everyone sat on his lap and told him what they wished for. Santa even gave out books to all of the kids. Reagan could not be talked or bribed out of the room. She slammed the door and hid in the corner until Santa left.

Olivia was a little timid and would not sit on Santa's lap, but she did go up to Santa to have her picture taken and checked out the bells on Santa's suit. Now, anytime you mention Santa Clause, she shakes her arms like Santa did when he shook the bells on his coat for her.


After Santa left, we decorated and ate yummy cookies and enjoyed the rest of the evening with great friends. All in all a super fun night!!!

Our Merry Little Christmas

And that we did!! We had a wonderful little Christmas, a quiet little Christmas, a blessed little Christmas. We enjoyed time with family and friends. We went to bed late and slept late. We had visitors and wrapped presents and baked cookies and opened presents; we played with new presents, donated old presents to those who have less, and tried our best to remember the true reason for the season.

Reagan and I did the Truth in the Tinsel advent experience this year. It blessed me so much to be able to share with Reagan the story of Jesus, and his birth. We decorated an ornament for each day of December, and read a corresponding verse and story that laid out the entire Christmas story beautifully. Reagan loved it and was so proud of her ornaments.



Our Christmas in pictures......

Family Pictures 2012

A dear friend of ours recently took some pictures of our family! I must be honest, I really was not too optimistic about how these pictures were going to turn out. It was cold out the morning we took them, and my girls behavior was less than stellar, to say the least. I left with a sinking feeling that our attempt at getting some new pictures of the girls and our family was futile. Much to my delight, I was so pleased and happy to see how the pictures turned out!! Thanks friend for taking some beautiful pictures of our family!!! Here are a few of my favorites