The Eve of Three

I'm not sure why three is such a significant capture of time for me along the milestones of my babes - but it is.   Maybe it's the way I categorize their photos - one for each month of their lives... until I stop counting in months... when they turn three.  Whatever the nostalgia of it - it is once again happening.  Mae is turning three tomorrow.   I still have until 2:53pm before it's official, but no one really counts that.   When she awakes tomorrow she will be three.  

18 hours old

As I did with Ace I have compiled a collage of Mae from Month 1 through Month 35 in a collage.    It's hard to believe she was so tiny, and yet is still so tiny! 

36 months have past since she entered this world.  She's had many adventures, so many on her own path differing from her brother's.   She's her own spunky spirited self and a mirror of me in many many ways.   I look forward to the coming year.  Mae will finally get to start school (in September) she's been wanting to since she understood that is where brother goes.    She has much excitement yet to come.  Happy Birthday Eve, Sweet Mae!

Our mother-daughter journey continues.  I hope that it only can grow stronger and greater as time presses forward.   May she continue to love Jesus and grow into the amazing person that I believe she is destine to be.  

Eight Years Gone By

It crept up on me again - the reminder that this week marks the beginning of your absence for eight years gone by.    The pain of this day in particular isn't as palpable as it once was.   But a grim feeling and sadness in general typically sneaks up on me this week and until I realize its because of your passing it seems strange.     I miss you without even thinking of you lately.  That seems weird and hard.   I wish you were here to see your grandkids.  I wish you were there for mom.   It's not your fault you're gone, but I so wish you were still here.  I recently received pictures from our Troop and there were some of you.   I love 'new' pictures of you - even if they are decades old.   It makes you seem not so gone.     I miss you.

Project 365 - December

Another great month of photography.  I try my best to post daily each of my 365 photos (although I just a two-week catch up today!)  I had a few extra days of 'camera fatigue' and relied on only my cell phone for a few shots - but I suppose that is to be expected with December being a high picture time.  :)     Some notable events and particular photo favorites:  our snow  and Olivia's arrival.

Looking forward to the photos of 2014!  I hope your 2014 is off to a great beginning!

2013 in Photos

Best of 2013

Every year I take a moment at either the end of the year or the start of the new year and reflect on the past twelve months.   I've been coming up with a combo of these 'Best Of' posts now for a decade now.   It's a chance to reflect on a year gone by and what events truly stick out and matter.    There is always a little bit of bad or sad mixed in with what most of the time is reflected upon as a great year, this year was no different.  Here's to a great 2014!

Best of 2013

Best Event: Superhero Ace's 5th Birthday

Best Movies:  Saving Mr. Banks and Gravity

 

Best Over-Played Song: Sunday School Music (It's a Fisher Price cd and it makes Mae so happy and made Ace (and dad) groan to listen to it.  I fell somewhere in the middle.) 

Best Book:  Divergent

Best New-ity of 2013: Our new living room remodel

Most Shocking News of 2013: Katie making the brave decision to cease chemo and enjoy the remainder of time with her family. Followed by her passing in April.  

MW's Words of the Year: science (better than the other dictionary that went with "selfie" GROAN)
Jo's Word of the Year: photography (yes, second year running!)

Events of 2013 in no particular order:
1. End of Mama Milk
2. Deployments
3. Ace started Kindergarten
4. Mae potty trained!!  NO MORE DIAPERS EVER!!!
5. Project 365
6.  Becky's baby shower and Hannah Jo's arrival
7. Ace learns to read
8. Playground Pack fun
9.  New job at my church
10. Olivia's early arrival

The Christmas Train

Yes another year and another successful outing with our family and our Christmas train!   Yes the kids go to bed like any other night and then shortly after we say good night we come back with their tickets and their Santa hats and we board the Christmas Train!     We have Christmas music, decorations in the car, Christmas blankets, a snack (oranges this year!) and we go on an adventure to find great Christmas light displays.   

During our outing we allow the kids to choose the direction from time to time and they love it.  We go out for about an hour and then come back home and put them to bed.    It's a great tradition that we've done for a couple of years and they asked several more times if they could go again on the Christmas Train!  Can't wait until next year!

Christmas 2013

Our Christmas was great!   ...And I am woefully behind on blogging about the close of 2013!  Goodness, I'm going to try and play some catch up and so there will be some blog bursts.  I know, I know - the only acknowledgement to Christmas so far in my blog has been about Ivy the Elf... not even the focus of Christmas in our house!     2014 I'm going to try to be better about blogging and keeping up! Resolved?  Eh maybe.  ;)

Now for Christmas 2013 let's enjoy a photo array of our morning!  This year I did an elapsed timer with the camera set up on the tripod.  I got it going and then just let it go.   Leaving me hands free to enjoy time with the kids and not trying to grab a shot of them opening presents.    It was great!  Later in the afternoon I grabbed the camera and got a few more close up shots of them with their fun.  

The traditional shot at the top of the stairs awaiting the word they're allowed to come down!

Reading the Christmas Story out of Luke before we begin the presents

Merry Christmas, Pixel!

Legos from Grammie!!

Present for dad!  Another Walk Rock Jar they painted (the first one was full!)

Pose for a couple shots here!

Legos and Ninja Turtles.  All boy!

Someone was introduced to Calico Critters this Christmas and she's super excited about them!

We got to chat from afar with my family for 90 minutes.  While my nieces showed me all their presents and I got to laugh and spend time with my family.    I love technology.

We had a wonderful Christmas season!   We hope yours was too!

Books of 2013

Again - two very busy kids - an affinity to watch a lot of tv - and a busy schedule means that reading is probably last on the list of entertainment these days.   Here's the 2013 breakdown of completed books.  That said my 2014 count will go up because I had at least 3 books that I was **nearly** done with in 2013.   Is that cheating? ;)

Completed in 2013:
Where'd You Go Bernadette?
How Could a Loving God...?
Five Love Languages for Kids
Loving The Little Years
For Women Only
100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
Peace Child
And God Came In
Divergent
Family Driven Faith