35.

today i celebrate my thirty-fifth birthday as a happy woman! really and truly, i feel blessed. as i have anticipated this birthday, i've been thinking about my life. the choices i've made, and the consequences (good or bad) that have followed. overall i feel proud. i still have a to-do list that i will get to one day. but for now, this is why i feel happy and proud of my life:

* i married the right person. how thankful i am at this stage in my life that i got that RIGHT. my Mr. is mine! he is so kind, gentle by nature, and the most incredible father. he is an amazing husband, provider, pianist, student, and teacher. and the list goes on and on... i cannot imagine my life without him. he is my life.

* i am a mother. i love my beautiful children. they have always been my children. they make us complete. they fill me with life and laughter. i have learned more from them than they will ever learn from me.

* my home. nothing is more satisfying than making our home happy. i love the feeling in our home. everyday i look forward to the evening when we are all home together. home is where life's lessons are taught, love is fostered, and where every person is safe.

* i am healthy. after battling itp and infertility, i am so thankful for my healthy body and mind. i am proud of myself for literally wearing out my treadmill. seriously! i don't think my body feels 35. (at least from what i hear other people complain about)

* i have good, loving relationships with my family. too often i take this for granted. i am so thankful for a father i can look up to, a mother i can always talk to, sisters to do the same, and brothers that are always good for a laugh.

*real friends. true friends. that i can completely be myself around. that accept me for who i am. friends that i know are not coincidental. 

*my talents. there, i said it. (why is that difficult to say?) my hobbies, gifts, talents, whatever you want to label them, make me happy! i love to create anything. absolutely anything. sewing, knitting, cooking, decorating, it doesn't matter the avenue, but no day feels complete until i have made something. i love to look back on my day and see something beautiful i created. 

i could keep going, but nap time is ticking away and i need to delete some of the 16,000 photos on this computer. 

making my birthday (carrot) cake! how sweet are they?! blessed.

i am thankful this is what my house looks like everyday. it is better than incredible.
i am blessed. i am happy. it's going to be a great day.

it just keeps coming...

the snow just keeps coming this year. i'll admit, my arms are tired from all the shoveling. and so is my back. but it is SO beautiful! i'm sure lizzy is disappointed, they canceled her field trip to the state capitol today. :(

i was hoping to wear leggings and stay home all day. not happening. i realized i had appointments this morning, and need to renew my driver's license this afternoon. oh well, maybe tomorrow...?

...and i can't post without including a picture of one of my children. charlie says "hello!"

sunday.

 it's a blizzard outside this afternoon. we're loving 9-12 church this year. now we've settled in for a cozy evening. while i prepared next week's lesson, lizzy prepared our fhe lesson for tomorrow. i can't wait! i love it when she teaches us. children really are the best teachers.

charlie and daddy are the sweetest to watch playing together. i would have never guessed this little man would be in our lives. how blessed i feel to be the mother of these two beautiful children. and the wife to this lovely man.

this morning...

 a little baby mozart. he *loves* baby mozart, just like sister did.

and of course, squeak and run with max's toy to get him to chase him! this dog makes for countless hours of entertainment for charlie. i'm not complaining :)

love, love, love

i love, love, love WHITE, and my new wainscoting! no more muddy grey for me. i've been painting one wall a day while my baby boy sleeps, which i've decided i like better than doing it all at once. slow change is easier for me. i love it when i get it right!

this boy...

this boy LOVES his books. 

*he is talking to the baby in the book*

i love this baby.

our weekend

This is what I hope most of our weekend looks like. Tonight I will put our baby boy to bed, a sitter will come for our girl, and the Mr. and I will have some time out on the town! Can't wait!

tea for three.

A few nights ago while I was laying my baby boy down, my girl was busy setting up a surprise tea party. When I came downstairs, this is what I saw! The three of us sipped tea, pinkies out of course, and had a pleasant time chatting. How sweet is my girl?..

pictures from december...

  

     

   

              

It's Saturday and my Mr. is at work, Lizzy is playing mine craft (?) on the iPad with Ben downstairs, and my baby boy is asleep. So, I finally take a moment to post a few of our Christmas pictures. I don't    know exactly how my days fly by so quickly, but they do.

At the moment I find myself in the middle of redecorating our family living/kitchen area. After trying 2 different paint colors and hating both, I've decided I love white. It makes me feel calm. My home feels clean and I feel like I can breathe. I painted the entry white first and I can't stop looking at how pretty it is. Even empty it's beautiful! Wainscoting is being installed right now in a square pattern that continues the pattern of windows throughout the house. It's been a fun and exhausting project, and I'm nowhere near finished. The hardest thing for me is taking things a day at a time. Needless to say, I'm still learning patience.