P365 - 2013 - Day 365 - It was a good year

P365 - 2013 - Day 365 - It was a good year

I can hardly believe that it is the last day of 2013.  I feel like we were just ushering in this year and now we are preparing to wave it goodbye.  This year was full of big changes for our family - a move that brought us back home to NJ, a new school for the kids, a big renovation project, lots of packing and moving (more than our share), a new work routine for My Wonderful Husband, and many new friends for all of us.  I have said it before, but I think today of all days, it bears repeating - this was the best decision we ever made.  We followed our hearts and in turn, our hearts became truly full.  2013 was a year that we decided to live in and be more present in the moment.  It was a year in which we were determined to find our joy, take more leaps of faith, rid our lives of the negative, and harness the positive.  It was a year in which we took chances, rode the wave of life, and enjoyed the ride.  It was a good year.  It was, as I had wished for this time last year, a year full of positive changes, exciting endeavors, and time spent with family and friends.  It was a year where we were blessed with good health and happiness.  It was a year I am thankful for.  So as I stand in the doorway of 2013 about to close this door and open a new one for 2014, I am full of contentment for the past, peaceful in the present, and hopeful for the future.  Goodbye 2013 - you were good to us.  Hello 2014 and my wish for continued health and happiness.  

*Yesterdays are over my shoulder, so I can't look back for too long. There's just too much to see waiting in front of me and I know that I just can't go wrong... - Jimmy Buffett*

P365 - 2013 - Day 364 - floors!

P365 - 2013 - Day 364 - floors!

Our house finally has floors!!!!! We all ran over this afternoon like kids on Christmas morning to see the finished product.   I love it, love it, love it!!!   I can not wait to get back home!!!!

*Home is where we tie one end of the thread of life. - Martin Buxbaum*

P365 - 2013 - Day 363 - Sport Super Fans

P365 - 2013 - Day 363 - Sport Super Fans

To say that these two are sports fans seems to be a gross understatement.  They are like sport super fans.  All sports.  All the time.  This is a genetic condition as far as I can tell.  I am married to a similar sport super fan.  All sports. All the time.  I realize that today there were some important football games on or something... I don't know really - all I know is that the television was monopolized, the boys were wearing jerseys for their favorite teams, none of the males in this house moved from the sofa (well except for when My Wonderful Husband was painting the house..) or heard anything I said, channels were being changed back and forth and there was a lot of shouting at the television.  My sport super fans had a great day. 

*It's the passion of the fans that helps win matches.... - Rafael Benitez*

P365 - 2013 - Day 362 - My project

P365 - 2013 - Day 362 - My project

My project has been the railings. These existing railings needed a little TLC to be a part of the rest of the changes taking place in our house.  It was so nice to get in the house and take a little control back and do something myself!  I have been waaaaaay out of my comfort zone being at the mercy of contractors.  But with this project coming closer to an end (thank goodness)  I needed to take back some of that control and these railings were the perfect place to start.  So far they are primed - which took slightly longer than I expected... but they are primed and ready for paint.  I can not wait to finish this project and have brand new railings!  

*You can not control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude towards what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than letting it master you. - Brian Tracy*

P365 - 2013 - Day 361 - a small step

P365 - 2013 - Day 361 - a small step

It's a small step, but a step nonetheless.  A step towards a finished kitchen.  Our kitchen designer came to set the "kicks" to outline the cabinets before the flooring is installed.  Soon (hopefully sooner than later) the rest of our kitchen will be installed....It might not look like much right now, but given the amount of time I have been waiting for this, it looks a.maz.ing. to me.

*The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. - Lao Tzu*

P365 - 2013 - Day 360 - wasted no time

P365 - 2013 - Day 360 - wasted no time

My Wonderful Husband wasted no time getting back to painting the house right after Christmas. The first floor was primed and the ceilings were done before Christmas, so he got started on the wall paint in the kitchen and we now have a first coat of color on the walls in kitchen!  A few weeks ago we were in our friends' house and realized their walls were the perfect color that we had been looking for - so we asked if we could be copy cats! :-)  I am so happy with this color and can not wait to see it on the walls.  

*Grey has no agenda...Grey has the ability, that no other colour has, to make the invisible visible. -Roma Tearne*

P365 - 2013 - Day 359 - Christmas joy

P365 - 2013 - Day 359 - Christmas joy

This is Christmas joy.  The kids (led by The Princess) have been campaigning hard for an iPod. Well actually, she has been leading the parade for a cell phone but we put the kabosh on that one...so she peddled back and joined forces with her brothers for a full blown campaign for an iPod touch.  Letters were written to Santa, dissertations were given at dinner explaining the need for this device, and they were not above simply begging.  My Wonderful Husband and I heard their pleas, listened to their power point presentations (I jest...), and withstood their begging.  I was beginning to think that our children had secretly taken a job at Apple without my knowledge...which really wouldn't be a bad idea if it meant a company discount... either they were working for them or they had begun working in marketing and Apple was their newest client.  Am I painting a clear enough picture of the work that they put in to asking for this as a gift?  It was becoming exhausting. But My Wonderful Husband and I discussed it and decided that it would actually be a pretty good gift for them and we let Santa know we had this one... We held this off until all of the presents were opened (because, come on.. that was just fun...) and I wrapped them in large boxes with lots of filler inside so they had to dig.  But when they reached the bottom, the result was worth all of the dinner time conversations about the wonders of Apple.  It was worth it to see the look of joy on their faces and the great big hugs and thank yous...This was what Christmas joy looked like this morning and I am so glad I captured a picture of that moment.. but more importantly was the peace, love, and joy that the rest of the day contained with time spent together as a family.  Merry Christmas! xo

*The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. - Burton Hillis*

P365 - 2013- Day 358 - Merry Christmas Eve!

P365 - 2013 - Day 358 - Merry Christmas Eve!

We had the seven fish for dinner, exchanged family gifts, and left cookies and beer out for Santa.  I love that the kids still get excited about new jammies and robes, get as much joy out of giving gifts as they do from receiving them, leave great letters for Santa, and seem to really enjoy spending time together as a family.   Merry Christmas Eve!

*I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. - Charles Dickens* 

P365 - 2013 - Day 357 - favs

P365 - 2013 - Day 357 - favs

We debated having our traditional Christmas meals this year with everything just a little different...  But we decided that, for us, the food is too big of a part of the holiday to change.  So, while we dialed everything back a bit, we still have all of the favs for the day.  The meatballs are made and ready for a yummy Christmas gravy. 

 

*when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you'll find you created family traditions and lasting memories.  Those memories, good and bad, are what help keep a family together over the long haul. - Caroline Kennedy*

when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you'll find you've created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help to keep a family together over the long haul
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/carolineke437794.html#HMpkbTjAcyToFMMV.99

when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you'll find you've created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help to keep a family together over the long haul
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/carolineke437794.html#HMpkbTjAcyToFMMV.99

when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you'll find you've created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help to keep a family together over the long haul
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/carolineke437794.html#HMpkbTjAcyToFMMV.99

P365 - 2013 - Day 356 - the stockings

P365 - 2013 - Day 356 - the stockings

The stockings are hung - finally.  Have I mentioned, perhaps a million times, how all of our stuff is all over the place? Stored here, put away there....I am out of my comfort zone for sure.  When we decided to decorate for Christmas at our home away from home, My Wonderful Husband found everything that we needed with the exception of the stockings.  But no worries, he finally found them and they are now hung on the railing with care. 

*The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicolas soon would be there.  - 'Twas the night before Christmas*

P365 - 2013 - Day 355 - these two

P365 - 2013 - Day 355 - these two

After a morning of basketball games, The Bear was off to a friend's birthday party and these two just hung out at the house together.  It was just a chillin' day - they actually played together with minimal arguing..... and just had fun.  I got photographic proof in case they wouldn't believe me when I reminded them of it later.. ;-)

*I smile because you're my sibling, I laugh because there is nothing you can do about it. - Unknown*

P365 - 2013 - Day 354 - Me and my elf posse

P365 - 2013 - Day 354 - Me and my elf posse

While the boys were with a friend after school playing in the park, The Princess and her friend were helping me finish up my Christmas baking. Me and my elf posse made the last batch of butter cookies!  Thanks elves:-)

*It's Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. - W.T. Ellis*

P365 - 2013 - Day 353 - handmade

P365 - 2013 - Day 353 - handmade

I mentioned before all of the ornaments on my tree that I love.  But I think my favorites are the ones that the kids make themselves.  I love to add new handmade ornaments to the tree each year and I honestly hope that my children always have special ornaments for me each year... hint, hint, hint.... ;-)

 

*Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.- Peg Bracken*

P365 - 2013- Day 352 - Holiday Concert

P365 - 2013 - Day 352 - Holiday Concert

The Princess joined chorus and she and The Bear both joined band this year.  They were very excited to show off all of their hard work at the holiday concert.  They did a great job and it was a wonderful holiday concert. 

*Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun. - Billy Gilman*

P365 - 2013 - Day 351 - this dog

P365 - 2013 - Day 351 - this dog

The Pooch is becoming more and more of a dog these days....this is favorite spot these days.  After the kids go to school and I set out for the gym, he crawls into his bed and that is where you can find him most of the day.  This dog has the life. 

*Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon. - Charles Schulz*

P365 - 2013 - Day 350 - something to look forward to

P365 - 2013 - Day 350 - something to look forward to

The temperatures dropped and the wind picked up and any thought of running outside went out the window....  But without a treadmill anymore, I needed to figure out a work out plan for the winter months.  So I joined a gym ..... I forgot how much I love to go to the gym.  Running is great and relaxing and solitary and a good work out but there is something about going to a gym that motivates me.  Now I have something to look forward to these cold winter months.  :-)

*Take care of your body - it's the only place you have to live. - Unknown*

P365 - 2013 - Day 349 - Great Sunday

P365 - 2013 - Day 349 - Great Sunday

We finally got out to see our friends who we haven't seen in months.  We were all happy to see them and thrilled that we finally live close enough that we can make a quick Sunday trip for lunch.  It was also nice to make the trip back Sunday evening and see My Wonderful Husband's bag empty!!! - because he is done for the semester and doesn't have to travel for a month!  Yeah!!  Great Sunday all the way around. :-)

*Set wide the window. Let me drink the day. - Edith Wharton*

P365 - 2013 - Day 348 - could not be prouder

P365 - 2013 - Day 348 - could not be prouder

I wasn't home yesterday when the kids got home from school and then I was quickly off to my ladies night so this morning I was thrilled to see three Honor Roll certificates and three perfect attendance certificates for my three super kids!!!!  I could not be prouder of these three.   They each had their first basketball games of the season today as well and all scored.  They work hard at everything they do and they should be as proud of themselves as we are of them!!  xoxoxo

*We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future. Franklin D. Roosevelt*

P365 - 2013 - Day 347 - Ladies Night :-)

P365 - 2013 - Day 347 - Ladies Night :-)

What a fun Ladies Night with a great bunch of ladies! 

* *

P365 - 2013 - Day 346 - December Flashback 2005

 

P365 - 2013 - Day 346 - December Flashback 2005

 

And there you have it.... my final Flashback picture is from December 2005.  The year that we became a family of five.  My loves, my heart, my life, my family.  xo

 

*While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about. - Angela Schwindt*

 

 

 

 



P365 - 2013 - Day 345 - Please slow down

P365 - 2013 - Day 345 - Please slow down

I was able to see The Boy and his third grade class perform a flutaphone/chorus concert at school.  As I sat and watched and listened I couldn't help but think... third grade?  How did we get here?  It seems like yesterday that I was in his preschool class.  I had a strong urge to throw my hands up in the air and scream "Stop! Slow down!"  This is going too fast for me.  A minute ago, I had three babies in the house...playing dress up and watching Disney movies. Then I blinked - I swear I only blinked - and I have three big kids and my "littlest Leonard" became a third grader!  The holidays always make me sentimental and slightly emotional... and they also have a tendency to show the passing of time in sharp contrasting strokes.  So, while I loved watching this concert at the same time I felt like it was a soundtrack to a movie playing in my head....of memories and Christmases past and chubby cheeks and baby feet .... so I snapped this picture to add to that movie - my third grade baby.  Now, please slow down. 

*But the wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go - we’ll eat you up - we love you so!"- Maurice Sendak*

P365 - 2013 - Day 344 -what better time

P365 - 2013 - Day 344 - what better time

We had a snow day today... but no snow.  The reports were calling for snow to start falling mid morning, so school ended up being cancelled.  Equally fortunately and unfortunately - it never really snowed... it was more of a wet rainy, snowy mess... but we had three children home and no snow to go out and play in.  What better time to enlist the help of the troops in some cookie making!  I put them to work and the three of them made the batter for the thumbprints, then rolled them and pressed them.  I filled them and baked them and they came out great!  They did a wonderful job reading the recipe and following the directions and I think they were pretty proud of the way the cookies turned out. 

*This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook, try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun. - Julia Child*

P365 - 2013 - Day 343 - borrowed

P365 - 2013 - Day 343 - borrowed
 
This was my "borrowed view today" in my "borrowed kitchen" with my "borrowed cookie press"....I began operation Christmas cookies with the help of My Wonderful Husband then finished up while watching him surf outside the window.  Thanks to my friend for the borrowed cookie press - that was a Christmas save for sure! I still can't believe that she had the exact same one that I have packed away...somewhere...  Thanks to my other friend for the borrowed kitchen and view - it made the cookie making process awesome! 

*Sometimes me think, "What is friend?" and then me say, "Friend is someone to share the last cookie with." - Cookie Monster*

P365 - 2013 - Day 342 - snowing

P365 - 2013 - Day 342 - snowing

It's snowing. Wish we were back in our house for this...but I took a walk over to check on everything and get a quick picture of our house in the first snow of the season.  Now, hopefully we won't get any ice and this fluffy, cold stuff will melt quickly and nothing will hold up the work that is scheduled for this week.  It is welcome to snow again once we are settled back in there comfy and cozy.

*One winter morning Peter woke up and looked out the window. Snow had fallen during the night. It covered everything as far as he could see. - Ezra Jack Keats, The Snowy Day*

P365 - 2013 - Day 341 - getting our Christmas spirit on

P365 - 2013 - Day 341 - getting our Christmas spirit on

We spent the day, getting our Christmas spirit on!  We went to the Ship Bottom Christmas parade in the afternoon and the Beach Haven tree lighting at night.  It was a lot of fun!

 

*Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. - Mary Ellen Chase*

P365 - 2013 - Day 340 - silly elves

P365 - 2013 - Day 340 - silly elves

Isabelle, Burke, and Barnes are up to their antics again.  When the kids woke up to get ready for school, they found the sunroom covered in toilet paper and those silly elves hanging around....

*Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!- Francis Pharcellus Church (New York Sun 1897)*

P365 - 2013 - Day 339 - Our Christmas Tree

P365 - 2013 - Day 339 - Our Christmas Tree

A friend of mine recently commented that her tree is a "3D scrapbook" and it got me thinking.  I love that! I never thought of it that way, but that is exactly what our tree is as well.  I am sure there are people who love their Christmas trees to be perfect with matching beautiful ornaments.  That is nice but it's just not my thing.  I like our tree to tell a story.  It tells the story of our family...special dates, big events, births, trips, favorite places, special people, special pets, favorite teams, crafty and store bought, ornaments we picked and ornaments that we received as gifts.  I have an ornament that I painted all by myself in first grade and a "babysitter" ornament that was given to me in 1987.  I have yearly ornaments that date back to the 70's and ornaments from each year of my children's lives.  We have a special crab ornament from when we lived in Maryland, Disney and Hershey ornaments to commemorate our trips, a special ornament that our friends gave us with our "blog names", ornaments from my parents' trip to Italy, and bells that were rung at our wedding.  Every year, when we begin the task of decorating the tree, I get sentimental.  It's one of those visuals of the passing of time....as my friend said, a 3 dimensional scrapbook of our lives.  I love our Christmas tree and the memories it shares every Christmas. 

 

*When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness. - Bob Hope*

P365 - 2013 - Day 338 - Special Visitor to Campus

P365 - 2013 - Day 338 - Special Visitor to Campus
(Guest Blogger - My Wonderful Husband)

It was a big day on campus today, I was moderator for a panel on preventing genocide and this included a visit from the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng.  This topic remains one of the primary reasons why I pursued my Ph.D. and I hope that this event inspired many of the students on campus to work towards the prevention of future genocides and mass atrocities.  This was quite a special event for our students and the campus community and I was honored to be a participant.

“The West's post-Holocaust pledge that genocide would never again be tolerated proved to be hollow, and for all the fine sentiments inspired by the memory of Auschwitz, the problem remains that denouncing evil is a far cry from doing good.” Philip Gourevitch

P365 - 2013 - Day 337 - Tuesday Communication

P365 - 2013 - Day 337 - Tuesday Communication

This is what our Tuesday communications have come to....tagging statuses.  In my defense, this was BIG news.  Walls!  I repeat, walls!! 

*You cannot not communicate. - Paul Watzlawik*

P365 - 2013 - Day 336 - They have arrived!

P365 - 2013 - Day 336 - They have arrived!

They have arrived!  Burke, Isabelle, and Barnes.  Now the party can start...now Christmas is really here.  They needed a map to find us today, but they did find us.  I wonder what these crazy elves will be up to this month. 

*Believe in the magic of Christmas! - Unknown*

P365 - 2013 - Day 335 - The Christmas season has begun

P365 - 2013 - Day 335 - The Christmas season has begun

We went to get our Christmas tree today.  We have always cut our Christmas trees since the first year we were married.  We were not sure if we were going to cut a tree this year since we are downsizing the decorating while we are staying in our friends' home.  But we decided today to keep the tradition alive and try to find a new tree farm.  It turned out that we didn't actually cut a tree at this farm because they had a fresh delivery of cut trees that were the perfect smaller size to do the trick this year.  I think next year when we are in our house I will want to put up two trees and start decorating in October to make up for downsizing this year, but for right now, this is perfect.  We came home and decorated the tree and added a few lights outside on the railing and voila! The Christmas season has begun. 

*I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. - Harlan Miller*