It Is All Over Now!!

I realize it has been FOREVER since I blogged. Perhaps you think our family has dropped off of the map. In a way, I suppose we have. Or at least, I have. As you can see below, Stella is now a moving baby! So we have less time than before and basically that means we are working in negative time now. Blogging has fallen into the "if I have time" category and that area has developed into a large black hole. I know you moms out there get what I am saying!

Even with all of the craziness, and lack of sleep, I still LOVE being with my wonderful husband and the girls. Stella has become independent and is able to get around the house now. But she is so different than her sister! She likes to cruise around at a safe distance from mom or dad. Gracie was GONE as soon as she could move. No looking back, see ya later, trail of dust behind her. I love that my girls are so different in personality and even looks. They are unique little characters and it is just such a joy to watch them grow! Here is a little video of Stella taking her first crawl (dad was there with the camera!).

Do any of you parents remember when your first child started crawling? Were you filled with joy and awe? So excited to be seeing them move for the first time? We were. When Gracie took her first crawl we thought it was the most exciting thing we had ever seen. And then when a week went by and our bottoms had not graced the cushions on the couch, we thought maybe this was not so great. And then the first steps happened, and again, we were elated! Our baby girl is walking! Then a few weeks went by and we realized that this was going to be hard work. We fell into bed at night and were asleep before our heads hit the pillow. Anyone else have this experience? Yeah, I thought so. Needless to say, when Keton sent me the video while I was at work, I had a tears for how excited I was to see her grow, and a few tears because I realized how much our world had changed. We are trying to prevent her from walking, at all costs!

The cool thing about it this time around though, is that we have a little police woman to "tell" us when Stella is doing something that is not okay. Built in alarm systems are pretty cool. Even though we may be sitting a little less these days, we are having a wonderful time watching Stella discover new territories and new items to put into her mouth. This weekend she started standing as well...OH NO.

To summarize our lives recently, I would just say that we have been busy with joy! We had all of the cousins together this weekend and they played their little hearts out! I believe one of the most beautiful sounds in the world, is the sound of children playing. The laughing, yelling, talking all rolled into one is just music to my ears! Here are some pics from our days lately....

It even took me several days to get this blog finish...ahhhhhhhh. Time is so precious! Enjoy your free time!

Time with my first "baby"...

I have always loved dating my husband. We went on wonderful dates before we were married, after we were married, and we continue to go on them even now that we have little ones. As many of you know, for the first two years of Gracie's life we lived away from family, so going on dates was an absolute rare occasion and we treasured every moment! The dinners, or nights sipping coffee at Barnes and Noble and actually having adult conversation were welcomed! We savored the nights we had the chance to go hear live music at a beautiful hotel in Arizona, and taste some great wine. And of course the rare weekends away in Sedona, or at a friend's wedding. Every date with Keton is an experience I truly cherish. On a daily basis we struggle to get out entire sentences or stories with the girls around, and so when we can just sit and take each other in, it is special. I even remember a date we had back in our CT days, where our wonderful friends, The Houle's, watched Gracie and we went out to a lovely dinner. We were so excited to just have a nice dinner to ourselves (and it was the first time I could handle eating, since getting pregnant with Stella). Even though our dates are a little more regular now that we have family who are more than willing to take the girls, I still treat each one as a special opportunity to see my husband as just that, my husband. Not Daddy, but hubby. Has anyone else out there realized that you fall more in love the longer you are married?
Last night we went to dinner for our friend Christy's birthday, and it was great. Good food, good wine, good conversation, and stolen moments where we could kiss or hold hands and just be together. Keton, you are my all. I love you with all of my heart, and I am so blessed to be married to you. Thank you for all of the moments. I never get sick of being with you, and you are always making me laugh (and everyone else around you!).
For those of you out there who have not dated your husbands in a long time, schedule a date right now. Enjoy the loved ones in your life.
Are you booking the babysitter yet? :):)

What truly is important....

Keton and I are amazed at the amount of little girls in our lives, from our own, to our two nieces, to our friend's little girls. Estrogen is everywhere for us, and I am sure Keton is just itching for a guys golf session right about now. We spent the weekend with our girls of course, and also with our little niece Isis, and with one of the newest members to the girlie clan, baby Riley. She is the cutest little peanut! Just look at her next to our giant Stella. They are exactly 5 months apart...

We have decided that we are blessed to have two girls that can be sisters together, and even more blessed that they will have a lot of great girlfriends in their lives. What an opportunity for them to share a bond with so many lovely little girls! And speaking of little bonds, today we got to see a beautiful example of what true friendship is. We took our daughters and niece Isis out to eat this afternoon for a special treat. Since they were so good, they each got a balloon of their choosing.

But as we were getting out of the car to go into the house, silly mom let Gracie's balloon go! As it was drifting up into the sky, I thought of ways to distract Gracie so she would not notice her missing balloon. Right. She saw her red balloon floating through the clouds, and the lower lip began to tremble. Isis, standing there with her balloon secure in her hand, went to comment on Gracie's loss. I quickly tried to change the subject and keep Gracie from being sad. Isis caught on immediately. She let her balloon go too, and shouted, "Oh no Gracie! Now mine is gone, tooooo!" It worked. What a true act of love and friendship. She gave hers up, just to save Gracie from tears. And as you know, giving her balloon up was a true sacrifice for a young girl of 5. I told Isis how proud I was of her. And how grateful I was for her act of kindness. Isn't it funny how much we can learn from little kids? How many of us would give up our "gifts" for our friends? Loved ones? Anyone? This morning I was listening to a pastor speak on our problem with possessions. He was saying that what we won't give up, what we cannot part with, that is what controls us. How true. If only we were all like Isis, freely giving up what we want, just to make others happy. I find the more I own, the less "freedom" I feel. This little lesson today has inspired me to go de-clutter. In fact, I think I will start right now...

What can you do without? What do you need to give up?

Gracie is 3!!!!!!

Talk about feeling like you are getting older. Try having (I know, some of you do!) your little "baby" turn 3 and start saying things like, "I am going to my room now!" (cue door slam...). Or, "Mommy, don't squeeze my tummy or I am going to yomit all over your clothes." Okay, so I might be guilty of squeezing her a little too hard. I cannot help it. She is turning into a little girl before our eyes, and I cannot find any way to make it slow down!!!!!!!!!!!

She turned 3 on Feb. 12th...here are some highlights and pics!

She is such a joy for us!!!!!!! It was a wonderful time with family and we are so thankful that Gracie has so many loving people in her life. Although it was kind of a 5 day spoil fest, we enjoyed every moment of it (even the inevitable breakdown around 7:00pm the night of her birthday, mainly due to present and cake overload!). Stella enjoyed the partying too, since she is bound to get some attention when everyone is around!

As I see them growing older everyday, I find myself thanking God for the blessings that they are, and usually I sneek in a little prayer asking that he slow down the growth process a little. We have told our friends that are yet to be parents to "Enjoy every moment, it goes so fast!", and this week has made me realize that this statement could not be more true. Part of me is sad at the sight of Gracie turning into Miss Independent, but the other part of me is so proud of her. I love the little girl she is becoming, and I am so overjoyed to have her as my daughter. I am thankful to her as well, for she has made me realize how important it is to slow down and enjoy the moment when it comes to Stella. I see her starting to sit up and begin moving herself around, and I truly have to hold myself back from pinning her to the ground and refusing to let her move! If I can pass off a bit of advice today, it would be to SLOW DOWN. Love them, enjoy them, and remember that when you wake up tomorrow, they will be a little different, and a little older, and the magic of yesterday is gone. Lucky for us, there is more magic ahead with the coming years and attractions! But I will always miss the way Gracie was, even just one year ago.

Happy Birthday Gracie. I love you. We love you. And most important, God loves you!!!!!!!!!

Many more birthdays for you sweetie...

Funny things kids say...

You know it always happens when you least expect it to, or want it to. Suddenly your cute little toddler gets an idea and words just start coming out at random. Often embarrassing, but mostly cute, and before you go write it down somewhere you forget what it is they said. Gracie has so many moments like this, I could fill a book. That got me thinking. Perhaps I should try to write some down or share some, just to keep those moments alive. For instance, when I was pregnant with Stella, and rather "voluptuous" which is just a nice word for "full", Gracie would shout out "Biiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggg Mama!" wherever we were. Which of course embarrassed me to no end, and my reaction just fueled her fire. She would just get louder and louder and keep shouting it with even more emphasis on the "BIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGG!" part. As a side note, it did not help that Keton could not contain his laughter either, which certainly did not help the situation. Looking back, it was just so darn cute and I am sad that it has passed. Then there was the moment she learned to say "flamingo" but it came out as "f*%#!@ go!" My brother-in-law encouraged her to say this word on a daily basis, and made her "impress" all of our friends and family with it. Proud moment for mommy. But sadly, now she can say "flamingo" they way it was meant. At the moment she is into her feelings and generally says things that are hilarious on a daily basis. The other night Keton was listening to me tell him how Stella would be my little bookworm and he asked Gracie what she would be. She didn't miss a beat as she smiled at him and replied "I'm gonna be dangerous!" We just laughed and Keton told her that, "No Gracie, you are going to be my good little girl that does her homework on time, right?" To which she replied, "Homework? I'll do that ummmmmmmmm, maybe later." OH BOY. We have it coming. She sure is an individual. Can't wait for high school.

My blogs will be a lot different by then.

All of Gracie's cute sayings lead me to ask, what will Stella be saying that is cute? What will her little voice sound like? How will she be different, or will she be similar? It is such a joy to watch them grow and develop into the little people they were meant to be. We are blessed. And truthfully, the Gracie-isms of the days make us smile over and over.

What funny things do your little ones say?

New "finds" to share...

If you are a man reading this (not sure I have too many male readers...) just stop right now and go watch sports or find something else to do. You will surely not be interested in what I will be writing about for this particular blog.
Now, with that out of the way and the men off doing manly things, we ladies have some time for a little fun chat. I often find myself on a hunt for quality things, fun finds that I can share with friends and family, and if you know me at all you know that one area I love to shop in is within the realm of beauty. I love make up, skincare products, hair products, etc. Yes, It is superficial and silly, but I just get an inner glow from finding a wonderful beauty product, and if the packaging is pretty then I am just sold! Truly, I am not that shallow. I just love the idea of having a fresh clean and classic look. And what woman doesn't love the way a new lip gloss just shines when she smiles? I have come to realize that beauty products certainly don't solve problems or give "meaning" to life, but they tend to give a little lift to even the most minimalist woman. I am sure there are Au natural women out there who get all giddy when they purchase a brand new chap stick with new pretty packaging.
Recently, I have been going through some issues with my skin, related to the carrying and birthing of our youngest daughter, Stella. She has the most beautiful baby face skin, but failed to pass that along to me before she left the womb. And so, the race to find some wonderful products has led me to stumble upon my most favoritist (yes, I am making that a word for this one sentence) make up brand, Stila. I have been flirting with this cosmetic line by recently purchasing some of their "lip glaze" for my sister-in-law and myself. Truly awesome lip gloss, but pricey. I stayed away from the other products due to price, thinking that it could not really be worth it. But for Christmas my dear mother supplied me with a gift card to Sephora and I took the plunge into the Stila world! I purchased this kit called "Travel in Style" that has a few products in a type of trial size (I think they are almost sold out, but the products are still there in regular size). It has:
-Illuminating tinted moisturizer (perfect if your skin needs an energy boost with the winter weather)
-bronzing powder (apply light handed!)
-convertible cream blush (good for cheeks and lips!)
-multi effect mascara (awesome!!!)
-eye liner (still working at applying this...)
- lip glaze lip gloss in a gorgeous brown sugar color
I also purchased the illuminating mineral powder foundation to wear as a powder with coverage and a glow (also awesome!). But they sell the powder separately and want you to buy the case too (at a hefty $14!) so I cleaned out my old Cover Girl case and stuck my Stila powder in that instead (hmmmm, $3 or $14???). I admit, I felt pretty smart and somewhat sneaky...
The best product by far though, is the perfecting concealer. If you only get one thing from Stila, and need a concealer, buy this. Wow.
So my Christmas gift is spent, but I am oh so happy with my new purchases. There is something about putting on a fresh face, that helps the morning go smoothly...
And I will never get too old to love playing dress up. It is always fun.
As a side note to those who are also around my age and starting to notice that the "19" year old glow is fading, somewhat, I have fallen in love with the lovely yet affordable Skin Genesis product line by Loreal. The oil free lotion smells pretty and works wonderfully to hydrate and brighten my oh so dull winter skin! And the eye serum is great...it is about time I made friends with eye cream.
And so the anti-aging begins. But I would rather it be a product fetish than a surgery fetish:) I also have tried and personally critiqued (to myself and of course my patient husband who must be tired of listening to my beauty banter!) many other products and regimes. If you want to know, just ask:)
Love to all of you women out there who also like to having some artistic fun painting their own canvases...
Just call me Botticelli...
I wish.
www.stilacosmetics.com

A Few of my Favorite Things...

Good morning to all!!!!!

It is Saturday morning here out in the West and I am enjoying a small luxury. I have a little time to myself while my girls are sleeping...

Funny how things work. Literally, as I was completing the above statement, Gracie came around the corner to say hello and let me know that Stella was now awake.

Haha.

It has been two hours since I wrote the above paragraph. Such is the life with little kiddos! This holiday season has truly FLOWN by like no other before it. This week is Christmas and I have NOTHING done. But I decided that it would be better to focus on the things I love and the blessings I have as opposed to worrying about what I have not completed. Here are a few of my favorite things, maybe you have a few in common with me...


fires in the fireplace (finally cold enough in the evenings here!)
yummy holiday treats
Christmas movies, especially when I get to watch them with my hubby and girls!
the smell of Christmas trees
Christmas music by Frank Sinatra
hot tea with a cinnamon flavor
COFFEE on a cold night (or anytime, since I am tired)
"What Child is This?" and "Silent Night" in many different versions
apple cider
Christmas lights and trees
baking
family
good wine and conversation, sans children!
cuddling up with a good book
Gracie singing "Santa Claus is coming to town" and getting particularly loud at the "coming to town!" part
getting a gift for my husband that I know he appreciates
kissing Stella's little cheek to get her to giggle
time off from work to be wife and mom for a living, at least for two weeks
building gingerbread houses
sleigh bells
stockings with goodies
hearing my husband read the Christmas story

I could go on and on...wonderful time of year that it is! Somehow, I missed the season though, it just went...
I do realize that I have a few more days to enjoy a few of my favorite things, so I am going to try to enjoy wrapping the presents in the next few days...
More importantly, it is wonderful to remember what Christmas is really all about. The birth of our Lord and Savior! Praise be to the Lord.

Oh, and I just got the time to finish this blog just now...which would be Sunday evening, a day after I began to enjoy my small luxury. I did not realize how small it truly was:)