On this last day of 2009 I want you to give yourself a gift for the coming year. Not a resolution mind you, because don't we all break them before February even gets here.

It's a precious gift that we all wish we had more of but the fact is we all get the same amount. Everyday.

Time.

It sounds silly to give yourself something we already have but it's what you do with your time. I wish I had given myself this gift years ago.

I felt, like most of us, that I just didn't have enough hours in everyday and tried to make it all fit anyway. I needed to do just one more thing and once that was finished I needed to do just one more. And to be interrupted from doing that thing.........it wasn't a pretty sight. It needed (whatever it was) to get done right now. Right Now. And if it didn't? I didn't really have an answer...... it just needed to...... right then. I found myself telling the kids "In a minute" and the minute never came. I found myself shrugging off my husbands embrace because I had the "just one more thing" to do. Not because I didn't want that touch or the time with my children. I just lost sight of what was truly important somewhere along the way.

If only I had taken the time to think it through. To realize that the dishes weren't going anywhere but my children were growing. To see that my husband longed for me and waiting 10 minutes to put in the towels to wash didn't really matter. I felt all along that being busy made me a good mother, a good wife, but I wasn't giving anyone what they wanted and needed.

I have worked on changing this about myself these last eight months. I have come a long way, I'm still not where I want to be, but nevertheless different. My children are happier for it and so am I. No fairies come at night to do the things I missed during the day, I'm just learning to live with it. I can have a clean home when my children are grown.

So give yourself time in 2010. Think it through. Do you really need to make those cupcakes from scratch? Or could you make some from a box and spend that extra time coloring with your kids? Don't worry about impressing the other moms because in ten years they wont even remember your name but your babies will still be here - no longer babies. Dinner can wait fifteen more minutes while you give your husband those kisses he waited all day for. Because if you wait until you get it all done you will have nothing left to give.


I loved like I should
Lived like I shouldn't
I had to lose everything to find out.
-Rascal Flatts

I trespassed for the first time in my life

but I think this picture made it worth it for me, just don't tell my kids.

Oops!

I was so excited for our white Christmas. I can't ever remembering having one. When I realized that we were going to the ranch later that day and could get snow shots I was thrilled. What I didn't take into account would be all the mud.

Before I left the house Jeffrey warned me to be careful and not get stuck in any mud. I told him I would be just fine and headed out. I was pumped. I knew just were I was headed first. As I looked up behind me in the rear-view mirror I saw a this gorgeous snow capped home with a beautiful sunset behind it.

I got one, ONE shot when my battery died. I chose to be optimistic about it. Telling myself that I was very close to the house and could just swing back and grab my other battery. I wasn't going to kick myself for not bringing it to begin with. I turned my ipod up loaded just in time to hear "It Happens" by Sugarland when the car lost traction.
And I was stuck. I tried for just a short while to free the car but feared I was only making matters worse. Clearly I wasn't smart enough for this job because I didn't even think to roll up the window when I was trying to get out of my predicament, leaving the inside of my car muddy as well.
I sheepishly walked back to a home full of boys having to admit I did the one thing they warned me not to do.
At least they were all great about having to help me in the freezing cold. And as you can see I wasn't as stuck as I thought but still too stuck for me.

Me and my girl

Future builder

Look at that pride.

That's me

That's Bear inside Jeff's room.

That's me and Jeff in his apartment.

Now Bear is placing the stairs on to get up there.

He puts so much thought into what he is building. With no help he came up with his idea and built it on his own.

He's just odd

Bo is under the impression that socks have more than one purpose. At the moment he thinks they are also good for gloves and filling with rocks to clobber his brother and sister with.

A White Christmas?

Some of us where big fans of the snow.....

others not so much.

And some of us down right begged to go back inside.

Road-side

Winter Wonderland, or not

When I peeked out of the blinds and saw all the beautiful fluffy snow falling I turned into a child and ran for the door screaming "GUYS! Come here! Quick!"

I was in far to much of a hurry to even consider coats.

Yep, that's my boy eating snow with his sword in his gun holster.

This was Bo's first experience. He wasn't really sure what to think.

After some time he just began to cry because his sweet little hangs were hurting.

Clearly Bear enjoyed his time out in it.And since we don't get it often we had to make calls to Daddy and the Grandparents to share our fun.

Down at the ranch

My babies love to fish. They don't have a whole lot of patients for it but they enjoy the experience. Bo mostly likes to "roll" (reel) it in. The problem with that is a two year old and hooks to make a good match. Fortunately two of the poles broke.....

I know that doesn't seem fortunate but it is. The kids can now cast and reel all by themselves. They (well at least Kati and Bear) are aware that they can't really catch anything this way but they enjoy pretending.
When Jeffrey fishes he like to have more than one line out at a time and this is another good thing for the kids.....
more opportunities to "catch" something. I love seeing their sweet faces when Jeffrey calls them over to reel it in. They have such pride.

Look at that serious face :)