January at Our House

This may be a little early since January isn't quite over yet, but I wanted to get this on here while I am thinking of it. January came and left so quickly here. I have so many pictures to share so I will just let them do the talking, so, let's sum up January 2019

10 Things you should know about our month:

1: Outings

Despite being in the middle of sick season, we have gotten out on many adventures this month. Weekly story time, gymnastics class, and we also made it to the Children's museum 2 times this month! Our month has also been full of family visits, play dates, and a birthday party!

2: Crafting

It's true: our craft game is strong. Really strong. We love crafts and science projects at our house. The kids beg for them constantly. Payton actually spent a whole 2 days holed up in a room working on Christmas presents for everyone back in December. I love art and science days because the easiest projects please the kids so much.

3: Baking and Cooking- it happens every day

Part of my preschool process includes focusing on learning kitchen skills. My hope is that my children will be (somewhat) helpful in the kitchen for their entire time they reside at our house. We have branched out recently and started letting our children plan an entire meal and assist with making that meal from start to finish. Those knowing Payton will know that her meals include everything, from several sides to dessert. She loves a full spread of food! Riley has found a favorite meal of corn dog muffins and they are so easy we will be making them frequently.

For treats, banana bread and jello (cut into hearts) is the most requested. I love to make these while the kids are resting in their rooms so they get a real surprise.

4: Scooters is here

We were lucky enough to get a scooter's in our town and I am so excited. Our budget is a little nervous though.

5: This boy

*Sigh* babies just don't keep. Seriously. This boy is getting so big and so on the move. He isn't walking quite yet but my days are limited. He is talking more and more and getting so much more opinionated all the time. Oh, and he is still just one of the happiest boys.

6: Outside play

We still get out almost daily, even if it takes longer to put snow clothes on than we spend outside. We all need the fresh air. We have gotten so much snow. So. Much. Snow. I'm ready for the sun and warmer days.

7: But, the views

Take my breath away. I love where we live so, so much. The views are so gorgeous to me, especially in the winter. I mean, I could sit and look out my window all day if the kids would let me. I guess I'll just the minute where I can get it.

8: School

Preschool continues to be so fun for me. Both big kids love to learn and it's less of a balancing act than I ever thought it would be. If I could lock these moments in forever, I would in a heartbeat!

9: Bring out the costumes

Since we are forced inside so much, I grabbed our tote of halloween costumes and let the kids play. They have LOVED this and it has passed so much time for us. I think we have been doing costume play for about 2 solid days. Their imaginations have grown so much and I am astounded at what their play time looks like in comparison to last year.

10: Marie Kondo it and DIY projects

I got sucked into Netflix and watched Marie Kondo's show about decluttering and keeping items that spark joy. I have read her books but the show really lit the fire I needed. My husband and I have cleaned and decluttered and organized so much stuff. I'm feeling good about this.

We also have been doing several DIY projects around the house such as converting a guest bedroom into a play room (something I wonder why we didn't do sooner) and preparing to put the laundry room downstairs (currently upstairs). The picture above shows some frames I have painted white to do a picture collage for the play room.

Life stays so busy here! I hope your January has gone as well as ours!

2018 Year in Review

I will keep this short and simple and just let the video do the talking. Each year I make a video of some of our favorite videos we recorded. I will warn you, they are long. I did narrow them down but I take so many videos and love them all. In the end, there are still too many videos but I hope the kids will appreciate the work put into these.

This year my husband made the video and it was so fun to see life from his eyes. This means more footage of myself since I wasn't the one always behind the scenes.  2018 was a hard year for me personally but, as a family, it was still one of our best years. We were sad to say goodbye to 2018 but we definitely are welcoming 2019.

Thank you 2018:


In 2019, we have lots to look forward to. Our 10 year wedding anniversary, 5 birthdays, one kid will start kindergarten, another kid will start his first summer of gymnastics, the baby will start to walk, and those are just the highlights.

If you want to look back at my past videos, here are the links:

2017 in review
2016 in review

I do try to make goals for our family. Last year, we focused on trying to give more. More time, more money, more donations. I think we hit that out of the ballpark. In some ways, I gave more of myself to others that my family suffered at time. So, this year, I will focus more on serving my family, reading more, and turning to gratitude daily.

What are your goals for 2019?