Christmas in Photo Review...No, Really...

Every day that I don't do my Christmas recap it gets further from the holidays and more ridiculous that I still haven't posted a recap. It's a viscous cycle and I've just decided to put a stop to it. Better 6 weeks late than never, here is Christmas 2009 in a nutshell:

Every year we trade off Thanksgiving and Christmas between Scott's and my parents. This year, Christmas was at my parents' house which is about 5 hours away from where we live. My mom has two sisters and one of them (including her husband and my two cousins) live near my parents. This year, their other sister and her husband decided to come for a holiday visit so all three sisters were together for Christmas.


Busy beach boys:

Busy boys in the kitchen with Nana making cookies and a gingerbread village:

And the finished product:

Relaxing with Nana and Granddad and a holiday movie:

A bi-annual Christmas Eve tradition (Great Dona reads The Night Before Christmas):

Christmas morning:

Jack asked Santa for Bakugans

Logan asked Santa for cookies ;)

Jack would not put down his new Star Wars figures...and oh, the noises he constantly makes!

Logan building a race car out of pillows and "trash" that Mama gave him for Christmas

A little downtime:

The whole gang took an amazing water safari:

Our whole crew takes up half the boat!

After returning home several days later we headed out for our second Christmas at Scott's parents house:

The boys got beautiful shiny bikes from Grandma and Grandpa

And that finally concludes Christmas 2009!

Daybook Entry...

I recently found out about this weekly meme called The Simple Woman's Daybook. I've got to admit that I'm not loving the title of this meme but I do like the idea...to linger on the simple things and find beauty of the everyday moments. I could stand to simplify by life a bit but in the meantime, this meme will have to do!

For Sunday, February 7, 2010:

Outside my window...a blue cloudless sky over a very green yard (it poured yesterday!)

I am thinking...about what to do with the boys today, a playground and some errands probably

I am thankful for...how lucky I am to have a healthy family with a roof over our head and everything we need

I am wearing...my pajamas because I'm still in bed (at 9:46 which is extremely rare for us)

I am remembering...my brother and wishing we could be sharing in each others' lives

I am going...to have to take a shower soon because I stink

I am currently reading...I just finished My Fathers' Daughter (a great book about an adopted women from Eritrea) and just started Food Rules

I am hoping...to stay in bed for the rest of the day but there is no way my family will let me get away with that

On my mind...Having recently watched Food, Inc. I keep thinking about the food that we eat and specifically how it is made, what it is made of and where it comes from

Noticing that...while I thought we eat semi-healthy I'm noticing that we could be doing a lot better

From the kitchen...Scott just made crepes with a hint of chocolate (hmmm...case in point about eating better?)

Around the house...I need to declutter. I've always said that when something comes into the house something else should leave but I haven't acted upon it

One of my favorite things...day dreaming about my boys and future daughters

From my picture journal...The boys got filthy at the park today and I decided they should get their bath before we did anything else for the day. They were not happy with this plan until I turned on the bubblemaker.

The other side of the camera - Park play

I'm participating in what I think is a really smart weekly challenge hosted by Carin at Forever in Blue Jeans. It seems like mamas spend an awful lot of time behind the camera. The idea of this challenge is for mamas to get on the other side of the camera in at least one photo a week.

When my boys grow up they'll inherit hundreds of thousands of photos taken from their childhood, but how many of those will show their mama? At least for this year I can answer 52!

_______________________________________

Wow! It has been 3 months since I last posted a pic of the boys and I here. It's been so long that I wasn't even sure if the weekly meme was still happening...but luckily it is, though it goes by a different name now.
These pics were taken over the weekend at a park. We stopped to let the boys run off some energy before heading to a restaurant in Little Ethiopia for lunch.

A Farewell Tribute...to Naptime

Oh, dear sweet friend...I will miss you so.

You have been a daily companion and meant so much to all in our family. From the first day we met, I knew that I wanted to spend quality time each and every day with you. And now our time has been cut too short. I feel such loss that you were taken from us so soon. You were a bright spot in my day. You were my sanity, my hope, my sanctuary.

I will always remember you fondly. Rest in peace, old friend.

Take a trip down memory lane with my good dear friend, naptime. Enjoy!

October 2009

May 2009

April 2009

December 2008

July 2008

March 2008, Jack

February 2008, Logan

October 2007, Logan

July 2007, Jack

November 2006

September 2006, Logan

April 2005, Jack

Farewell sweet friend...

The Great Juggling Act

In the midst dealing with two highly dramatic and energetic, yet adorable, boys (which means going to parks,

building complex and large train towns,

and going to school),


I have lots of other stuff going on. We are toying with the idea of moving. That means meeting with realtors, internet research, driving neighborhoods, conversations with banks, going to open houses, etc. It's been both exciting to think about the possibilities and depressing to come to grips with the realities.

Then there are the adoptions...I'm expending a lot of time and energy and all I'm really doing is spinning my wheels. Besides being obsessed with reading adoption blogs and forums (and checking them an embarrassing number of times a day), I've taken up working on the blog for one of my adoption agencies where I've posted 6 days a week for the last four weeks.

All this is my explanation as to why by blog (and the friendships I had formed with other bloggers) has suffered. It's not really much of an excuse though...

Life is a juggling act, especially for mamas. But I've been letting some of the balls drop.

I'm hoping to get back into the blogging (and photography) swing of things

Since this blog is a photo album and journal for my family I would really like to do a Christmas recap (how late is too late?), more posts about the boys (especially some Who's Who? posts) and photos of me and the boys (otherwise known as 52 weeks or Shoot Me). Sense I'm so far behind on Christmas recap, maybe this isn't too late for a New Year's resolution...to start carrying my camera more and documenting our life through blogging a photography again.

Meanwhile, in the several days it took me to actually finish this post, we've moved up another spot!


Here's to the great juggling act and moms everywhere!

Who's who?

Which little monkey:

• Declined the offer of some smoked almonds because he says, "Smoking is bad for you."
• Shouted, "Woohoo! I finally got an email!" when I told him a letter (from the postman) came for him?

Which little love bug:

• Said, "When someone loves you, your cheeks get red." (Think he's been watching one too many cartoons?!?!?!?!)
• Climbed down from his chair in the middle of dinner and said, "Look! I can chew and jump!," while doing just that?

You know you are a mom when...

You know you are a mom of preschoolers when you go out for the day wearing this lovely assortment of "jewelry:"

You know you are a mom in the process of adopting when you check your adoption agency's "news and updates" blog every 5 minutes. Today it paid off...on the waitlist, we are now #: