A Few More Favorites from January 2016...

Here are a few more of my favorites from January 2016:

 Go Hawks!

 Preschool's Annual Dad's Day for Andrew & Abby

 This is just the beginning of her puppy obsession...

 Sweet Abby

 Someone got a medal at i9 soccer:)

 We may have had some major cabin fever, thanks to all those snow days!

Sunshine & no coats makes for a perfect January day!

The Great Blizzard of 2016

Last post, I talked about January being our calm after the holiday storm.  The ornaments and decorations are all packed away.  The toys have found a new home on shelves and in storage containers.  The parties, concerts, and holiday traditions have all ended.  We are thankful for the quiet time spent at home again, soaking in the simplicity of routine and structure. But, the January of 2016 had a little extra special something planned for us.  If there's one thing that we remember the most about January 2016, it would be the "storm of a lifetime":  the fierce blizzard that dropped over two feet of snow here at our home, right outside of Washington DC.  

Right in the middle of the month, we went to bed with a simple snowfall.  In this area of the county, the simple sight of snowflakes brings excitement.  With just a small bit of snow, the possibility of snow day lingers in the kids' heads.  They excitedly put on their hats and gloves just for the simple excitement for catching snowflakes on their tongue and running around in their new winter boots.

Well, it's safe to say that the kids were not disappointed when they woke up the next morning.  There was snow.  And more snow.  And more snow.  Enough snow that we were stuck at home for several days, unable to get out because the snow plow had yet to go down our city street.  School was cancelled for over two weeks so we had ample amount of time to play in the snow and play in the snow is just what we did.  The kids loved the giant snowfall and it brought memories of a lifetime to our family.  

Any one that knows me knows that I'm not a huge fan of snow.  I would much rather be bundled up under a blanket by the fireplace reading a book then outside shoveling and playing in the snow.  To be super honest, I really would rather be laying on the beach under a hot sun with a drink in hand than trekking around in the cold, white snow.  But, watching my kids delight in the simple joy of snowfall once or twice a year is pretty awesome.  The simple excitement that they get from playing in the winter wonderland is a memory that every parent cherishes.

So January 2016, thank you for giving us the gift of snow.  A snowfall to remember.  It was one winter wonderland memory that will never be forgotten in our memories.

Hello January 2016...

It's been awhile.  Yes, almost a whole year.  I know that there is no way that I can keep up with blogging as regular as I used to.  Three kids (soon to be four) & a husband that works quite a bit means that I am "on" most of the day and night.  There isn't a lot of time for more.  But I am trying to spend some of my Christmas holiday cleaning through photos and realized that I still need to document these years because they are flying by too fast.  So as I clean through the photos from 2016, I am going to try and share these everyday moments from the past year.  It may take awhile until I get through this process, especially with another baby bound to join our house anytime, but I am committed to keeping this updated.  Honestly, for our own memories more than anything else.  So let's start with January 2016...

As I look back through January 2016, I realized that it was a welcome calm from the busy holidays.  We spent a lot of time at home, hunkered down spending time together as a family.  January is an interesting month because we welcome the start to a new year with open arms.  We are thankful for a quiet & simplified start to the new year.  Our schedule is less cluttered with activities, making for a more simple start to the new year.  But January also marks the busy time of year for Chris. This is the start to busy season.  A time where he works long hours & long days.  It's something, after ten years, that we are used to but it always puts a slight strain on our family as we hunker down for the winter with Chris keeping a steady rhythm at work.  During this busy season, there are definitely some nights of "survival" where we end up eating macaroni and cheese from the box or chicken nuggets with a side of mandarin oranges, for our healthy side dish.  

But as I look back at these photos, I realize that it's okay.  The kids, despite the busy rhythm that exists in January, are still happy.  They are full of life & embrace this season where we are home, together soaking up the long winter days.

And when we have Chris around during this busy season of life, it makes everyone just a little happier!

Some Fall Everyday Moments...

I know winter totally struck us last week with 30 inches of snow, but I decided it's time to share these sunny day photos from fall instead :)

One happy trio

They really know how to destroy rooms!

One tired pumpkin

Nap time, golden hour

Soccer Andrew

My little outdoor boy!

Shadow chaser

Hugs from sister!

School 10/14/15 by Mr. Rogers

Happy Halloween 2016!

We arrived home as Halloween was approaching so we quickly jumped into the festivities of Halloween!  One of our favorites this year was trick or treating at one of our favorite places, the Mosaic District.  It's a great little urban area of shopping near us where the stores passed out candy & treats to trick or treaters.  We headed over with one of our dear friends, Cameron...

 The kids had a blast!

 We also had the preschool Halloween parades :)

 And our annual pumpkin carve...

 And of course, Halloween!  This year, we did in right in the comforts of our own neighborhood and had a blast!