Worst. Blogger. Ever.

Yep, I am officially the worst blogger ever. I have not posted since April, and now have Meredith's birthday, Nathan's birthday, Mother's Day, End of school year parties, summer fun, father's day and fourth of July to post. And info about my job, VBS, and the new business I am starting. And I can't even start updating the posts right now because the children need to be fed, cleaned and dressed so we can run off to Gymnastics. Perhaps I shall have time to blog again when I am retired and the children are grown...If I can still remember anything that happened by then! Keep an eye out, I will try to start catching up with pics soon!

Matt's first 5K

Matt ran his first 5K after less than 2 months of training. He ran in the Redbud Classic in OKC and finished in 38 minutes. The hills were brutal for him, since he had been running in our neighborhood, and it was very hot at 2 p.m. when the race started. Nathan and I went and cheered him on, we are so proud of him! Then, the next weekend he ran in his 2nd 5K, the Remember the 10 in Stillwater. He finished that one in 32 minutes, and was happy to have shaved that time off. Crazy! I am not sure I would run even if I was being chased, so I don't get the whole "runner" thing, but I am so proud of him for sticking with it, and we had a great time waiting for him to cross that finish line! Go Matty!

Bella baby

We have our puppy! We wanted to get a puppy for the kids as a birthday present, so we looked around, figured out we wanted a goldendoodle (my dream dog ever since I first saw one) because they are hypo-allergenic and very sweet and good with kids. We found a breeder we liked and a price we could afford and waited for 7 long weeks...and now our little Bella is here!

Yep, I wrote that last part 2 weeks ago...puppies are not conducive to sleep, clean houses or extra time on the computer! So anyway, here is our little girl!

Toothless grin

Meredith came home on Monday with her first loose tooth. On Thursday she was eating her chocolate bunny and said "Hey, I just lost my first tooth! But I accidentally swallowed it. Oh well, we will have to leave a note for the tooth fairy." She is so matter-of-fact about everything! So, the tooth fairy came and left her a dollar, and forgot to take the note. We figure she must not need it since it was not a tooth. And here is our toothless girl!

Easter 2010 pictures

Here is what Easter looked like this year at the Donovan house...

The kids woke up and followed their trails (a tradition the Gerstenberger Easter bunny started) to their Easter baskets. Meredith picked hers up, Nathan commented on the "num-nums" on the floor and after picking up and eating the first 5 or so on his trail, followed the trail to the pantry, found his basket and went to watch Meredith. Leaving his basket behind, of course.

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I made Easter Bunny pancakes, which were a hit, and then we went to church. The kids devoured part of their candy after church, we did a family dinner and finished the day with playtime outside and s'mores over Matt's fireplace. It was a nice, relaxing day and the kids are finally almost recovered from their sugar comas!

Always look on the bright side of life

There is an excessive amount of drama happening with the in-laws right now and I just need to vent for a second and then remind myself that there are many positives in my life.

Venting: people who bottle up every emotion, won't talk to me if they have a problem, avoid me like the plague without ever cluing me in if I have upset them, make up lies and twist things around to suit their own neurotic purposes need to grow up and not flip flop between saying mean and hateful things behind my back and then pretending nothing ever happened (but still not talking to me) so they can maintain a relationship with my daughter. In order to have a relationship with my children, you must be at least willing to talk to me civally, you cannot use other people to go around me and try to be around my daughter. That doesn't work.

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest.

Now, the positives...Matt is in such a wonderfully healthy emotional state these days, he is so patient, kind and caring, and I really am truly blessed to have him as my husband. My children are a delight to me, and I am blessed to get to be home with them most of the time. Working 2 days a week is such a privelege, and I am grateful to have a job I love and a husband to supports our family so that I don't HAVE to work full time. Our house is beautiful, we are all healthy, and I have more wonderful friends than I could ever count, so life is good.

So much love

I am feeling reflective today, as it is Good Friday. I have been thinking all day about Jesus and his sacrifice for mankind. It overwhelms and humbles me to think that there is so much love from God and Jesus for all of us, and how undeserving we are at times. The concept of forgiveness is one that has been especially strong in my thoughts this Lent, and the line "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." from the Our Father continues to echo in my mind.

As I reflect on Good Friday, sacrificial love and forgiveness today, my beautiful children are running about, showing the purity, joy and kindness that I long to emulate. While I have been sitting here writing this, Nathan ran to the pantry and grabbed a snack. He ran over with 2 packages of crackers, one for him and one for Meredith. I know it is a small thing, and not as profound as the larger meanings of today, but I am brought to tears of joy and thankfulness as I watch my not yet 2 year old take care of his sister. She is always in his thoughts, and Meredith takes care of him too, by watching over him and teaching him, calming him when he is upset, and making him laugh. I am so blessed to have the genuine example of love at work in my life every day, and I thank God for His sacrifice that allows me to raise these tremendouly amazing little people.

A League of Her Own

Meredith has started playing softball this spring, and Matt is beside himself with excitement. He is helping to coach the team, and loves to practice with her. I know that this is the stage of childhood that he envisioned when he thought of having children, so I am happy for him that we are finally here. Mere is in an 8 and under league, with 6-8 year olds, and is playing with Madelyn Frans. (Madelyn is Kyle and Rhea's daughter, Kyle and Matt went to school together from 5th grade on, and used to play baseball together, so it is fun to watch them relive their "glory days" as they teach their daughters.)

I have little to no knowledge about ANY sport, I have always found them boring, largely because they all seem to require one skill I was born without: Hand-eye coordination! Once again, this is an area where Matt and I can balance each other out, because for every game I tune out, he can tell you the final score, the last time that team won, and other random facts about them, for football, baseball and basketball. It's not a skill that I envy, but I am happy that he knows that stuff because at least our kids stand a chance of being athletic!

The team was thrown together at the last minute, and there was an aspect at the first meeting that excited me...Uniforms! The moms (and Matt and one other dad) all went shopping for them together, and we decided on cute little pleated skorts, pink t-shirts and black knee socks. Matt and Kyle are both against the decision to let the girls wear black skorts or shorts, they feel that pants and a traditional uniform are more appropriate. That's what happens when you let the moms choose the clothes! Their team chose the Wildcats as their name, and all of the girls look so cute in their uniforms! Unfortunately they are all at about the same skill level I am. It's fun to watch them when they are aware of what's happening though, they play their little hearts out. And there is still some of that childhood classic of standing in the field, playing in the dirt and admiring the grass while the game is happening, which is amusing, if not productive.

We have had 2 games this week, and we lost both of them, but I would like to see the birth certificates for the other girls, because I am pretty sure they have to be much older than our team. Our first girl up to bat was literally only a head taller than the catcher's waist! Meredith said tonight "I'm tired and just frustrated. Every time we play, the other team beats us." We talked about experience and practice and the fact that they are all trying their best, and this is just for fun. I am actually in awe of the fact that she seems to know what is going on! I am proud of her, she is starting to pay attention and I think by next year she will be taking this very seriously.

Nathan has a great time running all over the place while we are "watching" the games. He picked up handfuls of dirt and tossed them in the air, ran under the bulletin board 87 times, played cars, tried to climb the fence, ran into the dugout twice, tried to tip a trash can over once and made it over to the t-ball field behind us before I caught him because I foolishly wore flip flops. (Rookie mistake.) And all of that was in the first 30 minutes while they were warming up!

It should be a good way to introduce Meredith to competitive sports, help her bond with Matt over a common interest, and get some cute pictures, which is my favorite part! And the kids and I definitely wear ourselves out during the games, so we should all sleep well for the next few months.

Leprechauns and Easter eggs...

Here are a few pics from St. Patrick's day. We did green yogurt and waffles at breakfast, played with green Oobleck, drank green milk and had little pins to wear all day. Meredith's said Lucky and Nathan's said World's Cutest Leprechaun. It was fun to do something different for the kids, they got a kick out of all the green!

Sunday night we dyed eggs with the kids, it was the first time Nathan had done them and he kept lifting the egg up and saying "Oooooooh!" and then tossing it in the cup again! We had a few casualties, but overall it was a really terrific family project. Matt and I are really loving having the kids do things with us as they get older, our little family unit is so much fun!

The Easter Bunny

Meredith informed me yesterday that she doesn't think the Easter bunny is real. I tried not to panic or cry as my daughter's childhood innocence disappeared, and I asked her why she thinks that. Her response was "I think it's probably just a guy in a bunny suit bringing Easter baskets to everyone. I really bunny couldn't carry baskets or open doors." Phew, I fuess we are safe for a little while longer! It cracks me up that the part she questions is the autenticity of the actual rabbit, not the idea that any one creature hops around leaving baskets for children once a year!

Catholic again

I am feeling extremely moved lately to tell about my religious journey these days, so here it is! I was born and raised Catholic, and attended regularly until I moved to college. I never really questioned being Catholic, or our beliefs, or the teachings of the Church, until I moved out. I went to Baker, a private Methodist University, and I was shocked when I got there and all of my friends seemed to have really enjoyed their churches growing up. They attended summer camps, hung out with their youth groups, had friends at their churches, and basically showed me a whole new side to religion that I had not known was possible.

I attended a few services when I was at Baker, and thought they were okay, but nothing moved me in any certain way. I met Matt, moved back home and went to my family's parish, and didn't feel much one way or another then either. Matt was against being Catholic, and so I agreed to look for an alternative together. We got married, moved to Denver, and I got a job at a Presbyterian Church. I was close to the people there, so I attended services there, but still felt like there was something I was missing. As we have moved around, I continued to try churches, because I do feel that it is extremely important to me to raise my children as active Christians, and I wanted them to see that we all attend together. I have tried regular attendance at 5 different churches over the last 4 years, and still felt that something wasn't fitting for me.

Over the first weekend in January, I went to Mass with my friend Shelly and her boyfriend. It was like being home again! I felt wonderful, the priest seemed as though he was speaking directly to me, the music was familiar, the crucifix was hung and looked beautiful to me, and I decided that I should try Catholicism with a renewed vigor. Since then, I have been attending at St. Monica's Parish, about a mile from my house, and I have only missed 2 Sundays this whole year so far, once for illness and once for Matt's birthday.

I have come to realize that I need to raise my children in a faith that means something to me, and that I am just Catholic at heart. I love the idea of discipline, of focusing on the fact that Christ died for us, and that sins can be forgiven. I have found a new aspect of my Faith as I renew my Catholic beliefs, and discovered that (fortunately) the way Flagstaff Catholics act is actually not the norm. My church growing up was not family friendly, had horrible children's programs, did half the Mass in Spanish, and seemed to disregard the desires of the congregation at whim. We would vote on something, like a name for the new Parish, and they would announce the winner, and then tell us what they were actually going to call it.

It's nice for me to think that I have found a home here. My church has a welcoming feel, a mom's group, children's programs that are age appropriate, and the same core beliefs that I feel are important. I have embraced this wonderful feeling with all my heart, and I am once again proud to announce that I am Catholic, and will remain so forever more. I have given up coffee for Lent, I am observing the Holy Days of Obligation, I am actually really wanting to say the rosary, and I feel closer to God than I ever have.

My personal belief is that there isn't any one particular religion that has all of the answers. I do know now though, that I have to do what I feel deep in my heart and soul, and for me, I have found peace with this decision, and I long to cry it from the mountaintops that I am at peace with God once more!

ow-sigh

Nathan is a complete nature freak, all winter long he has been lamenting the lack of outside play time. We have finally had a few nicer days lately, so we have been outside as much as possible. When he wants to go outside, he stands by the back door saying "Ow sigh. Ow sigh." If that doesn't receive the desired response, he will run to the laundry room where we keep the shoes and say "shoooos. Shooos. Ow sigh shoos." We went out twice yesterday and have been out for almost 2 hours this morning.

I am grateful for the nicer weather, the little hint of spring, and the fact that when we are outside the kids are happier to entertain themselves. An additional bonus is that my house stays much cleaner when we are outside the whole time we are awake, so I am happier all around. Seriously, who's idea was winter anyway? Well, I am off to play with the kiddos again outside, and enjoy the nicer weather while we have it!

Wide awake at 3 a.m.

It's one of those unfortunate nights when my brain clicked on at 2:15 and wouldn't shut down. I tried tossing and turning for an hour and then gave in and got up. The benefits of this are that I do get to take advantage of the very rare quiet time in my house without the fear that I will be interrupted after just a few minutes, and that I am awake on a night when I am not feeling super tired. I know that I am not good at updating my blog as much as I would like, so I feel like I have so much to say but I don't want to make it overly long, so I thought I would just list a few things that I wanted to record.

• Matt is looking super skinny these days. He is down 80 lbs. in a year and a half, and last week started running. He is doing the couch to 5K deal and is really getting into running. I am so proud of him!
• I am feeling really jealous of Matt because he is doing so well and my knee and back are hurting so much that I am not able to work out at all. I have only lost 4 lbs. since my knee surgery in October, and I am feeling very frustrated. Grrrrrr.
• Meredith is reading so much these days, I am really impressed with everything she is learning in school. She is also being very sweet and helpful most of the time, and I breathe a sigh of relief that we seem to be entering a new phase with her.
• Meredith was the "queen bee" at school this week, she got to bring in a few things that are special to her, and we made a poster board of her favorite things and some pictures of her. She loved getting it together with me, and after an hour of working on it together, she turned to me and told me thank you for doing this with her and that she loves it when we get to spend time just the two of us.
• Yesterday when Meredith came home from school she called me Mrs. Gregg. I know that kids sometimes slip up and call their teachers mommy, but I had never heard anyone do the reverse!
• Nathan is so much fun (most of the time) right now. He does a hundred little things every day that I wish I could show everyone because I think he's so much fun to watch! It's not even something that I can describe, because it would take so long to describe everything he is doing. He says "fun" all the time now, he wants to "see! See!" out the windows everything he hears outside. He gets this little glint in his eyes and turns his head to the side and glances at me to see if I am watching him, then cracks up when I look at him. He adores trucks and construction, and has recently started watching Bob the Builder, and thinks it should be on 24 hours a day. (He doesn't want to watch it most of the time, just wants it on.)
• The other day Cooper was crawling towards the cars Nathan had dumped out. Nathan saw him coming and frantically started putting the cars up on the bricks in front of the fireplace. You could tell that he was doing it to protect them from the incoming baby, and he looked really proud of himself for figuring it out. Cooper stopped crawling and looked at Nathan. Nathan finished putting them out of reach and started talking to Cooper. Coop started crawling again and pulled up on the bricks and reaching for the cars, and Nathan looked panicked! He said "No no baby! No no!" and tried to hand Cooper one of the baby toys. It cracked me up!
• I have officially started moving away from watching Cooper and into teaching Gymboree more. Kelli is going to find another place for Cooper and I am going to teach 2 days a week. Mondays will be fun because the kids get to come with me and hang out in the art room for the nursery. I will also teach on Wednesdays, and I just found out that Nathan got into the Mother's Day Out program I wanted for him, so he will go there on Wednesdays. I think it will be a positive change all around, and I will get more time to focus on my kids when I am with them. I am really looking forward to it, and I love the idea of only working 10 hours a week and making as much as I am watching Cooper for 50 hours a week!

Well, that's my "shortened" version of Donovan life these days. Believe it or not, I could have gone on longer! It's now 4:30 and I think I will be able to catch a couple more hours of sleep before starting the Wednesday routine. Good night!

My kids rock!

Meredith and I both had the stomach bug that has been going around, and I was impressed once again with how awesome my kids are. Meredith got sick 3 times, then was just slightly more subdued than usual. I was completely knocked out, and certain that death was right around the corner. I was out of bed for all of 15 minutes yesterday morning before turning on the tv and texting Matt to say that I couldn't make it through the day without him. I then went back to bed, where my children's awesome-ness was displayed for me over the next several hours...

Meredith helped Nathan get a drink and a snack. She played with him and entertained him for a long time, and they managed to not trash the entire house! Nathan kept running into my room at first, to check on me. He crawled over me, said "Fun! Wheee!" and jumped on the bed for the next 5 minutes, throwing himself down every few bounces and laughing. (He was cute and I was laying down, so I didn't mind.) After a while, he ran out and shut the door. About a minute later, he ran back in and came over to stare at me. I asked "Are you here to take care of Mommy?" and he smoothed the covers down, patted my head and ran out, slamming the door. 5 seconds later the door banged open again, Nathan rushed in, turned the fan on, then ran back out, shutting the door again! They were so good, well behaved, super sweet, and I really appreciated that I was able to cower in bed all morning even though Matt had to work. At 12 Matt was able to make it home and take over, but I will always be grateful that the kids were so amazing when I really needed a break. My kids are so wonderful!

Valentine's day 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's day has always been my favorite holiday. When I was little (like up until I was probably 15 or 16) I didn't know that it was meant more as a romantic holiday. My parents always did special cards, flowers, pink cream of wheat at breakfast, Russel Stover's chocolates and cool new pencils for us on Valentine's day. The school parties were always full of goodies, cards from everyone, and the great fun of making special bags or boxes to hold our treasures in. I loved the paper doilies that seem to serve no purpose other than to drip excessive glue when attached to construction paper. Even today, I get euphoric when I smell contruction paper, paste and crayons. (At every time of year, not just when making valentine's)

I think it's nice that there is a day dedicated to letting your loved ones know that they are special to yo. My dad still remembers how special I think this day is and sends me a card every single year, filled with tiny red confetti hearts. They fall all over the floor, and we find them for weeks after we think they are gone. They drive Matt crazy, but I love them! They make me smile every time I see them. (To be fair, my dad sends them half because I love them and half because they drive Matt crazy!)

This morning when I came home from church, Matt was fixing a special breafast for us. He made pancakes and used the cookie cutters to make them heart shaped. I thought it was one of the best husband/father moments ever, and I love that he made the effort to do something special that the kids will remember. 9 years ago today Matt and I first got together at a party at his apartment, and we have been together ever since. I can't believe it's been 9 years already, and I also can't believe it's only been 9 years!

So, have a wonderful Valentine's Day. May your day be filled with love from friends and family and your significant other, and may the spirit of love remain with us year round!

Dear winter

Dear winter,

I am ready for your friend spring to visit me instead. You have overstayed your welcome and I wish that we could have some time apart now. The kids are ready to play outside, and we are tired of wearing coats. I miss seeing colors when I look out my window, the ugly browns or dead grass and leaf-less trees can go away along with the ice, wet, cold and wind that you brought with you. Please pack up your things and leave, and perhaps with time I will be ready to see you again.

Thank you,

Blythe

Okay, I know that was silly, but I am so over cold weather! One of my favorite things about moving to Oklahoma is that I would be living someplace where the winter is much shorter and they didn't get much snow. So of course, this year we have had record storms. Murphy's law strikes again!

On an up note, we have had a good past few days. Nathan has been having some painful stomach issues this week, and was so hysterical for almost 3 hours that I finally rushed him in to see the pediatrician on Wednesday afternoon. Turns out my little man was having painful gas and constipation (lovely, I know.) and so that was why he was all of the sudden acting possessed. Now we have medication for him and we have adjusted his diet a little and he seems to only throw temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. This is still frequent, but much more tolerable! Cooper was sick on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Friday he was still acting like spitting up was really painful, so he went back home to hang out with Kelli, who was also sick. I feel for them, I know that the stomach bug is no fun. But, it was nice to get some individual time with the kiddos over the last few days, and I am reminded again how much more manageable life with just 2 kids is! By Friday at naptime, the house was clean, laundry was done and put away, I had worked out and showered, dinner was underway, the kids had been played with and I actually had a break when I didn't have something else I should have been doing! It was WONDERFUL!

The weather subsided enough and warmed up into the 40's yesterday, so when Mere got home from school we played outside for an hour. Nathan went down the slide by himself for the first time ever, which was so cute! Here is a video to show it, I didn't get the whole thing, but at the end after he says "Whee!" he stands up and says "It's fun!" Meredith was cute playing outside too, she is very good with her brother, and loves to put on shows for me. She is definitely one who doesn't mind being the center of attention!

Ummm...I got nothin'

Yep, nothing much to say, and yet I find myself longing to blog. About anything. Anything at all...This is about the first time in my life where my mind and house are silent at the same time. I guess I will just enjoy the quiet and maybe have some thoughts later.

(My mind isn't totally silent, I do have Poker Face playing in there. Pretty much all the time. But it's not requiring much space right now, so I suppose the quiet is relative.)

The 6th day

Edmond Public Schools are closed again today, which means it is the 6th day in a row of Meredith being home all day when we can't really do much because of the weather. The kids and I have been trying to keep busy, but I am running out of ideas! We did bubble baths first thing yesterday and today because that will entertain them for up to an hour. We have painted, played games, done computer time, pretended to be puppies, played restraunt, built with blocks...I am about played out!

A few highlights:
- Meredith had a bad attitude recently (shocked!) and when she shaped up again she gave me a big hug and said "I'm sorry Mommy. I will try to be good from now on, and never fight or be mean again. Until I am a Mommy, and then I can yell at my kids."
- Nathan got out of the bathtub because he had to pee, but he doesn't know how to tell me that yet, so he tried to get my attention while I was fixing Cooper's bottle and then peed on the floor. He then wanted to sit on the toilet, so we spent the next 30 minutes hanging out in the bathroom. Nothing happened, and I am not going to push it, but I am excited that he is showing interest and isn't even 2 yet. I got a cute picture of him sitting there with his hands folded strategically, but I think I will keep it for the family viewing only!
-Matt is almost finished with the playroom wall, he got the trim up last night. Just 1 more day until the paint is dried enough that we can break out the chalk. Yippee!

Snow (and ice) day!

We had a major ice storm here on Thursday afternoon and evening where we accumulated about an inch of ice on everything. This was followed by a full day of snow on Friday, which was gorgeous! Matt didn't go to work because the entire town was closed down, and of course there was no school, so we had a nice day just hanging out inside. Matt and I got busy first thing in the morning and deep cleaned the playroom. (I have a schedule for cleaning one area of the house each month. We wipe down all the walls, clean the baseboards, wash the light fixtures and vent covers, move all the furniture etc. so that no room ever goes too long without being really cleaned. I know, I am a bit neurotic. I have learned to embrace it rather than fight it!) He started the process of painting the chalkboard wall we have been meaning to do since we moved in, and the kids were happy doing art projects and playing dress up.

We also did some family play time, which is always a hit with the kids. I taught them a game we used to play when I was little that we call the Hot Lava game. Basically you jump around the room from pillow to pillow and on the furniture and try to avoid the carpet, which you are pretending is hot lava. Yep, it's a wild and crazy life here in the Donovan house! We played hide and seek too, which cracks Nathan up. He always hides wherever we were found last for the next round.

Matt and I took a few pictures of the ice and snow around the house, so I thought I would share them. It was a nice day being snowed in together, and I am happy that we got some things accomplished during our bonus weekend day.

Wii records

Matt and I have both lost a lot of weight in the last year (62 lbs for me, 75 lbs for Matt) and one of the biggest changes we have made is adding exercise twice a day using the Wii Fit. We primarily do the free step for 30 minutes at a time. Matt is very competetive and keeps track of his personal bests on the Wii on a post it note on the back of the TV. He tracks his steps both watching his progress and watching a tv show, and tries to out-do himself every time. When he passed 5000 steps, he thought it surely must be some sort of record, so he looked online. There is an entire website dedicated to Wii Records - who knew? Anyway, Matt registered and is now listed on the website in 4th place, which is pretty cool! Here is the link in case you want to see...
http://www.wii-records.com/en-us/records.php?game_id=99&category_id=3343

And a few videos....

Here are a couple of videos too. Enjoy!

Random kid updates

I know it has been a while since I have updated on the kids, largely because they are keeping me busy constantly! Here are some recent photos that show what the Donovan's have been up to...

Brina came to visit us for almost a week in January. It was wonderful to see her, and I love having someone around to keep me company while I run herd on the kids. She is terrific with both kids and they adore her. For almost a week after she left Nathan kept pointing to the bed where she slept and asking for her. We wish she lived MUCH closer to us than 3 states away!

Meredith's look shows her attitude these days. When did she turn 13 again?

Nathan loves to walk in other people's shoes...a trait that will serve him well in life! This picture also shows how he now "poses" (aka squats down) for every single photo we take...

Matt does family play time with the kids once they are ready for bed. He lies down on the floor and flips them, wrestled with them, and Nathan recently started bringing Matt a book and asking him to read it. Meredith and Nathan picked up on that very quickly and have a great time reading like this throughout the day.

The kids are both in a strong Daddy phase right now, this is the traditional greeting when he gets home from work!

Willow Tree

This is for my mom, and anyone else who cares! I am obsessed with the Willow Tree Figures, they are little statues that convey so much emotion to me. I am not a big collector of "stuff" I would rather have things that have meaning to me than just the latest trend, but these are the one thing that I really want to collect. Matt started my collection for me on Mother's Day with one of a mom holding a baby snuggled in at her shoulder. These tug at my heart like nothing else ever has, so I treasure and cherish them. For Christmas Matt surprised me with the Nativity scene. Here are the pictures of the ones I have, I am sure that many more of these sweet scenes will be added into my home over the years.

Can you believe it has been 10 years?

New Year's Eve 2009 marked the 10 year anniversary of my time capsule with my best friends from college. We got together and opened it this year and had a great time seeing what we thought was in store for us at that point. We had written letters to ourselves, guessed what we would be doing, made silly predictions about where we would live, number of kids etc. It was fun to see the girls again, and to see how young we all were then! Here are some of the pictures from that night. If I can find them I will post some of the pictures we saw that night too of the 5 of us from 10 years ago.

While I was in Kansas City for our time capsule shindig we also threw Jenna's baby shower. She is having twins any day now! I also got to see Lindsay, who is also one of my best friends from college but wasn't part of the pentagon because she is younger. We had a great weekend and I loved getting to hang out with everyone for several days without the kiddos. What a terrific way to start the new year!