Life Lately in 2015

Here we are in 2015.  Amazing!  It’s been a cold, cold winter outside.  I’ve come to more fully appreciate what it means to ‘make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.’  It’s not always easy to keep a calm atmosphere when we’re anxiously awaiting blue skies & sunshine, but we’re finding ways to enjoy our time indoors and keep the days moving forward.

 ^^^AnnMarie LOVES to read.  She amazes us with her ability to navigate through so many books.  She’s currently reading the Whatever After series.^^^

^^^This is Luke at 5 weeks old.  I took some pictures of him today (7.5 weeks), and wow, it’s fun to see how much he’s changed since these pictures were taken.  His hair is something else!  It’s my new excuse for everything:  “Oh, I would love to, but I have to wash my baby’s hair.”  j/k ^^^  

AnnMarie & Carlie have been taking a 5 week ice skating course at the Toyota Center.  Their class is about 20 minutes long, but the remainder of the hour is free skate.  I’m not going to lie, they haven’t always finished with smiles on their faces.  I’m telling you people, it’s harder than it looks!  They’ve come a long way though, and I’m impressed with their progress.  Carlie wears a helmet which has really come in handy. :)

We went on our first outing as a family of 6 last Saturday.  We found a fun barbecue pit in town, and it reminded us so much of our days in Texas.  It felt GREAT to get out & about…enjoying the fresh air and eating some seriously delicious food.  

Nothing like soft serve ice cream and fish lips to help your day out.

Santa Pics! (that week in December before I had a baby)

I know we are into the new year full swing, but there were some precious moments to remember from the last few months of 2014.  At 39 weeks pregnant I was beyond ready to get our little guy here, so the five and a half of us (aka big belly) paid a visit to Santa Claus at the Windermere Real Estate office and walked through the mall for no other reason than to encourage baby to come!  (That might have been my only reason, but of course the kids were delighted to see Santa and we had some Christmas shopping to do, too.)  I think these pictures turned out so cute!  I wish I would’ve had them dressed up in fancier attire for heaven’s sake (hello Hello Kitty!), but I was kind of in a pregnancy fog for the most part, and my thought process consisted of one foot in front of the other! Really though, the photographer took her time with our family and then e-mailed these pictures to me at no extra charge.  It was definitely a nice surprise in my inbox the week before Christmas.

A Letter to My Dad

(The last photo taken of my Dad, June 2014)

My Dad, My Hero, My Friend

 

I miss you.  Not just today, but every day.  I wish I could call you on the phone just one more time.  I can ask you if it’s bad timing or not to which you would then reply, “It’s never bad timing to talk to my beautiful daughter."  I’m so glad I always told you how much I loved you.  I know you love me, too - unconditionally.  Your strength gave me a sense of stability & safety.  I’m trying to be strong Dad, but the tears come like waves.  Someday we will understand why your life was shortened.  I continue to yearn for answers, but the Lord rebukes me and reminds me to, “ Leave it to Him.”  I know that you will continue to watch over me & my family.  Thank you for always making me feel like the most talented, capable young woman in all the world.  Thank you for genuinely being in awe of everything I was trying to become.  Thank you for being the most forgiving, compassionate, good-humored individual I have ever known.  Thank you for being MY Dad.  Someday we will meet again, and my joy will be full, but until then, I will strive to be a daughter that will make you and my Heavenly Father simply rejoice.

I will always love you until we meet again.