29 February 2012

spring arrived.

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Picnik collagejess spring

yesterday i talked about carrying us to spring.
today i feel like she arrived.
with her soft wind and warm breeze.
her blue skies painted with white clouds.

she walked with us today as we ran and played outside.
between the raindrops.
between that breeze.

spring7 - Copy

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Picnik collagejess and dad

spring4 - Copy

everywhere we looked. everywhere we turned there were hints of spring.
tucked beneath a small pile of soil.
flying under the wing of a bird.
landing in empty trees waiting her arrival.

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Picnik collagejess spring2

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spring arrived today in our home
her timing couldn't have been better
she brought us adventure. a new journey.
a path that we will walk as a family. together.

yesterday we unofficially sold our house. we have not found another home yet and negotiated to stay in this one until April 28th. Jon's nervous. He asks why I'm not freaking out. I'm calm. Ready. But I can't think about leaving this home right now. It doesn't seem right. I'm not ready to part. I have 59 days. And I'm going to enjoy each and every single one.
Packing, boxes, chaos and all!

linking up with Morgan for Small Style
On Jess// coat: Oshkosh Pants: gift Top: Ralph Lauren (thrifted) Hat: thrifted boots: Target

28 February 2012

carry you to spring.

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Picnik collageshoes

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spring

the outdoor breeze called our names.
drawing us in to open air and clear skies.
empty trees dressed in loose branches hung over heads
waiting to feel spring in their roots.
reaching to march
a warm touch in the sky and a hint of green.
wind whistled across the yard catching laughter along the way
we ran. we played. and when we fell i picked us up.
my little family
i will always pick us up.

and now
i carry you to spring.

27 February 2012

just another weekend.

Picnik collageweeeknd
Picnik collageweekend2
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just another weekend. a good weekend.
we didn't have any showings or open houses last week so i avoided cleaning and picking up. it felt good. until this morning when i realized we have a showing today.

we played. i ran. we ate. we had a serious nerf gun battle and made a surprise attack on jon. i watched a movie with my best friend on friday night. drive. we sat around chatting for hours. it was great. we went to a birthday party. the boys bought legos with their money. i got a night out. i shopped. i joined jon for a late dinner. we went out with friends. sunday we were lazy. i took a hot bath in the afternoon. i took a nap. we ate dinner with my family. we watched a movie. the rum diaries.

and now i go pick up josh, make lunch and clean.
hope you enjoy your monday. it looks like a busy week for us.

Jess

25 February 2012

tips for skiing with kids.

skiing

As promised in my last post here are some tips for skiing with kids:

1. It's better to be over prepared than under prepared.
Last minute I decided to go out and buy the boys extra gloves and I'm so glad that I did. With a four and six year old gloves, socks and hats seem to disappear constantly. Somewhere during our trip we lost one glove and one hat.

2. Invest in one good pair of socks.
The ski instructor actually recommended only one pair of thin good socks. He assured us the ski boots would keep their little feet warm enough and if you layer socks it could actually cut off circulation causing cold feet. On our last trip to Telluride I stocked up on Smart Wool socks for the kids that were half off. Best investment ever.

3. Pack snacks.
Skiing burns a lot of energy and brings a hardy appetite. The boys munched on snacks that we put in their pockets while they rested.

4. Use the ski school.
It can be a bit pricey but the instructors are good and know what they're doing. Most of them are teenagers and know how to connect with the little ones. We then took what they learned and worked with them later in the day.

5. Listen to your children.
On the first day Jonas said he was done and didn't want to do ski school in the afternoon. We didn't want to push him because we were afraid he would be turned off to the whole experience. So we headed back to the hotel to swim and play. The second day he was ready to ski and do ski school all day long!

6. Have fun!
I know, cheesy right? But have fun. Don't get caught up in stress or being overwhelmed. Bring some patience and have fun. We had a blast with the boys. We laughed so hard at times I still smile thinking about it. We enjoyed lunches and dinners out, we jumped on beds, we cuddled to movies, we acted silly and we drank tons of hot chocolates.

I would love to hear any of your skiing stories. With or without kids!

23 February 2012

skiing with the kids.

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Picnik collagejonas

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Picnik collagejosh2

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Picnik collagejosh

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We did it! We finally took the kids skiing. We planned on this trip last year but it never happened so we knew it had to work this year. I am so proud of these little guys. They were such troopers!

We got on the road at 5:00am on Sunday and drove straight to Ellicottville, New York which is only a four hour drive. We drove straight to the lodge and got the kids dressed and ready to go for ski school. While they had school from 10 to 12 Jon and I hit the slopes and got as many runs in as we could. I should probably state that while I love skiing I am not very good at it. It always takes me a run or two to get the feeling for it and I don't venture out past the blue hills (unless when Jon tricks me into going down a black diamond because he told me it was blue.) Jon, on the other hand, has mastered the sport.

After school we had lunch together and took the kids out on the bunny hill for a couple more hours. We made our way back to the hotel and Jon took the kids swimming before we met up with friends for dinner. We ended up having a group of about 12 adults and 12 kids and it was a blast. The adults sat together and the kids had their own tables and completely entertained each other (with some help from legos and ipads.) The picture above is Jonas with his two good friends Sophie and Camille.

Monday we woke up early and Jon headed out for some tougher skiing with the guys. I packed up the boys and got them to their ski school and enjoyed a cup of coffee until Jon met up with me to ski. We had lunch with the kids (pizza, burgers, hot cocoa and bloody mary's for Jon and I)and decided to put them back in ski school. They were having so much fun we thought it was a good idea. All was good, but Jonas did put up a little fight and shed a few tears, but as soon as he put his skis on he was fine. Jon and I hit the slopes until it was time to get the kids and we ended up skiing with them for another hour and a half. The little guys skied for almost six hours!! Again, Jon took them swimming and we headed to dinner just the four of us. As a side note, I am apparently very sheltered because I had no idea what was in a "kiddie cocktail." The waitress said it was juice with a splash of soda water so I said ok fine. Well, turns out it's 7-Up with (most likely artificial) cherry juice. I had a slight freak out because the kids have never had pop, but Jon assured me they will survive. So, after filling our bellies and my freak out we headed back to cuddle and watch a movie.

It was an amazing trip. I had so so much fun with the boys and Jon. We missed Jessica dearly but it was nice to spend quality time with Jonas and Josh. I felt like I was able to actually listen to every word and sit and play legos without any interruptions. As a parent of three, that is one of my biggest challenges. I strive to make sure each of my children receives the special attention they need but I am always being pulled in three, four and five directions.

I also feel I need to add while this trip was awesome, skiing with the kids was some serious work! My body is still sore from the physical labor it took to get those boys on the hills. My next post will include some tips for skiing with kids.

Lastly, I wanted to share what the boys are wearing for their outer gear. It's no secret that skiing is expensive and kids gear is just as pricey. I'm a thrifter and always on the look for a bargain!

On Jonas // ski pants: target / jacket: lands end / hat: target / gloves: gander mountain (1/2 off) / boots: lands end / fleece : north face (1/2 off in Maine)

On Joshua // coat: north face (thrifted) / snow pants: timberland (via marshalls) / hat: north face (via marshalls) / boots: target / gloves: thrifted /

Linking up with Morgan and Small Style.

21 February 2012

capturing love. part III

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early mornings are my favorite. when i hear the pitter patter of tiny feet running down an empty hallway. each step bringing that little body closer to home. a sudden jump with a giggle. a simple word softly whispered in my hair.

"morning mama."

a smile crosses my heart and i know i am home. tucked safely inside my bed wrapped in my family. these early mornings are my favorite. when siblings share a moment. a laugh, a hug, a secret.

i can't get over jonas' love for jessica. when i see his gentle touch, when i hear the soft tone in his voice and the look of love in his eyes my heart melts. somewhere in this journey of parenting somehow over time i distilled this love in my jonas and he has used this gift to touch others in his life. so i suppose one of the best things i can do as a parent is continue to share my love. i give my heart to my family and hopefully they will take that good and spread it along their path.

you can see capturing love part one here and part two here.
join along and leave a comment with your "capturing love" post!

20 February 2012

To the musuem we go.

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Picnik collagemc

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We thought it was appropriate to start off our President's Day Weekend with a trip to the McKinley Museum. Becoming a member of a local museum is one of the best gifts you can give children. We can pop into the museum anytime we like and I don't feel obligated to hit every exhibit. In fact, we usually focus on one section of the museum each time we visit. Plus, look how beautiful the McKinley Monument is. Every time we visit we must explore and climb all those steps! This time was a little interesting because Jess insisted on climbing by herself and the boys decided to run rampant. Oh, and the dog was in the car going crazy because we were having a showing at our house. But, we had fun. That's all that matters!

Do you have a favorite museum you like to visit?

Do you like my sad attempt at a self portrait with the kids? It was a bit challenging on the steps and a bit windy. Perhaps a skirt was not the best choice for chasing a one year old!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend
xoxo
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