2014

Oops!
It's been a couple months {three} since I have blogged on here.
Apparently, starting this new year for me has been like starting a lawn mower that hasn't been used for a couple seasons.
Give it a few pulls {weeks}, and I will finally get moving {motivated} though.

December went by incredibly fast.
We spent the first week in the Wisconsin Dells at Kalahari Resorts.
{An all time favorite for this family. And an annual trip that started last year.}
Where water is in abundant supply.
And there is much to do.
We actually ended up staying an extra night in our two bedroom {complimentary upgraded} suite this year.
We rode down slippery slides, relaxed in an outdoor hot tub, teamed up for fast moving raft rides through water filled tunnels {Nolan and I actually tipped out of ours because it was so fast and we ended up hitting our heads on the side. Which did NOT make Nolan happy, and I was blamed for the occurrence for a good hour afterward...}, and swam in the wave pool.
Enjoyed mojito's poolside, ate at a delicious steakhouse, played {arcade} games late into the night, and even rode the Ferris wheel they have!
It is a place that I don't think we will grow out of any time soon, and look forward to our spring trip to the Ohio location soon.

Sadly, we also lost my husband's sister in December. And have been overwhelmed with grief by her passing. Somehow, I still haven't come to terms with the fact that she is really gone. And I know my husband hasn't either.
Her funeral was very emotional for both of us.
It pains us both so much to know that we will never see or hear her again.
It is a bitter reminder to always tell those that you love no matter the circumstance or distance between you, that you love them. Out loud. And often.
The last time I talked to her was on Thanksgiving day, she held Nash for the first time since he was born. And she was in high spirits. Talked about going Black Friday shopping and getting her kids some $4 pajamas at Wal-Mart.
Her passing was unexpected, and something no one is ever prepared to face.
We miss you Seleste, but have hope that one day we will see you again.
May you rest in peace until that day.


Christmas this year seemed to come quickly. Probably because I didn't have much time to shop, and because Thanksgiving was so late.
But as quickly as it came, it also went.
I didn't even get to put the picture ornaments for 2012 on the tree {I use the picture of my kids from the previous Christmas to put in that years ornament and then put it on the next years tree... if that makes sense}.
Although this year was bittersweet, we still had a nice Christmas. Very blessed to have family to share it with.
My Sweet got me a new iPhone and Tablet. {yes, I entered this decade for electronics... finally}
I am currently obsessed with Instagram on my phone {apologize in advance for the overwhelming amount of pictures I will upload to Facebook this year}, and playing Papa Pear Saga. As if I need another reason not to do the laundry, right?


And then, just like that we were celebrating the New Year. We stayed in this year, and oddly, all four of the littles made it past midnight.  We made an {eclectic} spread of handmade organic meatballs, buffalo wings, king crab legs, and queso/chips.
We popped our party poppers after the ball dropped and promptly hit the hay. All of us.


The day after New Years Day, we headed up north for our first ski trip as a family.
My mom, two {younger} brothers, and my brothers girlfriend also went.
Our car was stuffed full of ski gear, a couple changes of clothes, and Nash's favorite source of entertainment... his exersaucer/bouncer. It was quite the cozy five and a half hour ride up.
We have been up to Boyne Highlands a number of times before with friends, but this was the first time we would get the kids on the slopes. And we were excited!
The first night we arrived, My Sweet and I hit the slopes for a shotgun ski run. We were only out there for about an hour and forty minutes before the lift closed.
But it was everything I remembered.
And cold.


While the kids didn't exactly ski down on their own by the end of the trip, I think overall it was a good first experience for them. Learning to snowplow and ride the chair lift were a couple things they started to master. And like I always say {for just about everything}, you have to start somewhere...
Nolan and I got the opportunity to ski together by ourselves for a couple hours on Saturday before we left. And I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with just him. He definitely has a gentle, older spirit about him. We conversed like he was about five years older than he really is, the entire time. Never pressed for something to say to one another. Just fluid. Free talking. And I loved that.
He is a genuine, kind hearted little gentleman.

We spent two of the nights in the pool sized hot tub. Something the kids especially loved.
Nevaly has never really swam without the help of a life jacket, until this trip. And within the two days we were in the hot tub she was under water kicking her little legs and moving her arms... swimming like a little fish. She amazed me how fast she learned to move herself through the water, and how long she could hold her breath to get to the ledge. {freaking me out only every other time}
She kept saying, "can I swim to you? can I swim to you?" and then after she swam to me, she would immediately say, "can I swim back now?"
Can't wait to see what she does at the pool and the lake next summer!

We left Saturday to come home just before Snowmageddon started Sunday.
I can't say I wasn't thankful we did end up leaving Saturday {we actually contemplated leaving Sunday so we could ski a little more} because I would have been a nervous wreck driving back in that blizzard otherwise.
I already bite my nails, I can't imagine what would have been left of my fingers!

We got to play in the snow a little Sunday before the frigid air rolled in. My Sweet and I even threw some snowballs {at the children}! And had a good old fashioned wrestle with a little snow piling in the face for fun!
Nash was outside for about five minutes in a full snow baby suit before I took him back in. He didn't mind the cold, and actually enjoyed the falling snowflakes. Catching them on his tongue!

I would like to say we accomplished much being snowed in these last four days together, but, well... I just took down the Christmas tree and decor today whilst my Sweet went back to work for a couple hours.

I like winter. I do.
I am a January baby {along with our Nutty} and have always had this inner sync with being content in cold temperatures. Aside from being a homebody for like three straight months. It provides ample time to just be with each other.
And it is something I am looking forward to. Very much.

Winter is where I jump start my cooking/baking obsession. In the last week alone I have gone through an entire bag of flour, a pound and a half of butter! Forget the milk and bread in a winter storm, I must have butter!!!

We are integrating every aspect of organic living as possible in 2014. I have already switched our toothpaste again from flouride free to being absolutely chemical free. And I plan to do the same with my deodorant very soon as well.

Anyways, there is my {very long winded} update.

I hope the new year is finding you all well!

XO,

Time. Time is what he's indicating here... or in my case lack there of.

We quote movies and TV all. the. time.
Even the children can be found saying a few lines from movies they have seen. It's great fun.

The above quote is from Seinfeld actually. 
And these days, I feel like time is something I have been referring to frequently as of late.

Having the fourth has certainly had it's effect on me.
I can't seem to balance life quite like I used to.
I can have a laundry list of things I want to get done in a day, and for some reason, I cannot find the time to get it all done.
And frankly, it is driving me bonkers.

I am used to being a well oiled machine.
And it isn't that I am physically incapable, just maybe a little slower... or stretched a little too thin.
I like to think it has to do with the fact that my youngest needs so much attention right now, and that my {ever growing} list of to do's is often compiled of things from the previous day.
You know, that snowball effect.
Where things get so out of control, they seem unattainable.

{That's the laundry.}

Anyways, my husband has been home a great deal these last couple of weeks. It is his slow time of year for work and it has been so nice to have his extra hands.

I am hoping to really get some things accomplished over the next month or two. I have big plans for this house. Like moving the girls into a room together, and painting my kitchen cabinets!

I will surely update as time becomes available...

XO,

FOUR Sure!

I love going back to the start.
My sweet Nev.

How can it be that you are four already?

I can remember fondly waiting in the lobby of the doctor's office waiting on the ultrasound. You know. 
The BIG ultrasound. 
I can remember calling my mom afterwards and telling her "think pink!!" 
We were so excited!
You were a baby girl.

The rest of the pregnancy was pretty uneventful.
Until about 37 weeks. When I found out you were breech. 
Most babies turn on their own, if they are going to turn... and you, my darling, were just not turning.
So naturally, I panicked.
And started googling ways to turn a breech baby the second I left that office.
After researching and trying many {weird} theories, I happened upon moxibustion.
A chinese hogwart {stogie} that you light like incense and burn. Placing the heated end near the edge of the pinky toe.
I mail rushed the $4.00 sticks to the house after reading that babies are unlikely to turn after 38 weeks, and waited {impatiently} for them to arrive. They finally did on a Saturday.
After using them for almost two days, I remember sitting on the couch with daddy watching Monday Night Football and actually felt you flip. I knew the appointment the next day would reveal that you had turned, and in fact, you had!

I was so relieved.
And, ready to meet you.

 Your daddy and I would walk briskly through the neighborhood pushing your brother in the stroller. 
Just waiting. 
Waiting for labor to start. Waiting for even the slightest feeling of a contraction. 
Or perhaps a gush of fluid from my water breaking.
Waiting for our October pumpkin.
 But it just wasn't happening.
After deciding that I just wasn't progressing on my own, and because at this point in the pregnancy I was just too impatient to wait any longer...
I opted for an induction.

It was a Tuesday.
You were officially due October 12th, but my doctor only performed inductions on Tuesdays... so here we were. October 13th, 2009.
I began receiving Pitocin and they artificially broke my water at noon.

Not soon after {5 hours later actually} you arrived.

You were the easiest of all my labors.

You gave them a good throaty cry after suctioning, and they placed you on my chest. 
Your dark sparkling eyes met mine and you quickly quieted down. Only softly making noise.
I held your warm pink skin to mine for a few moments before they scooped you up to wipe you off and collect your stats for the records.
You were simply beautiful.
The most beautiful girl I had ever seen in fact.
Your full head of hair was jet black and nearly two inches long.
You had ten fingers and ten toes.
My nose.

Your daddy wept tears of joy as he cradled you in his arms for the first time.
We had such love for you already.
And couldn't wait to bring you home.




Fast forward to four years later and... 
You are just as sweet as sweet gets.
From your {dainty} little 37 3/8" and 31 3/4lb self. 

To the way that you show the very depth of your soul, right through your big brown eyes.
You carry your heart on your sleeve.

You are sensitive but have a flare for standing up for yourself when necessary.

You are witty. And funny.

And have a great laugh. Random people have commented when we have been out about your laugh. How it has spontaneously made them chuckle because it is so genuine. And loud.

You will laugh even if you don't know why you are laughing sometimes.

And can often be found acting as "little momma".

Often scolding Nolan if he won't share, or is doing something he shouldn't.

You are eager to help Nash if he is crying. Giving him his pokey, or dangling a toy to occupy him while I get lunch together.

And will try and accommodate your sister for requests from the kitchen. Washing apples. Or getting her string cheese and even unwrapping it for her.

You like to make crafts with markers and stickers.

Oh.

The stickers.

I was literally just telling your daddy the other day how someday we will miss the scraps of paper from your scissor cuts, and sticker papers lying all over the kitchen table, and the floor.
You and your brother could doodle for hours.

I can easily spend a dollar at Michaels or the Dollar Tree on a book of 495 stickers, and you are lost in creativity for days.

You can dress yourself. But often put your shirt on backwards.

And I almost always have to help you with your shoes.

Not because they have laces, because in fact you don't own any shoes with laces right now, but because you cannot get the tongue in right, or the zipper won't zip, or you can't make your feet fit.

You will breathe loudly, stomping your feet on the tile in the foyer before asking for my help.

You still fight me on brushing your hair. But we are working through the tangles one day at a time.

You sing the ABC's in groups. In random order. And when I try to correct you, you tell me that you already know, but you like it that way.

We have started working on writing your name. And, I expect that very soon your pictures of circle people will have a signature across the top or bottom. Or sides. 

You like to sing songs.

Especially to Nash.

And just the other day, you were wooing me with Joe Nichols, "Sunny and 75". 

A girl after my own {country} heart!

You are a delight to be around.

And recently you like to be everywhere that I am.

Even in our own home. 

Which can get a little complicated at times. I am still not sure how I feel about being watched while I go pee. But right now, I just let you be who you need to be. Even if that means we have a conversation in the bathroom.


I am simply, so proud of who you are already.
Nevaly.

My sweet Nibbles.

 

Happy Fourth Birthday!

 

Love,

Momma