365.4: WEEK 4

To say that I've been busy lately would be an understatement. As a result, I haven't had much time for editing photos. Last week felt like a blink! Getting travel vaccines. 100 year olds on the 100th day of school. Going for a run. Having a tea party with a friend. Reading books together. Doubting myself because of a decision made in a leadership position. Running a race in place of a friend (and unofficially being the fastest in my age division).

January 20th - January 26th

BIRTHDAY BUDDIES

We've had two birthdays within the last two weeks. First up is our littlest little. This little one is sweet and spicy. She can be a total lover OR dish out incredible sass. She loves to draw, is wicked good with puzzles, and prefers to write words in block letters. She loves kitties, flamingos, and cheetahs. Purple is, and has always been, her favorite color. Obsessed with Frozen, Trolls, and Beauty & the Beast. She is the heart of our family!

Next is our wild card. Our Boo is SIX. He’s energetic, curious, and caring. He’s wild by nature but has a big heart. He is obsessed with Black Panther, Nerf Guns, and Star Wars. He wants to be a police officer when he grows up. We jokingly refer to him as our albino since he’s nearly translucent in color. We celebrate his sister the way we always do - a visit to The Sweet Tooth Fairy. But when his birthday rolled around 8 days later, we found that The Sweet Tooth Fairy has unexpectedly shut down!On the hunt for a new tradition...

365.4: WEEK 3

It's been a busy week. Twirling around at the store in a favorite dress. Playing soccer with a new friend at the park. Parent Teacher Conferences. Doing backbends. Celebrating the birthday buddies. Checking out the trail map. Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon (2:03:25).

January 13th - January 19th

HAPPY PLACE

If you haven't realized by now, I LOVE Disneyland. I can't even explain where or why this obsession began within the last couple of years, but I'm hooked. That place is magical. We splurged a little for this visit and stayed at a hotel literally across the street from the parks. I will never do it differently with children; both days we took a 2 hour break in the afternoon to rest and refresh before facing the evening crowds. We rode all of the rides, ate a lot of delicious food, and saw ZERO princess (definitely singing praises on that last one). Favorite rides for the entire family: Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Grizzly Rapids, and Radiator Springs Racers. While there were still tears over some of the rides, there were many more squeals of delight and bouts of laughter on this Disney adventure. The kids liked a number of rides at Disney California Adventure, but Disneyland is still the clear winner for our family. The most amazing part of our trip? I only snapped a couple of pictures each day (for my Project 365) and kept the camera in the locker for a large majority of our time in the parks. I wanted to BE with my family on this adventure.

365.4: WEEK 2

This week felt shorter than most, but maybe that's because we spent a bulk of it on vacation. Playing with drones. Picking out a birthday treat. Helping pack for vacation. Walking up to the gates at Disneyland. Enjoying treats of choice at Disney California Adventure. Eating at In N Out on the way home from California. 2nd counselor in the deacons' quorum.

January 6th - January 12th

SNOW WHAT?

After last year's experience, I vowed that I was taking a year off from any snowy adventures. I just didn't think my anxiety could handle the stress of it - even if nothing went wrong. I ran the idea past my kids and they were all okay with skipping a snow trip this winter, too. But on the last day of winter break, I did a 180. I decided to attempt it. I knew that if I had a destination in mind and someone there with me, I'd be okay. So I reached out to the Merkley family in Happy Jack - the same couple that was there to help rescue us during our botched experience last year - and away we went. I did surprisingly well, even when the snowy patches gave way to feet-deep snow on the top of the Rim. It wasn't until I was trying to back into the Merkleys' icy driveway in Happy Jack that anxiety hit. My tires started to spin and slip on the ice as the car jolted sideways on the road. NOPE. I never wish to experience that sensation again, thank you. I parked the car in the safety of the road instead. We bundled up and hit the slopes for a few hours before enjoying a picnic lunch inside. After eating and visiting with the Merkley for a bit, we headed home. Safe and sound.