World of White

The lure of sunshine and snow was too strong to ignore (especially when we knew we'd get to share the scenery with my parents) so we indulged in a weekend over at our little cabin in Winthrop. The Place (what we fondly call the cabin) is a tiny little jewel in the middle of winter with mounds of snow to frolick in, the perfect kid friendly sledding hills within walking distance from the front door, and a cozy wood stove to curl up next to with a good book. Uh, it's heaven.

This winter was no disappointment. Sure there were frozen pipes and yes the snow mobile took a whole afternoon to coax into running. But the snow was deep, the air crisp, the fire toasty and the sledding hill just waiting for us to delight in.



Speaking of sledding, the boys were a hoot and Owen was a pro. The first run or two down the hill he tolerated our presence on the sled with him. Then we asked him if he wanted to go down by himself and he never looked back to tandem sledding. He was a natural; like he was one with the sled. He knew when to stick out a hand to steer or which way to lean to correct the trajectory of his sled. We all cringed when he skidded into the side of the snow wall created by all the plowing of the road and all laughed as he proclaimed at the end how much he liked crashing.

 

Jesse liked sledding just as much as Owen. He laid perfectly still in the sled on his tummy, occasionally sticking his gloved hand out bounce along beside him. He would babble on and on to Owen as we climbed back up the hill and would squak in protest when his sled came to a stand still. I wish I could always pull him on a sled behind me, it was seriously the cutest thing ever.

Finally when our fingers were frozen and our noses cherry red the fun inside would begin. There were rousing games of Go Fish, lots of story time and delicious meals. One of the highlights for Owen was  going under the cabin with my Dad to fix a frozen pipe. I didn't think he'd be a big fan because it's dark and a small space, boy was I wrong. It turned out to be the worlds coolest fort and any time we weren't sledding Owen was asking my Dad if they could go back under the cabin.

It was a lovely not nearly long enough weekend in the snow and I soaked up every minute we were there and every memory we made.

 

9 Months

This naked one is 9 months.

He is goofy. He has learned how to grind his 4 little teeth together which is decidedly the worst sound you've ever heard. He eats like there is no tomorrow. In fact we've considered starting to put money away for our food budget when he is a teenager because if he keeps this up I will only be able to shop at Costco.
He is the sweetest thing after he's woken up from a nap (and before he remembers that he's hungry, again.) He will sit on my lap or lounge on the couch with me for a time, scrunching up his nose, rolling around, showing off for me while he has my full attention.

He has started exploring the house, wandering down the hall to see what's around the corner or to find where Owen has gone. I have quickly discovered that the bathroom door now needs to stay shut when I found him with his mouth on Owen's potty seat. Yes, I did just admit that and yes the discovery made me cringe in disgust. But sometimes you have to document the funny and gross things in life and invite the rest of the world to have a good chuckle too.

He loves to rub his face in cozy blankets or pillows that Owen piles up on the floor. His signature dance move is the bobble head which we still need to get on video before he moves on to something new. He continues to have very little hair on the top of his head and I think Josh is honestly starting to worry he always will. However, what he lacks for on top he makes up for on the lower third of the back of his head where he has the softest curls which I can't bring myself to cut even though he is starting to look a little ridiculous.

His big blue eyes are gonna get us in trouble when he is older and the number of comments I hear people make about them when we are out and about is astonishing.

He is 20 lbs 12 oz and 29 inches long.

Oh how this little boy has stolen our hearts.

 

This Makes Me Wish I could Freeze Time

This weeks photography theme (This Makes Me Wish I could Freeze Time) has me feeling all sentimental and a little sad. Since having children and becoming more firmly established in my adult life I find myself regularly wishing that time wasn't so fleeting. I wish the way life is viewed with such innocence and purity from a child's perspective didn't have to change. That those we love most dearly didn't move away, didn't pass away. I look at these memories we're creating and relish in the pure joy written across the faces of those I love and I wish that I could freeze time not only for my sake but for my children. I want to remember the tiny details that make us laugh and fill our hearts to overflowing. I want them to know how cherished they are, how blessed they are to be surrounded by such love, by such amazing family.

I want to remember life where evenings aren't filled with the hustle and bustle of the next activity but are full of laughter, stories, and an amazing Daddy who gets on the floor each and every night to play with his kids. 

 I want to remember the tell-tale sign that a little boy is sleepy; little hands find their way to silky hair to begin their soothing rhythmic strokes.

 
 I want to remember how little these hands once were. How the older one's used to run his fingers through my hair when I rocked him to sleep. How the little one's brush across my face, palm open, fingers relaxed till he finds my lips singing a soft lullaby to him. Sometimes his eyes close in drowsy contentment, other times he begins a tired chuckle as the motion of my lips in song tickle the palm of his hands. How sweet these little hands are to me. 

I want to remember what it feels like to hold my sweet boy in my arms, swaddled like a baby, wrapped cozy in a towel, the scent of shampoo and soap fresh upon his brow. I wish he would always fit there, that he would always want to end his nights "warm and cozy" with his Mama or Daddy.  

I wish I could freeze in time having our parents around- my children getting to know the wonderful, Godly people who have raised us, loved us. I hope that they get to experience a life full of memories with their grandparents like I have. I want this selfishly though because I don't want to entertain life without our parents.  

I love these moments that will help me remember how sweet this time of life is.

This Makes Me Laugh

The theme of this week's photo project was "This Makes Me Laugh." The above picture is by no means perfect as it's out of focus and generally wretched but I couldn't help but laugh and quickly snap a picture when I found him frozen in this position. Jesse is quite the pro when it comes to standing up and getting back down to the floor but every once in awhile his mind is far more capable than his physical coordination and he ends up hanging on to something for dear life.

The other picture, or really activity, I found myself chuckling at this week was the frequency with which my boys end up being naked. In their minds, pants are optional. Playing with cars, puzzles, trains or baking cookies is fun, but take their pants off and it's the best activity they've ever experienced!  I've also learned that the removal of clothing has a dramatic effect on their attitudes. Hunger, whining, being bored and sass can all be quickly fixed by simply letting them roam around unencumbered by their clothing in just their skivvies.   I wish adult life had simple fixes like that... aah the simplicity of youth.

 

Evening Rituals

In 2012 I said good-bye to my first love, my Sony DSLR. She had become an extension of my hand and eyes. I knew her ins and outs -how to freeze in time the delights before my eyes. My subjects rarely varied, as I'm drawn to capturing those I love most dearly, but my skill improved and my eye sharpened thanks to that little camera. But, alas, my Sony had a fatal flaw. So I traded her in and, I must admit, I miss the comfort of her quirky ways.

The new camera is shiny and different. I don't feel comfortable with it and the ease with which I had previously captured lifes moments has escaped me a little. In an effort to combat the stagnation I feel and to develop a new bond I decided to partake in a photo project this year called "This is our life" sponsored by Paint The Moon. Each week of the year there will be a photo theme prompt and the goal is to then take a picture (or 300) that depicts that idea. 

Knowing me, narrowing it down to 1 photo a week is going to be basically impossible if it involves these two munchkins...

...but regardless my hope is to succeed each week and chronicle my photo journey here.
For week 1 the theme is: Evening Rituals.

One of my favorite rituals is what Owen has dubbed as being "Warm and Cozy." He loves to be wrapped up in copious amounts of towels and when he's feeling particularly lovey-dovey he asks to be snuggled on our laps and to sing songs. It's usually brief and sometimes it's hard to pause and take those extra moments when you're tired and ready for the little people to be in bed but it's always worth it.