Category: Musings on Life and Beauty

…we had a very normal day.  Normal, except that I took more time than usual to soak it all up.  Honestly, I wish we could go on like this for weeks but since we can’t, I want to remember it.  It was a perfect kind of day.

My husband took the oldest two snowboarding for several hours, providing our son with the opportunity to try out the new board he got this week after our snowboard designing friend warrantied his old one to inspect it’s flaw and gave him a brand new $500 board for nothing.  We are NOT one of those families with lots of connections but in this case I guess we got lucky.

While they were up there, I took the time to sit outside in the sunshine and watch some of the others play a game of football in the backyard.  Notice the shorts, t-shirt and bare feet?  Winter has yet to hit where we are, and much as I hate the snow I’ve started praying for it so we’ll have water in the summer.  It’s not looking good and I have big dreams for my gardens and flowers this year.




My youngest has been incredibly sweet, funny, silly, etc. today.  It’s been delightful to be around her.  For a little while she lay on my couch in a silly position and I took a picture.  She carried the camera around, laughing uncontrollably, for 15 minutes as she looked at this picture of herself.   I realized how much she’s grown, as she can now identify a picture of herself as “me”.  Sigh.  Like her outfit?  She came up with it herself.  She does this about 27 times each day, and is now in the habit of drawing from any drawer she can open, which means she comes downstairs in all kinds of sizes.


One of my daughters was bored and couldn’t find a friend to play with so we drew a bird on some muslin and she spent the afternoon learning to embroider.  To my surprise she was quite good at it and didn’t quit until it was finished.  Not once did she get her thread knotted or anything else of that nature.  I need to do this for her much more!


We chuckled as we sat there because our little one wanted to kiss an owie on her sister’s foot.  Big sister warned her not to (remember the barefoot football game) because her feet were so dirty so while she stitched she got her feet lovingly cleaned.


And I thought to myself that I’ve GOT to find a way to slow down and enjoy this kind of day unfolding much, much more often than I do.


I got out a stack of fabric that I haven’t touched in 9 months and enjoyed spending some time at the sewing machine for the first time in weeks.


This was my after-Christmas splurge.  These rolls of wrapping paper (from Target) make me smile.  I guess I’m loving bold geometric prints more all the time.  I’m going to find something really fun to do with this!


The children are taking turns playing the Wii and gawking at the television while the others have their turn.


Right now I sit with my five year old son leaning on my shoulder.  Our little one is, at last, in bed fast asleep and the four year old is asleep on the other couch.  Our oldest is away at a New Year’s party which leaves #2 through #5 hanging out together in the room.  I enjoy listening to their conversation as they share opinions, giggle and all pile on the same chair together.  It’s moments like this that I hope they remember when they’re older.

We’re celebrating New Year’s Eve simply.  A simple, casual dinner of mostly appetizers.  Earlier this evening my husband and I enjoyed one of our favorite drinks, a cherry cream soda from a nearby shop.  I need to remember and appreciate these simple things.


For the past two years I’ve carried an adorable Cath Kidston notebook in my purse.  It’s completely full so I ordered a new one, along with a small agenda for 2012.  I’ve been working hard on my goals for the new year and I’m almost ready.

I’ll be back soon with a wrap-up for my Year of Habits, but for now I’m going to enjoy simply being here with my wonderful family.  And I’ve learned some good lessons from this year so 2012 will be much better.    I’ve got a lot of work to do.

Happy New Year!
Jennifer