it's beginning to look a lot like...

christmas! a visit to the tree farm, trimming the tree and painting a few ornaments...a very merry christmas season indeed!

picking the perfect tree...

 stringing the lights..

 painting ornaments....wes' snowman was a big hit!

thanksgiving at home

a wonderful, relaxing, delicious and sweet thanksgiving at home.  a perfect kick-off to the holiday season.

"h" is for...

handmade hearts

hot dog and hamburger date

 hungry hungry hippos!

hide and go seek

 harold and the purple crayon

 happy thanksgiving hat & hand-print projects

e & b's thankful tuesday

in honor of thanksgiving, the ella & bennett edition of thankful tuesday!  ella started to do the typing but then thankfully let me take over so we could finish before bedtime! 

• i amthankfulforyfamily
• ilovemymom
• ilovefall
• ilovemydad
• my house
• my toys
• ella mommy daddy
• my bed
• books
• trains
• crayons and markers
• train table
• my friends
• macy, fishies, cooper and kristy
• god
• grandma, anya, nanny, cousins, uncles, aunts...everyone
• sheeps
• cookies
• playing with daddy
• snuggling with mommy
• mary poppins
• socks
• babies
• chocolate chips
• singing songs
• church
• bumpy slide
• thanksgiving

because i am a girl

i'm nervous, excited and honored to be leading a kick-off to this campaign tomorrow at my company. because i am a girl in partnership with plan. what started as as the lord putting this on my heart earlier this year to "do" something...is finally here...in a big way. 5 locations, hundreds of colleagues and even a few local schools all participating in an event tomorrow afternoon. please pray that it goes well. 

after the event we are launching a "change" drive across our locations - "small change for us, big change for them." a collection of coins & monetary contributions all going towards education and resources for girls like these.  if any of you would like to contribute - it would mean so much.  as a mother, daughter, sister, aunt, woman and believer - my heart breaks, yet rejoices all the same for what could come of this.

please pray and wish me luck!

thankful tuesday, 11/15

  "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." james 1:17

• perspective
• sermons that speak right to your heart
• bennett struggling to carry the stack of books he wants to read
• a little solo shopping time
• afternoon tea & sharing with the girls
• kids falling head over heels into the wizard of oz phase
• an adorable birthday party
• sleeping in
• gracious friends, family and co-workers who had to deal with a woman w/o a voice
• finding my phone when i was sure it was lost in a puddle somewhere
• last minute plans that work out
• drinks with a friend after a looooong day
• final preparations for "because i'm a girl"
• visiting with a&a...it had been too long
• a fun sunday in the north end with mi familia
• kiddo jumping contests with uncle tim & leigh
• being asked to be a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding...an honor
• beautiful november days
• the smell of outside on my kids chilly cheeks

mi familia

the very irish reardon crew got our italian on this past weekend.  a most gorgeous and fun afternoon in boston's north end. 

"g" is for...

giggles, giggles, giggles!

g is for green pancakes...

 g is for give back (sending their halloween loot off to the troops)

g is for giraffe (ella quote: "this is a tricky one since it doesn't sound like g...")

g is for goo...ewe, but so fun!

 

 g is for gardening (what good little helpers planting the bulbs for spring color)

 

 g is for girl scout

g was also for game night with uncle justin...just no photos to capture it.  a g is for great day!

thankful tuesday, 11/8

• playing in the leaves all afternoon with the kids
• melted snow. leave covered grass.
• reflecting on this fall's powerful synergy series at church
• tic-tac-toe with ella (she's got good quick!)
• kiddo's special sleepover with uncle justin
• camp fire sing-a-long on a chilly night
• being wrong. forgiveness
• early thanksgiving celebrations with family
• generous hosts
• snuggling with baby nathan
• tree swing giggles
• news of a new niece or nephew due in may
• parenting against lying (so hard!)
• seeking wisdom 
• being in the classroom
• meal swap 
• embracing these finals day of late afternoons on the playground
• easy bedtimes
• tricky to-do lists

all at once

as we transitioned into september, kindergarten, new schedules, new assignments and more -  i focused, planned and prayed that the flurry of a new season wouldn't get the better of me (don't we all?!). that i wouldn't over commit. that i wouldn't stay up too late. that i wouldn't let go of that relaxed summer perspective. that i wouldn't let phrases like "things are sooo busy" or "it's crazy" roll off my lips. that i would be intentional and thoughtful as we settled into a new rhythm.

you know what? it was going pretty well. we were rockin' september, kindergarten, new schedules, new projects, new assignments. things were humming along. i sort of felt like oh yeah baby...bring it on, i like this! so much to look forward to. so much to enjoy. so much to be thankful for.

but then, october hit. all at once.  seriously.  all at once things like this...

excitement and fun over unpacking ella's backpack every day to see what new things she was learning, and what school news was being sent home - turned into being completely overwhelmed by all the papers.  what am i suppose to do with all these? what am i missing? what can i toss?

new mommy-bennett adventures & fun - turned into the craze of potty training lock down. carrying the potty to the bus stop, to the library, to church, to friends' house. stepping in poo and gagging while cleaning up a doozy (sorry). ugh, i'm so done with poo!

relaxing evenings at home with wes - turned into different schedules with one of us being out a few nights a week. late nights watching teams lose. and not nearly enough conversation and togetherness.

dust i could have cared less about in august, was driving me insane in october. crayon marks on the walls that had been there for months turned into a desire to repaint entire rooms.

eagerness to help out, volunteer, get involved - turned into co-leading a girl scout troop. being the classroom yearbook coordinator. assignments to help with rif (what the heck is rif?!). an easy pasta salad assignment for the teacher appreciation luncheon, that i somehow burned (who burns pasta?!).

i got a new boss. a new role. a new opportunity. it's exciting - but it's new, different, uncomfortable. and...it's all at once.

10 o'clock bedtimes - turned into 11:45 bedtimes.  gorgeous 70 degree days turned into a nor'easter!

being 10 minutes early to the bus stop and easy morning routines - turned into missing the bus, eating breakfast on the run and morning tussles over what to wear.

summer days of abandoned to-do lists - turned into a search for a new calendar planner. losing scrap to-do lists in the laundry. waking in the middle of the night remembering something i forgot to do.

appreciation for all that wes does - turned into miscommunication, criticism and hurt feelings.

projects that were suppose to be fun & creative - turned aggravating and expensive.

plans with friends - turned into last minute cancellations and lack of motivation to reschedule.

all at once...

the realization hit me all at once too.  i was sitting at a table with sweet friends, at a lovely women's ministry brunch. a session that i almost decided not to go to, because "i was soooo busy."  a session about "being balanced - pressing on when time presses in." the perfect topic for this crazy time. yet i was so wrapped up in the chaos of the all at once, and thinking i had things under control that i almost didn't go.  but nope.  the lord got me out of my house on a cold rainy morning, put me in my car, and told me sit down girl and listen!

yup. i heard it..all at once. that these all at once moments are a gift. that these are the moments the lord has called me for. whether it's a minute, hour, day, week, month, year, many years. as a wife, mom, friend, believer.  in my career, community, home, family and faith. that these are the exact moments i have time for. embracing the all at once. making the most of the all at once. that when i'm present & intentional in the all at once i don't get distracted and slammed with more than i can handle. that when i embrace the all at once there is joy.
easy? absolutely not. still a wee crazy? for sure. but even in the exhaustion of potty training, depressing october nor'easters, overwhelming new work & pto assignments it isn't the all at once, but rather the in this moment that i'm striving for.  in the words of ann voskamp, one of my favorite authors...a dare to live fully right where i am...eucharisteo.

linking up with this sweet blog' picture me imperfectly...