2013, oh how we love you

In looking over the pictures in my phone I was reminded of what a great year this has been so far.  Things, although still busy, have slowed down enough for us to enjoy life again.  We have stuck to our weekly date night and weekly family night which means we have made some really great memories.  Although it's probably boring to read about, these are the things that make life enjoyable for us.  We are keeping things simple.  I've gotten rid of some toxic things in my life and concentrating more on how I spend my precious time.  I'm working really hard to keep my part time job, just that and have had to put my foot down a few times, thankfully I work with really great people who understand and care about me.  I've said, "no" to things that were good things, but not necessarily good for me at the time and I've said "yes" to better things like, reading two chapters of Ivy and Bean in one night and "Mom? can I push the little shopping cart."  or "Mom?  can I stay up late and help you make lunches?".  You know, the things that make life enjoyable.  To my real job.  The important one.  The one that matters.  The one that makes me feel like I have a purpose on this earth and that I'm right where I'm supposed to be.  The one that makes me feel in my core what true success is.  The one that pays me in laughter, smiles, laundry and dirty dishes.  The one that I love more than anything in this world.  So, here's a taste of what our year has been like so far...

Brinley started violin a few months ago.  So proud of her!  She seems to be catching on.  This is an instrument I would have never thought of, but she has shown interest in it for quite some time.  We assumed it was because Linds and Lora play, but when she started picking the violin out of songs we felt like we should let her try it.  My friend Heather teaches her.  She's really great, we love her.  When I asked Brinley why she wanted to play the violin her response was, "because it's so beautiful!"  

We went sleigh riding.  I won't name names, but some of us had more fun than others

We had a nice Sunday breakfast as a family.  We are good about eating our meals together, but never on Sunday mornings.  Dustin and I usually end up fasting every Sunday.  Not sure why I took a picture of this, probably to show off the flowers I bought for myself.  It's ok to buy flowers for yourself if you are just using them to decorate your house though, right?  It's not like I had them delivered to me. January was gloomy.  I needed something to brighten the house up a bit. 

Speeking of January.  We shoveled and shoveled and shoveled.  By we, I mainly mean Dustin.  I did go out to help him once, but Brinley and I ended up playing instead.

London's learning how to color

and we had a tea party in the hallway

We've supported our Aggie Gymnasts

We said goodbye to Curtis and Whitney.  Boo! We love and will miss them.  They have been so good to us and our girls. It seems everyone we are close to keeps moving. 

We went to dinner last week with the Cazier's to celebrate Steve's birthday.  We all met at the cemetery before.  This is a picture I wouldn't normally post, but I thought Dustin helping his Grandma in the background is so sweet... so him.

 We went out for Chinese food and I thought our fortunes were interesting...

 Dustin's: "You are soon going to change your present line of work."

and mine: "You have strong desire for a home and your family interests come first."

Humm...

Brinley and I have been weaving.  She decided to giver her first hot pad to her teacher.  

 We made a collage of the things that make us happy and hung them on the refrigerator. 

 I'm involved in a fun group of girls who get together and learn new things to help us be more self sufficient.  This month we made butter.  It was fun and helps me with my resolution to be more prepared.  

We have worked quite a bit this month on emergency preparedness.  We have new backpacks for our 72 hour kits, we've added a few new supplied to them, worked on our food storage and purchased more ammo.  Go us!  

Last fall it felt like I did enough canning to last a life time.  Apparently not, I ended up making jam the other day because we were all out.  

Well, that's pretty much the gist of it.  Sure makes for a happy life.