EKjourney Backup

I was lamenting that vacation time is really more like catch up time.  Before children, Phil and I would relax; sleep in, have movie marathons and snuggle on the couch, go to coffee, go to the movies, do something spontaneous, be lazy, etc.. on our vacation days.  With small children, our lifestyle is very different.  We are always "on duty" and days where Phil is home to help out are days that we get things done that we don't normally have time to do. I felt a bit sorry for myself because I really wanted to go see the movie The Hobbit and go out to coffee with Phil and have a lazy day of nothing but talking together with no responsibilities but we just don't have those kind of opportunities any more.  Now, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change my life for anything but every once in awhile, it would be nice to take a day off from life!  I know those days of small child responsibilities are fleeting and (Lord willing) when are children are grown and our home is...

I really dropped the ball for picture taking this year!  Phil's family came down (mom, step-dad, brother, his adopted daughter, and two of his cousins) the weekend before Christmas and I took not ONE SINGLE PICTURE.  This is the first time we have all been together like this and we hadn't seen Phil's brother for over 3 years and I don't have one single picture to blog.  Grrrr! We had Christmas with my parents and my brother, SIL, and their children on the 27th and I didn't take ONE SINGLE PICTURE to mark the event.    Grrrr! This Christmas was the most low key one that we have had (save a couple from my childhood when we didn't travel to Seattle).  It was just my parents and us.  We had Christmas morning here with a big waffle breakfast and then we did stockings and opened a few gifts (the children each had two from us and one from Grammy and Grampy.  Phil and I don't exchange gifts.)  It reminded me of Little House on the Prairie Christmas. ...

I love making homemade gifts.  I love the creative energy.  I love being able to think about each individual as I try and tailor their gift to what I think they might like.  I love that we have made it a "necessary" time commitment so even though the house goes to pieces and Phil has to provide me a lot of creative time, it is the one time of year, I feel like I can make it a priority.  I will say this, after some very long days and crafting late into the night, I was glad to get everything done and take a little break! I made gift baskets.  These are fun to do but I am practically arthritic by the time I finish.  LOL!  I double the cotton and use a small hook to make it firm.  It requires lots of tugging and a tight grip.  I like the results so much I have a market basket idea running through my head. Phil made these lovely beeswax candles and I tied them up with a bit of raffia.  They smell wonderful! I learned a new hobby!  I fig...

Christmas Eve Celebration at Grammy and Grampy's house! Waiting for the feast  Grammy made gingerbread men  Dessert      This was so much fun!  My parents had a CD from a violin musician David Garrett where he plays an eclectic mix of instrumental rock music including the dance number above (Thunderstruck, AC/DC).   It was such a blast that we downloaded the album! Sis still recovering from a fever (flu?) the day before.  Grammy reading the Night Before Christmas 

Five years ago, we welcomed this delightful little girl into our family.  Evangeline, our little Evi.  Being a mom has been somewhat of a "learning experience" for me.  Going from none to two in 18 months was not quite the blissful mothering experience I had expected.  It was a lot of hard work and I was not very confident.  Evi was the child who changed things.  I saw babies and children in a new way with her arrival.  She was so calm and easy going and fat and juicy (well, she was!!) that I just wanted to gobble her up.  She was just the little breath of fresh air that I needed to realize how in love I really was with my children and being a mother. It was so easy to be head over heels in love with Phil.  He made my life easier and funnier and balanced.  Children did not do that.  Being in love was redefined...it was about service, about giving, about letting go, about being selfless, about reshaping (constantly) my selfish heart,...

...this is what was happening at the Kelly household. Phil ran over Bookie with the car and broke his hip, ankle, and tail.  He has been ornery ever since (Bookie, not Phil). Mommy tried to do a Christmas photo shoot with her 3 year old and 18 month old...      ...it didn't go very well.  I can look back now and laugh and laugh but at the time, I don't remember it being very funny! Mommy was two weeks overdue and had horrible Braxton Hicks contractions for three weeks straight.  Every day, I thought for sure, this had to be the day that we would meet our little Evangeline.