Renovation Station - The Exterior

Awhile ago I gave a little synopsis of the nice long home improvement list we acquired after one hail of a storm roughed up our little abode.

And here we are now, shockingly almost finished just a month after the renovations started! It certainly didn't take as long as I thought -- once everything got started they knocked it out very quickly, with the exception of refinishing our first floor hardwoods. (Which will probably require a hotel stay, so I purposely delayed it because they wanted to do that the week of my surgery and the kids starting school - no thanks!).

Here's a rundown of all the fun...

BEFORE

The Roof... The Roof...

I had no idea how many roof color choices existed until I had to choose. It actually brought me back to the agony of wedding planning and all the decisions that I didn't know were decisions I'd have to make until I was confronted with the option. (And it was all on me because Peter had no preference - not sure if that made it easier or harder!). We ended up going from a brown-gray variegated shingle to straight black which I'm ultimately very happy with. In general, it was really not that exciting except for the cool conveyor belt truck that arrived to deliver the materials and all the fun of cleaning up after poor Samson who was literally scared, shall we say--well, you get the idea--by all the noise. Fun times.

New Paint

Oh, paint colors...so many more choices, so little time. I actually didn't mind the colors of the house when we bought it, but we get some mean southern exposure on the side and back of the house. Because the current color was such a purple/brown-toned gray, it faded terribly quickly and looked much more beige on those sides. So I knew I wanted to go more gray and also get rid of the red. After much (much much much) deliberation, I finally narrowed it down to Sherwin Williams Dovetail, Gauntlet Gray, and Classic French Gray with white trim, black accents, and a mint-colored door. Classic French Gray ultimately won out because it was the least brown/most true-gray of all the grays. For the trim I decided on Eider White, for the shutters/accents Tricorn Black, and for the door, Drizzle.

We left for our annual camping trip and came home three days later to find the base color mostly finished. I'll admit, I was a little skeptical at first, what with the coloring outside the lines and the red still hanging around... 

A good look at the contrast between the old color
and the new before the back door was painted all white.

But after they returned to finish the trim and the door, there was no question whatsoever.

We also had the fence re-stained; I didn't love the extra worn, orange-y look of our current fencing, but our HOA is a stickler for specified colors and there are only a few stain options. Being on a corner lot with southern exposure also means a lot of wear and tear from sun and foot traffic. Thankfully, our contractors were really knowledgeable and suggested we go with a solid stain that wouldn't fade as much or wear as quickly. So I chose the most neutral stain option we had, and it made a huge difference. I was afraid it would look too painted but was pleasantly surprised with the outcome - it looks perfectly natural and I'm thrilled. 

And then there was the door. The door was (is) by far my favorite part of the whole update. I kind of have a thing for the color and have for a long time - all my electronics and accessories are some form of mint/teal, and I just can't seem to get away from using gray with mint-colored accents throughout the inside of the house as well. But they make the door that much more fitting. It's funny how such a small thing can make such a big difference, but it does. We've gotten so many compliments on it and all I can say in return is "thanks - it's my favorite!"

Happy sigh.

The most expeditious way to paralyze a serially indecisive brain-fried mom. 

We also updated our hardware to match the black accents, and because our current light fixtures were getting a little old and tired. Thankfully I had looked online ahead of time and decided what I wanted, because I was alone with all three kids the day I finally made it to the Depot of Homes to pick them out. [I didn't even look at the wall, I just grabbed the boxes and shooed them toward the check-out]. Once again, I was delighted with my decision...

And even more delighted by final product. It all came together so well, and my concerns about choosing the right gray evaporated as soon as I saw the whole color scheme that I had agonized over and so painstakingly picked out side by side -- where they very clearly belong. It's a perfectly fabulous update, with just enough of a change to keep me happy until we have to do it again. Which hopefully won't be for a long, long time!

AFTER!

A Keepin' It Real Christmas Season...

I love the little bits of shimmer and joy of the Christmas season sprinkled into all the great big hunks of reality, don't you?

***First off, a public service announcement***

I need your addresses please, dear friends! Remember when my computer decided to transform itself into a useless brick? Well it went down swinging and took with it my updated Christmas Card list that doubled as my address book. My latest version prior to that is three years old. So if you love us and we love you, pretty please text/email/Facebook message/carrier pigeon your address to me? Please please?! Thanks a million!

Next Up: 

Lots of fun talk about decorations and reality and the kind of productivity that doesn't really count. Short version: look at all these cool pictures of our decorations that I made even though real life keeps happening!

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We've lit the Advent wreath and the oratory candles only once so far and it's already almost the third week of Advent. But my Blessed Is She Advent journal is getting lots of mileage which is helping me personally on the spiritual front!

I also put out the straw "fluff" for Jesus on the Little Oratory but it's just sitting there, not carrying on last year's tradition of letting to kids put a piece of straw in Jesus's manger for each good deed they do. That would require both cluing them in to the presence of the straw and getting the manger out. (Crunch time tactic, maybe?)

But we have shamelessly used the passive-aggressive Elfie to our parenting advantage:

Two nights in a row at that. Guess which parent did which?

Unfortunately Elfie hasn't seemed that much more beneficial than my attempt to curb the kids' materialism. I got so tired of hearing "I want that! I want that TOO!" during every blasted commercial they saw that I told them they could keep a list and choose one thing to ask Santa for. This was Marie's list after less than 24 hours.

The "choklit pooting" (chocolate pudding) is my favorite.
She had it after her dental surgery this summer and loved it
so much she's asking for it for Christmas. Sure thing, kid!

Then there was the wreath making--because I really needed four more Christmas wreaths in addition to the five we already have. Really I did. Hence the beginning of all sorts of productivity--doing things I didn't need to do instead of things I sorta did, like laundry and dishes and all those Spirit of Christmas killers.

No better way to get in the spirit of chore neglect
than Josh Groban and yards upon yards of deco mesh and burlap.

But it's a good thing I got those outside wreaths done because they--along with Jesus and company--are currently the only things alerting the neighbors to the fact that we haven't forgotten that Christmas exists.

See, the lights were mostly up last weekend. But then they came down, because stress is no fun and communication is hard and outlets are inconveniently placed. (We can sing The 12 Pains of Christmas all day long in solidarity...)

BUT the good news is that, in an unprecedented planning victory, I've already bought nearly every gift for every person on our list (and I even got my early Christmas gift of the functional techonlogy on which I'm currently typing!). I even got the Angel Tree gifts back to the church BEFORE the deadline! A true Christmas miracle. Now for Peter to wrap them all because I am incompetent...

I also managed to remember the Feast of St. Nicholas this year! I'd been planning to do something traditional (like putting shoes out for little gifts) in an effort to steer the kids more toward the 'giving to people in need' spirit of St. Nick than the 'tell me what gift you want' spirit of Santa Clause. I quickly forgot about my whole plan until approximately 10:36 the night before, so I snuck into the kids' rooms for shoes and remembered that I'd gotten them all rosaries for stocking stuffers (score!). I whipped a little something together and proudly set it out, only to wake up the next morning to hear Marie crying about not liking anything she got except one thing. Ya win some, ya lose some.

Shiny: did you know that submerging ornaments is not as simple as Pinterest makes it look? Shocker...

Then there's the story of The Three Trees. 

I knew it was probably inevitable when I started getting not-so-subtle hints from Peter around Thanksgiving...texts with pictures of a 12-foot pre-lit tree at Homeboy Depot and casual mentions of a tree that would reach the ceiling of our two-story family room and other such preposterousness.

Me:  "Why are you sending me pictures of fake trees when we already have two?"
Peter:  "It's pre-lit!"
Me:  "..."
Peter:  "And it would look really good in the family room! ...and it's only $400."
Me:  "We already have TWO."
Peter:  "..."
Me:  "Well, maybe this is the year we try a real tree. And then we're not stuck with it if it's too ridiculous."
Peter:  "Done."

Hence the 15-foot Colorado Concolor Tree that now resides in the family room, while the Jesus tree is in its prominent place in the front bay window:

And finally, the has-been family tree has retired upstairs to sulk forlornly with the laundry that I need to fold but will probably just throw on the floor because all our baskets are in use serve as a festive centerpiece to our master bedroom oasis.

Hey, I ran out of steam after the first two. But at least The Tree That Shall Remain Undecorated already has lights on it (and a single forgotten gymnastics ornament from last year that I probably won't bother to take off).

Speaking of decorating the tree, we had to miss the 3rd Annual Friendsgiving for the second year in a row (try that math) because Ethan once again got sick. So instead of parading him around with a 103 fever, we stayed in and decorated the Big Kahuna. The little guy even did his fair share whilst hyped up on sugary fever reducer before he crashed. Total bottom feeder.

How many ornaments can you fit on one branch? If you're Ethan: ALL OF THEM.
Snuggling with his digger ornament and watching big brother do big kid stuff.

Any guesses on how many days/attempts it took to get the angel up? (3 days. At least 15 attempts.) We've agreed that next time (yes, I've already agreed to a next time) the angel goes on before the tree goes up. I'm happy to have a real tree in the house again after seven full years of baby proofing fake trees. I grew up always picking out a real every year. But it will be a long time before I agree to a drive into the Rocky mountains to cut down a 15-foot tree...not the same as cutting down a 9-foot tree from a happy little Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania.

At the end of the day, it's been quite the nice addition. I can even get a picture of the whole thing while standing in the kitchen. And if I crop the picture just so, it is beautiful and sanitized enough to post to Facebook for an inside look at our perfect life!

What dishes?

Last stop: find that coconut milk eggnog that I know one of my trusty grocers has to have stocked for me by now!

Hope your real is getting filled with a bit of sparkle and shine too--but not at the expense of your sanity. May your Advent be fruitful, and may your children always believe that wine bottle covers are really puppets.

[Psst! Addresses pretty please!]

This Mother's Day...

This Mother’s Day, there are so many things I could take for granted. I could complain about the fact that there’s an actual blizzard happening outside right now halfway through May (no really, I couldn’t joke about something so painful), or that I’m feeling under the weather, or that my toddler spent his whole “nap” screaming from his crib that he wanted to eat chips. I could gloss over (as I too often do) the reality that though the days are filled with lots of needs and wants, I’m blessed with every intangible I could ever wish for, both this Mother’s Day and every other day. I have so, so much to be thankful for. I get to spend each day with my beautiful children; my own loving, supportive mom is just a phone call away; my doting husband has spent this day and so many others spoiling me to no end.

So today, I am doing my best to cherish those things that others do not get to take for granted, and trying to lift up in prayer those who are living a very different reality. Just yesterday we learned that Peter’s young cousin passed away; I can’t help but think of his sweet mother who a day later is having to face her first Mother’s Day without her son. Our hearts are just aching for her, for her husband, and for their daughters who--instead of celebrating today--are utterly crippled with the grief of a lost son and brother.

I am thinking of all of the other mothers who, like her, are aching to spend Mother’s Day a child who is no longer here. I am thinking of all the daughters and sons who wish they could send a card or have brunch, but their mothers are aren’t on this earth. I’m thinking of those whose mothers are still living, but instead of a joyous celebration, they carry the grief and stress of strained relationships or deep hurt or failing health.

I’m thinking of all the mothers who don’t have the incredible support of a family or husband that they deserve. The moms who would give anything to spend the day with their children instead of driving off to work. The single moms who wake up alone every day and work to be everything and more for their kids and get little or no recognition in return. The mothers and children separated by distance and tragedy, the girls from Nigeria and their mothers who with every beat of their heart ache to be reunited.

As I consider all the heartache that for some will overshadow the joy of this day, I’m thankful we have the example of a heavenly mother who has been there in every way. She is a mother who personally and intimately embraced the indescribable joy of motherhood—a mother who has felt the burn of all-consuming love for the child God gave her, then just as intimately lived the heart-rending grief of holding the body of the son she carried and raised and poured her soul into—only to let him go. And through it all, she clung to the promise that God’s truth and love would win in the end. So I’m thankful that even in the raw realness of suffering and injustice of this world, even on this day that should be joyful for all but is agony for some, we can rely on the example of our Savior’s mom; we can cling to that same promise, we can lean on the same hope—that God’s love and everlasting happiness will win in the end. I’m thankful that God made motherhood such a pivotal role in the human experience; so important, in fact, that he wanted his own son to experience it in the midst of His plan to save the world. And I’m thankful that—when aligned with His will—motherhood can still be one of the most meaningful and redemptive experiences for women and children alike.

So today, though my heart is heavy for others, I am reveling in the little blessings and happy and funny moments that should always matter so much: Our little saints who are always praying for us even when I’m too busy to think of them. My Erik who said he wants to marry me when he grows up (a dream quickly and pitifully crushed by his Daddy who revealed that I’m already taken). My Marie who spent all week sneaking around making Mother’s Day projects for me. And who wrote about the day I was so weary that I put on a movie and made oatmeal for dinner as one of her favorite memories.

My Ethan who still asks to snuggle with me, and who made the observation earlier (after asking if he could pee and toot and poop on the potty) that the words “poop” and “toot” rhyme (boys and their potty humor).  My incredible husband who was not only influential in giving me the gift of my motherhood, but who supports me in word and deed every step of the way. My own mother, who has given me so many gifts and experiences that I could write a book (or ten). 

Many days and in many ways it is a hard life. Many days it is an unbelievably wonderful life. But above all, it is always, always a blessed life!

Way Too Healthy Up In Here: An Update

It's been awhile since my last bout of [literal and figurative] bellyaching about my gluten and dairy free imprisonment. And since so many of you kind and thoughtful people showered me with love, tips, advice, recipes, and a pinch of commiseration, I figured I should update you on the state of things.

Me: Meh. I honestly don't know if this whole 'GF/DF' thing is working that well for me. I'm still in pain. But I have more rounds of tests and appointments that I need to stop putting off so I can try and get to the bottom of things. I cheat some on the diet, and often wonder if it was worth it when I end up moaning and groaning a few hours later; but I can never tell if it's from what I ate or my lovely endometriosis because I always seem to time my decision to cheat at the worst times. (Although I did indulge in a glorious Snickers not too long ago that seemed to do me no harm, so I was tempted to clean the entire cabinet. But as a dear friend pointed out, it could be that the first bar didn't do me in but the fifth one would put me over my intolerance level). So. I continue to tred carefully and woefully through my GF/DF days for now.

Ethan: Right around the same time I recieved my GF/DF sentence, we realized that something seemed to be up with our littlest kidling's digestive system. After weeks of apparent good health but questionable diapers, I took our little man to our doc for some serious talk about possible food intolerances. At first a dairy-free diet didn't seem to be doing much, so we tried gluten-free too. Things seemed to improve slightly but not drastically, until I realized that a lot of the packaged gluten-free stuff I'd been buying (like Glutino crackers and gluten-free cookies) actually had dairy in them and I hadn't been catching it. Grrr. I did some research, and it turns out that packaged goods like the crackers made with milk don't really lose any of the properties in the baking process and many with an intolerance will still react. So I think that may have been the big issue. Which was frustrating, especially since I thought I was paying attention but apparently still had much to learn in the art of label reading. But for the past month or so we've been super strict on avoiding all dairy and things have seemed to improve greatly. So while the jury's still out on whether or not the little guy has to be gluten-free as well, I'm happy that he finally seems stable. And it's a relief to know we can actually control whatever "it" is with diet adjustments. It still doesn't make things easy when we're in church and he's yelling "DOUGHNUT!" the whole time only to find out at afterwards that doughnuts are now a no-no. That's been the hardest part--even when I tell him something is "ouchy for Ethan's tummy," he is almost two, and almost-two-year-olds either don't understand or don't care to understand when they want what they want. So then they just scream about it.

I'll probably challenge him in a few weeks on the gluten side of the house and see how he does, but for now, we're just hoping to continue the pattern of success.

So with that little update, I will now impart all of my begrudgingly acquired GF/DF lifestyle knowledge on you. Feel free to make your escape now if you're lucky enough to still get along with Little Debbie.

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SHOPPING:
For now I'm still only willing to brave our local grocer (King Soopers aka Kroger's) because it's so much easier than anything else. The closest Whole Foods parking lot is like being stuck between downtown exits on I-25 during rush hour in a snowstorm on a night with concurrent Broncos, Avs, and Rockies games. So I only go to Whole Foods if my life depends upon it. So far, King Soopers has carried everything I need, especially since we live in a naturally crunchy area, and they've even started putting these sweet little gluten-free shelf tags in front of all their gluten-free products to make my life easier. It's pretty awesome. I've toyed with the idea of a Costco membership because they supposedly carry alot of allergy-friendly stuff, but it's so very far outside of my three-mile radius. That and it takes an act of congress for me to break my rule of only shopping for groceries once a week, which Costco would probably require. (Another post for another week...I digress). So for now, I'm sticking with King Soopers since they're meeting all of my needs ....especially the heav-en-ly Toffee Almond "ice cream" they just started stocking--finally a real ice cream alternative! More on that below. I am still buying regular bread, tortillas, and snacks for the big kids, but for the most part I cook only one GF/DF dinner because I'm not willing to do more work than necessary!


THE SWITCH: It took awhile to get used to the restrictions, I'm not gonna lie. It was fairly painful at times. I went cold turkey for a few months, then got tired of it all and cheated liberally, and then began to regret it. Moreso with the dairy than the gluten, which I don't notice as big of a difference with. I craved chocolate and salty stuff like mad, and oh, what I wouldn't have done for a slice of gooey, cheesy, foldably delicious pizza. Still I grieve. But. I got lots of tips and love from all of you and--surprise!--my incredible mother. We've always joked that she's my "Dial-A-Recipe" for our family meal staples when I'm too lazy to look it up or try to remember myself, and since she also had to switch a few years back to the GF/DF diet (among other things) for health reasons, my Dial-A-Recipe came in very handy when I also had to join the dark side. She told me which brands to look for, talked to me about replacements, and even sent me a care package chock full of GF/DF goodness. (Collective awww. Isn't she the best?!).


GRAIN REPLACEMENTS:
Let's be real; I'm not giving up more than I already have to. So I kept as many grains in my diet as possible. This includes:

• Rice
• GF oatmeal
• GF Rice pasta. (Sorry, I can't get behind anyof the corn pastas or corn/rice/quinoa blends. Just blech). 

Our favorite brand, first
recommended by my mom

• EnviroKids cereal (some have dairy) and Nature's Path Organic cereal labled GF and vegan (vegan usually = DF but you have to double check ingredients).
• GF bread (Udi's)*. White/whole grain is like trying to play chubby bunny with crackers. Dry and takes all day to get it down. We eat it anyway, haven't found a more convenient alternative yet. Tried the cinnamon raisin, too it's okay. All kinds are better toasted.
• GF muffins (Udi's).*
• GF granola bars (KIND bars have been our favorite thus far, but you have to look cloesly to find the flavors that are also DF)

• GF chips: Lundberg Rice Chips--these babies are like the Pringles of the GF/DF chip world. All Natural PopChips (only flavors that are vegan like regular, black pepper, and salt & vinegar!) and Garden of Eatin' blue corn tortilla chips. 

Is it humanly possible to go through an
entire bag of these in a single day?
Why yes. Yes it is.

• 100% Corn torillas; we used these for awhile during taco night, but I hated the taste, dryness, and how they fell apart even after heated. Still searching for a good real tortilla alternative, in the mean time we just use the blue corn tortilla chips.  
• I'd also do more with quinoa if I could stand it. Sadly, I can't. Gave it the old' college try in multiple different recipes and none of us seem to be fans. But if you like it, run with it!

*Careful--some the Udi's stuff has a nice little sticker that says "dairy, soy, and nut free" while others only say "soy and nut free" but still contain dairy. We learned this the hard way. Of course it's the good stuff like their brownie bites and chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles...sigh. BUT the muffins do have that magical sticker including dairy free, so you don't have to despair completely. Chocolate, blueberry, and lemon muffins that actually taste decent. The cinnamon roles are reallly dry but can be redeemed with a few seconds in the mircrowave and the amazing cinnamon glaze packets that are included. But mostly I save them to put in my oatmeal...mmmm!

SOY SOB STORY
Also, smuggling in a little public service announcement: soy is a sneaky little ninja that can take you down. It mimics estrogen, and in the past few years it's been used as a filler in ev.er.y.thing. Peanut Butter. Crackers. Chocolate. (Seriously, pick up two things in your pantry and look at the ingredients--bet you a soy-free latte that at least one of them has soy something in it). Excess soy isn't all that great for anyone, but can be especially harmful to women dealing any type of hormonal/reproductive health issues. So I avoid it when I can, and try to spread the word when possible because it can make a big difference in overall health.

Moving along...


DAIRY ALTERNATIVES
So. You now know why I'm not even going to discuss soy milk or soy ice cream. But I'm not all that big on coconut either because of the flavor. I like it in small doses, but using coconut milk or oil for everything did me in pretty quickly. They are really good and healthy options if you don't get coconut overload like me...in the mean time let's talk about almonds.

• Almond milk: King Soopers started carrying their own line of ogranic products, including almond milk. I did a jig when I found it. Every week I get at least two quarts of regular, one of vanilla and two of chocolate. (Had to up the chocolate from one to two because a certain toddler started adamantly demanding the chocolate too. He now knows the clear difference between the containers so I can't be sneaky anymore!). It's still not the same as drinking a big glass of milk with a stack of oreos, and I don't often drink the regular almond milk straight, but I pour it over cereal every morning and no longer notice the difference. 

• Oat Milk and rice milk are also options, but I personally like the consistency of the almond milk better.
• Butter: the only non-processed sub I've found is coconut oil or olive oil. Suggestions welcome.
• Cheese: honestly I can say that I don't want to touch this one with a ten-foot pole. We went out for gourmet pizza one night and I got a gluten-free crust with some cheese substitute called Daiya. It tasted fine at the time, a little like blue cheese, but by the time we left the restaurant I couldn't handle the smell and felt awful for most of the night. Not an experience I'm willing to try again, and I've heard and read that often these encounters with cheese alternatives are pretty disappointing. So Ethan and I have just steered clear for the past few months. It seriously stinks worse than the worst stinky cheese. I miss my toasted brie and nice glass of Reisling... 

CHOCOLATE:
I am not a baker. I do not have patience for recipes I can't modify, and trust me, I can't try experimental modification in baking without getting a brick instead of a cake. That said, I also can't live without dessert (read: chocolate). These have been my go-tos:

• Enjoy Life chocolate bars and chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is one of the most allergy-friendly brands out there!)

• Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. Let's be clear in the fact that this is no Nutella. But it's the closest I've found that's also free of dairy, soy, and gluten. So I settle and can almost pretend it's the real thing when I'm scooping up globs of it with GF pretzel sticks. 

• Ice cream substitutes: as I said, Almond Dream has taken the cake with some of their newest developments. Rice Dream also has an ice cream that's doable, and So Delicious has a coconut ice cream that's good when I'm in the mood for coconut.

Clearly, I need to restock.

NORMAL STUFF

• White rice
• Organic Rice Cakes
• Cage-free eggs
• Beans
• Gluten-free lunchmeat (Applegate)
• Glutten-free hot dogs (Applegate)
• Tuna in EVOO (Starkist packets contain no soy)
• Fresh and frozen produce: veggies, fruit, potatoes, gords, you name it. I was forced to figure out how to cook spaghetti squash and--surprise surprise--loved it!
• Meat: Grass-fed beef, free range chicken, pork, veal, etc.  
• Natural JIF Peanut butter (looks/tastes normal, but doesn't have soy and doesn't have to be refrigerated!)
• Chex cereal
• FRITOS!!!!!!!! (almost makes up for the absence of cheese on chili night). 

(Will continue to add to this list as I occasionally find myself eating something legal and "normal").

"Mommy, have a more Chex please?"
"Not for dinner, buddy."
The result.
 Maybe we should apply for
their next marketing campaign...

What a normal day/meal plan looks like:
BREAKFAST: Cereal with almond milk, oatmeal, or GF/DF muffin
LUNCH: Hot dog with chips & applesauce, PB&J on GF/DF bread, or leftovers
SNACKS: Fruit, veggie sticks, Kind bars or other granola
DINNER: Meat (chicken, veal, steak) with rice and veggies (stir fry works well), crockpot pulled pork or brisket, GF/DF pasta with homemade sauce (tomato sauce, clam sauce, tuna, etc.) or tacos/burritos/taco salad made with ground turkey, homemade taco seasoning, and with lots of fresh toppings.


That's all for now--if you have any favorite products, please share with the class! No high-maintenance recipes, though...I'll probably just snort and Pinterest it along so someone much more motivated than me so she can can get her Martha Stewart on. 

A Family Photo Shoot

**All images are (c) Megan Hjelmstad and may not be copied or used without express permission from the owner.**

While my family was visiting for the past two weeks (more on that in the next post!), we planned a family photo shoot. We tried the same thing last year when they visited, but the kids weren't really feeling it, and we didn't budget nearly enough time. So this year we made it a priority and picked a fun venue where the kids could run around. It was the same place I took pictures for a friend last year, and hers turned out so well I decided we should give it a shot! I gave a few of my family members a crash course in how to use the camera, and between all of us (with the occasional help of the tripod), we got some great photos, had fun, and even scored a few where everyone was looking! Good thing, because our last decent family photo hanging on the wall is from three years ago, and therefore missing the youngest key member of the family.

Here are the running favorites...now to figure out which ones to frame!

THE SWEET, SWEET KIDDOS

(Ethan refused to relinquish his sippy cup.

We decided to pick our battles and relented).

THE PARENTS

THE FAMILY

Borderline outtake. Ethan was not amused.
Neither were the big kids who hated the "itchy grass."
Lesson learned.

THE EXTENDED FAMILY

Proud Grandparents

So happy together again!

THE LADIES & THE GENTLEMEN

I still maintain that my baby sis is not taller than me.
Really.

AND YES, IT WAS REALLY THIS FUN!