Something That Makes You Happy

I've made several different New Years resolutions over the years.  The ones that immediately come to mind are the ones that I have made over, and over, and over again, because I haven't been successful.  Such as not biting my fingernails.  (Tsk tsk.)  Or mastering the art of making bread.  The year I had my braces I did great on the fingernail thing.  But my braces are long gone and so are my nails.  And in my defense on the breadmaking, I am at war with myself on that one.  If I make the bread, then I will eat it.  Bread is nothing but carbs.  No good.

But in 2013 I successfully made and kept a New Years resolution.  I resolved to maintain a blog.  More specificly, regularly document my memories.  66 posts later, it's safe to say I even surpassed my "once a weekish" goal.  But really, now that I think about it, I think the secret to a successful resolution is not necessarily a persons ability to "stick to it."  I think it has more to do with the fact that I resolved to do something that makes me happy.  I VERY much enjoy writing.  This was a goal that did take effort and time.  I had to sacrifice a run, or my already limited sleep once in a while.  But I enjoyed it. 

Sooo, to close up 2013, the final thought I want to send out from my tiny corner of the Universe, is this:

Go ahead, resolve to loose that weight, or stick to that budget, or organize that house.  (Personally, I'm aiming to improve my current laundry situation.  Establish - and stick to - a schedule of some sort.  In attempt to combat those piles of clean laundry that seem to maintain permanent status throughout my house!!)  But I also suggest to resolve to do something that you will also ENJOY doing.  Think about it.  What is something that puts a little smile on your face?  Resolve to give up something else, to make just a little time for that.

And a big THANK YOU for all the kind words I've received throughout the year.  Thanks to everyone who takes a moment out of their day to read my thoughts once in a while.  It makes writing even more fun when someone actually reads it. 

BONUS PHOTOS:
Some of our winter and holiday fun.
It snowed back on December 20th.  Stayed a whopping 4 hours.  But we dropped everything and made use of that tiny window of time. 
We also went with some friends of ours, to see a Christmas lights display for family home evening.  The lights were well done and all, but the little electric train is what mesmerized the kids the most I think. 
Then I also included a few pictures from Christmas morning.  Not very many.  I was just soaking up the morning and enjoying that precious time with my kids.  So I didn't fuss over whether I got a picture of everything.   
BLESSED is such an understatement.  I feel I live a life that is unfairly spoiled. 

 (Note the snowball mid air.)

 (A snow unicorn.)

 (A snow dragon.) 

 

"Sleeping Beauty"

 This family of girls may have more than it's fair share of princesses, ponies, and the color pink, but even a princess has to be able to defend herself.  :)

 

 My little viking.

 

 

I'll admit that I am almost hesitant to share this last tid bit.  Christmas morning I wanted to shout to the world: "LOOK, LOOK, look what I got for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!"   Buuuuut, I've been afraid that would be totally rude.  Like bragging you know?  But this is my blog and this is my memories.  And I figure, when you choose to read my blog, you get me.  "Rude" or no.  I am who I am. 

If I could have sat on Santa's lap, and asked for anything I wanted.  (World peace and a cure for cancer don't count.  We're talking something Santa could fit in his sack and bring down the chimney.)  I would have asked for a certain pair of running shoes I've had my eye on for quite a while now.  In my eyes they are kind of like the Ferarri of running shoes I guess.  Really cool, really nice, but not very likely to find their way to my treadmill, cause they cost 3 times as much as I would normally spend on a pair of running shoes.  And for that matter, 6 times as much as Santa usually spends on present in this family.  But around noon on Christmas day, there was a knock at my door.  One of my friends had brought me a present.  I assumed it was the usual tasty Christmas goodies that friends exchange this time of year.  I thanked her, gave her a hug, and wished her and her family a Merry Christmas. 

As I walked up the stairs I noticed that it felt like a shoe box.  As I opened the wrapping I realized that it was an "Adidas Boost" box.   I thought, "She has these shoes and just used the old box to put my present in."  As I opened the box I saw tissue paper, some running socks and a sparkly running headband.  But I soon realized that there were SHOES in that tissue paper!!!!!!!!!!  I couldn't believe it!!!  I was SOOOOO excited.  I had wanted those SO BAD!  I couldn't believe they were mine!  It was so awesome.  I got EXACTLY what I had been dreaming of for Christmas. 

Now for the record books, my friend is not a millionaire and did not go out and buy me those shoes.  But she does volunteer her valuable time at races over in Kent to earn running shoes for herself and her family.  I've never been able to do it with her cause my kiddos would need a babysitter.  But she earned another free pair and chose to give them to me.  Just because she could.  Such a kind and generous gift.  I'm SUPPER grateful.  Really, really.  I LOVE them, and frankly badly needed new running shoes.  

I was so excited to have them I just couldn't help myself.  I jumped on the treadmill and ran a mile Christmas morning.  I've now had them about a week and already put 20 miles on them.  :)  One happy, very grateful runner.  

I Get It Mom

I remember many a Christmas, getting exactly what I had wanted SO BADLY.  But I also remember SEVERAL different Christmas mornings where my mom received an electric skillet.  Because the cheep electric skillet she received the year before,(and the year before that) had gotten so much use the screws no longer held the legs on and the non stick coating was wearing off.  I remember feeling badly that she didn't get anything fun or exciting.  But she would always say that it was really okay, because Christmas was about the kids.  I didn't get it.  I didn't believe her.  I felt my wonderful mom also deserved wonderful presents. 

But I get it now.  I am SO excited for Christmas.  Why?  Not because what's under the tree for me, but because what's under the tree for my kids.  I know my kids are going to LOVE and really really enjoy the things I've spent a lot of time and thought, choosing for them.  I'm so excited for that. 

My kids are my world.  And all that matters.  And I know that's how my mom felt, and still does feel.  I'm grateful that I get to be a mom.

BONUS PHOTO:
Feeling all "Suzy Homemaker" tonight.  I wanted to give my girls something that wasn't a toy, but would still bring a smile to their face.  This year K. Rae asked Santa for a Sleeping Beauty dress, E. Mae asked for a Toothless the dragon doll, and Shortcake asked for a "big panda."  So I tried to make pillowcases that would match their "dreams" Christmas Eve.  I think they will like them! 

A Mama's Little Memory

From the time Shortcake was just a few months old, she has seemed like such a big strong spirit, trapped inside a young little body.  To this day, she is always so alert, so aware, so ready to go and do, and take part in things above and beyond her. 
She is at a really fun age for Christmas.  Though she's not quite yet 3, she is aware and articulate.  She says:
"Santa go down chimney, inside the door, bring me big panda."
(If only the other Staley kids on Santa's list could make up their minds so determinedly.)
Last night while my love was at scouts and the twins were at F.I.G.s, Shortcake and I spent some time together.  It was fun to give her some of my undivided attention.  I took her to the Dollar Store to pick out Christmas presents for her big sisters. 
Maybe I just have low expectations for a 3ish year old but I am in awe as I sit back and watch her grow, go, and do. 
She knew what we were there for.  There was a job to be done.  She wanted to do it.  Without any hesitation, uncertainty or need for assistance.
She saw some pretty gift boxes right by the front door and said she wanted them for the twins.  I told her they were great but we needed to go find something to put in them.  So we left the boxes and continued throughout the store.  A little while later, as soon as she found some things she wanted to give them, she took off running.  She was headed right back to those boxes.  She hadn't forgotten them, and absolutely had to go put her presents in them right then and there.  No ifs ands or buts.  She was on a mission, and that mission was not going to be complete without the pretty boxes for her sisters.
Simple and trivial really.  But it's my feeble attempt at showcasing a glimpse of the focused, determined, driven way she constantly lives her young little life.  Day in and day out.
I believe that she has important things to do in this world that are going to require such unwavering direction.  I just hope I do an okay job at supporting and focusing and loving that strength. 

Great Wolf Lodge '13

Every year Washington Virtual Academy hosts a state wide field trip to Great Wolf Lodge.  It can be kind of an expensive place but we get a great discount when we go with the school so we jump on the opportunity every year.  So here are pictures from this year's trip.

The girls were pretty darn excited to be there.  I didn't take my camera down to the pool the first day though.  So all our swimming pics are of the second day.

 Dinner time that night.

We got to do something new this year.  The girls have always watched other kids running around with "magic wands" making parts ofvarious hotel decorations light up or talk to you.  This "Magic Quest" game can be kind of expensive though.  AND time consuming.  AND down right challenging.  Our time at GWL is usually pretty short.  We've never paid to play the game.  But we found out that you can just purchase the wand and ask them to "activate it."  Then you can run around making things blink and talk without the "quest"/scavenger hunt part.  It was GREAT.  Way cheaper, way faster, and way easier.   AND, we can save the wand and reuse it next year!

 

Presents from Mom & Dad.  (New pjs.  Didn't really get a good picture of what the pjs looked like though.) 

Down in the lobby for story time and indoor snow!

 Good morning!

Time to hit the pool again!
You have to be in the yellow to ride the water slides.  Shortcake is no where near it!  The twins however were just on the verge of being in the green.  Which means you can go on a tube without an adult.  Maybe next year.
Short cake was more mad about me taking her picture than actually about the waterslides. 

 

See, she's fine.

 

Planning what they wanna do next.

Such a goofball.

This is one of K.Rae's favorite things here in the waterpark.

This was the first time E. Mae tried it.  She did great.

Then it was time to finish off the trip with activities with other WAVA K12 kids.
They taught the kids about Christmas traditions in Mexico.
Which of course wouldn't be complete without a piniata.

The kids all also displayed their gingerbread houses.  My children's Halloween costumes this year were inspired by the How To Train Your Dragon movie.  This inspiration also seeped into their sugary confection.   The gingerbread man on the front is a viking named Hiccup.  He is holding "The Book of Dragons."The sign tells you he lives in Berk.  And that blue mass on the top is a dragon named Toothless. 

But all good things must come to an end and it was time to go home.

++

 

Thanksgiving '13

We usually don't go anywhere for Thanksgiving.  Sometimes it's because of the weather here at home, some times it's because of the weather on the pass about 2 hours from here, that we have to drive through.  But this year the stars aligned and the weather was as clear as it could be.  So we packed our bags and headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house!

My simplified Thanksgiving dinners I've made in the past don't hold a candle to the feast we all got to enjoy.  So many different things things to eat and on such a fancy table.  The girls really enjoyed helping to set and decorate the table with all those fancy things!  (Grandpa was there too, but he was the one taking the picture.)

One of my girls favorite things about trips to Grandma's house is Grandma's costume box.  (Bonus points if you can guess who Miss K.Rae is pretending to be.  Answer is at the bottom of the post.)

 

The city where my love went to college, (& where we lived for 6 years) puts on a Christmas lights display to beat the band!  It's only 45 min away from Grandma & Grandpa's house so we just couldn't miss the opportunity to go see it!  Amazing doesn't seem like an adequate adjective for the amount of lights in this little park.  It was a really fun night.  Grandma and Grandpa even packed cookies, and hot chocolate with whip cream for us to enjoy while we were there.

The park where they do all this at doesn't have a playground with swings or slides or anything.  But it does have an old Train.  Which they make one of the focal points of their light display.  

 

 

I think even more unique than their train is the "Dancing Tree."   They have a dance floor with Christmas music playing.  Depending on where you are standing on the dance floor, certain parts of the tree light up.  Kids love trying to figure out exactly where to step to turn on each color light. 

It was such a fun evening!

The girls finished off their Thanksgiving holiday by helping Grandma and Grandpa get their living room ready for the next one.  

I didn't get any pictures of the girls favorite part of the trip.  "Staley Family Fun Time" as E.Mae puts it.  Almost every night we were there, we all climbed into the hot tub.   After we get out, the girls put on their pajamas, and watch a short movie while eating popcorn and "Grandma's Cake Batter" ice cream.    And you better have a pretty good excuse if you're gonna break up their routine, or else the girls get quite put out.  :)

Even though it was only a few days, it was such a nice visit.  Full of great food lots of fun memories.

One last thing we did while I was there, was I got to create something for my wall at home.  I have seen clocks with this saying on Pinterest and have really wanted it for my own clock.  It turned out so beautiful, I LOVE it.  I just love it!

(Just in case you're wondering "What's with the 11 & 12?"  Every year I add our family photo.  We've only been married 10 years.  Hence 11 & 12 are still empty.)




BONUS QUESTION ANSWER
K. Rae's costume: Merida from the movie Brave.