12 months of Shea

On instagram I did a little picture every month, and even though I recorded it here also, I just wanted to see with my mom eyes how they all looked next to each other.  Besides my lack of consistency on any of the pictures and the fact that there is hardly any coherence to these except the inclusion of shea in each one, I am really glad I did it.
It is so much fun to see what she looked like every month.  And of course I took wayyyyy too many other pictures, at least these were documented in a way I can remember when I have lost even more memory than I have now.
This truly has been the most incredible  year.  I am so gushy and full of momness right now that I even watched the video of her very first bath at the hospital that Jeff took and cried.  How is it that so many days of this year I honesty thought I could not go on and now I can only remember the good? And it felt so long in those moments and now it is but a flash before my eyes.
Time. Such a mystery.  I am so thankful for the negativity that it so often washes away and the good that it can highlight when seen through tear filled eyes of a mom who made it (at least this far).
Happy one year Shea Bean.
You are light.  And it is evident in every photo.  There is a joy behind your eyes.  I cant wait to see how you continue to light the lives of those around you throughout your life.

Shea's Winter ONEderland

Mostly I just moved things that were in our house for Christmas around to one table and called it Winter Onderland.  It was the easiest set up ever.  I feel like I may use it so many more times, poor Shea.

It started with her invite.

I drew these trees on the computer and then added happy holiday underneath (as in, shea's holiday.  The happiest holiday of all)

Then I made her a shirt with the trees on it, naturally.


(which sparked an idea to put it on an adult shirt and the rest is history).







Everyone decorated gingerbread houses, made snow globes, played outside and ate.  It was so much fun.  It was small because it was on the day and the day is right before christmas, but it was so nice.  She couldn't have liked it more I dont think.
Happy Birthday was by far her favorite part and she has watched this video over and over and over....








Happy Birthday cake devourerer.  We love you so much and we had so much fun celebrating you turning one.  Can not wait for so many more birthdays to come!

GIVE

Here it is, folks.
The inevitable word of the year.
GIVE.
Last years was "do unto others" or "others".
I feel like I did more for others at some points and at some points I was at my very wits ends and could barely function to get out of bed.
I had some rough parts of last year and last year was an adjustment overall.  Shea is not an easy baby.  She is fun and life and joy and all of those things.  But she is busy and needs to be entertained 24/7.  I am so thankful for her. I know how incredible it is to have her in our lives.  And it is not lost on me that some people are aching for a busy baby in any form.  Or a healthy one.  She is beautiful and the absolute best thing that has happened to me after the other three, and makes me so happy, but she can also take absolutely every single second of my time and energy.  I also had a weird summer and went through a mini life thing and have since come out of.  It was tough for me.  People have much worse problems. People have much more to deal with on a daily basis than I will ever understand. This is nothing compared to that. This was a bump in the road but I took it hard.  A lot of that situation has resolved itself and I have been able to find so much joy in creating again.  That sounds so dumb.  But I really have.  The sweatshirts and sitting behind this screen making logos and ideas was life giving in a way that is too cheesy to put into words.  SO thank you to every single one of you that bought something.  That encouraged us and owned one, even if you didnt like it.  It meant a ton.
So, needless to say, there were times that I wished my word of the year was 'me' and not 'others'.  I am thankful for the people that brought me out of myself and helped me do more.
This year I am taking it up a notch with 'give'.  And I dont mean lice when I say 'give'.  Though we could have shared that with some of you this holiday season.
To do, like last year, requires action.  This year, giving, to me, is even more.  It is a heart thing.  It is generosity from deep within.  It is giving my time, my money, my stuff, my emotions, my presence.  I was telling bob and allison this over the break and bob told me one of the hardest thing for him to give was his attention.  He was used to being on his phone or thinking about something (which he is actually hardly ever doing when I am with him and I regard him as someone who gives his full attention all the time).  That took an even deeper meaning to my word.  Giving my attention 100% of the time that I can is difficult.  But something I want to strive to do.  I want to give more to my kids, to my husband, to my friends.  But I also want to give when I dont have it in me. I want to give when I am nervous about the person on the side of the road; when I am tired and want to put my child down for a nap and not watch someone else's kids on top of my own; when I want to drive thru instead of making something healthy at home.   I want to give forgiveness instead of staying angry; I want to give time off to Jeff to do whatever he wants instead of thinking of what I think I deserve; I want to give extra time to the child that is driving me insane because clearly they need the attention;  I want to hang out with and listen to the person that needs to talk and be heard even when it feels like there is not time to be still and listen.  I want to be generous with more than I have and watch how that changes me.  How God changes my heart and reminds me what He gave to me in Christ and how Christ gave everything. I want to be more open to others needs, more aware, and more apt to help.  I want my heart to overflow with gratefulness for what I have, and then want to give more to others. I can hold things tightly when I love them.  Or when I am afraid.  I dont want to do that.  I want to be free.  Free to give, to love, to share, to live.
Here's to 2015.
And all the generosity it can take.

12 Months

Well Shea.  We did it.  You are a full year old.  

Nothing makes me more sad or happy at this phase of my life.  I am so very thankful for you and I want you to stay a baby forever.  And grow fast so that you can entertain yourself for a minute or two.  This year has been a dream.  A crazy dream that sometimes leaves you not knowing where you are or how you got there, but a dream all the same.

You are light.  Joy.  Love.  Determination.  You are the best.

You love to wave to everyone and say hiiiiii.

You can almost walk.  Alllmostttt.

You eat tons of great food.
(you really loved your cake, clearly.)

You are about to start crying it out.  As soon as I can stop rocking you to sleep.  I am sure I am almost ready.  Jeff is.  He is going for it.  I sneak in a sleep snuggle whenever I lay you down sometimes.  

You have just made our family.  You make everyone laugh and smile and everyone wants to make you happy.

Which is good.  Because no one is happy if you aren't happy.

You love to read.  Brown Bear Brown Bear is your favorite.  

You love to sing.  Happy Birthday is your favorite and itsy bitsy spider is a close second.  You also love to dance.
and laugh.  Did I say laugh?  Your laugh is the best.
We would not be complete without you Shea Bean.  We love you with all of our hearts.  We are so very thankful that God gave you to us and we could not love you more if we tried.  You are such a blessing to everyone you meet and I can not wait to see where you go and who you meet.
Happy First Birthday Shea Shea!

School Thanksgiving Parties

I love a school party! 

 I had so much fun getting to help with both Ella and McKenna's Thanksgiving celebrations. McKenna's class party was in the morning and we got to hear them sing a few songs which was of course so cute.

After that they filled their plates up and enjoyed a feast in their classrooms.

I went up to the school a few days earlier and took pictures of each kid in McKenna's class. I made it into a placemat for the parents to take home. I asked each one what they were thankful for and then I wrote it on a chalkboard speech bubble. It was so fun hearing what each kid would say. Most of them would say their mommy but sweet McKenna said Mrs. Blacklock. She sure knows how to melt your heart. Mrs. Blacklock is the preschool director at their school but we also go to church with her. She has become such a special part of my girls lives, especially McKenna. Every single Sunday at church for probably the last year, my girls draw Mrs. Blacklock a picture and give it to her when church is over. She gives them a piece of candy or a small treat in return. The stuff she pulls out of her purse for them is pretty amazing, she is the modern day Mary Poppins for sure. She spoils them like her own and I love it so much. McKenna saying she is Thankful for Mrs. Blacklock makes my heart so happy.

Ella's class party was combined with the other Kindergarten class. The room moms work together on holiday parties so it was so much fun putting this together with the other home room mom, Molly. She had the great idea to do a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving theme. I had never seen the movie but as soon as she told me their feast involved popcorn, pretzels, toast and jellybeans I was sold. We had planned on having the teachers show the movie to each class so that the kids would know the story. Turns out the movie says stupid and blockhead a few times so it wasn't allowed to be shown at school. We decided to just have the teachers read them the book instead. I thought it would be cute to have a character sitting at the head of each table.


I pulled Charlie Brown characters into my silhouette program and cut and pasted them onto a chair. I then printed the characters onto transparency paper and then blew them up with an overhead projector. My girls loved having Charlie Brown characters hanging all over the house for a couple of days. Molly printed off some cute thankful cards that the kids filled out and set up a tray of Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving feast food at each place setting. It turned out so cute and the kids loved it. We had tables set up in the middle with other foods for the adults and kids to enjoy as well.

I made some Thanksgiving goodies for the teachers. It was a yummy Apple Chex-Mix recipe from my mother-n-law.

The prayer mom in Ella's class had the idea to make this cute wreath for her teacher. She took all the kids pictures and traced their handprints. I put it all together on a burlap wreath and we gave it to her for Thanksgiving.

Happy late Thanksgiving everyone!