a lost one {day 273}

sick.


//


ok. found this post listed as a draft - clicked on it and found a blank page with the above written. let me add, if i was sick, i can't imagine the image i was going to include. likely, it would have been a shot of my ceiling fan or an image of an awful tv show to pass the sick-time.

so rather than that, i'll share a moment from jack's birthday celebration at school. kinda describes him/his sister/their relationship, all in one shot...

balance.

so, i didn't make it. nearly, but not quite enough.

the idea of a 365-day challenge was immense - i knew that going into it - but i really wanted to, well, challenge myself. mostly, i posted images from two to three weeks past at a time; rarely, was i able to post weekly. but, i was shooting, and i believe that was the point.



i do miss it. gave me {even more of} a reason to pick up my camera and snap away. these days though, i have people calling, requesting that i pick up my camera - which, is INCREDIBLE, but it doesn't leave much time for me-stuff. i miss that.

2014 was an eye-opener for business-related-stuff. i'm thankful and have enjoyed all the families and new friends i met along the way. i hope 2015 has more of that goodness!

but with all good and great things, there needs to be balance. so this puppy, this blog, got pushed to that ol' back burner, neglected, and that makes me rather sad. i miss writing. i miss the wee-late hours, one leg tucked beneath, other knee up to my chest, hunched over the keys, earbuds just barely turned up... balance. it's a must.

here are some highlights from the end of the year.

october

 jason mraz + raining jane at benaroya

 november in our backyard

 december ON reflections lake

going forward, here's to once a month blogs...

day 275

sunsets. 

one of my many great loves. 

7:05 pm here.

274

sometimes you just have to DO IT. even when it's not practical. even when it doesn't make sense.

like this.

ben can't/couldn't/shouldn't take anymore time off this year, but -

we NEED this.

i think the last time we had quality time together was back in january, vacationing on the islands. so even though this will be a quick, 24-hour frenzy, it will be well worth it.

if you haven't listened to the latest jason mraz album - DO. it's sooo good. mraz + raining jane make marvelous sounds.

just a few more weeks...

272

HOCKEY NIGHT!

and look who couldn't let someone have all the glory...

red.

watch out, she's now equipped with (as she calls them) skate-shoes!

watching the big boys

jb with the puck!

such a funny little being.

practicing (and perfecting!) getting back up!

271

sweater season!

love that this dude has a muffin top - out of his collar.

270

eyelashes. half-inch long? 

goodness.

i kept thinking 

what is so different?

why am i enamored by her beauty? 

oh, that's it - no paci... 

perfect lips. button nose. stay little, forever, tessie boo.

269

268

sunshine bullys. 

it's that time of year; they now prefer their naps inside, rather than out. 

carpet snoozes. following the sunshine, all around the room.

267

sunrise - 8:40

266

dada made it home, just in time for bedtime stories with the boo boo. 

265

monday night is now HOCKEY NIGHT!

 cutest thing, these days.

 jb in the white socks

psssssst: 100 days left in 2014!

264

my mom had two sweet friends fly up from minnesota. we were happy to take in the autumn air on this glorious sunday afternoon. come back and visit again - soon!

263

a day in cooper landing, celebrating a super-special little man. autumn is in full-swing on the peninsula. sooo many beautiful colors. and what do i love more than beautiful fall colors but them with one of my lovelies.

the youngest of my brood; beautiful, brown-eyed tess anne.

262

duey & her papa

261

the girl's got tricks!

day 260

"do you only own books about pigs?!" was what my father said after spending a few hours with tess.

apparently, he was introduced to sandra boynton's little pookie series. tess' favorite. or perfect piggies. or 15 animals. the girl has a mean oink - just ask her what a pig says!

day 259

there's tessie's bed. vacant. 

but, you see that pile on the ground? dark mass in the middle? that's her hair.

that's where she fell. i heard it. but there she be. sleeping. soundly. 

so, you let sleeping babies lay. especially those miebs babies.

day 258

i'm forever finding funny "scenes" set up in dylan's room: barbie dolls huddled together in miss-matched clothes (matching to my duey); little people all lined up or lined up in random vehicles, all the boys on one side, all the girls on another side; stuffed animals wearing her undies or tess' onesies... just to name a few. 

but this evening, after kiddos were tucked into bed, as i was doing my nightly clean-up, i came across this green frog, won during an evening at the state fair. dylan had found one of our mustaches from st. patrick's day and was wearing it for most of the evening. i assumed it ended up in the garbage... 

day 257

tess. 

exactly 2 weeks ago, tess was screaming sitting in the orthopedic's office, getting her blue cast sawed off.  this afternoon, i walked into her room after nap time and caught her in a pike position, holding onto her top crib rail with both sticky, sweaty feet, flat on the slats. i ripped the front of the crib off, threw up the side rails and here we are: insta-big girl!

she's so proud.