January

What a month!
We are having a great start to 2012 as I hope you are too!
Last year we met some interesting challenges and I'll be honest, we were quite ready to say goodbye to 2011. There's just something so lovely about a fresh start. Do over. Another chance.
So as we were leaving Kansas after our last trip down there, over New Years, we made some "resolutions". I say that is quotes because they aren't really anything new. Just the stuff we had hoped would have happened last year and didn't for one reason or another.
I love driving in the car with my man. The girls were sleeping and we were just chatting. About our hopes and dreams for 2012.

The first one that came to both of our minds was that we really wanted to be present to this year. We wanted to feel like time wasn't slipping away too quickly because we were forcing it. We wanted to enjoy the small moments and make sure that we appreciate all that we have to be grateful for. One of those opportunities came just yesterday morning.

Our ladies are pretty good sleepers. Audrey is usually up first, to nurse, and then she goes back down for another hour or so. Greta sleeps until about 7:00 most mornings. We appreciate it. So yesterday both Daniel and I woke up before the girls (gasp!!) around 7:30. We just sat in bed, smiled at each other, and soaked in the beauty of waking up on our own. Then, slowly but surely, the girls woke up. First Audrey, then Greta. And we just left them in their cribs and eavesdropped on them. Greta proceeded to tell Audrey about our day the day before and Audrey just babbled back to her with the occasional, "no" or "mama". It was precious. And instead of rushing in there to get them we just enjoyed the moment. So as a treat (not sure how much they got that we were treating them for sleeping in and then being really cute but we wanted it none the less) we went out for breakfast and coffee. Such a treat for our family!

Another thing we talked about on our car ride home was about how we wanted to spend our time. Last year felt so consumed with "us" and to be honest, I don't know if there was any other way it could have been. When your kids are sick you have to stay in and take care of them. When you go in for surgery to have a kidney stone blasted you have to accept the meals that friends and family are willing to bring. When your husband is laid up for 12 days with a wicked flu you have to take care of him. And so this year, to the best of our ability, we want to be "others" focused.

So far we've been able to bring a meal to a family who just had a new little girl and this weekend we are hosting an event for our church that will allow all the families in our church to drop off their kids at our place for 5 hours of uninterrupted parent time. We were also able to take my niece in the other day when her childcare fell through. (Now this one wasn't too difficult as we treasure any time we can have with her but it was Dan's day off and we were planning some fun family stuff). We want to stretch ourselves in new ways by lending a hand when we can. It feels good to think about who we know that is in need and how we can help.

So- here's to 2012- a new year to grow!