today

so it goes without saying i have been a bad bad blogger. i have missed it. but life man... when it's been good it's been full and busy and when it's been bad well then i usually have a hungry baby on my hip and sending grayson to time out. but last night i was laying in bed and i just had this overwhelming feeling. this surge of gratitude for this moment in time i find myself. the love that wraps me and becomes enough to overflow this small heart. this is life. this is the good, the bad and the beautiful. my every days. all the little things that add up to this one big thing. this one extraordinary life that i get to live. i get to live it and love it and then.. promptly forget it.

this little corner of interspace helps me to keep track of it all. the moments, the memories, the ins and outs, ups and downs. all of it. i could hear that old woman within urging me not to let her down. to keep my hand recording as furiously as my heart is loving. for one day i will have these words and these pictures and they will add up to my one extraordinary thing. my life.

so in that spirit i am gonna get crazy and skip right to today. i will go back and grab up the days that i missed but for right now the smell of cookies and candles is still lingering. the sound of the sleepy even breaths of babies can be heard in the bedroom and the glow of the tree peeks through the door from the living room. i want to be here right now and remember .. today.

 we woke up to arianna's wish really coming true. winter showed up.... and she was a beauty.

today was kids christmas program day at church. we didn't know (or maybe forgot?? i can't remember;)) that grayson's little kid sunday school was in the program... so for the first service he was rocking a blue and orange outfit amidst amidst a sea of red and greens.. but i ran home and got his black velvet dinner jacket and christmas plaid vest because.. well because they are awesome and i love them and nothing says christmas more than a velvet dinner jacket on a 2 year old. word.



that was the first round. that is grayson a little overwhelmed.. a little out of his comfort zone... which for public viewings might be a good thing. take round two for example... we are now a little too comfortable on the stage and we're looking to spice things up with say... a microphone.


notice after he gets a 'no don't grab the microphone' he is ambushed with regret... um no. he says i'm out and finds himself a new teacher to stand bye. makes a momma proud... not really. but it does maybe make me laugh.

 oh grayson. i simultaneously want to laugh and give him the mean mom face all. day. long. he is too much and just the right amount at the exact same time. he is himself. and i adore him to pieces.

arianna was the youngest in the christmas play. she had to practice every sunday afternoon for i think the last 5 weeks or so. apparently they had warned the children that it got very hot on stage. she insisted she had to wear sandals because of the heat. who knew?? ;)  but the girl has good instincts.. they are perfect roman angel shoes. :)

this is a solid representation of the program for those that could not attend. miss ari had two modes. distracted/semi-bored and  enthusiastic/super excited about annunciation. but i love her heart. and her desire to do her best. when she tried out for a part in the production they asked her if she wanted a big or small part and she quickly answered big. i just as quickly said nooooo. considering she really had no idea what they were even talking about i convinced her the small parts were actually waaay cooler. :)

"gllloooooooooooooooo--ooooooooooo--oooooooooo--ria! in excelsis deo!!" she did a great job-- i did need to explain that we were not talking about our friend chelse.. she was concerned. in a chelse's what mom? ;)

grandpa and grammy made the big trek for the big program. :)

lucienne had some strong feelings about taking family pictures...

in her cloak.... (cloak/cape.. what's the difference?? i'm not sure but i could eat her up in it. both of my girls in those things.. yummy. :))

hi. my name is trouble and whatever i'm doing you probably won't like it but i will look at you with this impish face and you will melt at least half the time which is not a bad percentage to play.
darn you toddler dimples.

today we also partook in the first snowfall tradition. the viewing of white christmas with popcorn and the baking of cookies. we waited a stinking long time for this first snow. ari was really starting to get nervous it wouldn't happen. she even asked santa for snow-- you know just to be on the safe side. :)

we have an advent time each evening.. i will explain it more later.. but i treasure this time even when it's chaos. there is just something about the intimate circle of our family singing, talking and praying together. it feels exactly like christmas is supposed to.... love.

grayson was over tired which is nice language for completely belligerent and defiant so he got put to bed. ari and daddy made the firsts snowfall traditional cookies. she was high on life after a day like today which followed a weekend of amazingness....

 she is my super cautious child. she wanted to have her picture taken pretending to pull them out of the oven but was a little concerned that they were too heavy for her and the oven was too hot..

 so instead she is pretending here to pull an empty plate out of the warming oven. pretty much the same thing. ;)

 but what's important is... i ended my day with a warm chocolate chip cookie made by love. and that is a good day no matter what. :)