new years eve and then new years day... and then new years eve again. :)

our new years party consisted of a mini dance party to 'millions of peaches' which might be unorthodox but is a no fail solution to the new years eve grumps/meltdowns.

add to that mini party poppers and you have yourself a bonafide par-tay. right? who knew it could be so simple??

 clearly not this guy... he is excited.

 this is his excited face. you have to look really close though because it can be easily mistaken for his is the fun almost over face.

 please notice the absolute best part of this picture... that is a magnum popper i am holding. they may possibly be talking about the fact that it is in the shape of a magnum gun? i don't know but i choose to be believe they are in fact paying homage to my not so secret crush magnum p.i. 1980's private investigator extraordinaire.

 this was absolutely as loud as it looks...

 yes--- you are getting a sneak peak of the infamous 'hanging beds' project. it is semi completed. so you can see semi pictures. :)

 this new years finds arianna like i often find her. without her jammies. she apparently lives in a hot spot of the universe. she is always needing to go without jammies because her bed is clearly like living on the sun.

 mmmhmmmm... this seems just about right.

a glass of 3 buck chuck and 3/4 of a trader joe's dark chocolate with hazelnuts.... that's a happy new year. :)

 we hosted a new years brunch for some good friends... and i again hit up the big girls small kitchen blog. they are my new favorite people that i will never meet.

 i made the baked raspberry oatmeal with lemon creme sauce which was wicked good... and a spinach romano quiche...

lucienne apparently was not too enthralled with the idea of sharing her goods.. and anna grace looks like she's nervous lu is going to take it away. :)

there was the reappearance of the new years instruments which are now in the trash where they belong. ummm. loud. obnoxious. fun in adult land for about 15 seconds.

there was some fighting..and hitting.. and wrestling.. and crying. and a lot of laughing and squealing.. and maybe some ballet. ;)

and there was definitely deluxe homemade from scratch hot chocolate. :)

we love you friends. you guys are one of the best presents of 2010!!! :)

we capped new years day with a walk in the snow...

 snow angels...

 grayson is so proud of his football mittens he got in his stocking. right after he opened them he said 'deez awr boy middens!' i was worried he was speaking of some sort of gender specific football reference so i followed up quickly with -- 'well they could be either boy or girls-- just whoever likes football. why do you think they would be for boys?' to which he answered.. 'bee-cuz dey in my stocking.' oh. yes. yes they are. ;)

new years day with family, friends, snow...

my cup runneth over. :)

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now--

skipping back to years eve day:::: which i didn't have time to post since we were having such a good time with the party poppers:)

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new years eve day: 2010

there is just something about that first blanket of snow. new. untouched. every foot print erased and memory covered. just--- white. the call to a fresh start becomes tangible.
when the first snow falls on new years eve--- then that fresh start has stopped calling ...

...it's come and found you. 


i was on my way to target. i had been cooped up for a few days in the house. the babies were all sleeping. the daddy said 'run'. :) i was on my way to target... but i passed the park. there were absolutely no footprints anywhere. this snow was almost 12 hours old and still as fresh and new as the moment it had fallen from the sky. it was bitter numbing cold but i had my camera.. and the time. the crisp crunch sound of snow beneath my feet. my breath so cold i could feel it in my lungs. i almost felt bad for ruining that perfect beauty of white unbrokenness... but someone always goes first. this new years eve was for me. i was perfectly alone... and wrapped in insulated wonderment when i stumbled upon this sign. i have been to this park so many times i can not count, but i have never read this sign. and ray, joe and harlan.... you got me.

".... to the nobler visions of life, to the exaltation's of the soul..."


those are some lofty goals boys. lofty goals. but they hit me just right. more than just right... they breathed words to the whispers of a fresh start the snow had been singing. you know the funny thing... i kept thinking.. i don't really need a fresh start though... i have had a good year. i have laughed and loved and cried and grown. i have had a really good year. so i found myself asking God.. why are we having this date in the park talking about fresh starts?

...to the nobler visions of life..to the exaltation's of the soul...

the nobler visions of life. draw my eyes up, higher, further... so i may see what this life is really for.

the exaltation's of the soul. give me an honest view of who i am in your eyes.. my body and mind will dim and fail me yet by your grace my soul can burn brighter still.


a fresh start is not always starting over. sometimes it is more about clarity ... experiences that bring you through the dark trenches of life so that you can feel the light from the inside out when you come back up.

an opportunity to really see. a white blanket that covers the noise, the rubble, the excess.. and highlights the important. things your eyes would have missed...

so cheers!
cheers to nobler visions of life and the exaltation's of the soul.. to blurry pictures that i prefer over the painfully clear ones :)... to dates in the park and to good years... to clarity and fresh starts...

cheers 2011!!