when nothing is new

it's -2 degrees outside.
and i bundled my kids up and sent them out in that stuff.  i'm sure they'll be done long before i have time to finish this post.
today is avery's first ever official snow day.  these will be rare since she only goes once a week.  we made waffle men with chocolate chip eyes, noses and smiles, bacon hair and orange slice ears.  it's sure to become a snow day tradition.

avery lost her second tooth!

we forgot to exchange the tooth with some coin and you should have seen her broken hearted face.  we made up some lame excuse about how the tooth fairy is very busy right before thanksgiving and maybe she wanted you to get to show grandma your tooth before she took it.  she totally bought it.  phew. 

i've been reading shauna neiquest's "cold tangerines" while i await my coveted first spot on the library hold list for bread and wine.

(in the making of this post, here is where their toes were "frozen" and they wanted to come in....approximately 9 minutes into their snow adventure)

one of the girls took this of ian and i love it for some reason. 

"I believe that this way of living, this focus on the present, the daily, the tangible, this intense concentration not on the news headlines but on the flowers growing in your own garden, the children growing in your own home, this way of living has the potential to open up the heavens, to yield a glittering handful of diamonds where a second ago there was coal."

the roads were very bad a few weeks ago on avery's school day.  we slid around our neighborhood and then literally could not get over the constitution hill over to powers (where her school is) because the road was closed.  so we stopped at starbucks and waited for the ice to melt a bit. 

dave and i have lived in colorado springs since we both were kids.  we have highschool friends here, college friends here, family here, family friends here,  it's beautiful and kinda weird how small colorado springs actually is.  and every time we see someone we haven't seen in a while and they ask what we've been up to, my normal, usual response is always "nothing really, i'm just at home with the kids, and each day is usually just like the one before it."

prepping thanksgiving food with my mom and grandma. 

and tears started gently rolling down my cheek as i read the first chapter in this book, a brilliant reminder that real life....full, rich, changing, growing, LIFE is happening in my home every second of every day.  and in my non-nonchalant cliche answer to old friends, i'm communicated that because there are no major changes, no huge milestones, no NEW anything, that our life is on hold, just waiting for the next BIG thing to happen.

moments make a life.

this is where we went for thanksgiving.  winter wonderland. 

yesterday, ian pulled his pants up. ALL BY HIMSELF.  okay, so this feels silly and almost like sarcasm, like it's supposed to be funny that i'm making a big deal about such a trivial thing.  but when you take a moment and think about the millions of times i've pulled jeans and khaki's and sweats, up and over that sweet boys bum over the past 3 years and that for some reason, yesterday he decides that he can do that himself now. big deal.  life.

we went to the phil vischer on tour with his "why do we call it christmas?" movie.  

this may be a bad attitude, but i was sorely disappointed.  did any of ya'll go?

and avery.  oh sweet, determined, persistent, expectant avery.  i see her battle between choosing joy and frustration daily, almost hourly.  and to see her winning in this battle this week?  big deal.  life.

ashton and i getting started on her homemade christmas presents.  don't ask questions, family. 

ashton kate.  she is reading "wig on a pig".  and the way she strains her little face and tries so very hard to produce the "th" sound instead of the "f" sound is just melt your heart precious.  big deal. life.

wednesday mornings are bacon and egg mornings.  

yes, we have a breakfast schedule, doesn't everyone? 

and so now, i'm going to try with all i am to answer those often asked questions with this totally scripted response  "there is so much going on at our house people!  Ian can pull up his own pants!  and avery is learning to choose joy! and ashton is learning to say "th" instead of "f"!  life is exploding out of our four walls.  moments are piling up on moments and together they are making a mountain of memories, a load full of life.

     right start math games with my first born.                                                                              here, ashy works on "th" and avery knits

 and reads at the same time.                   

rosy cheeked, matted hair, fresh from snow play kiddos.