Hello, 2013!

Ahhh, I love new years. Like I love Mondays. So hopeful and full of promise. This year I'm not making any resolutions really, knowing that with pregnancy and then a new babe + a toddler+ homeschooling, it's not really a season of striving for me. If I can end my days knowing that I was mostly a kind and gentle mama and a mostly thoughtful and loving wife that will make me so happy! And really, I'm kind of tired of myself and my own agendas right now anyway.  I can really get in a mode of " I have to be better at this and better at that and blah, blah, blah" and honestly, this year, I hope there to be less of that striving to feel pride in myself, because that does not bring lasting joy. Especially in seasons like this, where it just feels like fail, fail, fail! I feel like God has been saying, "Quiet. Just quiet. Fill up with my love and pour it out on those around you. Just that." 
So, that's where I am at this start of 2013. In that vein, I'm closing down my Facebook account for a while. One day I was telling the kids that watching movies can be a time trap for them like my phone can be a time trap for me, and you can bet they have let me know, "Mom, you are getting trapped again!" when I am glancing frequently at my phone. And they are right! So, hopefully that will help and hopefully it will also mean more writing time here. I really, really love looking back at moments documented here over the years, and I rely on it  to remember phases of our life! So, it's a real desire to be disciplined in writing more often. I know it will be hard. At the end of the day I just want to zone out! But, it's so worth it. So, here we go!
 Love to you guys as you start this year. Who knows if it will hold super hard times or a relatively smooth ride, but no matter what I hope to draw closer to Him. 
All for now, 
Jen

Here are the kiddos and some of their best buddies Alidia, Cole, and Aviana. Their mama (my friend Emily) had the cutest New Years Eve party for them. Oh my. What a creative, fun mama. I felt so thankful that night to have a friend who had the creativity and energy to host things like that, AND earlier in the day my friend Stephanie and some of her littles came over for the morning and I felt SO thankful for that refreshing visit as well. Whew. So great to be back with our peeps after having two bouts of sickness back to back. We were going a little coo coo! :)