Wow...it's been awhile

Wow, that was - without a doubt - the biggest break I have ever taken in blogging.  To be honest, life has just been busy.  A good busy - the kiddos are growing and involved in things and I am doing my best to be present in each moment.

To soak it in.

To cherish it.

On top of that, I wake up at 5:30 in the morning to run.  My days are packed with taking care of children, taking care of a husband, taking care of a house, etc.  By the time I get the kids to bed (and asleep), the house picked up, and things prepped for the morning it's usually 9:00 at night and the last thing I want to do is stare at the computer....I'd rather be spending some quality time with my husband (or falling asleep)!  Ha!!  Soooooo....blogging has taken a backseat.

All of this being said, I missed writing.

I love to write.

Much like running, I have found that writing is a release for me.

So I am back.

Here are a few things that finished up our 2014...

1.  We bought a camper!  Even though my husband has worked in the RV industry for nearly 10 years we are newbies when it comes to actually camping ourselves!!  Ha!  We got our camper in the late fall and were able to enjoy one camping trip before cold weather wrapped up the camping season.  We had fun, and we learned a LOT.  I loved prepping for the trip.  The kids excitement as we loaded the camper was contagious.  I loved planning and organizing all the yummy meals (I am definitely NOT a hot dogs every night kind of camper).  Taco salad and breakfast burritos were some of our favorites!  I loved making our camper and our campsite pretty (tablecloths, rugs, and fresh flowers).  Someone once told me that the way I like to camp is called "glamping" (glamorous camping) and I'm ok with that.  But my very very favorite part of our first camping experience was just the uninterrupted time we spent together.  We made a family rule that camping weekends were tech-free (no phones, no ipods, no ipads).  I loved playing cards, hiking, swimming, roasting marshmallows, and just soaking in time spent with eachother.

2.  Matt and I traveled to Italy.  Truly a dream come true for both of us.  It was just as we had pictured it....little cobblestone streets, quaint little restaurants with "mama" in the kitchen cooking up something good (that probably wont' be found on the menu),  and views that were breathtaking.  We felt truly blessed to have that opportunity.

3.  Matt ran the Chicago Marathon.  What can I say....he's a stud.  I love him more every day.

4.  We enjoyed Halloween with a firefighter (Eva), Darth Vader (Jaden), and Mickey Mouse (Greyson).

5.  Jaden and Matt worked on a pumpkin for Jaden's pumpkin contest at school and Jaden won FIRST PLACE!!!

6.  Jaden lost a front tooth!!  I loooooooove me a toothless smile!!

7.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are always special times and this year was no exception.  The time with family and friends warms our hearts.

8.  Eva turned 10.  Can you believe it?  She's double digits.  She amazes me every day.  I see more and more young lady in her and less and less "little girl".  Sometimes that makes me sad, but I do my best to embrace it.  I don't want to spend my time mourning the fact that my little girl is growing up...I want to soak in each day and marvel and the amazing woman she is becoming. 

9.  We enjoyed a fun weekend at Great Wolf Lodge to end the year off with a bang!!  It was such a great time.  We ate dinner in a REAL Gingerbread house (it smelled amazing) and even got awakened by the fire alarm....and watched REAL firemen come with REAL firetrucks.  It was HANDS DOWN Greyson's favorite part of the whole trip!!  Thankfully, all was good.  Just a false alarm!

Well....that's a quick summary my friends.  Looking forward to 2015 and writing again!