graduation!

I cannot believe that Ted is finished with law school.  I turned to him in the car on the way to the ceremony and asked him what we were supposed to do now.  We've become so used to this life of ours - he wandering in and out throughout the week and working into the wee hours of the night, and me trying to take care of as much as I can by myself and watching TV alone on the sofa at night.  There are some things I will miss.  I will miss his ability to be home during the week, even if he's not really here.  I will miss getting to watch whatever I want to on TV.  But there is so much more I won't miss - the constant studying, the inconsistent schedule, the wasted weekends he would have to spend reading, or writing, or studying.

When we began this adventure three years ago, I pointed out that when he walked across that stage during graduation, we would have a walking, talking (almost) three-year-old.  We couldn't imagine then and we can hardly believe it now.  Ella was his biggest cheerleader at the ceremony, sporting her Michigan cap and shaking her maize and blue pom pom (never used to root for UofM at a sporting event, promise)!  She was so proud of her daddy that, as we sat in the balcony listening to all of the speakers and watching all of the processions, she exclaimed numerous times, "I love my daddy," and "My daddy is graduating."  Thankfully all of our auditorium neighbors also thought she was the cutest thing around and got such a kick out of her enthusiasm.

a new stage

Those of you with little ones know, nothing at this stage of their little lives lasts for long.  They change so quickly and, as soon as you find yourself in a predictable routine, something throws it off-course.  Recently, we've started having major naptime battles.  I am working hard to continue to enforce at least an hour of quiet time in her bedroom every afternoon if she isn't going to nap.  But, an hour goes by VERY quickly.  As soon as I have lunch cleaned up, shift a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, and take Ella to the bathroom for the 20th time, I've not much time left to do anything in the way of blogging, or work for that matter.

So we are adjusting, or trying to.  Ella still has three weeks of summer camp left at her preschool and so I try to use the two mornings a week she's there to do my actual, paying work.  I've been busy lately with several new projects and so the non-income generating activities that I so enjoy are taking a back seat.  

We've gone through so many changes and adjustments in the last three years that I hardly have reason to be surprised by them anymore.  But they can still throw me for a loop.  I also know that we have many more ahead.  So while I love blogging, its going to have to take a back seat for a little while, at least until we figure out what our new, predictable routine will be.  And then I'll be back at it, full steam ahead, until, of course, that predictable routine decides to change again.

There are going to be many new projects, however, to share with you all as we move through the latter half of 2014.  Our new house in Cleveland is overflowing with them and I can't wait to dive in this coming August.  I have a feeling I'll be mastering some new skills when it comes to this place.  So until then, I'll be sharing all of the plans I have floating around in my head for the new house and some of the new projects I've been working on.  And as always, a bit more of just where we are in life, right now.  Here's to more no-naptime selfies (or not).

moving a family: part 4

HOUSE HUNTING . . . sigh.

To date, we've made two trips to Cleveland to look at houses.  The first trip, we all went, and toured seven homes.  On the second trip, I went with Ella on my own and met my mother's husband there.  He graciously volunteered to drive up from Dayton in order to entertain Ella and lay a second pair of eyes on the line-up for that visit - another four houses plus a second visit to a home we'd seen during our first visit.  It's this house that we've been negotiating to purchase for a little over a week now.

It is the only house we've seen that I began visualizing plans for immediately.  It needs some TLC after sitting empty for just over a year's time, but has plenty of square footage for our little family to grow into.  In fact, I almost can't imagine having so much space after living in our tight, 1100-square-feet for the past three years.  We are all eager to spread out a bit!

So, as we wait for news on our last and final offer, I've been browsing children's books all about moving to a new house (thank you for the suggestion Annie) and ordered these two:

A New Home for Kai-Mook by Guido Van Genechten and From There to Here by Laurel Croza. 

Ella and I have also been busy planning her bedroom for a new house (whichever house that may be).  I'll be posting her creative vision later this week!

for him

My husband and I celebrated our third anniversary on Tuesday.  In what has, begrudgingly, become tradition, my husband spent the day hunkered down in the office writing papers and studying while I hung out with my favorite little munchkin.

Since we married, we've yet to really have the opportunity to celebrate the day we wed - under the chuppah held by our family, and looking forward to the arrival of what was, and most definitely has, made us a complete family - our Ella.  I am so filled with warmth and happiness when I reflect on that day.  And it's nice to be able to say this now, because on that very day I'm almost positive I was feeling very big, quite uncomfortable and tired, and a bit emotional to say the very least.  But to see how life has unfolded for our little family today would have sustained the me then.  I couldn't have imagined, in a million years, how motherhood would transform me, how a marriage could fulfill me, and how grateful I could be for a family, my family.

The traditional gift for the third year is leather.  With no place to house my first gift preferance (that would actually have been a mutual gift - shhh!), I chose a leather bound copy of the American Bar book.  I had the cover embossed for the occasion.

To my husband: I am looking forward to all that our fourth year will bring - new adventures, more joys, and lots and lots of laughter!  I love you!

Now let's drink!

   

creative slump

I have been remiss with my blog posts as of late.  I cannot attribute it to being busy or overwhelmed - frankly, I have been quite underwhelmed, but enjoying life all the same.  I still have a to-do list and my day-to-day tasks still remain, unchanged.  But still, there has been something missing from my recent existence, something that causes me to be on edge, impatient, in need of something that online shopping just can't seem to fulfill.

I've not made, anything, in a very long time.  I've not painted, stitched, drawn, designed, or arranged.  I've not cut, assembled, planted, or baked.  I've neglected my soul's need to create, to work with my hands, to accomplish something beyond my to-do list.  And it's not sitting well with me.

So a few nights ago, after putting Ella to bed, I pulled out my paints, that have been relocated to our attic in an effort to declutter our home for showings, and some left over wood panels and put brush to surface.  I started by trying to plan a few compositions in my notebook, but in the end, abandoned a perfect plan and just painted.  I have to remind myself that, after neglecting my need to make for so long, it's best to just get started again without much thought.

I'd like to continue to share the products of my making practice here, as I try and reestablish a new goal of creating something, no matter how little, how bad (or even possibly good), at least once every week, from now through the end of the year.     

the center hall colonial

Many of the homes in the areas we've been house hunting are center hall Colonials.  These are homes that have a center hall in a usually symmetrical floor plan that contains the main stair and a foyer.  The rooms that flank the center hall are most typically a living room and a dining room.  When given the choice between a Tudor and a Colonial, we seem to be most attracted to the Colonial.  All things aside though, this wouldn't be my first style choice.  I really do love a good bungalow or even a nice modern, but with zero moderns and few bungalows large enough to fit the bill, I've started gathering some inspiration for what we might do with a center hall Colonial.

I'm completely taken with some of the renovations I've found and seriously excited to get started on the next house, when we find one of course!

source

source

source

I love the eclectic mix of furnishings in these rooms - a little bit of modern in spaces with lots of traditional details.  They all feel comfortable but polished; put together but not stuffy.  Perhaps that is my biggest fear when looking at this style of home, that I won't be able to create the casual spaces that  match our family's lifestyle in rooms with such formal detail.  These images reassure me that it is, in fact, possible to do just that.

toys we love: playskool pipeworks

We've been feeling a bit under the weather around here since late last week.  Turns out Ella has another ear infection.  So we've been amusing ourselves in the house, save for our little weekend adventure to Cleveland this past Saturday (update coming soon), and so having this toy around has been awesome!  Dare I say, this is the BEST toy ever!  At least for a kid who loves to build, climb, push things, rock, pretend . . . the list goes on and on.

Playskool Pipeworks were manufactured and sold starting in the 1980's.  My mother bought us two sets when we were kids and of all the toys we had, this was the one toy we specifically requested be saved for our own kids.  These pipes have certainly seen better days - some have the chew marks from our childhood dog Lily, others have sticky residue from the duct tape we used to attach blankets and other materials to our creations.  Despite this wear, however, these pipes still carry with them the challenge to dream up new configurations and designs.  A few days ago it was a swing.  Unfortunately, that didn't work out, but only because we didn't have enough pieces.  Instead, we built a wagon, a set of monkey bars, a rocking horse, a slide, and pretend car.

I've enjoyed seeing Ella learn quickly how to put the pieces together - just push together and turn until you hear a click.  They've helped me sneak other basic lessons in color and counting into our play time too.  "Two yellow pieces, please!"

Unfortunately, Playskool no longer makes Pipeworks.  But if you have any interest, you can try your luck on ebay or even craigslist.  You can also check out Omagles Toys, a similar construction toy using pipes and connection pieces to build just about anything.  I found their site while looking into buying more pieces to add to our current sets.  I've never used them before and their site hasn't been updated in a while so I'm unsure if they are still in production.  And if you want Playskool to bring Pipeworks back, there's a Facebook page for that!

moving a family: part 3

If you've been following my moving series here and here, you'll know that we've been waiting for news from the school we've chosen for Ella to attend this fall.  Well, several weeks ago we received the call we had been waiting for.  Ella will be starting preschool in the fall at a school where we all felt quite at home and so now we can move onto other pressing matters: house hunting to be specific.

We finally received a great recommendation for a realtor and have been talking and exchanging emails with her.  Ted and I sat down and made a list of everything we're looking for in a new home, but there is most definitely an emotional and visceral requirement that I haven't yet found.  Nor can I seem to put my finger on what about a home might compel me to feel that these requirements have been met.  Our realtor has been sending us videos all weekend of homes she has previewed for us. The videos are very helpful, but it's so easy to get distracted by that one bad thing, or even good thing, a house has.  It's hard to prevent yourself from becoming increasingly picky as you view each successive home.  It's hard to remain realistic when in search of the perfect home because, of course, there isn't one.

A tentative trip to Cleveland is in the works for the coming weekend and so I hope to be able to find that "it" quality that I so need to feel like we are making the right choice for our family.  But until then you'll find me continuing to scour Trulia for the perfect home, since I'm sure it will be coming on the market this week (wink wink).

living through construction

Living in a home during construction isn't fun, but the end result, at least for me, is a satisfying reward for the trouble.  I've now, in my adult life, lived through two kitchen remodels and one bathroom remodel and they've all come with valuable lessons, not just of the construction type.  So if you're thinking about living through a remodel, here are my top 5 lessons and suggestions to consider before inviting a contractor to come live with you for a few months.

1  BE REALISTIC  This is probably the most necessary piece of advice but the hardest to truly accept.  If you are planning to live through a renovation, it's going to be dusty, messy, loud, and uncomfortable.  Know it and accept it.  Be realistic about the amount of cleanliness you'll be able to maintain during the project.  Make sure that your lifestyle and that of your family can be accommodated by living largely outside of your home base for a few months.  And, most importantly, make sure to cut yourself some slack!  Don't go planning any dinner parties or gatherings that require a certain level of cleanliness and presentation.  It can all wait until you have a fabulous new space to show off. 

2 CHOOSE A FRIENDLY CONTRACTOR  There are a million requirements for a contractor - that they do good, quality work, are experienced, can manage a project, are affordable, can work within your budget, communicate well, are licensed, carry insurance . . . the list goes on and on.  In addition to all of these things, make sure you meet the people who will be in your home most of the time before you sign on that dotted line.  Many times, a contracting company will send a front man to review your project and deliver a bid but in reality, once you sign the contract, you may only hear from or see that person a few times during the course of the work.  So ask to meet the foreman for your particular project before you settle on the contractor.  Make sure you feel comfortable with them because they will be practically living with you for the duration of the work.  You should feel like you can communicate with them openly and that they will be responsive to you and your requests.

3 RELOCATE ITEMS TO FREE UP SPACE  Construction doesn't just happen in one room.  Even if you are only planning to remodel your kitchen, chances are your contractor will need ready access to the basement and perhaps adjoining rooms.  They will need a convenient point of entry and exit from your home, and they will need staging and storage space.  Plan to remove unnecessary items from the areas surrounding the construction area, including their circulation routes into and through the home.  Not only will you avoid possible damage to your things, you'll be able to give the contractor some space to work.  Make sure you let them know the ways you'd like them to enter and exit the home and where they might be able to setup outside or in a garage to cut wood or perform other messy tasks that can be done outside of the house.

4 HAVE A PLAN  If you are planning to live through a remodel, a little bit of life planning can go a long way.  How can you set-up the spaces you will have to make things more convenient?  Where are some places you can go when the construction becomes just too much?  If your kitchen is non-existent, how will you feed yourself on a daily basis?  Make a plan before the contractor starts work and there will be a lot less to stress out about.  When we had our kitchen remodeled  (the second time) I spent an entire weekend making meals to freeze that could easily be reheated in the microwave.  This helped cut down on the amount of take-out we ate and helped keep our costs down.  We also set up a mini kitchen area in our living room, complete with microwave, toaster, refrigerator, pantry, table, and chairs.  But in order to accomplish this, we had to relocate part of our sectional.  We also had a solid routine of activities outside of the house.  In large part, it meant that we weren't stuck at home with the noise and dust all the time.

5 REMEMBER THE BIG PICTURE  Just remember that in a few months you will have your house back and will be able to enjoy your newly remodeled space.  Keep this big picture in mind every time there's a delay, every time something goes awry, and every time the drywall guy decides to sand the walls without closing the dust barrier!  No matter what happens, the project will be completed and (hopefully) you will love the result.

scenes from our vacation

Last week was my husband's Spring Break, the last he will ever have, and so we planned a little family vacation to take full advantage.  About six months ago, very good friends of ours moved away from Ann Arbor and we were determined not to let too long of a time pass before seeing them again.  Ella and their son became quite good friends in the time we spent with them while they were living here and there is nothing better than seeing them together, laughing and playing!  Here are some of my favorite moments captured while in Charlotte.

 

And then we traveled to Charleston for a few days, staying just outside of town on the Isle of Palms.  We finally got a warm day our final morning there!

moving a family: part 2

I've been a bit absent here and the reasons are two-fold.  First, the ongoing renovation of our bathroom has kept Ella and I away from home and out of our routine.  Second, we've been working on checking things off of our moving checklist.  Our first priority: to find a pre-school for Ella.

Just before the holidays, Ted and I finally had a chance to talk together about finding a preschool for Ella in Cleveland.  He knows much more about the city and was able to give me an idea of the educational landscape, you know, the Who's Who of Schools.  We started to hop onto websites, make mental notes of application deadlines, program highlights, tuition (wah! wah!), and locations.  We decided to pick it all up again after we returned to Ann Arbor just after the new year.  And ha!, here we are, February.  All those mental notes must have gotten deleted between all the driving, the celebrating, the eating and the drinking of the holidays.  The drinking . . . that's probably what did it really.

In any case, here we are, in February and realizing we've missed application deadlines.  After a momentary freak out, I've been able to get things back on track and have realized that these things are not such a big deal.  Ella will go to school somewhere, I'm sure.  And, she (and we) will be just fine.

But, aside from the application deadlines, the logistics of touring schools in a city where you know only a handful of people is a challenging and expensive endeavor.  Booking hotels, arranging for our dog to be boarded, gas, meals . . . you know, the general expenses one encounters when traveling.  And of course, the toll it can take on a toddler is also a bit of a drag.  Though she might look quite cozy reading to her stuffed animals in the hotel, the quick trip wore her out.

While in Cleveland, we visited two schools.  A third visit was planned but ultimately cancelled because we were exhausted and because the first school we visited happened to be exactly what Ted and I wanted for Ella.  Even she let out an audible "ooooooh" when we walked into the building, and then asked, "Where's the paint, mommy?".  I'm a firm believer in following your intuition with things such as this.  If you feel comfortable, at ease, and confident, you're probably doing the right thing.  And we did at this school.  We ALL did.  Ella marched straight into the preschool classroom without a single hesitation, or goodbye for that matter.  She went immediately to a comfy chair by the bookshelves, grabbing book on her way, and sat down to read; something she often does when the social atmosphere is a bit intimidating (she is certainly my daughter).  Now, we are just in a holding pattern until we hear that they have space for Ella in the class next year.  Waiting and crossing our fingers, so our next trip can be completely dedicated to our house hunt.

snow days in atlanta

While not particularly exciting or new to all you Northerners, snow days in Atlanta are so incredibly rare. I realize, after growing up in the Midwest, I really kind of miss them. And here in Atlanta EVERYONE, kids and adults, typically get snow days off because we are so unaccustomed to what snow and ice do to our roads.

What makes snowy days in Atlanta doubly unique? It all goes away almost quicker then it fell. Tuesday we had zero snow (left), by Wednesday everything was covered in snow and ice (middle), this morning the snow was still falling and this afternoon the whole city is melting (right).

I wish this post was about something I had accomplished around the house during the snowy time off the past two days with Tricia around the house...but the fun of snow days is hunkering down, enjoying the snow and relaxing all while hoping our power didn't go out and a tree doesn't fall on your house (thankfully neither of which happened to us!). And I was really quite worried about the tree-falling part because we are pretty much surrounded by enormous pine trees, which apparently are the most likely to fall over (learned from all the endless news coverage on the subject).

My dog Mister (pictured above left) is always bewildered by all the snow but loves to get crazy and run around and try to eat it all, so running around the backyard with him is always entertaining. Also, in our new neighborhood there are quite a few steep roads and hills that I imagined would be perfect for sledding. Unfortunately when we made an attempt the snow had not compacted and harden enough. Bummer.

moving a family: part 1

Ella's first photograph in our house in Ann Arbor (2011)

For all of those friends who do not yet know, our family will be moving to Cleveland this summer.  My husband will have graduated from school and will be starting a new job there, and that is something to celebrate.  But the idea of moving and the actual logistics of moving . . . these are some totally overwhelming things, that have rendered me full of apprehension, a little dread, sadness, and fear.

And just to get myself more worked up about it all, I made the mistake of typing this exact phrase - moving a family - into Google last week and among a long list of things, these are some of the articles I found:

this New York Times article about moving . . .

and this, from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychology.

Both incredibly scary and totally unhelpful.

Though life continues on for us here, in much the same way it always has, the talk of moving to a new home and city comes up more often than it used to.  I bring it up to my husband to remind us both how quickly this move will be here, and I bring it up to Ella so that we can begin to prepare her to leave the only home and school she's known (yep, here come the tears).

Though we aren't the first family to ever move, and this won't be our first move as a family, this will be a unique experience for us.  It will be the first time we move with a child who is old enough to know that something is changing, and in a big way.  It will be the first time that we hire movers (thank God).  It will be the first time that we have to remove Ella from a school she looks forward to attending each week, and friends she's met.  And it will be the first time we leave this city of Ann Arbor, a city we've grown so fond of,  and all of the friends and neighbors we've met here.  And that is going to be incredibly sad.

Though I am still trying to find the excitement in this moving experience, I am excited to share this process with all of you.  I'll continue writing about our moving journey here, every few weeks, and I hope you'll share your experiences with us too!

this weekend: the little things

I spent this weekend trying to lighten my load, of both things in our house and tasks on my to-do list. I finished up all of the painting in the kitchen, you know the tiny spaces between cabinets and window frames that often get overlooked.  I also sanded and oiled the shelves over the sink and painted in between them.  Everything is finally starting to feel complete and that is a great feeling.

I also purged about two trash bags worth of clothing and shoes from my closet.  I was able to move my sweaters back into my closet from their most recent home under our bed, as well as a lot of my shoes which have been living in our coat closet.  Making space for the things I use and love is also a pretty great feeling.

And, though I accomplished a good bit this weekend, I still felt a bit mopey on Sunday afternoon.  I'm the type of person that always wants to do more (and has a lot more to do), and so the small dents in my to-do list often fail to fulfill me.  And you know what?  That's just a shame.

I celebrate Ella's accomplishments, no matter how seemingly small, every day.  Whether its getting dressed all by herself, eating without making a mess, or building a tall tower . . . I celebrate her.  I celebrate my husband when he braids Ella's hair (well), bowls a good game, or gets a great grade in class.  They aren't balloons-and-cake type celebrations, but we do hug, high five, and I try to express to them that I am one proud mama and wife.

I should give myself the same credit, for working on making dents in my to-do list when I can and as best I can, for not sitting idly by and wishing for things to just, poof, be done for me, and for pressing forward no matter what frustrations or setbacks I might encounter.  I should be proud of myself too.  And, as it turns out, the research agrees.  Celebrating the small accomplishments is critical for maintaining motivation and feeling good about oneself.  So, if you don't mind, I'm going to go give myself a pat on the back (maybe a few M&M's) and get back to work.

this weekend: bowling!

The weather around here has really become quite a drag!  I have learned that, in order to survive (meaning stay sane) winters here, one must become comfortable with driving on snowy and slippery terrain and bundling up to keep warm in below freezing temperatures to make it out of the house.  Because, let's be honest, staying inside for more than a day with a toddler is just, well, insanity!

This past weekend we did just that: bundled up and headed to the bowling alley.  This has become a new favorite, family activity.  My husband got a ball and shoes for Christmas and he's been quite intent on getting the most use out of them as possible.  I'm not gonna argue, because frankly, it's a great activity for all of us.

For the first time, though, they had shoes in Ella's size (6)!  She was so in love with them, she didn't want to give them back.  I kind of liked them too.

Sometimes we just help her to push the ball down the lane, but this weekend she used the ramp contraption where she could place her ball atop a metal frame and simply push it, down the metal frame where it would pick up speed and continue on down the lane.  Handy for all so that her balls didn't take several centuries to reach the pins!

back together again

My not-a-mom long weekend has officially come to an end.  My husband and daughter are now home and we slid right back into our routine this morning with breakfast, dawdling, and a rush to shower, dress and get her off to school.  It's always a rush around here.

I rushed to get the dining room back to a usable condition on Monday afternoon before they both returned too.  I successfully got the dining room and kitchen painting while they were away.  I also stripped, sanded, and re-stained the wood trim around the opening from the living room to the dining room.  There are still paint touch-ups to be made, the side door to be painted, and more wood trim to refinish, but it's livable.

  

I learned that I am a perfectionist to a fault when it comes to painting.  I learned that this is not a good quality when painting an old house with old plaster walls with loads of imperfections.  I spent two full days just prepping the walls to be painted!  And even after I had painted, I went back and re-spackled a few areas to get them just right.  But the paint job is still far from what I would call perfect.  At some point during the weekend I had to remind myself that I was never going to achieve perfect with an imperfect canvas, and so I settled for DONE in the best way possible.  Perhaps this should be my motto for 2014!

painting walls

Yesterday, after Ella woke up from her nap I asked her if she wanted to paint.  She responded by telling me that she was not old enough to paint and that Mommy had to paint while Daddy took care of her.  Her mind clearly went right to our plan for this coming weekend.  Coined not-a-mommy weekend 2014 by Ted and I, we planned for him to take her to his parent's home for the long weekend so that I could finish the dining room and kitchen - patch, paint, stain, etc.

This little exchange got me to thinking . . . Ella is perfectly capable of paintpaiing a wall so why not let her.  So I got out some paint and brushes and we got to work . . . in our bathroom!  

In a month, the room will be completely gutted so why miss out on the opportunity to paint a wall.

our holiday

I finally downloaded all of the photos from our holiday travels and thought I'd share some of my favorites. Since having Ella, we've been able to make the trip to see both of our families to celebrate Christmas and the new year every year.  We usually plan to spend Christmas proper with one of our families (usually the one we didn't see for Thanksgiving), and then travel to see the other either before or after Christmas.  At least that was thinking behind it all.  In actuality, because of schedules and timing, we have spent Christmas proper the past two years with my husband's family, so I was over the moon this year to be able to spend the holiday with my family in Atlanta.  My sister (the other Fort) has lived in Atlanta since 2004 and we've yet to spend a holiday in her city.  It was nice to let her play host, take us to great restaurants, coffee shops, and let's not forget, Revolution donuts.  At least, I won't forget . . .

happy 2014!

I decided to take a bit of a break from the blog for the holidays so that I could travel without worry, celebrate without a to-do list, and spend lots of time with the people I love.  And that I did!   Now, we're finally back in Michigan, getting settled at home, and enjoying the frigid temps and piles and piles of snow.  And I just turned my computer on for the first time since we've been home, oh, just about two hours ago.

The break gave me time to reflect on my year of blogging.  It was just a year ago, about this time, that I decided to make the resolution to blog consistently for the remainder of the year.  At times, the task was challenging - when life removed me from the comforts and conveniences of my own home, when I was sick, or worse, Ella was sick, when we traveled, or just got busy as often was the case.  At first, I let the little hiccups really bother me - I was afraid that by missing a day at first, and then two days, or an entire week, would mean that I had failed to accomplish my resolution.  But each time, I re-grouped, found something to write about that truly reflected my life at that moment, and I pressed on.  I gave myself a break.  I'm not sure I've ever really, consciously, done that for myself - just gave myself a break.  It took effort and being truly present and aware of the little voices in my head, but I did it.  And I learned so much, about myself and about setting goals, in the process.  That was definitely the best gift of 2013!

So, as we head into 2014, I am determined to continue what I've started here, whatever that is.  And because I know that change is a coming this year in a big way for our little family, I resolve to let it happen with gratitude, patience, and awareness that change is really what life is all about.

Happy 2014 friends!

this weekend: white christmas

Ella and I took a quick trip to Chicago at the end of last week to visit family.  My husband has been busy studying for his final exams and, with the kitchen still unusable, I decided a little trip was just the thing to keep me from bubbling over with stress.  We made sure to hit up the Shedd Aquarium, one of my favorite places in Chi-town, and throw our hands in the air and wave 'em like we just don't care by the lake before we left to beat the snowstorm home.

On Friday, we enjoyed the crazy snowfall, heading outside early to shovel.  And since that morning, Ella has been asking if she can walk in the snow every time we go out of the house.  I had  thought that asking for snow boots for Christmas would work out since last year we barely saw a flake before January.  Obviously, that plan hasn't worked out.

But Sunday was the highlight of our entire weekend!  A few weeks ago I was reading one of my go-to blogs, Mom Explores Michigan.  She helpfully compiled a great list of holiday events and activities in and around Ann Arbor, and while reading through them, I was immediately taken with the idea of a Christmas train ride.  Ella loves trains (right now) and I thought it would be the perfect Christmas surprise for her.  As expected, she loved the ride, so much she asked to go again.  She even survived her first visit with Santa Claus.  And had it not been so bone-chilling cold, we might have stayed longer to stroll through the entirety of the lighted village.  It was super pretty.  

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend as much as we did!