Happy New Year

Well my sweet loves,

This has been an incredible year.  I have loved so many special moments with you, and can absolutely laugh at some pretty terrible times we have shared too.  Another blogger wrote about living in anticipation of the memory.  Others would say we should be present every single moment.  I say, do your best, and sometimes the moment is the place to be, other times, closing your eyes, and hoping that the moment passes so you can anticipate the memory (which is always better).

ANYWAY!  What a few weeks we have had, and I am behind on keeping track of it all.  So tonight, I will say we had such a perfect NYE.

Hudson, you didn't make it to the festivities, so here you were earlier in the day.

Pancakes and iPads for breakfast.

 Buddy, you were "fixing the tree with pliers."  Hudson you worked so so hard.

I love this picture mostly because you remind me so much of you as a baby.  

I can just imagine you as a six month old.  

My girls and your mocktails before we sat down for dinner.

 So, this looks better than it tasted.  We have made it a tradition to have 

Barefoot Contessa Real Meatballs and Spaghetti for dinner. I was reheating the pot just before dinner and apparently turned the burner on high, and then left the room to give Hudson a bath.

Well, I may have BURNED DINNER!  This was just the top of the pot and I found it mostly inedible. Oh well. Next year.

 TWINS.  How embarrassing for me. 

New Year's Resolution, dress in clothes that dad doesn't have.

 Beat the Parents!  Girls, this year we beat you, but it was close:)

 Conferring on one of your answers.

Well my loves.  I will type up your end of the year interviews asap. 

I have loved watching you grow and thrive again this year.  

It is truly an honor to be your mom and this year my resolution is to have more dates with each of you.

Daddy. Taylor. Anna. Hudson.

I can't wait to have dates with each of you.

xoxo

mom

In closing, my annual post:

This Christmas mend a quarrel. 

Seek out a forgotten friend. 

Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. 

Write a letter. 

Give a soft answer. 

Encourage youth. 

Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. 

Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. 

Forgive an enemy. 

Apologize. 

Try to understand. 

Examine your demands on others. 

Think first of someone else. 

Be kind. Be gentle. 

Laugh a little more. 

Express your gratitude. 

Welcome a stranger. 

Gladden the heart of a child. 

Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. 

Speak your love, and then speak it again.”

― Howard W. Hunter

40!

Dear Kids,

This one is for daddy.  We had such a great time celebrating your 40th birthday.  I am still stunned that you are 40, I really keep thinking we are still in our 20s... but I guess the grey hair, transitions lenses (for you) and the aching joints, and lack of ability to hold cocktails should have told me otherwise.

Anyway, we started last Sunday with your first party!  A family day at a beach-side restaurant to celebrate with your brother and family.  It was a great lunch followed by a better time at the beach. 

Best buds:) 

 The Birthday Boys!

The difficult-to-get family photo.

From there, we celebrated again after the girls Christmas Show with a few families.  It was such fun, and nothing says 40 like an evening spent at the kids Christmas show followed by dinner for 19. (more on that in another post).

Bright and early on your actual birthday, we gave you your "This is 40" book!  

We were so so excited about this secret project:)  

I surprised you with a quick trip to Solage in Calistoga, which is one of our all-time favorite places.

There is a little fly fishing spot up there, which had this truck in the driveway, I just loved it.

We had a nice drive up and stopped for an amazing lunch on Bouchon in Yountvile. 

 There is nothing better than a relaxed long lunch with a glass of wine or gin and tonic.  Nothing.

Solage greeted us with a lovely bottle of champagne and a birthday wish!

 After a nice long nap and soak in the hot tub, we headed out for a late dinner.  

Love, it was so so nice to spend the day with you.  

Even better to enjoy a few meals without interruption.

We finished off the day with a white russian at the bar, and their take on carrot cake.  

Instead of cream cheese frosting they had cream cheese icing.

Amazing. 

Next up..... your birthday party.  I am clearly rubbing off on you if your birthday now has 4 events.

xoxo

What I want to remember this Christmas

Dear Taylor, Anna and Hudson,

I feel like there are so many small moments to remember this year and I know better than to think my actual memory will help me do this:

So, first up, your Christmas lists:

Anna, this list is the best!  First, your printing here is so beautiful, I can tell you worked really really hard.  Second, goodness, I wonder if you list includes adding a few hundred square feet to your room because if you had all these things, plus your toys, we would have to find a new space for you and your bed!

You are clearly into "your look" right now.  You love a cute outfit, and prefer to be dressed up over yoga pants, any day.  I went to pick you up at soccer yesterday and you were wearing a plaid wool skirt, and a red wool sweater with sparkly buttons.  To soccer practice.  Dry clean only.  I resisted the temptation to say anything and told you you looked stunning and that I loved your outfit!  

 Taylor, your list is the perfect description of you.  Practical, with a quest for knowledge, but responsible enough to know that asking for too much would probably end with disappointment.  That said, my goodness your list is reasonable this year.  It makes my heart smile to see what an amazing human you are.

Hudson, each day you ask if it is Christmas morning with such excitement.  I can't wait to see what happens when it really IS Christmas morning!  We asked you what you would like this year and you said a toy- a kitty.  We will find the perfect toy kitty for you buddy!

xoxo

mom

Just Pictures

Dear Kiddos,

We are on our way to Christmas and you are all so excited.  

I am so ready for school and work to be over and to have the time to sit with each of you.  

To snuggle in front of the fire.  

To play card games.  

To watch movies.  

To make yummy treats together.  

I am ready for time without a schedule. 

Time to just be.  

In the meantime, I have so many pictures so here are a few:

xoxo

mom

I'm Grateful

Dear Kiddos,

I was so filled with gratitude this evening.

I looked over to see you three quietly snuggled up on the couch, 

watching a Christmas movie, eating a yummy dinner (delivered by Munchery).  

It was such a perfect night. 

I am so grateful I get to be your mom and that you have eachother.

xoxo

mom

The end.

Boy.

Taylor, what a year.  You and your amazing team lost in the semifinals after a really tough game.

You played so hard, and we truly loved this team!

LOVED!

You guys are even going to have another practice just to hang out.

I really think we got lucky and got a super special team this year.

 You, my sweet Taylor, blew our doors off.  You grew so much as a player and team member this year.

You worked hard. You watched. You learned.  You were a team member.

We loved watching you.  We had a great time watching you.

We almost had a few heart attacks at some of the games.

 Hudson, gosh, I hope you are more still next year at this time.  

YOu ran onto the field.

You ran towards traffic.

You were feisty and repeated mommy's swear words too easily.

Nicely, mommy said Jesus, you say Jesus. 

I say, "Yes, we will get you cheese its. Cheese Its are delicious"

 This team was like a family.  Siblings and all!

I am not sure who is more sad it is over- me or you Tay.

I do know that we are proud. Very very proud of you.

xoxo

CRUSH

Well Taylor,

This one is for you!  

Your soccer team made the playoffs.  The team is pretty amazing.

They are such a nice group of girls (and parents) too!

You had the 8am game to start with a 7:15 arrival. 

Taylor, you were so excited and so nervous.  Poor Daddy was traveling and so nervous.

 After a great win in the morning, your team went on play again at 2:30. 

Your coach is so hardcore that you had a practice at 1pm to get ready.

One of the sweetest moms brought you all bbq chicken sushi, and then drove all over town looking 

for orange crush soda.

 How cute is this team? 

And soccer powerhouses to boot.

 The second game was TOUGH.  You were down by 1 to start.

Players were getting aggressive.

One girl slapped another. She got a red card.

Anna has been a great support/lover of the game snacks. 

 Long day. 

 Can't wait for another round tomorrow!

xoxo

Pies and Friends.

My sweet children,

There is a dark secret you should know about your dad.  He LOVES these pocket fruit pies. 

Seriously.

Can you believe it?

 The only other thing I want to say is that there is nothing better than 2nd generation friends.

We are so lucky to be close friends with many of daddy's friends from high school and college

and now, is there anything better than saddling up to a bar and enjoying

some fruit loops with great friends?

I think not.

Happy Tuesday

xoxo

mom

Stats

Kids,

I don't want to forgot to jot these things down.  We had this same wall in my house growing up and I absolutely loved it.  This wall includes annual summer measurements from cousins which is extra fun!

Taylor- height 56.5 inches. You are way off the chart in height, but not nearly the tallest girl in your class.  For weight you are hovering around 75%

Anna- height 51.5 inches.  Anna - you are off the charts!  You are SO tall.

Hudson- height 36 inches. BUBBA!  You are tall!  I thought you were switched at birth for a while when you kept coming in under the 50% for height, but no more:)

No wonder you three are inhaling food at such crazy rates.  We have had major growth spurts around here in the past few months.

xoxo

mom

Pumpkin party!

Anna,

You have such fun friends.  We had this adorable group of girls for an afternoon of pumpkin carving, pizza and total chaos.  The moms stayed for wine and appetizers, but at one point the moms were the only ones carving:)

This was such a great way to kick off a week of Halloween.

Loved it!

xoxo

Halloween 2013!

We had such an amazing Halloween this year kiddos. 

Alex made you the most amazing cupcakes.

 Anna, you sported 4 costumes throughout the week for various occasions. 

This was your hip hop costume!

For the actual day, you all had great costumes that we loved.

 Taylor "Cleopatra"

 Anna the witch at the parade.

 Taylor's class party set up.

 Everyone say "ROARRR." Ok, how about just mommy.

 ROOOOAAARRRR

 The grandmas came to have a great dinner with us and then pass out candy.

 Hudson, half way down our block you got tired and took a rest on the sidewalk. 

And asked us to start opening your candy.

 Hudson, you melted my heart holding daddy's hand.

 Trick-or-treat

 Anna, you looked like such a lovely pink witch.

 Alas, no Halloween hangover for this guy.

A hot bubble bath to get Hudson back to 100%:)