Insta-joys

Has it really been a month?

You know what? It has. I know that it has. I've just been doing a whole lot of livin' - not recording or documenting or sharing. Just livin'. I used to think that if I didn't share on here what was happening in my life, that I'd be standing in front of the mirror one day putting on wrinkle cream and tweezing unruly hairs out of my chin warts and scream, "What happened in November of 2011? Does anyone know? WHERE HAS MY LIFE GONE? "

I have issues. I am fully aware of this.

But, after taking 365 days of photos - that not-so-little project that stretched my lazy, professional-non-finishing be-hind to the max, I just needed a little break from photographing and writing and sharing. A quieter season maybe? At least here on this blog.

But, can I tell you what really encouraged me over this last month? You. Thank you for your emails asking about me and my little family. I sometimes forget that you're out there (Is that ok?), and that you wonder what's going on with us when I don't write.

Though I haven't been updating here, I've been taking a lot of photos with my phone. Because it's always in my back pocket and I can whip it out and capture a moment any time I want.

My friend, Kristen, calls these Insta-joys. Quick and easy snapshots of day to day life. Moments that I just want to remember. Moments that bring me joy - the silly, the fun, the everyday, the kiddos. No big camera. No uploading. No Photoshop.

Just moments.

So, here is a bit of what we've been up to over the last month:

Insta-joy style.

Work projects. I've been making and photographing recipes for various work projects. My kitchen has looked like this a whole, whole lot. But, I enjoy my work so much - and, I'm so thankful for the opportunity to do what I love and get PAID for it!

The boys tracked out of school for three weeks, so we broke out the homeschool box and had a ball. I loved having them home - such a huge benefit of year-round school. As soon as I start to really miss them, they come home for a few weeks!

Max is insanely good at Memory. He whips my toosh every time we play. He's FIVE!

Track out means late night, middle-of-the-week ice cream sundaes. Yes, it does.

Whit prefers cookies to ice cream. Me, too!

Three of the boys got the stomach virus while they were out of school. We're talking OFF THE TOP OF THE BUNKBEDS, onto the carpet below, onto me, onto everything in sight. AFTER eating Oreos all day. WHILE my husband was traveling. It was beyond horrendous. So, we moved all the furniture out of the rooms and prepared to have all the carpets in the whole house cleaned. It was that or arson, and we're not arnsony kind of people.

Everyone recovered and we went to Baltimore for the week of Thanksgiving. We loved seeing our family and celebrating with them. We ate and ate and ate. The kids table rocks!

Across from me were my husband's grandparents. They have been married for 65 years this January. If Jason and I get 65 years together, I hope it looks just like this!

This is post-turkey Thanksgiving.

This is coffee - the lifeblood for mothers of littles. Amen?

We got to visit old friends while we were back in Baltimore. My friend, Sandra, and I have been close friends since seventh grade. Almost 25 years! Such a gift to share so much of my past with someone so delightful.

Another kind of gift? Jason and I got to see TWO Raven's games that week. TWO! Best dates ever.

The second game was on Thanksgiving night. It was a perfect 50 degrees, the lights were bright, the crowd was CRA-ZY loud, and we had the time of our lives. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family.

We packed up the van and headed back home. When it was time to fill up, the 7-11 had this big ol' sign on the window! Really? Not on your life.

We're now back at normal everyday life. (Whatever that is.) The older boys are back in school and working hard. Jack made this project describing a holiday we celebrate together. Christmas = family. So proud of this boy.

Lincoln and I get to spend some really great time together while Whit naps. (An advantage of having my husband work from home.) This is Lincoln vs. Panera's bear claw. Lincoln won. Ate the ENTIRE thing.

I've been back at running errands, keeping the family fed and clothed and enjoying some of my favorite treats, too. I LOVE Gloria Jean's. This was some mint chocolate frozen bomb thing that kept me up til 2am. But, it was awesome.

And, these? I eat them almost every day. My absolute most favorite snack.

Peanut M&M's are a close second. In a GRAND travesty, I opened up one of the kids' fun-sized packs from Halloween and LOOK HOW MANY were in there? FIVE! That's it. FIVE measley M&M's. Terrible.

I walked into the kitchen one day last week and Lincoln was sitting at the kitchen island like this. "I just wike Daddy", he said. Definitely.

Mr. Whitman? Sweet as ever. And, still so tiny. He still takes his baths in the kitchen sink. It's perfectly Whit-sized.

I walked out of Target and DIDN'T buy this hat for him. FAIL!

His hair is completely out of control. I mean, OUT. OF. CONTROL. Crazy blonde curls that are totally unruly. He reminds me of Harry from Dumb and Dumber - especially when he first wakes up. And, yet - I can't cut them. I just can't. My husband is ready with the scissors if I don't do something soon. {sigh}

This relationship slays me. Jack is in love with this baby. He cares for him in a way that is so gentle and patient. It blows me away.

What else? I really like playing Words with Friends. I have loved playing Scrabble since I was really young and a few of my friends and I have WWF games going all the time. (I took this photo when I scored my highest point word EVER. This will never happen to me, again. Ever.)

In other family news, my husband shaved his beard and moustache after many years of scruff. Not really news, right? Well, this FREAKED out Lincoln so badly that he hid under a blanket and wouldn't look at Jason for hours. Yes, HOURS! The older boys started calling him, "Uncle No-Beard." It was a major family event.

Speaking of events (namely Monday Night Football - WOOT!), we got cable. BIG news for us. When the cable company called and offered us digital cable for $10/month, we decided to try it out. It's only been a few days, so I have no idea how it will affect or change our family (I'm praying it doesn't), but the fireplace channel is all the rage with the five year-old around here. Doesn't everyone get cable for the fireplace channel?

SO, we're getting ready for Christmas and enjoying the season. When I look at our tree, I'm reminded that very little ones live here. It is covered in their handmade ornaments and everything is bunched together and hanging off the branches all wacky-like.

It isn't a show tree.

It is our tree.

And, it is so very, very tempting to the little baby destroyer who rips all the ornaments he can reach off of it every morning.

These are the best days of my life. So far, at least. So much goodness packed into these days.

I am really savoring the joy of my family this season. I am so thankful to God for these precious moments with them.