A Decadent Decade

Has it really been 10 years since I posted my first blog post on here?

10. Whole. Years. ???

Wow!

That's so amazing. When I started, I thought that blogging was more of a vanity thing. Like journaling for the world to see. Then I realized it was a good way to keep track of stuff -- happenings, memories, accomplishments, milestones.

And, while I haven't been able to stay completely faithful in writing on here, I have enjoyed it. It's fun to muse and remember and ruminate on the stuff bouncing around my head.

And it's even more fun to go back and reread the happenings of the past 10 years, memories I might have forgotten without this little blog-thing.

So here's to -- hopefully -- 10 more years?

Thanks for reading!

15 Sweet Valentines

For some Valentine's Day is just another Hallmark occasion...a time to buy the clichéd cards and chocolates and express the stereotypical sayings about love.

For me, it's another occasion to praise God for the precious Valentine He gave me in 2001.

Happiest 15th Birthday

to our fantastically funny and gorgeously handsome son,

Edward Stuart!!

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2015!

A very HAPPY new year to you!

Wow! I cannot believe that this year has arrived. 2015!! I remember thinking about it back in the 1990s and feeling like it was still eons away. (I guess I've traveled through eons?)

We're halfway through the teens...literally with our kids and the years.

How. Did. That. Happen.

?!?!?!

Emily hits quite a few milestones this year: high school graduation, university, a first job, and maybe her driver's license...and turning 18.

All, In. One. Year.

Mind-blown.

Edward and Ethan will carry on as usual. They'll be my rocks this year. Hopefully, the normalcy of their lives will help keep me sane?

I'm putting together my annual recap blog post. I haven't done it in awhile, but I hope to post it in the next few days. It gives me a chance to reflect on all of God's goodness to us in the past year. In good and bad times, He is always with us!

In the meantime, enjoy the fresh start of a the new year. What are your resolutions? I resolve to be a better blogger this year...and try to stay sane. *wink-grin*

Oh, and...

New Year's Day 1:35 a.m.

Aren't they the cutest? Hard to believe they were still going strong at 1:30 a.m.

HAPPY 2015!!

Oh, Happy Day!

What a difference six years makes, right?

From little to "big" in the blink of an eye. Today is Ethan's "Star Birthday," meaning his birthday actually landed on his actual day of birth.

We are so proud of this little guy! He woke up, and Edward asked him if he felt different. He said he felt taller...so we, of course, measured him, and he is actually an inch and a quarter taller.

Happiest 6th Birthday to our special "caboose," Ethan Samuel! We love you more than you'll ever know!

A couple of pics from today:

Happiest Palindrome Birthday to My Bestest Friend and Hubby!

44!

Love this man!

We started the day with a power outage...so had an impromptu brekkie out...but it turned out to be a fun -- if busy -- day!

He's the best thing that ever happened on this day! xxoo

Ha-ha-happy Ha-ha-half Birthday, Ethan!

Well, it's here. Another half-birthday to celebrate and enjoy!  I cannot believe our youngest is well on his way to becoming a 5-year-old!! Yikes! It goes WAY too fast! (she laments for the 500,000th time.)

So, here is Ethan Samuel in all his 4.5-year-old glory:

Every day is a day to celebrate each other, but somehow having another special day to look forward to each year makes everything a little more fun. And why not? They're only small for a short time, right?

Oh, and Happy Pi Day, too!

How do you celebrate special times at your house?

Sweet Sunday

Another Half-Birthday celebration hit our house today.

Emily turned 14 1/2.

14 years and 6 months old.

I harkened back 14 years ago to her first half-birthday. We started celebrating "half-birthdays" to help her get used to the idea of people singing to her. We'd heard so many stories from friends of how overwhelmed their babies felt on their first birthdays. It seemed a fun thing for her, especially since we share a birthday in October. (Half-birthdays are meaningless to adults who really don't want the reminder that they are a half-a-year closer to that next number.)

We gave Emily a "roll-around people set" wrapped in the comics from the newspaper. She loved it! The paper, that is. *wink-grin* No, she really enjoyed the set, too, but she didn't understand the half-birthday concept...yet.

Today, Emily harkened back even further from me to 15 years ago...when I was just passing my first trimester. What a relief that was. Not that I was out of danger -- pregnancies are full of dangers, right? Well, that's what my What to Expect in Pregnancy book told me -- but at least I was edging past the especially scary/sick zone.

Ah, the memories.

We asked Emi what she wanted to do after church today, since it was her half-birthday, and she told us that she wanted to "fence" and do a family version of Britain's Got Talent.  Both were a lot of fun!  Stuart showed us that he's an awesome fencer -- turns out he learned everything he knows from watching The Highlander and Lord of the Rings.  Then Stuart got to be Simon Cowell and I was Sharon Osbourne for the talent show. We finished the day by walking to the playground, opening prezzies, eating a yummy dinner, and watching the movie Tangled.

All in all, Emi said she had a fantastic day!  And we're glad since she's such a fantastic girl!

Here are some photos to help prove that:

Worded (Slightly) Wednesday

Happiest 25th Anniversary to my sister and her hubby!