Heart Rock

 In celebration of Valentine's Day (which occurs annually on February the 14th, and therefore should NOT come as a surprise every year), the kids and I ventured deep into the woods on a search for
Heart Rock.

Heart Rock is a secret enchanted rock with magical powers and anyone brave enough to seek it is granted a life-time of love and bliss.

(Untrue.  I just entirely made that up.)

But we went anyway and it was amazing.

Brooklyn was always a solid football field ahead of the rest of us.  She is an outdoor girl.  At one steep and truly scary part of the trail, she seriously flitted and pranced down the hill like a ballerina on a bunch of clouds.  

Meanwhile, I stumbled from rock to rock almost slipping to my death and eventually just sitting on my butt and scooting down the hill like a dog wiping its bum.

Graceful, I know.

 The non-distracted walking gave us such a cool opportunity to talk.  I love talking to my kids.  I love the unexpected and often profound things that come spilling out of their mouths.  

We talked about Helen Keller and King Tut (who was 9 years old when he began his rule of Egypt!) and Harriet Tubman (one of Aubrey's all-time heros), and the dear Ann Frank.

We laughed and listened and learned.
And at one point we took turns guarding each other so we could all go pee behind the trees.

And we had a truly LOVE-ly day.

{Happy Valentine's Day}

Our BIG little News!

He Who Shall Not Be Trained

*Note: Read Harry Potter before this post.  Or you'll be confused.

CHAPTER 1: THE BOY WHO POOED

Mr. and Mrs. Webb, of number 7, Sweetwater Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.  They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, but when one messy-haired little boy made his appearance in their lives, things started to get a little - well, magical.

The boy grew and grew until one day his parents decided it was {well past} time for him to learn how to use the special "closet under the stairs" (aka. the toilet).

They tried everything.

Spells.

Chants.

Magic Potions.

All to no avail.

 

And then, one day, that little boy came in and announced that he had, indeed, peed in the toilet and would now be wearing underwear as a "big boy."

The End.

New Year's Resolutions

Our 12 Days of Christmas

Christmas Card 2014

Something WICKED this way comes...

 

 9 girls, 

(8 blondes), 

7 stores, 

6 taxis,

a 5 course meal,

4 hotel rooms,

3 amazing hours of "Wicked",

2 glow-in-the-dark-bike-peddlers,

1 unforgettable weekend!

 

7.

The 7 best things about Aubrey on her 7th birthday (with 7 pictures from her special day).

 #1:

Aubrey is fiercely obedient.  

She is a rule keeper.  She has a serious amount of self control, this little one.  

Out of child and adult alike, she is honestly, the most trustworthy person I have every known.

 #2:

Aubrey has a heart the size of the whole world.

She is unusually sensitive, and tender, and caring.  Last week she told me about three different situations at school in which she put aside her own desires to go out of her way for someone who needed a friend.  (One time she even gave up her turn on the swing when she went to help a boy that had tripped down a hill and then started crying as his friends ran away without him.  She was incredulous about this situation.  She literally could not grasp how they could have left him.)

 #3:

Aubrey is HILARIOUS.

Funniest kid alive, I swear to you.

Her one-liners and bubblying sense of humor have us constantly rolling.

 #4:

She is a spiritual giant.

Aubrey's spirituality is on a whole other level.  Her faith is the sweetest, purest, most profound and beautiful thing I've ever seen.

 #5:

Aubrey is committed.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if you give Aubrey a job to do, she'll do it.  And she'll do it well.

 #6:

Aubrey is talented.

She is good at everything she tries.  She is one of those rare few who can be a great many things.  She'd make a great mom + nurse + lawyer + teacher + vet + athlete + coach + writer + artist + student + missionary.

#7: 

Aubrey is the greatest daughter, sister, friend, and girl.

Happy Birthday Princess.

We love you.

Count Your Many Blessings, Name Them One By One

“It’s important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level. We need to literally “count our blessings,” give thanks for them, allow ourselves to enjoy them, and relish the prosperity we already have.” 

- Shakti Gawain

Dear Family,

When I count my blessings,

I count you first.

It's Great to Be Eight

November 8th was one of the sweetest days of our lives.  Our little recently-turned-eight Brooklyn was baptized.  It was beautiful and simple and perfect, and I will not attempt to describe it with inconsequential words.  But I will say that it was one of the most special days of our lives, and I could not have been more proud.