diary of a friday

i have been a very busy bee. 

this dynamic duo is exactly what i needed to kick start my friday.

i had some ideas up my sleeve....

what started as inspiration from some of my fellow blog ladies

(and a can of chalkboard paint from hubby for christmas)

has now turned into a full. blown. obsession.

(seriously, intervention needed and accepted)

while this one followed me around (such a sweet helper)

and this one rocked a killer soundtrack.

i know every mother wants to say that her kid is the best.

but honestly, this one can rock like no other on these drums. (seriously)

i was recently reading one of my newest blog crushes (found here) and saw in her pictures how adorable the top of her fridge was.

so ta-da. now i feel like mine is just as cute!

p.s. isn't genn a-dorable!

"cook with passion" above the stove (as if there was any other way to cook)

a small reminder on my side of the bed to have "sweet dreams" and a little romance with some pictures of paris (cut out from an old calendar)

tell me you're not all in l.o.v.e. with that blanket. my sweet momma made it for me (just because) and it screams "snuggle me" every time i walk by it.

i have no idea how i get out of bed sometimes.

and all whilst looking like this! i gussied up for hubby, and he decided to take the office out to lunch today. figures. (however this look will not go wasted!)

i will be enjoying some of this a little later.

in my adorable "domestic diva" glass courtesy of my sweet momma for christmas. (l.o.v.e. it!)



i have a couple more chalk obsessions (er...i mean crafts) to show you.

but they weren't quite dry yet for writing on.

so....

how did your friday turn out?

happy weekend!

moments in time

this is a rare moment. 

here is a picture of all 5 of us....together.

none of us are looking at the camera.

but we're all accounted for!

this is the way monkey likes to watch t.v.

propped up on the top of the couch.

blanket. bear. and baby by his side.

(he was watching the oregon football game, gasping like we all were)

Happy Wednesday!

blogging to a theme

continuing on the path of inspiration..my girlfriend Elizabeth (found here) was recently inspired by a speaker she heard at her local MOPS group. the speaker talked about living in the moment. capturing the small details of life that we so often take for granted. she is inviting anyone (and everyone) to join in on what she calls "blogging to a theme"

our first assignment is

"color in a dreary winter month."

this is my interpretation.

january is always such a hard month for everyone. the holiday's are over. it's cold and in my case very foggy and cloudy for most of the month. we live in sort of a bowl that gets blanketed with fog that lasts for days.
(it gets very depressing.)

we were going on about day 5 of fog and clouds when all of a sudden the sun broke through. hubby, monkey, and i ran outside. pulled out our pretty blue lawnchairs. and settled in to do some much needed basking.

monkey ran around playing with trucks and soccer balls while we sat and rejuvinated our souls in the warm sunshine. mother nature gave us 4 beautiful hours of it. in the middle of one of the most depressing months of the year.

it was perfect.

i loved the way monkey's trucks and coat looked against the green grass. it's not the most colorful picture. but it was pure bliss to me!

note: if you have a theme idea feel free to drop elizabeth or i a line and let us know. we are always open to new ideas.

what's your word?

Breathe

to inhale and exhale; naturally and freely; to be alive; live.

my new years resolution is to simply be in the moment that is this life hubby and i created. i want to breathe in every season. laugh so hard it hurts. feel each tear in my soul. let go of the negative. enjoy each person in my life for their special gifts. make new friends. be open to new ideas. do something that challenges me. conquer a fear. be inspired. take time to rest. savor every flavor. relax and let go of things i cannot control. i want to take time to enjoy life through my boys eyes. see how happy the little things make them. i want to document as much as possible, so when our boys decide to fly the coop, we can be reminded of how great we raised them and what amazing men they turned out to be. i want to stress less and enjoy more. take some time for myself. feel comfortable in my own skin. spend more time with hubby. work hard and play harder. celebrate everything in standard Allen Family Fashion (we're great celebrators). say yes when i want to and no when i need to. and embrace every lesson learned.

I am going to enjoy each and every opportunity that 2011 is presenting to me. at the end of this year i am going to rejoice in all we have accomplished together. i am going to raise a glass and exclaim "2011 was the best year yet!" and truly mean it. i'm setting my standards high and accepting nothing less than pure bliss from this year.

can i do it? (sure, why not)

will i fail? (probably in some areas)

will i let my failure consume me? (hells-to-the no!)

Hubby always reminds me, "Honey, these are the best years of our lives."

and just between you and me....

I think he's right.

So what is your word?

side note: i have added a couple new tabs to the top of the blog.  a "365 project" that a fellow blogger has challenged her followers to. and a new tab to try and document all of hubby's projects, because to be honest, after 11 years together i still can't creatively explain what a civil/structural engineer does. enjoy!

Another Christmas Memory

  Eating.

  Baking.

  Santa Cookie Making.

   Exploring new textures.

 

  and getting away with it.

  

  Every year Daddy reads "Twas' The Night Before Christmas..."



   Then we set out the milk, cookies, and carrots for the reindeer.

   And it's off to bed.

  

   And while we were sleeping....   

   And then it was over.

Christmas On The Coast

 Hubby has a few big jobs on the coast and had a very important meeting during the boys Christmas break from school...

so we decided to tag along for a little "pre-Christmas" vacation.

It was a Christmas miracle!  It was the most beautiful weather we had ever seen on the coast. 

No fog.

No rain.

Hardly any clouds in the sky.

It was the perfect night away, just the 5 of us.

A new item on our bucket list...To see every lighthouse in Oregon.

From Us to You

We didn't send out Christmas cards this year.

but if we did.

it would have probably looked something like this...



We hope you all had a great Christmas weekend.  Santa was very good to the boys and we had a wonderful time with family.  We are still in celebration mode this week, cleaning, cooking, and looking forward to spending New Year's Eve with good friends.

How are you spending you're New Year's Eve?

6 Is The New Black...

He was due Christmas Eve. 

I begged him to come 2 weeks early...and he listened.

Nolan William Allen

8 lbs 6 oz

100% Perfect!

His first task was to undergo a kidney removal surgery.  He did amazing and graced us with his first smile the day after surgery.  He was born the middle child and has lived up to his title ever since.  We have endured a lot with Little Bear.  From surgery to stitches, laughter and tears, fits and snuggles.  Nolan has taught us patience and acceptance.  His passion for life is something everyone can learn from.  He has a shear determination to experience everything life has to offer.  He is a force to be reckoned with.  The word "Can't" is not in his vocabulary, for Nolan can and will do anything he sets his mind to. 

He has his father's eyes...and his strength.

He has his mother's heart.

He is our middle boy.

Our pride and joy.

He is 6 now...and it looks good on him!

 

 

 

 

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...(la, la, la, la, la, la, la)

To celebrate the first weekend of December, we headed up to the snow for our annual Christmas Tree Hunt!

The weather couldn't have been better. 

We found the perfect spot for the kids to play,

made a campfire,

and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows.

There is nothing better than meeting a couple of great friends at the top of a mountain and enjoying some Christmas memories!

The entire highway was full of people. 

Like we were all a part of some special club and they closed the road just for us. 

It was such a neat feeling driving past everyone. 

Each around their own fire pits, eating, drinking, laughing, playing in the snow.

Finding the "perfect" tree.  It had holiday movie written all over it. 

These are my boys, hunting down the perfect tree.

Jackson was in the backpack on my back.

(I must have drawn the short straw for that one.)

Emmett chose the tree this year.  It's a bit smaller than usual with not as many branches, but when he saw it the coulds parted, sunshine burst down, and Angels were singing (What, that's not what happens to you?). 

We cut it and kept it, made it our own.

(Handsome tree carrier not included.)

Here she is. 

The Allen Family Christmas Tree.

(I envision you all with smiles on your faces, oh's and ah's.  She's a beaut, Clark!)

What is your Christmas tree tradition?

The Halls Have Been Decked.

The stockings have been hung.

(Hand made with love by my Momma.  She's the greatest!)

 The Christmas town is out.

(This is only part of it, I have to spread them all around the house in order to fit.)

 

The Holiday's just wouldn't be the same without it.

It's officially here. 

Nolan counts down to December the whole year (it's his birthday month). 

It's Hubby's favorite time of year. 

I've embraced the cold weather. 

"Jingle Bells" echoing in my ears.

Parties are being planned, our social calendar is full. 

The tree comes this weekend (pictures to follow). 

All smiles in this house.