Project Life: Weeks 3 & 4

I am IN LOVE with Project Life! Seriously I cannot believe how much I love it. It's getting easier and easier each week. The best part I've found so far is that by documenting each week, my eyes are being opened to the little things. I know that I'll look back on these "little" things years from now and realize just how BIG they really are...so I am glad to be documenting them as we go!!!!

Week Three:

 

 Week 4:

With Insert of Lauren's conversation heart graphing (and picture of her completing the activity on the back)

Project Life: Week 1 & 2

So...I've had the Project Life kit for over a year. It's been in a box under my bed and the thought of opening it just about gave me hives. Last year (or at least the beginning half of it) was hard and scrapbooking was something I knew I couldn't handle.

But, this year? Oh this year! This is the year of CELEBRATING EVERY DAY, EVERY THING! And what better way to do that than to stop and pay attention to the things that need celebrating! I've found myself photographing things I might not ordinarily take the time to capture. I've listened more carefully to the conversation in our home. I've found that creative spark I'd been missing!

I'm going to attempt to take this Project Life journey through the entire year. I'd like to do a spread a week. It's a lofty goal....especially since the amount of scrapbooking I've done in the past four years has been nada, but I really feel like this is something that honors my phrase for 2013. I also feel like it is something that honors my family. It honors the ebb and flow of our life together and I'm excited to document it!!!

My week one layout is nothing fancy, but I think I caught several things that would have otherwise gone under the radar. :)

Week Two is even more simple...but it was during creating this week's layout that I realized how many more photos I need to be taking and printing!

Things I've learned so far:

1. I tried to have my pics printed at Walmart, but they were awful. I'm pretty much using my iPhone exclusively. It's so much easier than lugging around my big camera. However, when I sent my pics to Walmart (especially my instagram ones) they were just ridiculously bad. Thanks to my friend, and Project Life all star, Leslie, I sent them off to Shutterfly and was extremely pleased!

2. I didn't have enough pics printed off. My first couple of weeks are picture deficient. I need to be more thoughtful about the ones I take and the ones I send to get printed.

3. I'm going to have to keep a simple PL notebook where I can keep up with the happenings of each week. It takes at least a week to get my pics back after sending them to be printed and in that amount of time I must lose all memory! I noticed as I was trying to put together the first two weeks that I couldn't remember all the details. I'm going to use a notebook to help me remember the things I want to include on each week's layout!

All in all, I'm really loving Project Life so far. It is easy enough for me and I don't have to get a ton of stuff out to create a page!!!

High Five for Friday

Happy Friday! I haven't blogged in a pretty little while, but I wanted to pop in and share my High Five for Friday!!!

1. I am seriously way too in love with the vinyl decal my sweet friend, Leslie, made me! It really adds such charm to an otherwise ordinary moment....but now my poor clothespin jar is jealous! ;)

2. I've been working out. I have a long way to go, and even though the scale is taking its sweet sweet time showing any loss I'm going to keep trucking on. So thankful to have found Downton Abbey to watch while I sweat my booty off on the treadmill.

3. Shawn found an old Ball mason jar (a blue one too!!!!) in the woods one day and brought it home for me! Seriously better than flowers. I am sort of obsessed with these beauties! This one is smaller than the others I have and it is just darling. Can't you see fresh spring flowers in it?!?!? Meeee Tooo!

4. I got to go to the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions last night with my dad, hubby, and brothers. They were kind enough to let me take a ticket so I could watch Nixa play! One of my former students got to dress out with Varsity and I was seriously soooo proud of him! I absolutely love his family and it was great to get to chat with his mama too. It's families like that that make me miss teaching! I can't wait to catch more of their games! I snapped this picture of my daddy and me! We had awesome seats...right behind the players and I totally loved listening in on their conversations! Also I totally love this man. I am so proud to be his daughter.

5. Homemade granola bars and coffee. Need I say more? If you like crunchy granola bars but haven't found a good recipe you have to try this one. Shawn and I are hooked! And, I love knowing what is in them!!!

Yay for another beautiful week!

One Little Word ~ 2013

I've participated in the One Little Word craze the past few years and while I'm not sure I've shared a ton about it here it's something that has really helped me focus my life and goals each year.

In 2009 my word was Create. I pursued new areas of crafty-ness and found such pleasure in making my house a home.
In 2010 my word was Joy. I went on a journey to be a woman of true godly joy. I learned that joy is more than happy times....it is a deep rooted reaction to hard times and good times.
In 2011 my word was {be}Present. The iPhone and computer were taking over my life and I sought to remind myself to be in the moment with my God, kids, husband, family, and friends.
In 2012 my word was Survive. I struggled deeply with postpartum depression and learned the importance of relying on God daily.

And in 2013 I've chosen a small phrase that I think will still count as my one little word.

Drumroll, please ~ dum dum dum dum dum dum

I want to celebrate every single day of my life. I want to celebrate the smiles, the tears, the half birthdays, the dinners cooked well, the friends I've been blessed with, the family I love, the little things and the big things....I want to celebrate it all.

Celebrating the every day opens my eyes to the beautiful gifts God has given me. Focusing on the positive rather than the negative allows me to grow a heart of gratitude instead of discontentment. I am so thankful that God placed this little phrase on my heart this year. I won't even begin to speculate what he has up his sleeve for me with this word, but with him in the lead I'm ready!

Do you have a "one little word" for 2013? I'd love to hear it and cheer you on!!!

Back to Reality

The past couple of weeks have been an absolute whirlwind of fun and food and sleeping in and staying up way too late and just plain ignoring reality!

We've been traveling a bunch and with that has come some of the sweetest moments of loving on our families and laughing until our stomaches hurt. It has also spoiled me completely silly in that we've had doting grandparents willing to wake up with our two little munchkins and let this mama sleep in! Wah Hoo! I've reverted to my old college ways of staying up way past my bedtime and then sleeping way past breakfast! It was glorious while it lasted but now its time to get back on the saddle!

So this morning I was up bright and early. I know that if I don't get up before my kiddos and spend time with God that I have absolutely little to nothing to give them. Sadly, too many times I hit that snooze button thinking I will just deal with whatever comes when I wake back up. Not this morning! I was up at 5:30 thanks to the graciousness of the Lord. I prayed last night over and over that he would prepare my feet to get out of bed and my mind to be open to hear him in the cold darkness of the early morning. And by his amazing love for me, he woke me before my alarm! I had to smile when I woke up and realized it was just a few minutes shy of my 5:30 alarm. I believe without a shadow of a doubt that he woke me. What a great start to the day!!!

Since I've been away from home and my routine for so long I haven't had a chance to sit down like I'd like and plan out my goals for the new year. But, I've sure been thinking a lot about them. I'm excited to get them written down and posted here soon! Oh and I can't wait to share my one little word for the year with you. Although it is more of a phrase....I think it will still work! Also, I'm hoping to have time during the kids nap today to post some pictures from our time with my sweet in-laws!

It sure was great to get away for a while, but it is so nice to be home!

Christmas with the Hutsell Clan

I don't have a ton of pictures, but we had a great time celebrating with the ENTIRE Hutsell/Richardson clan! It was absolutely amazing! We had a great lunch, and then opened presents. Meme gave all us married ladies some beautiful dishes and tea towels she had embroidered. After we opened presents we played a few rounds of Minute To Win It, girls vs. guys. Unfortunately the guys demolished the ladies but we had some strong showings regardless. It was so much fun to be able to see all my cousins and for us to be all together. My cousin Andrea and her sweet hubby Lucas brought their cameras and tripod and got a picture of the entire clan. I can't wait to see it!!!

 Opening presents.

Easton always wants to wear Papa JD's hats when we are there. :)

Christmas at Nammy & Big Papa's

This year has been really great for us so far because instead of having to rush around and feel as though we don't get to be at any place (Shawn's parents', my parents', and our house) for long, it has worked out where we've had (or will have) several days at each place!!! Yay!

This year we went to my parents before Christmas and got to spend the weekend before with them! I had to stop and take a picture of the gravel road that leads me home.

It was so wonderful to just hang out with my family. I am sure I just appreciate them more as I've gotten older, but I seriously love them so much and couldn't shake the feeling of just complete thankfulness the whole time we were together. I was especially thankful the time I accidentally kicked Zach in the face with my foot and he graciously didn't kill me!

I love this picture of my little man and my dad headed out to ride the big tractor. Easton is pretty smitten with his Papa and tractors.

Shawn captured this picture of Easton trying on some horns in my dad's shop. What a silly dude.

He also enjoyed riding the little John Deere riding tractor that was Jared's when he was a boy.

Macie kisses....

While the boys were outside, I was inside finishing up some last minute Christmas gifts....leave it to me to put it off until the eleventh hour! So thankful that my mom had a great area set up and that Victoria had some last minute gifts to finish too...so I wasn't alone!

We played Christmas pictionary and Lauren was a huge help to her daddy....they were on my team and we won!

I don't have a lot of pictures of us actually opening presents, but everything was absolutely perfect. I think my favorite part was when my  mom opened her gift from my dad. He got her a new wedding band set!!! It was beautiful and he picked it out himself!

 Easton and Lauren both got new boots!!! They are way too stinking cute in them!

 Lauren got lots of fun princess-y things, but her biggest gift was the Disney Princess doll house. Oh my goodness...she was ecstatic! We had no idea what she was getting so it was a fun surprise for Shawn and me as well.

She also had told Zach a while back that she wanted a camo shirt that was a little big so she could go hunting with him when she was bigger. He remembered that conversation and got her...guess what?!?

Easton got a four wheeler! Oh my goodness he was so excited when he saw it and the next day he had to ride it outside. (Side note...it's a lot easier to ride outside than inside on hardwood!)

Lauren even had a go at it! I have a feeling this thing is going to be put to good use in the years ahead!

Here is a video of him parking it in my parents' garage. I'm pretty impressed in his abilities already. :)

What a fun and relaxing and joyful time we had together. I wouldn't have changed a thing!!!