by Sarah | Dec 27, 2012 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Marriage, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us
I’m not going to lie and come in here with rainbows & sunshine and say 2012 was the BEST YEAR EVER!!!
Because it wasn’t.
We had struggles. Financially, physically, mentally, we struggled. Kids went in the hospital, husband had medical issues of many kinds, I sprained my ankle, husband sprained an ankle, Kennedy came within inches of a feeding tube.
There have been lows. Some of them mind-numbingly bad.
But we are still here. Our whole family.
And beyond those lows – there were highs. Highs like we’ve never seen – and experiences that were beyond amazing.
For me, 2012 will be a year to be immortalized in my mental record books.
It was the year I dyed my hair purple.
It was the year I got published.
It was the year I swung through the trees.
It was the year I signed my first book contract.
It was the year I climbed mountains.
It was the year I signed 2 more publishing contracts – bringing my years total to 3.
It was the year Erik and I finally got a vacation.
It was the year I got to see Cirque (Creepy & cool).
It was the year I turned 36 – & finally felt like I’d come into my own.
It was the year I ran my first 5k.
I made friends out in that big world, my blog grew, my experiences grew, I grew. Sometimes out of struggle, but I still grew.
2013 has so much promise to it. Two of my books and a short story are all due to be published. I have more experiences waiting for me on the other side of January 1st. I know we’ll have struggles, I know we aren’t done fighting many of the battles we’re still waging today, and I know that there will be days I’ll want to give up.
But I also know – that I will emerge from each of those struggles. Maybe scarred, but always stronger.
So bring it, 2013. The Promises, and the Struggles. I’m ready for you.
by Sarah | Dec 21, 2012 | All About Family, All About Me, Crap, Random
[flickr id=”8275837319″ small=”thumbnail” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]2012 has been a very long, and painful year.
Struggles have abounded. Many that you’ve seen, some that I haven’t been able to post about (or started to, but had to stop because we’re not as out of the mess of it as we thought we were).
The pain and struggles have taught me a number of lessons, important lessons. Lessons I will carry with me into 2013.
For now, though.
For now I’d like a measure of peace.
A few days to breathe.
To not pretend this year has been great, that I’m fine, we’re all fine.
Good things did happen, yes…a few very wonderful things.
But bad things have too – and the bad things have beat me down a bit.
So, just for today.
For today I’m going to submerge in peace.
by Sarah | Dec 20, 2012 | All About Me, Crap, Random, WTF?
[flickr id=”8275829697″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Full of the Christmas Spirit (or is that panic?) – I dove into wrapping presents on Saturday.
I had a huge pile of gifts to go through, a good amount of new rolls of wrapping paper and some old rolls in my trust wrapping paper box that I’d used for years. I do mean years, it’s an old packing box. Plain cardboard, tall to accommodate the long rolls of paper.
Because I have been using it for years and it’s stored in our only storage area – the garage – some of the wrapping paper in it was well squashed down. Smashed and broken from years of careless tossing into the box.
With all the new rolls I thought it was as good a time to clear out the damaged rolls.
I began pulling them out of the box and realized there was stuff hidden underneath them. An old (now broken) Easter basket I never used, some Easter faux grass, some Christmas cards, stocking stuffers. I noticed an odd stain in the corner of the box and cursed that the bugs had gotten into the box like they do everything else in my garage.
And then…
I realized the stain wasn’t bug remains.
It was bird poop.
And the contributing animal lay dead midway through the box.
I have to say I almost threw up right then.
Box went in the trash and I thanked the heavens that I’d had the foresight to buy new wrapping paper.
This year?
I’m spending the money for a proper storage box.
I never.
Ever.
Want to see something like that again.
~shudder~
by Sarah | Dec 17, 2012 | All About Me, Holidays, Random
[flickr id=”8276894702″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]I don’t know how I end up doing this to myself every year.
I swear I’ll pick “only a few”.
But then a new recipe pops up.
Or an old favorite is demanded (begged for).
And suddenly dozens of cookies in 5, 6, 7 different variations are accumulating on my table.
I’m on day 4.
I’ve got at least one day left.
If I don’t come out – send in the troops.
by Sarah | Dec 11, 2012 | All About Kennedy, All About Learning, All About Me, All About Molly, Blogging Life, SITS Girls, Sponsored
[flickr id=”8263289615″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Oh, this box has garnered a lot of excitement in my house this week. It came from BabbaCo, and was so chock-full of good stuff we’re saving half of it until Christmas break when we can take our time and enjoy it.
I couldn’t keep the girls out of it for long, though. We eagerly dove in and took out the Constellation Frame.
[flickr id=”8263288763″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”right”]With 2 sheets of sun-sensitive paper and enough star stickers to overflow the papers, I had to exert some limits on how many stickers to use. Still, the girls had so much fun plotting out where to put them, and insisted on sharing the paper. All the time they were filled with questions and asking about the moon and the constellations – thanks to the coloring pages also provided.
Unfortunately winter hit just before we did this – and gray skies don’t help the paper turn dark so we’re still waiting on our finished product 🙁 To ease the girls disappointment, pulled out the crayons and colored the pages provided.
[flickr id=”8264354868″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]I’ve never seen my girls so focused and quiet for any amount of time before. They wanted their pictures to be perfect. Tongues were bitten in concentration to stay in the lines and make things pretty. Molly decided to make the moon picture she was drawing red like sand, so I suggested that maybe she was coloring it as Mars instead of the moon – setting off a whole new slew of questions.
I used to think about home-schooling, but always worried I’d have no clue where to begin. I wish I’d known about the BabbaBox then. A monthly delivery, always with a theme and relevant projects? With help like this, I might have had more courage to try.
[flickr id=”8263286307″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”none”] [flickr id=”8264356200″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”none”] [flickr id=”8263290907″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”none”] [flickr id=”8264357138″ thumbnail=”smalll” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”none”]
BabbaBox is a theme-based box delivered to your door that allows you to enjoy a little convenience and inspiration! As any parent can attest, the most important thing you can give to your child is quality time. BabbaBox makes this possible by helping you to save time, money, & mindspace.
Just think! Fantastic monthly activities with ALL the materials for kids ages 3-6. Included in the box are 3 projects + 1 bestselling book + digital download + parent surprise gift!
The best part? Babbabox makes a GREAT unique gift during the holiday season.
Act now! Get 50% off your first month when you sign up for a monthly membership using the code, SWAY100. Offer expires December 31, 2012.
**This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BabbaBox. The opinions and text are all mine.**
by Sarah | Dec 5, 2012 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Me, All of Us
In recent months there’s been some trouble in the Cass house.
A horrible little fiend named Insomnia.
Whether stress induced, medication induced, or just popping up to say hello – Insomnia has taken all of us into it’s hold.
For days on end poor Erik suffered from this for several nights in a row. I kept trying to convince him to let me make him a hot angel.
He kept insisting that he couldn’t stand warm milk.
One night I insisted, making him one and handing to him insisting he drink.
Since then it’s become an almost nightly ritual.
So good, and so simple to make – and it knocks you out without using drugs. I love it, and have since I had my first one at Barnes & Noble’s. Of course than I had a steamer and vanilla flavor syrup.
It’s a simple solution, – the next time you have a rough night, you should totally make it.
8 – 12 oz milk (depending on your mug size)
1-2 tsp vanilla (1 or 2 cap-fuls)
2-3 Tbs sugar (or more)
Warm over the stove on med to med-low heat. Don’t let boil, just warm to whatever temperature works for you (I usually go to where I can still stick my finger into it without burning myself – Yeah, real accurate, isn’t it?).
Honestly, do the vanilla and sugar to taste, hubby likes less vanilla, I like more. I never measure accurately. Just put stuff in until it feels right.
Your other option is to buy the flavoring syrup they have for coffee at the grocery store and use that (like we did at Barnes & Noble). I am planning to buy the Caramel syrup next shopping trip and try that for something different!
