Pieces Of Us.

{A Cold Winter's Day}

*Sleeping In
*Baking and Decorating Cookies
*Missing the biggest Sister, who is staying with her cousin
*Laundry
*Sledding
*Anticipating Christmas
*Snuggles and Kisses and Smiles and Laughs

Hello Christmas Break. 
Welcome to our home. 
Enjoy your stay, we sure are!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{december catch up}

Did you know...
That I started this blog 5 and a half years ago.  Back when there were pretty much 2 blogger choices out there.  This one, for $8.95/month, or Blogspot, which was free, but you really couldn't personalize it and make it pretty, at least not nearly as user friendly as you could with typepad.
And I was all about having the cute little banners and pretty colors, and even music playing in the sidebar.
Times have changed, and Blogger is just as good as Typepad, but even better...  It's FREE!  and 66 months later, I have now paid $590.70 for my blog.  {Sigh}
But I LOVE IT!  And I don't want to give it up...  And if I stop paying, I lose the past 5 and a half years of my families memories. {Sigh, again!}

There are 7 days left before Christmas.  I am {almost} ready.
We don't have our tree up yet.  {Sigh, again!}
But we have presents bought and wrapped, Christmas cards sent out in the mail...And we are all happy, healthy and together. 

A tiny glimpse into the silliness that goes on around here~

 

 

 

Oh' and just for the heck of it...  Deven took this one of John and I, as we were getting ready to head out to the LS Christmas party.

 

 

Today marks day 1 of Christmas break.  Deven made Pancakes for breakfast.  Ashlyn served them to me in bed.
I have spent my morning pouring over pictures, and catching up on some blogs that I love to read.
I have plenty to do,, don't get me wrong, but what's the rush, I have the next two weeks off.  So for this morning, I am officially being lazy! 
And as of tomorrow, no more being lazy. 
I have a long list that must get accomplished this break!

{My Ashlyn Mae}

 

 

 

 


{You}

Are the sweetest surprise.

Are the baby of our family, the completion to our circle.

Are beautiful, and funny.

Are loved, more than you will ever be able to comprehend!

Love,

Mommy

{Hello, December}

Here's what's been on my mind~

*First of all, we have all been enjoying the snow!
I LOVE the way it makes the world look so fluffy, and soft.  I love to sit inside, feeling all warm and cozy, and watch it fall to the ground.
The Kids have been LOVING the snow.  They have been spending hours and hours outside playing in it...
Snowmen have been built, and their very favorite thing to do ~ pull each other around on the tube, behind the 4-wheeler.
John on the other hand, worked all of his days off, and put in several 12+ hour days in a row.
He has been tired, but we appreciate all his hard work, to take care of our family!

*I had an awesome couple of months of picture taking.  Which is a dream come true for me.
Just the right amount.  I wouldn't have wanted to do much more, but had plenty to keep me busy and get some good practice in.  I was very happy with my work these couple of month, and not too many things make me happier than seeing people light up, when looking at their families captured in my images.

*Thanksgiving has come and gone, and as usual, we enjoyed a yummy feast with the Hofbauer clan.

*The kids Christmas programs are over, and we lived through another 3+ hour program.

*John's parent's are gone to Iowa right now, and we are babysitting their Golden Retreiver, Hannah, who also happens to be Annie's Momma.
We have loved having her here, and she has been spoiled rotten.
She has gone from being a mostly outside farm dog, to an inside, sleep and eat all day, lazy, kid smothered house dog.  She hasn't complained yet.

Today, they kept me company while I worked on a federal report that I have spent hours, upon hours trying to get finished up, and I couldn't help by snap some pictures of them.  They looked so cute and peaceful!

 

 

 

 

 

Now that I think about it, I guess they weren't much company!

 

{SNOW}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




 

{Happy Halloween}

 

 

 

 

 

{Little Reminders)

 

I have been packing this little note around with me, for the past few days. 
What girl doesn't want need to hear these things from time to time?

And WHY, of WHY does it take the depths of despair for the people who love us to let us know, and remind us that we are loved?
I don't know, but I am cherishing this {little reminder} right now.

I went to Women of Faith this weekend.
I NEVER, EVER want to miss it again.
This was my first time there, but certainly NOT my last.
I LOVED every second of it.  Every tear, every giggle, every song, every prayer, every speaker, and every story.
I believe that this was a life changing weekend for me, and only God could know how bad I need some changes in my life right now!

And, just so that you know...  I am slowly climbing out of the dark, and cold place that I found myself in over the past month. 
And what I learned this weekend, that really, really stuck with me...  I don't NEED to worry.
God will do that for me.  After all, it is His plan.

{Hello October}

 

Aahhh' October...  Quite possibly my favorite month of the year!
Here is what we are looking forward to October bringing us, so far-

• 2 softball tournaments.  One in Richland, and the other in Selah
• 4 dance classes
• 6 volleyball games
• 6 soccer games
• 7 Photo Shoots
• 1 {37th} Birthday for one loved Husband and Daddy
• 31 Picture Fall daily photo prompts
• 1 very busy work month for me! 
• 1 HUGE Federal report
• 1 BIG State report
• 5 Sundays of Church!
• 1 visit from Aunt Helen, from Boston
• 1 Photo Studio to get set up
• 3 trips to the Pumpkin Patch
• 1 Poker themed Birthday party to plan
• 1 Adult Halloween party to attend
• Soil Sampling, though sadly John has to go alone this time, because it is the same weekend as the Richland tournament.  :(
• Lots, and Lots of snuggling and being together!
• 31 chances for a new day, and the power to make them count!

 

{6} little things

1. Fall is in the air!  My favorite time of year!  I love to decorate for fall, and cook and clean...  If only I could find the time to fit in all the things that I love to do this time of year.

2. Madi is a busy little beaver, right about now, which is keeping me hopping, and I am afraid exhausting us both.  She is in Jazz band now, which means she has to get to school by 7:30, then everyday she has volleyball from 3:30 to 5:00 P.M. and softball practice on Wednesday's from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M.  And Sundays from 2 to 4 P.M.  When I picked her up from volleyball practice today, she was VERY emotional. 
She is worn out, and needs to rest.
She also has softball tournaments this weekend, and next weekend...  And then softball will be over, until later this winter.
I do have to say though, there were tears shed today, she is so frustrated and tired, and I gave her the option to skip softball practice for tonight, so she could get some rest, but she didn't even have to think twice, she was NOT going to miss practice.  And when I picked her up, she was all smiles, and happy again.  She is LOVING this new softball team, and Softball is so her thing.  It made me feel like all the hours that we have put into that sport, really are paying off.  It is one thing that really makes her happy!  (Oh' and she has straight A's too!)

3. Deven is doing GREAT in school.  Loves his teacher, his classmates, and being in 5th grade ROCKS!  Did you know that they get to take CHAIRS to assemblies, and everyone else has to sit on the floor?
He is playing soccer, and really, really loves it. His team is pretty good. The coach said at the first practice that he was intending on getting them in shape...  he wasn't lying!  But Deven enjoys it, and doesn't ever complain.

4.  Ashlyn just turned 8 this month, and started taking Jazz class.  She looks forward to it all week, and LOVES being out on the dance floor.  It has been really good for her, and those girls are super cute! 
She opted for dance over soccer this year, and she didn't have to ask twice.  It was painful watching that girl play soccer! 
She is really liking being in 2nd grade, and loves having Deven there to rely on.  It will be strange next year when she is all alone in the elementary school.  I think it will be hard on her, and probably even harder on ME!

5. A small bit of honesty:   Life has been a struggle for us around here lately.  Being married has been a challenge.  Being a Mom has been a challenge.  Being a friend has been a challenge.
But, we are all pulling together, and getting through.
I have been praying and exploring, wondering, dreaming, fearing and wishing.
We have been keeping things on a more private level than is normal for us, but I have to say, I have seriously seen so much support from my friends through this time in my life.  I have been absolutely amazed at the amount of people who have sent messages, texts, phone calls, and prayers. 
I have honestly taken each one to heart, and they have helped me more than I can say. 
So those of you who have been thinking of me, Thank You, from the bottom of my heart!

6.  We started going to church together.  As a family,
I LOVE IT!  We have gone for 2 weeks now, and I feel so amazing when I leave there.
BOTH days, I have heard something that sounded like it was being directly spoken to ME.
I LOVE it when you hear things that just seem so personal, and make you really stop and think about your own way of living.  I think it will be good for all of us!  
 

{First Day Of School}

The start of the school year was a HUGE success for 2/3 of the Hofbauer clan today.

Ashlyn was squealing her way to the car today, practically shouting that "Today was the BEST day of MY LIFE!"  (Pretty sure she said the same thing on the first day of school last year, and possibly the year before!).
And, that was followed by "I LLLLOOOOOOVVVEEEE Mrs. Pollard, she is Sooooooo NICE!"(Pretty sure I heard this one last year too, just with a different teachers name inserted.)

Deven was a little less enthusiastic, but still happy, with plenty to share.
It is going to be a big year for those two!

Madi...  Well, by the time I got home from Ashlyn's dance class, she was sitting at the table, staring at a PILE of math homework.  On.The. First. Day. Of. School.
YIKES!  It could prove to be a long, hard year for her!
Poor girl!  Hoping that her mood today isn't setting the tone for the rest of the year, or it could be a long year for ALL of us!!!

Here's to an early bedtime, and doing it all again, 186 more times, in the next 9 months!