1st time playing in the snow

We went to the snow last weekend, and the girls had a good time. Skyler stayed strapped to me while Valkyrie went sledding with her dad. Valkyrie liked the snow but wasn't too into sledding. Valkyrie even had adorable pink boots to wear. Huey joined us and loved eating the snow, Jeff even tried having Huey pull him on the sled....he didn't get far, but it was still fun to watch. We didn't stay long, but with the new snow we are getting this week maybe we'll head back up. It was a nice way to end a perfect Christmas weekend.

Christmas Time

Opening her tea set on Christmas Morning

Skyler in mommy's arms

Valkyrie & Mom Ice skate on Christmas Eve

1st lesson with mom

Way too cool for this ice skating stuff

Opening gifts

Papa playing in the "bouncy house"

Skyler is Grammy's arms

Photos

Christmas Card

I don't want you to feel as though I have forgotten you and not sent you a Christmas card this year, but in the spirit of trying to stay sane, I just don't have the time or energy (I know sounds like a lame excuse) to send out cards this year. So I'm sending you this Christmas Blog. I know it is totally un-personal, so sorry. Plus I see no point in sending the beloved Christmas Letter as this blog is like my year long letter.

I want you to know I'm thinking of you and wishing you the best holiday season.

Merry Christmas & A Happy and Healthy New Year!

We love you all!

Skyler is 5 months...and a few days

Skyler is doing great. She is such an easy going child. She is growing beautifully and other than a little congestion she is getting over she is very healthy. She can sometimes be a little too easy going and you forget about her. I’ll set her down on her belly for tummy time and go work on something or wrangle Valkyrie and a bit of time will pass and she is still there, content and smiling. (I don’t just leave her unattended; I don’t want you to get the idea that I’m a neglect mother). She is trying to sit up on her own and in a few more weeks I think she’ll have it down. She is relative quiet but sometimes will gabber (mostly after she hears Valkyrie talking a lot) She is adjusting to daycare life fairly well. I stop by at lunch to feed her and it always brightens my day.

Her upper body is getting very strong; she will push herself up and roll over while on her belly. She hasn’t gotten any teeth yet, which is fine with me. I know I have said this before but few things bother Skyler. Even when Valkyrie will sit on her, or get right in her face and say “Hi Skyla”, Skyler will just blink and look at her like...”yes this is my older sister” It is adorable that each morning when it is time to wake up Skyler I’ll go into out room and Valkyrie will follow me and say her name as she runs down the hall, then when she sees Skyler open her eyes she will say “Skyla, awake”. Skyler loves the Christmas lights and we will walk into the girl’s room at night and just let her gaze at the lights. Something about their room is so peaceful; it is our favorite room in the house. It is hard to explain it but then energy in that room is so wonderful; whenever I feel a little off I just step into that room alone and feel good again. The other weekend we went to the Christmas Lights Parade downtown and both girls had a good time, it was chilly, but we bundled them up and got a coffee and stood and watched the parade.

It will be her first Christmas in a few weeks and I got her a beautiful piece of art work of a mommy and baby. (what else do you get a 5 months old).

The other night I held her in my arms as she slept and thought to my self how blessed I am to have her, I know it may sound funny but I feel she understands me, when things are crazy I can look into her eyes and she speaks to my soul and says “It’s okay Mommy, I’m here now.” I love you Skyler.

Movie recomendation!

Watched a great movie a few weeks ago and I think everyone needs to see it. It was called Food Inc. and deals with lifting the veil of where your food comes from. Granted there are some parts that are hard to watch and I had to turn away and to say the least it really has me re-thinking eating meat (of any kind).
Jeff and I are really health, earth and animal conscience people to start with but this movie drilled home WHY it is so important to demand good food. From Organic, to local, to non-processed, to free range animals and to really read the labels and know where your food is coming from.
I really feel everyone needs to see this movie and to demand good food and demand the processes and laws to keep us safe! The only way the “system” is going to change is if we demand it does by what we choose to buy.
So do yourself a favor and see this movie and hey if you want, let me know what you think of it!
Eat Healthy!

Beauty is in your own eye

Mothers be good to your daughters, and most important yourselves. Our daughters are watching us, learning from us. So many women out there have body image problems, which stem from a young age. It is heart breaking to hear a child call herself, ugly, no child should ever say those words about her self. We adults have a responsibility to our children to set examples, and if our children hear us put our selves down and call our self’s fat, ugly, un worthy, and countless other insults…..what does that teach them.

So I ask you mothers out there to be kind to yourself, love the body you were given for ALL that it is, help young women love who they are.

What is it with America’s sick obsession with un-realistic beauty? American women spend thousands of dollars on beauty products to firm, tone, revitalize, smooth, paint and cover, which by the way are all for the most part extremely toxic to their body. Think about the chemicals you are putting on your body and there for into your body. I ask you, do you really know what it in your lipstick? Here is 2 great websites:

http://www.safecosmetics.org/

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php (this one lets you look up to toxic levels in everything from shampoo to nail polish)

I can only hope that I am so aware that I am able to teach my girls to love themselves for all that they have and were given. They are beautiful to me! And I am beautiful to me!!