Here's to a new beginning.

Here's a quick recap.
March 3, 2011 - Bo and I got MARRIED! (Hooray!)
September 2011 - Kathryn turned FOUR.
October 2011 - Gavin turned ONE.
March 2012 - We bought a HOUSE!

Can I just say that my life (with the exception of packing) has NOT sucked this past year. I get to stay at home with my children and watch them grow, learn and play every day. Which, believe me, is not with out its stresses, but in the overall it's totally worth it. I also have a husband who is willing to work his rear off to provide for us to be sure we're taken care of. And on top of it all we FINALLY moved and bought a spectacular house! It's a wonderful home. It's a huge home and a lot of work to keep clean, but it is spectacular. We are settled in for sure, but now we just have to decorate. All of the walls are WHITE and it's driving me crazy. I'm just going to go room by room until it's finished. Kathryn and Gavin LOVE it. Not many people know but Gavin didn't even have his own room at our old house. You'd think a one year old wouldn't notice that but man, that boy LOVES his room. He sleeps better at night and during the day when we're upstairs he'll just go in there, sit down, and just play with his toys or look at a book. It makes my heart happy. Kathryn is the same. She loves her new room. We've been playing online and looking at things like colors and what not for her room. She's excited to help decorate it.

Something about this house (weather it be us actually buying it, or it just being a fresh start) has made me feel like SUCH an adult. I have this urge inside to just get my sh*t together and be the best of everything I can be. I keep the house clean, cook 3 meals a day, go for a walk with Marley and the kids every day... I don't know, this move has just sparked a change in me. I just want to be a better person. I want to be the kind of parent I think I should be. Does that sound crazy?

Speaking of cooking three meals a day, I'm trying to come up with a menu for every day for two weeks. It shouldn't be hard I guess, but I'm finding it extra difficult. Any kid friends, easy, yet tasty meal suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

So, I have to get Kathryn's stuff together to get her registered for Pre-K. Talk about overwhelming. I've been looking online around here for top notch Pre-K programs and every time I start looking my heart sinks to my stomach and I'm riddled with anxiety. I mean, how do parents do this? How do you convince yourself that these strangers are going to care for your child and adequately educate them. How do you trust strangers with your kids? It terrifies me. I've always been a bit of an over protective mother anyway so this is KILLING me. However, I have no fears that Kathryn will preform less that brilliantly at school. She's so smart it makes my heart swell with pride. Not to mention that she's probably the friendliest girl I've ever met. I worry a little that she'll get her heart broken by mean girls, because she's just so nice. Kathryn leaving this toddler stage and becoming a full blown kid is opening an entire new area of worries. MUCH SCARIER worries than the baby worries. These worries involve my child branching out in to the real world where it's much harder for me to be with her and protect her every minute of the day. I think about it and want to cry, SERIOUSLY, right now... I am tearing up just thinking about it. Is that normal?

I've still got Gavin for a few more years and man, oh man, he's already a handful. He's is a blend of hilarity, insanity, stubbornness, kindness, love, and genius all rolled in to one. Oh, and lets not forget that temper. Through all of that he's grown into such a charismatic kid that every time I look at him i want to scoop him up, squeeze him and tell him how wonderful he is. I want to remind him that he's so amazing and will be able to do ANYTHING he puts his mind to in life. He exudes confidence. It's not the confidence of a toddler. You know, the confidence that no matter what they do it'll be okay because they just don't know any better? Not that confidence. The confidence that pours out of him screams, I can do it because I am awesome. I hope that confidence never waivers. I pray he finds a way to keep that confidence but balance it with some humility. If he can achieve that he really will be unstoppable in life.

Anyway, that's my life in a nutshell these days. I'm still madly in love with my entire family. Super madly in love with my husband and so thankful to have been blessed with him. I'm really really one lucky gal.

One. Lucky. Gal.